Making Life a Game

 Let me first disclose that I am no fan of Nike's running shoes. Nothing against the company, but as I noted earlier, shoes are a very personal thing and some work for you and some don't. I often wish I could wear them though because I think they make some of the coolest looking kicks around. But alas, I stick to my mantra of "it's better to look like a dork than to get shin splints".

What I do like about Nike is their innovative approach to sports. The Nike+ system is a cool tool that runners can use to track runs in an inexpensive and fun way. They just announced a number of new products this week, like shoes that are made like socks (Flyknit) and this little gem pictured here - the Nike+ FuelBand.

I was skeptical for about this product for roughly 13 seconds until I thought about what it represented - making like a game.

I love this idea.

The device tracks all of your movements throughout the day and you basically earn points or "fuel". You can then track your activity and see if you are meeting your fitness goals. For instance, taking the stairs at work or walking instead of getting a cab will become more desirable because these choices will earn you "fuel" that you can compare with friends which in turn can keep you motivated to stay active through the Nike+ system. It's a simple concept, but it just seems like a lot of fun to me.

This bad boy runs $149 according to Nike's site, so not necessarily an impulse buy - but might be money well spent if it can help keep you moving all day.

Drive Slow