sports

LAS VEGAS--We've heard of headphones delivering new highs before, but never quite like this.

At the Polk Audio booth here at the Consumer Electronics Show, the manufacturer has set up one of the more brazen gimmicks at a show filled with brazen gimmicks: a trampoline gymnast who zooms toward the high convention-center ceiling with every jump. Of course, she's wearing Polk's new Ultrafit sports headphones, which--big surprise--stayed put despite her vigorous bounces.… Read more

The NFL has done a pretty good job of making its brand known. It seems everywhere one looks a logo from a football franchise can be found. What was once mostly limited to apparel is now available on anything. Even on a grilled cheese sandwich.

What you get from the Pangea Brands NFL Logo Sandwich and Waffle Grill may not be the most obvious next step in the evolutionary chain of licensed sports memorabilia, but it might be the tastiest. The clamshell countertop appliance cooks the logo of your favorite team directly on the bread. The nonstick plates are removable, … Read more

LAS VEGAS--As I've said before, it's not often that I get to cover surf-related tech, so when CNET's Kent German told me Oregon Scientific had a new video camera for surfboards, you'd better believe I bolted over to the company's booth to check it out.

The ATCMini Action Video Camera is Oregon Scientific's latest action cam, and it's one of the lightest ones yet at just 2.3 ounces. This means it won't weigh you down when you're trying to capture all your thrills and spills as you're surfing, biking, … Read more

Last year, when Ford announced its smallest EcoBoost engine yet, we fully expected the new mill to find its way under the hood of a Ford Fiesta. Turns out that we were only partially correct.

Today, Ford announced that it would be unveiling the all-new Ford EcoSport at the New Delhi Auto Expo. This small crossover--which looks like a ruggedized, upright version of the Fiesta hatchback--will be powered by the smallest of the EcoBoost family, the turbocharged and direct-injected, 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine.

Ford claims that with an output of about 118 converted horsepower (120 PS), this mighty mite of … Read more

Last week Lexus teased with a partial shot of the new sport coupe concept, but today a little more was revealed.

Lexus released this side view of the LF-LC 2+2 sport coupe, but the company is still holding out on any under-the-hood details. The sport coupe concept will be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month.

"Crafted from a clean sheet of paper at the request of Lexus headquarters in Japan, the LF-LC blends both high technology and organic shapes to connect the driver to the machine," Mark Templin, Lexus group vice … Read more

Hot-air popcorn poppers are not delicate pieces of engineering that require precise manufacturing to achieve popping perfection. And this shouldn't come as much of a surprise; the appliances are more akin to hair dryers than to any other device or gadget found in the kitchen.

Regardless of the provenance of hot-air popcorn poppers in general, for the most part they all look the same. Operation is simple: pour in some kernels and turn it on. The hot air circulates around the kernels, pushing them about until they pop and emerge out of some chutelike contrivance. It's a basic, … Read more

iStunt 2 is a snowboarding sequel that adds enough extras and unique gameplay to make it a great time-waster and might be one of our favorite pick-up-and-play games for 2011. Just like in the original, you'll be challenged to snowboard on several complex courses that involve loops, jumps, tricks, and even snowboarding upside down. The control system uses the iPhone accelerometer to control your snowboarder, a couple of onscreen buttons for grab-type tricks, and screen swipes for jumping over gaps.

iStunt 2 is better in almost every way than the original, with better-designed tracks, better graphics, and more control … Read more

His greatest strength was always to look into the future.

He knew where the puck was going to be, and he made sure he was already there. Now Wayne Gretzky may be having trouble with the future of communication.

All this week, there appears to have occurred a tug of war--or perhaps merely a tug of love--between The Great One and his daughter, Paulina.

The tussle, which seems slightly more subtle than other confrontations in hockey, is over Paulina's Twitter feed.

The feed appears to have been shut down not once, but twice already this week, and reports suggest … Read more

After seeing the Subaru Concept STI that debuted in Los Angeles, we had a pretty good idea of what the production 2013 Subaru BRZ would look like.

We now have official photographic confirmation. Of course, there are no real surprises. The production BRZ looks nearly identical to the Toyota GT 86 with which it shares a platform. The vehicles are so similar that it takes a side-by-side comparison to tell that the Subaru has a different front grille opening, fender vents that are similar those on the STI concept, and a different wheel and tire package.

Where the Subaru may … Read more