cycling

LAS VEGAS--I can tell you from experience that there's nothing quite like riding down a mountain with your own personal soundtrack. I'm sure cyclists feel the same way, particularly when it comes to long-haul biking.

The problem is safety: these activities already involve a fair amount of risk, and that shoots up when you impair your ability to hear what's going on in your surroundings. (In fact, in some places it's illegal to ride with two earphones in.) Luckily, we have this great thing called technology, which allows for innovations such as TuneBug's Shake.

In … Read more

Process Lasso is an interesting tool for speeding up your computer. By prioritizing its processes, this program helps improve an operating system's performance.

The program's interface is both helpful-looking, with a clean design and simple charts, and discouraging, with some highly technical command options. We were constantly spending time with and revisiting the program's Help file for instructions. The program's display clearly showcased all currently running processes and provided a suspected CPU usage chart--"suspected," because it didn't explain what any of the three bar charts represented. The visual aids were nice, but … Read more

A New Jersey-based environmental firm has developed audio player speakers made from recycled chips and candy bar packages.

TerraCycle is using its large waste-collection program to turn Doritos and Cheetos bags, as wells as Mars candy wrappers, into funky, foldable speakers.

The Frito-Lay Speakers have a 3.5 mm universal plug and don't require batteries. They sell at Radio Shack and on the TerraCycle Website, where they're listed for $19.99.

Founded by Princeton dropout Tom Szaky, TerraCycle "upcycles" waste into over 100 useful products, such as backpacks made from Capri Sun drink pouches, pencil cases … Read more

Phones make trusty sat-navs, MP3 players, and cycling computers--as well as handy phones--so they can replace a pocket full of gear on your daily commute or monthly trek. But short of lashing them to the handlebars with duct tape, you need a decent way to keep them front and center, without them flying off to become the puck in a horrifying game of car hockey. You'll be needing a mount.

With all the mounts we tested, we were surprised how much we enjoyed having our phone at our fingertips while pedaling. Not only did our sat-nav apps benefit from … Read more

When we were introduced to Lexus' new hybrid, we were assured that the HS250h was more than just a Toyota Prius with a premium price tag. Having spent time with the "world's first dedicated hybrid luxury vehicle," we can safely say that in many ways, it is a very different animal.

Most obviously, the HS has a standard-issue sedan profile instead of the Prius' efficiency blob shape. The HS also has a bigger engine (2.4-liters) and a more refined suspension. Better interior materials and a higher grade of available cabin tech and safety tech combine to … Read more

The wheel is being reinvented yet again, this time in the form of the eniCycle by Slovenian inventor Aleksander Polutnik. Think of the foot rests as handle bars, with directional steering done by pressing on the left or right foot rest, and the speed controlled by leaning forward or backward.

Less of a Segway clone than the Orbis Urban Mobility Vehicle, this self-balancing electric unicycle is said to be so intuitive, the average new rider just needs a maximum of 30 minutes to master it. But don't take our word for it. Check out the video after the jump to make up your mind as The Gadget Show takes up the challenge. In fact, you may get to try out the eniCycle in person sooner than you can say "gyroscopic stabilization," as Polutnik's on a one-wheel crusade to get this mass-produced early. … Read more

MB Biorhythm Chart Software lets users view their biorhythm charts over a 28-day period. Whether the charts have any validity, we can't say, but the program does perform as described.

As with other programs from Mystic Board, Biorhythm Chart's first screen is a jumble of advertisements from Mystic Board, and it's not entirely obvious how to continue. Once on the second screen, users enter their birth date and the date that's in the middle of the time period they wish to analyze. The program then provides a chart with three different-colored parabolas representing physical, intellectual, and … Read more

As a longtime fan and patron of the Bicycle Film Festival, we're proud to welcome its founder and director, Brendt Barbur, into the studio for a sit-down interview about the international filmfest. The BFF is a celebration of everything that encompasses cycling: joyrides, casual trips, long-distance journeys, trick sessions, racing, and so much more is captured by the unique program offered.

Brendt tells us about the bike accident that motivated him to immerse himself in bicycle advocacy and the production of bikecentric movies. Eventually, the wheels started turning, more people submitted videos, and nine years later, the festival reaches tons of people across the world in dozens of cities including Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Paris, and Melbourne, to name a few.

Most of the movies are independently shot and produced with innovations in helmet-cam technology and mixed-media design. To further promote cycling, Brendt and the BFF team also host an annual art show that features both established and independent artists who use bikes as inspiration. If you have a chance, we highly recommend checking out at least one of the programs as the festival comes around to your city. By the end of the show, I think I might have convinced Wilson to actually buy a bike! Much thanks to Brendt and the Bicycle Film Festival for all that they do for the cycling community.

If you watch today's video (coming soon, check later today), you'll notice some serious changes to the introduction. We're very proud to announce that The 404 is now sponsored by Beck's Beer, so a big thanks to them for supporting the show. We're also going to be debuting several new weekly segments over the course of the next few months, so be sure to listen to tomorrow's episode for the first of many new changes coming to The 404 Web show. And don't forget that we'll have Blake Stevenson, the winner of our logo competition, on the show tomorrow to talk about his design. See you then!

There are a lot of different ways to track fertility, menstruation, and the like, but with Advanced Woman Calendar, users may have found the simplest method. Users may never have to wonder about important times in their cycle again.

The program has a simple interface that always helps you stay informed. Initially, its four-month view looks like any organizational software. To the right are the color keys and various radio buttons with options for planning conception, avoiding pregnancy, or even information for conceiving a boy or girl. Below this is a read-out of how long you have until your period … Read more