golf

A robot for golf fans?

What's green, weighs 650 pounds, goes 3.5 mph, and costs more than $25,000?

Not something you or I will ever buy, but a gadget golf course superintendents may go gaga over.

The RG3 (Robotic Greens Mower 3) from Precise Path debuted a few weeks ago at the 2009 Golf Industry Show in New Orleans. It's a robot lawnmower that uses two lead acid batteries to run its 24-volt DC motor, and one to run its computer, offering about three hours of mowing before needing to be recharged.

"Our robot could provide the human precision necessary to upkeep, actually better than a human is capable of, and not costing the large amount in intensive labor costs," Precise Path co-founder, president, and CTO Doug Traster told CNET News in a phone interview.

The founders of the company decided to craft a robot lawnmower for the golf industry because they saw a need that could be filled with a bot, and an industry that would not scoff at a hefty price tag for high-tech maintenance equipment. While the company hopes to continue to develop the tech to bring the price down, right now the RG3 has a suggested retail price of $29,500.

In addition to mowing golf greens, the company is developing add-ons for the device that would allow golf course superintendents to use the robots to also mow fairways, rake sand traps, and spot treat with pesticides and fertilizers.… Read more

Wheego looking for dealers to sell Whips

The Wheego Whip, another Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, is expected to hit the streets in May, according to Engadget. That is, if Wheego Wheels can find dealers to sell these low-speed, souped-up golf carts. (I'm not just being mean; company founder Mike McQuary purchased a golf cart company and used its product as a base for the Whip).

Wheego, a division of Ruff & Tuff Electric Vehicles (seriously, that's the parent company name), is taking applications to form a network of 50 dealers. That's a strong goal in a weak economy for a new car that has limited use and range, and not much of a marketing plan. … Read more

iPhone apps of the week

Last week I asked readers if they had the same iPhone app update problem I have, and it's good to hear I'm not the only one. I found one method in the comments that seems to work, but it forces you to make a tough decision. Of course, you should only try this if all other update attempts through the usual methods have been unsuccessful.

To get rid of a stubborn program's update notification, you need to delete the app from your iPhone and download it again using the app store on your iPhone or from the … Read more

WiiWare and Virtual Console releases for this week

This week brings us a classic Mario Golf game and some bowling after dark.

WiiWare Midnight Bowling (Gameloft, 800 Wii points): Midnight Bowling offers various game modes and a brand new physics system allowing for realistic bowling action. Play with up to three friends in various bowling alley environments. MadStone (Riverman Media, 800 Wii points): In this puzzle game, you must control the path for elemental MadStones as you attempt to restore peace to Earth. Enjoy the game alone or co-op with a friend. Virtual Console Mario Golf (1999, Nintendo 64, 1,000 Wii points): Mario and company hit the … Read more

iPhone apps of the week

It appears that sometimes wishes really do come true. Last week I talked about iGolf, hoping that Version 2.0 would include some sort of course to play through. Apparently this was already in the works. With Version 2.0 you can now play through three holes in addition to hitting for distance at the driving range. It still needs some work (putting requires you to perform a full swing making it less-than-ideal), but adding the three playable holes is a nice touch. I should point out that if you don't have a good grip while playing you may … Read more

iPhone apps of the week

I was on the bus yesterday during my commute home and I decided to check out one of my latest iPhone apps to see if it worked as advertised. There was a loud-talking person yammering away on his cell phone (why must people do this?) and to get away from the racket, I stuck in my ear buds and launched WhiteNoise.

WhiteNoise offers several neutral sounds that are perfect for blocking out annoying sounds and also can be quite relaxing. The interface offers eight buttons of soothing sounds you can start up immediately with a timer if you'd like … Read more

The 404 184: Where New Jersey isn't as bad as we thought

Be careful what you wish for--after asking listeners to drunk dial us over the weekend, we get a ton of calls from a very inebriated public. On today's show, we finally announce the winner of our Tiger Woods PGA Tour '09 contest! We also teach you how to recover a lost cellphone (or at least torture the thief), lament the new Iron Man 2 villain, and argue over who discovered Napster first.

My favorite story of the day is about getting mad AND getting even. A cell phone is becoming increasingly private. We use them to store personal photos, text message conversations, and voicemails; so how much does it suck to lose your phone? It's even worse when you know that someone is using your precious minutes to call their doofus friends out of country. Well, now you can get even. Maverick Mobile just released an application for your phone that lets you track and spy on the guy that's using your phone. You can listen in on their conversations and even send a piercing alarm to the phone that rings every time they try to invade your cell. Would-be phone thieves beware: we're watching you!

EPISODE 184 Download today's podcast Read more

Plusmo scrimmages for top place among iPhone sports apps

If you didn't already know that football season was under way, you would after glancing at Yahoo's audacious purple booth at CTIA Wireless in San Francisco, where oversize posters and computer monitors advertise Yahoo's fantasy football leagues, and where complementary gelato is scooped into small, plastic football helmets. Across the convention center aisle, mobile widgets company Plusmo has also made a nod to the pigskin with a quiet demo of the beta iPhone app, Pro Football Live.

Released Monday to the iPhone App Store, Pro Football Live beta is a thicket of teams, schedules, seasonal stats, photos, … Read more

Lorena Ochoa: Golf geek

Lorena Ochoa is the No. 1 ranked female golfer in the world. She is also a mountain climber, triathlete, and soccer and basketball player. Gladiator is one of her favorite movies. The 26-year-old was at Union Square in downtown San Francisco Monday to promote the Samsung World Championship tournament to be held in Half Moon Bay, Calif., at the beginning of October.

I got a few minutes to talk with her as she was autographing posters and golf balls during the promotional event. I asked her about her technology preferences, especially as a person who has grown up in the … Read more