Lifestyle
Hines Ward Wants You to Drink Chocolate Milk and Try This IRONMAN Thing
Former Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward was a vicious blocker who made big plays in the passing game when it counted most. Taken in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft, the former Georgia standout played 14 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and hauled in 1,000 receptions for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns. He owns the Steelers career receiving records for all three of those categories. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, a two-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl XL MVP. He also won Dancing With the Stars, appeared in the last Batman film and played a zombie in last night’s episode of The Walking Dead.
So the guy’s accomplished some things. And he’s done it all with a big smile.
Well now Hines has his sights set on another challenge, a 140.6-mile swim, bike and running challenge to be exact. That’s right, Hines Ward is teaming up with REFUEL | ‘got chocolate milk?’ in his quest to conquer the 2013 IRONMAN World Championship. But he’s not doing this IRONMAN thing solo. He’s taking two weekend triathlete warriors with him.
Hines will train over the next year to compete in the IRONMAN World Championship Kona-Kailua, Hawaii on October 12, 2013. Two everyday athletes will join him in a program called BECOME ONE. Their journey with Hines will be filmed as part of an online documentary that will air next year.
Think you got what it takes to compete with Hines? Visit www.gotchocolatemilk.com to learn more about the BECOME ONE program and how chocolate milk can help you recover from workouts.
Nov 5th
Review: MapiCases Orion Leather iPad Case
iPad cases come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, materials, etc. Well the size is usually pretty standard, actually. It’s got to fit your iPad after all. But there are different cases for different things. You can get a case that features a little keyboard or a basic snuggy pouch that pillows your iPad during transport. It really all depends on how you use your iPad and what level of protection you want for it.
A few weeks back, I received an Orion Leather iPad case from MapiCases, and it’s been by go-to case ever since. The case itself is just gorgeous. It’s real, high-quality leather that feels good in your hands. It’s shiny and has great grip, but much better than a synthetic material-type cover. The case is pretty lightweight, but it feels sturdy. The iPad fits in there tight, with a magnetic flag that keeps it snug. The cover closes securely with a magnetic seal that’s easy to open and close, but stays shut when you want it stay shut. The cover also has a soft interior lining that protects your screen from scratches when closed.
The creased cover design gives you multiple viewing options. This is really the biggest strength of the case. Sure it looks great, provides that protection and it’s made from quality materials and all that, but I love different display options that the Orion case provides.
I use my iPad every Sunday to watch football. I have a main game on the television and I flip through other games or just park the Red Zone Channel with the iPad. With previous cases I’ve had, I would usually need to lean the iPad to prop it up, which wasn’t really optimal for multi-person viewing. But with the Orion case, you can fold up the magnetic cover creases to create a sturdy stand that makes your iPad look more like a desktop monitor display and less like a leaning tablet.
The case easily transforms for quick rearranging if you want to type on the iPad or flip the standing display (great for tweaking volume or re-positioning a power cord). It goes from horizontal to vertical viewing in like two seconds. The magnetic creases aren’t flimsy, either, so whatever display option you pick, your iPad will stay in that position pretty securely.
As with all things that look nice and work well, the Orion iPad case isn’t cheap. It’s available for $160 on the MapiCases site. Color options include white, black, red, tan and brown. If you paid a bunch for your iPad, might as well invest in a case that gives you maximum protection with multiple display options that’ll suit your different iPad habits.
Nov 1st
Geoff Keighley Interview
With the release of Halo 4 right around the corner, Halo fever is in full effect. People will be lining up to get their hands on the game (and hey, if you want to avoid the lines and score a free Xbox 360 in the process, you can always enter our GameStop Halo 4 giveaway). With anticipation for the release mounting, we got to chat with video game journalist Geoff Keighley last week. Geoff was just coming off a visit to New York Comin-Con, and he’s working with Mountain Dew and Doritos to promote the launch of Double XP, where gamers can get access to exclusive features and enhance the Halo 4 multiplayer experience through DEWXP.com.
Basically, if you pick up different Mountain Dew and Doritos products, you can redeem codes on the DEXP.com site to load up on Double XP. Starting November 6, Halo 4 and Xbox LIVE gold members can use Double XP in game to unlock all kinds of goodies and to enter for a chance to win cool prizes like a limited edition Halo 4 wireless controller, a limited edition Halo 4 Xbox 360 console and toys, t-shirts games and more.
Geoff gave us some more info about the Double XP program, how you can get involved and what he’s looking forward to with the release of Halo 4. We also took a trip down memory lane to reminisce about Rise of the Triad, one of my favorite PC games of all time. Here’s the interview:
Oct 26th
Eton Rukus Solar Review
moneyman
My taste in music and my music consumption habits are decidedly old-school. I like to buy old lots of funk and soul 45ss on eBay. I usually find new music by flipping through dusty crates of 12 inches in flea markets and thrift stores. I don’t choose vinyl because I’m a hardcore audiophile or anything, I just love records and I’m used to consuming my music through old analog means.
But I’m not a Luddite, either. I embrace new technology when it serves a purpose. I like to touch on high-tech from time to time. Sometimes you find a piece of new technology, a new method for doing things, and it makes you wonder how you ever lived without it. This is how I feel about the Eton Rukus Solar portable Bluetooth sound system.
I’m telling you, man, this thing is from the future. If you showed this device to the younger 80s or 90s version of me, I would think it was a prop from a Star Trek set or something. I wouldn’t understand how it could function, let alone replace my boom box, computer speakers or home entertainment system.
After using this thing for a few weeks, I don’t even remember how I used to listen to music before. Combine this Bluetooth sound system with an iPhone and Spotify, and you got the makings of powerful, portable, high quality system that sounds great indoors or out.
So this thing weighs four pounds. It’s got a handle bar, a convenient pocket to hold whatever device is pumping music through it and oh yea, a friggin’ solar panel. You charge the Rukus Solar and it’s 7.4V Lithium-ion battery with a regular AC adapter. It gets to full juice pretty quick and takes less than six hours to get fully charged via the monocrystal solar panel. With a full charge, you can get over eight hours of continuous music play out of it. And that’s just indoors or in the dark. Take it outside for a pool party, tailgating situation, day at the park/beach/anywhere sunny, and you get the added benefit of additional solar juice. It’s a self-powering music station, dude.
What’s this? You’re portable speaker is juiced up, but you’re iPhone battery is almost dead? Well, just plug your iPhone into the device using the USB port in the back. Charge it back up. Even if you’re working with some music-generating device that isn’t Bluetooth enabled, there’s still an audio jack in the back you can use.
Most importantly, the sound quality is extra-impressive. Nothing tinny or weak sauce about it. I find it best to place the unit resting flat with the solar panel facing up. This gives you the best sound experience. The volume goes pretty high, too, especially for something so compact. It’s got a decent bass boost as well, for those of you who like to hear your lows. One complaint I have is that the volume meter doesn’t have any sort of digital display. Not a big deal, but it would be nice to know when you’re at 50% volume or maxed out, etc.
I’ve been really impressed with this thing. It costs $150 and comes in white, green and black. Sounds like a lot for a speaker system, but the Rukus Solar is worth every penny. If you’ve ever been outside and wished you could just serve up some tunes from your phone or tablet or laptop, this the best way to do it. Or if you’re listening to music at home and you just want to move around with your tunes, this thing is sick. Sure you’ll find other Bluetooth/portable speaker systems that are smaller, easier to pack in a bag, etc. But splurge for the extra sound quality, extra volume and the ability to use the power of the sun to charge your phone and fuel your tunes. You won’t be disappointed.
Oct 23rd
AeroShot Energy Giveaway
People love energy products. Coffee, teas, sodas, energy drinks, shots of mystery energy liquid – you name it. If it puts pep in your step, people are going to try it. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, uncontrollable yawning isn’t an option. Whether it’s work, play, family, friends, sports, day life, nightlife, whatever you do to occupy your time, you usually want to be alert when you’re doing it. That’s why people look for assistance in the energy department. It’s easy to understand. We’ve all been there.
Well now there’s a new product on the market that delivers energy in a new and innovative way. AeroShot Energy is forging a whole new category in energy consumption. AeroShot launched this year and is currently expanding its reach in the Northeast. The product will be available nationwide by 2013.
So what is an AeroShot? It’s a lipstick-sized device that delivers an air-based boost of energy – 100mg of caffeine plus B vitamins. The dry-powder particles that the AeroShot delivers are small enough to travel through the air but not large enough to get into the lungs. It’s a zero calorie, liquid-free delivery system that dissolves on your tongue and starts working right away.
It’s basically high-tech, weaponized caffeine. The delivery technology was devised by Dr. David Edwards, a biomedical engineer and Harvard professor. Dr. Edwards wanted to productize this new technology, which can have far reaching applications in the consumption of food, nutrients and medication.
100mg of caffeine is the equivalent of one large cup of coffee, but the delivery system means that the caffeine can be absorbed in your tongue faster than any liquid. Pure caffeine tastes bitter. Red Bull smells toxic. 5-Hour Energy shots taste like medicine. AeroShot uses natural ingredients to produce three distinct flavors: Raspberry (which is sweet), Lime (which is tart) and Green Apple (which is sweet-tart). Each AeroShot contains caffeine, B vitamins, these natural flavors, and that’s it. No hidden ingredients, questionable stuff or nasty masking agents. Just insta-energy that can be absorbed immediately.
We’re partnering up with AeroShot to giveaway a gift pack to one lucky reader. To enter, just send us an email below telling us why you need more energy. We’ll pick a winner at random next Monday.
Good luck!
Oct 22nd
Pax by Ploom Review
I like to smoke. I really do. When people ask why I haven’t quit, I usually tell them it’s because I like it, the actual act of smoking. That’s why I’ve never been a big fan of vaporizers. A lot of vaporizers make big claims about providing a cleaner, more enjoyable, more refined smoking experience. But what they usually provide is some level of smoke-free smoking experience. Where’s the joy in that?
So the first time I was introduced to Pax by Ploom, I wasn’t overwhelmed with anticipation to try the thing. But I read up on it and I got a little curious. So when Ploom offered to send me a unit to review awhile back, I accepted.
The unit came with a bag of pipe tobacco. I read up on how to use the device. It was all pretty simple, really. It’s a handheld device that comes with its own charger (it holds a charge for 2 hours with continual use or about a week under typical use). To load it up, you open a flip lid at the bottom, stuff in some tobacco, use the lid to pack it in tight and then close it up. The mouthpiece is located at the top of the unit. To activate the internal furnace burning chamber, you click down on the mouthpiece and it pops up. An indicator light at the center of the device tells you when it’s ready to go. It only takes 45 seconds for the Ploom device to fire up. If you leave it idle, it shuts down by itself.
So what about the actual smoking experience? It’s pretty sweet, man. You do get a cleaner, more concentrated, more flavor-rich smoking routine out of it. It’s more efficient/effective than a traditional pipe and less environmentally intrusive as a cigar or cigarette. The smoke you exhale dissipates quickly, but it’s still actual smoke (well, they say it’s vapor, but it feels like smoke to me). It’s not like an electronic cigarette that tastes like a smoke machine at a concert. It feels like real, actual tobacco smoke that’s just delivered in a unique way. You get the full effect with some added delivery convenience and less unfavorable byproduct after effects. The smoke seems to dissipate a bit more quickly than you would expect as well.
The Pax by Ploom device was designed by a couple of smart dudes from Stanford. COO and Co-Founder Adam Bowen has an MS in Product Design from Stanford and a BA in Physics from Pomona. CEO and Co-Founder James Monsees has an MFA in Product Design and a BA in Physics and Studio Art from Kenyon College. These two guys got together and made a great product. It’s definitely not cheap (retails for about $250), but it’s sophisticated, state-of-the-art way to get your smoke on in a clean, less-intrusive fashion. If you’re a smoking connoisseur, I recommend checking it out.
Oct 18th
Samsung Galaxy SIII Review
A few weeks ago, I received a Samsung Galaxy SIII phone for a review post on this site. I’ve never used an Android phone before. I was Blackberry guy who adopted the iPhone 3 and then graduated to a 4S. I’m not a big phone nerd, but like most people, I do a lot of different things with my smartphone, and there’s certain features and functionality that we’ve all come to expect from these things at this point.
But I’m not the type of guy who waits in a line to get the latest and greatest version of something. I bought a Dreamcast at thrift store. I collect vinyl records from flea markets and Ebay. When it comes to new technology, I can usually wait. I don’t need to be first.
The iPhone 5 release was pretty intense, like all iPhone releases. People who upgraded just a short time ago were chomping at the bit to have the latest version. I don’t really get that. My iPhone 4S is still doing pretty well. I don’t see the need to chase the new version when the old one is holding up just fine.
So when I got the Samsung Galaxy III phone to review, I went in with the bias of an iPhone user, but not with the bias of an iPhone elitist. My first impression of the Samsung Galaxy III was that it was a super legit smartphone with interesting, useful features that I wasn’t used to having on an iPhone. But the main issue with the Samsung Galaxy III is that it would be such a better phone to have if more people had it. In a world loaded with iPhones, it’s hard to get excited about some of the device-to-device sharing options when the person you want to share with isn’t rocking the same equipment.
Sexy Screen
But with that said, there are still so many things to love about this phone. The screen is what grabs you first. It’s massive and vibrant. The surface area makes it feel more like a mini-tablet than a phone. The display is crisp. It’s a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display with a 1,280×720-pixel resolution. Some people may not like the massive screen experience, but I think it’s a huge bonus. Especially if you consume any media on your phone (which most everyone does at this point).
Browsing the Web
The web browsing experience is also high quality. Browsing on a sexy display with 4G in play is the way to go, man. It felt like nothing less than the full internet, not some stripped-down, slow-loading, mobile- friendly equivalent.
The Camera Can Hang
The camera is on par with the iPhone 5, too (8 MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash). The video quality is the same as well (1080p@30fps). While it would be nice to have built-in panorama and HDR features like the iPhone 5, the Samsung Galaxy SIII makes up for it with a better secondary camera.
No iTunes
One of the things I like most about the Samsung Galaxy SIII is the fact that you never have to use iTunes, ever. I’ve had such a passionate distaste for iTunes for so long. If I have a digital device, and I want to drop some media on it, I should be able to that by simply dropping whatever files I want into the thing, without the need for synching, primary computer usage and all that other nonsense. So that’s a huge plus. Google Play is pretty sweet, too.
Sharing Options
But it’s the smart features and sharing options that really make the Samsung Galaxy SIII unique. The AllShare feature allows you to share photos and movies on Samsung Smart TVs, Windows PCs and DLNA-capable TVs and Blu-Ray players. Group Cast lets you participate in shared presentations (Power Points, PDFs, photos, etc. Share Shot lets you share photos with other Galaxy SIII automatically, over a Wi-Fi connection. The S Beam allows you to share stuff between two S Beam-enabled phones, just touching the backs of each phone to each other. This is just awesome. Sharing music, videos and web pages has never been easier. It’s really a revolutionary addition.
There’s so many reasons why this phone could in fact be a true “iPhone killer”- the superior battery life, the better display, Android OS 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich (with Android OS 4.1 right around the corner), micro USB phone charging and so on. But I don’t think I’m ready to give up my iPhone just yet. If more people had the Samsung Galaxy SIII, it would be awesome to leverage all these sharing features. But as it stands now, we still live in an iPhone world. This is the only phone to ever come close to dethroning the iPhone, but as the release of the iPhone 5 has shown, people are still enamored with the original smartphone king.
Oct 17th
Padma Lakshmi Interview
Padma Lakshmi is a total dreamboat. The 42-year old Emmy-winning host of Top Chef is five feet nine inches of flavor-savvy Indian-American hotness. Padma started modeling when she was 18 and she reached the top of the high fashion world. Padma has appeared on numerous magazine covers, and she followed that up with successful stints as a TV host, actress and author. And oh yea, she can cook like there’s no tomorrow.
Padma speaks five languages, so you know she has a super stash of hidden recipe gems that she can pull from cookbooks you can’t even read. When an attractive woman can cook, that’s pretty damn sexy, but when you combine peak levels of gorgeous with an ultra-gourmet set of skills, the result is something way past sexy. It’s almost criminal, really.
Padma is working with Nespresso to promote a new single-serve espresso machine. She gave us a demonstration and shared a new recipe with us, the Padma Lakshmi Cardamom Cappuccino. We also chatted about top chef, meat preparation tips and guilty food pleasures. Here’s the interview:
And if you want to try out the recipe, here’s are the details:
Padma Lakshmi Cardamom Cappuccino
Ingredients
- 1 capsule of Indriya of India
- ½ cup milk of your choice
- ½ tsp of brown sugar in the raw
- ¼ tsp of powdered green cardamom
- Pinch of crushed raw unsalted almonds
- Grind of nutmeg
Recipe Steps
- Pour the Indriya of India Grand Cru into a cappuccino cup
- Mix the milk of your choice with the brown sugar in the raw and powdered green cardamom and froth the milk using the Aeroccino milk frother
- Fill the cappuccino cup with the prepared frothed milk over the Espresso
- Top with the crushed raw unsalted almonds, a grind of nutmeg and a pinch of cardamom
Oct 17th
GameStop Halo 4 Xbox 360 Giveaway
Halo 4 hits stores on November 6 and the most anticipated video game release in a long time is getting a push from a ton of different channels, from Mountain Dew to Doritos and more. GameStop is getting in on the fun, too.
From now until November 6, gamers can visit Halo4Vote.com, pre-order Halo 4 and vote each for one of three bonus exclusives, every day until the release. The first bonus exclusive has already been decided by voters. It’s the Artic Battle Rifle Weapon Skin. Voting for the second bonus is going on right now. From now until October 22, you can vote for War Games haven Premium Theme or the Yellow Warrior Avatar Armor. The options for the third bonus will be announced on October 22.
Halo 4 is set in the aftermath of Halo 3, where we follow Master Chief as he “returns to confront his own destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe.” Sounds pretty heavy, huh?
Halo 4 is the first Halo release to not be developed by Bungie Studios. For the fourth installment, Microsoft-owned 343 industries has taken the charge. With such a strong base of loyal Halo fans, the pressure is on to deliver a product that’s true to the original trilogy, but can stand alone in its own right. The anticipation is mounting.
To promote the release of the game and the bonus exclusives available at Halo4Vote.com, we are partnering up with GameStop to giveaway a prize package that includes a copy of Halo 4 and a 250GB Xbox 360 console. To enter this giveaway, follow MANjr on Twitter and send us an email below telling us which exclusive you will be voting for. We’re running this giveaway for two weeks, so you got time to check out the exclusives and enter to win this sweet Halo package. We’ll pick a winner at random on Monday, October 29.
Good luck!
Oct 15th
Balvenie Rare Craft Roadshow Los Angeles
Last week I had the good fortune to attend “The Balvenie Rare Craft Whisky Tasting Experience” hosted by Balvenie brand ambassador Lorne Cousin. Lorne is a charming Scotsman, scotch expert and internationally known bagpipe player. His assignment for Balvenie finds him touring the United States in a wood chassis Morgan convertible visiting local craftsmen and highlighting the Balvenie brand.
Balvenie is a rare breed in today’s spirit marketplace. Every stage of production screams handmade craftsmanship. Much of their barley is grown on site; it is malted by hand using the traditional floor malting method. Their barrels are maintained by on-site coopers, their copper stills are kept up by a master coppersmith in their employ for over 50 years. Each batch of whisky is tasted daily by the Balvenie Malt Master, David Stewart. He alone decides when the whisky is ready to be bottled and sold.
It’s an incredible process that takes well over a decade to complete. That process results in some of the most pleasant and drinkable whisky I’ve every enjoyed.
One of the problems with whisky is that it’s often described as an acquired taste. Most of the more popular brands are dark and thick, with a bite to those first few sips. It’s enough to keep your casual consumer away, for fear of becoming the girly man who coughs after each draw off of his glass. No such fear with a Balvenie. They had a half a dozen scotches out for sample and each sip illustrated what a premium product they sell. In an age of homogenization and brand consistency, Balvenie embraces the subtle differences in its products that hand crafting produces.
Here’s my take on a few of the stand outs.
The accessibility of the Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 year really stood out. It manages to be rich yet smooth at the same time. It sat on my tongue and brought out notes of vanilla and raisin. The sweetness of the malts and the thickness reminded me of honey, the color was light amber, the finish warm and smooth. It’s just the kind of scotch that new comers can sip and enjoy (responsibly, of course).
The Balvenie Single Barrel 15 year old found itself on the other end of the spectrum. Single barrel scotch is transferred directly from the barrel to the bottle, no blending or mixing of other varietals takes place at all. This scotch is full bodied, has a strong peppery first sip but a very smooth and sweet finish. Definitely the biggest pop of the bunch, I could feel the heat of its 47.8% alcohol content as it sat in my mouth. The finish impresses but was surprisingly short. I would have enjoyed another second or two of that warm sweetness. The good thing is, with a single barrel scotch, each run of bottling is different so you can enjoy (responsibly!) your bottle, buy the same brand and get a slightly different drink.
The purpose of the event was to promote the brand’s new 17 Year Doublewood. Truly the belle of the ball in my opinion, too. It’s an infinitely accessible scotch, very drinkable for newcomers to the genre. It’s sweet on the tongue, light yet slightly full-bodied. The malts and honey really come out and the peat flavor is gentle and pleasant. Its finish is smooth and lingers nicely in your mouth and down the pipes.
All in all quite the successful debut for me here at MANjr. Having so many of the Balvenie products out and available for tasting really showcases the premium nature of their product and allows the taster to delve deeper into the subtle nuances of each individual offering.
If you want more info on the Balvenie Rare Craft Roadshow’s scheduled stops you can visit www.balvenie.com/roadshow. You should also check out a documentary they had produced about the 2011 version that featured Andrew Weir, The Morgan and Nicholas Pollacchi.
Slainte!
Oct 9th
