Free Fitness App Delivers on Promise to Make Exercising More Fun and Engaging

Free fitness app Nexercise

In the midst of many fitness apps, DVDs and websites promising to make fitness fun, easy and convenient for the average person looking to shed a few pounds, Nexercise has emerged as one of the few apps to actually deliver on that promise.

Nexercise is the perfect fitness tool for anyone from the busy person at the office to the stay-at-home parent who wants to fit in a workout without losing track of the kids.

Benjamin Young, the tech savvy entrepreneur who created Nexercise, says that’s exactly what the company set out to do.

Nexercise is meant to “empower everyday people to become the healthiest versions of themselves by removing excuses,” Young told Atlanta Blackstar.

The virtual workout guide removes excuses by offering workouts that cater to specific time restrictions and use interactive methods to make exercising more fun.

One of the app’s most celebrated features is the ability to challenge friends, family and colleagues to fitness challenges.

The challenge feature is essentially the digital age adaptation of the gym “buddy system.”

Having a fitness partner helps push many people to work out harder or longer than they would have by themselves. Realistically, however, it’s not always possible to physically meet up with another person and coordinate workout schedules.

The challenge feature allows friends to keep track of each other’s workout progress virtually and have a friendly competition to see who can reach their fitness goals the quickest.

It’s the type of friendly competitive spirit that could make a real difference when it comes to shedding pounds and ultimately changing someone’s life.

Dropping excess weight could be exactly what some people need in order to gain an extra boost of confidence or just embark on a journey to a healthier, longer lifestyle.

With over a quarter of a million monthly users, Nexercise could be well on its way to uplifting communities across the globe.

Eventually, Young would like to see more businesses using the Nexercise app and getting their employees more focused on fitness.

As Young explains, a friendly fitness competition between coworkers could boost even the least motivated workers to do a few more minutes of exercise every day.

“We recently shifted focus to bring effective, engaging corporate wellness to the masses,” Young said. “Outside of your significant other, who do you spend most of your time with? Your coworkers. We believe to get America healthy again, the key lies within companies.”

The app also allows users to reap real rewards when their fitness tracker records a significant amount of progress.

The work-for-rewards method is yet another proven way to inspire people to start working out more.

According to Shape Magazine, the app comes across as a video game more than a fitness guide.

“Workout or a video game? Now you don’t have to choose,” the magazine said of Nexercise. “With the Nexercise app, your workout is transformed into a fun game.”

The virtual trainer is essential for any American who is eager to lose weight, but it could have particularly powerful implications in the Black community.

According to WebMD.com, diabetes is 60 percent more common among African Americans than it is among white people.

Within the population of Americans with diabetes, Black people are more than two times more likely to suffer a limb amputation and more than 5 times more likely to suffer kidney disease.

African-Americans are also more likely to die from complications with asthma, four times more likely to die of a stroke and develop high blood pleasure earlier in life than most whites.

While some people assume this is only caused by traditional foods in the Black community that are fried and greasy, even medical experts stressed the importance of acknowledging racist institutions working against Black Americans.

People of lower socioeconomic statuses tend to battle more health problems than those who can afford organic foods and have spare time in their schedules to workout.

Nexercise could be a saving grace.

The free app features a collection of shorter workouts for busy people and adding just one or two of the five minute workouts could significantly reduce the chances of some African-Americans encountering serious health issues later in life.

Needless to say, their diet will have to make healthy changes as well, but some effective workouts that conform to their own busy schedules is a great way for many Black families to start their journey to a healthier version of themselves—and Nexercise has delivered that free of charge.

 

Tech Savvy 20-Year-Old YouTube Star Gives Consumers The Advantage When Shopping for Latest Gadgets

YouTube Sensation tech reviews

A 20-year-old tech lover and YouTube sensation is giving consumers the upperhand when it comes to making decisions about their next tech purchases.

There used to be a time when consumers were forced to take every TV commercial or Internet ad at face value but YouTube is giving tech lovers the platform to really put new products to the test.

Marques Brownlee has become one of the most popular YouTube sensations by doing this.

Brownlee hasn’t even earned his cap and gown from college just yet, but he didn’t let that stop him from creating an online empire that most people will recognize as MKBHD.

Brownlee has uploaded video reviews of a variety of smartphones, including the iPhone 6 and Google Nexus 6.

While his smartphone videos are some of the most popular uploads they certainly aren’t the only things the young tech savvy YouTube star has gotten his hands on.

A quick stroll through his channel will reveal reviews for iPads, the Apple Watch, camera equipment and even the Tesla Model S, an incredibly stylish electric car that has been making quite a buzz in the automobile industry.

With such a large variety of reviews, Brownlee’s channel has garnered nearly 2 million subscribers, which makes his channel more popular than that of Kanye West, Marvel, Cover Girl and Disney Animation.

His channel only recently started picking up steam, although he launched the series of tech reviews roughly six years ago.

Now that he has mastered a particular filming style and brought an incredibly likable personality to the videos as well, his virtual empire is growing faster than ever.

“If I’m going to give someone advice on what to buy, you want a personality to back it up rather than some robot telling you X is better than Y,” he said, according to Wired.com.

The professional Ultimate Frisbee player said that the channel makes enough revenue from ad to “pay for itself” and “make it worth [his] time.”

In the future he hopes to continue expanding the types of products that make their way into his hands for reviews.

“Anything with an on button is fair game,” he said.

While his post-graduation plans aren’t clear just yet, the channel’s success will likely leave the young YouTube star with some rather interesting career opportunities before he even slips into his cap and gown.

 

Eight Female Entrepreneurs Prepare to Bring African Startups to Washington, D.C.

Eight female entrepreneurs from Africa are preparing to pitch their innovative ideas to an esteemed group of angel investors and fellow entrepreneurs in America in hopes they can receive the support and financial backing they need to take their businesses to the next level.

The entire African continent has become a breeding ground for startups and young entrepreneurs and now She Leads Africa is bringing eight of those emerging entrepreneurs to Washington, DC, for the Diaspora Demo.

The Diaspora Demo is one of the largest gatherings of investors and entrepreneurs from all across the globe who have their eyes locked on the innovative companies that are coming out of African.

The social impact pitch competition will kick off next week and based on the eight young women that She Leads Africa will be bringing to the competition, there will be an abundance of creative business ideas that will have investors digging into their pockets.

One of the ladies will be pitching her business AfriTrade.

AfriTrade is an “intuitive online securities platform customized for the retail segment in Nigeria and abroad to trade on the Nigerian Stock Exchange,” according to the Tribune.

Then there is Eve & Tribe, the clothing brand designed specifically for the African woman who wants affordable, contemporary clothing that is made with her specific body type in mind.

Thandos is another company with fashion at its center but it has a focus on the creator rather than the consumer.

Thandow provides aspiring African artists with a platform to create women’s footwear designs.

Other companies from the eight entrepreneurs include: Mother’s Delivery Kit, which will provide women in Nigeria with the supplies they need to ensure a safe and hygienic childbirth process; Tastemakers Africa, which will become the world’s first mobile app geared specifically towards upscale, curated experiences throughout the African continent; Zuvaa, an online shopping experience that will give African fashion labels the platform they need to boost sales and revenue; Loue 1 Voiture, which will allow users to reserve cars from different rental companies in Morocco; and Tomato Jos, which creates and distributes tomato paste in West African for the domestic market.

In addition to other individual entrepreneurial greats, major partners will be at the event hoping to see what could some day become the next generation of innovative businesses.

AllAfrica.com, ThoughtWorks, Evernote, The Africa Channel, Africa 2.0, Impact Hub, Toniic and many more are supporting the Diaspora Demo day and making it possible to significantly extend the platform that these emerging entrepreneurs would have had otherwise.

 

Reusable Photo Wallpaper Allows Anyone to Turn Personal Memories into Chic Décor

In today’s digital age, more and more people are trying to find creative ways to display their memories and get their beloved images out of old photo albums that will eventually be banished to bookshelves or coffee tables only to never see the light of day.

WeMontage may have the perfect solution.

WeMontage allows users to upload their most cherished images, and the company will create a custom reusable wallpaper using those pictures.

The timing of the innovative product couldn’t be any more perfect.

With technology trends pushing toward creative solutions to displaying pictures and interior design trends boasting chic wallpaper as the solution for a great accent wall, WeMontage takes advantage of both industry opportunities.

The ability to customize the size of the collages also means that users don’t have to cover an entire wall with the images if they choose not to.

The removable images can be printed on a smaller scale and take the place of bulky picture frames and pesky nails in the wall.

WeMontage creator James Oliver believes that one day more consumers will decide to ditch the hammer and nail method of displaying pictures for a much more simple peel and press solution.

The product’s reusable design also doesn’t damage walls, making it the perfect solution for college students or renters.

According to Oliver, the idea came to him one day when he was watching a home renovation show on HGTV.

“I saw an interior design show on HGTV and they were covering the wall with large photo collages, but there was no way for me to do it,” he said.

The designer on the show used a much more complicated method to get the massive sheets of photo paper up on the wall, and Oliver wanted to make an easier way for consumers to get the same look for less effort.

Thus, WeMontage was born.

As of October, the company had nearly 1,000 paying customers getting their personalized images turned into chic displays.

While the company focuses on personal images like family photographs, it’s important to note that users can upload any images they want as long as they own the photo or already received permission to use the photo.

This means aspiring photographers could display their own images around their home or music lovers could post concert photos of their favorite artists on their walls without having to purchase any frames.

Once it’s time to move or redecorate, WeMontage collages peel right off the wall and can be reapplied later without any hassle.

 

 

9 New Game-Changing Technologies to Expect in 2015

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Smartwatches

Perfect for business professionals operating on the go, this lightweight, flexible smartwatch takes the power of the iPhone and puts it right on the wrists of wearers. With rumors that Microsoft, Apple and Google have all been working on their own watches to work with their respective smartphones, we’re bound to see some of that hard work in the next year. Word is, Apple has hired a number of fashion executives in recent months, including former Yves Saint Laurent CEO Paul Deneve, who joined the tech company this year to work on “special projects,” one of which is the rumored iWatch, according to Snap Fulfil.

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Compact Projection

Travel presentations will be transformed in 2015, thanks to the world’s smallest projector. The tiny keychain projector eliminates the need for heavy equipment or the expense of having to pay for projection equipment to be delivered. This Sekonix DLP Keychain Projector works with smartphones, tablets and personal computers through a USB connection, as reported by Forbes. Not only can compact projection transform the business world, it can also truly innovate our educational system if it is provided in classrooms around the country.

Imagine the Possibilities of What This Innovation Hub in Kenya Could Develop in the Next Few Years

Source: Design Indaba – “If you want to know what’s happening in the digital and tech space in Kenya, pay a visit to the iHub in Nairobi. Established in 2010, it has become “ground zero” for digital innovation in East Africa, an open space for technologists, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and business people to network, collaborate and work on new ideas.”