The 2011 Masters officially began early this morning, when legends Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, teed off from the first hole at Augusta. And while that's part of the decades long traditions that surround this event, there are some new things making their debut this weekend.

Nike Golf has three technologies that are being put to tournament use by their team of touring pros, including Stewart Cink, Lucas Glover, Paul Casey, Anthony Kim, and yes, even Tiger.

That pic on the upper left shows what was inside the box that arrived at my house last week, containing two of the new technologies Nike developed, both of which are limited edition.

First is their new Lunar Control shoe. Launched in January, and designed in collaboration with Paul Casey, the Lunar ($190), is made to combine stability and comfort with its familiar saddle design fused with innovative materials and construction technologies you'll find in Nike running shoes, like Lunarlon Foam for comfort and cushioning, and Nike Flywire for support that won't give out over time. And the Power Channel in the forefoot gives you more flexibility and greater natural motion through that swing you've been working on.

And for The Masters, Nike is offering the Lunar Control in a (very) limited edition, complete with a green and black sole. Watch for Paul Casey, Anthony Kim, Carl Pettersson, Francesco Molinari and Charl Schwartzel to be sporting them around Augusta's ridiculously manicured greens this weekend.

Next is the introduction of Nike's newest radical golf ball technology, the 20XI. Gone is the widely used rubber core, in favor of a new resin. Why resin? Because, according the tech wizards at The Oven, Nike Golf's R&D facility, resin is a "highly neutralized polymer that’s faster and lighter material engineered to produce longer distance and more controlled shots."

How much better is the resin ball? ...There's more

If you were watching the Final Four this weekend, and couldn't tell the difference between Butler's mascot, Blue II, and Dick Vitale, it might be time to upgrade your TV.

But with so many choices, and new technologies hitting shelves every week, it can be confusing to navigate the sea of sizes, types and price points out there. To help, I turned to the experts at Philips to get their advice on how to shop for the best HDTV, without getting ripped off, or talked into something that doesn't work for you.

Here are a few of the tips from the Philips’ team to help you find your next flat screen without the hassle:

Size Matters
Reviewers recommend at least 40-inches for a living room display, but note that one of the biggest post-purchase complaints is from people who didn’t go big enough. So think about your space and needs:

* Make sure it fits: To fit an existing entertainment center, leave at least an inch on the sides and top of the TV cavity to allow for ventilation.

* Consider décor: Depending on the decor, you may not want the TV to "dominate the room." To avoid this, tape together a cardboard panel that's the same size as the TV you're considering, and place it in the designated location so you can get an idea of its size.

* Seating distance is very important: Sitting too close or too far from the TV will affect the quality of your viewing pleasure. For the best viewing quality, you need to be aware of the distance between your seating area and the TV. Most experts recommend ...There's more

Still scrambling to find the perfect gift for her this V-Day? You're cutting it close, but there's still time. Here are some suggestions for gifts for every type of girl on your list.

The Creative Valentine: Gem Kitty Jewelry

Every piece on Gem Kitty's site is handmade and designed by founder Arwa Jumkawala. Unless it's designed by you, or your girl. With their "design your own" feature, you can select the perfect gemstones and setting to create a one-of-a-kind gift from more than 10,000,000 combinations. Starting at just $38. And if you're style-challenged, use the Bling-O-Matic to have Gem Kitty suggest the perfect bling she'll love.
From $38
GemKitty.com


The "Slightly Left of Normal" Valentine: Zombie Lingerie

If black lace teddies are just too "normal" for your girl, and she prefers to spend the evening watching horror flicks rather than chick flicks, you might want to wrap up this set of zombie lingerie. With strategically placed eyes and unfortunately located brain-craving teeth, you'll either have the time of your life... or the last night of your life.
$30
FearNet.com


The Hard to Impress Valentine: Four-Foot Roses

Has your girl hinted that a dozen roses just isn't unique enough, but she still expects flowers? Try sending her ...There's more

We've all bought a game that got great reviews, and then either beat the game in one day, or it just didn't live up to the hype. To add insult to injury we bought the "limited edition" version that lets you change the color of the hero's wardrobe. (What were we thinking?) We've all been burned before by bad video game purchases.

Sure, one solution is to take it back to the large chain store and only get $15 bucks for a game you shelled out $60 for. And then see them sell it for $45 dollars and make a huge profit off your inability to pick properly. Well here is a code that can rival Contra's code: Launch a browser window and type in Gamestaq.com.

Gamestaq.com brings together ...There's more

Even though it's frigid and snowy outside, that doesn't mean you can't get your cardio in. In fact, the die-hards over at Competitor Magazine have put together a comprehensive Winter Running Shoe Guide, just for those of us who still want to get out and run. (And when I say "us", I mean "you." My ass is staying inside where it's warm.)

You can read all the reviews here, and they aren't just for winter shoes. You'll also be able to find the right shoe for you to wear, once the ground thaws, and you drag your hibernating butt outside again.

And to get some insider tips on choosing the right shoe, I spoke to Mario Fraioli, the guru of running gear for Competitor Magazine. Here are his 6 tips for buying the perfect running shoe:

1. What goes into Competitor Magazine's testing methods to choose these specific shoes?
In choosing the shoes themselves, we take into consideration the time of year as well as the current trends within the industry. For example, the current winter running shoe is a collection of recent releases as well as shoes geared toward tackling rougher winter weather. In the summer review we paid more attention to lightweight trainers and racing flats. While we can’t review every shoe on the shelves, the goal is always to provide our readers with a thorough, objective analysis of the wide variety of quality options available to them.

As for the testing protocol itself, our team of testers provides us with objective evaluations of each shoe featured in the review, and we in turn compile that information to help our readers find the right running shoe with our innovative "Fit," "Feel" and "Ride" approach. The goal of "Fit," "Feel" and "Ride" is match the buyer’s foot type, structural needs and running style with the objective evaluations of our testers to shrink down the shoe wall and to help them determine which shoes are worth trying on before they walk through the front door.

2. What are some terms that major shoe companies use to lure in buyers, but really mean nothing?
Oh man, where do I start? "Support" is a big one, and a lot of buyers don’t realize that support is ...There's more

When all the holiday rippin' and a tearin' is done, and you wake from your post christm-oital nap, you'll look around and realize you didn't get nearly everything you wanted.

That's where Your Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Gift Guides comes in. Available for the rest of the year, it links you to over a dozen guides, with more than 200 of the most desirable guy gadgets, gear, tech toys, party must-haves, fashions, food, liquor, and more. So when you return that hideous green tie that Aunt Edna gave you, you'll know exactly what to do with the money. Think of it as your road map to awesome. Who says Christmas only comes once a year?

The Ultimate Tailgater's Checklist and Gift Guide

The Ultimate Bacon Lover's Gift Guide

The Ultimate Beer Lover's Gift Guide

Your Ultimate Guide to Gifting with Liquor

The Ultimate Gift Guide for the Well Dressed Man

The Ultimate Gamer's Gift Guide

The Ultimate Movie Lover's Gift Guide ...There's more

Whether they're making a New Year's resolution, or they're a lifelong gym rat, here are some great gift ideas for the guy on your list looking to lose the spare tire, get his swoll on, feed the pythons, throw some iron around, sell some tickets to the gun show, or whatever other workout cliche you can think of.

NRG Ball

Take your medicine ball workout to another level. The NRG Ball may look like a traditional weighted exercise ball, but it has fittings in each side that let you attach one or two steel handles, turning it into a compact, all-purpose fitness system, that works every part of your body. Add the optional golf handle and you can train your swing muscles like no other training tool, for longer drives and greater stamina.
5lb System - $59.95
7lb System - $69.95
9lb System - $79.95
Golf Swing Handle - $24.95
NRGBall.com

Jungle Gym XT

Don't have the room or cash for a does-everything home gym? You do now. The Jungle Gym XT is built for punishing commercial use, and is very different from traditional suspension trainers you've seen. It features a split design, which allows you to quickly and easily adjust the forces on your body by changing the width of the system from the usual "V-Shaped suspension all the way to wide-angle for increased strength training.
$99.99
LifeLineUSA.com

Polar Heart Rate Monitors

Fact: Training with a heart rate monitor lets you get the most out of your workout. And the monitors from Polar give you all the info and feedback you need to squeeze the most from every training session. The FT7 not only displays heart rate and calories burned, but ...There's more

Today is the 40th celebration of Earth Day. Back in 1970 when it started, the big issues were polluted air and poisoned water. Now, recycling and the size of your carbon footprint are what's important.

So instead of going green for just one day, a lot of us are adopting a more eco-friendly lifestyle overall. Now that doesn't mean running out and hugging trees, wearing Birkenstocks and foregoing deodorant... it means becoming more aware of what we use and what we buy. Wasting less. Saving more. And making sure we aren't contributing to early planet burnout.

Since a lot of us are permanently connected to our smart phones, a whole host of apps have been developed to make it easy being green. (Sorry, Kermit.) And our friends at CouponSherpa.com have put together a list of the top 50 that should be on every phone. After sorting through them, I grabbed a bunch of the ones I thought were the most important for guys, and listed them below. (If you want to see the full list of 50, click here.)

TRANSPORTATION

CarCare - $4.99
CarCare automatically calculates your gas mileage at the pump and reminds you when it's time to change the oil, rotate tires, get a wax or any other service you desire.

Carticipate - FREE
Hook up to a social network of folks who want to share rides. Just plug in your destination and Carticipate finds others in your social network headed in the same direction. You can hitch a ride or share your own vehicle.

GasBag - Basic version FREE, Pro version 99 cents
GasBag relies on a community of hundreds of thousands of users submitting prices across the U.S., U.K. and Australia, with price updates delivered to your phone in real-time. You also can track your car's mileage and record details of gas purchases.

Green Gas Saver - FREE
Green Gas Saver tells you when you're accelerating or taking a turn too fast, which can hinder your gas mileage. The idea behind the app is to keep the ball in the center of the screen. When you accelerate too quickly, the diameter of the ball increases and an alarm will sound, indicating you're accelerating too quickly. Green Gas also keeps a running score so you can see how well you're driving in real time. A few weeks with this app and driving efficiently will become ingrained.

Greenmeter - $5.99
Greenmeter by Cleantechnica tracks your car’s carbon footprint and fuel efficiency while calculating weather conditions, cost of fuel and vehicle weight. You also can measure drag coefficient, vehicle pitch and rolling resistance with estimates available at CleanTechnica.com.

iGasUp - $2.99
Tired of overpaying for gas or diesel? Get the cheapest price available every time you fill up with iGasUp. You'll gain access to the world's most accurate repository of U.S. retail for less than the price of a gallon of gas.

iTrans - $3.99
iTrans calculates the fastest route between stations and gives you a step-by-step guide. It even works when you're offline and underground. A search function, maps and advisories help make your commute less of a grind. Schedules include NYC, DC, NJT, CTA, Metra, PATH, LA Metro and Metrolink.

RepairPal - FREE
Whether it’s an ...There's more

Summer time is party time... but nothing kills the party quicker than forgetting plastic cups or limes, or running out of beer and mixers halfway through.

But worry not party people. No longer will you have to play Rock Paper Scissors to see which one of you has to leave the fest to make the next beer run. No more calling friends to see if they can pick up some ice on the way in. Delivery.com will bring the party supplies right to your door.

Available in 75 cities in the US (and rapidly expanding to more), this 24/7 delivery service has your back for anything from dinner and a movie... to a bottle of wine, candles and flowers... to condoms and an extra toothbrush. (Depending on how well the party goes.)

All you need to do is log on, place your order, and in about a half hour, your fridge is packed, the bar is stocked, and the party is back in full swing. And you can even order ear plugs for your neighbors.

www.delivery.com