‘Gadget’ Articles
Written by KineticShift on 08 March 2012
While probably not much of a problem this season, in years with deep snow or when regions get lots of natural snow, some skiers might find themselves trying to find lost skis. This no doubt cuts down on the fun. It seems like a small problem, but enough that Ski Retriever has come to the rescue with a homing system.
This is simple enough, where a homing tag attaches to each ski (or snowboard) and a radio-based receiver unit picks up the signal. LED and audio prompts will let a user know when they’re getting close – sort of a treasure hunt on the slopes. The system reportedly works up to 400 feet, while conditions including depth under the white stuff and weather can affect the distance.
The company has reported positive response since the product was introduced in January at the SIA Snow Show in Denver. This could be a case where a problem was solved that people didn’t they had – until they tried to dig out their skis!
Ski Retriever Official Website
[Via Gizmag: Ski Retriever tracks down lost skis better than a St. Bernard]
Tags: SIA, ski, Ski Retriever, Skis, Snow Show, snow sports, snowboard
Posted in concept, Gadget, Personal Electronics, Snow Sports | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 07 March 2012
Last week our friends at BikeRadar.com got us all excited, and we helped spread the rumors that Geoff Kabush was spotted possibly riding a prototype Shimano Di2 XTR groupo – in other words it sounded like the popular electronic shifters for the road were going off-road.
But now BikeRadar.com reports that is not the case. But before we get totally depressed about this news, it seems that Kabush was testing an electronic control system for his Fox Racing Shox suspension fork. As BikeRadar notes this is more than just an electronic lockout, and could mean multiple damping maps. What does this mean?
It sounds like it could mean a suspension fork that could be adjusted to changing conditions on the trail. A little bit of give where you need it, a bit more on the technical stuff and a lockout when you to do some climbing. Isn’t electric control grand?
[Via BikeRadar: Fox Racing Shox Test New Electronic Suspension]
Tags: Cycling, Di2, Fox Racing Shox, Geoff Kabush, mountain bike, Shimano, XTR
Posted in concept, Cycling, Gadget | No Comments »
Written by KineticShift on 07 March 2012
Rugged is the name of the game this season with point-and-shoot digital cameras and Sony isn’t going to be left behind. The company announced last week a new line of Cyber-shot cameras, including the rugged DSC-TX20. It can get wet and wild and be submerged up to five meters in water and dropped from 1.5 meters, while also being dustproof and freeze proof. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: By Pixel Super Resolution, Cyber-shot, DSC-TX20, Rugged Camera, Sony, TX20
Posted in Gadget, Outdoors, Personal Electronics | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 07 March 2012
We’ve seen much innovation in the way to measure helmet impact, and this isn’t just to determine what effect the impact had on the wearer but now the helmet as well. The reasoning is that with each significant hit or impact the protective value of that helmet actually decreases. This in turn means that a helmet that protected on one impact might not protect as well the next time. The Brain Injury Association of Canada noted recently that the lifespan of helmet is often overlooked and that proper helmet care should be part of a regular routine to make sure that the helmet provides maximum protection.
Testing has shown there is as much as a 30 percent increase in the risk of injury every time a significant impact involving a helmet occurs. The Impact-Alert sensor is new technology that can be installed on a helmet and let users know when a helmet could have sustained a significant impact that might warrant replacing it. The company has sensors that are designed for football, hockey and alpine models available now, with baseball, cycling and lacrosse models in development. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Brain Injury Association of Canada, Helmet, Impact-Alert, Jim Blumsom, Sensor
Posted in Equipment, Gadget, Personal Electronics, Pro Sports | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 02 March 2012
There are parts of a bike that can be stolen easily and those that require tools. Bicycle light usually fall into the former category, which is a shame as these are meant to keep riders safe. Now commuters can look to the Defender, a bike light that looks tough and is quite tough for a would-be thief to remove. The aluminum clamp, as well as the battery pack require Allen keys, so this won’t stop a determined parts-pilferer but it could deter those quick grab and run crooks.
The Defender, which looks much the cylinder of a revolver (we’re sure not everyone will love that aspect of it) with six ultra-bright LEDs that are powered by three AA batteries. The light reportedly offers somewhere between 40 and 60 lumens and can run for 50 hours in steady illumination or about 100 in flashing mode. Video after the jump
Tags: bike light, Brad Geswin, Cycling, KickStarter, LED, Slava Menn
Posted in concept, Cycling, Gadget | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 01 March 2012
Wind power could get personal. At least that’s the idea from Joao Paulo Lammoglia, who has devised the AIRE Mask. While it looks a bit cyberpunk to us, the concept is that it takes the power of breath and converts it to electricity via tiny wind turbines, which in turn can power an iOS device such as an iPad. It could be used while sleeping, watching TV, and of course while working out.
The AIRE is just one of several products that Lammoglia has devised. This clever innovator has created numerous concepts, such as the Doormate, which creates energy by cleaning of the feet on a special mat that can thus power a doorbell, while his MOOV concept is another move to generate power. This project was designed to convert the energy supplied during a run or hike to charge small electronics. Thus with every step made it trickle charged a device.
Lammoglia clearly is thinking outside the box, and sometime tells us he’ll be one to watch.
JOAOLMMAGLIA Official Website
[Via Ubergizmo: AIRE mask charges iPhone with your breath]
Tags: AIRE, breath, Joao Paulo Lammoglia, mask, MOOV, wind power
Posted in concept, Gadget | No Comments »
Written by KineticShift on 01 March 2012
Last week we posted about Nike’s knit shoes, and now the company has gone to the other extreme with Nike+ Basketball and Nike+ Training shoes that are digital! The shoes feature a sensor system that can sync with software to provide wearer’s with detailed information to help during training and to track performance. Video after the jump
Tags: App, Basketball, digital, Mobile Phone, Nike, smartphone, Track My Game, Training
Posted in Footwear, Gadget, Mobile Phone, Personal Electronics, Software | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 29 February 2012
Sometimes outdoor time requires blaring music, and headphones don’t apply. For those occasions you might want to secure your smartphone, iPhone or mp3 player in a waterproof case to be sure the elements don’t get into those sensitive areas. For times like this, Grace Digital just released the Eco Terra Boombox, a 100 percent waterproof dock and speakers that you can fully submerge under water.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Android, Eco Terra Boombox, Grace Digital, iPhone, ipod, IPX7, MP3 player, smartphone, speakers, waterproof
Posted in Gadget, Outdoors, Travel, Water Activities | No Comments »
Written by KineticShift on 29 February 2012
It is hard not to think of the Robert Redford movie The Electric Horseman when seeing the Sporty Supaheroe cycling jacket, which features 64 integrated RGB LEDs and a stretchable and very wearable circuit board. The LED array can light up the way and display a variety of patterns.
This jacket, which is a project underway from the Utope Project reportedly works with an “acceleration sensor” and gyroscope to track the wearer’s movement, and even interact and respond according. If a rider slows down the lights can signal in red to indicate braking, while other movement can indicate turns and direction. For the rider the lights can also indicate an incoming phone call via an alert system.
The jacket is still very much in the developmental stage, but maybe it could change the way bike lights cast some illumination and how they are seen.
Utope Project Official Website
[Via Gizmag: Sporty Supaheroe cycle jacket boasts “intelligent” sensors and dynamic LEDs]
Tags: Apparel, Cycling, Jacket, LED, RGB, Sporty Supaheroe, Utope Project
Posted in Apparel, concept, Cycling, Gadget, Personal Electronics | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 29 February 2012
Road cyclists have been able to do the electronic shifting thing for a while now. Shimano, which introduced the first successful (key word is successful) electronic shifters with its Dura Ace line that the pros seem to love, brought Di2 to its step down (but still very high-end) Ultegra line last year, and this season will see rival Campagnolo also going electronic. Meanwhile there have been efforts to develop electronic shifting for off-road, but only in the aftermarket world… until now.
BikeRadar.com reported that a Shimano XTR Di2 drivetrain was spotted. Canadian cross-country racer Geoff Kabush posted an image on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon that indicates that Shimano is indeed bringing Di2 to mountain bikes. Meanwhile Shimano has no official comment. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Campagnolo, Cycling, Di2, drivetrain, Dura Ace, electronic shifting, Geoff Kabush, mountain bike, shifter, Shimano, Ultegra, XTR
Posted in concept, Cycling, Gadget | No Comments »
Written by Les Shu on 28 February 2012
When you’re in a pool, swimming from point A to B is a no-brainer. Out in open water, however, tracking your performance and location is a bit more difficult. The new Hydro Tracker GPS from FINIS is a fitness device designed for open water swimmers that tracks, maps, and records performance.
“We created the Hydro Tracker GPS to meet the needs of open water swimmers and fitness enthusiasts,” says John Mix, President of FINIS. “Our Hydro Tracker GPS and free Streamline Log allows swimmers to dig deeper into their key workout stats, providing them with invaluable ongoing feedback. This new GPS system will help maximize anyone’s results.”
The Hydro Tracker GPS can be attached to goggle straps or an included neoprene armband, and doesn’t require GPS calibration. It tracks the swimmer’s course and important, in-depth performance data, which users can review after their swim. Using the free online FINIS Streamline Training Log, “swimmers can set goals and analyze stats including splits, speed, distance, accumulated time, and elevation,” according to FINIS. Data can be shared via CSV or Google Earth files, or through Facebook and Twitter. The device can also be used for other sports, too, such as running, walking, biking, skiing, hiking, etc.
The device sells for $130, available now. Check out FINIS’s website for additional specs.
FINIS Official Website
Tags: FINIS Hydro Tracker GPS, GPS tracking, open-water swimming
Posted in Gadget, GPS, Hiking, Outdoors, Personal Electronics, Swimming, Water Activities | No Comments »
Written by KineticShift on 28 February 2012
The world is in motion, and at this week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, InvenSense is showcasing its latest integrated 6-axis and 9-axis MotionTracking technologies. While motion interfaces have rapidly become a key function in many consumer and mobile electronic devices, such as, smartphones, tablets, gaming, smart TV and many other devices, there are health and fitness applications as well.
This week InvenSense will be demonstrating its recently announced health and fitness wearable sensor SDK and its latest motion interface, This could provide for a more intuitive way for users to interact with electronic devices. We’ll be very interested to see where this motion tracking takes us.
InvenSense Official Website
Tags: InvenSense, Mobile World Congress, MotionFusion, MotionTracking, MPU-9150, SDK
Posted in concept, Gadget, Personal Electronics, Software | No Comments »
Written by Les Shu on 24 February 2012
Audio equipment manufacturer Pyle announced a new watch designed for snorkeling and water sports in its Pyle Sports outdoor recreational sports line of products. The water-resistant Snorkeling Master Watch can dive up to 330 feet, and it can record and store data (up to 100) in its dive log, which contains information like time and date, dive duration, maximum dive depth, minimum water, temperature, and dive site indication. The watch has six function modes: current time, chronograph, countdown timer, dual time mode, dive mode, and dive recall mode, which Pyle says helps “underwater users keep track of important information during their snorkeling adventures.” A built-in dive alarm activates when the user is emerging faster than 6 meters per minute, and a thermometer measures temperature from 14 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. When it gets dark underwater, the electro-luminescent backlight helps keep the watch readable. The Snorkeling Master Watch will cost $100 and come in black, green, orange, and red.
Pyle Official Website
Tags: pyle, Snorkeling Master Watch, snorkeling watch, underwater watch, water-resistant watch
Posted in Gadget, Swimming, Water Activities | No Comments »
