KineticShift | Evolving Consumer

Paint It On

One thing that this endless winter has taught us is that smartphones are hard to use with gloves. Sure there are plenty of specialty gloves that work with touchscreens, but Nanotips has another option – a special paint that transforms most gloves into ones that are touchscreen-compatible.

The company recently completed a successful Kickstarter campaign to bring out two versions of its product; one for leather and another for rubber gloves. Each comes in a little bottle that can be applied directly to gloves, and there are about 20 to 30 applications per bottle. The special touchscreen nano-particle paint is washable and durable, but can be reapplied as needed. Video after the jump

360 Degrees Takes Flights

There are plenty of action cameras on the market to provide a first person view of your exploits, but EyeSee360 now has two new cameras that provide a panoramic view of the action. The first up is the 360Fly, which is a tennis-ball-sized video camera that can be mounted on a helmet or just left stationary. It captures 360 degrees horizontally and 240 degrees vertically, which is now the widest viewing angle of any camera on the market.

It can capture video at 1,500 x 1,500 at 30 frames per second, is waterproof to five meters and can record for up to two hours.

The other offering is the 360MicroFly, a 360 degree panoramic video lens that can be attached to select smartphones, and is compatible with Android and iOS apps. Both versions will be out later this year to offer 360 degrees of functionality.

360Fly Official Website

Share the Message

ShareTheDamnRoad’s line of apparel has a simple message – and for spring the company has introduced a jersey that says it all. The “Don’t Run Me Over” jersey is attire with a message. It features a silcone gripper, a men’s or women’s club cut, full zipper and three rear pockets. Perhaps drivers will finally get the message.

ShareTheDamnRoad Official Website

Weekend Reading List (03.15.2014): Park Run, Camel Down, Samsung Gets Moving

Park Run

From Runner’s World: When Can I Run In The Park?
When Peter Shankman was cited by the New York City police for breaking curfew by running in Central Park at 4:27 a.m. on a Thursday in late February, it was an eye opener: So Central Park has operating hours? And, in a city known for banning trans fat and trying to limit soda sizes, they’re actually enforced against a grown man jogging for recreation? Yes and yes. Anyone who enters Central Park between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. runs the risk of being issued a citation for “unlawfully in park after hours,” as this offense, PRR 1-03(a), is officially called. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (03.15.2014): Park Run, Camel Down, Samsung Gets Moving

Throwing Down

httpv://youtu.be/tOjKfqeiQvo

We’ve all been there. A mechanical problem on a bike can ruin and ride and you just want to throw it. When you’re a pro – as in professional cyclist – you should know to contain yourself, but then again if you’re a pro you’re not paying for your bike! Marcel Kittel (above), who suffered a crash in this week’s Tirreno-Adriatico, might have the best thrown down yet! More throwdowns after the jump

Artful Inspiration

This week Louis Garneau presented his new series of 12 paintings entitled Hope. All the proceeds from the sale of these paintings will be donated to Rwanda’s National Cycling Team. The paintings of the Hope series are sold for $20,000 each, and all in profit of the development of cycling in Rwanda.

“For the rest of my life, I have decided to give all funds generated by the sale of my paintings to causes that I believe in. Team Rwanda is one of those,” declared businessman and artist Louis Garneau. “About 4 years ago, Jonathan (“Jock”) Boyer, the first American to participate in the Tour de France, contacted me asking me to provide assistance to Rwanda’s National Cycling Team, newly created and composed entirely of young survivors of the 1994 genocide. How could I say no to a cause like that? It is why I decided to paint the Hope series, to highlight the extraordinary accomplishments of Mr. Boyer and his riders. I am filled with admiration for these young men who lived the atrocities of the genocide and who, refusing to be taken down, chose to keep living, opting to compete in one of the most demanding sports there is.” Continue reading Artful Inspiration

Light Time

This long winter has kept many indoors and that means out of the sun. That might not sound so bad, but getting some of the sun’s rays can actually help improve well being. Too much sun and you can burn, even in the winter, but not enough and you might feel downright blue.

So how do you know if you’re getting of the good UV rays? SunSprite is the world’s first wearable device that can track daily light and sun exposure. It can be paired with a smartphone and help users reach personalized goals to get just the right amount of sun to support a healthy lifestyle.

SunSprite, which is now being developed via an Indiegogo crowd funding project, is also unique in wearables in that it tracks the sun’s light and does so through solar power! Video after the jump

Cycling the World

Lee Fancourt is one of five endurance cyclists who are literally racing around the world. The group set off from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England last week and Fancourt is looking to compete the trip – including the necessary air travel – in about 90 days. The previous record for an endurance ride was 106 days, 10 hours and 33 minutes – and was set by Alan Bate in 2010.

The route will take him through Europe and Russia, then to India, the Far East, Australia and New Zealand. He’ll head to North America and then to Portugal and finally back to London. In total this route will cover more than 18,000 miles – and Fancourt (and the others) will need to pedal as many as 225 miles a day!

We wish all five racers the best of luck and say happy riding!

[Via BikeRadar: Endurance rider aims to smash around-the-world cycling record]

Court Ruling

This week the Supreme Court ruled that Railroad Right of Way Act of 1875,which gave government control of land specifically for railroads, does not mean that the old tracks can be converted into land trails for bicycles or other uses. Instead, once the rails were abandoned the land reverts to its owners.

The 8-1 decision, reached after two lower courts found in favor of the government, was hailed as a victory for private landowners. Media reports have called the decision a huge blow to trails built or planned for former railroad corridors on private property.

However, this is not really the case.

“This only affects federally granted rights of ways acquired under the 1875 Act,” Kevin Mills, senior vice president of policy and programs for the Rails to Trails Conservancy. “And the government can still decide that the trail is an important asset and use eminent domain to keep the property. We’re dealing with a narrowly prescribed set of circumstances. If you have an existing rail trail on federally granted right of way land acquired under the 1875 Act not railbanked and for which the government would not pay just compensation, then the adjacent landowner could take back a piece of the land.”

Rails-to-Trails: The Supreme Court Decision: How Does It Affect Rail-Trails?
Supreme Court: MARVIN M. BRANDT REVOCABLE TRUST ET AL. v. UNITED STATES
[Via Bicycle Retailer: Supreme Court ruling on rail trails is limited, expert says]

Sensors in the Socks

You can smell a sock and know when it needs to be laundered but the Sensoria Fitness Sock by Heapsylon – a so-called smart sock – can do more than tell you it needs to be washed. This sensor-filled sock and attachable anklet can be paired with a smart phone and help coach users on their running technique.

The Heapsylon sock utilizes e-textile sensors, which can count steps, measure speed, track calories, distance and even altitude. There are plenty of heart rate monitors and step counters that can do that already, but this sensor can also track cadence and foot landing technique and even weight distribution on the foot, which can help runners know what they’re doing right and wrong.

Now that’s a smart sock! Continue reading Sensors in the Socks

The Zambulance Makes a Difference

At Interbike last year we heard about the Zambulance, a bicycle ambulance, developed by ZamBikes. The developers of this bike believe it can make a difference in the developing world. The president and co-founder, Dustin McBride recently shared a story on how much of a difference this can be.

A Letter From the Director:
I don’t cry often. And when I cry, it’s usually because of a tragic loss of a loved one or some other serious pain that is ‘close to home’. Last week I visited some villages in Kamuli, central Uganda to check on Zambulances that we’ve distributed in partnership with Plan Uganda a few months ago. We visited many patients and the stories were touching, powerful, and some very hard to hear.

One story we experienced was about a woman, Susan, who was pregnant with twins. She gave birth to the first twin at home in the village but because of complications was struggling to deliver the second baby. The Zambulance was able to transport her to the hospital where she had a C-section and safely gave birth to the second twin. In a way, the story seems beautiful and victorious. But the story doesn’t end there. Susan has mental disabilities and is HIV+. We assume she was raped since the dad is in hiding and Susan can’t identify him. Because of her mental state, her healthy, beautiful twins were sent to an orphanage in another town. Continue reading The Zambulance Makes a Difference

Spring Forward

It has been a long winter and we’re looking forward to spring riding and that could include a trek on the off-road bike tour of Idaho’s hot springs. The Adventure Cycling Association has released a set of maps and guides for a 518-mile off-pavement ride on this route, which includes singletrack options. The route passes by more than 50 hot springs, including some that are commercialized and others that are undeveloped.

The Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route is offered as a two-map set, with the first map section featuring the main, off-pavement route — a loop route that primarily follows dirt roads for 518 miles, with a few stretches of pavement in the mix. The second map set covers the four singletrack options, and some sections are expert-only riding or hike-a-biking for those who aren’t experts.

Adventure Cycling Association Official Website

Logical Lights

It is just logical to have a light when riding at night, and BioLogic has released the Argus LED, a pair of safety lights that offer 60 degrees of adjustability — vertically and horizontally — which allow riders to aim the light exactly where it is needed so that they can be seen.

Sold as a matched pair of white and red for front and rear use, the Argus LED include a flexible mounting strap allows placement on handlebars, seatposts, helmets, or bags. These lights feature a precision machined aluminum body with weatherproof seals, while flanges in the sides allow for visibility to side-coming traffic.

BioLogic Official Website