Majesco Entertainment’s popular Zumba Fitness video game franchise keeps on going, and this holiday the latest version will arrive for the younger crowd. Zumba Kids will arrive later this year on Kinect for Xbox 360 and the Wii, and feature a range of dance styles, creative mini-games, customization and chart-topping hits from Justin Bieber and Willow Smith. It is based on the global dance-fitness brand, but is aimed at kids aged seven to 12, providing that “exercise in disguise” gameplay. Continue reading Zumba Kids are Alright
Author: Peter Suciu
Kite Has You Covered
Summer is a great time except for the mosquitoes that can bite and worse cause illnesses. For those who are looking to head out to the great outdoors there are plenty of sprays to apply, but another option is the KitePatch, which is designed to render people invisible to the tiny menace. These small stickers adhere to clothing, and reportedly disrupt the bug’s ability to detect carbon dioxide that is exhaled.
And while the insect is mostly a nuisance to those of us in America in the developing world it is a far greater problem. To that end the company will sent 10 Kite Patches to Uganda for each 10 bought by a user in America. Video after the jump
Alchemy Goods Expands Product Line
As we’ve reported recently more and more of those old bicycle tubes are being kept out of landfills and are being used in “upcycled” products thanks to the efforts of several companies. Earlier this month it was announced that that Trek and REI have partnered up with Alchemy Goods to form a national bike tube recycling network. Together the three hope to collect more than a million bike tubes by the end of 2014.
This network includes more than 600 Trek bicycle dealers and 1,800 retailers — REI stores and independent bike shops — and is represented in nearly every state. That should go a long way in finding uses for those tubes that typically get tossed after a flat tire.
[Via Environmental Leader: Trek, REI Join Bike Tube Recycling Network]
Printed Bicycle
There are new advances to print a bicycle, including those utilizing titanium. However, the Beautiful Bicycle is another kind of print entirely. It is on paper and you can’t actually ride these bikes, but this could make excellent art for your wall.
Designer Andy Scullion is looking to Kickstarter to provide these customizable prints of bicycles through the ages. The print is split into 32 sections, and could include stock photos or even the contributor’s own bike. Good idea, and a beauty at that. Video after the jump
JVC Adds to Adixxion
Last year JVC rolled out the Adixxion action camera, and now the company has updated it. The new version, the JVC GC-XA2, reportedly offers improved image quality along with more versatility. As with the original model this one requires no external housing as it is waterproof to five meters, can handle a drop to nearly six feet, while also being dust proof and freeze proof. It features built-in Wi-Fi and an LCD screen for previewing footage.
The new model can now record at 1,920×1,080 60p/50p Progressive Full HD, or at 1,280×720 high-speed recording at 120fps/100fps. The lens has also been updated and this new models features an F2.4 wide angle version that can better handle those fast shots. Full specs after the jump
Pulp Nonfiction
Bike sharing is a great way to get around a city without actually owning a bike. The problem is that when using a shared bike things like helmets aren’t exactly provided. The idea of “shared” helmets are in development, but these require sanitization after each use.
The Paper Pulp Helmet offers another solution, which its creators are looking to bring to market. While still in the concept stage the Paper Pulp Helmet was developed by Royal College Of Art in London graduates Tom Gottelier, Bobby Petersen, and Ed Thomas. These helmets can be made from newspapers collected from around the public transport network in London. These discarded papers are mixed with water to create a pulp, which in turn an organic element is added. Pigment is added to help differentiate the size.
The mixture is vacuum-formed into a shape, heated and then left to dry. The result is a simply helmet that can be reused or recycled. More importantly it can be sold for around £1 each (US$1.50), thus providing an expensive brain bucket for riders. Video after the jump
Tour Apparel
The 100th Tour de France is in full swing and you it can live on via the line of off-the-bike T-shirts from Australian Après Vélo. The company has introduced a limited edition series to celebrate the 100th edition of the most famous race in cycling.
Designs include ‘Alpe d’Huez’, ‘Finish Line’, ‘Sprinter’, ‘Arc’ and ‘Sunflower Fields Forever’, with colors and cuts for both men and women, and these include v-neck and crew-neck versions. The Tour de France will end in another week and a half but these shirts will let the race live on.
Strava Gets Real
When out and about it is important to keep it real, and Strava announced this week that it is doing just that with its Real-Time Segments, which provider runners and cyclists live performance updates during their segment effort. This adds another layer of motivation to Strava Premium, where athletes can see exactly where they stack up on a certain segment the instant they complete it.
These instant segment times can be sent right to the phone, so instead of waiting until the activity is finished, runners and cyclists can see the results as they happen. Continue reading Strava Gets Real
Tour de France Preview: The Gear
The 100th Tour de France is set to start this weekend, and we’ve heard about a slew of new bikes, attire and other products that will make their respective debut on the road. Continue reading Tour de France Preview: The Gear
The Flying Bike – ET Not Required
The first – and perhaps most important – question that comes to mind when considering the Paravelo, the world’s first flying bicycle, is why would anyone need to design a flying bike? However, apparently some 60 backers are pledging money on Kickstarter to see this thing… well, take flight. It apparently works with a parachute so it actually glides as much as flies, but it does use a large fan to power its forward motion.
It travels at 15mph on land, so not exactly a speed demon, but reportedly 25mph in the air. It reminds us a bit like the flying contraption that Barney invented on TV’s The Flintstones. Compare the Paravelo to Barney’s creation after the jump
Recon Takes Off Like a Jet
Recon Instruments have made a name for themselves in the world of heads-up displays (HUD) snow sports, but this year the company is looking to hit the road with the Recon Jet Pilot Edition. This special line of eyewear is designed for cyclists and triathletes, offering critical information including heart rate, cadence and power output and put it right in view. This can be supplied by third party devices through wireless connectivity via ANT+ and Bluetooth.
It also offers a comprehensive suite of on-board sensors and delivers a full portfolio of precision performance stats and data such as speed, pace, distance, time, vertical ascent and more.
The glasses include a 1 GHz dual core processor, dedicated graphics, Wi-Fi, ANT+, Bluetooth, GPS, HD camera, and a comprehensive suite of sensors making it a standalone computing solution, comparable in capability to a tablet or smartphone. The components of the HUD are distributed evenly across the eyewear, but add just 14grams to each side of the sunglasses. The display can be controlled by a precision optical touch-pad that supports multiple gesture controls and facilitates its use in all weather conditions, even with gloves on. Continue reading Recon Takes Off Like a Jet
Android GPS
Today Garmin announced the Monterra, the company’s first Wi-Fi-enabled outdoor handheld GPS unit that combines Garmin’s powerful location and mapping capabilities with the versatility of Google’s Android operating system.
From this device users will have easy access the Google Play Store, and can download apps through an available WiFi connection right onto their outdoor optimized Garmin handheld, offering a new ways to explore the great outdoors, The Garmin Monterra is rugged and features an IPX7 waterproof rating, while also offering a backlight LED display that only needs to be turned on in low light conditions. Continue reading Android GPS
Music Player Fit for a King of the Sea
Neptune was king of the sea according to Greek mythology, and the Finis Neptune waterproof audio player is thus fittingly named. It utilizes bone conduction to deliver sound to the audio canal so swimmers can get in tune with their strokes.
It offers 4GB of memory, an integrated OLED display, improved file transfer compatibility with iTunes and is waterproof to 3 meters (10 ft). Video after the jump