Author: Peter Suciu

More Monkey Business

MonkeyLightWe first heard about the MonkeyLectric system that lights up bicycle wheels last fall, and now the company has looked to Kickstarter to kick start its efforts to bring more colorful designs to a road near you. The company is looking to create web-based software that will allow riders to create images and animations that can be seen in the wheels.

The Monkey Light Pro system is designed to be waterproof, durable and designed for use on city streets. The technology, which is being designed and manufactured in California, reportedly adds just 500 grams to the bike and can run for three to eight hours at full brightness – based on what graphics are shown.

Does anyone need this? No, but it does sound like an interesting way to get your message out there. Video after the jump

Sonic Boom

SonicSportTime to get out there and take the music with you. Audio-Technica’s new SonicSport headphones, which are designed for active use will bring the music to any workout. Three new SonicSport models are out now, and include the back cord-style ATH-CP700, which offers a microphone and controls for smartphones and other devices; the C-top-design ATH-CKP500 and the ear hook version ATH-CKP200.

All three models feature an IPX5-certified waterproof rating and are sweat-proof and washable. There’s a great big world out there but when that doesn’t mean you have to hear it when working out.

Audio-Technica Official Website

Hands On: Eton FRX3

FRX3-EtonAs super storm Sandy and other natural disasters have shown us, you never know when the power might go out. To that end it is good to have a flashlight, at least three days of food and water, but a radio or other communication device is a good idea too.

We’d recommend taking it a step further with something like Eton’s FRX3 – a multi-powered, multi-functon smartphone-charging, weather alert radio that can help light the way. We didn’t get to test the FRX3 in an actual emergency – for which we can be grateful – but we found that it does power up quickly by cranking the hand turbine for just about a minute. That is just enough to get a good 15 or so minutes of news, weather and even music – because in a disaster nothing beats some music. As a radio the unit provides a way to hear AM/FM and even NOAA weather band digital radio.

If that was all the Eton FRX3 did we’d still appreciate having it for those times when can’t simply turn on the TV or radio. But this unit, which can also be powered by the sun via a solar panel, can be used as an LED flashlight or beacon, and most importantly can charge a mobile phone.

There are certain devices you shouldn’t head out without, but this is one device that should be in the home as well as the campsite.

Eton FRX3 Official Website

Goggles to (Insta)Beat

InstabeatSwimmers don’t get a lot of sensory data while in the pool. There have been efforts to provide ways to train with music and many heart rate monitors are now swimming compatible. But unlike with running and cycling, it isn’t so easy to see the watch while engaged even in long distance activities.

This is where the Instabeat could come in. The device is now being developed via an Indiegogo campaign.

The device provides a heart rate reading from the temporal artery so no heart rate strap is required across the chest, while a head strap to the goggles provides the read out via a colored LED that is projected directly to the eyes. This helps swimmers track their heart rate while actually swimming to determine if they are at their own specific fat burning, fitness or maximum performance heart rate. The device even tracks calories burned, while a motion sensor tracks laps, flip turns and breathing patterns for a post-workout analysis. Video after the jump

Weekend Reading List (05.04.2013): Counterfeit Gear, Mulholland Falls, Back Pack Ban, Going Green

Counterfeit Gear

Counterfeit

From BikeRadar: Fake bike kit costing industry millions a year
Ten websites selling fake cycling kit such as counterfeit frames and jerseys have been shut down by US authorities – but one specialist has warned that the issue of fake goods is growing and costing the industry millions in lost revenue. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (05.04.2013): Counterfeit Gear, Mulholland Falls, Back Pack Ban, Going Green

Raleigh Gives Back

Ride-2-Recovery May is National Bike Month and Military Appreciation Month and in celebration of the two Raleigh Bicycles will be giving back to our nation’s service men and women through the Ride 2 Recovery (R2R) Give program. For every road bike sold now through May 27th, Raleigh will donate $50 to R2R to help rehabilitate and strengthen the daily lives of wounded veterans.

Kudos to Raleigh for supporting those who have given so much!

Raleigh Official Website
Ride 2 Recovery Official Website

Shapers of Things to Surf

Art-of-the-CraftThis Friday Starbucks Doubleshot will host a media event to present a mini documentary series on surfboard shapers Josh Oldenburg and Martijn Stiphout. The compelling 3-part surfboard artisan mini documentary series tells an inspiring story about the dedication, influence, and creativity that lies within the art of crafting custom surfboards, documenting the entire process as each craftsman goes from concept to finished product.

This will follow a week long pop-up gallery the works of the shapers. The mini documentary, The Art of the Craft, series will live on the Starbucks YouTube channel—the first chapter will be released on 5/3, the second on 5/10, and the third on 5/17.

[Via Transworld Business: Starbucks Debuts Mini Documentary Series On Surfboard Shapers Josh Oldenburg & Martijn Stiphout]

Water of Life

LifesaverWe all know that water is life, but there are times when finding clean water isn’t always that easy. This is where the Lifesaver Jerrycan or Lifesaver Bottle can come in handy. Ideal for a long hiking trip or where clean water just isn’t available, these feature filtration technology that can transform germ-ridden and just plain dirty water into clean H2O. This can be used for drinking, cleaning and as the video below suggests even for showering while on the go.

The Bottle is ideal for those times when you might not be able to carry enough water on a camping trip, while the Jerrycan can filter enough water to help a family of four survive for a year Video after the jump

Road Rage

This new ebook Roads Were Not Built For Cars explores the history of what roads in the US and UK may have been built for instead. While we will have to check this one out and applaud the efforts to tell the story of cycling in improving roads, we do know that many of the roads in Europe were built by the Romans – some 2,000 years prior to the bicycle. Just saying. Continue reading Road Rage

Wi-Fine

Fujifilm has introduced its latest line of Wi-Fi cameras and these include the FinePix XP200, a rugged model that is waterproof to a depth of 15meters (50 feet), shockproof to a drop of two meters, is dustproof and can operate in low temperatures to 14 degrees F.

This camera is not light on features, and includes a 16megapixel CMOS sensor, and offers continuous shooting at a speed of 10fps, along with ultra high speed shooting at 60fps. There is a 5x optical zoom, and a 10x Intelligent Digital Zoom. Shutterbugs can preview the work via the 3.0, 920K-dot LCD screen, which offers an anti-reflective coating that ensures even in sunlight it can be seen. Continue reading Wi-Fine

Cyclist Radar

Often times when a car hits a cyclist the driver claims that the bicycle came out of nowhere or just wasn’t seen. Imagine if the car had some form of radar that could help detect riders and react! Well, that’s exactly what Volvo has introduced with its update to the pedestrian detection system, which features a full auto brake trigger.

The pedestrian system has been in place since 2010, but now will alert drivers and react to bicycles as well. If an imminent impact with a rider or pedestrian is detected the driver will receive a red warning flash while the car will activate full breaking power. The technology will be available in the V40, S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80 from mid-May 2013. Video after the jump

Airbag for Olympics

Lindsay Vonn’s recent crash shows the dangerous of racing down the ski slopes. While riders are increasingly donning helmets some companies are looking at how airbags could help reduce injuries. These include French-based Helite, which offers a wearable airbag system that includes accelerometers and sensors to detect when a skier is falling and automatically inflates, covering the skiers in a protective vest.

Helite hopes to have the technology deployed in time that it could actually be deployed by racers at next year’s Olympic Games. Continue reading Airbag for Olympics