We’ve seen a number of celebrity-inspired products – such as those John Denver Skis – but now Burton Snowboards and Lifebeat are looking to “Push It.” The snowboard maker has partnered with the national non-profit that uses music to raise awareness and funds in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and announced a partnership to release an exclusive line of women’s snowboards for 2014. Continue reading Burton Snowboards Push It
Category: Audio
This Bottle is Filled With Music
Music and cycling go nicely together, but not hearing the world around you isn’t a good idea. So instead of jamming earbuds in that block the outside world a speaker that broadcasts the music to you might be the better way to go. There are plenty of handlebar mounted speakers, but then we saw the Scoche boomBottle, which fits nicely in the waterbottle cage and shoots the music up to you.
The shockproof device delivers the beats via two 40mm drivers and a passive sub. This plays music via Bluetooth or an auxiliary input, so you will need to broadcast that music from another device. Obviously this won’t work with every bike but this is clearly designed for those long solo rides not race day on a streamlined TT bike.
2013 CES: Sony Rolls Out Rugged MP3 Player
Fitness and music go together. That’s a given. What is a problem is that many digital music players can barely endure a light job, and for those who get serious, not to mention wet, that iPod simply won’t do. But Sony has stepped in, and last week at CES introduced its Sports W Series Waterproof MP3 player.
This wireless headphone/MP3 device can go deep to a full two meters in the water and can be quick-charged for up to an hour’s worth of playback in just three minutes. It supports drag and drop playback of MP3, WMA, AAC and L-PCM files directly from the computer, and with Sony’s Clear Audio Technology users won’t miss a beat. Video after the jump
Hoodie Offers Built-in Stereo Sound
Hoodies aren’t just for working out, but these do make good cool day apparel for running, hiking and other outdoor activities. The HoodieBuddie solves a small problem of how to wear earphones as the cables can easily get tangle. Instead of having the cord hang loose, or try to tuck it through the jacket the HoodieBuddie routes the cables within the jacket via the cords by the hood.
This way you can take out the earbuds when necessary and now worry about it dragging or having to coil it up. The company has the basic black hoddie but there are plenty of other designs to show your own sense of style.
2013 CES: Marley and You
House of Marley isn’t a name we’ve thought a lot about when it comes to lifestyle products, but the company plans to change that in 2013. It has announced a new collection of earth-friendly, premium quality personal audio and lifestyle products made with a purpose and will debut this line at this week’s 2013 International CES. The company is debuting its use of upcycled RE.WIND fabric, which is comprised of reclaimed hemp and organic cotton, combined with fibers from recycled water bottles (rPET).
While obviously we don’t expect all of Marley’s products to have that fitness use, although many are good for those with active lives, it is interesting to see that the tech world is embracing what we’ve already been seeing in the fitness space.
Weekend Reading List (12.22.2012): Sir Wiggo, Runner Resolution, Surf Music
Sir Wiggo
From Cycling News:Arise Sir Wiggins: Tour winner set to receive knighthood
Bradley Wiggins and Dave Brailsford are expected to be recommended for knighthoods in the New Year Honours list according to a report in the Daily Telegraph newspaper. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (12.22.2012): Sir Wiggo, Runner Resolution, Surf Music
Rugged Sound That Booms
There are plenty of speaker systems for bicycles but the BoomBot Rex is one that looks like it could survive a ride through Jurassic Park, if there were really such a place. This ruggedized, hexagonal speaker features two 36mm drivers in the front of the oblong subwoofer. This makes for a compact speaker that is also waterproof and offers wireless operation just about anywhere.
It can be mounted on a bike, or just taken for a hike in the woods.
This speaker, which is in development via a Kickstarter campaign, has the promise to connect to a smartphone, tablet or computer or any other Bluetooth-compatible device. In addition to being a speaker for music it can take calls from a phone, Facetime or Skype. Just in case you need to have a conference call while out on the trails. Video after the jump
Music Powered POC Helmet
We’ve seen a number of snowboard helmets that speakers built in, and POC continues to dominate the slopes with its line of helmets. Now for this winter the POC Receptor BUG Communication helmet will deliver the tunes via integrated Beats by Dr. Dre headphones that are built in the neck roll. This could give new meaning to the concept of head banging, as it provides a bass-heavy speaker into a snug fitting brain bucket.
There is also a remote and mic in the cord that makes switching songs while doing the downhill thing a snap, and taking calls is as easy as pressing a button. The communication neck roll is even solid separately and is compatible with other POC models.
Your Fitness Bud
We’ve seen a lot of fitness headphones and earbuds but the latest to turn our heads are the wireless BlueBuds X from JayBird. According to the company these “rewrite” the rules of Bluetooth audio, which is quite a bold statement but the early user reviews indicate the company is delivering the goods and more.
The key to this is that Bluetooth may be fine for transmitting sounds a short distance, but often with by compromising some quality as it requires the music be decompressed when sent through the air. The BlueBuds X utilize a native Bluetooth SBC codec called Shift, which can deliver a level of purity and sound that could rival and even challenge wired headphones. Video after the jump
Earbud Mounts Bring Music to Brain Buckets
Riding a bicycle with earbuds isn’t a good idea as it can drown out all the noise around you, which can be a problem especially in traffic. But for those long rides when a little music can help motivate there are some solutions. The Bipo is a bicycle helmet mount that holds earbuds in place but more importantly delivers music to the wearer without blocking outside noise.
The developers have brought the Bipo concept to Kickstarter. The concept is a novel one, where the music from Apple earbuds – the company specifically was designed for Apple products but could probably work with other models – is set into the air vent. The idea is that the sound disperses and loses its directionality thus can be heard in the background, which should be perfect for riding where you want to hear the world as well as the music. Video after the jump
Turtle Shell Sound
If the turtle in that turtle vs. the hare race had a bicycle we think he’d have an edge. But if either decided to ride a bike they shouldn’t do so with headphones, which could make it hard to hear traffic and other riders. A handlebar-mounted speaker is the better way to go.
We’ve seen a number of these, and the Outdoor Technology Turtle Shell offers a new twist on the design – plus it allows us to actually mention the whole turtle thing. So what makes this one stand out? This is the first to feature a camera tripod threading that makes it a little more versatile than other speakers, while the Turtle Claw mount grips the handlebars to ensure it doesn’t fall off during a ride. Video after the jump
Denon Gets Its Freak On
There are fitness buffs and there are fitness freaks, but no what level of fitness “enthusiast” you may be you’ll still want to have superior sound quality with your music. Denon Headphones has you covered and has done so while cutting the cord as well.
The Denon Exercise Freaks are the first in the world to incorporate apps to complement the sound. Available now, these wireless, light-weight and sweat-proof fitness headphones are engineered to deliver quality audio for music and phone calls. The Freaks feature a flexible neckband and anti-microbial ear tips that reduce bacteria build-up while also ensuring a snug fit. Integrated controls and microphone are also provided to ease answering a phone or toggling through songs. The Bluetooth 3.0 headphones also offer seven hours of runtime, so you’ll likely run down before you will! Continue reading Denon Gets Its Freak On
Free Bird That Sprints
The newest headset from JayBird isn’t about to fly away, instead it looks to sprint to the finish and then some. The Freedom Sprint is the latest from the company’s line of wireless Bluetooth earbuds, and it offers a smaller package – reportedly 40 percent smaller than the original Freedom earbuds – and will run for 4.5 hours. Additional photo and video after the jump