Category: Equipment

Computerized Surfing – Not Just for the Web

Chances are you’re doing it right now, you’re surfing the Web. That is after all what we think of when we say computerized surfing, but now there is a very different type of “high-tech” surfing that actually puts you in the water and takes you away from the Web.

Spanish company Pukas is working with technology partner Tecnalia on a board designed to give professional wave riders an edge.

Enter the Tecnalia Sufsens board, a computerized surfboard that is loaded with a gyroscope, accelerometer, GPS, strain gauges and pressure sensors that can measure everything from the rider’s speed to the how much wave he or she is catching. Back on dry land you can download the data to a PC for analysis.

Indoor Bike Lock Solutions

For cramped apartment dwellers, those who live in dorms while away at college, regular commuter or just don’t who don’t trust their roommates, locking up a bike inside can be a problem. Roommates probably won’t want the bike locked to the kitchen table, and office managers may frown on a bike tethered to a desk. But if you can’t keep an eye on your bike you need not worry that out of sight mean out for a joyride.

Rodd Industrial Design in the UK has created two new locking solutions. The first is Armlock, which is great for multi-occupancy houses and apartments where a bike can be stashed in a common hallway. It is fixed and wall mounted, where the frame is placed in the lock, which is then engaged. When not in use the Armlock can be folded back to the wall.

For a less semi-permanent solution there is the Lupin, a flexible sleeve that slides in the door frame near the hinges. A plastic block makes it impossible for the device to slide all the way through and thus provides an anchor. The other end features loops that a bike lock can pass through, making for a handy place to lock a bike. This can turn a utility closet into a handy bike storage locker. Instead of lock and load, this is lock and go.

[Via Dexigner: New Solutions to Residential Bicycle Theft Unveiled]

H2O Audio Introduces iPod Headphones That Aren’t Wet

Swimmers and triathletes don’t obviously spend a lot of time in the water, and H20 has just announced its latest generation of its Interval Headphones System, the Interval 4G. These high-performance headphones are waterproof and sweatproof and designed to get wet and wild, and are submersible to 12ft/3.6m underwater. Designed to work with the 4th generation iPod Shuffle, these headphones feature the latest Surge 2G headphone technology and attach directly to the goggles – while also being compatible with an Interval hat or visor for use out of the pool.

Whether you’re swimming, cycling or running, these headphones promise to deliver excellent audio quality along with unmatched comfort and fit.

The latest waterproof technology delivers improved bass quality, while sound-isolating, watertight earplugs provide warm sound and dynamic bass response powered by Surge 2G’s waterproof 8mm neodymium drivers. The headphones are available now for $99.99 (MSRP).

H2O Audio Official Website

 

Rangefinder That Will Help Keep You Out of the Rough

Whether you’re hitting the links, or just want to stay the course, the Bushnell Hybrid Laser-GPS Rangefinder offers the best of both technologies. It features single hand vertical operation of the durable, rainproof device. It offers 5 power magnification with a range of 5-1000 Yards/Meters, and comes pre-loaded with more than 16,000 North American golf courses.

Best of all is there is no membership or download fees, while the Hybrid Laser-GPS Rangefinder offers auto hole advance, auto course recognition and is completely legal for tournament play. This makes it ready to use right out of the box without the requirement of additional software or hardware. So if spring has finally sprung for you, and you’re looking for some assistance as you get in nine-holes, this device will lead the way.

Bushnell Golf Official Website

Nike Tees Off With New Golf Balls

Can Nike do for golf balls what it did for athletic shoes? No doubt that is what the company is looking to it, as it unveiled its new 20XI premium golf ball franchise. And yes, there even a “swoosh” adorned on the side, but from the outside these new balls otherwise look just like every other golf ball.

What makes these balls stand out is what out is that these feature innovative golf ball technology that will reportedly dramatically enhance the performance of golfers around the world and, at the same time, propel golf ball manufacturing into an entirely new level of innovation. Those are big claims, but again this is coming a company that has delivered on its past bold statements.

The Nike 20XI golf ball features a combination of proprietary technology that has actually never before been seen in the golf industry, and more importantly is the result of four years of collaborative research and development between Nike Golf’s golf ball engineers and a team of material and science experts at DuPont. Together they went to the core of creating a golf ball, as in the actual core and opted to bounce out the old conventional rubber core with a radically new resin material. Rubber has been the traditional core for years, so the switch to resin is quite a big deal. Continue reading Nike Tees Off With New Golf Balls

Organix Integration of Mind, Body and Racquet

This week there was something truly “epic” in the world of tennis technology, or rather it sounded epic as it came from Epic Sports International, global licensee for Boris Becker Tennis and Volkl Tennis. The company has announced the release of its Organix racquet technology.

Does this involve some sort of “unobtainium” or other super space-age composites? Actually it is nothing so complex  nor does it involve heading to another planet to obtain the material. Instead it is base cellulose as a base material, but has been utilized with carbon nano tubes, making for racquet that provides improved sensation and power for all levels of tennis players. The Organix technology is now available in five racquet types, which were developed by Volkl, along with Munich-based Frauhofer Institute. The result is that three technologies are incorporated into the racquets, and include the Bio Sensor Handle System, Organix and Optispot. Bio Sensor Handle System offers dynamic dampening to minimize shuddering by 15 percent, while the Organix is used for enhancing vibrant power by 30 percent and it is a combination of organic cellulose substances and DNX carbon nano tubes. Finally, the Optispot offers players the capability to strike 40 percent additional balls in the sweet spot.

“Organix is the next generation technology platform which gives Völkl customers a comprehensive, highly technical and superior performing racquet to fully connect the players’ mind, body and racquet,” said Brian Dillman, vice president and general manager of Epic Sports International. “We look forward to another year of fast growth and high-level consumer visibility with Völkl on track to be the fastest-growing tennis brand worldwide.”

We’ll leave that to the court – the tennis court to decide.

Volkl Official Website

Backcountry Access Offers Potential Lifesaving Avalanche Kits

While deep snow is reportedly good for business at ski resorts, there was a downside to it. The Kirkwood Mountain Resort reported the 500 inches of annual snowfall and high base elevation make for some of the deepest, driest powder conditions in the Sierra. This is good for skiing, but it can create a dangerous situation – namely avalanches.

This season the resort purchased a fleet of 42 Backcountry Access Float 30 avalanche airbags and Tracker 2 beacons for use by the ski patrol. These products actually improve the survival rates for those unfortunate enough to be caught in avalanche conditions. The technology is still in its infancy, and it is a physical, not electronic, weapon against the avalanche burials.

The concept of the Float 30 is simple: if caught in an avalanche, pull the t-grip and a 150-liter airbag deploys out of the backpack and essentially “floats” the skier, now with increased mass, to the top of the slough as smaller debris fills in underneath. This decreases odds of a full burial and response time of potential rescuers due to increased visibility. BCA reports that in 98% of the recorded Float 30 deployments, the avalanche victims survived. Continue reading Backcountry Access Offers Potential Lifesaving Avalanche Kits

Hands On: CamelBak Groove Puts Filtration in the Bottle

Before a ride, run or other outdoor activity, I often fill a bottle or two with water from my filter at home then set out on the road. If I need a refill I either buy a bottle of water, defeating the purpose of bringing bottles, or fill from the tap and don’t always appreciate the taste.

CamelBak has taken its Better Bottle design and added an internal filter to create the Groove. This bottle is made of CamelBak’s BPA-free Tritan plastic, and also available in stainless steel. The Groove uses the CamelBak Big Bite Valve where you bite down on a silicon seal and sip from the straw inside. It doesn’t let water out if the bottle falls or is left on its side. The filter is a cylinder of charchoal that’s placed in the straw. Continue reading Hands On: CamelBak Groove Puts Filtration in the Bottle

Helmets for Urban and Even Non-Urban Commuters

Everyone who rides a bike on public roads probably knows that having a light isn’t a bad thing. You can’t always count on being home before the sun goes down, and a blinky can help let the cars – as well as other cyclists – know to share the road.

And for commuters, there is a good way to make sure you’re seen as well. Lazer, the maker of cycling and motorcycle helmets, has a line of bike hard hats in its Urbanize line that include integrated lights. Among the helmets offered by the company are those that include a light rig with front and back lighting for optimal visibility for the rider – so you can see and be seen as well.

The helmets are available in models that are rain protected, meaning water won’t cause damage, while winter padding and insect nets are also available. There are helmets that look good for race day and for long daytime training rides, but for the daily commute to the daily grind, the Lazer will help point the way.

Lazer Urbanize Helmets

UCI Provides List of Approved Cycling Equipment

What defines a bicycle? Let’s see, two wheels, seat, chain, pedals, frame, fork? Actually that might describe the parts on a bicycle, but it doesn’t mean those parts will be legal when it comes to international racing. This week our friends at BikeRadar UK noted that the UCI (International Cycling Union) have published its latest list of new items that a “legal” for racing this season. The two lists show which frames, forks and wheels have been authorized for road, track and cyclo-cross competition under the latest approval protocol.

So how important is this list? Well, so far five new frames (as well as their respective forks) have been approved, but one has reportedly met the criteria but not been added to the list. This is important to note as race bikes tend to go into production just after the first of the year, and must be submitted for testing. Consider that as we head to the second half of March that means bikes could already have been in production for nearly three months – and if not passed, they aren’t legal for any UCI sanctioned race! While this shouldn’t be an issue for the Scott Plasma 3 – the bike that is pending at press time – we can imagine it is a concern over at the bike manufacturer’s offices.

List of Approved UCI Frames and Forks

List of Non-Standard Wheels in Conformity

What the Fiik Skateboard

Sometimes you just have to say what the Fiik. Well, actually you never really need to say Fiik at all, but then again maybe you will – at least if you like to skateboard and ever considered taking it off road. We’ve seen a lot of supposedly “off road” skateboards – including a couple that have been designed with military needs in mind.

But now comes the Fiik Street Surfer, which was designed by two brothers from Queensland, Australia. It features a digital wireless throttle control system, ABS braking system big wheels that can handle most terrains. The Fiik (Future Is In Knowledge) also has a bit of retro appeal – it looks like a classic “sidewalk surf deck” with red strips. But unlike those retro boards, this one has a maximum speed of 23 mph/37 km/h. While the board comes with a sealed lead acid battery, users can also upgrade to the optional lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery, which also offers a range of 22 miles or 1.5 hours of runtime. The board further includes three speed settings, including a setting to limit the top speed for newbies.

Given the rising price of gasoline, maybe decks like this could help you get to and from the office. At $1600, with the lithium iron phosphate battery upgrade, this deck could help you commute and even take you off the beaten path to get there.

Fiik Street Surfer Official Website

[Via Gizmag: FiiK electric skateboard – wireless control, ABS braking system, ton of attitude]

MayaFit: A Personal Trainer for Everyone

Ready to get fit but need a little bit of coaching, yet don’t have the time to actually hit the gym. How about a digital fitness trainer? Respondesign, which introduced its Maya system in 2005, will now offer this digital trainer to individual’s TVs and PCs.

The company, which is the original developer of Yourself Fitness, My Fitness Coach and Your Shape, has announced the release of the consumer version of its MayaFit software. This is the first shipment to feature the PrimeSense Open Natural Interaction (OpenNI) solution. The software is designed for TV and PCs, and adds to the existing MayaFit Training Station deployments in U.S.-based gyms and fitness centers that have been in production since late 2010. MayaFit software leverages the OpenNI framework to support motion-based fitness training for individual and group workouts.

“OpenNI provides a structure for us to incorporate gesture recognition into our line of digital fitness products. Fitness is a natural category and PrimeSense is providing a great enabling technology that allows us to build next-generation fitness experiences for our broad range of consumer and corporate clients. Motion tracking provides our trainer intelligence with real-time user feedback and makes the interaction easier, more fun and more effective,” says Ted Spooner, CEO of Respondesign.

This fitness training with motion tracking can now be utilized via home TVs and PCs with in-living room equipment such as the WAVI from ASUS. Together with the MayaFIT training system, the ASUS WAVI Xtion solution combines full HD wireless media transmission with the world’s first PC motion-sensing interface to transform existing PC’s and televisions into in-home gesture-controlled entertainment areas.

So how are you going to respond?

Respondesign Official Website

Earthmate PN-60w Gets Back(Packer) Award

The DeLorme Earthmate PN-60w has your back, and more importantly it has earned the Backpacker magazine Editors’ Choice Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the outdoor industry, given annually to products in recognition of their outstanding innovation in design, materials, and/or performance.

The Earthmate PN-60w is a rugged, waterproof handheld GPS offering full navigation capabilities, along with the unique ability to create custom Type & Send text messages for delivery via the SPOT Satellite Communicator. It allows users to explore and stay connected with family, buddy lists, social network sites, and emergency responders, even when far beyond the reach of cell phone service. It has earned the award after extensive, rigorous testing in the most challenging conditions imaginable. Continue reading Earthmate PN-60w Gets Back(Packer) Award