Gadget | Evolving Consumer

RangerX Leads the Way for Tablets

While U.S. Army Rangers may lead the way, and won’t leave a man behind, the RangerX is a tablet you won’t want to leave at home. This is the first table from Xplore Technologies, which has actually been making tablets for 15 years, to feature the Android OS.

The tablet features an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance, as well as an MIL-STD-810G rating that proves it can stand up to the elements and so much more. It can withstand 95 percent humidity and operation at cold and heat extremes that would leave other devices on the sidelines.

Inside it offers an ARM Cortex A9 processor running at 1.5 GHz on an Intel QM57 Express chipset, along with 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and integrated GPS, as well as an FM transfer plus NFC and RFID technology. It offers connections as well, including two USB 2.0 ports, a micros-HDMI out. Video after the jump

Trace Your Activity

The ActiveReplay Trace is not your run-of-the-mill fitness tracker. This new device is designed to help make action sports measurable, sharable and comparable. It is the first piece of technology that can correctly and automatically identify data and tricks as they are being performed by skaters, skiiers, snowboarders and surfers; while ActiveReplay’s Kickstarter campaign is aimed at helping to boost awareness of Trace and raise funds to continue its development.

With 9-axis sensors, advanced multi-Hz GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, and its own processor, Trace is a small device that measures a huge amount of events and tricks athletes perform in skiing, snowboarding, surfing and skating, and it allows athletes from all these disciplines to compare and share those metrics with leaderboards and networks via social media.

The pocket sized device offers more than seven hours of battery life and is durable, shockproof and waterproof. It consists of two parts: the data collection pod and the mount. Attaching and activating Trace is easy: The mount is attached to any hard surface like a board or helmet. Trace slides in the mount. The athlete pushes a button and begins their sport.

It can pair with a smartphone, and comes with three mobile apps including AlpineReplay (for ski and snowboard), SkateReplay (for skate) and SurfReplay (for surf). The apps are compatible with Android and iOS. Video after the jump

Finding Zen(sorium) Through Tinké

The iPhone can help users reach their inner peace thanks to the Tinké with Lightning connector. This uses optical sensing technologies to capture blood volume changes and quantifies the user’s fitness and relaxation levels into indexes for easy comparison.

The Vita Index can help users keep track of fitness levels, even during times when not engaged in physical activity. At rest the Tinké can be used to measure, monitor and trend heart rate, respiration rate and even blood oxygen level; while the Zen mode can be helpful for practicing mindful breathing to energize and calm oneself during stressful situations.

Built for today’s fast paced lifestyle, Tinké’s Zen measurement enables users to breathe better and measure your level of relaxation at the end of a 60-second practice.

Plug in, tune in and peace out.

Zensorium Tinké Official Website

Biosensor in a Tattoo

Many athletes sport tattoos these days, and other than looking good (or stupid depending on your point of view) that “art” only goes skin deep and truly doesn’t do much. However, a new study conducted by a team led by the University of California, San Diego’s Prof. Joseph Wang has created a flexible electrochemical biosensor that looks much like a “tat.”

Unlike other tattoos that merely are ink, this one is actually a flexible electrochemical biosensor, and when applied to the skin the sensor can be used to continuously measure lactate levels in the athlete’s sweat. It can thus tell when an athlete is about to “hit the wall.”

That’s a lot more than most tattoos can do, and best of all it can be removed post-workout or game.

[Via American Chemical Society: First human tests of new biosensor that warns when athletes are about to ‘hit the wall’]

See Spot, See Spot Gen3

Globastar Inc. is on the spot with its new SPOT Gen3 Satellite GPS Messenger device. This latest update offers a new form factor, extended battery life, new power options, and new upgraded tracking options with unlimited and extreme tracking- which allows users to choose the rate at which the tracking messages are sent.

It can send out a GPS waypoint every 2.5 minutes in the Extreme Tracking, while users can check with friends and family with a pre-programmed message. There is even the SOS option that can send out a GPS location to GEOS for search and rescue teams.

The Gen3 is very much on the SPOT.

SPOT Gen3 Official Website

Tunz In

TYLT has launched its TUNZ stereo headphones, which were designed to the actual contours of the human ear, while the Tunz Stereo Active Gels provide a secure yet comfortable fit for those working out or just working with some music. These gels simply snap on and fit most ear shapes and sizes.

The silicone cable is also unique in that it is flat, helping to ensure that it can remain flexible and durable, while the headphones also feature an in-line microphone with one-button controller for seamless multi-functionality during phone calls. The TUNZ are even available in five colors.

TYLT TUNZ Official Website

Universal Mount Up

Tate Labs have followed up on their Bar Fly series of handlebar mounts for cycling computers with the new Universal Mount that can be used with a smartphone, GPS device, light or GoPro style rugged camera. The mount doesn’t actually include specific mounting hardware but instead offers a space on which to clamp the necessary accessory. It is a simple concept that could be truly universal.

[Via BikeRadar: Tate Labs Bar Fly Universal Mount – first look]

Outdoor Retailer Show: Lamp It Up

At this week’s Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City Petzl offered another bright idea with its auto-adjusting headlamp. An optical sensor can automatically measure the distance to an object and adjust the light accordingly. This headlamp can shine up to 140 lumens so you won’t be left in the dark.

Petzl Official Website

Heck Yeah, a Bicycle Turn Signal

httpv://youtu.be/Uy0-qE3q_T8

Modding king Ben Heck can do anything with a solder gun and some electrical circuits. What he did recently via his Ben Heck Show webcast was to create a wearable turn signal. The video above shows how he did it!

The Ben Heck Show Official Website

Look Out

California College of Art students Laurel Deel, André Luiz Dias Leal, Alex Quinones-Bangs and Guy Noren have partnered with Silicon Valley tech giant Intel to help to create a bike that provides situational awareness. The Look System Bike Helmet reportedly employs haptic feedback to alert riders of potential threats.

In other words the helmet can sense a car, or other large object, that comes in close proximity and vibrates in the object’s general direction. This gives the rider a literal “heads up” about a potential danger. Video after the jump

Speaker Up

There are a lot of rugged speakers on the market and some look ready for a warzone. That’s not a bad thing, but for those who like a more subtle look that doesn’t evoke the front lines the Panasonic SC-NT10 might just be the thing. It looks ready for the backyard, but is still splash proof, dust proof, shock proof and even freeze and heat proof.

The compact design is just right for camping and day trips to the woods. But inside it is wired for sound and much more. It is equipped with NFC (Near Field Communication) that makes Bluetooth pairing a snap, and music can be streamed from a phone or tablet. It features two full range speakers and a passive radiator to present clear audio, while the BoostMode maximizes the midrange so the music can be heard despite background noise.

Panasonic SC-NT10D Official Website

Taking the Edge for TT

Time trial and triathlon bikes are set up quite differently from road bikes, and this can make mounting a cycling computer a bit of an issue. Fortunately where there is a problem someone sets up with a solution. In this case it is K-Edge, which just announced the release of the TT Mount, which can accommodate Garmin’s ¼ turn interface and places the popular GPS cycling computer between the bar extensions, so riders can glance down and see the information and yet focus on the ride.

K-Edge Official Website

Echo Base

Magellan has long been there to help you find your way, and now the company has announced its first smart running watch. The Echo utilizes smartphone fitness apps and takes these to their full potential by wirelessly connecting it to your wrist. You can view and control the fitness app but keep the phone tucked away.

With the watch you can get data including distance, pace and heart rate sent straight to the wrist and not have to worry about dropping the phone. Video after the jump