Rugged is the name of the game this season with point-and-shoot digital cameras and Sony isn’t going to be left behind. The company announced last week a new line of Cyber-shot cameras, including the rugged DSC-TX20. It can get wet and wild and be submerged up to five meters in water and dropped from 1.5 meters, while also being dustproof and freeze proof. Continue reading Sony Gets Rugged
Category: Gadget
Sensor to Measure Impacts
We’ve seen much innovation in the way to measure helmet impact, and this isn’t just to determine what effect the impact had on the wearer but now the helmet as well. The reasoning is that with each significant hit or impact the protective value of that helmet actually decreases. This in turn means that a helmet that protected on one impact might not protect as well the next time. The Brain Injury Association of Canada noted recently that the lifespan of helmet is often overlooked and that proper helmet care should be part of a regular routine to make sure that the helmet provides maximum protection.
Testing has shown there is as much as a 30 percent increase in the risk of injury every time a significant impact involving a helmet occurs. The Impact-Alert sensor is new technology that can be installed on a helmet and let users know when a helmet could have sustained a significant impact that might warrant replacing it. The company has sensors that are designed for football, hockey and alpine models available now, with baseball, cycling and lacrosse models in development. Continue reading Sensor to Measure Impacts
Defender Light Needs No Defender
There are parts of a bike that can be stolen easily and those that require tools. Bicycle light usually fall into the former category, which is a shame as these are meant to keep riders safe. Now commuters can look to the Defender, a bike light that looks tough and is quite tough for a would-be thief to remove. The aluminum clamp, as well as the battery pack require Allen keys, so this won’t stop a determined parts-pilferer but it could deter those quick grab and run crooks.
The Defender, which looks much the cylinder of a revolver (we’re sure not everyone will love that aspect of it) with six ultra-bright LEDs that are powered by three AA batteries. The light reportedly offers somewhere between 40 and 60 lumens and can run for 50 hours in steady illumination or about 100 in flashing mode. Video after the jump
Exhale to Power the iPhone
Wind power could get personal. At least that’s the idea from Joao Paulo Lammoglia, who has devised the AIRE Mask. While it looks a bit cyberpunk to us, the concept is that it takes the power of breath and converts it to electricity via tiny wind turbines, which in turn can power an iOS device such as an iPad. It could be used while sleeping, watching TV, and of course while working out.
The AIRE is just one of several products that Lammoglia has devised. This clever innovator has created numerous concepts, such as the Doormate, which creates energy by cleaning of the feet on a special mat that can thus power a doorbell, while his MOOV concept is another move to generate power. This project was designed to convert the energy supplied during a run or hike to charge small electronics. Thus with every step made it trickle charged a device.
Lammoglia clearly is thinking outside the box, and sometime tells us he’ll be one to watch.
JOAOLMMAGLIA Official Website
[Via Ubergizmo: AIRE mask charges iPhone with your breath]
Nike+ Shoes Go Digital
Last week we posted about Nike’s knit shoes, and now the company has gone to the other extreme with Nike+ Basketball and Nike+ Training shoes that are digital! The shoes feature a sensor system that can sync with software to provide wearer’s with detailed information to help during training and to track performance. Video after the jump
The Boombox Returns: Eco Terra
Sometimes outdoor time requires blaring music, and headphones don’t apply. For those occasions you might want to secure your smartphone, iPhone or mp3 player in a waterproof case to be sure the elements don’t get into those sensitive areas. For times like this, Grace Digital just released the Eco Terra Boombox, a 100 percent waterproof dock and speakers that you can fully submerge under water.
LED Jacket to Light the Way
It is hard not to think of the Robert Redford movie The Electric Horseman when seeing the Sporty Supaheroe cycling jacket, which features 64 integrated RGB LEDs and a stretchable and very wearable circuit board. The LED array can light up the way and display a variety of patterns.
This jacket, which is a project underway from the Utope Project reportedly works with an “acceleration sensor” and gyroscope to track the wearer’s movement, and even interact and respond according. If a rider slows down the lights can signal in red to indicate braking, while other movement can indicate turns and direction. For the rider the lights can also indicate an incoming phone call via an alert system.
The jacket is still very much in the developmental stage, but maybe it could change the way bike lights cast some illumination and how they are seen.
Utope Project Official Website
[Via Gizmag: Sporty Supaheroe cycle jacket boasts “intelligent” sensors and dynamic LEDs]
Is Shimano Di2 Electric Shifting Going Off-Road?
Road cyclists have been able to do the electronic shifting thing for a while now. Shimano, which introduced the first successful (key word is successful) electronic shifters with its Dura Ace line that the pros seem to love, brought Di2 to its step down (but still very high-end) Ultegra line last year, and this season will see rival Campagnolo also going electronic. Meanwhile there have been efforts to develop electronic shifting for off-road, but only in the aftermarket world… until now.
BikeRadar.com reported that a Shimano XTR Di2 drivetrain was spotted. Canadian cross-country racer Geoff Kabush posted an image on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon that indicates that Shimano is indeed bringing Di2 to mountain bikes. Meanwhile Shimano has no official comment. Continue reading Is Shimano Di2 Electric Shifting Going Off-Road?
FINIS Hydro Tracker GPS Helps Open-Water Swimmers Track Location, Progress
When you’re in a pool, swimming from point A to B is a no-brainer. Out in open water, however, tracking your performance and location is a bit more difficult. The new Hydro Tracker GPS from FINIS is a fitness device designed for open water swimmers that tracks, maps, and records performance.
“We created the Hydro Tracker GPS to meet the needs of open water swimmers and fitness enthusiasts,” says John Mix, President of FINIS. “Our Hydro Tracker GPS and free Streamline Log allows swimmers to dig deeper into their key workout stats, providing them with invaluable ongoing feedback. This new GPS system will help maximize anyone’s results.”
The Hydro Tracker GPS can be attached to goggle straps or an included neoprene armband, and doesn’t require GPS calibration. It tracks the swimmer’s course and important, in-depth performance data, which users can review after their swim. Using the free online FINIS Streamline Training Log, “swimmers can set goals and analyze stats including splits, speed, distance, accumulated time, and elevation,” according to FINIS. Data can be shared via CSV or Google Earth files, or through Facebook and Twitter. The device can also be used for other sports, too, such as running, walking, biking, skiing, hiking, etc.
The device sells for $130, available now. Check out FINIS’s website for additional specs.
Mobile World Congress: Motion Interface Technology Opens Possibilities for Health and Fitness
The world is in motion, and at this week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, InvenSense is showcasing its latest integrated 6-axis and 9-axis MotionTracking technologies. While motion interfaces have rapidly become a key function in many consumer and mobile electronic devices, such as, smartphones, tablets, gaming, smart TV and many other devices, there are health and fitness applications as well.
This week InvenSense will be demonstrating its recently announced health and fitness wearable sensor SDK and its latest motion interface, This could provide for a more intuitive way for users to interact with electronic devices. We’ll be very interested to see where this motion tracking takes us.
Pyle Introduces Line of Underwater Snorkeling Watches
Audio equipment manufacturer Pyle announced a new watch designed for snorkeling and water sports in its Pyle Sports outdoor recreational sports line of products. The water-resistant Snorkeling Master Watch can dive up to 330 feet, and it can record and store data (up to 100) in its dive log, which contains information like time and date, dive duration, maximum dive depth, minimum water, temperature, and dive site indication. The watch has six function modes: current time, chronograph, countdown timer, dual time mode, dive mode, and dive recall mode, which Pyle says helps “underwater users keep track of important information during their snorkeling adventures.” A built-in dive alarm activates when the user is emerging faster than 6 meters per minute, and a thermometer measures temperature from 14 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. When it gets dark underwater, the electro-luminescent backlight helps keep the watch readable. The Snorkeling Master Watch will cost $100 and come in black, green, orange, and red.
From the High Tech To Low Tech – Roof Rack Reminders Can Help Protect the Bike
As our friends at BikeRadar.com noted last week “Roof rack reminders could save your bike,” because we either have done it or know someone who has done it – driving into the garage with the bike on the roof of the car. The result is never pretty for the garage, the car and especially the bike. As the spring riding season is coming up, US Editor Matt Pacocha offered a piece that looked at a range of products designed to remind those with bicycle roof-racks that the bike is up there. Continue reading From the High Tech To Low Tech – Roof Rack Reminders Can Help Protect the Bike
Aquapac Means Waterproof
We’ve seen a lot of waterproof cases for the iPad this season. And while a few seem like nothing more than just slightly thicker sandwich bags, Aquapac could prove those others are all wet.
This one features large twist and clamp openings to ensure that you really do have a 100 percent waterproof seal. It also includes a 3.5mm nickel-plated earphone socket so you can still use the device to listen to music, play games or watch movies and not have to sacrifice sound. The case features a TPU material and “LENZFLEX” optically clear window to allow for viewing and use of the touch capability, while the seams are high-frequency welded to form a bond that won’t give out. This one even features a shoulder strap, along with a desiccant to absorb condensation in humid climates. Additional images after the jump