Kayaks may just be one of the most maneuverable and quiet water crafts on the market today. They are fairly easy to transport, very low maintenance and are fairly inexpensive to purchase when compared to other watercraft options. Recreational paddling of open and whitewater has been the primary use of modern kayaks for decades, but there are more kayaks being designed and produced for the anglers out there. Just recently, Jackson Kayak of Spartan, Tennessee has brought to market the Cuda, a boat specifically designed for the open fresh and salt water fisherman in mind. Video after the jump
Category: General
Made in America: SHUT Skateboards
Certainly you have heard someone say, “as American as baseball and apple pie;” but neither of those had their true origins in America. In reality, the saying could be “as American as skateboarding and Moon Pies”, both of which originated in the U.S.A., just on opposite ends of the country. Since we cover health and fitness, we’ll stick to the skateboarding and leave the Moon Pies for another day.
Even though skateboarding started in California in the 1950s, much of the production of parts and decks has been moved overseas. SHUT Skateboards of New York City has bucked this tread and continues to produce skateboard decks in the United States from American lumber.
Video after the jump
“Pedal-Driven” a Documentary on Mountain Bike Access
The land managers of U.S. federal, state and local public lands and the citizens that pay their salaries have been engaged in the issue of access for as long as there have been ‘public lands’. The land managers have been tasked with the job of protecting these resources, while the citizens have wanted to use the land for their own agenda. From mining to hunting and from climbing to dirt biking, each of these activities, along with countless others, have some sort of impact on the land. But who is right and who is wrong? That sometimes depends on environmental impact studies; education of both land managers and citizens about the ‘use‘; and frankly, public opinion. “Pedal-Driven: a bikeumentary,” is a new documentary by Howell at the Moon Productions that is making its way around the country looking into one such land access battle and how both sides may seem to be at odds, but are really fighting for the same goal – “the rights of Americans to play in the woods.”.
Additional videos after the jump
Thursday Reading List (12/15/2011)
Creative Radio
Two innovative podcast programs worth a listen are Radiolab and 99% Invisible. Get a view into each at the same time as Radiolab does a story about 99% Invisible, a tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world.
Hands On: StemCAPtain Bottle Opener
You and your riding buddies have just finished an all day mountain bike adventure and you are back at the car digging into the cooler to reward yourselves with a tasty beverage. Where’s the bottle opener?!?! There are none on your key chains and no one in the parking lot has one. Sure, you are mountain bikers and nothing is going to keep you from a cold bottle of suds, but slamming the bottle on the side of the guard rail can often lead to a sudsy mess and half of your hard earned beer on the ground. StemCAPtain has come to the rescue with their headset top cap that doubles as a bottle opener.
This past VeloSwap in Denver, we had a chance to chat with Mike Hogan, one of the StemCAPtain owners, who handed us a bottle opener to try. Bikes and beer goes hand and hand, so on the bike this opener went. The installation was just as easy as the StemCAPtain Clock and StepCAPtain Thermometer that we tested earlier this year and the entire install took less than two minutes to put on the bike. Continue reading Hands On: StemCAPtain Bottle Opener
Lenovo’s ThinkPads Head to the Great Outdoors
Lenovo’s ThinkPad line of laptops has rightfully earned it’s spot amongst the gadget elite. Not one to rest on its laurels, the company is now treading on new waters and taking its ThinkPad line to the great outdoors. The new ThinkPad X130e has been designed for the active lifestyle, joining the myriad of rugged gadgets we’ve seen here at Kinetic Shift. Powering the laptop will be your choice of a Sandy Bridge Intel Core i3 ULV processor, AMD Fusion E-300 APU, or AMD Fusion E-450 APU.
And that’s where all similarities with the rest of the ThinkPad line end, because this 11.6″ machine will feature a top cover rubber bumper to absorb any impacts made to the laptop. Rugged corners will also shield the notebook should it fall from an angle, while recessed ports should keep normal wear and tear at a minimum. Protecting the 11.6″ LED panel will be a 1.2 mm-thick bezel. Battery-wise, you can expect to get up to 8.5 hours of use before needing a recharge and the entire system will weigh a respectable 3.9 lbs. You won’t be getting a lot of RAM (the standard configuration will include 2GB of RAM upgradeable to 8GB), but for storage you can expect a 320GB or 500GB hard drive. There’s even the choice for a 128GB SSD. The laptop is expected to make its debut just before the holidays on December 20 starting at $469.
Lenovo Official Website
[via GizMag: Lenovo to launch student-targeted ruggedized ThinkPad X130e laptop]
GeoPalz Goes 3D with V2
Motivating and incentivizing children to exercise can be a tough challenge for any parent when it is even a chore for them to do it themselves. While based in Boulder, Colorado, one of the most health conscience cities in the U.S., the founders of GeoPalz are still aware of the challenges that parents face and have responded with a line of pedometers specially geared towards children. More than just a pedometer, the GeoPalz are actually an entire program designed to motivate children through setting goals, tracking activity and offering rewards or prizes for achieving goals. Since 2008, GeoPalz has been growing this program and adding features, but recently they announced an upgrade with their core product – the GeoPalz Pedometer.
At the core of the original GeoPalz is a 2D pendulum, and after setup, the child walks or runs and the number of steps are calculated by how many times the pendulum inside swings back and forth – think of the pendulum on a grandfather clock. This works fine, but the child needs to attach the original GeoPalz to his hip to use. If located in the correct spot on the child’s hip and if the child always moves in a forward motion, the steps are accurately recorded. How many kids do that?
Since the GeoPalz Pedometer was released, which we covered last year, GeoPalz released a second version of the device – aptly designated with a ‘V2’ behind the name of the original GeoPalz. This new version contains a three-axis or 3D accelerometer to more accurately record movement and it allows the GeoPalz V2 to be worn either the child’s hip or shoe. No more “ma, I forgot my GeoPalz at school.”
Video after the jump
Macaw App Can Be the Hub for a Better You
Most of us have heard the old adage, “preventative medicine is the best medicine.” What does that really mean? At the base level it means making smart decisions in our everyday lives. Would William Henry Harrison have been a great president if he had just worn his hat and coat? We’ll never know since he chose to not dress properly for his inaugural address. What can we do to live a healthier life and how do we really evaluate if those little things like taking the stairs really help? U.S. Preventive Medicine, Inc., in collaboration with Qualcomm Life Inc., has launched a new app to help those wanting to live a better life, but just need a little help along the way. The Macaw app is designed as “a complete personal health monitor” and serve as a hub to track the user’s health and fitness.
Made in America: Selle An-Atomica Bike Saddles
While bicycle design has changed over the years, suspending of a piece of leather on a metal frame is one of the oldest forms of a bicycle saddle and still one of the best. The tension of the leather can be made tighter or looser by the turn of a screw, and the use of thick leather creates a ‘saddle’ that can often outlive the rider. Selle An-Atomica of Elkhorn, WI has taken this idea and created a line of bicycle saddles that uses a thick, suspended piece of leather, but cut a slot in the middle to make a ‘anatomic’ version of this classic saddle design.
The Titanico saddles are Selle An-Atomica’s answer to manufacturing a classic saddle yet making sure it fits in with the desires of the modern cyclist by incorporating a cut-out or anatomic design. This cut-out design has caught on in recent years due to its increased comfort level it provides to the rider. As best stated on their website “When you ride, the right and left sides of your pelvis move independently. There’s no reason your saddle shouldn’t move with them. We make the world’s most comfortable bicycle saddle. Period. From the patented slot carved out of watershed leather to the suspended leather design, you’ll feel the difference from day one.” Along with the Titanico saddles allowing the left and right sides of your pelvis to move independently, the slot also provides ventilation for those long days in the saddle and helps reduce sweat build up.
Video after the jump
Thursday Reading List (12/08/2011)
Zoobombing
The US city of Portland in Oregon is home to a unique weekly cycling event known as zoobombing. Take a look at this BBC news story. Continue reading Thursday Reading List (12/08/2011)
Wood You Like to Add Style to Your Bike?
The use of wood in the construction of bike components is as old as the ‘safety bicycle’ or what we know of as the modern frame layout. Throughout the years, wood has been pushed aside by chromoly, aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber and even bamboo as a preferred component material, but it is not completely gone. Wood is actually starting to reappear in the bicycle industry, though mostly by small component manufacturers looking for a unique niche in the sea of carbon fiber and modern materials. Paul Sykes of Portland, Oregon is one such individual who is bringing wood back to bicycles with his component company, Sykes Wood Fenders.
EzyDog ‘Blazes’ a Trail
Winter might be upon us, but it is still hunting in many parts of the United States. You may live near or enjoy hiking on trails that are close to legal hunting grounds with your four-legged ‘best friend’, and EzyDog wants to help your canine stay safe in the woods. Especially if your dog likes to run off-leash.
Their solution? “Blaze Orange” for your pooch!
Continue reading EzyDog ‘Blazes’ a Trail
Made in America: Strength Squared Power Sleds
Typically sleds are designed to make hauling a heavy load over a set distance a little bit easier. Whether that load is a deer dragged out of the woods by a hunter, a kid’s sled barreling down a hill or Santa’s sled landing on a roof, the goal of moving a body of mass over a surface with ease is the same. But there are a few sleds made with the opposite goal in mind – making the task of moving a body of mass harder. These ‘power sleds’ are used in fitness training to build strength and stamina. Strength Squared, with locations in both Las Vegas, NV and Denver, CO, has only been making power sleds since 2010, but they have made a big splash in the market with an appearance on the NBC show, “The Biggest Loser” earlier this year.