400-Mile Bicycle Tour Along Historic Erie Canal

While it might just seem like much today, the Erie Canal was a true innovation in the early 19th century. Without it the “west” might not have opened up as soon as it did, and New York City might not have developed in the major seaport that it did. First proposed in 1807, the Erie Canal was constructed from 1817 to 1825 and officially opened on October 26, 1825. It was the first transportation system between the eastern seaboard and the Great Lakes that didn’t require draft animals. It also cut transportation costs to the American interior by 95 percent.

Cyclists will have the opportunity to appreciate the wonder of the canal in the 13th annual Cross-State Bicycle Tour that runs from July 10-17. Cycling the Erie Canal is an eight-day, 400-mile recreational bicycle tour from Buffalo to Albany along the legendary Erie Canal. Last year’s Cycling the Erie Canal drew 550 riders from 35 states. Over one-third of the riders were from New York State. Continue reading 400-Mile Bicycle Tour Along Historic Erie Canal

Will State Law in New York Kill Cycling?

KineticShift's Enid Burns rides along the Hudson River

The Big Apple can be rotten to the core when it comes to cycling. While Central Park is a gem, and is one of the things this reporter misses from his time in New York City, little else can be said about biking there. The city had in recent years attempted to put the best wheel forward – but then last month City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Queens) suggested that all cyclists in NYC get license and register their bikes.

Now not to be outdone, State Assemblyman Michael DenDekker (D-Queens) had introduced legislation in the state assembly that would require every bicycle in the state to have a license plate reports Gothamist. A license plate! Yes, a license plate, which would no doubt look great on those $3000+ bikes regularly ridden in Central Park and across the George Washington Bridge. DenDekker has since backpedaled and withdrawn the bill, but could future bills be in the works?

This also begs the question what would it mean for those from New Jersey who ride into New York City, as well as anyone who brings their bikes to the Big Apple to ride.

While this is a dead issue now, let’s recap what DenDekker actually suggested, which included two bills. The first would have required “annual registration of personal bicycles and provides for a license plate fee of $25 for the first year and $5 for every year thereafter,” and to get the plate, riders would need to have their bikes inspected! By whom we don’t know of course. The second bill sounded just as Draconian. It would required every commercial cyclist in the state to carry identification and have insurance, with an initial fee of $50. Continue reading Will State Law in New York Kill Cycling?

Olympus Gets Tough With Crushproof Digital Camera

Need a camera that can handle extremes? We’re talking shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof and even crushproof – yes, crushproof. To meet all this means a tough camera and that’s what Olympus has in mind with its new Tough TG-810 digital camera, which promises to be “crushproof” up to 220 pounds.

The camera can go deep, up to 10 meters (33 feet) and remain waterproof; withstand a drop of up two meters (6.5 feet) and freezeproof to temperatures as low as 10 degrees C (14 F). We’re really impressed that it can withstand weights of up to 100 kilograms or 220 pounds. The dustproof camera can even be rinsed off when it gets dirty! Continue reading Olympus Gets Tough With Crushproof Digital Camera

CamelBak Launches Into Orbit

Back in the 1970s the drink mix Tang was advertised as being “what the astronauts drink,” which somehow meant it was better. Why an orange drink mix would be better because it was consumed by astronauts remains a bit confusing. And we’re still not sure how the powder was mixed with water in zero gravity, or why powder would be ideal over a liquid drink in the first place – after all the water still has to make the trip (we hope they mixed it with water anyway).

The idea that it was used by astronauts remains intriguing however. But what is even more impressive is a product that is so good on Terra Firma that it can head to outer space. Enter the CamelBak Big Bite Valve, which has been integrated into the NASA spacesuit because it was easy to use, self sealing and of course could stand up to extreme conditions. No one needs liquid floating around in zero gravity. And while the astronauts have special suits, the valve system for the drinking system is actually the same one found on each and every CamelBak water bottle and hydration pack.

Sound won’t travel in a vacuum we know, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t get thirsty while in high orbit. So if you plan to take a trip up beyond the heavens he Big Bite Valve will let you can take a sip of a cool drink under the stars.

CamelBak Lab Official Website

PlayStation Move.Me to Benefit Research and Academic Communities

Anyone who thought that video games are just distractions from academic efforts might want to think again. This week at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco Sony Computer Entertainment America unveiled Move.Me, a software application that academics, researchers, students, and hobbyists can use to create new types of software applications using the PlayStation Move motion controller as an input device on their own PCs, all via the PlayStation3 system.

The Move.Me project has the potential to help medical researchers prototype, for example, rehabilitation applications for patients undergoing physical therapy. The Move.Me application could further help lead game design students to develop new creative concepts for gaming within the areas of 3D modeling, motion capture, and augmented reality. The application is compatible with any Windows or Linux-based PC; other devices, such as tablets and smartphones, can also receive PlayStation Move’s tracking data if they can connect to a PS3 system.

“PlayStation Move’s camera-plus-controller combination allows for the most precise and immersive gaming experiences,” said John McCutchan, senior engineer, SCEA Developer Support. “Now we’re formally taking that advanced technology, which was almost ten years in the making, and offering it to innovators outside of our traditional game development community so they can create their own applications to impact the world in exciting new ways.”

The Move.Me application will be available for download from PlayStation Network this spring.

Sony Computer Entertainment PlayStation Move Official Website

Challenge: Break the iPhone and/or Case

Griffin Technology is pretty confident in its armored Survivor MilSpec case. It’s already conducted some of its own durability tests and independent testing. But then it deemed that some people might not find that to be enough. The company doesn’t expect you to put your iPhone through the paces, but is looking for ideas on how to test the case.

Continue reading Challenge: Break the iPhone and/or Case

Slide on Over to Better Fitness

Fitness guru David Miller knows that people like to take the easy way out all too often, but now he’s going to let it slide – or rather let people use his new “Slidercise” technique to help increase upper body fitness. Miller, who says he was tired of spending $110 a month on gym membership and gas, not to mention the hours it took at the gym, developed the Slidercise Training System.

The system, which includes workout DVDs, instructional charts and inspirational websites, essentially is built around pushups. We’ve seen more than a few gimmicky products, and the truth is that pushups alone probably won’t have you looking quite as ripped as Miller or the other models that you’ll see on his site, but this does seem like it would offer some true variation to the traditional pushups. Of course it might take time to build up to the 30 minute, not to mention the 60 minute workouts. But the system provides something that short of an army drill sergeant would provide – and that’s some serious motivation. So in that way we think Miller is on to something.

David Miller Slidercise Official Website

National Guard Teams Up with FLW Outdoors

The world’s largest tournament-fishing organization has teamed up with the nation’s most time-honored military branch. This week the National Guard extended its partnership with FLW Outdoors in a union to spread awareness of the national commitment of our serviceman and women to outdoor enthusiasts throughout the world. This project hopes to give back to the soldiers and veterans through an opportunity to engage in fishing events, and to encourage people to explore the opportunity of serving their country.

“We are both honored and proud to have the opportunity to continue our long-standing partnership with the National Guard,” said Trisha Blake, president of FLW Outdoors Marketing Division. “The impact they have had on the growth of our sport has been remarkable. What the National Guard men and women do each day to serve and protect our communities, country and the world is something we should all be thankful for. We look forward to further building upon our unique partnership as we continue to educate our constituents about the opportunities that serving in the National Guard present as well as honoring those that have served with our soldier appreciation tournaments.”

As part of this partnership the National Guard will continue to serve as the title sponsor of National Guard FLW College Fishing, solidifying its commitment to bringing high-end tournament fishing to campuses across the country. It will also be the title sponsor of the National Guard FLW Walleye Tour, the world’s premier walleye tournament circuit. The Guard will continue to sponsor The Bass Federation (TBF) Junior World Championship and the TBF National Championship while serving as the presenting sponsor for the Walmart FLW Tour events on Lake Chickamauga and the Potomac River during the 2011 season.

The National Guard will also be a vital component of the newly launched FLW Outdoors Wounded Heroes Fishing program. The program connects FLW Outdoors member volunteers with wounded veterans for a day of fishing. The program was launched earlier in 2011 and has seen incredible participation throughout the country.

FLW Official Site

FLW Outdoors Wounded Heroes Fishing Program

Sprung Loaded Hockey Arenas

Soon there might be the headlines that say “spring has sprung,” but that’s actually a problem in the Great White North, where there is actually a shortage of hockey arenas. While it might be hard to believe given the winter we’ve had in much of the country, in Canada there is actually a need for more places to skate. A lack of ice facilities or even no facilities at all are actually an issue that is currently plaguing many cities across Canada. In fact, of the nearly 2,500 ice arenas, nearly 50 percent are more than 26 years old and 32 percent are more than 36 years old.

These buildings will need seriously renovations or need to be replaced. Where there is a need, there is opportunity. Taking a cue from the Field of Dreams, if you build it they will come, Calgary-based Sprung Instant Structures Ltd. has launched Sprung Performance Arenas and even earned an endorsement from Hockey Canada for their efforts to address the issue. The Sprung Performance Arenas can be built quickly and more importantly economically, as a long-term solution to the so-called “ice crisis” in Canada.

“Traditional single arenas can cost anywhere from 8.5 million to 20 million, and take over a year to build, whereas Sprung arenas can be built for less than 6 million, and are constructed in around 6 months,” said Sprung, “Sprung Arenas are safe, reliable, long-lasting, have a high quality ice surface, and make ice sports more accessible in our country.”

The arenas have already earned support and endorsement from Hockey Canada and the Hockey Canada Foundation. Thus when spring comes, or winter isn’t quite as harsh there will still be ice, ice baby.

Sprung Instant Structures Official Website

Tire Rubber Makes Sports Fields More Green

Debates over natural versus artificial turf continue. Where artificial wins, actually, is when it comes to being green. The Synthetic Turf Council announced that as of this year the estimated total amount of synthetic turf installed in North America conserves more than three billion gallons of water, significantly reduces smog emissions, eliminates close to a billion pounds of harmful fertilizers and pesticides, and recycles more than 105 million used tires.

Continue reading Tire Rubber Makes Sports Fields More Green

Let the Suunto Shine With New Line of Sport Watches

Suunto has been a leader in sports watches, and this week the company announced a new range of fitness and sports watches to cater for a wide spectrum of outdoor activities, as well as gym training and exercise.  These include the Suunto M1, M2 and t1c models. The M2 will display heart rate and calories burned in real time, allowing users to monitor their activity and set personalized exercise targets.

The watch maker will also offer a range of outdoor time pieces that include the Observer, the Vector and the new X10 GPS watch, which includes PC connectivity to enable users to record routes, mark waypoints and even track speed and distance. The Suunto X10 also is compatible with the Movscount.com website, so users can view tracks, plan visualize routes through the site.

They say time and tide stop for no man, but with these watches you’ll be better able to manage your goals, and soon might not want to stop.

Suunto Official Website

Craft’s New Bib Shorts use 3D Construction

Bike shorts are a very sensitive issue. They need to conform to the body and allow for a wide range of flexibility. They also need ample yet not bulky padding in the saddle area. For its Elite Bib Short, Craft used 3D construction and compression fabrics to make an even better short.

Compression fabrics apply pressure to muscles to keep them from fatiguing as you hammer your ride. 3D construction means the fabric panels designed specifically for the forward-leaning position on the bike. Yes, you can still stand up straight comfortably, but the shorts are somewhat molded to their purpose of time on the saddle.

Continue reading Craft’s New Bib Shorts use 3D Construction

No Loneliness for This Long Distance Runner

Anyone who ever goes the distance knows that running can be a lonely experience, even in this day of MP3 players, GPS devices and crowded streets. There is as the story title suggests, The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner and while Joseph Tame needed not run to free himself from prison walls (as is the case in the short story), but instead broke free from the grind of pounding the pavement with a little help from a whole lot of supporters.

This weekend Tame finished the Tokyo Marathon in 6 hours and 28 minutes, but he did so with 3,000 people who “ran” the course with him. Tame streamed his entire 26 mile run via four iPhones. One was pointed at his face, a second one at the pavement ahead, a third one for the GPS location and finally a fourth one that allowed him to stay in touch with supporters. Tame sent out Tweets as he ran, and those tweets were displayed on an iPad he strapped to his back. Not bad for the 33-year-old British citizen who currently lives in Tokyo. Congrats to Tame for not only going the distance, but in doing so decked out in a whole lot of gear.

Tame Goes Wild Official Website