Evolving Consumer: Happiness through shopping - electronics & fitness

Riding Minnesota

Minnesota has winter. Whether you consider it “harsh” depends on if enjoy or endure it. For those in the latter, winter is a time to hit the fat wheel bikes – and this winter those on a budget can take out The Minnesota, which is available in two models beginning at $799.

These are from The House Outdoor Gear, the giant retailer of snow sports equipment. Clearly the company saw a market for snow bikes. The basic $799 1.0 model features a nine-speed aluminum frame with disc brakes and SRAM X5 components. The 2.0 is $100 more and offers 18 speeds. Both are ready to roll this winter.

The House Outdoor Gear Official Website

Abus Ready to Roll in North America

The above helmet has a real Scottish look to it, and it features wool plaids and genuine leather – and it will look stylish for commuting. This cycling helmet is actually part of the new line coming from German lock maker Abus, which is looking to enter the North American market next year.

It could give some new options for bike commuters and casual riders.

Abus Official Website

Ready to Erupt

While you can rock it like a hurricane, if you’re heading to Nicaragua you can get a sense of what lava might feel like. The Bigfoot Hostel near colonial León offers plenty of historic attractions but for thrill seekers there is the ability to ride down the slopes of the 2,388-food Cerro Negro on a specially made toboggan. Speeds reach up to 55 mph, which is faster than lava and a whole lot of fun.

Volcano Boarding at Bigfoot Hostel

CamelBak Revenue Declines

The cooler than normal weather this year has affected CamelBak’s bottom line, while military downsiding is also causing isn’t revenue to decline.

“The weather is never something I’d like to have to point to when commenting on a business performance but it’s just a reality in this case,” said Elias J. Sabo, a founding partner of Compass Group Management. “It was cold and wet in many parts of country; that was a headwind that is hard to do anything about. The company did everything it could to position it with good products in the marketplace and continued innovation.”

Compass bought CamelBak in 2011.

While CamelBak completed a large order for the U.S. Marines in the first quarter this year, historically most of its military sales are to individual soldiers through base retail operations.

CamelBak Official Website
[Via BRAIN: CamelBak revenue decline blamed on weather and military drawdown]

Weekend Reading List (11.16.2013):

Social Olympics

From Sport Techie: Reviewing the New Olympic Athletes’ Hub App for Sochi 2014
On November 3, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) launched a new Olympic Athletes’ Hub app in order to connect fans with Olympic athletes like never before. With a searchable directory of all athletes and their various social network feeds, fans can find their favorite stars on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Another unique feature within the app is the ability for verified athletes to text each other or the IOC from within the framework of the app. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (11.16.2013):

Zepp It Up

Zepp Labs has introduced the Zepp Multi-Sport Sensor, which can capture 1,000 data points per second and helps users analyst the swing in various sports. It features dedicated apps for baseball, golf and tennis. Each sports app utilizes a specific sensor – which is about 1-inch square, and weighs just 6.3 grams. It is constructed of a rugged rubber exterior and has a shock-resistant core, so it can withstand abuse on the baseball field, golf course and tennis court. Each sensor contains a powerful ARM processor, multiple motion sensors, storage for up to 200,000 swings (200,000 tennis swings / 2,000 baseball and golf swings) and up to 8 hours of battery life (varies by use). Using innovative sport-specific mounts, the Zepp sensor easily attaches to any baseball or softball bat, tennis racket or golf glove. It captures 1,000 data points per second and transfers all of this data to a user’s smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. Continue reading Zepp It Up

The World is Ready to Party With Zumba

Can nearly 10 million people be wrong? When it comes to fitness video games we don’t think so. The Zumba Fitness franchise is still going strong, and that is something to celebrate. This month saw the arrival of Zumba Fitness World Party for Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Wii U. The game will also debut later this month as a launch day title for the Xbox One. Continue reading The World is Ready to Party With Zumba

OGIO Looks to Get Noticed

While the snow hasn’t even starting fall in much of the country the folks at OGIO are ready for spring. The company has unveiled its 2014 Golf Bag Collections. Seeing this under the tree this holiday will have you wish you could be on the greens.

All these collections had been carefully crafted to offer golfers an array of looks that will get noticed on the shelves and in the fairways. Continue reading OGIO Looks to Get Noticed

Chrome to the Rescue

Chrome Industries has probably saved many a bike commuter by providing durable bags that can carry a lot, but the company is truly the rescue with its line of durable BLCKCHRM bags. These are made form hypalon, material originally used to make U.S. Coast Guard rescue rafts. These bags feature liners with tightly woven nylon, while the trim is full grain leather and hardware is coated with rubber.

These American made bags are guaranteed for life.

BLCK Chrome Official Website

No Flimsy Snowshoe Here

The Fimbulvetr might not look like a snowshoe but the thermoplastic elastomer body is what will have you walking on the white stuff in the 21st century. So long to the old wicker and wood shoes and hello Fimbulvetr. Developed in Norway these are meant to be light, comfortable and most importantly easy to walk in.

These feature and asymmetrical shape that is designed to mimic the foot, while the punched honeycomb pattern is there to maintain torsional strength and floatation, all of which is good for helping to trek through the snow. Video after the jump

Generation Overkill

Can you ever have too much protection when securing or locking up a bicycle? Probably not, especially if the bike is valuable and you count on it for riding to and from work. The Next Gen Bike Rack might just be generation overkill.

It was invented by Montreal inventor Peter Krantz and this rack offers much more than what the best U-Lock will provide. It is as much a docking station as a bike rack and the front wheel is secure in a special opening that makes it impossible to remove the wheel, while a steel arm locks the back of the bike. A U-Lock secures the rear wheel and the back of the frame.

No bolt cutter could get through this thing, and the design is such that it won’t scratch the paint. The downside to this is that it is more for a bike garage so it does limit where it could be placed. For those who commute by bike it could mean the difference between hoping the bike is safe and knowing it will be there at the end of the day.

Next Gen Bike Racks Official Website

Doom’s Day

You’re doomed if you wear these goggles on the slopes, but we mean that in the best possible way. The Spy Optics Doom snow goggles are feature Locksteady fingerprint free quick-change lens system that the company notes “is your only hope for protection against the everchanging elements of mother nature.”

These are built from flexible polyurethane that provides a custom feel, while the anti-fog 5.5-base ARC spherical dual-lens system offers anti-scratch protection. These are helmet compatible, and offer triple-layer Isotron face foam with moisture wicking Dri-Force fleece.

These goggles are ready for any slope including Mount Doom – but that of course would require a trip to the fictional realm of Middle Earth. For the real world these will make any descent a Doom’s day.

Spy Optics Doom Official Website

Wii U Sports – It’s in the Game

Nintendo is offering gamers a chance to download Wii Sports Club and get a free trial pass that will let them play any available sports for a 24-hour period. Once the trial period ends, players can purchase two types of passes exclusively available in the Nintendo eShop: a Day Pass for $1.99 to play all available sports for a 24-hour period, or a Club Pass to gain permanent access to individual sports for $9.99 each.

This includes the five beloved sports from the original Wii Sports game including bowling, tennis, baseball, boxing and golf. These make the jump from the original Wii to the Wii U.

The sports are being released individually as downloads in the Nintendo eShop, and feature HD graphics, enhanced controls via Wii MotionPlus technology, as well as a much-requested online multiplayer versus mode, so users with broadband Internet access can face off against friends and family members online. Players can choose to associate themselves with various state or regional clubs and can send messages to one another via Miiverse. People can play casually against members of their own club, or take on members of rival clubs to increase their club rankings.

Wii Sports Club Official Website