Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei is known for his social, political and cultural criticism, and he is now the latest artist to collaborate with SK8room, the platform dedicated solely to the production of art, promotion and sales on skatebaords.
These are available directly from the manufacturer and 20 percent of all the sales go to Skateistan, non-profit NGO that works with youth from a range of ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds.
httpv://youtu.be/FlApbxLz6pA
Coming to a busy intersection is what may be most worrisome for many cyclists, but apparently the Dutch are considering some options as the video above demonstrates. While not exactly a new video, it is making the rounds again and shows that there are better ways bike lanes can be integrated into the urban infrastructure.
While a baseball bat can unfortunately be used as a weapon, Easton Sports is being sued as its TB265 bat was apparently responsible for causing the skull fracture of an Ohio teen baseball pitcher. Cole Schlesner, 18, filed the products liability suit last month in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The question is whether the bat is truly responsible, and with it the manufacturer?
“Easton designed its bat so that players could hit a ball harder and faster than any other bats,” the suit states. Schlesner was 15 and was injured in a game in 2009. He required surgery to remove part of his skull, and his family contends that the estimated cost of the care to be between $750,000 and $1 million.
We’ll be sure to watch how this case unfolds.
[Via Los Angeles Daily News: Lawsuit: Easton Sports baseball bat too dangerous]
When we think of a boot for a bicycle we’re thinking of something you wear on your feet, but the Buca Boot is really taking the British concept that the “boot” is the trunk of a car, as in the place for storage and transporting of things. Designed for the urban rider who has to often carry more than just his/herself, this storage space attaches to the rack of the bicycle and can carry big things such as groceries, while side panniers can be used to increase the load size. There is also the option to close up and lock the Boot protect smaller stuff – and thanks to the gasket around the lid items placed inside can endure some weather such as rain or even snow.
The Buca Boot is the brainchild of designer Kathryn Carlson, who launched a Kickstarter project to bring this one to market. Continue reading Bicycle Boot Kicks It up
From GizMag: Boa Taking Over As Bike Shoe Closure Of Choice
Boa Technology touts its twist-to-tighten, cable-and-dial closure systems as light, easily adjustable and strong. Manufacturers seem to agree. Eight bike shoe brands will release 39 new models with Boa closures by spring 2014. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (09.05.2013): Boa Yeah, Getting Warm
The has been a move to composite hockey sticks over the years, but these come at a cost – namely that the sticks cost around $300 or so. However, Daniel Lucchesi sees that these offer an advantage over wooden sticks, and he’s launched Colt Hockey to create composite sticks that are covered in nano-tech cladding that makes these virtually unbreakable.
These sticks are no less inflexible or heavy than traditional composite sticks, and Lucchesi is looking to Kickstarter to raise funding to bring these to market.
The coating, which was licensed from Canadian based Integran Technologies, was developed for hydraulic components in the aerospace and defense markets. This process, which is similar in concept to chrome plating, adds a thin layer of the nanocrystalline that gives the sticks a steel-like durability, but allows the stick to remain flexible. This could be one hockey stick that is ready to take aim. Video after the jump
Having a firearm requires responsibility to ensure that it is locked and secure. The Gun Box, which was designed by Ryan Hyde, doesn’t require a key or combination but rather only lets the authorized user access it via a RFID-equipped bracelet or fingerprint scanner. Hyde is currently looking to raise money to bring the Gun Box to retail via an Indiegogo campaign.
The safe’s shell is made from die-cast aluminum that will ensure the wrong person can’t access the firearm inside, whilst the locking mechanism utilizes motorized servos to prevent someone from prying it open.
This box can be programmed for multiple users, plus it features an accelerometer and will send an alert to your smartphone if it’s moved or tampered with, while it can even be monitored via GPS. It isn’t exactly cheap at nearly $400, but can you really put a price on safety and security? Continue reading Put a Finger on It
Scosche announced that it will donate 10 percent of all October proceeds from purchases made on its site to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. And while the company is encouraging it customers to purchase pink versions of some of its most popular products to show their support for the fight against breast cancer all products and color variations will be counted toward the contribution.
Kudos to Scosche for helping fight this terrible disease.
httpv://youtu.be/3ek2BRFzDL8
The Ironman World Championships in Kona are taking place next week, and the new Elite Air TT 9.8 from Boardman looks fast enough to take flight! With Pete Jacobs, the 2012 World Champion, on it who knows.
Boardman Bikes Official Website
We see a lot of unique product names but the Spyderco Szabo folding knife gets its name not from some far off land, but rather its creator Laci Szabo, a law enforcement officer, a veteran U.S. Marine, and a word-class martial artist. The visionary knife designer created a folding blade that reflects his philosophies regarding folding knife design as it applies to both utility and personal defense. Its large size creates a commanding presence and offers increased reach when used with fencing-style skills.
The scimitar-shaped blade has a long, gently curving belly to maximize cutting power, while leaving the tip well centered to support point-oriented tactics. The handle is constructed of full stainless steel liners capped by black Cubic Check carbon fiber/G-10 laminate scales while the blade features a non-reflective titanium carbonitride coating. This year has seen the introduction of the all-new all-black edition that is better suited to tactical applications.
But you don’t need to be Special Forces to get your hands on one, and anyone in the field or camping can benefit from this lightweight and incredibly durable blade that promises to provide a secure, non-slip grip.
While skateboarders may like to “thrash” one skateboard company is instead looking to trash. Bureo Skateboards has picked up on the old adage that one man’s trash is another’s treasure and the company is looking to reduced the plastic pollution along Chile’s coastline while at the same time producing new skateboards.
The company is among 85 businesses that were accepted out of 1,300 applicants into Start-Up Chile, a government-sponsored accelerator program that provides these start-ups with $40,000 to get rolling. Bureo Skateboards was reportedly the only non-technology based company accepted into the program but clearly its message struck a nerve with someone.
North¬eastern alumnus Ben Kneppers is the company’s co-founder, and he previously received $10,000 in gap funding from IDEA, the Northeastern student-run venture accelerator. Thanks to this Bureo team has made it their mission to make a difference and contribute to the fight against plastic pollution in the oceans, while providing innovative skateboards on lane.
Bureo Skateboards
[Via news@Northestern: From plastic pollution to sustainable skateboards]
Researchers at the University of Notre Dame are looking to test an app on approximately 1,000 youth and high school football players. It isn’t to track their performance, but rather could provide a way to recognize concussions. The program reportedly pulls out the vowel segment from a set of predetermined words and then analyzes that sound for changes that may indicate a brain injury.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now estimates that as many as 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur in the U.S. each year. However, because concussion can go undiagnosed, the true number of such injures could be much higher.
In many cases after taking a hard hit players are simply asked, “are you OK,” and now the researchers have looked to develop a test that could be not be swayed by answers from players look wanted to remain in the game. This builds on previous studies that have found that head injuries can change speech characteristics, with negative effects on vowel production being one factor that stands out.
This app could certainly help younger players stay safe and if necessary stay off the field after taking a hard hit.
[Via MIT Technology Review: Voice-Analyzing App Scans Football Players for Concussion]
When out in the wilds you don’t need to hide your tablet device, you need to protect it. The DropTech Hideway rugged case isn’t meant o hide, but it does feature a disappearing stand. The designers are looking to a Kickstarter campaign to bring out this stand, which could be used in a variety of settings all while ensuring that the tablet is truly protected. Video after the jump