GadgetReview

Die hard surfers surf year round regardless of the weather, here in SoCal that is.  And yes, despite our southern location it does get quite frigid at times.  So what’s a surfer to do?  Enter Rip Curl’s H-Bomb heated wetsuit.

Powered by two Lithium-ion, 7.4 volt batteries, the H-Bomb has a set of carbon fiber heating coils that can produce up to 3 hours of body warming heat on a single charge.  Because they’re made of carbon fiber they’re flexible and won’t corrode if exposed to the water.

But like all things ultra cool (or hot in this case) there’s a significant cost to entry: $1,000.

Video after the ‘leap’ …Continue reading: The World’s First Heated Wetsuit: The Rip Curl H-Bomb (video)

Wigitty, wiggity wack!  I guess it was only a matter of time until some updated the century old hiking pole.  Me?  I prefer the good old fashioned wooden stick, Gandalf style (”you shall not pass”).

The ATrek Electronic Trekking Walking Poles incorporate a watch sized LCD display into its handle that can display altimeter, barometer, hygrometer, compass and a clock.  That way you can tell where you’re going, what the weather will be like and if you’re late for dinner.  Flip open the top of the stick and you’ll find an SOS mirror.

You can grab the ATrek Electronic Trekking Walking Poles for $99.

[via Besportier]

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GPS devices have become so common place these days you can barely cross an intersection without seeing one mounted to a car’s windshield or a biker’s wrist.  The Satsports GPS, though, is like no other on the market today and can provide pertinent information to bikers, skiers, golfers and runners.

For those who frequent the fairway they’ll be able to take advantage of the device’s 700 stored golf courses, providing 2D/3D maps of the fairway as well as yardages to the front, middle and back of the green.  It can also guide Tiger Woods wannabes to where the ‘hazards’ lie and even provide information as to what club to choose according to the hole at hand.  When the match is complete golfers can sync their collected data with their computer, which should hopefully help lower their handicap.

Skiers will also find the Satsports GPS beyond useful.  Not only can it provide a virtualy unlimited amount of ski maps, but it can assist your recovery in the event of an avalanche by providing your exact coordinates.  Work up an appetite on the slopes?  No problem, stored in the device is a list of restaurants, lodges, bars and more.  And much like the golfer’s game, the skier’s runs can be downloaded to their computer and stored for review and comparison.

And like all GPS devices it can track speed (live, average and maximum), distance, time, and altitude (live and variances), making it an ideal choice for the hiker, runner or even walker – heck all types of athletes.  Once your activities are complete you can simply upload the data to a map or view it on a Google Earth flyover.  Toss in a special $65 SD card and the Satsports can perform turn-by-turn driving directions.

The Satsports GPS will be available at select ski resorts for the price of $490 US, with major retailers to follow soon after.

• Processor: Samsung 2440A 400Mhz
• Battery: 3.7V Li Ion 1050mAh
• OS: Windows CE 5.0
• Speaker: 1W internal speaker
• Memory: Built in Flash 256MB Samsung SLC RAM – 64MB
• Dimensions/Weight: 90 x 55 x 16 mm – 125g
• Display: touchscreen LCD – 2.7″, TFT QVGA (320 x 240)
• Color: Black & Aluminum
• GPS: SiRF Star III  Embedded Patch Antenna
• Applications: Satski, Pocket Caddy, Satsports Log (running & cycling), MP3 Player, Image Viewer, Video Player
• Micro SD
• Free silicon case with built in 6hr back  up battery

…Continue reading: Satsports GPS Is The Swiss Army Of Navigation Devices

I’m an avid bike rider and attend the good old gym on a regular basis. One thing I’ve long failed to do is keep track of my workouts – I don’t even have a little black book to record my mileage or ’sets’ completed. Enter the Garmin Forerunner 310XT.

The Forerunner 310XT is Garmin’s first fully fledged GPS watch to offer not only a myriad of workout and tracking options, but is waterproof up to 50m. Aesthetically it’s a bit on the large side, but that lends itself to a reasonably large screen, all things relative of course. The wrist band is finished in bright orange, so there’s no mistaking this thing for anything but a workout watch, although I’m relatively confident that runners and triathlon nuts could get away with wearing it year round, though they might be a bit hampered by its 20 hour battery life.

And despite that sounding like a short battery life I assure you it’s not, especially if you use the Forerunner 310XT specifically for your workouts. To streamline the charging process Garmin has included a clothespin like charger that grasps the 310XT at two contact points, making charging the device a snap (pardon the pun). …Continue reading: Garmin Forerunner 310XT Review

Going to the gym can be such a drag.  It’s like going to work, only shorter, smells worse and costs you money as opposing to earning it.  So what’s one to do when it comes to at home fitness.  Well, if you have ever remained awake beyond the hours of 1am and onward, then you probably pretty familiar with the endless array of get in shape quick exercise tools.  I think it all started back in the mid 90s with that stupid ab crunch machine that was crafted of a few pieces of plastic and a rubber band, or perhaps that sea saw like bike that used your own body weight to shed those unwanted pounds.  So the inevitable question comes to mind?  What’s a guy like me  to do whose in his early 30s who wants to maintain his physique but not attend the always cumbersome gym on a daily basis?  Enter the Perfect Push Up and Pull Up.

Now before you throw your skepticism blanket down consider that push ups and pull ups have been the corner stone of muscle building since time began.  Which means that these two products have immediate credence no matter how apprehensive you are.  But unlike most late night infomercial exercise equipment, the manufacture makes no quibbles about get in shape quick schemes with these products.  Nope, you’ll need to dedicate yourself and really try if you want the Perfect Push Up and Pull Up to make a difference.  After all, the push up and pull up are not only the corner stone of muscle building, but tend to be a pretty big indicator of one’s muscle strength. …Continue reading: The Perfect Push Up And Pull Up Review

Finding a good armband for your MP3 player can be a tricky thing.  Does it stay fastened to your arm without sliding?  Does it get in the way of what your doing?  I have tried a couple of arm bands in my day and I always ended up going with an around the hip accessory (tucked into my waistband) just because it worked better for what I was doing.

ArmPocket is an Eco-Friendly company that makes a variety of quality and utilitarian armbands for your Apple iPhone or iPod Touch.  To say it right now, the ArmPocket Sport 20 is the best arm band I have used yet and I highly advise you to check it out if you are looking for a competent and fairly priced exercise accessory.

Let’s start with features.  Assuming that you don’t have any other storage on your person, the ArmPocket Sport 20 has got you covered.  In the main chamber there are two elastic slots for an ID and credit card and it is big enough to hold an energy bar or gel in addition to your MP3 player no problem.  On the outside there is also a small loop to hold a keyring. …Continue reading: ArmPocket Sport 20 Review

Amazon has the Wii Sports Resort WIth Dual Pack MotionPlus Bundle for a great low price.  This deal includes two MotionPlus accessories and the Wii Sports Resort game.  It’s $59.99 + free shipping = $59.99 shipped! …Continue reading: Wii Sports Resort WIth Dual Pack MotionPlus Bundle – $60 Shipped

Taking an aesthetic cue from the old Sony Sports Walkman series, the Predator VX360 is taunting you to strap it to your dome and take it off a cliff.  Probably the most accessible extreme camera I’ve seen, it seems like a perfect match for the maniac daredevil looking to capture some sick POV footage.

Capable of withstanding impact shocks, it can also be submerged in up to three meters of water and is resistant to salt water damage.  The base unit has an LCD monitor on it for immediate viewing to make sure you captured 100% of the purest of adrenalines.

However, coolness does not come cheap as the Predator VX360is priced at $550.

Check out the promotional video below: …Continue reading: Predator VX360 Wearable Extreme Sports Camcorder (video)

The past few years have ushered in a blast of small and affordable digital video cameras that have appealed to the amateur voyeur in all of us.  Looking like it has taken some design cues from the old Sony Walkman Sports line, the Median S47000 will be ready for your next adventure.

Don’t mind the little girl’s birthday party in the above pic for it is definitely not extreme let alone a sport, but the 2″color LCD screen is almost half the size of the entire gadget.  That’s nice.  Having only 90MB’s of internal memory, you are going to immediately need an additional card to jam into the SD/SDHC slot included with the S47000.

Other tech specs of note includes: USB 2.0 and HDMI ports, the ability to shoot in 720P through H.264 MOV files, splash resistance, earphone input, and a lanyard loop.

Looks cooler than the Flip Camcorders sans the faceplate customization options.

On sale now for $130.

[via OhGizmo!]

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Having done some bouldering in my day, I must say that I am very intrigued by the AquaClimb.   It just looks really fun and definitely takes some of the danger out of the sport.  You’d be more inclined to try a risky move knowing that what lies below you is indeed just friendly water.  By the looks of this picture, the climbing wall appears to be geared towards the novice crowd and there doesn’t seem to be to many options to change around foot and hand holds.  I’d love to see this thing at the gym.

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