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Contour's new mount, watersports kits help bring its cameras with you in the water, snow or dirt
As Contour continues to do battle with GoPro over the action-sport POV camera market, its latest offensive centers around prepackaged activity-specific mount kits that should make it easier for customers to pick one up and go. Also new is an all-in-one ContourRoam watersports kit that includes the HD camera and waterproof case that's capable of keeping it dry at depths of up to 60m. The mount kits include sets for skiers, cyclists, motorcyclists, hikers and an all purpose helmet mount kit. All of these are available starting today on the company's website and at select retailers, with the mount kits going for between $59 - $99 and the Roam Watersports kit for $249. We appreciated the Contour+'s sleek package in our head to head test with the Hero 2 last month and the addition of these packages should help it compete on price and ease of use right out of the box. The specific details are in the press release after the break and pictures of each set are in the gallery below, assuming your hobbies are exciting enough to merit recording, of course.
Skier saved from deadly avalanche by airbag backpack
Considering the pain and loss she's just endured, you may have a hard time convincing professional skier Elyse Saugstad that she's a lucky woman, but it's true. Saugstad was tackling Tunnel Creek in the Cascade Mountains with a group of other experienced backcountry skiers, when a large sheet of snow broke loose from the side of the mountain. Elyse and three others were sent hurtling 3,000 feet down the slope, sadly, only she survived the ordeal. Her almost miraculous escape was thanks in large part to the inflatable airbag system she wore. The safety gear has been available for sometime in Europe, but it only recently started making a splash here in the US. The large bladders filled with nitrogen helped keep her near the top of the avalanche, making it easier for her to breathe once the snow had settled and easier for rescuers to find her. Hit up the source link for an interview with Elyse Saugstad.[Thanks, Aaron]
The Firing Line Extra: Tribes' Todd Harris on class customization and base gameplay
Today's a big day for fans of Tribes: Ascend, and it's also a big day for Hi-Rez Studios, the Atlanta-based indie firm behind the upcoming online shooter. You see, today is patch day, and while that's not terribly unusual (Hi-Rez has updated the Tribes beta client early and often since the start of closed testing last November), the latest tweak is a bit of fan service that will likely bring smiles to the faces of franchise die-hards waiting in the wings to see what becomes of their baby.
Zeal Optics iON goggles take full HD to the slopes, let you share the extreme thrills
Ever find yourself shredding the gnar and wishing you could share the breathtaking rush of scenery with others? Well, now you can, courtesy of Zeal Optics. Not content to sit on its GPS-laden laurels, the company's added a new twist to the 'ol polarized ski goggles, embedding the iON with an HD camera for 170-degree wide angle recording. The inbuilt module, centered up top, pulls in video and audio at full 1080p and can be controlled using an array of buttons alongside the mask or via the bundled PC / Mac software. If you're not interested in reliving your downhill trek one swoosh at a time, there's always the 8 megapixel cam for photo-taking. Unfortunately, this high-tech eyewear can't wirelessly transmit your captured media -- at least, not this version -- so you'll have to make do with the included microSD card. Sound like a neat proposition? Good, then be prepared to cough up $399 for this high-def slope accessory. Official presser awaits you after the break.
Recon partners with Scott and Smith, brings MOD to the masses
We love Recon's MOD system for Ski-goggles, especially now that it's open to developers. Starting soon, an avalanche of new winter-sports enthusiasts will be able to wear the multi-sensor based statistics system atop their eyeballs, thanks to a new partnership with both Scott and Smith. The GPS touting in-goggle display will be unveiled in the new family of eyeware at a slew of outdoor sports events this month. Of course, if you're still unsure the tech is up to your hardcore ski routine, have a word with these guys. Want to know more? We thought so. Slide on past the break to read the full PR.
Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: accessories
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. As any technophile will tell you, accessories make the getup when it comes to complementing your favorite gadgets. Whether you're decking out a smartphone, computer, tablet, gaming system or just looking for some good old-fashioned holiday kicks, we're here to help you pick from our favorite accessories of 2011. Jump past the break to find out which ones made the "Nice" list.
The North Face announces Avalanche Airbag Safety System (ABS) vest and pack, we go hands-on (video)
Imagine hitting the slopes for the ultimate free ride down the edge of a cliff. Now picture being caught in an avalanche with only a shovel to free you from hundreds of pounds of snow -- the odds don't look too good. The North Face hopes to change all that by integrating an Avalanche Airbag Safety System (ABS) into its tried and true backpacks with the launch of its ABS Patrol 24 Pack and ABS Vest, two new body-worn fixtures that inflate to protect your from falling snow much like the airbags in your car. Add two new fabrics into the mix, FlashDry and Thermoball, and it seems like we've come a long way since the days of working out in our college sweats. We go hands-on with pro snowboarder Xavier de Le Rue after the break to see how it works.%Gallery-139505%
The Firing Line: Tribes impressions and a visit to Hi-Rez
What's up folks, and welcome to The Firing Line. We've been branching out our coverage lately, first with MMO-specific columns and then with Not So Massively and MOBAs. Now we're doing something similar with online shooters. This genre is positively huge, and while there's a lot of room for debate in terms of what constitutes an MMO shooter, there's also no denying that all of the games hovering around the periphery of that designation are a lot of fun. So what will we be talking about in The Firing Line? Well, this is the part where I rub my hands together in anticipation! Naturally we'll spend a lot of time with the genre's big guns (sorry, I had to use that at least once), so I'll be playing huge amounts of PlanetSide 2, DUST 514, Firefall, Global Agenda, and the semi-obscure free-to-play titles crowding the market -- all in an effort to bring you the very best news and views from the world of pew pew.
City of Heroes retires free trials, reopens Winter Chalet
Freedom is coming for City of Heroes fans, and that means the existing free trial for the superhero MMO will soon be redundant. As of August 17th, players will find they can no longer create free trial accounts nor make use of the game's refer-a-friend feature (although Paragon Studios promises to unveil a replacement buddy program in the next few weeks). Free trial accounts opened before the August 17th deadline will last their full duration, so if you want to check out the game before it officially goes free-to-play later this year, the time is now! Current players will find even more reasons to appreciate their subscriptions: As of this morning, Paragon has toggled on a few elements of the game's winter event, including the Winter Chalet and ski slopes. It's more like sledding in August than Christmas in July, but now you have a reason to drag those cold-weather costumes out of storage.
Columbia Omni-Heat Circuit Breaker Softshell electric / heated jacket review
Back when old man winter was first starting to bear down here in the States for the 2010 - 2011 Winter Season, we dropped by to check out a few toasty newcomers from the folks at Columbia. Pleased as we were after trying a few things out at the demo booth, we reckoned the outfit's line of Omni-Heat electric gear would be best evaluated in the wild. You know -- places like Whitefish, Montana and the northern interior of Alaska, all during the winter. We were fortunate enough to snag one of Columbia's Omni-Heat Circuit Breaker Softshell electric / heated ski jackets prior to departing for our bone-chilling escapades, and after a couple of months of use, we're happy to report that this thing really is all it's cracked up to be. Those situated in places like Yellowknife and International Falls have been dreaming of a non-bulky, quasi-stylish heated coat for years now, and those dreams may very well be converted into reality when this particular one starts shipping this fall. Read on to see if an outdoors outfitter really nailed the technological integration, and how your life in the winter months may be forever changed because of it.
Recon details next-gen GPS goggle technology: Android, Bluetooth, endless fantasies
And you thought those Recon-Zeal Transcend goggles from last fall were hot stuff. Truth be told, they still are, but Recon Instruments' plans for the future make the present seem downright mundane. Here at CES, the company has just revealed its next-generation technology, which should be ingrained in its next line of specs. The big news here is that the revised platform will be based on Android, enabling developers to craft apps and in turn, owners to customize their GPS-enabled goggles in ways not previously possible. Moreover, the technology will be available separately from the company's own eyewear, with a "snap fit" version ready made to work with Uvex, Alpina and Briko products. Wearers will then be able to navigate through the interactive LCD in real-time with the use of a wireless remote, and Recon hopes to eventually craft the first pair of goggles with a real-time navigational system. You'll also get Bluetooth capabilities, allowing users to connect with their smartphones and see their music playlists, caller ID and text messages. Head on past the break for the full rundown, and do your best to not get those hopes too high. As if it's not too late for that already. %Gallery-112630%
Liquid Image Xtreme Sport Cam goggles hands-on
When you're racing down the slopes, scuba-diving somewhere exotic, or zipping around on your motorcycle, the last thing you probably want to think about doing is shooting video. But if you're the type who just has to capture every adrenaline-pumping moment, Liquid Image has you covered with its new line of camera-equipped goggles. The $349 Scuba camera mask supports depths up to 100 meters, and does stills and video in 720p. The $400 Impact series also does both still and video, but it bumps the resolution up to 1080p. All of these goggles have a microSD slot, as well as buttons along the side for switching between the respective modes. Beware, once you start recording, you'll no longer be able to tell your friends you're in the Black Diamond Club when you really just spend all day on the bunny slope. Press release is after the break. %Gallery-112571%
Ripxx ski app out now for Android, still has no idea what the street value of this mountain is
The closest we have ever come to a ski race is the worn out VHS copy of Better Off Dead we still have in the back of our closets somewhere, but if you're an Android-lovin' ski bunny jealous of all the attention Ripxx has been giving the iPhone, you're in luck. That's right, your fave open source smartphone OS has its very own version of the Ripxx Ski and Snowboard app. Version 1.1 features over 200 mapped out resorts, GPS tracking, stats recording (including speed, distance, and vertical drop) and more. Not bad for $5, eh?
Tribes Universe looking for a few good alpha testers
Earlier this week we reported on Hi-Rez Studios acquiring the Tribes license for the purposes of making a Tribes Universe MMOFPS. We also sat down to talk with company CEO and lead designer Erez Goren to get the inside scoop on the game. The original announcement, as well as our interview, indicated that alpha testing would initially be restricted to level 50 Global Agenda players. Happily, Hi-Rez has opened the process up a bit, and any interested parties can apply at the game's official website. Alpha testing is currently scheduled to begin in early 2011, and the team is looking for experienced testers and FPS players. "Because the game will be focused around huge battles on huge landscapes, we need a solid group of very dedicated testers that can help us from the game's earliest stages to validate the scalability and performance of the game, while also helping tune and refine gameplay," said executive producer Stewart Chisam.
Recon-Zeal Transcend goggles now shipping, GPS and head-mounted display included
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? If you'll recall, we heard that Recon Instruments was fixing to up-end the winter sports goggle market in February of this year, with an optimistic-at-the-time ship date of October 2010. Lo and behold, the outfit has managed to nail its estimate, and the planet's first GPS-enabled goggles are now available to highfalutin' skiers and snowboarders. At least initially, the company will be rolling out a limited set, with two models to choose from: the $499 Transcend SPPX is fitted with an SPPX polarized and photochromic lens, while the $399 Transcend SPX features an SPX polarized lens. Aside from the fact that these probably cost less than those ho hum Oakleys in the ski shop, they're equipped with a Zeal Optics' frame design with a micro LCD display, which appears to hang approximately six feet in front of the user. That head-mounted display provides real-time feedback to the wearer, including speed, latitude / longitude, altitude, vertical distance traveled, total distance traveled, a chrono / stopwatch mode, a run-counter, temperature and time. Yeah, wow. You can bet we'll be trying to snag a set for review when we do our best impression of "hitting the slopes" post-CES. %Gallery-104018%
TUAW's Daily App: Solipskier
Solipskier is kind of a mix of the growing line drawing genre and the classic Line Rider game. A little headphone wearing skier (at least he wears headphones as long as he can keep them on) travels along a snow ridge that you actually draw with your finger as you play the game; he speeds up or slows down based on the slope that you trace out with your finger. The gameplay is simple to pick up, but it turns out to be pretty deep. You can draw quick ramps to make him jump, or you can draw sliding slopes that really send the guy moving along through all of the gates, tunnels, and jumps that get placed in your path. There's a really great pick-up-and-play vibe to the title, and it's fun enough to keep you coming back again and again. If you don't believe me, give it a shot online right now for free. If you enjoy it enough to spend the money, you can grab a universal version on the App Store for just US $2.99.
EVE player wins silver medal at the Winter Olympics
It's not every day you run across an Olympic Medalist in your favourite MMO, much less gank them and take their stuff. For some EVE Online players, that opportunity may be closer than they think. With the conclusion of the recent Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, it came to light that one of the medal winners is not just an EVE player but also an avid PvP junkie. Casting off the stereotype of MMO gamers as unfit and demotivated, Kjetil Jansrud is a professional alpine skier at the peak of physical fitness. Competing in this year's Winter Olympics, the Norwegian EVE player took the silver medal in the Men's Giant Slalom event. Kjetil Jansrud is better known to his friends in "hirr" corporation as "NThraller", the Caldari ECM specialist. As part of Morsus Mihi alliance, he takes part in roaming PvP gangs and full-scale territorial warfare. In conjunction with the news of NThraller's Olympic win, JumpOnContact has taken an interesting look at the demographics of EVE players and MMO gamers in general. According to CCP, the average age of EVE players is around 27 and most players have some kind of degree-level certificate. The EVE community is made up of everything from high-paid professionals to students but did you ever expect to see "Olympic Medalist" added to that list? I know I didn't.
Zanier GPS gloves let you Xplore without getting lost
The Zanier Xplore.XGX gloves must be one of the finest examples of stuff you don't need, but would probably dearly love to have. With an embedded GPS tracking unit and a monochrome screen, these multifunctional finger warmers will guide you to and from the lodge, but the real fun kicks off when you hit the piste. Altitude, speed, duration and distance of your slaloms can all be recorded and then downloaded to your computer before being uploaded to the web. Is there anything more an exercise enthusiast (or an unashamed poser) needs? You get a Gore-Tex finish for enhanced grip on the sticks, and a few USB attachments to get connectivity up and running. Pricing has not yet been announced, but they're part of Zanier's 2010/11 line, so the wait shouldn't be too long.
Zeal Optics bringing GPS, sensor-laden Transcend ski goggles to market
Remember those mind-melting Recon Instruments goggles that we caught wind of late last year? Admit it -- you never, ever expected those things to actually make it to market. Despite your pessimism, it seems as if those very specs are indeed making a beeline to the consumer realm, with Zeal Optics jumping in, working a bit of magic and relabeling 'em Transcend. Deemed the planet's first GPS and sensor-laden ski goggles, these things are purportedly capable of logging speed, altitude, temperature and time details, and the side-mounted toggle switches will enable you to view said data in real time (or not, if you're paying attention to the 50 foot drop ahead of you). Peek the read link for further details on the $350+ wearables (demoed after the break), and get ready to hit the slopes with a whole new mindset this October. [Thanks, Christopher]
Ski resorts busted by iPhone app
Want to see past a ski resort's lies? There's an app for that. The iPhone's ability to track snowfall at ski resorts has been well publicized (it even showed up in an official Apple commercial), but apparently there's been an unintended consequence: ski resorts are actually losing money. The UK's Globe and Mail reports that before iPhones existed, people would just call up to the slopes to ask them if there was snow on the trails -- and the ski resorts would more often than not reply that there was, in order to pull in some more weekend customers. It was usually just white lies (no pun intended) -- they'd usually say there was about 20% more snow than actually existed. But now that the iPhone provides a much more objective look at exactly how much powder there is up there, resorts are finding that they can't push that weekend boost any more. And that's cutting into their yearly profits as a whole. Now, you may argue that resorts being held accountable is a good thing, and according to the article, most of the resorts themselves would agree with you: they weren't in it to outright lie to people, because telling people that there was a foot on the ground when you can see grass would have an even worse effect on their business. But hearing from someone on the phone that the slopes are plentiful is a much different experience than seeing a number in an iPhone app, and it's interesting that the difference is directly affecting resort profits in many cases. Not that resorts have too much to worry about, especially the ones who have plenty of snow anyway. It just shows you how much the iPhone is still changing all kinds of industries in strange ways.
