ColdWeather
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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%
Digits conductive pins won't make a fool of you in the cold
Ever tried writing a text message or an urgent work e-mail with gloves on? Chances are what you planned to type and what came out couldn't look more different...if anything came out at all. Digits are a $14 set of four conductive pins that, like the Dots iPhone gloves, were designed to make cold weather touchscreen use easy, and hopefully error free. Unlike Dots and other pre-made touchscreen products, however, Digits allow you to use your own gloves, provided they're knit (unfortunately, they're not leather-friendly). Each pin comes in two parts: one piece sticks through from inside your glove, and the other, which sports silicone caps, attaches from outside, using the same concept as this DIY set. Digits should keep your touchscreen free of scratches and your texts and e-mails free of error, even when it's freezing out. Hopefully now you won't end up firing when you should be filing.
Sausage stylus for the iPhone now on sale in the US
So you thought awesome gear never made the transition from Korea to the USA, huh? Not so in the case of the infamous sausage stylus we spotted a month ago. That cold weather peripheral -- allowing its ingenious users to operate a capacitive touchscreen with gloves on -- has made the big leap over to the Americas and can be yours for the low (seriously low) price of $0.99. Naturally, it's a sausage, so it will be compatible with not just iPhones but anything receptive to capacitive touch, although you should be cognizant of the "not for consumption" label -- compatibility with human stomachs is unlikely.
iPhone working in sub-zero temperatures
I purchased my iPhone on a warm, summer evening. Soon it will be exposed to a New England winter with sub-zero temperatures. How will it perform?Apple lists an official "nonoperational temperature" of -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C). Minus 4°F is entirely possible in my neighborhood. Does this mean my iPhone won't work?These guys found out by placing an iPhone in a freezer with an ambient temperature of -20°C (-4°F) for about 30 minutes. The good news is that the iPhone performed all functions perfectly with a surface temperature around -10°C (14°F). The bad news: It won't work with gloves. Prepare for cold hands this winter.Thanks, Olli!
