outdoor
Latest
Ask Engadget: best earbuds for outdoor / fitness use?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Henri, who seems understandably tired of his earbuds falling out whilst exercising. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm planning to buy a set of earbuds for outdoor use, mainly for sport. There are so many options -- I'm curious if anyone has any specific suggestions. It goes without saying that the plugs should be easy to pop in the ear as well as take them off, and the wire to player should be as light as possible. Thanks for the help!" Got any headphones you love taking to the gym? How's about a set that doesn't fall out? Toss your suggestion(s) in comments below!
ContourRoam waterproof camera takes hands-free filmmaking underwater
Contour has already produced a handful of imagers for football players and cyclists, but the company has now come out with a solution for underwater explorers, as well, with its first waterproof camera -- the ContourRoam. This hands-free device boasts a super wide-angle, 170-degree rotating lens, capable of capturing HD video in three different resolutions (1080p, 960p, and 720p) at 30fps. Its lens can also rotate up to 270 degrees, and projects a horizontal laser to help you align your shots. The camera's instant on-record option, meanwhile, allows you to start recording as soon as you turn it on, while its waterproof aluminum body lets you shoot video at underwater depths of up to one meter for up to 30 minutes at a time -- meaning you can leave that old ContourHD case at home. Aspiring Steve Zissous can buy one now for $200, at the source link below. Otherwise, just wade past the break for more information, in the full presser.
Crapgadget: 'money to burn' edition
Gadgets can radically alter our lives -- they can save us time and money and improve our health. And then there's the crapgadget, a breed of technology seemingly designed for little more than draining our already microscopic bank accounts. But hey, it's your money, and if you want to spend it on, say, an inflatable outdoor movie theater, a speaker shaped like a tiny bird, or a case for your iPhone with a terrifying fake beetle attached, that's your call. If you need us, however, we'll be recovering from our solo table tennis game by fanning ourselves off with our smartphone. Check out the latest craptastic roundup below, and be sure to vote for your (least) favorite.
Garmin announces rugged, camera-equipped Montana GPS, trademarks name of another US state
Watch out Oregon, Garmin's getting ready to throw you to the grizzlies. Montana, the GPS-maker's new handheld series, offers three models, including two with a built-in 5 megapixel camera. We wouldn't expect image quality to best that of a good cellphone, but we assume you'll at least be able to get a fix for your geotags. The base model Montana 600 includes a 3-axis compass and 4-inch sunlight-readable touchscreen display for $550, while the 650 adds the camera for $630, and the 650t pairs that cam with pre-loaded topographic maps for $700. All three rugged models include a 16-hour battery, or you can toss in three AA's for up to 22 hours of juice on your next off-road or whitewater rafting adventure, or whatever else you do for fun in Montana. [Thanks, Kyle]
Magellan's eXplorist Pro 10 does GIS data collection for $700, makes Google maps green with envy
It's been quite awhile since we last saw a GIS unit from Magellan, but the company is once again dipping its toes in the cold, clear waters of GPS data collection. Running Windows Mobile 6.5 (so it'll play nice with existing GIS data collection programs) and powered by dual AA disposables, the eXplorist Pro 10 has a three-inch 240 x 400 color transreflective display -- so on-screen site surveying is as easy in direct sunlight as it is in the dark of night. The device fears neither raincloud nor Super Soaker and comes with a 533 Mhz CPU, 128MB of RAM, 4GB of onboard memory, and room for more bits and bytes via microSD. A 3.2 megapixel camera, three-axis compass, pressure altimeter, and a barometer round out the geographic measurement gear, and a Bluetooth radio is included for connecting peripherals should the existing array of tools be insufficient for your mapmaking needs. On sale now for $699.99, the Pro 10 is aimed squarely at the pro crowd (shocking, we know), but Google's pretty much made casual cartography unnecessary, anyway. Press release is after the break.
Ciil Technologies weatherproof HDTVs work by the pool, in the pool
Never heard of Ciil Technologies? Nah, you aren't out of the loop -- these guys were just founded last year, and now they're hoping to make a literal splash in the desert with their first full range of weatherproof LCD TVs. Designed to be used primarily outdoors (or in homes with loads of Super Soaker fights), this new range of fully-sealed 1080p HDTVs is made up of sets from 32- to 55-inches. Each one has nary a vent nor filter, enabling it resist dust, debris and even water. In fact, each one sports the highest waterproof (IP) and dust proof (NEMA) rating available, enabling 'em to withstand a good pressure washing and the occasional dip in the pool. It seems as if you'll have to inquire about pricing, but we're going to guess those that have to ask... well, probably shouldn't.
LG Display snatches 'world's thinnest bezel' title from Samsung with new 37-inch LCD
They say two things about war: that it never changes and that nobody ever wins. Tell that to thin bezel fans, however, and they'll point you in the direction of the LG-Samsung tussle for the title of world's thinnest bezel separation. Samsung snatched the glory last month with its 55-inch Digital Information Display, but today LG is upping the ante with a nearly nonexistent frame around its new 37-inch LCD panel. There's 2.5mm of bezel on the bottom and right side of the screen, and 1.5mm on the top and left sides, resulting in a microscopic 4mm (0.16 inches) of separation. The panel's designed for outdoor advertising, can be stacked infinitely, and will get its debut demonstration at the FPD International 2010 show in Japan later this month.
Joby tempts the argonauts with Switchback headlamp / lantern
Call us crazy, but we're guessing that the Joby you knew last year will look nothing like the Joby that we see this time next year. Once famous for crafting flexible tripods for simple point and shoot cameras, the outfit has branched out quite significantly since. Case in point: the Switchback. Joby's still relying on its flexible mount expertise by including a tripod with this here lighting instrument, but it's the device itself that steals the show. The water resistant Switchback is a two-piece product; there's a headlamp that can be worn around your dome, and it can be shoved into a lantern container for those sit-around-the-campfire moments. The light itself has a central white beam with two power levels, and it's surrounded by a foursome of Cree LEDs that shine blue or red (and can be toggled with a button press). Joby throws a pair of AA batteries in for good measure, and in our testing, we found it sufficient enough for backyard gatherings and the like. The lantern apparatus has a clip on the bottom in order to affix the aforesaid tripod, but in practice we found it fairly simple to tip over when not wrapped around a tree limb. At any rate, it's on sale today for $59.95 for those looking to hit the forests in the near future.%Gallery-105428%
Garmin's $23 Chirp wireless beacon brings geocaching thrills to Oregon, Dakota GPS units
Looking for an avenue to join millions of others in geocaching, eh? We know, there's hardly a better way to spend a weekend than by playing a sophisticated game of hide-and-seek, and Garmin's right there with us. If you, like it, are stuck in Kansas with nary a Jayhawk game in sight, this here pebble is the answer to all of your boredom woes. The Chirp is a wireless beacon that's designed to work with any compatible wireless-enabled Garmin handheld (the Oregon, Dakota and the recently announced GPSMAP handhelds are mentioned by name), and once you've set it up to cooperate with your device, it'll automatically transmit program coordinates so other cachers can find each stage of your multicache -- it's touch-and-go in its simplest form. The whole thing measures just 1.3- x 0.9-inches, weighs under an ounce and can be had for just $22.99. So yeah, good luck sticking to Segway polo with an offer like that. Update: Video after the break!
Liquavista displays go out in the sun, look better than all right (video)
We've seen Liquavista displays plenty of times at various trade shows, but so far they've always been locked up indoors. Now they've gone outside to enjoy the weather, and ARMdevices.net was there to capture the results. The low-power color and monochrome screens are shown looking at least as good in the wild as they do in captivity, and when placed next to a traditional LCD (in the laptop on the right) the difference is clear. Granted, the colors are a bit washed out, but the refresh rate is certainly far higher than anything we've seen from E Ink. While there's still no firm word on how much this technology will cost manufacturers, converting from standard LCD production to Liquavista production is said to be relatively painless. How painless? We'll rather disappointingly have to wait for at least another year before we find out, as these aren't slated to go into production until the second half of 2011.
CBS brings 3D advertising to Grand Central Station, glasses makers drink to that
We know good and well what kind of extravagant displays are available to gawk at in New York City, but now it looks like the locals will have yet another one to check out when they're taking a breather from the rat race. CBS Outdoor has unveiled plans to deliver two solid hours (from 11:30AM to 1:30PM throughout February) of 3D advertising on an expansive, high-definition video screen installed within Grand Central Station. Unlike the glasses-free solution that we spotted at Intel's CES booth this year, this one will still require onlookers to rock those heinous and soul-crushing glasses in order to "see" the "effect," and with around 70,000 commuters passing by each day, we'd guess that the spectacle manufacturer who nabbed this contract is feeling pretty good right about now.
Shrines of Bori to offer Age of Conan players more outdoor PvP
Even with all of the fuss around new tier 3 raids being added to the land of Hyboria, the developers at Funcom haven't forgotten about the PvPers! A brand new feature will be landing on Age of Conan's test server for all barbarians to enjoy, and it comes in a form many PvPers love -- outdoor PvP objectives. The Shrines of Bori, a brand new addition to the Border Kingdoms playfield, will give PvPers the chance to not only engage in combat with others in a wide open zone, but also to earn their next set of PvP tier gear via a complex set of capture and hold objectives in the form of altars. Have questions on how this new system will work? Say no more! We've got a full explanation of the brand new system for you right after the break.
Garmin spits out new handheld, touchscreen GPS devices
If you're the outdoorsy, adventurous type, this will no doubt be of interest to you. Garmin's just outed two new touchscreen, handheld GPS devices -- the Oregon 450t and 450. These mid-range devices both boast 3-inch displays, weigh in at in 6.8 ounces, and supposedly get around 16 hours of battery life on their two AA batteries. They also have 850MB of internal storage, microSD card slots, and can store up to 2,000 waypoints, 200 routes, 5,000 caches and a track log of 10,000 points and 200 saved tracks -- good news for avid hikers, no doubt. The main difference between the two units here is that the 450t comes preloaded with topographic maps of the entire United States, with coverage of major trails, urban and rural roads, interstates, highways, coastlines, rivers and lakes, national, state and local parks, forests and wilderness areas. Both units are available to order now on Garmin's site, and the Oregon 450 retails for $399.99, while the 450t will cost you $499.99.
DIY arduino Christmas lights spectacular turns bad taste into... art
We'll freely admit to having a love / hate relationship with Christmas lights and decorations. The sheer gaudiness of it all often turns our "bah humbug" nature inside out, revealing the awe struck "inner child" we hear so much about from people like Martha Stewart and Oprah. Regardless, an artful DIYer's taken the outdoor Christmas lighting game to the next level. Making use of an ioBridge IO-204 module, an Arduino Wave Kit, an Arduino Duemilanove board, solid state relays, and the Oracle Application Express for connectivity, he was able to get his internet controlled light and music show on the road. Check out the final results -- which feature 3,300 mini lights, 3 spotlights, an LED Rope, 4 LEDs, and one magical reindeer -- in the video after the break. Hit the source link for full instructions if you want to get in on the holiday action yourself.
All-weather Satsports GPS handles navigation duties for snow bunnies, other athletes (video)
Ripxx is already targeting athletes-in-training with its GPS-enabled Personal Measurement Device, but it looks as if that very unit may have a little competition. Satsports GPS claims to be the world's first device to combine "true real time interactive navigation for skiing, snowboarding, golfing, running, cycling and automotive enthusiasts in a portable, all-weather device." Granted, it's not like you couldn't get your hands on a rugged navigator before, but the software here is what takes things to another level. It promises athletes real-time routing and data logging, and after your runs are through, you can sync the data with Google Earth to get a good look at what all you just accomplished. As for specs, you'll find a 2.7-inch touchscreen, 400MHz Samsung processor and a microSD expansion card. Oh, and if you're not down with dropping $490 on this, you can opt for the Satski, Pocket Caddy and / or Sports Log apps for WinMo and Android. Check the details in the press release and demo vid after the break.%Gallery-75662%
Runco shows up at CEDIA with loads of projectors and flat screen in tow
Following CEDIA tradition, Runco (oh yes, they were actually here) had plenty to show off, with new projectors and LCDs, apparently enough that we needed two separate rooms for the press conference. We switched rooms to experience the company's new QuantumColor LED-lit Q-750i, combining Luminus Platlight technology with its own engineering to create what it says is unsurpassed performance and unrivaled customization. Its showcased a few new color management wrinkles, customers can have a shot at making green grass pop without skewing other elements starting in November for around $15k. The company also had in store new Crystal Portfolio LCDs, some featuring its OPAL technology for outdoor situations, and a new round of LightStyle series projectors, for the kind of folks who only want to spend five or seven grand on a PJ, while the VideoXtreme line falls somewhere between that and the $100k+ crowd. Also mentioned? The company plans to keep selling its plasmas, even though a certain someone (cough, Pio) has exited the market. Peep the read links for all the details and jaw dropping prices. Read - Runco Unveils the Future of Home Theater Projection (QuantumColor) Read - Runco Introduces Five New Performance LCD Displays Read - Runco Reveals Its Most Affordable VideoXtreme Projectors Read - Runco Sets a Projector Benchmark with its LightStyle Series
Ask Engadget HD: Best outdoor projector setup?
It's that time, even HDTV watchers want to get outside and enjoy the summer -- but how do we get our HDTV kicks outside? We've reached out for suggestions on outdoor flat screen televisions, but our friend Alpha Kanu wrote in with a slightly different question: "I was just curious to know whether you guys have any recommendation for me in terms of a very good out door projector for showing movies in a tropical climate. In addition to that do you know of any compatible system like a DVD, Blu-ray or VHS and DVD that can work with it? Thanks for your answers." So, there you have it, anyone picked up an outdoor projection screen and 1080p PJ to go along with their fireworks show last weekend? If you've got any experience or suggestions, drop a line in the comments. Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.
Garmin launches Dakota line of handheld GPS units for the great outdoors
Garmin's already firmly entrenched in the GPS for outdoorspeople game with its Oregon line of handhelds, and now the company's announced a new series, the Dakotas. Two models -- the 10 and 20, respectively -- have been launched. These bad boys supposedly have a 20 hour battery charge life, a 2.6-inch LCD (diagonally), and store up to 200 tracks. The higher-end Dakota 20 boasts a MicroSD slot, an electronic compass, a barometric altimeter, and wireless data transfer between compatible units. They're expected in the 3rd quarter and will run you $299.99 for the Dakota 10 and $349.99 for the 20. Full press release after the break.[Via GPS Tracklog]
DeLorme kicks out waterproof Earthmate PN-30 GPS device
It was pretty much a year ago to the day when DeLorme released its Earthmate PN-40, and now the outfit is busting out a lower-end unit that could easily be mistaken for the PN-40 from 2008. Indeed, the PN-30 doesn't deviate from its roots, boasting a peanut-shaped waterproof chassis, a 32-channel Cartesio chipset, a daylight readable LCD and maps of the US, Canada and Mexico. It's also sporting a rubberized housing around the edges to keep it safe from minor bumps and bruises; nothing too fancy here, but it ought to bring a smile to the face of all the argonauts in attendance. You can get one headed your way next month for $299.95, and the full release is after the break.
Garmin launches Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t outdoor navigators
Did you seriously shell out to have ARGONAUT plastered on your license plate? Oh, yeah? Listen up. Garmin has just pushed out a new duo of navigators aimed squarely at you, the Oregon 550 and Oregon 550t. Both of the touchscreen-based devices boast a 3.2 megapixel camera, a 3-axis compass, waterproof chassis, 850MB of internal storage and USB connectivity. Each unit packs a 3-inch, sunlight-readable display, two precharged AA NiMH batteries, loads of waypoint storage and the ability to route you while on the road, on the trail or in the wild. The standard 550 is set to arrive with a worldwide basemap in shaded relief for $499.99, while the 550t comes with preloaded topography maps for the entire US for $599.99. The full release is after the break.
