Outdoors

August 5, 2007 Several factors can detract from a relaxing day at the beach – sunburn, bugs, and sudden gusts of wind taking your umbrella away. But while sunscreen and bug repellent are useful against the former two irritations, they form a less than effective protection against wind guided umbrella missiles. A solution to this problem is offered byThe Original Sandgrabber, a device designed to secure beach umbrellas very firmly to the ground, making beach holidays safer and eliminating the hassle of playing umbrella chasey.  Read More

May 11, 2007 High on the list of “big bummers to avoid” in the coming months is running out of propane mid-meal during a backyard barbecue or tailgate party. With this in mind, Gagetek has developed a US$30 electronic propane tank scale which should ensure it never happens again. Using a simple, one-button design with LED lights that alert the user to the amount of propane left in the tank and when it’s time to refill, the new electronic propane tank scale is designed for standard 20 and 30 lb. propane tanks commonly used on most barbecues, outdoor heaters and RVs. Powered by two AA batteries, the durable device weighs less than two pounds is claimed to be highly accurate.  Read More

May 2, 2007 The concept and amenity of public spaces is evolving and we particularly like this melding of art and public space. Hollywood (Florida) residents now have access to a fascinating new public art/recreation area, built on the concept of integrating landscape and art. Glavovic Studio recently unveiled the ArtsPark at Young Circle, a new public art project that takes the form of a ten-acre circular park.  Read More

April 26, 2007 Keep track of your kids on the slopes - or compete for top-speed snowboard bragging rights with a tiny and very affordable device in your pocket. Snowsports Interactive is perfecting their Flaik GPS-based safety, performance and asset management platform for ski resorts, and will launch the system in Australia and Canada with the start of each hemisphere's 2007 ski season.  Read More

March 9, 2007 If most of your life turns to mud without electricity, and you don’t have a Plan B in case the electricity runs out, consider Honda’s new EU6500is portable generator. The EU6500is is the latest evolution of the EU generator model series and benefits from development in the areas of output, noise, size and fuel consumption. Producing 6,500 volt amperes (watts) of power, the EU6500is is the perfect solution to a variety of power needs. Due to its large power output, exceptional fuel efficiency, clean power output and super quiet operation, it is perfectly suited to provide crucial home back-up power during a blackout or other power emergency. The EU6500is is equally at home on a worksite, campsite or for RV camping and tailgating due to its excellent portability and compact design.  Read More

March 8, 2007 One of the more interesting developments of improved communications via the internet is the way in which new sports become viable because geographically-disparate but like-minded people can be formed into a community. One such phenomena is the urban adventure racing - a part urban obstacle course, part scavenger hunt race that is open to anyone over the age of 18, and features teams of two racing around a major city to complete a series of unique physical, mental, and humorous challenges and return to the finish line in the fastest time. City Chase was created and launched in Canada in 2004 and made an immediate impact, expanding to a national event series with a national prime-time TV series covering events in Canada’s nine largest cities in 2005. It was named Canada’s best sporting event in 2005 and 2006 and last year the first world championships were held in Chicago. This year CityChase kicks off on March 17 in Sydney (Australia), where 500 teams are expected to compete, followed by events in Portugal, Spain, France, Singapore, England, the USA and Canada. Teams typically consist of seasoned runners who don’t mind doing the hard yards – check out the Chicago world championship course which covered 30 kilometres and required the fastest team 33 hours to complete.  Read More

March 8, 2007 Simple and effective and incredibly useful. The US$60 HOT JUGZ portable shower offers a hot, long-lasting, portable shower. As it uses human power, it can be operated anywhere, and because it weighs just 4lb, it’s easy to get it there. Hot Jugz Showers will run for over two minutes on just 15-20 pumps and with over two gallons capacity, the shower can last up to 16 minutes. The idea is that you fill up the insulated jug with hot water and it will remain warm for extended periods of time (six hours for the Commando unit and four hours for the cheaper US$50 unit). This makes it ideal for sports, camping, hunting, giving the dog a wash before it gets in the car and will even serve as a car or boat wash. It’s a kinda cool and very useful promotional item to boot, as they can be ordered in a variety of colours with your company's logo. Via Gizmodo  Read More

March 7, 2007 Named after that famous weapon of war, the Gatling Gun, the GatLight is part objet d’art, part tactile companion and almost coincidentally is one of the most powerful, compact and functional flashlights available. Lumencraft specialises in designing and manufacturing high end pocket flashlights and their latest evolution of their flagship product, the GatLight V3, made of aerospace grade titanium and carbon fibre composites is just a joy to look at. Since every GatLight is custom made to order, the Gatlight V3 has an estimated delivery time of 3 months with pricing between US$295 and US$370 for the all-titanium version.  Read More

February 28, 2007 BRP has launched a new ultra-light REV-XP platform for its Ski-Doo snowmobiles which were already the lightest on the market. The new platform yields a snowmobile that is 10-15% lighter (about 50 lbs/23 kg) than its current REV-based models, while the chassis is 37% stronger. Every element of the platform was redesigned for lighter weight without compromising durability and the result is that the 2008 MX Z Adrenaline 600 H.O. SDI will weigh in at just 194 kilograms, compared to the 2007 model which weighs 217 kilograms with all other comparable machinery from competitors running between 220 and 242 kilograms. The new platform made its public debut last weekend as an Open Mod race sled at the WPSA Grand Prix de Valcourt sno-cross race, where it won both the Pro and Semi-Pro Open classes. Racing was a critical part of the development process, with Sno-cross racer Blair Morgan proclaiming, "the change is an even bigger one than the first REV platform.”  Read More