Outdoors

June 16, 2006 There’s something about tending a barbeque that makes it difficult to be unhappy which probably accounts for why the practice of tailgating gets more popular each year. So popular in fact that in recent times it seems to have spawned an array of purpose-built devices from a complete US$10,000 gourmet kitchen in trailer form, through the comprehensively appointed US$3000 Chill-n-Grill tailgate set that comes with a cooker, cooler CD player, radio and integrated speakers. Freedom Grill’s business model seems to be dedicated to turning the whole world into everyone’s backyard, and they took the concept one step further with the extremely popular US$800 detachable, vehicle-mounted FG-100 that was perfect for SUVs, Pickups, and RVs. But US$800 is still a lot of money, so we’re chuffed that they’ve developed a proletarian model with almost the same functionality and a US$300 price.  Read More

June 2, 2006 The US$75 Yelpie is a Portable Outdoor Security Device that allows users the secure their belongings at the beach, camping, fishing, swimming pool, sporting fields, gymnasiums etc – all those places where someone can target your belongings while your back is momentarily turned. The Yelpie is a portable personal, lightweight, electronic safe about the size of a shoebox. Users place their valuables inside, and enter a PIN number to lock and arm it, then Motion sensors inside detect unauthorized movement and emit a continuous 90 decibel alarm if it is moved. It’s an ingenious solution to an old problem. Yelpie is seeking distributors in all countries and has an exciting range of security products to solve everyday problems under development.  Read More

May 12, 2006 Given the seemingly increasing number of natural disasters in the world in recent times, the new LifeLocater could prove to be very handy for search and rescue teams in detecting live victims buried in debris created by avalanches, mudslides, building debris and other disaster wreckage. LifeLocator uses advanced ultra wideband (UWB) technology to quickly locate trapped victims who are moving or breathing. Motion can be detected up to 20 feet away and breathing is indicated up to 15 feet away from the sensor.  Read More

May 8, 2006 The advent of the portable stove enabled many things, not the least being a significant relief of the hardships endured by soldiers, campers and adventurers. When first patented in 1884, the Primus stove was a breakthrough and more than 50 million stoves were sold before the design was substantially changed for the first time in 1960. Nowadays, there’s a lot of choice in portable stoves but the new US$73 Coleman Fold ’N Go two-burner clamshell is the first of a new breed. It is approximately 25 percent more compact than traditional two burners, designed to be easier to carry and stow yet deliver uncompromising power and performance. Full-size cooking power is delivered via two burners, each rated at 10,000 Btu and fully adjustable from a fine simmer to full-throttle boiling and frying speed. The burners are spaced 13 inches apart to allow the use of large skillets and pots, offering versatile cooking options in camp, at tailgate parties, on picnics or the patio.  Read More

April 1, 2006 The words green and cool have traditionally not occurred in the same sentence but the Solio portable solar charger indisputably earns both adjectives. The Solio is one of the most elegant solutions for extending handheld operation outdoors given that roughly one billion handheld battery-powered devices will be sold this year and rechargable batteires need a power outlet. The Solio achieves maximum solar panel area in a minimum of space, captures energy from the sun or a traditional power outlet in its integrated Lithium Ion battery, and will top up the herbs on an Apple iPod, mobile phones, digital cameras, PDAs and portable games consoles with its interchangeable tip system.  Read More

April 1, 2006 The Polaris Outlaw hit the showroom floor recently with an innovation unmatched by any current Quad bike. The Outlaw is the only sport ATV on the market with independent rear suspension and the importance of keeping driving wheels in contact with the ground makes this a significant competitive advantage. The Outlaw’s PRO IRS gives greater control and higher speed capability over rough terrain by smoothing out ruts and bumps and the anti-sway bar provides the handling of a straight axle in the corners. With 29.2cm of ground clearance, the Outlaw offers more than anything else in the segment with more than twice the clearance of some straight axle quads.  Read More

March 30, 2006 Altec Lansing announced the newest addition to its inMotion family of portable audio products earlier this week, calling the new iM9, “the SUV of portable iPod speakers.” Its hardy shell and backpack-style carrying case allow the iM9 to shrug off the bumps and bruises of an active lifestyle. And, while the iM9 was designed to act as a rugged companion, it also was engineered to deliver a more powerful, richer sound experience in any environment.  Read More

March 12, 2006 “Mr. Bond, this jacket takes some beating! Its wearer can be tracked down in real time using the high-precision GPS (Global Positioning System) - even inside buildings.” It’s easy to picture Q helping 007 slip on the jacket but in fact it’s not a work of fiction but a new product developed by German company GPSoverIP GmbH and partner Interactive Wear AG. At CeBIT this week, the companies took the wraps off the new jacket to prove that fashionable textiles and state-of-the-art electronics go hand in hand. The jacket is a concept at this stage, and the real gem at the GPSoverIP stand is a new position-finding technology, particularly for vehicle position-finding, in the shape of a GPSoverIP (Global Positioning System over Internet Protocol) web service. This innovative solution any number of moveable or moving objects (even in buildings) worldwide every second and at a very low fixed price.  Read More

March 7, 2006 The Dixie Chopper Xtreme is the world’s fastest lawnmower. It has a 990cc 33-hp engine with the capability to mow grass at 15mph. Given it can take either a 60 or 72 inch cut, that’s a lawnmower capable of mowing a football field in under ten minutes or turn 8.7 acres of grass into lawn every hour all day. Each year in the United States, there are nearly two million ride-on lawnmowers sold, and in recent years the ride-on mower market has shifted from primarily professional turf care to now more than 60% consumer. At the outer edge of the professional market though, sits the US$10,000 Dixie Chopper Xtreme and the reputation it is building is enabling the company to sell high spec lawnmowers to consumers with lots of lawn.  Read More