Powerboards

We first wrote about the DTV Shredder late last year - a wild, go-anywhere cross between a Segway and a powerboard, with twin tank tracks and a steering/control column to hang on to as you blast through the underbrush at frightening speed. Well, it seems like many fun extreme sports ideas, the Shredder may end up being co-opted by the military. And to that end, DTV has designed the Jackal - a hybrid-drive, weather and waterproof, militarised version of the Shredder that's fitted with twin grenade launchers and a full remote control system that allows it to operate as an unmanned ground vehicle. The Jackal can sneak silently across contested areas in fully electric drive modeand lay an explosive smackdown on hidden enemies with no risk to live soldiers.  Read More

Two years ago, we had a look at the Scarpar - a twin-tracked, high speed all terrain powerboard that seemed like a promising power toy. Well, we've just spoken to Scarpar CEO Andrew Fern, who has confirmed that this unique vehicle is going into production later this year, and he's taking deposits as of now. Basically everything on the board has been changed since the last prototype we saw - it now runs an independent electric motor in each of the two articulating tracks, and the hand-held throttle and brake unit is now wireless. And as Fern describes after the jump, getting it to a production-ready point has been a herculean effort; his design team more or less had to create their own realm of engineering theory to deal with such an unprecedented set of vehicle dynamics. The following interview is a fascinating look into the development cycle of a new product. Most importantly though, the Scarpar still looks like extreme fun, and a remarkable way to launch yourself into the foliage.  Read More

Sometimes you come across a product that makes you sit back and go “FiiK”. In the past we have covered electric skateboards, off road skateboards, even all terrain boards but a combination of fun, tech, design and street cred has always been elusive. Two brothers on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia have managed to meld these elements together with their electric skateboards. The company is called FiiK “Future Is In Knowledge”, a nod to their ongoing design refinement which began over 10 years ago with a small two stroke motor strapped to a skateboard. The product has evolved to a skateboard with a magnetic motor, a digital wireless throttle control system, ABS braking system and a ton of urban chic.  Read More

As winter continues its icy grip on the northern reaches of the planet, cabin fever may cause some of us to rethink our policy of staying indoors until spring. If you don’t live near the mountains, however, many of the winter outdoor activities available to you might seem kind of ... tame. Some people buy snowmobiles, although such vehicles require a truck or trailer for transportation, can be expensive, and are generally “more machine” than a lot of people want. Such individuals might instead be interested in the Skizee – a powered tread that pushes skiers across the snow at speeds of up to 35 kph (22 mph).  Read More

If you like the idea of zipping across the landscape on a stand-up tracked vehicle, but find the likes of the DTV Shredder and Scarpar just a little too intimidating, then you might like the Mattracks Powerboard. Designed specifically for use on snow, the device features one continuous snowmobile-type rubber track on the bottom, that is powered by a mid-mounted 200CC 4-cycle gas engine. Delivering a top speed of 18mph (29kph), this thing probably isn’t going to be appearing in any sports drink ads anytime soon, but it still looks like it could be fun.  Read More

It's rare that you see a whole new segment open up in personal mobility - and this one looks like an absolute cracker. The Scarpar Powerboard is an off-road powered skateboard capable of taking on pretty much any terrain other than water. An electric or 4-stroke petrol engine powers two articulated tank-style tracks up to a terrifying 60kmh, using a hand control for acceleration and braking. Mud, grass, sand, snow - the Scarpar is capable of driving over just about anything, including rock piles and even fallen logs. Calling venture capitalists - get this thing to market!  Read More

August 28, 2007 The Quadcharge is an inexpensive, all in one hub that allows you to charge four devices simultaneously whilst decreasing the number of AC adaptors that need to be connected to a power source, while at the same time cleaning up the tangled web of cords that otherwise pervade your kitchen bench-top or home office space.  Read More

February 28, 2006 Don’tya just love a simple and clever solution. One of the legacy items in every home that just never seems to get updated is the electrical wall outlet or power socket or whatever you call it. Designed in the dark ages before low voltage transformers and other humungous devices became commonplace, we’ve seen an elegant solution for a powerboard in the Powersquid but we haven’t seen an elegant solution to overcome this problem for the wall outlet until this revolutionary re-take by 360 Electrical. The concept is simple – the new wall outlets have receptacles that rotate a full 360 degrees in both directions. The receptacles click and hold in 18 different positions, enabling you to find a way to plug in those big fat problem plugs without eclipsing the next outlet. “The idea and patent came from a real world problem. For professional reasons, I was carrying two cell phones and was getting frustrated that I could not charge them simultaneously in the same outlet because of their large plugs,” recalls Kimberly Gerard, 360 Electrical’s president.  Read More

November 19, 2005 Controlling the under-the-desk clutter is a problem now that so many objects require a power supply. and that's where the PowerSquid design is such a fundamental breakthrough. How many times have you cursed at one of the power-boards that live under your desk? Power-boards or power-strips were at first a GodSend when they were invented, but as a species, they have never really evolved much and until now have remained quite basic in their design. The Flexity PowerSquid Surge Protector, the latest product from the inventors of the PowerSquid, offers the logical next step in the evolution of the power strip and anyone who has ever covered up two outlets on their power-board with a power transformer will understand the advantages. The cephalopod design incorporates flexible arms for the female outlets which can easily accommodate transformer plugs without wasting any outlets, provide greater reach and flexibility, and they’re easier to plug and unplug than traditional power boards. Now it has a new sibling with a built-in surge protector – we think this is a better mousetrap, conceived by stepping outside the box-like approach of all of its predecessors. It has reinvented the moribund power delivery category for modern, mobile lifestyles. Now, what should a third generation power delivery device offer?  Read More