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Panasonic toughens up ruggedized LUMIX DMC-TS2
By Paul Ridden
14:57 February 4, 2010 PST
Panasonic has announced significant improvements in the toughness department with its new 14.1-megapixel LUMIX DMC-TS2. It's now waterproof to even greater depths, can survive being dropped from a height of six feet and winter sports enthusiasts will no doubt be pleased to hear that it can also withstand some seriously chilly temperatures. Read More
Sennheiser and Adidas launch Sports earphone range for active audiophiles
By Alan Brandon
13:56 January 8, 2010 PST
Audio manufacturer Sennheiser and sporting goods giant Adidas have collaborated on a new line of athletics-oriented headphones. Called simply the Sports line, the product range includes four models of rugged sweat- and water-proof headphones designed to fit whatever type of sports activity you are into. Read More
US$249 PocketRadar - a speed measurement tool the size of a mobile phone
By Loz Blain
01:52 January 6, 2010 PST
Speed radar technology has become pretty much ubiquitous for traffic law enforcement around the world, but there are times when you and I would quite like to know how fast something is travelling too. PocketRadar is a hand-held personal speed measurement device about the size of a mobile phone that can get you a speed reading on a car half a mile away (or a baseball 120 feet away) in less than a second from being fully shut down. It's initially targeted at sports fans and athletes, but the company has flagged the possibility of a law enforcement version as well. Read More
GoPro HERO Wide action cam goes high-def
By Ben Coxworth
22:33 December 27, 2009 PST
In the past few years, several companies have started selling tiny, rugged, inexpensive “action” video cameras designed to be mounted on wild-n-crazy vantage points such as mountain bike helmets, hang-gliders or even model rockets (yes, it’s been done). Up until recently, however, a common complaint about these cameras was that their lenses weren’t wide enough to capture all the action. That problem was squarely addressed with the autumn 2008 release of a new camera, the GoPro HERO Wide. Now, GoPro has gone one better by introducing a High-Definition version of that same model. Read More
On running shoe: shock-absorbers for your feet
By Darren Quick
21:39 December 22, 2009 PST
It may be a great form of exercise, but running is a high impact pursuit that places great strain on muscles and tendons. The stress it places on the body forces many runners to hang up their shoes and seek alternative, lower impact forms of exercise. Looking to take the pain out of running, a Swiss engineer set about creating a shoe that enabled the runner to land as soft as if running on sand, and to push off as if running in track shoes. The result is the the On Running Shoe – a shoe that incorporates a unique rubber ring into the sole design to provide a soft landing, while offering firmness and stability on push off. Read More
The USD30K Tazzari ZERO City Sportscar released at Bologna Motor Show
By Gizmag Team
03:13 December 8, 2009 PST
Italian EV maker Tazzari has finally released its long-awaited US$30,000 ZERO electric vehicle at the Bologna Motor Show. The tiny ZERO weighs in at just 540 kg (1195 pounds), has a range of 88 miles, a top speed of 56mph, four different driving modes and requires almost no upkeep. Read More
AlterG M300 Anti-Gravity Treadmill: train or rehabilitate weightlessly
By Jude Garvey
00:16 October 30, 2009 PDT
There are two things that are immediately appealing about the AlterG M300 treadmill. The first is being able to maintain fitness levels whilst nursing an injury, and the second is that you’ll feel as light as a feather whilst working out. The M300 allows people to run or walk at a reduced body weight of up to 80 percent, while the differential air pressure technology assists by applying a comfortable lifting force to the body. By reducing the body weight, there is less impact on the muscles and joints, and people are able to move more naturally and without pain. Read More
Cyberbike brings an exercise bike to Wii’s growing army of peripherals
By Paul Lester
17:40 October 14, 2009 PDT
Most sane people would agree that cardiovascular exercise is a pretty boring way to get fit and, unless you’re working out with a friend, a little extra visual stimulation would rarely go amiss. The Nintendo Wii has already had a decent crack at bringing a bit of fun to boring routines with the Wii Fit and EA Sports Active, and seems to have picked up one of the minigames from the latter as the subject of its latest peripheral revolution. Read More
MAX: An almost Lotus that runs on vegetable oil
By Paul Ridden
05:05 October 7, 2009 PDT
Even before entering the Progressive Automotive X-Prize competition, Jack McCornack had started to pull together all the things needed to knock out a sporty two-seater car capable of achieving 100 miles per gallon. Fueled by the desire to make his creation a template for others to repeat and determined to bring it together within a strict budget, the race was on to bring MAX into the world - a Lotus Seven replica which just happens to run on vegetable oil. Paul Ridden traces the history of this fascinating project. Read More
Turn up the heat (literally) with Columbia’s Bugaboot Thermo Hiking Boots
By Jude Garvey
21:19 October 6, 2009 PDT
Winter sports offer all manner of exhilarating and exhausting possibilities - from negotiating seriously difficult trails, to mountain trekking or adrenaline-producing snowmobiling. But what if your boots aren’t up to the job, and you have to confess to your fellow hikers that you can’t go on because your feet are too cold? Enter Columbia’s Bugaboot Thermo Hiking Boots - the first hiking boots to integrate a three-temperature heating system to provide protection from the cold…and scornful looks from your hiking buddies. Read More
Populous unveils stunning design for 2014 Winter Olympic Stadium
By Jude Garvey
10:37 October 1, 2009 PDT
Global design company Populous has been selected to design the main stadium for the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in Sochi, Russia. It will seat up to 40,000 people and is expected to incorporate a number of eco-friendly features. Echoing the striking Beijing Olympic swimming venue, the exterior of the stadium will be sheathed in a crystalline skin which will be translucent during the day and come alive at night with the color and spectacle we have come to expect from modern-day Olympics. Read More
The slim-line, funked-up Bullitt cargo-bike
By Paul Ridden
09:47 September 17, 2009 PDT
Danish duo Larry vs Harry have taken the obviously functional but visually uninspiring cargo-bike and given it a funky makeover. Notable for a streamlined design that's not much wider than your average bicycle and weighing as little as 22kg, the Bullitt range sports jumbo-sized hardened aluminum tubing, top quality gears, hydraulic braking and puncture-proof tires with an added dash of iconic branding. Cue the 1970s soundtrack! Read More
Honda announces Dual Clutch Transmission for large-displacement sport motorcycles
By Gizmag Team
00:46 September 8, 2009 PDT
Dual Clutch Transmissions (DCT) are still a relatively rare breed, though in the past few years we have been inundated with them in high end automobiles. By using a separate clutch for odd and even gears, gears can be changed without interrupting power by applying the engine's torque to the next gear just as it is being disconnected from the previous one. This enables quicker and smoother gear changes and delivers better fuel economy while reducing emissions. Honda’s newly-announced, fully-automatic motorcycle DCT is a first for large-displacement sport bikes and will debut on the new VFR set for release in 2010. Read More
Train hard with Garmin's new Edge 500 GPS navigator
By Paul Ridden
19:55 September 6, 2009 PDT
If you're a professional distance cyclist or even a dedicated off-road pleasure rider and you need an edge over your competitors or friends, then Garmin's new GPS navigator for cyclists could be just up your street. Weighing just 2oz, the low profile Edge 500 has an easy-fit bike mount and can assist with training by tracking a rider's distance, speed, location, elevation and can even wirelessly monitor pedal strokes per minute and heart rate. Read More
Mini Coupe Concept revealed for 50th birthday celebrations
By Jeff Salton
19:19 September 1, 2009 PDT
Mini celebrated its 50th birthday on August 26, 2009 with BMW announcing it will unveil the very sleek Mini Coupe Concept at the forthcoming Frankfurt Motor Show (17-27 September). This two-seater will happily take the most powerful engine currently available in the Mini range (the 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbocharged power unit carried over from the 2010 Mini John Cooper Works), with a maximum output of 155kW/211hp and peak torque of 260Nm/192lb-ft. Through the Overboost function, this increases to 280Nm/206lb-ft. for a short burst. Add to that its improved aerodynamics and it’s no wonder BMW is confident that this model Mini will deliver the best ever performance. Read More
CR-Z sports hybrid to hit showrooms next year
04:55 July 15, 2009 PDT
Honda has announced that the CR-Z sports hybrid will be available for sale in Japan from January of next year. First unveiled as a concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007, the two-door sports hybrid is powered by Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, which combines a small gasoline engine with supplementary power from a built-in electric motor. Read More
BMW X1 to hit market in October
20:09 July 5, 2009 PDT
There’s no doubt that when BMW promises, it delivers. Last year we reported from the Paris Motor Show on the unveiling of the Concept X1, which BMW promised to have to market in 12 months. And, sure enough, one year later here it is: BMW’s first compact SUV (essentially it’s an X5 shrunk to a more city-friendly size) with a choice of two- or four-wheel drive and the first in the X series to have Auto Start-Stop. Read More
Pool-Mate goes stroke for stroke with swimming's best
By Paul Best
19:11 June 9, 2009 PDT
For swimmers and triathletes in training or racing, keeping a tab on laps is tedious, but also it can be easy to lose track at times, especially as you tire. Plus there are frankly better things to think about while you’re working out in the pool. British company Swimovate has come up with a swimming computer, worn like a wristwatch, which takes the mental work out of keeping a lap count. But being a smart bit of tech, the Pool-Mate does a heap more besides. Read More
Radical tissue scaffold to treat knee injuries
By Darren Quick
23:21 May 16, 2009 PDT
Damage to knee cartilage is one of the more common types of sports injuries. Treatment often involves drilling a hole through the cartilage into the bone to stimulate the bone marrow to release stem cells, transplanting cartilage and the underlying bone from another part of the joint, or removing cartilage cells from the body, stimulating them to grow in the lab and re-implanting them. Now MIT engineers have built a new tissue scaffold that can stimulate bone and cartilage growth when transplanted into knees and other joints, potentially offering a more effective, less expensive – and painful – option to more conventional therapies. Read More
Suunto's new heart rate monitors - laboratory on a wrist
By Darren Quick
18:41 May 14, 2009 PDT
Elite athletes know that training smarter is much better than training harder, and to do that you need to know exactly what's happening in your body. Suunto has introduced its new Triathlon collection heart rate monitors which measure the time interval between heartbeats and its variations to produce seven different body parameters as well as analyze these readings to provide the information needed to maximize their training efforts. Read More
VholdR ContourHD: world first wearable camcorder shoots HD video
21:30 April 27, 2009 PDT
Action camera specialist VholdR looks to have pulled out all stops with its latest offering - the ContourHD Wearable Camcorder. Billed as the world’s first and lightest HD wearable camcorder, the ContourHD shoots widescreen, 1280x720 HD quality video at 30 frames per second, sports a new 135 degrees lens, a new internal microphone and an innovative twin laser shot alignment system, all wrapped in a self-contained, ruggedized package that weighs just 4 ounces. Read More
Bone-Conduction and Infrared FINIS AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor for swimmers
By Mike Hanlon
18:34 April 21, 2009 PDT
We have already professed our love for the Finis Swimmers Snorkel, eulogized about the antidote to lap-grinding boredom known as the bone-conduction SwiMP3 underwater music player and now we're gonna do it all over again for the USD$140 AquaPulse heart rate monitor, a workout accessory for swimmers wishing to optimize their water-based exercise routine through heart rate training. Are we just raging fanboys? No, we do however rejoice in the logical and practical application of technology to enable new and better ways of doing things, and Finis will again deliver just that (in May). Read More
The Airnimal folding bike suitcase that becomes a bike trailer
By Mike Hanlon
17:08 April 18, 2009 PDT
April 19, 2009 There are more than 130 folding bike manufacturers and all of them produce bicycles designed as supplementary transport – designed to be carried in a vehicle for last mile transport, or on a train, plane, boat or bus as ground transport on arrival. Accordingly, most come with their own carry bag, but the latest prototype concept from Airnimal promises a new level of functionality. The concept involves the hard carry case doubling as a bike trailer with a significant carrying capacity. It's a perfect solution for the traveller … almost. We'd like to see another suitcase which clips onto the trailer so you can carry your other stuff. Read More
Garmin update Forerunner fitness watch range
By Jude Garvey
01:42 April 3, 2009 PDT
Garmin will release two updated Forerunner fitness watches this Summer, the 310XT and the 405CX. Both come equipped with the latest GPS technology and can be synced wirelessly to the user’s PC or Mac so workout data can be automatically downloaded. Performance information can be acquired by simply tapping the bezel, calorific consumption is calculated by the user's heart rate and the user can even challenge a virtual partner to a workout. Read More
Mercedes AMG builds a new Gullwing
By David Greig
01:22 March 13, 2009 PDT
For the first time in its 40 year history, the Mercedes-Benz performance brand AMG has developed a vehicle completely in-house: the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. This "super sports car" takes an AMG 6.3-litre V8 front-mid engine developing 420 kW/571 hp peak output, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and sports suspension with aluminum double wishbones, wraps it in an aluminum spaceframe and throws in a set of always-in-style gullwing doors. The combination of the company's first ever use of an aluminum chassis and body frame coupled with lightweight, high-strength components such as a carbon-fiber driveshaft delivers a kerb weight of just 1620 kilograms and a power-to-weight ratio of 2.84 kg/hp. Provisional performance figures put acceleration at 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds with a top speed of 315 kmh. Read More
Mr Stiffy
- February 9, 2010 @ 06:26 UTC
