Weatherproof

There are lots of options for enjoying outdoor audio whatever the weather, including TDK's Wireless Weatherproof Speaker, the Eco Terra Boombox and Braven's Bluetooth speakers. If you're looking for a permanent speaker installation, though, high-end audio specialist Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) says its new AM-1 Architectural Monitors are a little different from standard wall-mounted, weatherproof loudspeakers.  Read More

Two years after launching its flagship K-5 DSLR camera, Pentax has announced a successor. The Mark II features the company's latest generation image sensor, an LCD display with no air gap between the panel and glass, and a newly-developed low-light-friendly autofocus sensor that promises increased AF accuracy when using fast lenses.  Read More

TDK chose IFA 2012 to showcase the next step in the evolution of its Life on Record range of audio products. The new Boombox and Sound Cube models include Bluetooth technology for wireless audio streaming from mobile devices, and have been joined by a weatherproofed portable speaker.  Read More

Many of today's deskbound workers regularly head to the gym to try and keep the fat from clinging to their waistlines. For those who are also fond of the great outdoors, a UK company has developed and installed over 250 open air exercise areas across the country. The latest addition to a product catalog featuring robust, weather-proof versions of exercise machines you might find in any modern indoor gym is the world's first energy-harvesting outdoor gym called the TGO Green Heart. As users burn off the calories on the free-to-use cross trainer, hand bike, fitness bike and recumbent bike, the company's proprietary technology harvests all that people power and converts it into useable electricity.  Read More

Carrying spare tubes and extra clothes for cycling, transporting a laptop, books and files to the office and lugging camera gear ... those are just a few random examples of things that you might need a backpack for on any given day. Typically, you might need to get a separate backpack for each activity or series of activities, but Mission Workshop's Arkiv Field backpack utilizes modular compartments to transform into the pack you need every time. One backpack can take on limitless functions without compromise.  Read More

Engineer Peter Dering says that when he was unable to find a commercially-available clip for his digital SLR (DSLR) that would allow him to safely secure it to his belt yet make it instantly accessible, he designed and created his own. After attaching a plate to the bottom of a camera and then clamping the Capture Camera Clip's main chassis to a belt or bag strap, users can grab and shoot the DSLR as quick as a gunslinger from a cheesy Western and get the snap that might otherwise have been missed. A few weeks after securing production funding through Kickstarter, the device has now attracted the attention of the folks over at Photojojo and been added to its arsenal of must-have camera accessories.  Read More

While headphones are a great way to enjoy music while out and about, they don’t let you impose your musical tastes on share your musical tastes with those around you. Sitting a boombox on your shoulder might solve the problem but we think the Music Strap is a much more convenient and shoulder-friendly option. It is a mini speaker system that attaches to the straps of any backpack to let you whistle along to your favorite tunes as you walk, bike, ski or basically do anything that can be done while wearing a backpack.  Read More

As public consultation starts on ways to reduce and replace fuel-burning lighting around the globe, Nokero has announced a solar-powered LED solution aimed squarely at disaster areas and the developing world. The rugged, rainproof N100 is about the same size as a standard lightbulb but requires no electricity and offers users around two hours of bright light in exchange for a day's worth of sun.  Read More

Panasonic has announced a new field-ready addition to its Toughbook range, the Toughbook H1 Field tablet computer. Built with highly mobile professionals in mind, the new weatherproof and shockproof model benefits from a dual battery setup that should help ensure power is always available, a sunlight-visible touchscreen interface, reinforced solid state storage and a molded hand grip for extra comfort.  Read More