Foldable ski and skin combination eliminates splitboards from the backcountry equation
While splitboards continue to grow in popularity, the technology involved has generally remained stagnant, leaving riders on a compromised board lacking the performance they often need in the backcountry. As a solution, two snowboard industry veterans have come up with MTN Approach, a foldable skin and ski combination that easily fits into a backpack at the end of the ascent. While you’ve still got to “earn your turns”, the traditionally cambered skis feature permanently affixed climbing skins and cross country-inspired bindings to improve efficiency and reduce fatigue while touring.
At just 140cm long when extended and roughly 21″ folded, the 3.5lb skis fit neatly into the MTN Approach backpack, keeping the weight against the back—one’s center of gravity—and out of the way during the descent. While it’s questionable whether the skis will hold up to extreme abuse, the folding hinge is made of durable fiberglass-filled nylon with a hardened aluminum cam, and the poplar wood ski core features capped construction and full metal edges to perform like a traditional all-mountain ski while traversing.
While all the specs are appealing, the biggest thing the system offers is the freedom to ride any board in your quiver. Rather than being limited to one shape as with a traditional splitboard, the MTN Approach backpack allows the wearer to carry any board comfortably in multiple positions, ready to ride once the goods have been reached.
To better understand each design detail in the MTN Approach system their site offers a handful of descriptive videos alongside numerous endorsements from some of the most reputable names in snowboarding. The MTN Approach system—skis, packpack and backcountry shuvel—sells directly for $795.
Snow Peak’s latest outdoor light uses gravity to determine its illuminated focal length
Always a step ahead of the rest in the niche outdoor tech industry, Snow Peak makes intuitive and aesthetically focused backpacking gear and adventure-driven accessories. Building on the strength of products like their titanium iphone case, the Tulip Lantern brings a new level of intelligence to portable lighting with a simple design.
Much like the SnowMiner headlamp, the Tulip Lantern can produce a focused or broad stream of light, but in this case, the variation is controlled by gravity. The lantern automatically changes from a narrow beam when hanging to a more ambient glow when placed upright. The pliable, snake-like stem can be adjusted to produce both settings in both positions, making for a perfectly lit camp site.
Producing up to 250 lumens with more than 100 hours of battery life (when set on low), the powerful little lantern will be available 9 March, 2012 from Snow Peak online for $150.
Nano-copters work together to make music in this amazing video from TED
Professor Vijay Kumar from GRASP, the robotics laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, just wrapped up a fantastic TED Talk on his robotics work. Using custom-built quad rotor nano-copters, Kumar’s team demonstrated the agility, versatility and programmable awareness of these small drone-like devices. Kumar’s work is focused on creating robots that can work together to achieve a common goal or complete a task. Kumar closed his talk out with the first public viewing of a stunning video depicting his flying robots working in unison to perform a rendition of the James Bond theme music. Kumar’s work on the ability of robots to function as a team, both in making music and flying in formation has impressive implications for the future of functional robotic technology.
Music recorded from EEG waves helps to heal tsunami victims
In the wake of last year’s devastating tsunami, artist Masaki Batoh sought to address the emotional wreckage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The multi-talented Batoh has combined two decades of acupuncture work with his career as head of the musical group Ghost to create an album dedicated to those affected by the event. Dropping tomorrow, Brain Pulse Music (BPM) sets traditional spiritual tracks alongside music recorded from the brain waves of patients.
“Music and acupuncture treatment are really one and the same to me, an extension of my spiritual expression,” explains Batoh. “It’s a very natural thing.” The musician wanted to produce an album that would help the healing process in the same way that acupuncture relieves stress. “The Japanese were hurt and beaten down by the great quake, very frequent aftershocks, no fuel at gas stations, no safe food and the explosions of nuclear reactors hit by the quake and tsunami,” he recounts. “This is the requiem for dead and alive victims.”
Two of the tracks on the album were created by recording signals from a modified EEG machine. The songs are purely improvisational, created by non-musicians in therapy-session settings. This method comes from Ghost’s history of using improvisation, during which band members would be kept in separate compartments to minimize communication. Batoh specializes in treating developmentally disabled patients, and the machine is designed to help them normalize brain levels. By providing an audible response to cognitive changes, they are able to learn to gain some control over their mental activity.
The machine itself involves a headgear sensor that communicates with a motherboard. EEG waves are sent via radio to the motherboard, which outputs the signal as a sound image. Eventually, the “performer” learns to control the signal and can actually create music from their mind. The goal is to quiet the mind to a meditative state and allow the sensors to interpret the slight pulsations from the brain. Created by an electric pedalboard company, the custom-built machine is modeled off of medical EEG recording equipment.
The other tracks on the album come from the Kumano manuscript, Batoh’s name for his replications of religious melodies heard in his youth near the sacred Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route. Hoping to effect positive change in the recovery of his countrymen, Batoh is donating profits from BPM towards a fund for orphaned children. Additionally, the Brain Pulse Machine has been reproduced and is available for purchase.
Check out the video of Batoh’s BPM Machine at work, along with the two brain wave tracks from the album.
Sneakers embedded with pressure sensors and accelerometers bring all-new opportunities for athletic performance tracking
Originally unveiled in 2006, Nike+ has grown to a committed community of over six million digitally connected users. To build upon this concrete foundation Nike has today announced the Nike+ basketball and training shoes embedded with pressure sensors and accelerometers to collect previously unmeasurable, movement-based statistics across multiple levels of speed and agility. The groundbreaking technology is the next step in building a robust ecosystem, in compliment with the innovative Nike FuelBand and specialized Nike+ mobile apps. While these first shoes and apps are focused on basketball and training, this massive innovation represents the beginning of an entirely new chapter in sport measurement and motivation.
The first sneakers to feature the sensor technology are the Hyperdunk+ basketball shoe and the Lunar Hyperworkout+ and Lunar TR1+ training shoes. In all three shoes four embedded sensors—toe, heel, ball and outer foot—work with an internal accelerometer to accurately measure movement and relay stats to your iPhone wirelessly. The three-axis accelerometer and Bluetooth sensor are contained in a removable disc that lasts for about 40 hours between charges, which are achieved using the included USB adapter. An innovation from Nike’s “Kitchen,” this measurement technology isn’t new—it has been used extensively in design research to better understand how athletes move. The revolution comes from the company’s ability to bring this innovation to consumers in a usable and exciting form.
While the sensor arrays are the same in all shoes, the Nike+ apps the data is sent to provide the different approaches to tracking, motivation and sharing data. Nike+ Basketball lets you know how high you jump, how quick you run, and how hard you play. In addition to these precise stats a universal NikeFuel score is captured—all allowing the user to compare to previous games plus general exercise with their friends.
The Nike+ Training platform takes the same approach, quantifying each and every movement, shuffle, step, lunge and jump. For training, however, the app features videos of pro athletes coaching you through a series of workouts dynamically sequenced based on your fitness goals. The data captured from these workouts not only provides the measurement necessary to set new goals and improve, but also statistics to share with friends or competitors.
All the data gathered is meant not only to impress but to inspire. By making a workout into something close to a game, feelings will positively shift to improve performance and dedication. To fully understand what the latest Nike+ advancements mean for the company, consider President and CEO Mark Parker’s general but bold statement: “It’s about much more than a shoe. It represents a shift for Nike from product, to product plus experience.”
The Nike+ Pressure Sensor enabled Hyperdunk+, Hyperworkout+ and Lunar TR1+ will debut in specialty shops come 29 June, 2012.
Award-winning USB adapter reduces size of bulky British power plug design by 70%
Designed in 1947, the British plug firmly holds its place as one of the world’s largest three-pin power interfaces, escaping the grips of design innovation with the equally clunky editions continuously rolled out. Now, however, product designer and illustrator Min-Kyu Choi of Made in Mind has created The Mu—a folding USB adapter with a minimal, refined design that reduces overall object size by more than 70%.
The streamlining is achieved with a rotating central pin that allows the adapter to fold flat for travel and storage. This clever, space-saving innovation earned The Mu the title of Product Design of the Year and Overall Design of the Year from the 2010 Brit Insurance Design Awards. Even the packaging on the sleek, white Mu is slender and attractive.
Much anticipated, The Mu launches today, 17 February, for £25.
The latest ways to enhance game play with your smartphone or tablet
With additional reporting by James Thorne
Realizing that competing with the popularity of smartphones and tablets is a game they’ve already lost, toy manufacturers are finding ways to incorporate apps and devices into their product experience. New options range from simple tactile cases to QR codes and elaborate augmented reality board games. We’re really impressed by the breadth of the examples we discovered at the 2012 Toy Fair in New York City this week, even if more often than not the concept is more impressive than the execution. This is a space in which we expect to see a huge amount of innovation, and look forward to seeing how large companies and startups jockey for position in the growing market.
The simple foam design of this ball opens the gaming experience to loads of new opportunities. By combining motion sensors, app-based games and TV visualization, the toy from Phyiscal Apps is able to dramatically expand the capabilities of your smartphone simply by securely wrapping it up in a foam ball. Experience bowling by watching the game on your TV and roll the ball against the wall to simulate bowling, for example.
A range of games from Hasbro slated to appear this year are swapping out traditional game boards for iPads. Old favorites like Life and Monopoly are among the ranks, although we were most excited by the company’s plans for Battleship. The strategic two-player game has come a long way since pegs and model ships ruled the board. The game leverages an app and is supplemented by placing battleship pieces on your iPad’s screen. For the game of Life, significant “moments” trigger relevant videos, from graduations to wedding ceremonies.
iBounce is reminiscent of treadmill televisions, giving kids an interface to play along with as they engage in physical activity. Currently accompanied by an eBook, the story prompts children to jump along with RompyRoo on his adventures. Apps are already in the works.
Age-old card games like Hearts, War and Solitaire aren’t left out of the appcessory world. The standard decks are enhanced by QR codes on some of the cards, which can be ignored offline or scanned to instigate new ways of play. For example, one scanned during Hearts may say to draw more cards, or to throw cards out. It’s a simple, clever way to engage those who are interested without modifying the game experience for those who aren’t.
Touted as “huggable learning”, these adorable smartphone holders give children something to grab on to as they learn through educational app play. The stand also serves as a charger.
This quiz game app and is created for family play, and leverages a dish that holds and counts tokens, and shields your screen-based entries from other players. Answer questions displayed on the screen by putting your colored pieces in the corresponding dish. Correct entries are then collected in the basin below without the need to manually tally responses. The company makes several other appcessories, including game show style buzzers for question-based games.
The original Eye Know card game has been enhanced with a free app component. Scrambled images gradually become clear, and players win points depending on how fast they can guess the person, place or thing coming into focus.
Featuring several different games, this triptych board by Identity Games uses the iPad as the central interface surrounded by two panels for real-world movement. Several two-sided inserts are included with the game board. Play is enabled by rotating the die in the holder, each face corresponding to a different game. Character pieces help keep kids involved as the integrated apps track progress, keep score and provide instruction. A version for smartphones is on the way, too.
The world of tablet styluses is given a natural kid-friendly counterpart with this “crayon” styled stylus by Dano. While not a game, it facilitates both drawing and game play. The triangle-shaped stylus teaches correct grip as users draw on the screen of the tablet, engaging with their app of choice.
Innovative design uses discarded coconut husks to make lighter, stronger models
As the latest innovation in sustainable surfboard production, Global Surf Industries‘ Coco Mat Technology employs coconut husk fibers to reduce both board weight and harmful chemicals used in processing and manufacturing. Weighing between three and four pounds lighter than traditional epoxy boards, the strength-to-weight ratio of the Coco Mat boards supports their claim as the world’s lightest, strongest and therefore fastest surfboards currently on the market.
The production process for Coco Mat surfboards uses discarded fibers gathered from local self-sustaining crops near the manufacturing facility, making the production process significantly more environmentally sound than the methods to make traditional epoxy models. The readily available husk fibers only require minimal processing before being randomly arranged between layers of fiberglass, an innovative technique that lends each board a unique look and, more importantly, reinforces the fiberglass laminate.
The agile, loose-riding boards include the small fish, which at just 6’4″ makes an ideal board for less than ideal conditions. Plus, the board’s squat shape helps it retain stability, which would otherwise be lost with extra length.
As the boards grow in size the weight differential increases as well, with the Coco Mat stand-up paddle boards and longboards weighing in four pounds lighter than traditional epoxy models. Keep an eye out online and in specialty shops for the NSP Coco Mat boards‘s March 2012 release.
Another innovation from Global Surf Industries is the foamtop Albacore, an update on the Seaglass Project Tuna. Available in two sizes under 5’6″ the finless surfboards are an ideal learning tool for kids and adults, even in sloppy, small-wave conditions. Usually only found on massive rental longboards, the foamtop design is added to the super short board for a fun, safer ride. Look for the Albacore in select shops and online April 2012 where it will retail for under $275.
For other innovative uses of discarded coconut fibers on CH check out Homeschool Outerwear.
Three innovative outdoor accessories that make the future now
While the purity of a lo-fi outdoor adventure can be a blissful experience, innovations in on-mountain tech offer enhancements that increase both fun and knowledge. Last week in Whistler I channeled my inner cyborg and tested three devices that are making the future now by informing, recording and entertaining throughout the day’s activity.
Not often can a single product really change the game, but the Recon Mod Live goggle comes close. The goggle is equipped with the world’s first GPS micro optics display specifically designed for a snow sport use. The incredibly small, unobtrusive device displays clear and easy-to-read graphics in real-time—tracking your speed, vertical stats, altitude, location, distance traveled and even temperature. Paired with an Android phone, the Mod Live even will display text messages and incoming call alerts in the heads-up view.
A bluetooth remote wristband allows the user to navigate the dashboard displayed on the LCD screen in the goggle. Paired with a Contour+ camera, the Recon Mod Live acts as a viewfinder for setting up the correct trajectory of your PoV shot. Plus, once the day is done all the day’s stats can be uploaded to the Recon HQ to see just how you did.
Capable of shooting—and live-streaming—full 1080p HD video, the Contour+ is outfitted with the largest lens of any comparable camera and has an f/2.8 aperture with 170 degrees of vision. To avoid that muffled sound synonymous with PoV cams, the Contour+ is equipped with an external microphone jack to capture accurate sound. While the camera isn’t new, it remains my go-to PoV shooter and now being able to see the viewfinder in Recon’s goggles it’s even more usable than ever.
Always an enthusiast for on-hill entertainment, Burton makes your tunes more accessible with the Mix Master Glove. The waterproof leather glove allows the user full control of an iPod or iPhone with gloves on thanks to a few exterior buttons on the back of the left hand. The remote communicates wirelessly with the dongle plugged in to an iDevice, so you’re free to adjust volume, pause, play and switch between tracks with the tap of your finger.
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