Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

Everything I know about golf I learned from the movie Caddy Shack, so while inclement weather can possibly lead to the best round of your life, there’s also the very real chance of something terrible happening while wandering around with what is essentially a bag full of lightning rods. So before you head out on the links, you’ll want to make sure the weather’s going to play nice for 18 holes, and that’s where the Bushnell Golf FXi enters the picture. It receives constant weather updates for over 16,000 golf courses in the U.S. via a wireless USB transmitter attached to an internet-equipped PC, and displays them on its monochrome LCD.

The weather data itself is provided by AccuWeather.com and includes everything from current, RealFeel and forecasted high and low temps, morning, afternoon and evening forecasts for up to 3 days, the UV index and even wind speed and direction. And as an added touch, the backlight on the display changes color to reflect the current temperature of your selected course so you can easily get an idea of the conditions at a quick glance. It’s a nice gift idea for a golf nut I suppose, but for $124.99 it’s kind of an expensive unitasker.

[ Bushnell Golf FXi Weather Forecaster ] VIA [ Uncrate ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Because there’s nothing more embarrassing than heading out on the slopes with a pair of headphones that don’t match your goggles, Dragon Alliance and Skullcandy have teamed up for the DX Skullcandy/Ionized snow goggles. They’re helmet compatible, feature an anti-fog lens, micro fleece lining and 100% UV protection, and from what I can tell may or may not come in 3 different designs. And even though it may not be snowing where you live, you can still order a pair from Zappos for $132 and be prepared for when the white stuff eventually starts to fall again.

[ DX Skullcandy/Ionized Snow Goggles ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Taking a cue from Homer Simpson’s ’speed holes’ Reebok has developed a new bat with something they call O-Technology, which is basically a set of 3 aerodynamic holes drilled into the shaft. The Vector O Bat was designed using computer models and simulations to reduce drag and increase swing speed, which in turn equals more distance on a ball or less force needed to encourage someone to pay back a loan. The Vector O Bat also features Reebok’s “Thread Locking System Connection Technology System” (that’s a direct quote, a system so nice they named it twice!) which results in an extremely stiff piece of lumber err… I mean VR950 Alloy/Composite Performance Matrix. But with a price tag of $279 it’s probably best suited to professional ball players and loan sharks.

[ Reebok Vector O Bat ] VIA [ Uncrate ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While the ESPN Swimming Challenge device I brought you earlier was clearly designed with the younger set in mind, the Pool-Mate looks like it might actually be a useful tool for those who are serious about swimming.

The streamlined looking watch features a MEMS accelerometer that detects the motion of your wrist during a swim stroke, and using “advanced digital signal processing techniques and software algorithms” the watch is able to calculate both your number of strokes and your number of laps. And it’s compatible with a wide range of swimming techniques including the front crawl, the back crawl, the breast stroke and the butterfly in pools over 10 meters in length.

At the moment the Pool-Mate is still undergoing final testing, but it should be available for sale sometime this Summer.

[ Swimovate Pool-Mate Watch ] VIA [ The Gadgeteer ]

By Andrew Liszewski

What better way is there to keep the kids occupied on a warm Summer day than with a healthy dose of sibling rivalry? But what parent wants to spend the afternoon playing official timekeeper while their kids swim laps in the pool? Enter the Swimways ESPN Swimming Challenge which not only comes with an ESPN decal on the side, but a couple of mountable touch pads that can be used by two swimmers to start and stop the timers on the waterproof (hopefully) clock. There’s also a set of LED displays that show the current time, winning time and number of laps if you’re just in it for the exercise. $43.95 at SwimOutlet.com.

[ Swimways ESPN Swimming Challenge ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

By Evan Ackerman

I don’t know enough about hydrokinetodynamics (or whatever) to be able to hazard a guess about just how conceptual this concept is, but it sure seems like it could be nifty… The Blu Bottle water bottle contains some kind of refrigeration unit that’s powered by your kinetic energy. As you move, a pump cools air inside the bottle, creating condensation which collects at the bottom as drinkable water. So, as you walk around, the bottle magically refills itself.

Like I said, this seems like one of those concepts that can’t possibly work in real life, despite the fact that it has been “intricately researched and designed” by a guy named Yuri Teodorowych. We’ll be sure and keep you updated if anything ever comes of this idea.

VIA [ Tuvie ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Heart rate monitoring is an important part of training for any athlete, and while there are plenty of compact devices for those who stay dry during a workout, the Aqua Pulse is the first heart rate monitor designed specifically for swimmers. Besides being waterproof, the Aqua Pulse also features an infrared sensor that clips to the earlobe and measures the light pulses from the capillary blood flow in the skin, which can then be used to calculate the heart’s beats per minute. But it’s also important for a swimmer to be aware of their heart rate while training, so that they can stay in their ideal heart-rate-zone. So the Aqua Pulse cleverly uses bone-conduction technology allowing the swimmer to ‘hear’ their hear rate even while they’re under water.

The Aqua Pulse will supposedly be available sometime in May of this year for $139.99 from the FINIS website.

[ FINIS Aqua Pulse ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The dragon-like structure you see under construction in these photos is the ‘World Games Stadium’ in Taiwan, which is being built for the upcoming World Games. And what looks like dragon’s scales from afar are actually 8,844 solar panels which is enough to satisfy all of the stadium’s energy needs, and then some. The 14,155m2 roof has the potential to generate 1.14 gigawatt hours of electricity every year, which is actually enough to power 80% of the stadium’s surrounding neighborhood when it’s not in use. It was designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, cost around $150 million to build and can hold 55,000 spectators.

And in case you were wondering, the World Games is kind of like the Olympics, except that the 30 different competitions include diverse sports like sky diving, billiards, frisbee, sumo and tug of war. In other words, events I’d actually like to see.

[ Deputy Dog - taiwan's cutting edge solar powered stadium ] VIA [ Inhabitat ]

By Evan Ackerman

“Vitrik.” That’s the name of the patented coating that allows the Nottage G-1 pool table to be a pool table. Made of toughened glass, the table’s surface with the Vitrik coating on it mimics the rolling resistance of felt, meaning that although it looks like you’re just playing on glass, the balls behave as though they’re on a regular felt surface with slate underneath. The rest of the table looks slick but is built entirely to competition specs, with the possible exception of a rather creative ball return system.

The G-1 pool table is also available with a frosted top that can be lit from below to make the entire surface softly glow. The base price of the table is about $25,000 which, while it seems like a lot, is apparently not too terribly expensive compared to other high quality pool tables. Video showing the ball return system, after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »