olloclip, makers of our favorite fisheye wide angle lens adapter for the iPhone 4s & 5, announced today that they are moving iPhone photographers 2x closer (and giving them some depth of field) with the release of their new telephoto lens.
The olloclip telephoto lens is especially valuable for the serious photographer seeking to achieve certain effects and more professional results. In addition to getting you twice as close to your subject, the lens provides a more creative depth of field so you can use selective focus to make your subjects stand out distinctly from their backgrounds (especially useful when the background is cluttered or distracting).
The telephoto also comes with a circular polarizing lens to allow for light and color adjustments on the fly. The telephoto lens package sells for $99.99 and is available for pre-order on July 30, 2013. The wide angle costs $69.99. Both are well worth the price. For the official word from Olloclip, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
After working with Nike on the Nike+ GPS watch TomTom’s recent announcement that they were launching a sports watch of their own should not have been that big a surprise. What was surprising is how good the watches look.
The TomTom Sport watch comes in two different configurations: The Runner and The Multi-Sport. Both styles feature well-designed, yet slightly different, modular straps and are operated with a “one button control.” That button, located just below the watch face, makes it possible to scroll through menus up and down as well as left and right making it easy to get to the data while eliminating the button clutter that plagues other watches in the category. [click to continue…]
We still think this Wahoo RFLKT is still the best solution for those who feel they must use their iPhone as a cycling computer. We don’t, but you might.
Ricardo Camargo of Vapor Studio, just tipped us in on a new project he’s working on called Lit, by NZN labs. Lit is an action tracker that no only keeps track of all your walking and running, but also cycling, mountain biking, snowboarding, and skateboarding and pulls it all together for some social competition as well. Camargo and his partners are currently trying to raise $100,000 for the project on a site called Indigogo.
LIT’s advanced sensors analyze your movements 24×7, scoring both activity and action by interpreting steps, distance, duration, intensity, strokes, paddles, jumps, rotations, turns, g-force, airtime, and more. . . Earn points for activity and bonuses for action. Points become the currency used to challenge yourself, your friends, and the world. . . LIT is 24×7 wearable and built to go where you go. Snow, surf, dirt, pavement? No problem. LIT is built for extremes. It’s rugged, shock resistant, and water resistant to 10 ATM / 100 m.
It’s like Strava for the rest of your action life. NZN Labs has already raised $27,000 but in the next 30 days they need going to need $70,000 more. To see how you can participate and help make Lit a reality, click the link.
Know a great bike mechanic? Someone who you think it’s getting the recognition they deserve? Someone who turns your bike around same day and doesn’t make you wait a week to find out nothing was done on your bike? If you do WD-40 Bike would like to know about them for their new Wrench of the Month program.
“The bike shop mechanic is often the un-sung hero of the cycling industry” offered WD-40 BIKE’s Mike Irwin, “There is a hidden story behind every well-running bike – that of a dedicated mechanic who takes pride in each machine and its rider. Our Wrench of the Month program is a salute to the folks who make riding safer, smoother and more enjoyable.”
If you are this mechanic, or know one click right here for nominate yourself, or your mechanic. Monthly winners will get an assortment of WD-40 Bike products and merch. For instance, February’s winner was Eric Faifer of Tom’s Bicycles in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For all the details, or to watch Faifer build a wheel blindfolded, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
Volvoisn’t just sitting back while thousands of cyclists worldwide are hit (and often killed) by cars, they’re doing something about it according to a story on BBC News.
The auto firm says vehicles fitted with the system will be able to detect threats including a cyclist suddenly swerving out into a car’s path. . . It said that if a collision risk was detected an alarm would sound and the car’s brakes would be fully deployed. . . he technology is an enhanced version of Volvo’s pedestrian detection system which it launched in 2010. . . Like the earlier release the innovation uses a radar in the car’s grille and a camera located between its windscreen and back view mirror to detect collision threats.
Now, if we could only get this technology installed on all Ford F-150 trucks, cyclists the world over might finally be safe.
Aside from their rubber straps repeatedly failing (and being replaced by our local bike shop), we’ve loved our Knog lights both front and rear. Now, we’re set to be even more stoked on the company a they announce their Blinder Road series of lights featuring 200 lumens of light up front and 70 for the rear.
According to a story on Road Cycling UK the lights feature the following:
The front light uses two Cree LEDs in separate lenses, one with a narrow, focussed 15° beam, and the other with a wider 22° beam to flood the road. That makes the Blinder Road visible at up to 1,000m, according to Knog, while the front light also uses a thermal management system which automatically regulates light output for optimum performance when the bike is stationary and in motion. The front light has four lighting modes, with a claimed battery life of one hour on the brightest mode and up to six hours in eco-flash mode.
Not sure what the US pricing is going to be but keep on the look out. These lights shine.
We all know how Strava has changed our riding (and the lives of those who love us) and turned us into temper tantrum throwing babies when we get a dreaded “Uh Oh” email, but in this Outside Magazine story, Tom Vanderbilt explains our obsession to the civilians in a story titled, How Strava Is Changing The Way We Ride. Here’s the sub-head:
A new social-media app for cycling has more than a million riders racing, cheating, and even dying for virtual supremacy over the world’s roads and trails. A recent convert to the cult explains how Strava is changing the way we ride.
Our favorite cycling tech reviewer the DC Rainmaker has the complete and detailed rundown of Garmin newest Edge computer the Edge 510. It’s bigger, blacker, touchier, and best of all it features live smartphone integration (including Live tracking). Here’s his final word:
While the Edge 510 is an interesting differentiator compared to the Edge 500 – I feel that it’s a bit of a device without a clear market. At $75 to $125 more than the Edge 500, I’m not sure it’s bringing enough new features to the game. When you boil it all down, you’re essentially getting some basic cell phone connectivity and activity profiles. But, that’s at the cost of the unit being substantially bigger than the small and light Edge 500. . . At $75-$125 more, that means you could simply pickup a ANT+ adapter can get the same functionality for between $40 and $60 on your cell phone (from Garmin no less!). Now it is true that the tracking is free on the Edge 510 – unlike tracking with the Garmin Fit app which costs $5 a month. So over time that would add up. But there are plenty of apps out there with tracking for free.
But that’s just the tip of the tech review iceberg. Follow the jump for the straight skinny.
Our loud whistle works pretty well to get the attention of most drivers, but not everyone has a whistle that will shatter glass. And for those people, Loud Bicycle horn may be just the thing.
Sound: is like a typical car horn, both in volume and pitch
Honk: for up to 30 seconds at a time (but please be respectful)
Batteries: are rechargeable Li-ion batteries that will last 1-2 months
Button: snaps on to either handlebar and honking does not interfere
with braking.
Weather resistant: works in rain, sleet and snow
Its makers are currently seeking funding on Kickstarter. They’re hoping to get $43,000 and with 31 days to go they’ve already raised $14k. If you’d like to help them out, click here.
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