Hasta La Gadget!

Many years ago I used to teach skeet shooting, it was quite an entertaining job and it kept me on my toes, because almost everyday there was a very real possibility of getting shot by someone who wasn’t really listening as well as they should. Shooting was also a very expensive sport, so after I left, I didn’t get to shoot as much anymore.

Well the folks over at Gander Mountain, the hunting and fishing superstore, have recently completed a multi-million dollar virtual firearms academy. Gander Mountain built this simulated gun range inside its Lake Mary, Florida store — which already has a traditional gun range!

With both a 300° and a 180° simulator as well as a virtual range, Gander Mountain offers many different scenarios designed for full-immersion virtual reality training. Whether it be for self defense or law enforcement training, or simply for the sport of it, Gander Mountain’s shooting action surrounds you with five 8′ x 10′ screens, allowing threats to actually approach you from behind!

These scenarios are all instructor assisted and they’re judgment based, not only teaching your body but training your mind in order to improve your decision making skills, and improving your reaction times and overall marksmanship. With multi-directional audio and real firearms that have been modified for laser fire , the sounds and and real feel recoil make this video-game-on-steroids about as realistic as it gets.

Range time at Gander Mountain starts at around 35 bucks,which is far below the cost of the real deal, and you can do more shooting in a lot less time, without having to reload any pesky bullets, oh yeah… and not getting shot is a nice benefit too! Check out Gandermtnacademy.com for videos and for more information on additional facilities.
[ 300° Simulator – Not Your Kid’s Shooting Game copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Unfortunately our bodies are not naturally geared to sit at a desk all day. There exists plenty of research showing that sedentary approaches to life can take years away from us. Being a desk jockey certainly contributes to these negative effects. But regardless, there we go – working our lives away in front of the computer. Don’t you love the days when you work through lunch or when the 3pm “sleepies” set in? It is hard enough getting all the work done in a day, not to mention remembering to get up and walk around every so often. Desk work makes it easy to see the negative effects of being sedentary.

LifeSpan Fitness offers both commercial and residential fitness machines like treadmills, bikes and rowers. Something you don’t expect to find with a company like LifeSpan is a category of products called “Workplace Solutions” including the TR1200-DT Treadmill Desk. The concept makes sense – many companies have gone to stand up desks, so why not take it a step further and stay active? LifeSpan built-in some very logical concepts to make their units stand out. Included are a 2.25HP high torque engine – designed to be used through a work day (6 or more hours). Maximum walking speed of 4MPH means you can walk at a comfortable, “work friendly” pace. A 46.5” x 31” sturdy workspace gives plenty of room to support your laptop, monitor, phone or other devices. Of course the desk height is adjustable, foam armrests on the front help with comfort and a cable tray under the desks helps keep cords organized and out of the way

My big question when reading about the unit was how do you get used to walking and working? Scott Neumyer of Popular Mechanics reviewed a TR1200-DT and found that after just a few sessions on the unit he acclimated to movement while typing, reading or talking and that he better through the work day. The great part about the TR1200-DT is the price. At $1,299 you pay a similar amount as a quality treadmill will run. So whether you work at home or in an office, make your work time healthy with a LifeSpan Treadmill Desk.
[ Walk While You Work copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Hand rookie golfers a driver and they’ll frequently make the classic mistake of gripping the club as though their lives depend on it. A seasoned veteran knows that a little give and take might be needed, which is why Sensosolutions just updated its long-serving SensoGlove to better encourage a balanced hold. The new automatic sensitivity toggle will offer a recommended grip through the LCD based on how tightly the club has been held in the past; throttle the 9 iron often and you’ll be asked to loosen up. Longer battery life is also in the cards versus the older model, although we’re reaching out to determine how many more holes the glove will handle in one charge. No matter how you slice (or hook) it, the newer SensoGlove is shipping for $89 in versions for both hands and multiple sizes.

Continue reading SensoGlove revamp brings automatic pressure check, stops us from strangling our golf swing

Filed under: Wearables

SensoGlove revamp brings automatic pressure check, stops us from strangling our golf swing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 05:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of my favorite things is new automotive tech. I especially loved those systems that could detect an accident and call an ambulance for you. Remember the commercials? “Mr. Jones, we have detected you have been involved in a front end collision, we are alerting the authorities, help is on the way.” I love that. Heck, I love anything that makes me feel safer.

So it should come as no surprise I’m in love with ICEdot’s new Crash Sensor System. Thats right, you can have emergency back-up even while you’re out riding your bike. Available as a small aftermarket item to be installed on a helmet, the “dot” system will be able to detect and measure, force and impact.

The sensor works something like this, if you fall, or get hit by a car, the device recognizes the impact and quickly sends an alarm to your Smartphone at which time a countdown clock is initiated, should you fail to stop the countdown clock, your emergency contacts are immediately called and GPS coordinates of where you wiped out are sent to them as well. Very nice.

While the device was originally made for specifically for the cycling industry, it has the ability to be useful in almost any situation where you might ordinarily wear a helmet, think skiing, rock climbing, skateboarding or even some motorsports… I just like that help will be coming even if I’m not able to ask for it! The system itself looks like it will run about 200 bucks and it may have an associated monthly charge. Look for it next year but in the meantime, visit ice dot.org to sign up for more information when it becomes available.

[ ICEdot Crash Sensor – Help is on the Way copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Voltage Cycles Sport is the company’s (Voltage Cycles) first production electric bike ever to roll out, and I must say, it does look rather ordinary at first glance. That is not a bad thing though, so do not take my statement in the wrong way. For starters, the Sport will boast of classic American styling and engineering that will definitely appeal to the masses, especially the more patriotic ones. The design itself is not only nice to look at, but must be functional and practical enough to meet the demands of everyday transportation. Let us see what else the Voltage Cycles Sport has to offer in the extended post, shall we?

Marty Schlesinger, President of Voltage Cycles, said, “The Voltage Cycles Sport is for anyone who wants to integrate a healthy, environmentally friendly, and economical form of transportation into their lifestyle. Voltage Cycles represents the new road ahead for personal transportation, and we are looking to earn our place in the family garage.”

Integrated into the vintage Sport design would lie a modern electrical propulsion system which is capable of pushing the Sport to the leading edge of technological advancement, and Voltage Cycles hope that this will be able to deliver a “Wow!” factor that cannot be found elsewhere. The Sport in particular is said to be engineered to be tough, reliable, and easily serviced, sporting (pun not intended) a sleek steel frame that is manufactured to handle the added weight and stress put on it by the electrical propulsion system, while making use of industry standard bicycle components.

Components that are subject to normal wear include the tires and brake pads, and these will be readily available and easy to replace so you need not worry about running out spare parts or anything of the sort. As for its propulsion system, it will make use of the latest battery technology so that you can experience the power and range required to get you where you need to go without busting a huge hole in your wallet.

Expect the Sport to be fully juice in 4 hours using a standard 110V household outlet, where a fully charged bike can offer a range between 30 to 40 miles of powered riding. So, any takers?

Press Release

[ Voltage Cycles Sport electric bike announced copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]