Read: 2 mins

Panasonic LUMIX TS2 Likes the Rough Stuff

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

If you enjoy the outdoors all year long, even when it’s wet and cold, you have to prepare properly. When dressing for the winter leave the cotton at home – once wet it’s like a death blanket. Keep your head and neck covered and make sure you have adequate protection for your hands and feet (while allowing for proper blood flow). Make sure you bring a lot of carbs to stay fueled and don’t forget your body needs to stay hydrated – especially in winter.

OK Nanook, so you’re ready for a good time in the outdoors with friends and you need a reliable camera to capture those moments where you’re huddled over a fire looking like a ragged group of post apocalyptic survivors. Enter the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TS2, a waterproof, freeze-proof and shockproof 14.1-megapixel camera also capable of recording HD video.

The LUMIX TS2 is a camera built for action. It’s waterproof to 33 feet /10m (1 atmosphere for you divers), shockproof to 10 feet (2m), freeze-proof to 14° F (-10° C) and dust-proof. The airtight body protects it against water immersion, dust and sand and rubber padding, reinforced glass (protecting the 2.7-inch, 230,000-dot Intelligent LCD) and carbon construction inside the camera further ruggedize the LUMIX TS2 that is also as smart as it is tough.

The LUMIX TS2 is not only tough, it’s also full of features that make it an excellent choice for any occasion. Some features of the LUMIX TS2 include…

  • 28mm wide-angle LEICA DC VARIO ELMAR lens (4.6x optical zoom)
  • Built-in LED light for lighting-up dark areas (such as underwater)
  • Face detection (up to 15 faces)
  • iA (Intelligent Auto) features such as Intelligent auto Resolution,Zoom, AF Tracking, ISO Control and Exposure
  • Built-in Modes such as ‘Happy’ Mode (optimized color, saturation and brightness) for vivid photos or video and High Dynamic Mode for situations where a scene includes bright and dark areas
  • Compatible with SDXC Memory Cards up to 64GB
  • Rechargeable battery that takes up to 360 images on a single charge

Pricing and availability for the Panasonic LUMIX TS2 will be announced 30 days prior to shipping date (unannounced, but note that it’s predecessor, the LUMIX TS1 was priced around $380USD). The Panasonic LUMIX TS2 will be available in silver, blue, orange and yellow.

Posted by: Lawrence

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gps-cradleRead: < 1 min

GPS Cradle for iPod Touch comes loaded with extras

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Reading Time: < 1 minute

For all you lucky recipients of an iPod Touch this holiday season, there’s a cool and useful accessory coming out later this year to keep an eye on. The XGPS300 iPod Touch GPS Cradle from Dual Electronics turns your iPod Touch into a fully-enabled GPS device. The XGPS300 includes a free turn-by-turn Navigation app NavAtlas, 0-90degree windshield mount and charging cable.

The XGPS300 is more than a GPS navigator, it is also a battery cradle and has an amplified speaker for real-time voice guided navigation. Check-out the video below for a quick demonstration of features and if you’re interested, request to be kept updated as to it’s availability. Expected price is $179USD.

Posted by: Lawrence

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Large Push ButtonRead: 3 mins

Don’t be a square, get a Yakima

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Every car I’ve owned has had a roof rack. Even my old pick-up truck had a bed rack to hold and lock my mountain bike (which cost more than the truck). For my latest rack I switched to a Yakima rack system and I’m happy I did.

landingpad

Assuming I’d need a few hours for installation on my SUV, I skimmed the directions and dove right in. To start, I had some kind of brainchild and pre-assembled the Landing Pads by loosely fitting the nuts before sliding them into position in the the factory rails. This saved me any potential difficulty trying to line-up the bolts.

Next, I snapped the Control Towers into the Landing Pads, installed the Crossbars and tightened it all down – simple! Finally, I inserted the SKS Lock Cores and had the whole thing installed in under 30 minutes! My wife thought I gave up when I went back inside, so suffice it to say it was far easier to install than I expected (I worked at a ski shop for years and installed numerous square bar systems).

Two friends of mine have square bar racks from a competing manufacturer and recently asked me to help install them. The first rack we couldn’t figure out at all (to be fair we didn’t have directions, but I feel with the Yakima I could have figured it out). Eventually we caved and had a local bike shop do the install for $50. The other rack took ages to install (in a frigid driveway), but it was essential we got it done since we were all staying at his ski house in Vermont!

Large Push Button

As far as attachments, I’ve been using the Yakima StrapThang for surfing and love it. This past holiday weekend we headed up North and I easily installed the FatCat 4 which comes with universal mounting hardware to fit most applications. I also liked the large button to open the rack – easy even in clunky mittens.

Unfortunately, I have to remove the StrapThang to accommodate the FatCat 4 (a combination of the shorter 48″ crossbar and to have room for a wider surfboard), but attachments install and remove easily so no biggie there. Yakima sells crossbars in 48″, 58″, 66″ and 78″ lengths and the general rule-of-thumb is a crossbar can go as wide as the side-view mirrors.

I had to forgo the cargo box I own for another rack system. I think newer cargo boxes can go on either system, but mine is old and cracking so it’s just as well. It was more than a little cramped in the SUV with the wife, kids and all the gear, but the skis and snowboard were up top, so only soft projectiles were possible!

If you’re looking for a rack system you’ll find two camps – round and square. Both are priced competitively, have long track records and offer a variety of options (fittings and attachments). I read somewhere round structures are stronger than square, but I’d recommend the Yakima system for ease-of-installation alone.

Posted by: Lawrence

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