(Credit:
Flickr user Kyle Simourd)
Bears have some awfully funny inclinations. Back in 2004 there were all those wackynews stories about the bear who'd downed three dozen cans of beer at a campground and proceeded to pass out.
But this one takes the cake: this summer, when Vermont hiker Kris Rowley was approached by a bear and it kept following her, it proved more interested in chowing down on her iPhone.
Rowley, who serves as Vermont's chief information security officer, tells CIO.com: "In a semi-panic, I threw the phone at the bear."
The bear proceeded to ignore Rowley and started clawing at the iPhone instead, CIO.com explains. Rowley used that as her chance to make a hasty exit. She returned two days later to get her iPhone back--bringing along a baseball bat for defense--and found it still there, but chewed and scratched up to the point where she couldn't use it anymore.
Unfortunately, the Genius Bar support team at her local Apple Store wouldn't take "a bear ate my iPhone" as a legitimate excuse to get a new one on the house: Rowley had to pay full price for a replacement.
Maybe that would've been different if she'd brought the bear along with her. Just a thought.
The ZoneFlex 7762 outdoor Wireless-N access point
(Credit: Ruckus Wireless)Wireless-N has gone outdoor for a while now with Meraki and Tropos having taken turns to release their their products.
However, Ruckus Wireless on Monday announced new outdoor wireless products it claims to be "world's first and only outdoor dual-band 802.11n with dynamic beam forming." The new product, the ZoneFlex 7762 access point, is supposedly designed to solve problems that have hindered outdoor Wi-Fi deployments, including interference, physical obstructions, as well as network management complexity and cost.
The ZoneFlex 7762 is the company's first centrally managed, concurrent dual-band 802.11n (2.4Ghz and 5Ghz) outdoor access point. It's capable of sustaining performance of up to 150 Mbps over 1,000 feet between meshed nodes and up to 50 Mbps to client devices over 500 feet. It can also work in a group of multiple units that covers a large area, such as an apartment building complex.
The focus point of this new product is its dynamic beam-forming antennae that automatically direct transmissions to the best performing signal path, using real-time feedback mechanisms of 802.11 protocol. This allows the access point to constantly and intelligently adapt to changes in the environment that, as Ruckus claims, results in a three to four times improvement in terms of both range and throughput performance over other similar products. Ruckus also says that the ZoneFlex 7762 offers reliability comparable to wired connections.
The ZoneFlex 7762 supports both 802.3af and 802.3at power over Ethernet standards. The device even provides additional power over an Ethernet output port that can be used to connect and power devices such as an IP camera without additional cabling.
Designed for outdoor environment, the access point can withstand water submersion, is protected against dust, and can operate in temperatures ranging from -40°F to 149°F. It also has an integrated heater for use in cold climates.
In addition to the ZoneFlex 7762, the company also announced the ZoneFlex 2741, an 802.11g-based access point that has similar characteristics as the ZoneFlex 7762.
Both of these access points are available in August. The ZoneFlex 7762 is priced at $1,999, while the ZoneFlex 2741 costs $899.
The North American Eagle vehicle.
(Credit: Landspeed.com)If you haven't heard of North American Eagle, it's a program to break the existing land-based speed record of 763 miles per hour by reaching 800 mph, which is slightly faster than Mach 1 (768 mph).
There are a range of technologies incorporated into the NAE vehicle to make this crazy land speed possible, including those that provide communication between car and control center. This is where Tropos Networks comes into play.
The company announced Tuesday that its routers are being used in the latest NAE trial runs in the desert at Black Rock, Nevada, this week, where vehicle speeds exceed 500 miles per hour. Onboard the NAE vehicle during its high-speed test runs is a Tropos 4210 mobile mesh router that provides real-time communication and data monitoring.
While network connection at high speeds is not new, as Internet access on airplanes has been available for some time now, the main issue here is latency. The NAE vehicle is a very-fast-moving land-based testing object, and it's necessary that it has the capacity for true real-time communication.
To resolve this, Tropos system uses direct Wi-Fi links between the vehicle and ground stations to provide access to vehicle data with a delay of only one to three milliseconds. ... Read more
Meraki debuted the first outdoor 802.11n mesh router a few months ago, but another vendor has thrown its hat into the outdoor wireless mesh network arena.
The Tropos 7320 outdoor router.
(Credit: Tropos)Tropos Networks, another big name in wireless broadband mesh networks, joined the outdoor Wireless-N club with its latest line of 802.11n-based wireless routers. The new line includes three routers: Tropos 7320, Tropos 6320, and Tropos 6310. All three are mesh outdoor routers; however, each has its own distinctive design and features.
The Tropos 7320 outdoor mesh router is the company's flagship product and it supports 2.4GHz- and 5GHz-based clients and has flexible configuration options. The router's modular design can accommodate different types of antennas to fit a range of coverage-area types.
The Tropos 7320 can be powered traditionally with a power adapter or via Power-Over-Ethernet (POE) technology, which eliminates the need for separate power connections. It also has an optional integrated battery-backup module for use in the case of a power outage.
The Tropos 6320 is much like the Tropos 7320, minus the flexible configuration. The 6320 has a compact and lightweight design that can be mounted easily almost anywhere.
Lastly, the Tropos 6310 is an economical solution for networks with light traffic loads or for an add-in wireless solution for existing networks. The router is also compact and lightweight, but it only supports the 2.4GHz band.
These routers have 802.11n wireless, are optimized for outdoor applications, and run Tropos Mesh OS. They are fully interoperable with Tropos' existing line of fixed and mobile mesh routers, including those based on the legacy 802.11g standard.
Together with the introduction of these new routers, the company also announced its plan to immediately reduce the prices of its existing 802.11a/b/g-based routers by 29 percent.
The new 802.11n routers from Tropos are available now with prices that vary depending on the configurations, but start at $2,995. Obviously, these are not routers for your home, but rather for large organizations or operators of large wireless hot spots.
Sony Ericsson's MS500 is the company's first outdoor Bluetooth speaker system.
(Credit: Sony Ericsson)They're a far cry from the classic boombox and they don't carry that bit of nostalgia of the good 'ol days (shoot, am I dating myself here?), but Sony Ericsson's new Bluetooth speakers will certainly turn heads and achieve the same goal of broadcasting your music wherever you go.
The Sony Ericsson Outdoor Wireless Speaker MS500 is the company's first outdoor Bluetooth speaker system and is powered by two AA batteries so you can bring it with you anywhere and stream music for up to five hours.
Using Bluetooth, you can wirelessly stream music from "most" of Sony Ericsson's Bluetooth-enabled phones as well as other manufacturers. (You can find a list of compatible phones from Sony Ericsson's Web site.) In addition, you can use your handset as a remote control to change tracks and adjust volume.
The egg-shaped MS500 weighs a lightweight 5.4 ounces (with batteries) and features a splash-proof shell and a strap for attaching to your bag or wrist. The speaker will be offered in two color combo options: orange/black or white/pink. Sony Ericsson said the Outdoor Wireless Speaker MS500 will ship in the next three months, though pricing was not yet revealed.
Though Wireless-N (an 802.11n draft standard that offers throughput speeds up to 300Mbps or faster) has been used in home and small-office routers for a long time, routers for outdoor hot spots are still mostly based on the 802.11g standard that caps at 54Mbps. This is primarily because the 802.11n hasn't been ratified yet.
The MR58 outdoor Wireless-N router is made for rugged environs.
(Credit: Meraki)Nonetheless, Wireless-N standard's proven superiority over 802.11g both in throughput and range means hot-spot equipment makers and providers can't ignore it any longer.
Meraki, arguably the biggest provider of outdoor Wi-Fi mesh services, on Tuesday announced its very first 802.11n device, the MR58 outdoor wireless router.
Like most previous routers from Meraki and unlike all home Wireless-N routers, the new MR58 is a weatherproof wireless device that can be mounted outside to provide wireless signals to a large open space. According to Meraki, the MR58 can withstand temperatures ranging from from -4 degrees F to 122 degrees F and provide five times the speed of standard 802.11b/g wireless devices.
Being a router for a mesh network, it can deliver high bandwidth across multiple hops, support long-distance links, and is much better for high-bandwidth content such as voice and video.
The MR58 is designed specifically to provide wireless access for large outdoor networks located on campuses, apartment complexes, hotels and resorts, and other large public spaces. It can also be used in indoor indoor areas with high-bandwidth needs such as classrooms, convention centers, stadiums, student housing complexes, and manufacturing facilities.
The new router is house in rugged casing and includes the networking features of Meraki's cloud-based hosted services, such as centralized configuration, monitoring, and security.
The Meraki MR58 is sold in packages starting at $1,499. You can upgrade it with different high-gain antennae or to get multiple units working together to create a coverage area of up 12 miles in range.
Alltel's acquisition by Verizon Wireless continues to move forward, but that hasn't stopped the regional carrier from rolling out new services and phones. And on Thursday, just in time for holiday play, Alltel launched a new GPS app with Trimble Outdoors.
Trimble Outdoors brings basic GPS services to select Alltel phones, though it appears to be meant more for hikers and mountain bikers rather than drivers. First, you must plan your trip online, but you then can send the routing information including maps and waypoints wirelessly to your phone.
The maps, which come in topographic, street, and aerial view, will show a "bread crumb trail" for reference. You'll be able to mark and edit waypoints during your journey, and use an integrated digital compass to display coordinates, speed, and heading. You'll also be able to geotag photos, audio, and video along your route and browse trips created by other users. It all sounds cool, provided you get good reception in the woods.
Trimble Outdoors will cost you, of course. You'll pay a daily fee of $1.99 for each day you use it, but Alltel also offers rates of $5.99 per month and $39.99 per year. Supported phones include the Motorola Razr V3A, V3C, V3M, and V9M; Krzr K1M; the Samsung Muse; the LG AX8600 and AX656; and the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 and BlackBerry Pearl.
(Credit:
Owen Song)
You're lost in the woods and it's getting darker. Wouldn't it be nice if the two items most essential to you finding your way out before night falls (not counting a GPS unit) were rolled into one convenient little package? Boston-based designer Owen Song has come up with just such a contraption. The Light is a map that can double as a flashlight.
The concept device consists of two sheets of paper, one with a map printed on it, the other a cover sheet with two electrodes on the back. Between the papers is a thin battery and LEDs. Roll the map up so the two electrodes touch and the LEDs turn on. Voila--map becomes flashlight! (Of course, our keen-eyed readers pointed out one minor flaw; you can't actually use the flashlight to illuminate the map. Picky, picky...)
We'll be watching to see if this device makes it past the concept stage. Oh, and please don't make me tell the story of that afternoon-turned-evening last fall when I really could have used one of these. Not my proudest outdoorsy moment. (Thanks designzen, for showing us the light on this one.)
Out of Japan comes word of a backpack containing a battery-powered oxygen generator. It's doubtful that you'll need the O2 Bag if you're going for a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park near your house (unless the park near your house happens to be Yosemite). But if you're ascending to higher elevations, it could prove a nice alternative to bottled oxygen supplements.
(Credit:
Ymup)
The backpack's maker, Japanese adventure supply company Ymup, is touting the product as a first. It can even be operated via remote control, potentially helpful if you find yourself climbing, biking, or trekking in narrow spaces where it's hard to maneuver your gear.
The oxygen comes at 30 percent concentration and is inhaled via nozzle. The company says the battery lasts up to two hours, though the folks at Ubergizmo note that they wouldn't mind seeing a solar panel attached.
Ymup (product PDF, in Japanese) plans to release three models of the backpack in red, blue, and gray, on July 31, with prices ranging from $880 to $1,150.
The product measures about 6 inches by 9 inches by 2.5 inches, and it weighs about 2.86 pounds, including batteries--a key consideration, given that hard-core hikers will sometimes go so far as to cut the handle off their toothbrushes to save precious ounces. The pack's oxygen generator can function in temperatures ranging from 41 degrees Fahrenheit to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
When we gain elevation, air pressure drops, along with the amount of available oxygen. For serious mountain climbers who venture above 26,000 feet--known as the death zone--the risk of hypoxia is a very real threat.
As air pressure drops, the body tries to acclimatize itself with the production of more red blood cells, breathing becomes more rapid, the heart rate speeds up, and nonessential body functions shut down. Symptoms include headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, a feeling of euphoria, and nausea. In severe cases, death can occur.
So here's a little piece of luggage that may actually save some high-elevation adventurers' lives. Machu Picchu and Tibet visitors, take note.
(Credit:
Atlantic EGO)
Summer's in full swing here in the Northern Hemisphere. People have warmed up the grills, busted out the bug spray, and taken the covers off the pools. Swimming is the ultimate summer luxury in my book, but what to do about all those tech toys with water phobia? Most of them should stay far from the pool, unless of course one happens to be an iPod, which has a variety of waterproof cases made just for it. There's even one with a speaker built right in. And while I don't suggest trading in all your gadgets based on just one water-filled season, if you're the outdoorsy type, a waterproof cell phone, camera, or MP3 player is just the ticket to keep you from stressing about water damage to your gear. Plus, dunking electronics in water is just plain fun, much like a trip down memory lane.
