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July 17, 2005

Realtime GPS on the cheap

You can check out Keith Kemp's trip to Louisiana in realtime; I coded a couple of applications for him that will eventually be made opensource and distributed by Treknologies so that everyone can use them. His setup involves a Nokia cellphone, a laptop, a webcam, and a USB GPS receiver.

Posted by Beau Gunderson at 6:37 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

July 9, 2005

Moving time!

Hey everybody, I'll be moving to LA this next week. After that brief hiatus I have some new and exciting things planned for the site so definitely keep an eye out!

Posted by Beau Gunderson at 8:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 4, 2005

Human-powered electronics roundup

While solar-powered electronics are great for trekking, camping, or adventuring outdoors, oftentimes during an emergency or in areas without much sunlight they're just not practical. Therefore I've compiled a list of hand-crank alternatives, and dual purpose (both solar and hand-crank) for those that wish to remain versatile while running a lean inventory.

Flashlights:

The Kaito 3 LED Dynamo (5 LED version) is on the basic end of the crank flashlight spectrum. It features only a hand-crank as possible power source, though it will remain usable for 30 minutes from a continuous minute of cranking and is waterproof. 3 LEDs may not be strong enough for serious tasks, and the limitation of only cranking for power means I can't recommend this for a general purpose backup.

Recommended for: Emergencies, power outages, day hikes, camping backup

Princess International makes a more unique offering, the 4-in-1 Dynamo. They call it 4-in-1 which is misleading because it's more of a 2-in-1. It features a spotlight or direct light beam, as well as a mosquito repeller (hi/low selection), which adds up to four total features. It's hand-crank powered as well as having a DC jack. On a full charge the light will last up to 3.5 hours, and the mosquito repellent will last for 48 hours. For the curious, the mosquito repellent isn't chemical, it's actually an artifical reproduction of the sound of dragon fly wings flapping (a natural enemy of the mosquito). Its range is reported at about 13 feet.

Recommended for: Camping, trekking, multi-day hikes, bicycling, evening walks (chemical-free mosquito prevention)

The Kaito Forever is the cheapest ($9.99), simplest and most rugged solution I've seen. While it's not the most powerful, it will probably be the least labor intensive to keep running. It uses electromagnetic induction, or a moving magnet through coils, so as you swing or shake it back and forth you're basically powering a miniature generator. Many new batteryless watches use the same technology.

It works quite well on a walk or hike; the swinging of your arms with your stride is enough to keep power going. It's also shockproof, waterproof, and it floats. If this isn't a great boat light, nothing is.

Recommend for: Boats, day hikes, walking

Radios:

For Radios, there's the Stansport Hand-Crank/Solar Battery Radio/Flashlight. This is a great all-in-one tool that should most definitely make it on any camping trip or multi-day hike. Featuring the ability to run off solar power, AA batteries, hand-crank or DC, it'd be a challenge to find a way NOT to power this thing. This may be the best option for eliminating the need to carry a seperate radio and back-up flash light. It also features a siren, the use of which is obvious. A similar but larger version (bigger light) is available as well, the SAMFE Hand-Crank Dynamo and Solar Radio Flashlight.

Recommended for: Emergencies, camping, hiking, day at the beach

Cell Phone Charger:

The SOS Charger hand-crank cell phone charger is very cool. It's compatible with Nokia, Motorola, Sony-Ericsson and Samsung phones, and will give you an emergency charge for 3 minutes of cranking time. I know I could have used this many times. Far superior to keeping an assortment of extra batteries with you or waiting until daybreak to use your solar charger.

Recommended for: Everyone

Cookware:

While not an essential resource this could bring quite a bit of enjoyment or a nice reward for reaching that next peak. The Vortex Hand-Crank Blender. I've personally used this thing and it rocks. Just throw in your favorite drink or smoothie mixes and start cranking. The crank turns incredibly easy, and the blade crunches and crushes with amazing speed. The only downside is the weight, clocking in at 5lbs.

Recommended for: Camping, day at the beach

Posted by Beau Gunderson at 12:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 1, 2005

Voltaic Solar Bags

Hot on the heels of our Solar charger roundup, we've learned via TreeHugger that we missed a unique offering. Voltaic released three new bags with builtin 4 watt solar panels. They all look very classy and would be great for walking and charging ipods, phones, and cameras. Personally I still like the cheaper, weatherproof Solio and its ability to fold up into such a small size. Check out more information on the Voltaic bags.

Posted by Beau Gunderson at 1:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack