Gadzooki

Three Gadgets To Bring On Your Travels

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Gadgets make your work life easier, your personal life more fulfilling, and they can even add to your overall experience when you are out traveling. “Because it’s important to find the best balance between living in the moment,” says the founder of Journey Beyond Travel, Thomas Hollowell, “it’s also important to balance your experiences with those you wish to record and share with your friends and families back home. We run various treks in Morocco’s hidden areas and we try to tell walkers that they don’t need 1000 photos. It’s just as important to have 1000 memories to hold onto.” But, for those traveling to distant lands, here’s some of our ideas on what you should consider to bring along.

gps gadget while traveling

GPS Trackers

GPS trackers are going to come in handy for a number of reasons. First, if you are anywhere you have to drive, they will point you in the right direction when you are lost. Second, there are a number of GPS trackers that will give you a map readout of where you went with timestamps. This means that when you get back from your travels, you will have a minute by minute map of everywhere that you went, and you can pieces together your journey for your jealous co-workers. For safety purposes, if other people can track you, they can find you if you get in trouble as well, for instance in bad weather. [Read more…]

Pentax releases Optio RZ18

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Pentax recently announced that it will be releasing a new compact camera, but this one will carry very powerful superzoom. The Pentax Optio RZ18 will have a very powerful 18x optical zoom lens, the equivalent of 25 – 450mm. It will also have a 16 megapixel CCD sensor equipped with image stabilization. The 18x zoom feature is something that is not usually seen in a camera this small or even at the compact category of cameras. With no test images shown as of yet, it will remain to be seen whether incorporating such a powerful zoom in such a compact camera will affect the total image quality of the pictures taken with the Optio RZ18.

The whole look of the Pentax Optio RZ18 is quite beautiful. It possesses a minimalist aesthetic that allows the eyes to wander to its central feature – the zoom lens. Aside from the aforementioned features, it will also have a 3 inch LCD display with resolution of 460k dots. It will also have a nine-point autofocusing feature. Other features include preset shooting modes that will also include Auto Picture, a number of different filters, a face detection feature, a pet recognition feature and the capability to film widescreen HD videos with a resolution of 720p at 30 frames per second. Fashionable consumers will be very happy to know that the Optio RZ18 will come in different colors – white, black and metallic orange.

Scuba Diving in Style

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Diving has become one of the most popular pastimes here in the Philippines, and you hear of people picking up the activity left and right.  It is the perfect place to go diving, with the entire country surrounded by water on every front.  Diving locations abound practically anywhere in the archipelago, although diving resorts in Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental are the most convenient spots for a weekend trip.

Now scuba diving may mean spending your time underwater in awe of nature, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go rustic and forget your love for gadgets. Truth is that you will find lots of cool gadgets you can take with you whenever you dive. While you’ll still end up looking like a manatee with your wet suit on, donning these gadgets will surely make you the envy of other scuba enthusiasts.

Dive watches

Rolex Submariner
The ultimate in luxury dive watches is still perhaps Rolex’s Submariner line. Since the first Submariner was released in the fifties, this line of dive watches has retained its reputation for being the best of the best and was in fact even used by James Bond! Rolex Submariner watches are guaranteed to be water resistant up to as much as 1000 feet (for some models), making them perfect for professional deep divers. The only downside to getting a Submariner is the cost, since the price range of even used Submariner watches can be too steep for most people. Get ready to shell out several thousand dollars if you want one.
garmin_forerunner_310XT
A good alternative to the Rolex Submariner is Garmin’s Forerunner 310XT. The reason why we like this watch is that it is perfect for those who like to train, or simply live a very active lifestyle. Whether you are a runner, cyclist, swimmer, or even scuba diver, you will surely like this GPS-enabled training device. Note though that the Forerunner 310XT is not really a dive watch but is water-resistant only up to 50 meters. Obviously, you can’t do any technical deep diving with the Forerunner 310XT, but if you are certified for basic open water diving anyway, then that shouldn’t be an issue. And with a price tag of only $349.99, this touchscreen watch is definitely more affordable than a Rolex.

Cameras

panasonic_lumix_ft3
Panasonic recently launched a new range of cameras in their Lumix line. The Lumix DMC FT3, dubbed as their “Stylish Tough” camera, is specially designed for outdoor activities, including scuba diving. It is shockproof, freezeproof (up to -10 degrees Celsius), and waterproof, although only up to 12 meters deep. This means that you can’t do any recreational deep diving with this camera. Another upside to this camera is that it allows you to record movies in full HD, making it perfect for capturing your underwater explorations. It also has an onboard compass and GPS and has a 3D shooting mode. Sounds really good? What’s even better is that you can get this cool cam for only $329.

GoPro_HD_Helmet_Hero
Another camera that has already proven its mettle is GoPro’s HD Helmet HERO. The whole thing comes with a 5-megapixel camera that is able to record videos at professional HD resolutions (1080p/960p/720p), a waterproof quick-release housing (water resistant even up to 60 meters deep!), rechargeable batteries, and various straps and mounts that makes the camera easily wearable. Another really cool feature of the Helmet HERO is the ability to shoot videos in 3D when you hook two of them together using special mounting accessories. However, if you do decide to go with the GoPro Helmet HERO, be prepared for the lack of a viewscreen, which means that you really need to learn to tackle its not too friendly controls to be able to take good pictures. The GoPro HD Helmet HERO sells for $299.99.

Comfy Hoods

Waterproof_Hydra_Hood
Waterproof’s Hydra hoods feature their unique Hood Air Venting System (HAVS), which allows air bubbles to escape from small holes located at the top of the hood. The system allows you to dive more comfortably since you don’t have to deal with annoying air buildup anymore. Hydra hoods also feature double layer protection in critical heat loss areas to ensure that your head stays warm even in the coldest waters. And with the multi-section anatomic design complementing their venting system, even their 5/10mm hood is more comfy than conventional 3/5 and 5/7mm hoods.

1080P HD Waterproof Spy Camera Watch

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1080P HD Waterproof Spy Camera Watch

Do you spend your spare time watching spy movies or TV shows? Or maybe you like to read and re-read Ian Fleming’s books. If you are into all things spy – in a good way, not the freaky, creepy way – then here is a gadget that you will definitely want to get your hands on.

The 1080P HD Waterproof Spy Camera Watch has recently been listed at Etronixmart ((Buy here)) and it looks pretty promising. It comes with two options – a steel strap or a leather strap. If the idea of having a watch that can take videos (at 1920 x 1280, no less) is not enough to excite you, then maybe the added factor of this baby being waterproof will help. Off the top of my head, I cannot think of an urgent reason to have a video-taking watch while swimming, but I am sure there is one decent reason out there, waiting to be discovered. There is, of course, the option to use this watch instead of an underwater camera, although it might not be possible as with the limited details presented in the site, it seems to me that the watch has to be connected to a computer to record video. Of course, the watch can be used as a regular watch, showing “real” time.

The 1080p waterproof spy camera watch has an embedded operating system and records video in AVI, while it captures images in JPG. For images, the resolution is 4032 x 3024. For video purposes, the watch also has a built-in mic, ensuring that you will not miss out on the sounds. (Again, I won’t delve into the reasons.)

Other important numbers:

  • Uses mini USB
  • Frame rate is 25 frames
  • Powered by a 320mAh Lithium Ion battery; on full charge, the watch can take videos for up to 100 minutes

It may not be the most practical gadget in the market today, but I think that this waterproof spy camera watch will make for a pretty cool gift. It is currently on sale for $52.99, which is the only reason that I would even consider getting one. Otherwise, the regular price is a little too much for something that might not serve me a practical purpose. Then again, it would be a good way to practice one’s spy skills, yes?

Polaroid’s back with the Polaroid 300 Instant Analog Camera

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Before the advent of the digital age, Polaroid cameras were considered one of the heights of photography. You take a picture and out comes a copy of that photo for you to see in a few minutes (you allow the chemicals to dry up and set to produce the picture). It was quite a novel gadget that many people got their Polaroids. [Read more…]

BubbleScope produces 360-degree photos

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Cameras have invaded gadgets in a big way. Practically all the gadgets that have been coming out in the last few years have a camera wedged in there somewhere. At this point, any device that doesn’t have a camera is considered an “incomplete” product. Just look at the first iPad and the flak it got for not having a camera when it was released. [Read more…]

Time-lapse Garden Video Camera

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timelapse_gardenjpg

You only see time-lapse videos in hi-tech movies, well now it’s your turn. This garden video camera can literally watch your garden grow. What a perfect time as spring has just come about. Garden hobbyists would surely enjoy the labor they pour into the ground day in and out.

Available right here for about US$150. It can focus as close as 20″ away to illustrate petal growth or, with its wide 54″ field of view, it can capture perennials as they grow to conceal your spent spring bulb foliage.

How does it perform the time-lapse effect? Well… The camera takes a picture at one of six pre-determined intervals (five seconds to 24 hours) and combines them into a single 1280 x 1024 resolution AVI movie file for easy playback on a computer. It has a light sensor that turns off the camera at dusk and back on at dawn, allowing for continued video capture each day. Movies are timestamped and stored on the camera’s removable 2GB USB flash drive, which can take up to 18,000 pictures.

Is it at all weatherproof? It surely is!