Compiled by
TOM KELLY
Sony 3D HD Binoculars
You’d be forgiven for wondering what the fuss might be about for a pair of binoculars that lets you see in 3D. After all, have binoculars not been doing that years with the old bi-ocular thing? What’s cool about these is that they let you shoot 3D video: if you’re into that sort of thing.
In effect, there are two lenses with two electronic eye pieces Wall.Estyle, rather than the traditional pair of optical lenses, as well as a whole bag of bang-up-to date camera technology, such as image stabilisation and tracking auto-focus.
There are optical and digital zooms up to 20x, but only to 5.4x if you’re shooting in 3D. Ditto the macro function which lets you shoot very, very close (about 2cms), this pushes out to 80cm for a 3D effect. Not that a pair of binoculars would necessarily be the first thing you’d reach for to shoot stuff up close.
On top of all this, the DEV5 has GPS for the increasingly ubiquitous geo-tagging. And you don't have to shoot everything in 3D video needless to say; it does stills and regular 2D video too. It would need to at this price, given you could snag yourself a pretty decent DSLR and old skule analogue binoculars and still have change for a bigger memory card and a subscription to Bird Watchingmonthly.
Cost:$2,000 (€1,383) available soon store.sony.com
Puretoes
Apparently Puretoes don’t like to be called a sock but rather a foot-cover. Hmmm, touch of the metal-bladed, long-handled digging implement there.
Anyway these are toeless “foot-covers” with grippy pads under the ball and heel of the foot for use in dance, yoga or Pilates for example, or martial arts. Basically on any slippery surface where you’re looking for a bit of active-traction, almost barefoot.
There are two holes at the toe end, one for your big ’un and the other for all the rest. The unstructured fabric is soft and easy on the foot (not unlike a sock, in fact), but also wicks away moisture and so has antimicrobial properties.
There are a range of suitably shouty patterns including leopard skin, of course, as well as more muted options. There are men’s sizes available, but can’t quite see that happening. . .
Cost: $20 (€14) from puretoes.com
Garmin Edge 200 Bike Computer
You’ll find Garmin (and vice versa) in all corners of the satnav/GPS jungle with everything from car kits to watches. They’re big on bikes too, with its Edge 500 and 800 versions mounted on two wheelers the world over. This is the new entry-level model, cheaper than its predecessors but also lower-speced for a less complex data screen.
It has the same body-styling as its more cerebral siblings, with the only obvious difference in the simplified interface: from a possible 44 different pieces of information down to just four items: speed, distance, ride time and one settable output which toggles between average speed, total ascent and cals burned.
You can’t attach a heart monitor – perhaps just as well if you’re beginning – or store maps, but you can download all your data afterwards and track your cycle on a map. And there’s a back-to-start function that lets you retrace your route if you’re saddle-sore and lost.
There are all sorts of other options when it comes to lower-end GPS solutions, from watches to smartphones, but for a purpose-built gadget, this is probably set to become the bike-newbies ‘benchmark.
Cost: Coming soon for about $150 (€104) from bike shops