Kibbles & Bytes Blog

Call it a new fad, call it adrenaline junkies getting their fix — there’s no denying that these new action cameras are everywhere. GoPro, Contour, Sony, Polaroid, Drift…these are just the top hits I found when I googled “action camera.”

So what makes one better than the other? Is is picture quality, mount-ability, frames per second, price? It’s hard to decide with the vast amount of choices to the consumer.

I think it’s fair to say that GoPro has taken a commanding lead. Like most markets, one name tends to stand out among the rest. But does that mean they’re actually the best? Not necessarily. For me, it just means that my friends and I yell “GO PRO!” when we see tourists from the lift with one sticking off their helmets going down a green trail.

I would describe myself as an avid skier and adrenaline junkie, so of course, I had to get one. GoPro didn’t seem my style so I tried Contour. (If you have followed this market at all, you’re now laughing since they filed for bankruptcy in 2013.)

Alas, I needed a new one. Enter “*iON Air Pro 3,*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001307/at_kb the newest in the iON series. I look for features and style, like most people, and I wanted something beyond what GoPro had to offer. I took a look at the reviews, watched their video release and sample footage, and I was stunned. Then I got my hands on one. It was as if they knew I liked my Contour, but added all the things it was missing: Wi-Fi for iPhone viewing, a one-touch photo button (with 12 megapixel sensor), and waterproofing — up to 49ft “without a raincoat.”

Its sleek cylindrical design and light weight — only 5oz — keeps the look I like of the Contour but lighter and more feature-rich. One of the things I never liked about the GoPro unit was that when I tried it, I couldn’t tell if it was actually on — there is a red light, but it’s atop my head! With the iON, it uses a nice slide button; you just slide on to record and slide off to stop. Easy enough, especially with gloves on.

All that said, if it doesn’t take good video, it doesn’t matter. The numbers for the iON are right on: It takes 1080p at 60fps and offers a 160 degree viewing angle. I’ve personally been using the 720p setting at 120fps — extra frames are crucial for those epic slow-mo’s.

So there it is: one action junkie’s opinion! If you’re not “GOING PRO” check out the iON below — either way, get out there and enjoy the sport!

In last week’s Kibbles and Bytes, I talked about “*thermoelectric power generation.*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/kibbles/kb870/ Thermoelectrics are actually part of a larger family of devices and techniques used in something called “*energy harvesting*”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_harvesting.

I alluded to this in describing how thermoelectric devices are sometimes used in industrial processes to recover waste heat energy. Energy harvesting generally describes the process of taking energy (or “harvesting” it) from the ambient environment. Technically speaking, solar is a very efficient form of energy harvesting. Most types of energy harvesting yield far less power.

In this week’s article, I’ll discuss another form of energy harvesting: piezoelectrics. Unless you’re all caught up on your knowledge of Greek, that name won’t mean much to you. The root “piezo” comes from the Greek “piezein” which means “to squeeze.” That’s precisely what a piezoelectric device does; you apply pressure, or squeeze it, and it generates electricity. Many materials have piezoelectric properties including quartz, wood, Rochelle salt, and even DNA and table sugar. Quartz crystal is a common material used in piezoelectrics.

One use of piezoelectrics in generating electricity is in a barbecue lighter. One of the mechanisms on the lighter (usually a slide) is used to open a valve for the gas. Once the gas is flowing, you can pull the trigger and get a flame. Pulling the trigger drops a tiny hammer onto a piezoelectric device. This instantly generates hundreds or even thousands of volts which passes over a spark gap, creating a spark and lighting the gas. Despite the high voltage, very little charge is actually conducted, so it’s no more dangerous than a static shock.

Starting in the late 1990s, research has been conducted into other applications such as placing piezoelectrics into shoe soles or sidewalks to generate power while someone walks around. Could you walk around and charge your iPhone? That would be cool! Unfortunately, you’d need to be willing to walk hundreds (probably thousands) of miles for a single charge. The problem with piezoelectrics is that while each generating “event” or “squeeze” might generate dozens, if not hundreds of volts (like the lighter), the charge conducted is very low. Those charges are what you need to fill up your iPhone’s battery, and the smaller each one, the more you need.

The potential for piezoelectrics to generate real amounts of power still exists though. “*Research at Cornell University*”:http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2010/05/researchers-harness-energy-wind-vibrations has focused on mimicking nature by using the concept of a leaf flapping in the wind to generate power from piezoelectrics. Maybe one day instead of plugging your phone into the wall, you’ll be able to plug it into an artificial tree.

_Dear Friends,_

I am sitting outside writing Kibbles in the sunshine in Key West while the crew in Vermont is shoveling up to 3 feet of snow and battling below zero temps. I am glad I am here, but I’m thinking of Grace as she is getting her snow tires off before driving down here with the three dogs. Spring is coming even though it might not seem so to Vermont right now!

Speaking of Spring, we have launched our “*March Mayhem*”:http://www.smalldog.com/marchmayhem/march-mayhem promotions for this month to correspond with the NCAA tournament. We are offering great specials all month (both in-store and online), and next Monday, we are kicking off what we’re calling our “Half-Ass” Bracket contest, too. There are big prizes at stake, so check the page for more details.

As I am setting up my place down here, I have been upgrading to some of the newer home automation gear. We have been adding some new products in this category and will be adding more. I put in a “*Nest*”:https://store.nest.com/ learning thermostat (which we do not have to sell yet) and I love being able to control my heating/cooling system from anywhere using my iPhone. I am also adding a “*Kevo*”:http://www.kwikset.com/kevo/ Bluetooth keyset that uses Bluetooth on the iPhone to lock and unlock the door. I am moving all the incandescent lights over to LEDs to conserve energy, and am going to play around with some other home automation stuff so we can see which works and offer it to you, too. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

My special this week is three items that will help you set up your home office. I am bundling the HP LaserJet Pro P1102W Wireless Laser Printer w/AirPrint with a 27-inch Viewsonic LED display and a Kanex multi-sync Bluetooth keyboard with number pad all for only *$409.99!*

The HP LaserJet Pro is an AirPrint printer which means you can print wirelessly from your Mac, iPhone or iPad. The 27-inch display has built-in speakers and HD 1080P resolution, HDMI input and a great picture in a very slim package — perfect for a home office. The Kanex keyboard is wireless via Bluetooth and allows you to simultaneously pair with up to three devices (so you can have it paired to your Mac, iPhone, iPad or even your Apple TV). This bundle really completes your home office — all you need is that new MacBook Pro Retina to go along with it!

“*Purchase this awesome deal here!*”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag900001312/