The Shredder - Update

Do you remember the Shredder that we posted about a while back? A crazy little machine that would provide lots of fun for anyone living in a remote location. Not only that, but it looks like it might have some practical value too.

BPG-Werks are now writing on their website that deliveries will start early 2012. You can pre-order it for the nice sum of USD 2599.

Here's a new video showing some guy having way to much fun while testing this machine.

The Tetra Shed

No room for an office in your cramped little jungle house?

Check out the Tetra Shed which will be available next year.

More info here

The shredder - a new way to explore new places?

Another one from gizmag.com.

This is presented more to be a toy than anything, but I can't help but wonder if this wouldn't be a great tool in accessing remote areas that would be difficult to get to my motorcycle.

"Twenty-one year-old Canadian Ben Gulak heads up BPG Werks, a company that is developing a vehicle called the DTV Shredder. Like the Scarpar, the Shredder is an all-terrain tracked vehicle that the rider stands on, like a skateboard – or in this case, a mini-tank. What sets it apart is its larger size, handlebars, and an in-development 48hp rotary combustion engine that should allow for a top speed of over 97km/h (60mph)."

"We wanted to create a new powered sport vehicle that was small enough that you could put it in the trunk of your car,” he told us regarding the Shredder. “We wanted a very small platform that had all the same capabilities as an ATV or dirt bike, and that also was a crossover between power and extreme sports."

"BPG Werks is currently in negotiations with unnamed major manufacturers who are interested in producing both civilian and military versions of the Shredder. Gulak expects it to be commercially available within 12 to 18 months, for around US$3,500 to $4,000."

Originally posted here.

The Gorillatorch

Whether you are on a hike, camping or in the middle of a jungle the Gorillatorch seems like it would be a helpful gadget to bring along. Multi-purpose, lightweight and energy efficient check all the right boxes.

From gizmag.com:

"Joby is continuing its run of clever designs with the fourth installment in its hands-free torch line-up – the Gorillatorch Switchback. As anyone who's ever been on an overnight hike can attest, any practical two-in-one solution that cuts down on baggage is a bonus, and this one seems to tick the boxes. The Switchback uses one LED light array as both an LED lantern and a headlamp, plus the lamp stand doubles as a camera tripod... better make that three-in-one.

The 5-LED array includes a 130-lumen spotlight, two white floodlights and two red LEDs to help you keep your night vision intact. It has six brightness settings, an adjustable dimmer switch, a beam distance of 60 feet and a battery life of up to 72 hours on 2xAA batteries.

Joby says that in lantern mode, the Switchback has enough kick to illuminate an 8-person tent and its 92% ultra-efficient holographic lens "produces brilliant and even light that is easy on the eyes when viewed directly."

The lamp stand / camera tripod is of the Joby grab-anywhere variety, so figuring out how to hold your light steady shouldn't be a problem.

I'm not convinced that I'd leave my dedicated headtorch at home if I had the Switchback in the kit (there could be too much changing back-and-forth involved while tinkering around the campsite), but even if you look at it as a bright, compact lantern with the bonus of a spare headtorch (and a camera tripod), it's still has the makings of a very useful piece of camping gear.

The price: US$59.95."

Rocking Chair

How about a comfortable chair that you can read your favorite book in for hours after dark – without worrying about draining the batteries of your solar system? Well, here it is!



”Designer Rochus Jacob has harnessed all that wasted kinetic energy created by gently rocking in the chair and has used advanced nano-dynamo technology built into the skids of the chair to power a reading lamp above the user’s head. And the lamp shade itself is actually the light source – it’s created from OLEDs. Thankfully, the flat and bendable organic light emitting diodes don’t require much power to deliver enough light to make reading enjoyable.

If you use the chair during the day a battery pack stores that energy for night-time, which means you can read without rocking, if you want to."

From gizmag.com

Bladeless fan

Aircondition units are very power hungry and can’t be run off of solar panels for that very reason. I have personally lived in a hot climate with no airconditioning available and so I know first hand the importance of good fans. You don’t often hear of new innovations in the fan business. And that is why I thought this video was quite fascinating.

E-books in the sun

You may have read about all the new e-book readers out there, with Amazon’s Kindle leading the pack, and begun craving one for yourself. But, since you are reading this blog, chances are that you are living in a place where electric power is a constant challenge. That is why we like solar powered stuff here at Jungle Gadgets.

I therefore think I have found the perfect e-book reader for you – the LG Display. It is solar powered and four to five hours of sun exposure yields an additional day's worth of reading time. You can read inside too, of course, thanks to the battery, but if you do that how will you show off the fact that you're on the cutting edge and hip with your e-book?

More info here.