Episode 53 - Bicycle GPS, Best Vista Tweaking Tool Ever [Discussion]

[travislopes]

Picking in-ear headphones, Walmart kills digital music collections, Use Google Earth KML Routes with your GPS, Veronica's Favorite iPhone Apps, DLP Projector Bulb Tips, The Geekiest Bike Around

Watch and download here. (http://revision3.com/tekzilla/fantasticcontraption/)

[therage800]

Nothing really pertained to me in this ep. Enjoyed the out takes though "Veronica gets a new trainer" LOL

[johnny99]

A couple of comments on your recommendations for a GPS for a 300 mile bike ride.

1. For long bicycle rides, battery life is a big issue. Most bicyclists will take at 15 to 30 hours for a 300 mile bike ride. I think all the products mentioned in your show have battery life shorter than 15 hours. GPS units made for cars may have a battery life of only 2-4 hours. In addition, most of these units have sealed batteries that cannot be replaced in the field. You did not say if the bicyclist was doing the 300 miles in one day or several days or (if the latter) if the GPS batteries could be recharged during the overnight stops (usually not feasible when camping).

2. The cheaper Garmin Edge 205 and 305 units that you presented are much different from car GPSs. These units are mostly intended for training on known routes and have extremely limited mapping/routing capabilities. You can download a route into the GPS from your PC and have it display the route in real-time, but the GPS will not show you a street map of where you are in the route. Also, you cannot change the route once it is downloaded, nor can you create new routes in the field. If you miss a turn, the GPS will not automatically create a new route for you. The newer Garmin 605 and 705 units do have mapping and routing capabilities, but also much higher prices (i.e. the prices including the map software are very close to the model numbers).

A long distance bicyclist may want to consider a GPS like the Garmin Etrex Vista. These units are bigger and heavier than the Garmin Edge units, but they have much longer battery life, standard AA batteries that can be replaced in the field, bigger displays (color on some models), on-the-fly mapping and routing capabilities, and more reasonable prices.

[zewm]

I noticed when suggesting the in-ear headphones, all the models were $100+. I wanted to throw a $30 pair into the fray. I have been using these for a while now and they are the most comfortable headphones I've ever had. They also fit so snug that I get a nice pseudo noise cancellation effect. I've even used them in an airplane and not even the loud screaming children where a bother. You can usually find these at Best Buy, FYE or Amazon.com. Additionally they have a variety of colors available for all you fashion forward people.

Skullcandy Ink'd:
http://www.onheadphones.com/product-reviews/ear-buds/skullcandy-inkd-smokin-buds.html

[serafina]

Skullcandy Ink'd:
http://www.onheadphones.com/product-reviews/ear-buds/skullcandy-inkd-smokin-buds.html

I've had really good luck with the Skullcandy Smokin' Earbuds (http://www.amazon.com/Skullcandy-SC-SBB3-5-Smokin-Earbud-Black/dp/B000CMTZO8/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1223183150&sr=1-7). I recently wore them on my week-long 2,000mi road trip on my motorcycle, and they worked wonderfully, plus I got em for $30. I know V loves the Ultimate ears, but I had a pair of those and they just didnt seal and never fit right for me.

[rdclein]

Veronica mentioned she used Todo to synchronize with Remember The Milk but the video was showing the wrong app. Probably a simple mistake, after all there are about 5 or 6 apps on itunes that have some form of of the name to do. The only one I know of that sync with RTM is by Appigo (www.appigo.com). I use it as well except I sync it with a free account on Toodledo.

[mike1anime]

I was also wondering about options for a bicycle gps and I thought why not use your iphone!? As for me personally I don't have one but it is another reason convincing me to get one.

some of these iphone apps for running but seems like it would work for bicycling too: The Running GyPSy, Path Tracker, Distance Meter, iWalk, iTrail, PaceCalc all cost some money BUT... TrackThing Lite is free.

if your wondering about how to mount it, here's an option

there seems to be a lot of generic bike mounts like this on ebay or other online stores and there's a hand full of youtube videos to get an idea
http://www.usbfever.com/index_eproduct_view.php?products_id=437

but of course.. i was just researching all of this to convince myself to spend the money on an iphone instead of getting those other cyclo computers ^_^

[bme98]

I noticed when suggesting the in-ear headphones, all the models were $100+. I wanted to throw a $30 pair into the fray. I have been using these for a while now and they are the most comfortable headphones I've ever had. They also fit so snug that I get a nice pseudo noise cancellation effect. I've even used them in an airplane and not even the loud screaming children where a bother. You can usually find these at Best Buy, FYE or Amazon.com. Additionally they have a variety of colors available for all you fashion forward people.

Skullcandy Ink'd:
http://www.onheadphones.com/product-reviews/ear-buds/skullcandy-inkd-smokin-buds.html
I love Skullcandy, I have had 2 pairs of smokin buds and a pair of ink'd now i got a pair of the heavy bass ones but they run $50 but is well worth it. I break headphones because of my job so thats why i got through em.

[veronicazilla]

Veronica mentioned she used Todo to synchronize with Remember The Milk but the video was showing the wrong app. Probably a simple mistake, after all there are about 5 or 6 apps on itunes that have some form of of the name to do. The only one I know of that sync with RTM is by Appigo (www.appigo.com). I use it as well except I sync it with a free account on Toodledo.

Yes, the Todo from appigo is the one I use!

[davmoo]

I can vouch for the greatness of the Garmin Etrex series of GPS receivers that a previous post mentions. I have a Legend. Get the Vista, you'll appreciate the larger memory. It may not have a lot of bells and whistles, but the batteries last seemingly forever and can be bought anywhere when they finally die.

The rest of the show was good too, although I flatly despise any kind of in-ear devices.

As for Veronica's restocking charges issue, I feel your pain but I also understand why stores do that. A friend owns a camera store in a big city...you'd be amazed by his many stories of people calling asking if they could have the tape back that they accidentally left in the camcorder that they bought and returned as soon as they recorded their wedding. He no longer accepts returns on camcorders, only exchanges or in-warranty repair.

I know that sucks, and I'm not sure I see a big need for a restocking fee on something as mundane as a KVM...that's not something someone is going to buy, use it for a big event, and then return it. But at the same time, once its taken out of the wrapping it can no longer be legally sold as "new". At best, it will be sold as "open box" and the seller will have to take a hit on the sale price. So they have to make it up somewhere.

And good luck finding a new trainer :)

[raoulrod]

I had to chime in about the In-Ear headphone suggestions...

My ears are very sensitive to the type of headphones that I use. For instance, I can't stand the standard iPod headphones for more than 10-15 minutes at a time, they irritate the inside cartilage area of my ears.

Plus, I *really* like to have good quality sound from my headphones (which rules out the standard iPod headphones anyway)... For over the ear phones, I firmly stand behind Patrick's Grado suggestions, the Grado SR-60s are EXCELLENT quality/value.

For the In-Ear I FINALLY found a set that I absolutely LOVE. They are the Westone UM-1. They are made for musicians who are performing on stage, and they come with a variety of tips (short foam, longer foam, single flange, triple flange, the works...). They are also excellent at isolating you from overly loud noises (like a musician would hear on stage)...

I recently rode my motorcycle from Texas to Alaska and back and my ears NEVER got sore or tired wearing the UM-1s (4 weeks and 9000+ miles). They do a great job protecting your hearing as well. On the bike, when I take long trips I always use hearing protection to keep my hearing safe from the constant wind noise (I don't have a windscreen on my bike so I am always riding up in the wind). And with the Westone UM1s I just had to put the volume level ONE tick above the volume I listen to it in the living room and it was perfect for the bike at speed.

They are a little on the pricey side (they will run you about $120), but without a doubt they are THE best music/sound listening devices I have EVER BOUGHT. I am not a audio "snob" but I like my music to sound good, and according to the last hearing test I had (I have to get them annually in the Army) I haven't lost a step over the last 10 years. (I can still hear the "Mosquito" sound which is supposedly unusual for someone who is 38...)

Before I purchased them, I did some research and I read some of the comment from users who stated that they heard things in live performances that they never heard before... I honestly thought it was a bunch of tripe... until I got them and listened to "The Parrot Sketch" from Monty Python. I had heard that skit DOZENS (maybe hundreds) of times, but until I used the UM-1s I had never heard what was REALLY going on in the background of that store... I was stunned by the quality and clarity the UM-1s had... stunneded like a wet salmon to the face...

Anyway, long story short, I love them. They are an excellent value. They allow me to protect my hearing and provide excellent quality sound without tiring/irritating my ears.

And like others, I use them a lot while edging and mowing the lawn... great way to protect my ears from loud noises and have good sound at the same time...

http://www.westone.com/content/115.html

[charliekwalker]

Nothing really pertained to me in this ep. Enjoyed the out takes though "Veronica gets a new trainer" LOL

I was more into the whole Patrick sings the baseline to a Fugazi song. But then again, that's probably just a Northeast thing.

As for headphones, I'm partial to Shure in ear headphones for out and about, and Sony MDR studio monitor over ears for at home/late night at work.

[shanmac]

You guys both got along great which was nice. Veronica, I didn't see any Diet Coke cans around. Are you still getting your fix? Regarding the GPS for the bike. I think the regular GPS with the clamp would get waterlogged pretty quick. The bike computer GPS's from Garmin might be the better bet. I tried out that WinBubble app and wasn't too impressed. You guys seemed to pump it up more than you should have. Roger, you should see if you can get a demo of the Blackberry Storm for Veronica and Patrick to demo. I would love to see that. Anyways, keep up the great work guys!