Tag Archives: columbia
Sexist Gorilla Needs Therapy
Columbia recalls Omni-Heat electric jackets due to burn hazard (or, for working too well)
Sure, we may have internet in the skies and refrigerators with Evernote integration, but here's one thing that science can't do: deliver a trouble-free heated jacket. A few years after Ardica hung up the dream due to a battery recall, Columbia is doing likewise. The sportswear company has issued a recall for seven Omni-Heat electric jacket models, citing a manufacturing defect in the heated inner wrist cuff. There have been two non-injury incidents reported (Canada, UK), but no injuries. According to the company's own statement on the matter, a "small number of the 2012 Columbia heated jackets may contain a heated inner wrist cuff component with a manufacturing flaw that may cause an electrical short to occur, giving rise to a potential burn risk." This is all in addition to a separate recall in early January specific to a small number of batteries, (part number 054978-001) that -- according to Columbia -- "may have been included with a small number of electric jackets may overheat and result in a fire hazard."
If you'll recall, the Circuit Breaker was actually one of our favorite gadgets of 2011, but curiously, we never could pinpoint when and where these were set to go on sale. We were independently contacted by a company that claimed Columbia was using its technology in breach of contract, but never could verify if that was the reason sales seemed to be on hiatus. [Update: Columbia affirmed to us that said claims are "unfounded" and "had no impact the delivery of its Fall 2011 Omni-Heat Electric products."] Evidently, a few hundred of these finally made their way into the warm embrace of consumers, but considering that "Refund" looks to be the only remedy here, we sort of doubt a second generation will emerge. It's important to note, however, that Columbia's non-electric Omni-Heat offerings aren't included in the recall -- and, for the record, that stuff does a stellar job of keeping one warm without any whiz-bang circuitry. Hit up the links below if you're thinking of sending yours back.
Filed under: Wearables
Columbia announces Omni-Freeze ZERO, sports gear that cools you down the hotter you get (video)
Columbia is announcing the Omni-Freeze ZERO, a range of sports gear that cools you the more you sweat. Blue rings of cooling polymer cover the garments, which swell when exposed to moisture -- letting air pass around you as if you had goosebumps. Unlike typical compression garments, which wick the sweat away from you, this puts your natural resources to good use, so much so that the company believes it's cooler than taking your top off entirely. The futuristic gear will also turn up in a new range of footwear, but before you can get too excited, there's a catch; it isn't due to hit stores until next year, so you've still got a few months of getting sweaty.
Columbia announces Omni-Freeze ZERO, sports gear that cools you down the hotter you get (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsColumbia’s GPS Pal app for Android and iOS logs your hikes, geotags memories (video)
Move over, My Tracks -- you've got serious company. Google's own adventure tracking app just got majorly one-upped by a company that also happens to make heated jackets. Columbia's just-launched GPS Pal app is not only available on both Android and iOS, but it's actually designed to be used with a user account so that activity logs are neatly housed in a searchable, organized portal. It's free to download, and aside from monitoring your hikes and treks via GPS, it also syncs photos, videos, and trail information to a web journal automatically, complete with pinpoint geotagging information on each piece of media.
As for data points? It'll keep track of elevation changes, current speed and distance traveled, and it makes sharing said trips to social networks quite the lesson in simplicity. Naturally, you'll need a data connection in order to upload media while on the trail -- something that's often hard to find -- but at least the app tells you how poor (or great) your GPS signal is at all times, which is all that's required to keep track of your actual steps. Head on past the break for a promo video, or hit the links below to grab it for your platform of choice.
Columbia's GPS Pal app for Android and iOS logs your hikes, geotags memories (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 02:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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