Govee RGBIC Permanent Outdoor Lights Review: It’s a Holiday Everyday of the Year

PROS:


  • Relatively easy to install

  • Durable and weatherproof with IP67 rating

  • Bright and vibrant LEDs with 16 million colors

  • Powerful customization and control via app or smart assistants

CONS:


  • A bit expensive

  • Triangular light pattern might not appeal to some

  • Overwhelming mobile app

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Bright, colorful, durable, and versatile, the high-quality Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights make sure you never have to buy and put up Christmas lights over and over again.

Christmas in Summer? Sure, why not? Especially if you can beat the summer heat and hold a raving ‘outdoor party at night. You’ll need to set the right atmosphere, though, to help your guests forget about the sweltering temperatures. And what better way is there to set a festive mood than with brilliant lights that dance to the music? Of course, those same outdoor lights could provide not only decoration but also safety at night, any time of the year. That’s the proposition that the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights is making, replacing your Christmas lights and staying beyond the winter holidays to be used all year round. These aren’t the first outdoor fairy lights in the market, though, so we took these unique-looking LED lights outdoors, hooked them up, and lit up the house to see if it can rise to the challenge and stand proud apart from the crowd.

Designer: Govee

Click Here to Buy Now: $299.99.

Aesthetics

You’ve probably seen your fair share of outdoor lights, fairy or otherwise, but if you haven’t, suffice it to say that the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights are nowhere near what you’d expect. Instead of bulbs sticking out of a strand of cable, you get LEDs enclosed in 3cm squares with a small clear dome covering the LED itself. Each square is set about a foot apart from each other on the flat cable, forming 6 segments that total a 100ft (50m) long string of light of lights that offers some flexibility in how you install them (more on that later). What all these mean is that the lights are designed to be minimalist and almost invisible, getting out of the way to let the lights take center stage.

Those lights definitely deserve all the attention because of their impressive output. Thanks to Govee’s RGBIC technology, each light is capable of showing any color within a range of 16 million. Of course, you won’t be looking at each LED on its own, and its real appeal comes through the combination of those lights, whether as a single stream of color or in a kaleidoscopic display. At 26 lumens per LED, the Outdoor Lights will definitely be an attention grabber, no matter what color you choose. That might also be a consideration you have to take in mind if there are related regulations about night lights in your area.

All-in-all, the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights delivers a stunning visual, regardless of the holiday or occasion. They’re pretty much like super-powered Christmas lights you don’t have to take down and can use all throughout the year. You can even dim the lights a bit and use a solid swath of color to illuminate your house without making it look like you’re having a party every night. Thanks to its simple and minimalist design, there are no bulbs that stick out from roofs and eaves to steal the show. These outdoor lights are an effective and cost-effective way to make your house pop, any time of the year.

Ergonomics (Installation)

You won’t be handling these outdoor lights all the time, fortunately, but you will have to wrestle with them at least once when you install them on your house. Because they are meant to stay in their place, hence the “permanent” part of their name, you do have to take some time to properly plan out where you’ll be placing them. Fortunately, Govee is making it easy to install these strands of light, giving you plenty of flexibility to run the lights even along areas where you might not want to have any light at all.

That’s because the 100ft (30m) string of LEDs is actually divided into 6 strands, each with clearly-marked waterproof connectors so you can easily tell which end connects to which. There are also extension cables included in the box, in case you need to run the lights down from roof to wall but want to leave gaps in the lighting in those transitional areas. This also means you don’t have to force yourself to use all six segments if you don’t need to. Conversely, you can also extend the length with another 100ft set or the 3-segment 50ft (30m) set that Govee also sells.

Once all the planning is done, installing the lights is relatively painless, though still needs a bit of work to pull off. Each light square has a 3M adhesive that lets you easily stick them to any flat surface outside your house. There are also clips you can use to keep wayward clips in line. Once all the lights have been installed, the last bit is connecting the control box and the power box to finally light up your house. Connecting the lights to the Govee mobile app is just as painless and you’ll be off playing with the settings and features in no time.

Performance

The Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights are definitely one of those things that you have to see to truly appreciate their value. The bright lights can effectively illuminate your house, adding not only flavor but also safety at night. The lights might actually be too bright, so you might want to put on covers or blinds on windows if the lights are anywhere near them.

These Outdoor Lights are also smart lights, which means they’re meant to be controlled through a connected smartphone or via some smart assistants, particularly Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. This is where the lights really shine, pardon the pun, thanks to the countless ways you can change the way they look or behave. In fact, the sheer number of options available on the app might be overwhelming and confusing for new users. Fortunately, there are also plenty of presets available, including over 70 scenes that let you set the right mood for given occasions.

While there are plenty of ways to configure the Govee Outdoor Lights, one of the most interesting and most dramatic is the Music Mode, where the lights react to the music and sound it hears either through the phone or its control box, making them dance to the beat. Even better, you can harmonize multiple Govee products through DreamView mode to create a captivating synchronized Light Show. And when the party’s done, you can just ask Alexa or Google Assistant to turn the lights into a more peaceful hue to call it a night.

Due to its rather unique enclosure design, the light that the LEDs project has a rather distinctive triangular shape that’s even more visible if the lights are placed close to a wall. Unlike most fairy or string lights that wash the surroundings with a more or less even diffusion, the lights coming from the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights look more like mini spotlights with a wide-angle spread. It creates a rather unique visual effect, like sharp ridges or stairs, it’s an aesthetic that won’t appeal to everybody. That could be a deal-breaking design that potential buyers will have to consider before making this rather substantial purchase.

Sustainability

Like many outdoor lights, the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights make use of plenty of plastic and some rubber, not exactly the most environment-friendly materials. Given design and production requirements, however, this is hardly surprising, but it’s definitely a big opportunity for Govee to further take the lead in the smart lighting market. Imagine a brand that not only delivers powerful smart lighting but sustainable products as well. That could be Govee a few years down the line!

The company does make up for it by making sure that its products don’t meet their untimely demise quickly. In other words, Govee lights are built to last, and these Outdoor Lights are no different. In fact, they’re even better, boasting an IP67 dust and water resistance rating that makes them ideal for use even in inclement weather. Even the control box and adapter are IP65 rated, truly marking them safe for outdoor use. As for the LEDs themselves, they’re advertised with a lifetime of up to 50,000 hours, around 5 years if you use them 24/7 (which you won’t anyway). Govee makes these affirmations regarding the durability of the RGBIC Permanent Outdoor Lights:

  • Successful operation test at 140 ℉
  • Successful operation test at -40 ℉
  • Passed operation test at a water depth of 49ft
  • Withstood a tensile force of 11.02lb
  • Endured manual pulling of over 10 pounds

Value

It’s easy to do a double-take when you see the $299.99 price tag attached to these lights, but it’s a first impression that won’t last long. Yes, it is a bit steep and pricier than other outdoor fairy lights, but few or none of those can even offer half of what Govee delivers. Some, for example, won’t even last more than two seasons of limited use during holidays only, let alone regular use both on or off-season. Few can also offer a quick and easy method of installing lights that you’ll leave in place until they die many years later. You don’t have to dread removing the lights after the festivities and can just leave them there for the next occasion or as regular night lights for the house.

The Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights also offer a level of control and customization you might only find in more expensive brands. There is, in fact, an overwhelming number of settings you can tweak to your heart’s content, making these outdoor lights not only beautiful but also versatile. Given all that, the $299.99 figure doesn’t look bad at all, especially when you consider that it’s a longer-term investment that will last you for years compared to cheaper lights where you truly get what you pay for.

Verdict

Summer isn’t just about beaches and camping (or glamping). Night pool parties and quiet times out on the porch are also common activities during this season, both of which require the right lights to set the right mood. You could get different lights for different occasions, or you could get the Govee RGBIC Permanent Outdoor Lights and have a versatile outdoor lighting solution for any occasion.

With a modular design and easy installation process, these Govee outdoor lights offer more flexibility in where and how you want to put them up. The bright and vibrant colors of the LEDs help create the atmosphere that you want, while the powerful mobile app put an almost endless array of options at your fingertips. Whether it’s a holiday, a seasonal party, or just a dark night, the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights will make your house stand out and make you the talk of the town.

Click Here to Buy Now: $299.99.

The post Govee RGBIC Permanent Outdoor Lights Review: It’s a Holiday Everyday of the Year first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Carbon Neutral Backpack is built with recycled plastic and captured CO2, and is 100% storm-proof

The 38L Hybrid Duffle Pack isn’t your average backpack. For starters, it’s designed to be entirely carbon neutral, with materials and processes that take waste out of the system rather than putting waste into the system. The bag’s fabric uses 123 recycled plastic bottles in its construction and is strengthened by atmospheric-captured CO2, using a proprietary procedure. In fact, the 38L Hybrid Duffle Pack is so strong that it’s rated to be 100% storm-proof, and comes with a seal of approval from Ed Stafford, a renowned English explorer and survivalist who holds the Guinness World Record for being the first human ever to walk the length of the Amazon River, and who also played a sizeable role in designing the 38L Hybrid Duffle Pack… and why is it called Hybrid? Well, because it can seamlessly alternate between backpack, side-strap, and duffle modes, preparing you for all scenarios… and for all weathers.

Designer: GROUNDTRUTH

Click Here to Buy Now: $249 $400 ($151 off). Hurry, only 4/65 left!

Coming from the mind of GROUNDTRUTH and Ed Stafford, the 38L Hybrid Duffle Pack was just built to dominate in the outdoors. However, at the same time, it’s functional and urban-friendly enough to be your everyday carry too. The bag’s design upcycles plastic waste in a way that blurs the lines between sustainability, fashion, and function, giving you a backpack strong and hyper-functional enough to be the last one you’ll ever buy.

Backpack – Robust semi-detachable shoulder straps with stabilizers for extra comfort.

Hand Carry – Three exterior robust grab handles for hand carry.

Duffle – Detachable waist belt transforms into comfy shoulder strap for shoulder and cross-body carry.

The hyper-functionality starts with the bag’s hybrid design, which alternates between handheld, side duffle, and backpack styles in a matter of seconds. The bag comes with a detachable duffle-style shoulder strap, a semi-detachable backpack harness with stabilizers, and 2 side handles to facilitate the three carrying styles. With all the straps tucked away, it can be carried like a handheld briefcase. Pop the duffle-style shoulder strap on and you have a side-sling duffle bag… attach the two backpack harness straps and you’ve got a backpack. The backpack mode can further be reinforced with the extra strap (from the duffle configuration) transforming into a secure waist belt letting you carry heavy items with ease as the bag hugs your back to prevent the straps from cutting into your skin and causing you fatigue.

Made to easily withstand the extreme outdoors, the bag boasts a 100% storm-proof design that’s further backed by GROUNDTRUTH’s 10-year warranty. The 38L Hybrid Duffle Pack’s exterior uses the company’s proprietary fabric, made from recycled PET bottles. The bottles are collected, cleaned, and then shredded into thin fibers before being woven into a strong yarn. The yarn is then transformed into a high-performance fabric with a 600D ballistic property and a tristop weave. The resulting fabric is absolutely water-proof, and the bag’s panels are joined together with the triangular ripstop stitch pattern that prevents them from fraying, splitting, or tearing. Waterproof YKK lockable zippers help keep your bag’s contents dry and safe no matter how inclement the weather.

The backpack is spacious enough to accommodate 38 liters, as its name suggests, and is wide enough to fit a 16″ laptop in the main fleece-lined laptop compartment. The bag features two main compartments that open in a 180° clamshell fashion for full accessibility, alongside four outer front pockets. Additionally, a top-access pocket with a dedicated keychain holder lets you store your EDC. Additionally, bottle holders on either side of the bag let you store up to two 1L bottles.

The bag’s eco-friendly approach is truly one-of-a-kind. Not only is the exterior fabric crafted from recycled plastic bottles, but the interior lining is also made entirely from recycled fishing nets using zero-added dyes. What’s more, GROUNDTRUTH’s innovative process involves infusing captured CO2 into the recycled plastic hardware, resulting in a material that is up to 40% more durable than virgin plastics. To top it off, the textiles are also coated with an advanced water-based film that contains zero VOCs. GROUNDTRUTH is also committed to working with Bluesign®-certified partners to ensure fair and ethical treatment of workers throughout the entire supply chain.

The bag truly shows a remarkable balance between sustainability and functionality. Purposefully designed to help mitigate the effects of humanity’s wasteful decisions, the bag comes with a carbon-neutral design that’s further reinforced by the fact that it’s ridiculously durable, and is backed by a 10-year warranty. Made for travel, the 38L Hybrid Duffle Pack is cabin-friendly, and is available globally in two colors – ECO-X Black, and Ice Sheet Blue, for a discounted price of $249.

The 38L Hybrid Duffle Pack is part of GROUNDTRUTH’s award-winning RIKR range collection.

Click Here to Buy Now: $249 $400 ($151 off). Hurry, only 4/65 left!

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IKEA’s new tiny soap-shaped wireless speaker was designed to be waterproof for those shower karaoke sessions

I wouldn’t really put you at fault if you accidentally grabbed IKEA’s latest VAPPEBY speaker and mistook it for a bar of soap in the shower. The tiny device, designed for a water-friendly environment, is perfectly soap-sized, and pairs rather wonderfully with shower karaoke sessions. Pair it with your phone and the VAPPEBY literally becomes the difference between a good shower and a great one. It’s compact, but packs a punch in the audio department, so you could burst into your soprano knowing fully well that you’re well accompanied, at least music-wise!

Designer: Iina Vuorivirta for IKEA

The VAPPEBY speaker sports a charming design that takes cues from the humble bar of soap. Featuring a square shape with rounded edges and available in an array of pastel colors, this compact speaker adds a touch of whimsy to your shower experience. To complete the look, the VAPPEBY comes with a woven cord lanyard, allowing you to hang it up anywhere you please, be it on your showerhead or a nearby hook. A single button on top lets you control your VAPPEBY, switching on or off the device, and playing/pausing music.

Despite its small size, the VAPPEBY packs a punch when it comes to battery life and performance. With a playtime of 80 hours when used at 50% volume, you can enjoy countless shower concerts without worrying about constantly recharging the device. The VAPPEBY delivers clear audio, ensuring that you can enjoy your favorite tunes even amidst the sound of rushing water.

The VAPPEBY’s IP67 waterproof rating means you can confidently take this speaker into the shower without any fear of water damage. But its versatility doesn’t stop there—the VAPPEBY is also perfect for outdoor use. Whether you’re hanging out by the pool, camping, or enjoying a day at the beach, this waterproof speaker is built to withstand the elements while providing you with a quality audio experience.

The post IKEA’s new tiny soap-shaped wireless speaker was designed to be waterproof for those shower karaoke sessions first appeared on Yanko Design.

These stone-like outdoor loudspeakers are perfect for gardens and poolsides

You often play music indoors because the acoustics is often better inside enclosed spaces. You don’t need to pump up speakers to the max to be heard, and you don’t risk annoying neighbors with genres they might have no love for. Plus, most audio equipment like speakers aren’t exactly meant to stay outdoors for long, lest Mother Nature wreaks havoc on their sensitive electronics. Lately, however, it has been trendy to have outdoor gatherings to celebrate newfound freedom from home quarantines and restrictions, not to mention parties at pools that really get crowds wet and wild, especially during summer. Fortunately, there are indeed speakers designed not only to be heard outdoors but also to survive whatever weather may come, and Focal’s new set of speakers definitely looks the part of weather-beaten objects.

Designer: Focal

There are admittedly quite a number of speakers that can withstand a splash of water or some dust, but these aren’t meant to be left outside for long periods of time. Those that are designed to be more permanent outdoor fixtures do meet the durability requirement, but they also clearly stand out as alien parts of your garden or pool. That might be fine for some people, but others might prefer outdoor speakers with a bit more discretion in how they blend with their surroundings.

The new OD Stone 8 from Focal’s line of Littora 200 outdoor speakers easily fits the bill with its round, egg-like shape and its textured finishes that deceive your eyes into thinking they’re made of stone. These loudspeakers easily fit almost any outdoor motif, whether it’s a lush garden or a pool with concrete surroundings, which covers pretty much all poolsides. These speakers are also IP55 rated, which means they’ll survive both a rainstorm and an accidental jet of water from the pool.

The Littora 200 collection also includes the new OD Sub 12, a subwoofer that you can partially bury underground to mix with the rest of your garden. These also come shaped like giant mushrooms, so they will blend well with other plants, not to mention the boulder-like OD Stone 8. These two speakers complement each other not only in terms of acoustics but also in thematic appearance.

Of course, no one will probably mistake these speakers for real mushrooms and stones, especially given how geometrically perfect they look. It’s still a nice touch, though, to have audio equipment that is almost virtually invisible rather than standing out and becoming a visual distraction. And they aren’t all just about good looks, though that’s definitely one of their selling points. The speakers are also equipped with Focal’s Iris cone drivers, so you get the brand’s full audio expertise at your beck and call as well.

The post These stone-like outdoor loudspeakers are perfect for gardens and poolsides first appeared on Yanko Design.

Lodge wireless landscape speakers deliver concert-like sound, live outdoors with ease and are powered by the sun

Many outdoor speakers today come in a portable form, which can be beneficial when you find yourself on the go. The downside with many of these speakers is that their smaller size results in small-ish sound and you constantly worry that the charge will run out at the most inconvenient moment or just when the action is starting to heat up. Whether it’s for a backyard party, a relaxing picnic, or outdoor activities like boating and camping, what you need is an awesome sounding, weather-proof, always-powered speaker for your music. And that’s exactly what you get with the Lodge wireless landscape speaker.

Designer: Tristan Cannan

Click Here to Buy Now: Two for $420 $600 (30% off). Hurry, exclusive deal for YD readers only!

It’s probably fair to say that many portable speakers are designed to withstand the elements like moisture and dust. Sure, they are meant to be used outdoors, but they don’t last outdoors very long because their charge runs out and often when you least expect it, like in the middle of the party or your favorite song. With Lodge speakers, you never have to worry about such interruptions, because they are being continuously charged by the sun and can deliver 15 hours of your favorite music on a single charge.

Effortless Setup – Simply select any spot, insert the stakes, and mount your speakers in seconds.

Powered by the Sun – Covered in 180 square inches of high-performing, shatterproof solar panels to ensure your sound system is always charged.

As you might have guessed, this remarkable feat is made possible by solar charging panels, about 180 square inches in total, covering the speaker’s top, back, and sides. That means that no matter where you set it up or which direction it’s facing, a Lodge speaker will always be able to soak up some rays to keep its battery topped up all the time. And in case you’re worried about those panels, they’re designed to be shatterproof and chip-proof to survive anything the outdoors throws at them.

Everything Proof – Designed to truly weather any storm, whether it’s splashes, rain, dust, sand, or dirt.

In fact, you could almost say that the Lodge speaker is “Everything Proof.” With a formal dust and water resistance grade of IP66, it can stand in the rain, hold steady at a passing lawnmower, and brave sand and dust, practically almost anything that nature and man can throw at it. And since there’s no need for traditional charging, there are also no wires to make you worry about safety. And when you are ready to move the party somewhere else, you can take the Lodge speaker with you wherever you go, just pick it up from its magnetic stand and bring your music with you, even indoors.

Bluetooth Connectivity – Play your favorite tunes with your favorite apps without worrying about latency or dropped connections.

Besides handling all kinds of weather conditions without a hitch, the true calling for the Lodge speaker is the premium quality sound you will hear coming out of it. And hear it, you will, thanks to its 4-inch passive subwoofer for punchy bass, a 3/4-inch turned dome tweeter for clear and crisp highs, and a 50-watt amplifier to deliver big, spacious sound. You get all of that from just one speaker! Of course, if one Lodge speaker isn’t enough, you can also chain together multiple speakers to create an immersive soundscape. With Bluetooth 5.3, you can easily stream your favorite tunes from as far as 100+ feet away without missing a beat.

Rugged, reliable, and yet also good-looking, the Lodge wireless landscape speaker offers a worry-free listening experience outdoors, whether you’re just staying in your own backyard or living an adventurer’s life just for the weekend. Many wireless speakers are designed to be usable outdoors, but the Lodge speaker was born to be outdoors. When you consider all that it has to offer, from premium sound, to its rugged design, to continuous, worry-free charging from the sun, the Lodge speaker delivers tremendous value for its price.

Click Here to Buy Now: Two for $420 $600 (30% off). Hurry, exclusive deal for YD readers only! Raised over $275,000.

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This jacket designed to survive an apocalypse is made of the same material used to coat the Apollo Mission spacecraft!

The Apocalypse Jacket from Vollebak combines polybenzimidazole, para-aramid, and antistatic to create a jacket that’s built to face the threat of global catastrophe.

Surviving an apocalypse could mean anything these days. Whether we picture zombies chasing us down suburban streets or even retreating to our bunkers as asteroids pelt the planet, our survival depends on our doomsday preparation. But how can we be prepared for the end of the world as we know it?

Designer: Vollebak

Click Here to Buy Now!

Vollebak, a clothing company rooted in science and technology, finds promise in fashion. Launching items like the world’s first Solar-Charged Jacket and even a pair of sweatpants designed to last a lifetime, Vollebak is back with their Apocalypse Jacket. Founded by two brothers, Nick and Steve Tidball, Vollebak uses science and technology to design clothes from the future, for the future.

Built to face the threat of global catastrophe, Vollebak’s Apocalypse Jacket is composed of a fabric that was originally invented by Dr. Marvel, a scientist called on by the Department of Defense to invent a fiber with no melting point. In the face of the Cold War and the Apollo program, Dr. Marvel found that polybenzimidazole (PBI), could offer exceptional thermal and chemical stability.

Used to coat the spacecraft that landed the first humans on the moon in 1972, “PBI retains its integrity after it is exposed to high heat, chemicals, and abrasion – it won’t stiffen and crack, unlike other fire-retardant materials,” as Vollebak puts it. Withstanding temperatures of at least 2,370°F, the Apocalypse Jacket can even survive the same temperature of black lava.

Since its initial development in 1961, PBI has continued to offer the highest tensile strength available in fabrics even when compared with firefighter uniforms. Five times as strong as firefighter uniforms, PBI isn’t the only aspect of the Apocalypse Jacket that will help us survive doomsday.

Lined with 23 pockets, Vollebak designed the Apocalypse Jacket in the likely chance that you’ll have to ditch your survival kit and backpack. Chemical-resistant, fireproof, water-repellent, and almost impossible to tear, the Apocalypse Jacket is built to survive.

With Vollebak’s Apocalypse Jacket, 23 pockets offer plenty of storage space on the run. 

Even in the face of fire, nuclear waste, and human-eating zombies, the Apocalypse Jacket is built to survive. 

Storing most of your personnel in the 23 lined pockets, all you’ll have to carry is your zombie-killing weapons. 

The interior pockets allow you to keep all your Doomsday essentials on you at all times. 

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DJI’s latest action camera just made the GoPro look like an expensive hunk of plastic





With an incredibly diverse eco-system of snap-on modules that let you practically attach the camera anywhere you want, the DJI Action 2 is what you get when you create a camera after intense research and design-thinking… not by simply copying what the rest of the market is doing.

Drone and gimbal makers extraordinaire, DJI seems to be completely disrupting the non-smartphone consumer camera market. The OM, Osmo, and Pocket give you a set of really powerful stabilized on-ground recording capabilities, while DJI’s drones really speak for themselves… With the Action 2, however, the company hopes to conquer yet another market that was up until now dominated by GoPro.

“The blueprint of an action cam is a familiar one – tough, waterproof, in a compact body”, says the narrator in the video above… and in doing so, perfectly describes the pit into which most tech companies fall – the pit of the ‘template’. It’s easy to be the second or the third best company in any domain… simply follow your biggest competitor and provide ‘the next best option’ for consumers to consider. This is something most action cameras have been doing by simply recreating what the GoPro pushed out. Once you hacked the template, you could make your action camera cheaper, have more memory, have a better battery, or cloud storage, and voila… your product was a worthy competitor to the GoPro. What the Action 2 aims at doing is redrawing that template by asking itself “If the GoPro didn’t exist, what would an action camera in 2021 look like?”

What the Action 2 gets right with its design isn’t just the camera (after all, DJI’s cameras are pretty fantastic to begin with) but rather how the camera is operated. The company designed an exhaustive list of modules, holders, and even accessories to go with their camera, all of which affix themselves to the Action 2 using an incredibly powerful set of magnets (a la MagSafe). The modules simply snap on or snap off, and give you a variety of use-cases, from being able to hold the camera in your hand, fix it to your chest/arm/head, attach it to your helmet, handlebar, or dashboard, place it on a steady surface, or even go underwater with it. If there’s a place you could take your Action 2, or an activity you could conduct with your Action 2… DJI’s thought of it and designed a module/accessory for it.

In many ways, this holistic approach is GoPro’s undoing. The way DJI’s modules just magnetically snap on or snap off the Action 2 make it really easy to use the camera anywhere and anyhow… and the camera’s all-terrain + waterproof design, 155° Super-Wide lens, powerful digital stabilization algorithm, and the 4-microphone recording setup make the Action 2 an incredibly compelling purchase.

Perhaps the Action 2’s most defining feature (and you’ll see it practically all their images) is the snap-on touchscreen module. Traditionally, all action cameras have lenses on the front and displays on the rear… and that’s great for filming everything except yourself. DJI’s Front Touchscreen Module basically lets you turn the action camera into a wide-angle vlogging camera. The module snaps right on and lets you attach other accessories like the tripod, selfie stick, car-mount, etc. Moreover, snapping it on doesn’t just give you a front-facing extra screen… it gives you an extra battery pack too, doubling the Action 2’s recording time to 160 minutes, and also adds extra mics for crisper audio recording – a feature that vastly benefits vloggers and influencers who want to be in the spotlight.

This indestructible, limited-edition survival kit includes 72 EDC camping essentials to keep you outdoor ready!

The limited-edition Searcher Orange Camp Supplies Kit from VSSL features 72 EDC camping essentials that range from a set of navigational tools to a mini first aid kit, so you’ll always be prepared to rough it in the woods.

When done right, camping is able to tap into our survival instinct to keep us warm and help us sleep soundly through the night. The importance of gaining skills like navigation and how to start your own fire cannot be understated when it comes to off-grid or solitary camping. Refining your own survival skills will always come in handy, but if you’re not there yet, survival kits like those from VSSL will bring you into the morning in the meantime. Re-launching their Camp Supplies Kit in bright Searcher Orange, VSSL packs in every EDC item you might need while roughin’ it in the woods.

Made from waterproof, military-grade aluminum, the Searcher Orange Camp Supplies Kit stores all the tools and starter kits you need in an indestructible vessel. Consolidated into canisters the size of hockey pucks, the Searcher Orange Camp Supplies Kit comes loaded with more than ten mini survival packs that carry everything from navigational tools to fishing supplies. Portable by design, VSSL’s Supplies Kit comes with a lid that doubles as a Suunto Compass, which is also considered one of the most trusted navigational tools on the market and carries the rest of the supply kits inside.

Developed for off-grid camping, the Searcher Orange Camp Supplies Kit comes complete with canisters that include a fire starter, mini first-aid pack, a rope and razor kit, fishing supplies pack, a beeswax candle, wire saw, water bag, adventure tape, a bamboo cloth, a miscellaneous canister that comes with a whistle, can opener, sewing kit, and gear ties, and finally a 200 lumens 4-mode flashlight.

In total, the Searcher Orange Camp Supplies Kit comes equipped with 72 camp essentials so you’ll always be prepared for your next camping trip. Designed to be portable and impact-resistant, the Searcher Orange Camp Supplies Kit comes pre-packed with camping supplies so you’ll even save some space and time when gearing up for your trip.

Designer: VSSL

Click Here to Buy Now!

The Searcher Orange Camp Supplies Kit doubles as a 200 lumens 4-mode flashlight.

The handheld vessel comes with 72 essential camping kits.

The Searcher Orange Camp Supplies Kit is as portable as a handheld flashlight. 

This almost-indestructible smartphone case built from aerogel gives thermal, physical and weather protection!

Constructed with aerogel thermal insulation, the West Slope Case is built from a top-grade protective material that’s even trusted by NASA for protection and insulation in space – Cold Case Gear isn’t letting anything happen to your phone.

You can lose or break your smartphone in an instant. One second, you’re taking photos of mountaintop views with your phone, and the next, it’s plummeting to the ground below. Or, it slips from your grip and shatters after falling on the pavement or rocky trail. Cold Case Gear, a brand committed to developing “the world’s toughest phone cases,” designed the West Slope Case, a thermal phone case that provides weather-proof protection for your smartphone during every season.

The West Slope Case is constructed from the same stuff NASA uses for insulation on spaceships. Aerogel is an extremely dense synthetic insulator derived from a gel that’s used for everything from making water-repellent blankets to insulating the Mars Sojourner. Cold Case Gear settled on aerogel for their West Slope Case for it to provide thermal protection against extreme temperatures and drop protection. While the extremely dense makeup of aerogel enhances its insulating qualities, it also provides a substantial cushion for when you drop your phone. The West Slope Case also seals your smartphone in its bag with an airtight magnetic closure mechanism. The airtight closure is a result of a form of high-frequency plastic welding called Radio-frequency welding, equipping the West Slope Case with waterproof protection and thermal insulation.

Built to last and designed to protect against all-natural elements, the West Slope Case is the ideal hiking or camping companion. Constructed with aerogel thermal insulation, the West Slope Case is built from a top-grade protective material that’s even trusted by NASA for protection and insulation in space – Cold Case Gear isn’t letting anything happen to your phone.

Designer: Cold Case Gear

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The West Slope Case can fit most smartphones, even larger models like the iPhone 12 Pro.

Cold Case Gear is committed to designing “the world’s toughest phone cases.”

The airtight closure provides waterproof protection against all elements and extreme weather conditions. 

The West Slope Case’s waterproof protection allows the phone case to be completely submerged underwater without damaging your phone.

Apple meets GoPro in this action camera designed for every adventure enthusiastic influencer!

Conceptualizing new technology using the design language of iconic brands like Apple and GoPro is a hard feat, but when done right, it makes you wonder why the product doesn’t already exist. Apple is known for its minimalist and sleek product designs, with every new generation, the iPhone seems to get even slimmer and glossier than its predecessor. GoPro takes on a more rugged approach to their design, delivering durable, weather-resistant, and pocket-friendly action cams. Varun Anand conceived and visualized the iCam Pro, an Apple and GoPro-inspired minimalist action camera for the modern thrill seeker, merging the two giant brands together.

Inspired by living life on the edge and documenting travels along the way, the iCam Pro was conceptualized using top-grade technology fit for the adventure seeker who isn’t about to be held back by limiting camera setbacks. Equipped with Apple’s A12Z Bionic Chip, the concept of iCam Pro boasts lightning-fast feedback and the same power efficiency we’ve all come to expect from Apple. In addition to its ultra-fast microchip, the iCam Pro comes outfitted with LiDAR sensors, an advancement in camera technology that fills out Apple’s camera to take videography to another level. LiDAR sensors essentially use remote sensing to examine the Earth’s surface, and all of its nooks and crannies to deliver photos that are as close to the real thing as you can get from phone cameras. In a similar vein, a 12 MP ultra-wide sensor expands the camera’s view to deliver fuller photos, while the iCam Pro’s 22 MP wide camera captures crystal clear colors for more realistic documentation.

Today’s social media industry expects vloggers and influencers to come prepared with the most technologically advanced cameras to document their adventures in their truest form. Boasting a waterproof rating of 1 ATM, the iCam Pro was conceptualized to be water-resistant for up to ten meters deep, and the camera’s new underwater camera would allow users to take 60fps underwater shots, the same frequency rate used by sports cameras to capture slow-mo and action footage. Since the iCam Pro was created using Apple’s design language, Anand also thought to include all the perks that come with an iPhone, including access to photos, music, iCloud, as well as Face ID authentication.

Designer: Varun Anand

While Apple is known for more simple, minimalist designs, GoPro is rugged and versatile.

The sleek build of iCam Pro is immediately recognized as an Apple-inspired product, with rounded edges and full screens.

Boasting the speed of an A12Z Micro Bionic Chip, the iCam Pro would deliver lightning-fast feedback.

Anand was sure to include all the perks that come with Apple products, including iCloud, photos, and a music library.

iCam Pro’s ultra-wide cameras would capture fuller footage for more realistic documentation.

With a water resistance level of 1 ATM, the iCam Pro can reach depths of 10 meters and take photos underwater.

Unlike other action cameras on the market, the iCam Pro would not be battery-operated. Instead, the iCam Pro would operate on wirelessly charged power.