Category Archives: Gear + Gadgets

Zoggs’ Predator Flex Reactor Swimming Goggles are the world’s first swimming goggles that automatically adjusts to changing sunlight.

After using the Predator Flex Reactor, I found myself using it for the next 3 weeks in every swim. Needless to say, I was quite happy with its performance.

THUMBS UP

The best thing about these goggles is, as mentioned, the photochromatic sunlight changing lenses for high level light, especially direct sunshine, as well as low level light. It’s the first swimming goggles to use the same technology that is used in shades.

Prior to using Predator Flex Reactor, I used to choose between two goggles: one tinted and the other clear. I was never quite happy with any of the two as one was too dark and the other too bright.  I needed something in between.

With the Predator Flex Reactors changing lenses, I didn’t even have to worry about this even as the weather changed from sunny to cloudy to even stormy (such is life nowadays with climate change!) These goggles adjusted its tint on its own and allowed me to swim with perfectly clear vision.

The Predator Flex Reactors also has Curved Lens Technology which provided 180 degree undistorted peripheral vision. It took me a couple of workouts to get used to the curved lens, but once I got the hang of it, the lenses provided better vision.

In terms of comfort and fit, I couldn’t complain. The Predator Flex Reactor has a 4 Flexpoint™ technology for enhanced frame flexibility that provides a comfortable fit. It has a super soft silicone seal that molds to the countour of my face.

Its frame was bigger than I usually wear but this kept the goggles secure along with the silicone straps. Perfect for racing where there’s greater chances of the goggles getting kicked and displaced.

Lastly, the goggles came with their own goggles case. Hey, these little things count!

THUMBS DOWN

The goggles’ lenses are impregnated with Fogbuster™ for fog free swimming. But, based on my experience, the goggles fogged up almost every single time I used it. No worries though as fog can be easily solved by you-know-what.

The silicone straps could’ve been more secure as these hung loosely on both sides. I also wish they came in another color; I’m just not into green.

These goggles are quite pricey at P3,500, but, for those who have no concerns over budget, then it is actually worth it.

THE VERDICT: THUMBS UP

In summary, I highly recommend the Zoggs Predator Flex Reactor because of its unique photochromatic sunlight changing lenses, curved lens technology, and its superior comfort and fit. Fog and strap issues were minor problems. I can’t wait to test these goggles in an open water swim race!

PRODUCT DETAILS

– Zoggs’ Predator Flex Reactor Swimming Goggles are currently available in one color (as seen in photos above)
– Price: P3,500
– Available in Chris Sports (Glorietta, SM Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, Robinson’s Ermita and Ayala Cebu), Toby’s Sports (Alabang Town Center, Glorietta, SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia), Planet Sports Rockwell, The Brick Multisport Store, and Sprint Multisport Shop.

The product was given to me for product review. My opinion and views on the product were not, in any way, influenced by any one.

Have you heard of GoPro before? These are the portable, high-tech, sturdy mountable cameras that can go anywhere and everywhere with you. It’s perfect for active people like us.

GoPro basically enables people to capture and share life experiences in a way that was never before possible. Before GoPro, it was very difficult for anyone to capture content of themselves doing anything unless someone was there to film them. Now, people can easily wear or mount miniature ultra wide-angle GoPro cameras to record themselves running, biking, or jumping off airplanes even!

Did you know that an average of three GoPro “tagged” videos are uploaded to YouTube every minute, and GoPro is used by the world’s leading production companies to help produce some of today’s most engaging film and television content?

I first encountered GoPro during a shoot a few years back. The cameramen attached the GoPro to a rope and tied it around my waist, then they asked me to run three loops around the hills of Antipolo. Needless to say, I made sure my footstrike was perfect. Second time was in another shoot. The director mounted it on my Shiv and asked me to bike around Ayala Alabang. I had just learned to ride on my new Shiv then so I tried my best to look as calm as possible…after all, every single expression on my face was being videotaped! The third time was the best, Dan’s Bike Shop handed me a brand spankin’ new GoPro Hero3 Black Edition a couple of months ago. Yes!

Recently, GoPro announced their new HERO3+ line of cameras. These new cameras feature a 20% smaller and lighter design and 30% better battery life than previous models. These upgrades, combined with an improved lens and convenient new video capture modes, produce the most advanced and easy-to-use GoPro yet. GoPro also announced several new mounting accessories that further enable immersive content capture during any activity.

Anthony Roman (Underbone Racing GoPro ambassador), Tamara Benitez (Surfing GoPro ambassador), and Brent Co (Media) with triathlete Joey Ramirez of Dan’s, the exclusive GoPro distributor in the Philippines for Adventure/Action Sports, during GoPro’s recent press con.

PRODUCT DETAILS:

The HERO3+ Black Edition – The Most Advanced GoPro Camera Yet.

• Innovative new housing yields a 20% smaller and lighter overall package when camera is installed in housing (waterproof to 40m)
• 30% longer battery life
• 4x faster Wi-Fi for quicker transfer and playback of photos and videos from your HERO3+ camera to your mobile device when using the GoPro App
• SuperView is a new video mode that captures the world’s most immersive wide-angle perspective
• Auto Low Light mode intelligently adjusts frame rate for varying lighting conditions
• A new lens for sharper video and improved image quality
• Price: P19,990.

The HERO3+ Silver Edition – 2x More Powerful.

• 2x faster image processor than the HERO3: Silver Edition
• Enables 1080p60 and 720p120 fps video
• Innovative new housing yields a 15% smaller and lighter overall package when camera is installed in housing (waterproof to 40m)
• 4x faster Wi-Fi for quicker transfer and playback of photos and videos from your HERO3+ camera to your mobile device when using the GoPro App
• Price: P15,490

New Mounts, More Versatility, Better Content

GoPro announced several new mounts, including:

• Jaws: Flex Clamp – A quick way to clamp your GoPro camera to a variety of objects. Use the optional opposable neck to achieve a wide range of camera positioning and adjustability. Jaws securely grips irregular shapes and super slim objects thanks to its innovative design.
• Junior Chesty (Chest Harness) – A smaller version of the adult-sized Chest Harness. Perfect for kids ages 3+, the Junior Chest Harness is great for capturing immersive footage of a child’s world from their perspective—from skiing and skateboarding to slides and swings.
• Head Strap + QuickClip – The QuickClip is a new accessory that now comes bundled with GoPro’s Head Strap. The QuickClip enables ultra-compact, low-profile mounting to baseball hats, belts and other objects ranging in thickness from 3mm to 10mm.

Click HERE to download the GoPro Price List.

GoPro is available at Dan’s.  For inquiries, contact Dan’s at 02-894-5110.  Website: www.dans.ph

READY. SET. SALE!

Quick strike sale event November 9 – 17, all shops, all day / everyday

Great deals on footwear, apparel and running equipment – perfect for everyday running and training, great for beginners or seasoned athletes looking for a good deal!

Secondwind Running Specialty stores:

Secondwind QC (branch 1)
see map and shop details by clicking on  THIS LINK.

Secondwind Ortigas (branch 2)
see map and shop details by clicking on THIS LINK.

Secondwind Greenhills (branch 3)
see map and shop details by clicking on THIS LINK.

For inquiries, call the shops directly.

I received two Contigo water bottles in the mail a couple of weeks back and I wasted no time in testing them both.

– Autoseal Kangaroo Water Bottle –

– Autospout Addison Water Bottle –

I’ve encountered a number of major mishaps with water bottles in the past (just a few months back, my bottle spilled in my gym bag soaking all my clothes and had me attending a meeting in wet underwear and jeans! TMI!), so I crossed my fingers that these new products would spare me from any water bottle misery in the future.

After using the bottles for two weeks, here’s my review:

[ LIKES ]

+ Spill-proof and leak-proof. The Contigo Kangaroo comes with a patented Autoseal technology. Liquid doesn’t spill nor leak out unless you press the button on top.  This was made for fools like me!

+ Pocket for small items. The Kangaroo has a small pocket which comes in handy for holding locker or car keys, credit cards, IDs, or cash. Such a nifty idea for gym goers who have locker keys to carry along with them.

+ Convenient.  It’s made for one handed drinking.  I stay away from bottles that need twisting and turning with the other hand. Hey, I have no energy for that when I’m exhausted from a run or swim.

+ Easy to carry. The Kangaroo comes with a flip up handle with a carabiner which attaches easily to your gym bag. You can also hold it around the handle for easy carrying. It’s size also fits quite nicely into pouches of backpacks.  I love this feature especially when I have my heavy gym bag and swim stuff to carry.

+ Shows volume of drinks. Both the Kangaroo and Addison have ounces and ml on the side of the bottle for those who track their hydration during the day. Perfect also for me when I mix Enervon HP with water for my post recovery drink.

+ Easy to drink from. For the Autospout Addison bottle, the spout pops up with one click which makes one-handed drinking easy. My kids love this!  It also keeps the spout clean when not in use so this Mom loves it too!

+ BPA free and Titan technology.  Not only is are these bottles BPA free but they also have high impact resistance and don’t retain odors.

+ Comes in a variety of colors and designs. Contigo water bottles come in various colors and sizes for athletes and even non-athletes to choose from.  The Kangaroo comes in 24  oz (P910) and in blue or purple.  The Addison comes in 24 oz (P940) and 32 oz. (P1,040) and comes in cobalt, smoke, tangerine, watermelon, and citron colors.

[ DISLIKES ]

+ No cooling system. These bottles won’t retain coolness or warmth when needed.

+ Pricey. These two bottles cost P900+ each.

TBR SUMMARY

Owning fancy hydration bottles are purely optional.  But, if you can afford to spend on attractive gear with functional designs, then these Contigo water bottles are perfect workout partners.  The autoseal and autospout technology and the handle with carabiners are useful features that make drinking during a workout a less-messy and more enjoyable experience.

For more info on Contigo products, visit their Facebook page.  Online orders are accepted on FB.

Retail Outlets:

• Bikram Yoga – Tomas Morato, Greenhills
• Gold’s Gym –Timog, New Manila, Acropolis, Alabang
• Baby Couture – SM Megamall, Glorietta 4
• Soon to be available:
• SM Department Stores – North EDSA, Mall of Asia, Megamall, Makati

A couple of weeks back, I wrote about my introduction to Klink, a new and free cloud storing service where you can store, share and access photos, videos and files across different devices so you can view and organize them and keep files safe.

I’ve enjoyed using it the past few weeks for work (and play!) I uploaded tons of images and files onto Klink, which freed up a lot of space on my Mac. Even better, all those files were available to me at anytime and on my devices where I downloaded Klink. I even got to access some files when I was offline.

These are just a few examples of how I used Klink the past weeks:

+ From my laptop, I uploaded the JPEG file of the Bull Session poster I had designed onto Klink. The following day, I accessed the image from Klink using my iphone and posted it on Instagram while I was in a coffee shop!

+ From my laptop, I uploaded the PDF file of the Calendar of Activities of TBR Dream Marathon onto Klink. I clicked on the star icon, which made the file available offline. A few days after, I was in a meeting with the GM of Nuvali who asked about the upcoming events of the marathon. I accessed the file on Klink from my iphone even without wifi and provided details of the event.

+ From my laptop, I uploaded the PDF file of the next issue of TBR Magazine. My staff needed access to the file while I was out. I shared the link to the file using the Private Sharing feature on Klink via my iphone.

+ I uploaded all the images of past Bull Sessions and Bull Circles on Klink. That way, I can easily share photos with other runners, potential advertisers, and friends and family from my iphone.

A couple of weeks back, I also got to meet Michele from the Klink Headquarters in Australia who showed me even more ways to use Klink particularly for TBR Dream Marathon.

So, here are even more ways I can use Klink:

+ For Bull Circles, Bull Sessions and even finish line photos of TBR-ULAH Dream Marathoners in February, I can upload them all onto Klink. I can share all images by clicking Public Sharing and allowing everyone, especially participants of the event, easy access to photos.

+ Now, for all participants of TBR ULAH Dream Marathon, you can actually download Klink and share your finish line photo to your friends and family with a click of a button too.

There are just so many uses to Klink. I do hope you get to try it too.

Click HERE to visit the Klink Website and sign up for your free account.

Check out how Tom uses Klink to keep his files organized just like me in this Youtube video.