Well this sounds like the fitness equipment I would like to have at home instead of a rowing machine...
"The Virtual Sailor VS-1, which can replicate the physical stresses and technical demands of sailing in a range of typical conditions, is thought to be a first for yachting. But the simulator is also proving a valuable tool for sailing instruction, including tactics, fitness and psychology, and for simulated races, he says."
Wired's Gadget Lab features Celestron's VistaPix Model 72212 Binocular & Digital Camera in its newsletter. It's not yet best of both worlds, but worth a look.
"These stealthy binoculars with a 1.5-inch color LCD and an integrated 2-megapixel digicam with 8X optical zoom and 32 Mbytes of memory. The camera controls on top of the binocs definitely take some getting used to, and once you have the 4X digital zoom maxed out, you better hold still as a statue for nonblurred pics."
So if you happen to get shipwrecked while cruising in a sunnier part of the world, at least you won't need a dentist as long as you have Compact-Impact's Soladey-3 onboard...
"Possibly a little more convergence than we're looking for these days, Compact-Impact is selling a titanium oxide toothbrush called the Soladey-3 that uses solar energy to create ions that 'clean and sanitize' without the use of toothpaste. We're gonna have to hassle them for a review model of this one"
Like I said yesterday, I'm not really into fishing myself. But of course I do like the gadgets surrounding this sport. If you do too, and if you're always claiming to have caught the heaviest fish, then this is a must have....
"Thanks to GripNweigh, a digital fish scale from Xtools, not only can you establish the poundage of your conquest, but you can also get a solid grip on it so it doesn�t slip off into the deep blue and become the dreaded �one that got away.� According to the company, this patented gizmo helps you �control, lift, unhook, and weigh your catch in one easy, fast motion.� It works on any fish up to 25 pounds and even stores the weight of the five heaviest fish you�ve caught."
Sony's 7.2-megapixel digital still camera, the Cyber-shot DSC-P150, comes with an optional Marine Pack.
"The camera sports circuitry that Sony says ensures fast startup and shot-to-shot times and speeds up auto focus and auto exposure. It has a Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar 3x optical zoom lens and can get about 310 shots per charge out of the InfoLithium battery, according to Sony. It's also equipped with a 1.8-inch LCD screen. Available separately is the Cyber-shot Marine Pack, which lets the camera operate underwater at depths up to 132 feet." (Sony Cybershot at Amazon.com)
I already saw it in my logfiles, but looking at the press-coverage on waterproof MP3 players, I must conclude there is definitely a trend here. Oceanic's DV-X has been mentioned on this website before, and now CNETAsia highlights it as well.
"Take the plunge with the Oceanic DV-X, an accessory that lets you use your MP3 player on a diving or snorkeling trip. The kit provides waterproof housing for any iRiver 300-series player and earphones made specifically for underwater listening, so you can hear your favorite tunes or take an audio-guided tour of wreck sites or sea life."
A GPS/Bluetooth combination is not something new, but this implementation by Mobile Tracker is quite nice because the device is battery powered as well. Which allows for a very easy set-up on any type of boat.
"Compact GPS Receiver with Bluetooth connectivity and a nine hour battery provides real time location information to any Bluetooth enabled devices such as SmartPhones, PocketPCs, Laptops, and Tablet PCs."
I have been looking for easy ways to get the music from my MP3 player into the cockpit of my 21ft boat that I use to travel the Amsterdam canals. Here's a good, and weather-resistant, solution called Tivoli PAL or iPAL.
"The tiny PAL has an amazing rich and deep sound. You plug an iPod in, turn up the volume, and it uses its internal rechargeable battery to play your musical playlists longer than your iPod battery will last (I can get 8 hours on the PAL in one charge). Clear, marvelous sound from a small, rugged box that has survived rain and being dropped into a pool. That doesn't usually happen because it is carefully designed with handy finger grips and a grippy covering. It comes with an adapter for running on AC."
Motor Boating Magazine takes a look at one of the ships participating in the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally, a high-seas adventure from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., to Gibraltar. There's a lot of electronics stuff on board this ship... Here are some of the highlights:
-�It�s the autopilot that�s the most important thing,� he says. And for autopilots, Kinney selected two Furuno NavPilot 500s and added a SC 60 GPS satellite compass."
-"The first display supports Furuno�s 1953C chartplotter with a powerful 12-kW radar for 72-mile range and 1.2-degree horizontal beam width for accurate target separation."
-"The second chartplotter, an 1833C, uses a smaller radar with dome antenna that will pump out 4-kW of power for a range of about 36 miles"
-"Called NT-Link, this is a little sister to C-MAP�s rugged commercial product, only it�s coupled with the NT recreational cartography. One notable feature of NT-Link is its ability to handle online chart updates."
-"But the real heart of the navigation package is Furuno�s NavNet system, which allows for multiple sensor displays on three different display screens�the two 10.4" monitors in the pilothouse and an additional 7" remote display on the bridge."
"The X135 has 4000 watts peak-to-peak power for depths to 1,000 feet. It comes with �Fish I.D.� This feature automatically interprets sonar echoes and displays them as fish symbols. The �FasTrack� feature lets you speed your boat over the water and watch the bottom contours and depths while you hunt out the perfect spot."
Well this sounds like the fitness equipment I would like to have at home instead of a rowing machine...
Like I said yesterday, I'm not really into fishing myself. But of course I do like the gadgets surrounding this sport. If you do too, and if you're always claiming to have caught the heaviest fish, then 
Sony's 7.2-megapixel digital still camera, the Cyber-shot DSC-P150, 
I already saw it in my logfiles, but looking at the press-coverage on waterproof MP3 players, I must conclude there is definitely a trend here. Oceanic's DV-X has been mentioned on this website before, and now CNETAsia 
so you can hear your favorite tunes or take an audio-guided tour of wreck sites or sea life."
-�It�s the autopilot that�s the most important thing,� he says. And for autopilots, Kinney selected two Furuno NavPilot 500s and added a SC 60 GPS satellite compass."