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Dress like the cast & crew of The Empire Strikes Back with this limited edition parka from Columbia Sportswear

NEWS – In 1979 a hardy group of cast and crew braved the bitter cold of Norway to film the iconic ice planet Hoth scenes from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Now you can live your dream of being part of a Star Wars movie. Columbia Sportswear is releasing a limited edition parka inspired by the jacket that protected the cast and crew of the classic film from sub-zero temperatures.

While the design of the coat is vintage the technology is very modern, the shell of the jacket is waterproof and breathable. Inside, Colombia’s Omni-Heat thermal reflective lining and 200g insulation will keep you warm as the inside of a Tauntaun.

Aside from its authentic bold blue color and security stripes, the parka features a bunch of cool details. The “Darth Vader with flames” embroidered chest patch is a replica of the emblem worn by the original crew. There’s a customizable nameplate and “Norwegian Unit” patch on the front left chest pocket. And the geographical coordinates of the Hardangerjøkulen Glacier film site are incorporated into the jackets lining.

The parka also features a removable hood with faux-fur trim, ribbed comfort cuffs, wrist zips, and multifunctional pockets.

The Star Wars: Empire Crew parka will cost you more than a few Galactic Credits. It’s priced at $500 and will be available to purchase on Columbia’s site starting at 12:01 a.m. EST on Dec. 7 and in-store at select Columbia-branded retail locations.

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Dress like the cast & crew of The Empire Strikes Back with this limited edition parka from Columbia Sportswear originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 5, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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WaterField introduces leather office accessories

NEWS – WaterField usually makes fine leather accessories, wallets, bags, and organizers that you take along with you.  Now they’ve introduced some leather accessories that stay at home on your desk to keep your workspace neat and tidy.

The Leather Charging Valet is made of premium, vegetable-tanned leather in brown.  It measures 9.5″ X 7.5″ at the bottom, 11.25″ X 9.5″ at the top, and stands 1.5″ tall.  It has room for your pocket stuff, and there’s even a cutout on the back for charging cables.  The Leather Charging Valet is $59.

WaterField has two leather pads:  a mousepad and a desk pad.  The Leather Mouse Pad is made of distressed, full-grain leather and measures 10.38″ x 9″ x 0.7″.  You could even throw this in a bag to take with you if you’re a dedicated mouser.  The Leather Mouse Pad is $29.00.  The Desk Pad is also made of the same distressed, full-grain leather.  It measures 18.5″ x 13.75″ x 0.7″ – big enough to protect your desktop from scratches and to provide a smooth surface for writing or a stable laptop base.  The Leather Desk Pad is $79.00.

You’ll also notice the Stylus Pencil Case in the top photo.  This case is sized to fit the Apple Pencil (2nd gen) or the Microsoft Surface Pen, with room for other writing implements.  The Stylus Pencil Case is available in leather ($59), or ballistic nylon or waxed canvas ($29).

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WaterField introduces leather office accessories originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 5, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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The Zanco S Pen can replace your phone, your camera, and your stylus

NEWS – Do you remember the Gi Joe sized Zanco Tiny T1 phone that I reviewed a couple months ago? Well, I’m excited to let you know that Zanco is back with a Kickstarter project that launched today for something even more awesome than that tiny phone. It’s the S Pen (I wonder how long it will take for Samsung to contact them about that name choice?) and it’s a phone in the form factor of a stylus. No, I’m not kidding. But that’s not all this multi-functional wonder can do.

The S Pen packs a GSM phone, a Bluetooth headset, an FM radio, a camera, voice recorder, laser pointer, music player, and…

…a stylus, and more into a pen-shaped device that’s not really meant to replace your smartphone, but can be used as an accessory to it.

The Zanco S Pen campaign launched today on Kickstarter and they’ve already met their funding goal of $10,000. You can pre-order an S Pen starting at $49 for their super early-bird pricing which is still available. After the S Pen campaign ends on 1/18/19, rewards are estimated to start shipping in April 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details. They plan to send me one of the first test units, so stay tuned for my review coming in a few weeks.

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The Zanco S Pen can replace your phone, your camera, and your stylus originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 4, 2018 at 4:57 pm.

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Restrain your big dog properly in the car with the Big Dog Seat Belt

NEWS – Dwayne Caruth spent 10 years as a firefighter/EMT, and he saw far too many dogs injured or killed because they were improperly restrained during a car accident.  He was inspired to find a better way to protect dogs in the car after an accident he responded to where the driver was alive and in relatively good shape after her vehicle rolled twice, but her dog, who had been buckled into the back seat, was missing.  The back window was broken out, there were signs that the dog had been injured, but the dog was never found.

He found that the harnesses that clip the dog to the car’s seatbelt or to a tether in the car left the bottom two-thirds of a dog, especially big dogs 35+ pounds, unrestrained in an accident and free to keep moving and cause a severe shock or whiplash type of injury.  The travel harness styles found in pet stores are designed to keep a dog in a seat in a controlled environment, with the dog sitting in a certain manner, not standing or lying down.  These products aren’t regulated or tested for safety in the US.

“Big Dog Seat Belts are designed to support the chest, shoulders, ribs, and torso, protecting more of the dog simultaneously during an accident or hard braking event.  The Big Dog Seat Belt secures the animal using the OEM seat belt in your vehicle, protecting the dog while allowing it to sit at an angle or to lie down.  Big Dog Seat Belts are both strength- and crash-tested to simulate a 110 pound dog involved in a 30mph frontal crash scenario (over 3310 pounds of momentum force).  No other company on the planet has passed this testing.“

Most of the travel harnesses/restraints you see in a pet store are made of webbing, but Big Dog Seat Belts are made of top-quality, 2″ automotive seat belt webbing.  Seat belt webbing will stretch during impact, reducing the kinetic energy of the accident by 20%.  Automotive belting is tested to over 6000 pounds during an accident; a 75 pound dog in a 35mph crash has 3075+ pounds of momentum force and a 110 pound dog has over 4500 pounds of force.  Actual seat belting material has the strength to protect your big dog.

Each Big Dog Seat Belt is custom built to your dog’s size and weight.  The normal price is $119.00, but you can order for $99.00 right now.  Get out your tape measure and order a custom fit seat belt for your dog (35 pounds minimum) at the Big Dog Seat Belts website.

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Restrain your big dog properly in the car with the Big Dog Seat Belt originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 4, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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This pour-over coffee filter makes a cup or a pot of coffee

NEWS – This, of course, is not the only pour-over coffee maker on the market, but it is the first I’ve personally seen that doesn’t require a disposable paper filter.  Paper filters add to the waste you produce, especially if you use one paper filter for each cup of coffee you make.  This reusable Pour Over Coffee Filter doesn’t require any wasteful paper filters.  It’s made of 18/10 (316) stainless steel, with a double-layer mesh that retains all coffee grounds while letting all the flavored oils through for a delicious cup of coffee.

It comes with a stand that’s designed to sit on a cup as the coffee brews a single serving.  Without the stand, the metal filter can replace paper filters in Chemex, Hario V60, and other coffee makers.  (Chemex seen at bottom, right.)  It has a silicone grip to prevent burning your fingers.  Cleanup is easy; simply dump out the grounds, then clean the filter using warm running water and the included brush.  Every 2-3 weeks, descale the filter with a solution of vinegar and water.

The Pour Over Coffee Filter by Walkbon is available for $15.89 at Amazon.

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This pour-over coffee filter makes a cup or a pot of coffee originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 4, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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