Designed by the famous Ing Stelio Frati, the aircraft target is the top of technology and design in the field of ultralight certificated aircraft.

Golder Car, a company specialized in the production of shells and accessories for luxury cars, has launched the aeronautics division to exploit the internal distinctive skills for the ultralight aircfraft market.

Silvio, the F30 test pilot, shows us the entire production process fully industrialized, rom the inventory where all the details (from the last fuselage rivet used) are maintained on a CAD software systems, up to the molds and tooling internally made.

The attention to detail is very high: all the pieces are mounted using precision instrumentation according to the Ing Frati project.

We explored the heart of the production center where we met the company owner, which illustrates the meticulous care in the parts assembly and especially the optimal solutions identified to provide the maximum aircraft safety.

The plane shell is entirely made of aluminum. The wings are a single block connected with an uppercut that has passed the esistance test up to 6g.

Silvio shows us a wing in the courtyard completely destroyed by resistance testing. The profile of the wing is impressive for the aluminum plates that make up the entire length without interruption at all.

We analyzed some details, including the cart: they are entirely made of titanium alloy to minimize the weight impact. A very nice solution is used for the tank: completely anti burst it is placed inside a basket with the best safety features on the market.

Even the electrical system follows the same attention, exclusively realized with aeronautical materials.

The control panel is also a masterpiece: mounted on a titanium alloy engine capable to accommodate both analog instruments and glasscockpit in the deck configuration according the the customers requirements.

The motor initially expected is the robust and proven Rotax 100: a certainty in this area.

The flight tests show a good mix of sprightliness (as the name suggests) that offers the possibility to use the aircraft for the most demanding drivers, along with enormous stability able to recover easily trim even in case of maneuvers such as stalls and screws. The aircraft can be painted in the oven directly at the factory or by the buyers themselves.

Golden Car deliveres the aircraft together with the flight manuals, maintenance and checklists, while in March it will start the process for obtaining the certification in Germany.

At a global media event featuring footballer Cristiano Ronaldo in London, NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) today unveiled the Mercurial Vapor SuperFly II, a lightweight boot featuring a new, unique adaptive traction system designed for explosive acceleration. The Mercurial Vapor SuperFly II features a reengineered upper for enhanced fit and ball control for fast feet while the vibrant ultra-violet color boosts visibility on the pitch.

“NIKE, Inc. is the world’s largest and most innovative football company,” said Mark Parker, NIKE, Inc.’s President & CEO. “Our success in the world’s most popular sport is based on creating innovative products and experiences such as the new, incredibly light and responsive Mercurial SuperFly II boot and Nike Football+ which connects the digital and physical worlds of football. These are among Nike’s most advanced products to date and will help write the next chapter for Nike football.”

Traction on demand
In developing NIKE SENSE adaptive traction technology, designers created an adaptive stud that can extend and retract by up to 3mm, based on ground conditions and pressure exerted by the player.  Directionally positioned blades maximize cutting and allow for quick changes of direction, while secondary toe traction provides added toe-off power for those first critical steps. The result is a boot that enables greater speed in all directions.

Nike’s design and engineering teams talked with some of the fastest players in the world, who emphasized that acceleration around a defender is just as important as beating him in a straight line. The Nike Sports Research Lab researched the world championship finals in 2006 and found that there were 845 slipping events over 63 games, or roughly 14 per game. Building on these insights, the Nike team collaborated closely with elite athletes including Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexandre Pato to create a boot that enables toe-off acceleration and minimizes slippage in game-changing situations.

“For me, it’s all about first-step acceleration, but twisting and turning around a defender is also important,” Cristiano Ronaldo said. “The Mercurial Vapor Superfly II helps me do both, so I can beat my opponent and create scoring opportunities.”

Athlete insights also pointed to the desire for a close fit around the foot without compromising on durability or support. Next-generation Nike Flywire technology incorporated into the boot’s streamlined upper provides a lightweight, strong and more dynamic fit. The carbon composite tuned chassis provides a lightweight platform with traction elements and allows players to stay closer to the ground.

Access to the elite through Nike Football+
The Mercurial Vapor SuperFly II also gives consumers unprecedented access to the training insights of the world’s top players, teams and coaches through Nike Football+. Each pair of boots comes with a unique user code that can be used to unlock trade secrets from inside the game and the next installment of Nike Football+, Master Speed training content on NikeFootball.com.

The Nike Football + Master Speed program provides exclusive access to Brazil national team stars Robinho, Fabiano and Nilmar, putting the power of speed directly into footballers’ hands and their game day preparation. Four camps are available:
A Pelada – Learn high-speed ways to practice fast, competitive Brazilian football.
O Brasilerao – Meet the coaches and players of Brazil’s premier club, Corinthians. Experience four authentic drills with top club coaches.
Na Gringa – Only the best Brazilians go to Europe.  Get the inside track on the real difference between the continental games from the superstars who experience it – and apply it to your own game.
A Selecao –Enter the top secret world of the Brazil National Team’s training hideaway in the mountains, Granja Comery. Experience squad drills and 3-man exercises with a top CBF coach.

Building on the Master Speed program, “Inside the Elite” is a new feature offering exclusive inside access to players. Athletes including Robinho, Javier Mascherano and Zlatan Ibrahimovic offer candid insights on their game and match preparation.

In addition to these Nike Football+ Master Speed programs, footballers will have access to country-specific Nike Football+ activities like training sessions, trial events and player appearances. Nike Football+ is also available as an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch on iTunes®.

The Mercurial Vapor SuperFly II boot is available at retail globally and at www.nikestore.com from April 1st 2010. Nike Football+ can be accessed at www.nikesoccer.com.
For more information including multimedia, visit www.nikemedia.com
About Nike
NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly-owned Nike subsidiaries include Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand.

For more information, visit www.nikebiz.com.

Our news will be displayed according to special effects specifically user-friendly to be managed with a Touch Screen Mobile device.

Here on the right side image you can look at the optimized iPhone Safari Web page for Sportechblog: the posts are displayed so they can be easier scrolled and selected.

The charsets and icons are optimized to be showed on the Touch screens, so are the hyperinks.

Thanks to this new available technologies we are able to provide an optimized service to all people using mobile devices and we are really proud to do it !

Thanks a lot to all people keeping on following us !

Construction:
-  D4 sandwich construction
-  Twin prog sidecut
-  Sintered 7200 base
-  Truth 3 CNC wood core (poplar) with milled channels to reduce weight and increase pop.

Core construction:
- Inter carbon
- 2.5 degree park bevel eliminates rail hang ups and lets you slide out of blind/wrapped landings
- RSR + Lite can take a beating from wood, concrete, steel or ice! A layer of super tough ceramic layer P-tex along the length of both edges keeps the hardest of impacts in check.

The huge lift and hangtime potential, the tight and dynamic turnings and the stable, dynamically flying performance sets new standards at hard grounds.

Due to the incredible punch and dynamically, stable flying performance the Randas will enable you to boost the freestyle moves on snow, which you’ve learned during your summer sessions.

Although the Randas is a true-blue freestyle kite, freeriders will also get their money’s worth. Convince yourself and feel the unrivalled foil, Randas.

While the Copa is a shoe that should be untouched to tribute the adidas heritage, there is a growing  demand for an adidas boot, that stays to the classical roots, but gives them a new twist.

In 2006, we remembered those classical roots. With the 7406 we created a boot, that combined the  classical look and state of the art technologies.

The launch of PURE 08 brought this combination to a different level and resulted in a great product with excellent response from the market.

PURE 09 further evolves the boot, giving it a more unique identity and differentiating it from our true  classics.  By 2010, the trend towards leather, black & back to the roots football boots is supposed to continue  even stronger. Thus, PURE10 takes the essence of it´s predecessor and evolves it to enforce an
even stronger identity.

Now it’s time of PURE10, the only brand that can create the next generation of  ICONIC CLASSICAL football boots – made from real football lovers like Adi was.

PURE players are total footballers. With their dynamic skills, vision and fluid playing style, they are an invaluable asset to a team.

As players, they lead by example, executing their role with sovereignty and elegance. Their elegant movement on and off the ball is captivating. They glide, they flow around the pitch, moving intuitively from position to position – even stepping into the spotlight in front of goal with confidence and class.

Here are the most important features of the new Adidas adiPure Technology:

- Removable, contoured  sockliner with adiPRENE reduces stud pressure & provides fantastic comfort

- Anti-slip lining provides optimal fit

- Padded super soft collar for best comfort & snug fit

- Asymmetrical construction follows the anatomical shape of the foot for a more uniform strike zone and snug fit

- Vamp stitching tailored to soccer specific movements results in maximum support & minimum stretch

- Finest dress leather with shiny finish for premium elegance

- Ultra soft and lightweight K-Leather for comfortable fit & great ball feel

- Extended external heel stabilizer delivers maximum stability & protection. Reduces the stress on the achilles tendon & provides superb comfort

- Traxion Technology for optimal grip & pressure distribution.  SG exchangeable

- Textured stud tips for great ball control in all weather conditions

- Contoured speed last conforms of the curves of your foot for ultimate snug fit & comfort

The adiPURE last is based on the famous WC last. It is a high performance last, meeting the requirements of the professional and amateur players alike. The last is modified and slightly wider than the WC to give a snug, yet very comfortable performance fit. The combination of K-Leather and Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

New innovations in Spyder’s Olympic GS suit with d3o™

Spyder’s has been completely redesigned their Speed Suit in time for the Vancouver Olympics this year to give athletes the cutting edge advantage they need. The suit contains 3 innovations that will improve the suit’s aerodynamics and result in significant time gains for the Athletes using the suits, including a new kind of d3o™. The suit will be available for purchase in 2011.

“The focus of Spyder’s research during the last few years has been about how we can make our speed suits more slippery against air,” says Spyder Product Director Phil Shettig, “Our goal is to make all of our suits competitively faster by manipulating airflow properties.”
Spyder refined the surface texture on the top face knit, reducing the co-efficient of friction against wind. The new slippery surface has less texture than past fabrics, and was tested in wind tunnels to shave off precious hundredths of seconds from racers’ times, a margin by which many ski races are won and lost.

At d3o™, our chemists worked in the lab to create a new formulation of d3o™ to enable the design of a much thinner pad that still performs to the high level needed by the athletes on impact. For those who don’t know, d3o™’s intelligent molecules flow under normal movement, but lock together on impact to spread the force. By reducing the pad volume by 40%, the suit system is more aerodynamic due to its lower profile and a lack of abrupt edges, which can “catch” wind.
Finally, Spyder moved the d3o™ pads from their slalom and GS suits to a separate under layer in order to reduce the amount of thread, seams and needle holes on the outside fabric, all of which can contribute to wind friction.
Phil McNichol, former U.S. Ski Team Men’s Alpine Coach says, “Spyder is at the forefront of developing these technologies through wind tunnel and on-snow testing. Ultimately we will have the best technical advantage at the Vancouver Games.”
Spyder’s Slippery Technology is the latest in a long line of innovations that have historically allowed Spyder race suits to stay far ahead of the competition, making them the perfect partner for d3o™ the two companies shareing the common goal of improving fundamental product performance by the inclusion of our technology. From the brand’s first padded slalom sweaters in 1970s to the SpeedWyre suits that were banned by the FIS in the 1990s for being “too fast,” Spyder will once again charge ahead in separating itself as the leader in speed suit engineering.

Notes to Editors:

About d3o™: With a dynamic growing team led by Richard Palmer – Arena o2 X Entrepreneur of the year 2007 and BBC Focus award for Innovation Winner (2009) – the company outlook for d3o™ lab is as bright as its distinctive orange logo! d3o™ is based in the UK out of Brighton where the d3o™ team combines engineering, chemistry and design to produce cutting edge intelligent shock absorption systems for all manner of applications. For more information on d3o™ see http://www.d3o.com. Contact Lisa Fucassi for interviews and images on +44 (0) 1273 716472 – lisa@d3olab.com or Ruth Gough on +44 (0) 1273 716465 – ruth@d3olab.com.

About Spyder Active Sports:    
Spyder revolutionized ski apparel in 1978 with a padded slalom sweater designed “for racing, by racers.” Spyder products continue to dominate the race circuit and are the choice of the US Alpine and Canadian Alpine World Cup Ski Teams. Renown for integration of high-tech fabrication, function and fashion, Spyder is the world’s leading skiwear and mountain-based apparel brand. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Spyder products are distributed in over 50 countries worldwide.    

In 2008 Spyder acquired Cloudveil Mountain Works, credited as starting the modern day soft shell revolution. Cloudveil draws inspiration from its home-base of Jackson, Wyoming, building innovative and functional apparel for the outdoor, snowsports, fly fishing and casual apparel markets. For more information, visit www.spyder.com and www.cloudveil.com

The field of technological devices for training assistance in fitness and running is quite rich. There is a wide range of heart-rate monitors, stride sensors, GPS (and more…) studied to communicate trainings stats. In this crowded field Adidas is trying to lead the way with an innovative device studied for a complete training support: we are talking about micoach.
Micoach consists in a small network of sensors (the actual version includes an heart-rate sensor and a stride sensor) sending data to a small management node which elaborates the incoming signal and  communicates the user the training parameters.  All this system is wearable end is slightly perceived during the training. Micoach is not just a device, but it is a complete series of tools for the training. In fact adidas allows its customers to register on micoach website for managing the features of the micoach device and for uploading the data recorded during training.

Once uploaded, this data are stored on the personal page of the customer and can be plotted in order to observed what happened during running. Moreover it is available a web service for the definition of a scheduled training program according with the level and the goal of the customer. The resulting program is quite accurate and it consists in a calendar with the training sessions described day by day. This feature is useful to drive self-training athlete along a precise and well scheduled path.

I had the opportunity/chance to test this new born device and I’m going to describe all the steps needed to correctly use the micoach.

First of all, I suggest every new user to take a look of the adidas website, in particular the micoach section (www.adidas.com/micoach). Here there are all the news and the details about micoach. In order to access all the micoach tools, every new user has to create his/her own account and to login. Once logged-in, is possible to fully use all the power of the web support for micoach. In this section is possible to create a training program according with the level and the goal of the athlete.

The goals range is quite wide and starts from learning to run or staying in shape and grows until training for a race. Once selected the goal, is possible to define the level of the training program. A higher level implies a greater amount of trainings. At the end of this procedure, the athlete has got his own training program specific for his athletic goal.
The next step is setting up micoach Pacer. This operation requires the plugging-in of the jack-USB cable according with the USB symbol (see picture). Plugging-in the USB in your PC will trigger the installation procedure. At the end, it will appear on the desktop of the pc the micoach Manager icon: Double-click on it and the program starts. It’s required to introduce the parameter of the adidas/micoach account to which synchronizes the device. Once correctly completed this procedure, the device load the settings defined on the web page. In the settings section on the web page is possible to fully manage the behavior of the micoach device.

For example, I chose the parameters to communicate during the run and I set up the language of the speaking voice.

After the definition of the device settings, it is required a new synchronization of the device in order to load the new settings.

Be careful: after each loading, it is strongly recommended to test the device behavior so to be sure that the new settings are properly loaded. If you don’t test this, you might discover during your training that the device is not set as you expected!!

After the synchronization, the training program will be loaded on the micoach Pacer, so you can start training. Now we are ready to test the device functionality.

Micoach can work together mp3 readers: the two devices can be linked using a jack to jack cable. Using this configuration, the athlete listen to music and, each time the micoach Pacer has a communication, the music stops and the micoach voice talk to the athlete. After the communication ends, the music starts again. During my test run, I used this configuration.
Wearing micoach require few minutes: the geometry of the stride sensor allows an easy bonding with the shoelace, the heart-rate belt is quite comfortable and the micoach Pacer is small, light and easily clippable to clothes. Once worn all the sensors, it is time to turn-on the system. Switching the selector on the top of the micoach Pacer on “micoach” or “free”, the micoach pacer starts searching the sensors.

The icon associated to the sensors stays red until the specific sensor is not found. Once the sensor is found and correctly recognized, the icon becomes green. If one or more icons stay red, probably the sensor indicated has a problem. Usually this problem is just a battery failure. In this case, just change battery and the sensor starts working correctly.

After booting correctly all the micoach network, it’s time to run. My coach pacer allows two programs: programmed training or free run (active using the selector on the top). In this first, micoach pacer communicates all the phases of the training, while in the latter micoach just records all the training parameters and communicates these only if required. Before starting training, it’s fundamental to push the start training button. This interface in not so easy to find, if it’s the first time you are using micoach ad if you didn’t read any tutorial. On micoach Pacer case, there is the icon of a running man (rear the shoe icon). Pushing the running man starts the training record.

the opposite side, near the heart icon, there is the button for the volume management. In the middle of the case, surrounded by a ring there is the Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

It works even with lenticular/road disk wheels!

EspressoTM is an inflate & repair cartridge for the demanding cyclists and racers.
As all Effetto Mariposa products, Espresso carries some innovative and useful features:
Multi-purpose: Espresso is perfect for both road and off-road applications, fixing punctures on tube-type, tubeless and tubular tyres.
User-friendly: The flexible silicone tube of the nozzle fits directly on Presta valves, allowing the use of Espresso even with spokes close to the valve area or lenticular/road disk wheels (an exclusive feature!).
Minimalistic: The activation button has been eliminated. To use the cartridge, just push the brass nipple on the top of the cartridge in any direction to release sealant.
Clean: Thanks to a direct connection between the valve and cartridge, the special repairing foam (Caffélatex based) goes straight into the tyre, without leaks.
Fast: Less than one minute is needed to inflate and repair tyres with sizes ranging from 700×20c (20-622) up to 26×2.50 (62-559).
No Ammonia: Puncture-sealing action is ensured by ammonia-free Caffelatex sealant optimized for inflate and repair application.

It is 100% tire, tube, and Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

Nike (NYSE: NKE) and Kobe Bryant announced the debut of the Nike Zoom Kobe V, the brand’s lowest-profile and lightest basketball shoe to date. Bryant challenged Nike to make his signature shoe even lighter and lower than the Nike Zoom Kobe IV he debuted during his 2008-2009 championship season. Nike responded with the Nike Zoom Kobe V, which features a 10 mm forefoot profile and weighs 10.6 ounces – one ounce lighter than the Nike Zoom Kobe IV.

“I wanted to push the envelope with a shoe that meets the demands of my style of play,” Bryant said. “The Kobe V is lighter, lower and more stable. Nike has done it again.”

DIFFERENT SPORTS, SIMILAR DEMANDS

The initial inspiration for Kobe’s low-profile shoe came from an unexpected place: the soccer field. “I watch a lot of soccer and have seen how the best footballers in the world make sharp cuts at top speed in lightweight, low-cut footwear,” Bryant said. “The demands they make on their feet and ankles aren’t that different from what I’m doing on the court, yet nobody assumes they should play in high tops.”

With Bryant’s observation as inspiration, the Nike Sports Research Lab conducted hundreds of hours of testing to create a low-profile shoe that did not compromise stability or lockdown. By modifying the medial arch and sculpting the external heel counter, Nike researchers created a shoe with exceptional performance that moves with the foot and allows for multi-directional cutting. An enhanced outrigger provides lateral stability, while the de-coupled heel maximizes contact surface. The shoe also features a glass/carbon fiber weave shank plate for Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.