Our latest gadgets come from the pages of ColoradoBiz Magazine,
including a cool way to leave your mark on the soon-to-open Frederic C.
Hamilton Building at the Denver Art Museum... |
BOTTLES IN TRANSLATION
Traveling through Europe in 2003,
Steve Margolin found himself flipping through his phrase book on a
regular basis. "I don't speak Spanish or French, and we were in Spain
and France," he said. "But I always had a water bottle with me."
Margolin, a Longmont high school history teacher, put two and two
together and started Bottles in Translation when he got home. The
company's 32-ounce Nalgene water bottles come with 100 words and
phrases in one of three languages (Spanish, French or Italian), with
everything from "yes" and "no" to "beer" and "wine." So, has Margolin's
entrepreneurial endeavor helped him with his Spanish? "I'm picking it
up a little bit," he said. $15.99 retail.
Made by Bottles in Translation (a sole proprietorship), Boulder, (303) 588-1709, www.bottlesintranslation.com.
Available at numerous retailers throughout Colorado.
DUNCAN PAVILION
When the decidedly contemporary building opens
in fall 2006, a wall in the museum's new Duncan Pavilion will feature a legion
of brushed aluminum hands, made from tracings of donors' real hands and engraved
with their real signatures. As a fundraiser for the museum's capital
campaign, the museum began selling the hands late last year. "It's a
nice way for the community to get involved," said the museum's Kelly
Hurley. "You actually trace your hand - you really get to personalize
this." $250 donation.
Made for the Denver Art Museum, Denver, (720) 913-0030, www.denverartmuseum.org.
AMLAVI "CHOCOLATE" SOAP
After a lengthy period
of R&D, Amlavi - an amalgamation of amor (love), laughter, and vie
(life) - sold its first soap late last year. "We're very picky," said
co-founder John Ehlers, a longtime chiropractor who started the company
with hair designer Dayn Conrad. "It took over a year to get our scents
just right." With a sextet of aromas - floral, chocolate, citrus,
tropical, sandalwood and eucalyptus mint - Amlavi uses high-quality,
natural ingredients that "nurture and purify the skin," Ehlers added.
He plans to expand into lotions and bath oils in the near term. The
company's tagline: "Changing the world, one bath at a time." $3.50 for
a one-ounce bar to $13 for a 5.5-ounce bar retail.
Made by Amlavi (a sub-corporation of Conrad's Double Edge Inc.), Denver, (303) 837-1689, 1-888-amlavi, www.amlavi.com Available at numerous spas and retailers throughout Colorado.
"G-STRING"--INDIGO EQUIPMENT
After working together at Life-Link, a
backcountry gear manufacturer in Jackson, Wyo., Steve Kropf and Jack
Koehler went on their own and launched Indigo Equipment from Aspen in
2002. "My wife and I grew up in this area," said Kropf, "so it was an
opportunity to come home." Indigo's stock and trade are bags and packs,
ski poles and avalanche shovels. On its packs, the company's
proprietary Lariat ski system has won accolades from hikers toting skis
into the backcountry, and its shovels are finding a niche in the
automotive market as well. Kropf attributed three years of
"triple-digit growth" to a trend toward outdoor gear being incorporated
into everyday life. "They're not just using it on weekends, but during
the week," said Kropf. Retail: backpacks: $25 to $150; poles $79 to
$99; shovels $40 to $44.
Made by Indigo Equipment Inc., Aspen, (970) 429-1005, www.indigoequipment.com. Available at numerous retailers throughout Colorado.
Previous Gadgets
Gadgets For Fishermen/Boaters
These gadgets are all from the
International Sportsmen's Expo at the Colorado Convention Center.
Sportsman's Warehouse is one of the big vendors and they sent us all
kinds of stuff that will be on view.
-The Miox Water Purifer was tested by
the military in Iraq. It purifies water from streams for drinking or
cooking and uses rock salt instead of iodine. The filter even passes a
small electrical charge through the water, killing all viruses and
bacteria. The Purifer runs $129.95
-The Lowrance is a GPS sonar
mapper for fishermen and boaters. It can see down to 3,000 and has
over 2,100 inland lake maps pre-loaded inside. The self-contained hard
drive has a sunlight-readable color screen and built in GPS
system. Cost: $2,199.99
-We saved the best for last: the
Aqua-Vu Scout. Its a complete underwater video viewing system for
fishermen. It comes with 50 feet of cable, a five inch black and white
monitor, its own power source and a camera shaped like a Bluegill
Pattern fish which includes infra-red lighting for deep, dark water.
Cost $199.99
For more details check www.sportsexpos.com
Broncos Stuff
Broncos fever took over Gadget Day as
we highlighted some best-selling products from the Broncos Team Stores
located at Invesco Field at Mile High and Dove Valley. The least expensive item
in the lineup is a Bronco's auto emblem that attaches to all vehicles.
It has a metallic finish with super-strong adhesive. The cost is $9.95.
A genuine high grade leather steering
wheel cover has the Broncos logo and is all the rage. The easy-slip-on
cover retails for $40.
Broncos wood salt and pepper shakers will help decorate the game day party table. The set sells for $25.
"The Fan-Tastic" way to get the job
done is how the manufacturer of the officially licensed Broncos hammer
touts the product. The 16-ounce hammer with pigskin grip sells for $20.
And finally, you'll always know the
time and temp thanks to the indoor/outdoor Broncos Scoreboard clock.
The clock sells for around $100.
For more information on the Stadium Store, log onto www.invescofieldatmilehigh.com.
Help For Doctors With Lousy Handwriting
The Dragon
NaturallySpeaking software is described as a revolutionary product
from Dragon Systems. Its high accuracy, fast performance and extensive
vocabulary give users outstanding recognition not only for doctors
and medical transcription, but for any business project.
The manufacturer says it's simple.
Just speak to your computer naturally-without pausing between words-and
watch as sentences appear on your screen. Dictate entire paragraphs at
a time. Compose e-mail messages, create reports, draft letters, and
edit proposals just by speaking. http://www.dragontalk.com.
We also looked at the Clear Harmony
Stereo Headphone device made by Colorado-based Able Planet. These
headphones use Linx audio technology (also by Able Planet.)
Bottom line, the device carries
the audio signal of many devices more efficiently into the inner ear.
It enables people who have a hearing loss to use a variety of
gadgets they may not be able to use otherwise. http://www.ableplanet.com.
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