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Can you help me out!!

erik21

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Joined
Nov 8, 2017
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1
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My name is Erik and I am currently a senior at Prairie Ridge High School in Illinois. I am currently taking Engineering Design and Development where I am tasked with finding a problem in the world and creating a solution. It is a year long project and we will present our idea at the end of the year to a group of engineers. I am an active snowboarder and have noticed a problem while snowboarding. I can't access my phone easily without taking off my gloves and searching through my backpack. This usually leads to cold hands and snow on my phone. My group, two other high school students, have decided to take on this problem. Before we do that, we need to validate our problem with consumers. All I am asking is for you to fill out this quick survey (should take about 2 minutes to complete). Thanks!!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1...xRels_pTvbO5y8kHX4zz4GRw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Thanks!!
 

doublediamond

Active member
Joined
Dec 22, 2013
Messages
450
Points
28
Hate to break it to you, but companies already make gloves with pads on them to use on touch screen phones. You can get them for less than $10.
 

Jcb890

Active member
Joined
Feb 25, 2015
Messages
1,741
Points
38
Location
Central MA
Hate to break it to you, but companies already make gloves with pads on them to use on touch screen phones. You can get them for less than $10.
Most of them do work like absolute shit though. So, if he can actually make something that really works like you don't have a glove on, he could certainly make money.
 

mbedle

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Messages
1,764
Points
48
Location
Barto, Pennsylvania
I don't find this to be a big issue (but I also do not use my phone a lot while skiing). I typically wear liners with the phone finger tips, so using the phone is pretty easy.
 

VTKilarney

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2014
Messages
5,552
Points
63
Location
VT NEK
The bigger issue for me is loss of battery life in cold temperatures.
 

cdskier

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 26, 2015
Messages
6,408
Points
113
Location
NJ
The bigger issue for me is loss of battery life in cold temperatures.

Agreed. I found plugging one of those portable USB chargers into my phone while skiing works well to keep it from dying in the cold. I used to only plug it in after a couple hours once the battery % started to drop...but now I find I pretty much need to plug it in at the start of the day to keep it from suddenly turning off in the cold (of course it is also probably time for a new phone in my case with how bad my battery life is getting)
 

skiur

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 27, 2012
Messages
1,571
Points
113
Just put a hand warmer in your pocket with the phone.
 

catherine

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
223
Points
18
Put your phone somewhere easier to access. I have cargo pockets on my ski pants. Works for me.
 

Cornhead

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Messages
2,836
Points
48
Get a pair of earbuds with an inline microphone. You can press and hold the inline switch, or say "OK Google", and the tell Google to call, or text, whomever you want from your contacts. The voice recognition is kinda hit and miss for composing texts, for me with Google, but it will read incoming texts flawlessly. Sometimes what it thinks you said is funny, but it can be frustrating. It's supposed to get better at recognizing your voice the more you use it.

Bluetooth speakers in your helmet would be even better. I looked for the Beats for the POC Fornix I bought this off season, but couldn't find any in stock at the time. I now have 3 pair of mic'd buds, JVC, Pansonic, and these https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01FXPYRS2/ref=oh_aui_i_d_old_o1_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The Aukeys should be good for skiing, they're over the ear, and are pretty flush with your ear when inserted, no big barrels sticking out. You can also pause and skip tracks while listening to music. I hated groping for the tiny buttons on my phone through my pants.

My new shell has a media pocket under the storm flap, so when I do need to access my phone, I won't have to unzip my jacket. Should be a nice feature, might need a heat pack in there too on uber cold days if I want the battery to last since it won't be insulated.

I use the Panasonic's at work, they allow me to make calls, and at least read texts, and keep my phone in my pocket. Probably a good thing since our new owners have placed cameras almost everywhere but the bathrooms. Gotta love it. Me, and another big, white, bald guy, hit our chests and give each other the Nazi salute whenever we pass each other, just to fuck with their heads, with our skin heads.

Was just playing around with OK Google, I linked Spotify, now I can just ask for artists/songs, pretty cool. You can turn the media volume up and down using voice commands too, it does it incrementally. You can also mute, and go to max volume by saying "max volume", I like it!

Sent from my Moto G (4) using AlpineZone mobile app
 

Edd

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
6,537
Points
113
Location
Newmarket, NH
I’ve seen my phone take a battery life hit while skiing, especially on very cold days. When I’m taking a break in the lodge the battery seems to recover as it warms up. Of course, if you’re a bad ass who eschews the lodge, staying out all day can make it tough.


Sent from my iPad using AlpineZone
 

ironhippy

Member
Joined
May 16, 2014
Messages
408
Points
18
Location
NB Canda
My iPhone4 was garbage in the cold. I'd pull it out of my pocket, it'd say 80% battery, I would start to use it and all of a sudden it'd shut off and wouldn't turn back on until I plugged it in. Once it rebooted it'd come back with like 60% battery.

I got a Galaxy A5 a few years ago and never had any battery problems in the cold since.

I've had good luck keeping it in a pocket close to my body so it doesn't get too cold (I did the same with the iPhone)
 

Hawkshot99

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Joined
Aug 16, 2006
Messages
4,489
Points
36
Location
Poughkeepsie, NY
Some of us have jobs that don't allow that.
I have my phone on me 99% of the time. But I don't take it out on the lift every run to check texts, or FB, or whatever. Part of skiing is enjoying the outdoors. I hate skiing with people who need to use their phone every run(then again I feel the same way about phone use in everyday life as well.)
 

BenedictGomez

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Joined
Jan 26, 2011
Messages
12,119
Points
113
Location
Wasatch Back
I got a Galaxy A5 a few years ago and never had any battery problems in the cold since.

THIS.

In fact, after suffering it's 3,482,082 drop, my Galaxy S5 finally busted last weekend. I'll be replacing it for about $125 rather than purchasing a more modern cell phone with a backwards-stepping internal battery.
 

Glenn

Active member
Joined
Oct 1, 2008
Messages
7,691
Points
38
Location
CT & VT
I had battery issues in the cold with my iPhone 5 a few years back. I replaced the battery, no more problems. Batteries do some odd things whey they get old. I just had the batteries replaced on our iPhones since they are now over two years old (iPhone 6).
 
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