Data-enabled Neva Smart Ski Poles

[Nick]

Technology on the slopes continues. This time, your poles can track your speed, altitude, and connect to your phone.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/11/neva-smart-ski-poles-kickstarter/

An intrepid skier / software coder is well aware of this, and he's taken to Kickstarter to fund the Neva ski poles, which keep you safe and connected by wirelessly communicating with the Android or iPhone in your pocket. Incoming calls and text messages pop up on the built-in OLED display, and a finger swipe lets you answer the phone without lifting your gaze from the path ahead, as long as you've managed to mod your mitts accordingly. It's on you to decide which calls are really so pressing they need to be taken on your downhill runs -- though, to do so, you'll probably want to buy one of those Bluetooth-enabled jackets. The poles also display temperature, time and elevation, and the related smartphone app lets you toggle features such as calculating your slope angle and tracking your route.

There is a video at the link above.

The guy claims it's useful backcountry skiing and tracks slope and conditions

I think it's getting a little overwhelming, all the tech on the slopes, but I kind of like the idea of it. It makes more sense than a wristwatch, since it doesn't have to go over a jacket and you are already holding your poles.

 

[bobbutts]

I love a new gadget, but not this one.
Existing Bluetooth stuff works fine to keep the phone in the pocket

I'm never looking at the top of my poles anyway, they're either under my leg (see some thread about where you keep your poles on the lift) or in my hands while I'm looking down the hill and not at my poles. Or at home with my skis when I'm boarding.