Click… Snap… Boom.

So you’ve just purchased that nice new digital SLR camera, like the Nikon D90 GP uses for our article images. You’re ready to take it on the road with you where you’ll encounter all kinds of conditions, but you’re not really the type of guy that’s readily exposing his thousand dollar equipment to the elements.

Well, gear up with Camera Armor - a company who specializes in engineering custom body armor protection for your camera. Camera Armor sheathes your new digital beauty’s body, lens in elsatomeric silicone and the screen with a polycarbonate shield. Sounds postively grizzly.

The precision fit armor will protect your photographic investment from the nasties you encouter: impacts, abrasions, dust, fingerprints and do it with barely any additional weight. The armor comes in black, smoke and even camoflauge for you sniper photogs.

Cost: $50

Also See: ION Slides 2 PC | Nikon D700 Digital SLR | Vintage Canon AE-1 Film SLR

21st Century Breadcrumbs

The BackTrack is required directional gear for outdoorsmen and parking-lot goers alike.

Let’s face it. Some people are directionally challenged. Hell, one of the guys here can’t even make it to the golf course, even with a navigation system (Eric: I resent that.). So you can imagine the relief when Bushnell agreed that they’d equip the GP team here with BackTracks and give us the chance to get ourselves lost, and more importantly, un-lost.

Equipped with a high sensitivity SiRF Star III GPS receiver, the BackTrack can store and locate up to three locations. Simply push a button and the BackTrack will remember your current location. Whether it’s finding your car after a football game (post-beer) or hiking back to base camp on your latest excursion, the Backtrack will guide the way. The digital interface even provides distance and directional cues. Throw in a built-in self calibrating digital compass and the BackTrack is now standard issue at GP.

The BackTrack comes in camo, orange, white and even pink… Just in case you’d like to not-so-subtly give your significant other a hint about her aptitude for losing the car at Whole Foods.

Cost: $74

Also See: Colibri Xtreme II High Altitude Lighter | Pelican 2480 ELS Emergency Lighting Station | Osprey Stratos 18 Daypack

Let’s Play Global Thermonuclear War

Image Courtesy: Bethesda Softworks

If there are two things that you should know about me (resident GP Game Guru and father extraordinaire), they are as follows:

• I never miss a chance to insert a WarGames reference.
• I’ve been really, really looking forward to playing Fallout 3 for a really, really long time.

The implication is that you should be equally excited about the latest offering in the Fallout series from Bethesda Softworks, out today. Some have basically called it Oblivion with a fresh coat of post-apocalyptic paint. It’s not that such a description would denigrate an ordinary game, but Fallout 3 is so much more.

It’s a classic boy meets world scenario (minus Ben Savage), only this world is irradiated and populated by hordes of mutant creatures. You emerge from the Vault 101, an underground shelter that has been your lifelong home, to search the wasteland of a nuked Washington D.C. for your father and that ever elusive “truth.” Aside from the vast world and stunning visuals that you’d expect from the Bethesda team, Fallout 3’s game play features keen AI and an immersive story that evolves with your choices. Much better than an elementary game of chess… against Professor Falken.
Cost: Xbox ($59) | PS3 ($59)

Also See: Fable II | Retro Space Home Arcade Machine

Hooks Up With Every Computer Imaginable, Disease Free.

One of the many down sides from the high definition video format war is that computer manufacturers (ahem Apple & Microsoft) have shown hesitancy in integrating the technology into their new line of machines.

Mercifully for the videophiles out there, the folks over at OWC announced the first ever “Quad Interface” external Blu-ray drive and burner: The OWC Mercury Pro Blu-Ray Drive.

Fancy lingo aside, this drive is compatible with every computer under the sun thanks to its ability to connect both Firewire 400 & 800, USB, and eSATA. So unless you use an etch-a-sketch for all your computing needs, this baby should have you covered.

Flexibility does come at a price though, (starting at $499, you can thank Sony for that licensing fee) so assess the purchase accordingly. Burning 50 gigs worth o’ data on one disc sure is sweet, but I’ll leave the question of practicality to you.

Cost: $499

Also See: Oppo 1080p Up-Converting DVD Player | Sentry Fireproof/Waterproof Data Storage Chest | Vizio XVT 1080p LCD HDTV

Giving Non-Movie Stars Much Deserved Fame, One Hour At A Time

While we may not be the first blog to feature Flip’s latest miniature video creation, we are certain that no other site has ever made it look so damn good. Or tested it as hard we did, for that matter.

Why? Because over the last month the camera came every where GP went and 9 hours of footage and 7 battery drains later we’ve concluded it rocks. Granted, taking footage during a wedding celebration with it did get a bit Cloverfield-y as time passed (especially as our sobriety degraded), and it wasn’t really viable for recording in the dark (think bachelor party).

In the end though, these are small quibbles about a product considering its purpose. The Flip Mino does a damn fine job of capturing life’s moments, for better or worse, in a video format of reasonable quality.

Its plug-and-play USB connection makes loading video on your computer a snap, while its compact design is sure to catch looks, especially with a blazing orange cog on it - or with any other customized design you’d like. Plus if you’ve ever seen girls at a bar with cameras, just imagine how they’d act around a video camera. Prepare for attack accordingly.

Editors Note: Word to the wise. YouTube + Flip = Trouble. Good trouble.

Cost: $179 | Customize

Apparently, Choices Do Have Consequences

Fable II’s exclusive Xbox 360 release represents yet another blockbuster offering in this season’s video game line up. As the sequel to one of the flagship games of the original Xbox era, Fable II takes the original’s formula and improves on it in nearly every way.

In case you don’t know, it goes something like this. You control a character wandering about in a lush open-world environment. As your avatar ages and matures, he becomes good and benevolent if you make positive choices. Make shady ones and watch as your character devolves into a maniacal sociopath. Not unsimilar to your own choices in life. Mix in an immersive story and revamped combat system and you’ve got yourself a barrel full of fun.

Evil fun, perhaps, but fun nonetheless.

Cost: $60