This article was first published in the November 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
WIRED product editor Jeremy White -- winter sports enthusiast and gadget buff -- decamped to Skiwelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental in Westendorf, Austria, for a WIRED snow sports special. You can see all of the coverage here.
Jeremy White and Henry Farrar-Hockley take to the slopes with 4K video cameras and audio-enabled crash helmets.
POC FORNIX COMMUNICATION
POC has taken its Fornix helmet and added Beats by Dre headphones and a mic built into the padded neck roll. Although not as high spec as Outdoor Tech's Chips Bluetooth kit, it still worked once the wireless system ran out of battery on the mountain. 8/10 €250 pocsports.com
- Weight: 420g
- Max volume: Not stated [but WIRED was impressed]
- Play time: Indefinite
- Features: 1.3m cable, smartphone-compatible cord control
BERN WATTS HARD HAT
This helmet has an AVS shell and moisture-wicking foam liner. Rather than using an integrated sound system, WIRED chose Outdoor Tech's Chips, a pair of Bluetooth speakers with good sound that drop into the ear pads. 7/10 £85 ellis-brigham.com (hat), $130 outdoortech nology.com (speakers)
- Weight: 500g
- Max volume: 112dB
- Play time: 10 hours
- Features: IPX4 sweat and water-resistant
WIRED found the video and audio quality to be superb, with high levels of contrast. However, the UI on the remote and the cam itself were not intuitive. At 114g, you know you are wearing the camera on your helmet and it was hard to strap the unit on sturdily enough to stop it shaking when on bumpy terrain. 7/10 £359 sony.co.uk
PANASONIC HX-A500E
This 4K barrel cam keeps its weight down to just 31g by rehoming its power supply, micro SD slot and controls to a cabled LCD display worn on the upper arm. The battery life is reasonable and the image quality excellent. However, the audio distortion from skiing at speed is substantial - although a windjammer is now available.8/10 £380 panasonic.co.uk
- Image sensor: 1/2.3-type BSI MOS (12.76MP)
- Video quality: 3,840 x 2,160/25p
- Processor: 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9
- **Features:**Wi-Fi and NFC sharing, water-resistant
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
