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For everyone who is looking to relive their childhood, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 will be re-released.

The legendary games will be released on major consoles on July 11, marking the second time that Hawk’s games have been re-released in this current generation. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 was re-released in 2020 and 2021 on the current generation of consoles.

“The nostalgia is obvious, and with our game coming out, the nostalgia for that is very strong,” says Hawk in a one-on-one interview.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is one of the most iconic video game franchises of all time. The first game was released in 1999 at a time when extreme sports was just starting to become a mainstream genre. The game’s release came just months after Hawk landed the first-ever 900 at X Games V.

The original series generated over $1.4 billion in sales, with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 being the best-selling game of the franchise with over two million copies in the United States alone.

The new edition will feature all of the notable skaters from the original games — Bucky Lasek, Bob Burnquist, Chad Muska and Hawk himself — along with multiple new current skaters. The game will also feature skateboard legend Bam Margera, something that Hawk had to push tremendously for. Margera will be included as a secret skater in the re-release of the game.

While the game is very true to the original versions — Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 were released in 2001 and 2002 — Hawk mentions that the re-release will feature new added elements, including new maps and levels.

“Based on the success of our last remaster (1+2), I think it’ll be great,” says Hawk of the game’s re-release. “This one is more of a remake. We have some of the iconic levels from three and four, I think the ones that people most identify with. We also added some new maps and new levels, which I wanted to do.”

There will be several new skaters added to the original lineup, including Chloe Covell — youngest women’s street gold medalist in X Games history — Rayssa Neal, Yuto Horigome, Jamie Foy and Zion Wright. There’s a number of new international skaters in the game, which represents the growing popularity of extreme sports across the world.

Foy is considered the “best street skater” these days, according to Hawk. Meanwhile, Hawk calls the 26-year-old Wright a “machine.” The game will also feature new songs, with Hawk saying he didn’t want to repeat the old soundtrack. He also cites wanting to bring songs that resonates with the current generation.

“I’m excited to venture into new territory and give people a chance to skate and do combos in different areas in new areas,” says Hawk. “We’ve updated the skaters so they reflect the current roster of the people you see either competing or in Thrasher Magazine, while still honoring the original characters.”

Skateboarding debuted at the Olympics in 2020 and Hawk points towards that as a major reason for the international growth of the sport.

“With the Olympics inclusion, that has helped to open eyes to skating in other countries that maybe hadn’t embraced it or considered it before,” says Hawk. “I feel like the international growth is even bigger. If you look at the top competitors now, so many are from Japan, from Australia, from Brazil, and that element is growing.”

A total of 80 skateboarders participated in the 2020 Summer Olympics from 25 different countries. Japan won the most medals (five, three gold) with Brazil pulling in three total medals. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 features Horigome (who won gold in the men’s street competition) and Brazilian skater Rayssa Leal, who won silver in the women’s street competition.

“Obviously, the United States is still doing well, but I feel like it has become much more international,” says Hawk. “I’m thankful for that, because it gives kids a chance to try it wherever they are.”

Tony Hawk Partnering With Tony The Tiger For Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4

In collaboration with the re-release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, Hawk is partnering with an old friend of his — none other than popular cereal character Tony The Tiger. For those that aren’t familiar, Hawk was Tony The Tiger’s stunt double in 1990 for a commercial.

“I’ve been a fan of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes since I could choose my own breakfast,” says Hawk. “But I got to work on a commercial in 1990 where I was the stunt double for Tony The Tiger. It’s the early days of animating things over actual video. It was a little archaic, but I think it looked great. I had to wear a skin tight suit.”

While Hawk is a mega star and has been over the past quarter century, that wasn’t the case in the early 90’s. This preceded the debut of the X Games and Hawk hitting the innovative 900 move. It also preceded the release of his popular video game series by nearly a decade.

The 57-year-old says he was just thankful to get work at that time, considering vert skaters didn’t receive much recognition in the early 90’s.

“My friend Chris Miller was the main character in the commercial, so I ended up filming him as well,” Hawk details. “I was the cameraman, and I was Tony The Tiger in that commercial. At the time, there weren’t a lot of opportunities for skateboarders, especially vertical half-pipe skateboarders, so I was thankful to get a job, to be honest.”

The two Tony’s will be teaming up again at the Vert Alert Legends Demo in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Here we are 35 years later, and we’ve incorporated Tony the Tiger into the game with some of the merch,” says Hawk. “I got to hang out with him on my ramp a couple weeks ago, and he is coming to our big event in Salt Lake City, the Vert Alert on July 18 and 19th. He’ll actually be there in person. It’s beyond any dream I would have had, because I didn’t imagine I’d even get to be a pro skater into my old age.”

Limited edition skateboards will be released to five fans, including autographed merchandise at the Vert Alert Legends Demo.

“To bring those two elements together for me is an amazing collaboration,” says Hawk of teaming up with Tony The Tiger again. “We’ll be doing some giveaways with some prize packs, Tony the Tiger skateboards, limited edition Frosted Flakes boxes. I’m doing some social media stuff with Tony. It’s a meeting of the Tonys, which has been pretty cool. We actually created our own handshake.”

Tamron has announced the 16-30mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 zoom lens for both Sony E-mount and Nikon Z-mount, completing its second generation trinity — the “Daisangen” as Tamron calls it — as the new lens joins the 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 and 70-180mm f/2.8 G2 telephoto zooms.

Daisangen is a term that originated from the game of mahjong, Tamron explains, and refers to a winning hand made by collecting three sets of dragon tiles.

“Drawing from this concept, the photography industry uses the term “daisangen lenses” in Japan to describe a set of three zoom lenses—a wide-angle, a standard, and a telephoto—all featuring a constant f/2.8 aperture throughout their zoom range,” Tamron says.

This third lens in its trifecta of G2 optics builds upon what Tamron calls the success of the “highly acclaimed” 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD (Model A046). The 16-30mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 expands the zoom range but maintains a compact form factor and lightweight design along with maintaining the company’s promise of exceptional image quality. Tamron also says that the lens features improved autofocus performance which contributes to overall better operability.

Tamron also says that from a design perspective, it improved the ergonomic design of the body and made the lens with an “enhanced” exterior surface. The lens also comes with the promise of exceptional optical performance along with beautiful bokeh.

The Tamron 16-30mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 features a construction of 16 elements arranged into 12 groups, although the company does not note the inclusion or number of any special glass elements or coatings in that formula. It has an aperture range of f/2.8 through f/16 — an unusually tight aperture range, especially for a zoom lens — via a nine-bladed diaphragm. The lens has a minimum object distance of 7.5 inches at the wide end and 11.8 inches at the telephoto end. It measures four inches long on Sony E-mount and is a slightly longer 4.1 inches on Nikon Z-mount. Similarly, the lens weighs 440 grams for Sony cameras and is slightly heavier 450 grams for Nikon cameras.

Tamron says the lens has a moisture-resistant construction, a fluorine coating on the front element, and the 16-30mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 also has a common 67mm front filter thread. It is also, of course, compatible with Tamron’s Lens Utility software.

Below are a few sample photos taken with the new lens, courtesy of Tamron:

The 16-30mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 zoom lens will be available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts for $929. The Sony E-mount version will be available on July 31 and the Nikon Z mount on August 22.

Image credits: Tamron

01/07/2025  FLIR Systems UK (*Teledyne FLIR)

Teledyne Gas & Flame Detection (Teledyne GFD) is unveiling its PS DUO, a portable dual-gas detector set to enhance personal safety in gas monitoring applications.

This innovative handheld device features real-time monitoring with audible, visual (bright LED) and vibrating alarms, providing immediate alerts when gas levels exceed safety thresholds.

The new PS DUO uses passive diffusion sensing for the continuous detection of harmful gases in potentially hazardous environments, enhancing safety for personnel. It can monitor two gases simultaneously from a wide selection that includes carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulphide (H?S), sulphur dioxide (SO?), ammonia (NH?), oxygen (O?), hydrogen (H?), nitrogen dioxide (NO?) and ozone (O?).

Users of the ATEX/IECEx-rated PS DUO can select flexible gas pairings according to their specific application. The result? Enhanced safety, flexibility and peace of mind in the field, backed by a 2-year warranty.

For applications in regions such as the Middle East, H?S/ SO? capability will prove especially useful. The PS DUO offers a measuring range for H?S of 0~100 ppm with 0.1 ppm resolution, while 10 ppm and 15 ppm represent the low alarm and high alarm respectively. For SO?, users can take advantage of 0~20 ppm measuring range, 0.1 ppm resolution, 2 ppm low alarm and 5 ppm high alarm.

The LCD display provides continuous real-time gas concentration information, while the internal memory supports up to 30 alarm logs. Wireless connectivity allows seamless data retrieval and safety system integration.

Of particular note is the instrument’s rugged, IP67-rated rubberised enclosure, which combines with an ergonomic, compact (56 x 89 x 21mm) and lightweight (200g) design for optimal user comfort, convenience and safety. The PS DUO will operate for up to 2 years on a single replaceable battery under normal use.

“With its reliable performance, flexible gas pairings and wireless integration, our PS DUO offers a powerful new option for industrial safety programmes – backed by Teledyne’s global service and support,” states Pawel KULIK, Product Manager-Portables, Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection. “It adds to an existing and highly successful range of personal safety and gas monitoring solutions that includes our portable Protégé ZM and PS200.”

Available in O₂, CO, H₂S and SO₂ models, the easy-to-use Protégé ZM (Zero Maintenance) single-gas monitor delivers high performance in a small, ergonomically designed package. Offering proven reliability in the field, industrial workers and first responders gain the confidence to focus on the task at hand, not on their equipment.

Teledyne GFD’s PS200 four-gas compliance monitor is compact, lightweight, water resistant and extremely robust. This user-friendly device is a proven performer in hazardous locations with its ability to measure any combination of LEL (Lower Explosive Limit), O?, CO and H?S. The PS200 pumped gas detector features an internal sampling pump for optimal use in confined space applications.

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