A UK company has developed a chemical to make any material 100-percent waterproof, and it's already begun sharing it with sportswear manufacturers.

On Wednesday, Plasma Product Innovation demonstrated the chemical process, making even very absorbent materials, such as household kitchen paper, completely waterproof. The process is called "ion masking," which creates a water-repelling membrane over materials. Plasma Product Innovation introduced the technology for use in the UK military, but now the company is offering it to consumers as well, starting with completely waterproof hiking boots and running shoes.

About a month ago we wrote about Golden Shellback  offering a similar service to make your electronics 100-percent waterproof, which required sending your devices to the company and having them perform the chemical process for a fee. The main difference with Plasma Product is it's teaming up with sportswear manufacturers, such as Hi-Tec, to apply its chemical to their products.

We can expect Plasma Product -- and Golden Shellback, if it wishes to compete --  to make deals with other manufacturers as well. Soon, a "100-percent" waterproof option could be standard whenever you purchase a new laptop or iPod, for instance. The clumsy coffee spiller in me is relieved.

British boffins perfect process to make any item '100% waterproof' [Register Hardware]

(Photo credit: Nemo's great uncle/Flickr)

When you think of Etsy, the online crafter's marketplace, you think of hand-made steampunk jewelry or Mario underwear. What you don't think of is dangerous concealed weaponry.

Designer Hurt Couture will sell you a hand made "Gypsy Belt" for $125 and up. The set consists two leather belts and a cast zinc buckle, which is where the action happens. Based on a design used by the French Tsigane Gypsies, the buckle will both fasten your pants and unfasten an opponent's intestines.

The dagger is actually separate from the belt itself; a small stud just above the blade catches the holes in either end of the leather strap. This allows for a quick-draw for your hidden shiv. As we are cautious types, we'll be supplementing this with a pair of suspenders which transform into a crossbow.

Product page [Hurt Couture/Etsy via Uncrate]

The FedEx guy just called, and guess what he brought? Nothing less than The Official Shoes of Gadget Lab, the Nike Hyperdunk 2015s.

These sneakers are the end result of the Maloof brothers' tireless campaign to bring to life Marty McFly's self-lacing shoes from Back to the Future 2 and 3. Of course, the Hyperdunks aren't quite as high-tech as Marty's sneakers, lacking the self-fastening and the fancy glowing logos, but they're close.

Continue reading "Gallery: Hands-On With Nike's Hyperdunk 2015s" »

This could be the 2008 sartorial equivalent of that 1980s classic, the Piano Tie, but it is certainly a lot more useful. Researchers at Iowa State University have glued solar panels onto the symbol of male corporate oppression and hooked it up to a Nokia phone, which sits in a handy pocket at the back of the tie.

The inventors even had the decency to laser-print a matching pattern between the panels to stop it looking like a patchwork quilt. The result? Success. The tie outputs 3.6 volts in full sun, enough to keep the Nokia battery topped up. And because the phone isn't actually running off the tie's power, even lesser light sources will allow some trickle-charging.

In fact, the biggest challenge wasn't in the engineering or the construction, but in the wearing. It's the same problem that has dogged men since the necktie's invention: actually tying the thing: Because the solar panels don't bend easily, and can't be folded, the loop of your Double Windsor needs to be wider than usual to slide the ends through.

Of course, what we really want is a combo Solar Piano Tie, with touch sensitive keys. If somebody dares to make this, I promise right now that I will wear it along with drainpipe jeans and a Trilby hat. I will then play a selection of songs by Madness and post the results to YouTube. The challenge is on.

Project page [NCSU via the Raw Feed]

A new U.S. airline guideline will spare you the trouble of tossing your naked laptop into a plastic tub when entering the security checkpoint, provided you use a certain type of bag or sleeve.

The Transportation Security Administration on Friday announced it was encouraging manufacturers to produce "checkpoint friendly" bags and sleeves -- essentially those of simple design without multiple compartments and pockets that would obstruct an X-ray machine's view. Abiding by this regulation, airline passengers can run their laptops through the checkpoint without removing them.

This change in policy will reduce situations in which laptops were damaged or lost at security checkpoints. But who knows if it'll make walking through the security checkpoint less of a pain in the butt? I imagine those with "checkpoint unfriendly" bags or sleeves will want to try to put their concealed notebooks through the X-ray machine, which could cause even more congestion at the security checkpoint. 

New 'Checkpoint Friendly' Laptop Bag Procedures [TSA via USA Today]

(Photo credit: Redjar/Flickr )

Man, things have changed since I was at school. Back in the 70s and 80s, you could get beaten up for so much as wearing a calculator watch. Or, as the euphemism for nerd was back then, "carrying a calculator in your top pocket". And if you detect a trend, it's because a calculator was just about the only geek toy there was back then.

Fast forward to 2008. The kids today have it made. Cellphones, Nintendo DS, Tasers, even the internet. And not one of those wonderful toys carries a social stigma. Hell, even using a d20 probably wouldn't get your head flushed down the toilet these days. And the venerably square UK clothing retailer Marks and Spencer is selling school blazers with iPod controls built in. How's that for progress?

The jackets, made from recycled bottles (plastic, we assume) even have great names: "Stain Defence" and "Stormwear". The controls are inside the lapel, and there is a pocket to keep the iPod snug. Channels in the collar and lapels route the earbuds out of sight, so if you grow your hair a little, you'll be able to listen in class. Best of all, the blazers are fully washable (remove iPod first). From $47.

Product page [Marks and Sparks via the Giz]

The Speedo LZR swimsuit is riding as high as a high-tech clothing accessory can get. Michael Phelps is taking home the gold in Beijing, helped to some small degree by his super-sleek swimwear. 

But now, a clothing expert is throwing the harsh cold water of genuine skepticism onto the popularity party.

Prof. Masashi Kobayashi, of the Osaka Shoin Women's University in Japan, is publicly saying that the suit might have an adverse effect on the body in the long term.

Citing circulatory disorders caused by excessive restriction of blood flow, Kobayashi compares the LZR to the traditional corsets of China.

In particular, she sees potential harm in the rigid, girdle-type design of the LZR, which aligns the legs and hips of swimmers in an optimal active position, helping to minimize extraneous movement.

This allows a streamlined body and lowers resistance in the water, in addition to the suit's ultrasonically bonded seams and low-drag panels that improve buoyancy.

But, says Kobayashi, it might also lead to long-term, permanent damage. She is calling for a formal study of the physical effects from prolonged use of the LZR Racer, especially since its current popularity may cause overzealous parents to buy it for their children.

See also:

• Gadgets Boost Olympic Performance — Legally

Say what you like about the merits of Macs and PCs, there's one true difference beween them. Macs are a lot more loved. It doesn't matter that "Macs are for n00bs LOL" or that they "can't play games"; people seem to have a soft spot for old Mac hardware that they just don't have for Windows or Linux boxes. Maybe this is because there have been comparatively few Mac models over the years. Maybe it's because the hardware design is nicer. Or maybe it's because they have little blue ghosts inside.

I know this post will immediately be flamed in the comments, but first, take a look at the T-Shirt design above. Can you really imagine this with a few old Dell bricks on there instead? Of course not. And besides, Dells don't have souls -- especially not little cute blue souls. $15

Product page [Karma Soup via ★ ]

What is the value of the steady path of technology if it doesn't seep into the most mundane of everyday items?

With the recent invention of a fully sweat-proof suit and the newest line of bulletproof clothing, we know we're in a place of progress. It's probably also a dangerous, smelly place, but hey, at least we'll know what to wear.

Designed with lining made out of antimicrobial silver ions, the Farago Aircool suit promises to contain the strongest of smells. When sweat is released, the ions are supposed to disintegrate it when it touches the fabric and release a deodorizing material that will mix with the sweat and create a clean and appropriate smell.

Without revealing too much, I will say that I probably need this suit. Primarily for the extremely hot conventions in Las Vegas I'm required to attend, and not for my jogging, though I feel that would be the appropriate way to test this.

Continue reading "Strange Fashions: Sweat Profusely, Get Shot, And Still Look Good" »

Every nerd needs somewhere to keep their toys. So why not keep up with today's theme of spent rubber tires and put all your geek gubbins into a bag fashioned from six pre-punctured bicycle inner tubes?

I have long had a soft spot for these kinds of bags. I actually carry a bag by the Vaho Works, made from thick old truck inner-tubes (which is plain black and not nearly as pretentious as the Flash site suggests). Besides being ridiculously tough and virtually waterproof, there's a worn beauty to the rubber. It seems to age like wood or leather, and the occasional rubber puncture reapir patch adds even more character, like a knot in an oak plank.

I'm getting too lyrical, perhaps, so let's make one complaint. Seeing as these rubber bags are made from free materials, why are they always so expensive? My little bag cost me €80 ($125). This A4-sized Budapest M - CONTINENTAL costs $120. They will, at least, last almost forever.

Product page [Supermarket HQ via Uncrate]

The saga of the 2015 McFly shoes continues.

A couple of weeks after the popularity of the futuristic (yet indelibly fictional) shoes from the movie Back to the Future caused Nike to release their modern adaptation, the real owner and creator of the movie prop has stepped forward with a not too-shocking revelation: The shoe is real (there's only one boot) and he's putting it up for sale on eBay.

After placing the starting bid at $1,000 last Friday, the auction has gone up to $2,550 with three days remaining.

The popularity of the iconic shoes has benefited from the growing anticipation of the year 2015, the year the shoes are worn in the movie sequel. Recently, fans created an online petition to pressure Nike into creating a real version of the shoes, but when Nike came out with a fake 'McFly' shoe called the Hyperdunks, it caused all kinds of fan outrage in the blogosphere and the real world.

Many were displeased with the Hyperdunks because they saw it as a ploy to use up the cool factor of the movie (we said there's no way they were the real McFlys), while others were incensed with the limited number of shoes that were made available, in terribly organized events.

According to the eBay seller, he used to be a technician at the Nike Sport Research Lab and he was the man who designed and installed the electronics for them.

Continue reading "The Real 2015 McFly Shoe from Back to the Future Appears on eBay" »

If you want to buy a pair of the new Nike 'McFly'  Hyperdunks, you're going to have to break your well-stocked iPhone 3G vault -- a pair of the shoes is currently going for as much as $1,200 on eBay.

A few enterprising (or desperate) fans purchased a limited edition version of the Hyperdunks at a Nike-sponsored event in Santa Monica last week and immediately placed them on the auction site. But not everyone was able to cash in on the McFly phenomenon.

According to a few people who were there, the event was badly organized and caused many who waited in line for hours to go home without a pair. Apparently, there were only 100 pairs avalable, and a last-minute raffle couldn’t placate the demand. And while NBA star Kobe Bryant headlined the event, he stayed for only about 10 minutes, disappointing many fans.

Also disappointing is the fact that Nike is not using “Back to the Future” or “McFly” in any of the promotional copy, due to NBC Universal's indecision about being involved with the shoe. Yes, Kobe arrived in a classic Delorean -- nice touch -- and the Hyperdunk logo is reminiscent of the Back to the Future films. But come on: We know the real deal when we see it, and this is not it. The Hyperdunk is not the real McFly. 

More photos from the Hyperdunk event below.

Continue reading "Nike Hyperdunks Make Disappointing Debut, Still No McFly" »

The SensoGlove is a $120 golf glove which continually monitors the pressure of your grip via four embedded pressure sensors. The readout on the back of the glove tells you to back off your squeezing: Apparently white knuckles are not good for your game.

We'd like to spend time pointing out that the addition of a back-of-the-hand display is likely to cause a distraction more detrimental to your swing than a mere heavy grip, but we were, in turn, distracted by the comedy value of the product blurb: Simply add the naughty word of your choice into any of the spaces:

Maintaining a lighter grip pressure is regularly discussed in every magazine and by all the professional [-----]. The trouble is it’s difficult to learn exactly what they mean by a light grip pressure and most end up with a [-----].

Practicing with SensoGlove will teach you the correct grip pressure for a smooth, consistent [-----] that delivers greater [-----], enhanced [-----] and lower [-----]!

The SensoGlove can be used for backyard practice or during an actual [-----].

Product page [SensoGlove via Uncrate]

The SensoGlove is a $120 golf glove which continually monitors the pressure of your grip via four embedded pressure sensors. The readout on the back of the glove tells you to back off your squeezing: Apparently white knuckles are not good for your game.

We'd like to spend time pointing out that the addition of a back-of-the-hand display is likely to cause a distraction more detrimental to your swing than a mere heavy grip, but we were, in turn, distracted by the comedy value of the product blurb: Simply add the naughty word of your choice into any of the spaces:

Maintaining a lighter grip pressure is regularly discussed in every magazine and by all the professional [-----]. The trouble is it’s difficult to learn exactly what they mean by a light grip pressure and most end up with a [-----].

Practicing with SensoGlove will teach you the correct grip pressure for a smooth, consistent [-----] that delivers greater [-----], enhanced [-----] and lower [-----]!

The SensoGlove can be used for backyard practice or during an actual [-----].

Product page [SensoGlove via Uncrate]

Whoa. This is heavy Doc.

It appears that an inspired-by version of the Official Shoes of Wired's Gadget Lab, the Nike McFly 2015's, will be made available by the end of July and will be renamed as the Nike Hyperdunks. I know what you're thinking (Chicken, McFly!), but get a hold of yourself. They won't include the awesome air-pressurized auto-lacing mechanism from Back to the Future II.

Instead, the shoes will include so-called 'Flywire technology,' which is really PR-speak for the latest and greatest of ultra light materials. They sport the same high-ankle boot style of the original movie, and will be available in late July.

But while it's cool to know that a version of the shoes will become available, there's one thing about this development that's a bit bothersome: Kobe Bryant is the main spokesman for the sneaks.

Kobe is not only one the most hated players in basketball, but someone who has been described by various people as 'shady,' 'unprofessional,' and 'selfish.' Why would they want to weigh down the possible awesomeness of these shoes with bad karma? Bryant already wore a few pairs of the shoes in a game during the NBA Finals, and big surprise, lost the championship. 

Admittedly, we're a bit possessive of the McFly shoe and only want to see it in its ideal future form. And yes, Kobe has actually redeemed himself as a person and a player in recent years. Perhaps, having the similar design of the shoe available now might inspire a gifted DIY'er to create the self-lacing mechanism to finally create the shoes as they were meant to be.

Source: giz, nicekicks.com

The Transport from Setgo takes the one-strapped backpack to its logical conclusion: It's all strap and no bag. The front section has two external pockets for MP3 players and phones and a couple of hidden pockets for cash and cards.

The back of the bandolier has three internal pockets, and one large external pocket into which you can place anything you might want stolen on your next metro ride. Aside from making you a mugger-magnet with its ostentatious external display of gadgetry, the $80 nerdolier will also protect you from female companionship. As usual, I asked for the Lady's sartorial opinion. After a few moments of literally open-mouthed disbelief, she finally found these words:

It has nothing. It lacks style, it lacks design. There's plenty of sex in the world, but you won't get any if you wear that.

For obvious reasons, I won't be calling one of these in for review.

Product page [Setgo via Dvice]

So everyone in the products department at Wired has a type of gadget that they absolutely adore and completely geek out on. For McClusky it's anything having to do with cycling. Joe Brown hearts Nokia. Dylan? Camera nerd. Jose loves himself some voice recorders. Intern Nate Ralph enjoys anything gaming related. Me? I love watches. Not just any watches. I love geeky, LED flashing, binary sporting, Japanese manufactured, virtually impossible to decipher watches. Watches like the TokyoFlash "Infection" that we got in the mail today.

Now a time keeping device like this actually is perfect for striking up conversations with strangers — especially the ladies. However, it also acts as both blessing and curse. I can virtually guarantee the conversation about the "Infection" between some cute girl and myself will go something like this:

Cute Girl: "Oh wow, I like your watch. It's really cool."

Me: "Oh hey thanks, it's from this boutique watch manufacturer from Japan."

Cute Girl: "So how do you read it?"

(Now if I actually had any skill with the fairer sex, I would simplify this explanation to a sentence or two. I never do.)

Me: "Okay so the number of red LEDs represent the hour — there's eight of them right now, indicating that it's eight o'clock. The yellow ones correspond to five minute increments. See there's six of those. Six times five is thirty. And the green LEDs represent individual minutes. There are three of those right now. So it's eight plus thirty plus three. So it's eight thirty-three."

Cute Girl: "It took you over five minutes to explain that. It's eight forty now."

Me: "Uhhh, really?"

Cute Girl: "Yeah...I have to go stand over here now. Away from you."

Me: "Can I buy you a drink?"

Cute Girl: (Now walking away.) "Stay away, loser!"

Now every now and then you meet someone who's really into the watch. In that respect, it's a great litmus test to see if a girl is a keeper. And aside from starting a lot of conversations with random people, a TokyoFlash watch also forces you to do a few mental gymnastics when figuring out the hour. And, seriously, isn't it time for all of us to start doing that?  —Daniel Dumas

WIRED Flashing lights. Hard to decipher graphics. Math. This thing is less of a watch and more like geek catnip. Telling time requires a bit of brain power.

TIRED Try, just try to get an accurate reading in direct sunlight. See what happens when you ask someone if they want to see your 'Infection."

$139.22, TokyoFlash

(Photo by Jim Merithew for Wired.com)

Imagine, if you will, that Jackson Pollack had survived into the 1980s. Further, imagine that the abstract expressionist had vomited onto a pair of shoes. In this unlikely scenario, the Puma Disc Blaze Tetris Pack would surely have been the result.

Based on the 1994 Disc Blaze sneakers this foul, fluorescent footwear keeps the trademark disc tightener lace replacement, but ladles on some distinctly 80s "style". Already available in Japan, where they will no doubt be very popular for a day or two, the Tetris inspired sneakers are coming Stateside any minute now. If you encounter a pair in the wild, we suggest that, to protect your eyes, you only look at them through a pair of Ray Ban Aviators.

Puma Disc Blaze 1990s Tetris Pack [Kicks on Fire]

Confession. I listen to my iPod when I cycle around town. In mitigation, I almost always listen to podcasts, so I don't block out the traffic noise, but still, it is a dangerous practice.

And you know what? The cops make it worse. In some cities, it's a crime to use headphones on a bike. To avoid getting pulled over, the only option is to use earbuds hidden by my shaggy mane. But earbuds need constant readjustment and can fall out. This makes things even more risky. So from now on I will be using the iLogic Sound Hat. The headphones are built into the beanie so they are both invisible and securely fastened beside your ears, and the cable can be easily hidden by snaking it under clothing. It only costs £15 ($30), so the quality is probably terrible, but tinny music is a small price to pay for sticking it to the Man.

Product page [I Want One of Those via Coolest Gadgets]

There’s something about mechanical constructions of brass cogs and gears that serves as an antidote to the silent, hidden workings of today’s digital tech.

So it's no surprise that "steampunk," which combines the aesthetic of a non-existent, clockwork-driven Victorian high-tech boom with a healthy DIY attitude, is getting crazy popular. For proof, look no further than the upcoming Maker Faire, which is expected to draw thousands of visitors and hundreds of exhibitors, many of whose homemade contraptions have a decidedly Victorian aesthetic.

Sure, we don’t really want to throw out our MacBooks and replace them with Difference Engines, even if they would work with our iPods, but there are plenty of crafty people out there willing to satisfy our retro-lust with custom made, one-off designs. This hand-made ethic fits perfectly into the steampunk ideal, and the results can be beautiful.

We spoke to steampunk jeweler Ricky Wolbrom about the process of making and selling her clockwork tchotchkes. The rings, cufflinks and brooches are combinations of silver filigree and vintage Swiss watch parts. They can take hours or days to put together, and Ricky sells her pieces through the online marketplace for crafters, Etsy. This combination of the internet and the cottage industry seems perfect for the old-new world of steampunk. Ricky talked to Gadget Lab about the future of the bespoke.

Continue reading "Inside the Mind of a Steampunk Jeweler" »

We all know how stupid montages can be when they involve a superhero putting on his super-garb. Remember the in your face rubber nipple/ codpiece scene from Batman and Robin? Yeah I bet you just vomited in your mouth a little.

The newest trailer from Iron Man features Robert Downy Jr.'s tortured genius, Tony Stark, strapping on the Mark III and getting set to (hopefully) kick the crap out of some baddie. Either that or he's going to the store to pick up some milk and couldn't find anything else to wear.

Rendered by the same effects team that was responsible for Transformers, the detail on the suit is amazing. Like Blam at the Giz points out, they not only got the red on gold color pattern just right, but the interior of the suit is just as intricately constructed.

Iron Man comes out this Friday. Huzzah!

[Trailer Addict Via The Giz] Thanks, Miguel!

Over at Boing Boing Gadgets, wordsmith and ex-Wired blogger John Brownlee has committed to pixels possibly the best rant ever written. What's got his goat? The new T-Shirts for Apple store employees, worst of which is reserved for the Genuises and reads "Not all heroes wear capes".

There's a lot of things Apple Store employees could do to be more likable, the first of which would be to stop wearing their own o-rings as moist, elastic turtlenecks and realize that working for $10 an hour rebooting iPods for a living does not make you a member of the cultural elite.

It actually gets better from there. Go read it. Now.

Apple Geniuses to get even more douchey [BBGadgets]

Let's face it, watches are kind of useless. When it comes to fulfilling our basic time-telling and alarm needs, cellphones do the job and more. Today, most people either wear watches out of habit or, in some cases, because they've been convinced that pimping their wrists with an array LEDs is fashionable. The point here is that it's refreshing when someone actually releases a watch with a useful feature. True to its name, the WiFi watch will detect all networks within a 300-foot range, giving you relative strength of those local connections so you can select the best spot to borrow your WiFi. Oh, and it also has an alarm and a countdown timer.

[Thumbs Up via TechDigest]

Even a sparse description of the Tissot T-Touch Expert watch is enough to stimulate the pleasure center of the gadget geek’s brain. Packed into a dual analog/digital face, this wristwatch is literally a flotilla of functions. Just how many? Well if you were to purchase a separate gadget for everything it does, you’d wind up with a bill far, far higher than the T-Touch's $1000 price tag.

So what exactly does it do? Well for starters, how about dual time zones, two alarms, and countdown chronographs? Okay, still not impressed? But how about adding a barometer, thermometer, perpetual calendar, compass, altimeter, and an azimuth (sort of a GPS system on your wrist). Oh what’s that? Getting gadget fever? Wait, we’re not done yet.

So what really makes this timekeeper (oh, right, it tells time, too) unique is how all these functions are activated: the face is a touch screen. By tapping on seven different points on the analog face the digital portion displays the results instantly. Of course to cram this type of instrumentation into a watch requires a certain amount of heft and the T-Touch does not disappoint, weighing in at over a quarter pound. Yes, it’s like wearing something with the same heft as a Royale with cheese on your wrist, but it’s not quite a Big Mac.

Rather, at a humongous, half-inch thick, it’s more like there's a mini Big Ben on your wrist. And programming the T-Touch’s ambitious functionality takes the same patience that would go into solving a Rubik’s Cube. But if you possess that patience, this just might be the ideal timekeeping, temperature sensing, direction finding, altitude detecting all-in-one wrist mounted wundergizmo .  —Michael S. Lasky

WIRED Dual analog/digital face provides actual temperature, directional readings, and barometric readings. Backlighting and water-resistance to 330 feet useful for all you deep divers out there.

TIRED Hard to program. Confusing 8-page instruction booklet almost as thick as a standard issue of Wired magazine. Quarter pound weight plus J-Lo class thickness makes you conscious of the watch at all times.

$1095, www.t-touch.com

(Photo and wrist modeling by James Merithew, Wired.com)

If you're desperate to up your geek cred, I suppose there's no better way than to rock a keyboard on your crotch. As luck would have it, designer Erik De Nijs' "Beauty and the Geek" jeans feature just such a crotch-mounted keyboard. They also come with a pair of built-in knee speakers and the added convenience (?) of a back pocket mouse. So now, instead of simply looking creepy, crotch fondlers can actually learn a useful skill: touch typing.

Just look how much fun the guy in the picture is having!

[Vous Pensez]

Continue reading "These Pants are Made for Typin'" »

The LapStrap is a strap with which you can carry your laptop over your shoulder. There's no protective case, just a nylon band which you lay across the computer before closing it. You're ahead of me here. You're wondering if you should dangle your $2000 notebook from your arm in city streets and crowded subways, right? Well, LapStrap has an answer to this apparently Frequently Asked Question:

As for your laptop being exposed, you always seem to "sub-consciously" keep it safe. Whether your laptop is over your shoulder or not, you seem not to "bang" it around when traveling.

Great. The laptop is kept safe by increasing the owner's anxiety. Not only that, the straps cost $25 apiece, and can be branded as corporate giveaways to further increase your public embarrassment. And when putting the picture together for this post, Photoshop tried to save it in the trash. Curiously prescient, no?

Product page [LapStrap via Oh Gizmo!]

There's nothing like scorched flesh to help you remember an anniversary. If you're prone to memory lapses -- or simply have too many secret second families on the side -- then you may want to consider the Remember Ring. Here's how it works: A full 24 hours before your special day begins, a "hot spot" on the ring's interior will begin to warm up to 120º F for approximately 10 seconds. And in case that doesn't do the trick, the ring will continue to warm up every hour, on the hour, all day long!

The company selling the ring characterizes the sensation as: "Hot enough to cause discomfort but not hot enough to burn."

Apparently, some guys wear multiple rings. In fact, Jon Harshmen proclaims he has two of them in an enthusiastic testimontial -- one for his anniversary and the other to remember is baby's birthday. "It's like a hand gun," he says. "Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."

This Jon fella sounds like a catch!

The Contexture Design Workshop offers an elegant solution for scalding hot takeaway beverages. The Coffee Cuff is a bracelet which doubles as an insulating holder for your cup of joe, and also means the ham-fisted will be less prone to crushing the cup. Handmade from reclaimed veneer, the bentwood cuffs come in various flavors of hardwood, including the birds eye maple model pictured above, and the fun-to-say benge (Try it: Benge. Benge. Benge. It's hard not to smile, right?)

It might help to swallow the high prices if you think of these not as coffee accessories but as high-end jewelry: The cuffs come in at $70 apiece. And because you carry them on your wrist, they'll always be ready for service.

Product page [Contexture via Book of Joe]

This stunning device is an all analog digital watch, named the Meccanico DG. At the top is a traditional analog dial, but the lower section comprises rolling tubes to form an LED-style digital display. Both show different time zones, and the description in maker de Grisogono's press release shows why this is being called the "worlds most complicated Mechanical Digital/Analog watch".

The all mechanical mechanism contains 651 components, including 23 tiny cams to drive the "digital" display. While we don't know the price, we do know that there will be just 354 Meccanicos made; 177 in Titanium and 177 in white gold. And you know what? My usual aversion to bling has gone out the window. This thing is amazing, even in the CAD rendering you see here. Stay tuned for real photos when the Meccanico is launched at the Baselworld show in Switzerland.

All Mechanical Digital - The MECCANICO dG by de GRISOGONO [Watchismo Times]

Previously on Gadget Lab

Giant Digital Clock in Berlin Art Museum

Think Geek, purveyor of nerdwear and gimmicks, has a history of April Fool gags turning into good business. Last year it was the 8-bit Tie, which was originally a joke product but saw such demand from readers that Think Geek put it into production. This year, the bogus apparel was the Personal Soundtrack T-Shirt, a T-shirt with an embedded speaker which would play sound effects to brighten up your dull, dull life.

Again, readers demanded that Think Geek make it real:

The Personal Soundtrack T-Shirt was originally an April Fool's Prank... but due to overwhelming positive response and hundreds of e-mails screaming to "make the damn shirt already" we're putting this item in to production ASAP.

We can't help but notice that this is the exact opposite of the prank pulled last week by AbleComm, who put out a fake press release two days late and then chickened out of the consequences.

Product page [Think Geek]

Shoes that generate power as you walk: Good. Shoes with headlights: Bad, and for two reasons. One, they squander the juice that could be used to power your gadget collection, and second, if you want to light your way in the dark, a shoe is just about the worst place you could mount a flashlight. What other part of the body moves more than the feet when strolling?

Still, the designers of the Pioneer, Feijun Chen and Bin Zhao, at least show us the inner workings of the concept sneaker. Each shoe has a small battery which is charged using the kinetic energy from your weight as your heel lands. Instead of routing that current to the headlight, though, we think it would be better used to make them self-fastening, like The Official Shoe of Gadget, the McFly 2015.

Product page [Yanko via Geekologie]

The name alone makes these worth writing about: Batphones. The low-tech hearing aid is an update to simply cupping your hand to your ear. The side "scoops" channel sound from in front directly into the ear, much as a satellite dish focusses the signal into the antenna. Matthias Ries' concept isn't meant to be a replacement for regular hearing aids, but more as an enhancement for people talking in loud places, or those with a small amount of hearing loss.

There's only one slight problem we foresee with this latter-day ear-trumpet. The Batphones look absolutely ridiculous.

Product page [Yanko]

It's colorful, coils automatically around your wrist, and looks vaguely edible, as if made out of hardened cake topping. It is, in fact, one of those inscrutable LED watches, and so marks the wedding of two distinct and uniquely pointless gimmicks.

Named "Time-It," this modern take on the slap bracelet won't be found in cereal boxes — it's a startling $190 — but is waterproof, rechargeable, and available in four shades.

Prodict Page [LEDwatchstop via Technabob and Gizmodo]

Red Bull must have a lot of money because it's now using some of the same technology as Google. Just in time for a pre-summer marketing blitz, Red Bull has partnered with Immersive Media to place a few of its impressive geodesic-shaped 360-degree cameras on the heads of their sponsored surfers. And despite the cool end result, they still look ridiculous and wildly uncomfortable.

The surfers put on 25 pounds of the gear, including the Dodeca 2360 Camera System, and captured 360-degree video that can be explored by the viewer like Google’s Street View. But instead of searching for the latest inappropriate Easter egg, you can get a pretty accurate idea of what top-notch surfing really feels like. Unfortunately, you won't get to experience the other highs of the surfer lifestyle in 360-degree views. You know, such as going to parties and dating Brazilian models.

The  Dodeca 2360 Camera System is a camera system that takes in high-res video streams (at 2400x1200 pixels per frame, 30 frames per second), and captures the GPS coordinates of its motion. The camera can record for up to 3 hours at a time, which helps when the recording time sessions go over.

You can check out all of the surfing videos at the Red Bull Surfing website, and the enhanced video right below. Click on after the jump to check out more of the pictures.

Continue reading "Immersive Media's Geodesic-shaped Camera Rides the Wave, Captures 360-degree Action Video" »

The Nubrella may as well be spelled N00b-rella for all the sex appeal it has. It's a hands-free brolly designed to not only keep your hair perfectly placed, but to protect your entire upper body from the elements.

This "umbrella of the 21st century" attaches via shoulder straps and has a stabilizing handle. Because it wraps around the torso, the $60 canopy won't catch the wind and turn inside out: the makers claim that it will withstand gusts of up to 50mph. What you should really watch out for, though, is the stones that will be thrown at you by gangs of laughing children.

Still, the company remains optimistic that this ridiculous device will become popular:

With its sleek futuristic oval design, nubrella will be seen as the new “must have” fashion accessory around the world.

Product page [Nubrella via Red Ferret]

The appropriately titled RetroVision is a pair of sunglasses which eschews tinted lenses for, well, shades. The eyepieces are filled with tiny, Venetian blind-style slats which cut out light. The slats should also restrict light from above and below, which means less glare from the sun and its reflected light.

The concept design, from Sang Jang Lee, features pop-in screens for customization. I remember a similar product back in the 80s, although it came in cheap, brightly colored plastic and did little more than blind you with its four or five oversized slats.

Product page [Yanko]

A team at the Georgia Institute of Technology has created tiny fibers that generate electricity from movement, raising the prospect of smart clothes that could power your phone or iPod. Engineer Zhong Lin Wang said the fibers are sensitive enough to generate juice from normal body movements, so you wouldn't have to go jogging just to finish a phone call.

Our goal is to make self-powered nanotechnology...Airflows, vibrations - all these are mechanical energy that we can harvest to power devices.

While portable gadgets seem like a natural market, a more immediate and compelling application may be found in medical devices such as cochlear implants and pacemakers, where changing batteries is a literal pain in the someplace.

Nanowires allow 'power dressing' [BBC]