Filed under: Wearables

Gore-Tex is fine and dandy, but the real argonauts out there know it still buckles under the most extreme conditions. Now, however, adventurists that happen upon a ridiculous amount of water could soon ford rivers (à la Oregon Trail, of course) without worrying about soggy socks. The technology, dubbed ion-mask, was originally crafted to “ensure soldiers’ clothing remained impermeable to chemical weapons,” but now shoe maker Hi-Tec has inked a deal that will being the solution to a smattering of its kicks. Reportedly, ion-mask can outperform “commercial waterproof fabrics such as Gore-Tex by more than a factor of 100,” and in testing, it maintained its breathability / waterproof abilities even after 100,000 flexes. No word on when full suits will be doused in this stuff, but hopefully you’ll be able to wear the same outfit to the office and the jungle here shortly.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables

Just as wallets leave impressions in rear pockets, cellphones can do the same for pockets in the front. One Aram Bartholl has decided to start a collection of battle-tested jeans that “show traces of mobile tech development in society.” We’ve no idea if he’s planning to tackle the whole thing on his own, but we’d suggest buying up old pants from around the globe in order to amass a sizable collection before death sooner. The image you see above shows what happens if you walk around for three solid years pocketing an original Nokia 6600. Anyone got any impressions (SFW, please) they’d like to share in comments below?

[Via textually]

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Filed under: Wearables

So maybe your stress level isn’t sky high just yet, but even after an extended weekend, all it takes is that one email to get you right back where you were last Wednesday. As if you really needed something to tell you that (and if you don’t have time to wait for Sweety to become a reality), a host of researchers have created a sensor-laden vest that will be able to inform wearers just how stressed they are. Developed as part of the EU’s CONTEXT project, this sure-to-be-hip vest packs ultra-sensitive electrodes which register changes in muscle tension as individuals get more and more stressed, and in theory, letting someone know what’s happening will allow them to simmer down before they further jeopardize their health (and the livelihood of colleagues, if you dig). Eh, we still prefer the Dr. Whippy method, honestly.

[Via Talk2MyShirt, thanks Tony]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Wearables

Let’s face it, the streets are rough these days. And just because someone admits to having your back, that doesn’t mean they won’t turn and run in the heat of battle. Granted, the very spark that sets off said conflict could be this questionably designed coat, but we digress. Paul Coudamy’s Hard-Wear jacket includes a totally inconspicuous camera on the rear which reportedly beams happenings onto a wrist-worn LCD. Not exactly James Bond type material here, but we suppose it’ll do for the double-o in training. Take all those orange blocks away and your chances of being looked at would decline remarkably, wouldn’t you think?

[Via Talk2MyShirt]

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Filed under: Wearables

Solar-powered dresses are so two years ago. These days, dames in the know are all about that piezoelectric material, evidenced by the incredibly flashy Piezing. Dreamed up and designed by Amanda Parkes, this piece of garb is all set to steal the show at the 2ndSkin expo in San Francisco, and according to CNET, it features electricity-generating fabrics around the joints of the elbows and hips. When the wearer walks, bends or gets downright nasty on the dance floor, the mechanical stress conjures up energy which is stored as voltage in a built-in battery where it can presumably be used later for charging your favorite handheld gizmo. Sure gets our electrons flowing.

[Via textually, image courtesy of James Patten]
Read - 2ndSkin expo
Read - CNET article on Piezing

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Filed under: Wearables

Okay, so maybe tapping that space bar repeatedly in mixed company wouldn’t be entirely appropriate, but if you’ve actually managed to mingle with fellow civilians while rocking these, they aren’t likely to mind. Dreamed up and designed by Erik De Nijs, these über-geeky pants boast a built-in keyboard that’s apparently Bluetooth-enabled. Beyond that, you’ll also find sewn in speakers, a pocket made especially for travel mice of all flavors and a “joystick controller” strategically located just behind the front zipper (saywha?). Hate all you like, we just penned this very post on a pair of these bad boys. Only kidding.

[Thanks, Hans]

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Filed under: Wearables, Wireless

RFID clothing is far from revolutionary, but American Apparel is about to get everyone’s attention by placing tags on a smorgasbord of garments. The firm is setting out to implement RFID at the item-level, meaning that tags will eventually hit each article of clothing it produces. For starters, the advanced inventory system will be rolled out across each of its 17 metro New York locations, while plans are already in place to deploy the solution to another 120 North American outlets. The idea is to track individual pieces as they’re “tagged at the company’s manufacturing facility in Los Angeles, received in its retail stores, stored in the stock rooms at the stores, and then placed onto the sales floor and ultimately sold at the point-of-sale.” Of course, we wouldn’t expect the tags to follow you home or anything — too bad we can’t say the same for the company’s skeezy CEO, Dov Charney.

[Image courtesy of The New York Times]

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Filed under: Wearables

Oh sure, we’ve seen proximity-based clothing before, but for the couple who just can’t help but express their intense adoration for technology (and each other), we present the $24.99 8-bit Dynamic Life shirt. This wonderful piece of garb, which is obviously designed to be purchased in pairs, sports six whole hearts on the chest. When your lover strays, both sets of hearts slowly fade away, but when he / she comes running back for one more steamy round of Wii Boxing, the combined dozen lights up to signify precisely how geeky you two truly are. You do know what’s coming in a fortnight, right?

[Via Shiny Shiny]

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Filed under: Wearables

We’ve seen a plethora of shirts made for more than just satisfying a core necessity in life, but a team of scientists over at the CSIRO’s Energy Technology Division are hoping to have “power shirts” at your local flea market (or other fine establishments) within five years. By using piezo electrical materials, the garb could reportedly “produce electricity as you move,” enabling users to juice up their DAPs, mobiles and air conditioned pants just by staying active. Other potential applications include powering battlefield-related equipment on soldiers and monitoring systems on the elderly, but making sure it can handle the oh-so-intimidating wash cycle remains a challenge.

[Via PopGadget, image courtesy of CSIRO]

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