Now this is useful tech. Hyeona Yang and Joshua Noble have devised a raincoat, dubbed Raincatch, that catches rain water and turns it into clean drinking water on the fly. This could actually, you know, help people.
It catches the rainwater and charcoal filters it, thereby purifying it. Then you affix the end of the spigot/straw and you drink up. Elegant simplicity at its finest. This is perfect for polluted areas where drinking water may not always be the best life choice.
Of course, the two designers have stated this is just in the initial stages for now. Don’t go to Spencer’s Gifts looking for one or anything. Not yet anyways.
Posted in: Concept Design, Jacket, Water Hydration
Fossil has been on the cutting edge wristwatch design for a while now. It comes as no surprise, then, that the company has prepped another fanciful design to add to their collection. Their Meta Watch is everything you could ever hope for in a wristwatch and it is this much closer to being a reality, thanks to its recent passing through the FCC.
The watches sync with your Android phone or tablet in order to do all sorts of cool things. Of course, it’s not out yet so the app selection is non existent at the moment. Expect that to change once these bad boys end up in consumer’s grubby little hands.
They are available for preorder now and launch officially on September 29th. I’ll see you in line at a Fossil ..read more
Posted in: Bluetooth, Fossil, Watches
There’s been some cool advancements in sonar technology in the past few years, but nothing compares to this. Grathio Labs has readied its Tacit. This device could single handily revolutionize how the blind deal with their surroundings. Why? The Tacit is a hand-mounted sonar device.
The system works using ultrasonic sensors that are mounted to a device that the user simply holds in their hand. Dangerous objects are sent to the user via an Arduino-controlled controller and the end result is smooth sailing in the walking department. The device lets the user know if objects are close by squeezing around their hand, which seems more elegant than letting out a beep or something.
The whole thing is powered simply by a 9V battery. Of course, it’s a ways off from being available ..read more
Posted in: Eyewear, Grathio Labs, Sound
O’Neill is at it again. The fashionwear company has announced O’Neill 365, the activewear collection for women that has some tech bells and whistles. This line is designed with active in mind. In short, it’s sportswear. However, it’s not just any old sportswear. No that would be too boring.
The magic is in the fabric. The line is made from their patented 3XDRY fabric, which has a water-repellent exterior and absorbent interior to eliminate sweat marks completely. Additional tech features include anti-static fabric, odor-resistant treatments, UV30+ fabric to protect the skin, wind-resistant and water-resistant characteristics, HB3 headphones and wicking technology to promote dryness.
The line doesn’t hit stores until Spring 2012, so don’t start camping outside of your favorite retailer just yet. Good things come to those who wait, after all.
Posted in: O’Neill, Sportswear, Water Resistant
Who doesn’t love temporary tattoos? They allow you to put stupid stuff on your skin and not have it last forever. This is perfect for those drunken nights when the thought of having “420 69″ on your left buttock just seems like the most hilarious idea of all time. Now, though, temp tats are also useful. Enter John Rogers and his Epidermal Electronic System.
The Epidermal Electronic Systen, or EES, consists of circuits which could contain electrodes capable of measuring brain, heart and muscle activity exactly like how an EEG does now. Only, you know, it will be on your skin with gives whole new meaning to the phrase “easy access.” This way you can wear the tattoo for elongated periods of time, thus giving doctors a better idea of what’s ..read more
Posted in: Concept Design, Tactile Feedback, Vitals Monitoring, Wearable Tech
Fitness monitors have become all the rage lately. Still, there is always room for improvement. Enter Wellcore and their brand new Connected Fitness Monitor device. This fitness monitor that can identify specific body movements and track fitness progress via an Android app. Not bad. Not bad.
The device is worn on the waist, shirtsleeve, or collar and can distinguish between running, cycling and a host of other activities. The biometric data is synced via Bluetooth to an online dashboard that can also be viewed via an Android app. There’s even a social network aspect to it, with the inclusion of a fitness-based social network called ConnectYu. Catchy title.
The whole thing retails for just $99 so now you really have no excuse not to get in shape.
Posted in: NewYu, Vitals Monitoring, Wellcore
Sure there are other watches on the market that help you work-out better. But not many work in the exact same way as this one. The Scosche myTrek is a handy-dandy workout watch that monitors your vitals with the best of them.
This Bluetooth-enabled device not only sends your vitals to your iPhone or iPod Touch, it also helps to keep you going by popping inspiring “you can do it” messages in your ears. It’s like having your own personal trainer! Only, a positive one and not one of those mean basic training type dudes. It also features a handy velcro armstrap for those times when holding something is simply a no-g0. The only downside? The myTrek has to be within 33 feet of your iOS device in order to record ..read more
Posted in: Armbands, Scosche, Vitals Monitoring, Watches, iPhone Integration
We live in a digital world, and yet the medical community is fine with living in a paper one. That doesn’t make much sense. Thankfully, thanks to a spate of industrious inventors, this is about to change. First up? A miniature RFID chip that will store your entire medical history.
This tiny, 3cm-square charm, designed by Asahi Kasei, that can be read by a computer or smartphone and can be worn, well, just about anywhere. The device should enjoy broad connectivity with a variety of products, thanks to being built using a much-used programming code.
The company hopes to begin selling the devices to hospitals within the year at a low, low cost of just $25. Now we will truly never, ever be able to get away from that one unfortunate bout ..read more
Posted in: Asahi Kasei, Concept Design, Vitals Monitoring
Now this is one Power Glove that will impress both Fred Savage and us. Scientists at Georgia Tech have created a prototype of an extremely unique vibrating glove. This bad boy vibrates in such a way that it actually increases your touch sensitivity. Now shaking hands can feel sooooo good.
Just how does this work? It adds a modicum of vibration to everything done while wearing the glove. This ends up increasing touch sensitivity as all touch sensitivity is, really, is a bunch of vibrations of varying degrees.
It’s just a concept/prototype for now but the scientists behind the glove do envision some real world uses, including helping medical patients with dulled feeling in their hands. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available. Until then, you are stuck with your ..read more
Posted in: Concept Design, Gloves, Tactile Feedback
We’ve all heard of vitals monitors, but what about, um, vittles monitors? According to two Clemson researchers, the time of the monitored vittle has come. Enter their brainchild, the Bite Counter.
The Bite Counter does exactly what the name implies: It counts your bites. You wear it as if it was a watch and the counter keeps track of how many bites of delicious foodstuffs you are shoving into your gaping maw. Then you stare at the large number and feel great, great shame. The intent is to hopefully harness this shame to create weight loss, or something.
This device may not be for everyone, well specifically it’s not for super skinny people. Still, it could be an interesting new weapon in the battle against obesity. At the very least we can ..read more
Posted in: Armbands, Concept Design, Vitals Monitoring
