Wearable Electronics

There are a lot of nice new electronic gizmos that you could buy for 1,000 euro, which currently equals out to about US$1,435. You could purchase the world’s smallest interchangeable-lens camera (the Pentax Q) and have change left over, you could buy six LaCie CloudBox hard drive/cloud storage devices, six HTC EVO 3D smartphones, or you could get yourself a pair of earbuds ... AKG’s K3003 reference class 3-way earphones, to be precise. Read More

Those lucky enough to be currently enjoying the Northern Hemisphere summer will no doubt be heading for the beach for a good bronzing as often as possible. These days, of course, the digital device is an important part of the sun worshiper's kit, and making sure they have enough battery power to go the distance can be a major concern. The Solar Bikini from New York designer Andrew Schneider is said to be capable of charging a smartphone or media player while the wearer lays back and soaks up the summer sun. Now available for custom order, each bikini sports 40 thin and flexible photovoltaic strips connected by conductive thread, which ends at a USB port. Read More

When a tailor is making an item of custom-fit clothing, they first take the client’s measurements, then adjust a mannequin known as a tailor’s dummy, to match those measurements. That way, as they’re making the clothing, they can check the fit on the dummy, instead of repeatedly bringing in the actual client. When it comes to hearing aids, however, clients often need to pay follow-up visits to the hearing clinic, in order to get the device adjusted so it suits their particular type of hearing loss. Recently, though, a team from the University of Essex have developed software that creates virtual “hearing dummies.” These could allow for hearing aids to be tailor-made for each client’s needs, right from the start. Read More

There may not be many people interested in the precise measurement of all the forces and movements that are at play as someone walks, but for those few, a new tool has been developed to help them carry out their research - ForceShoes. Developed by researchers at the University of Twente's MIRA research institute in The Netherlands, these modest-looking sandals feature high-tech data-gathering electronics. Read More

Anyone inspired the often hilarious adventures of Antoine de Maximy but looking for a somewhat lighter and less cumbersome video camera rig may be interested in the launch of a new version of the Looxcie always-on wearable cam. Version 2 is 20 percent lighter than the original wearable, always on video cam and has twice as much onboard storage. Companion apps now offer a choice of capture quality options and the new Looxcie 2 comes with four adjustable earbuds and two earloops. Read More

The result of a collaboration between Continuum Fashion and 3D printing experts Shapeways, the N12 is billed as the "the first completely 3D-printed, ready-to-wear, item of clothing." The high-tech bikini's (not particularly sexy) name is derived from "nylon 12", the material that's used in the 3D printing process. Nylon 12 is strong, flexible and 3D printable with an impressive thinness of 0.7 mm (0.027 in). The material is innately waterproof so it's ideal as swimwear and according to the designers it actually becomes more comfortable when it gets wet. Read More

There’s something a little disturbing about the thought of jamming something that looks like a bullet into your ears, but then again, MUNITO’s SITi (Standard Issue Titanium) Nine Millimeter Earphones clearly aren’t your grandma’s earbuds. Not only are their metal bodies modeled after 9 mm shell casings, but their flexible tips are actually trademarked as SiliconeHollowPoints. Lest you think that these earphones are all novelty and no substance, however, they do have some half-decent specs. Read More

Crime fighters may soon be adding another tool to their arsenal - one that is literally designed to strike fear into the hearts of evildoers. With an integrated taser, video camera and protective forearm armor, the BodyGuard is a stun device that wouldn't be out of place on the forearm of a certain caped crusader in Gotham City. BodyGuard has already been used in Mock Prison Riots in West Virginia and is headed to real world city streets with testing and evaluation of the device due to commence in Los Angeles later this year. Read More

Military computer manufacturer Black Diamond Advanced Technology has released its ultra-rugged wearable PC and communications kit as a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) system. Adaptable to a range of specialist missions, the Modular Tactical System (MTS) system is - as the name suggests - not just a pack containing a computer. Components are split-up are and integrated into different parts of the soldier's uniform and equipment so that mobility isn't compromised, and it's designed to make the transition from computer operation to direct combat engagement in seconds. Read More