jacket

A pair of suspenders for your iPod

It may not seem like it in the middle of January, but you won't always need to protect yourself from the elements with heavy-duty MP3 outerwear. Before you know it, mini-skirt weather will be right around the corner.

But music-playing suspenders? That, at least, is what the wrongly named "MP3 Smart Jacket" appears to be. Like other holsters of its kind, it has compartments for various gadgets that can be controlled by sewn-in buttons, according to Gadgetell, but it also has its own built-in speakers. Even so, this thing makes the gadget vest look like haute couture.… Read more

Laptop bags recycle soda bottles, old news

Act2 GreenSmart laptop jackets are an ecofriendly spin-off from the people who make Shoreline laptop cases. Each jacket is made from the remains of 17 PET beverage bottles, with padding that reuses industrial waste and recycled paper tags printed with soy ink. They come in seven sizes, with a shoulder strap and extra pockets enabling access to the innards while on the go. You can open the laptop on a desk and access the ports without removing the jacket. Each black, blue, or brown jacket costs $40, and sleeves are $25. The StuffBak return policy offers protection should you leave … Read more

The Wiimote jacket cometh

Nintendo announced a few weeks ago that it would include silicone controller jackets with every new Wii and Wiimote. Even better, if you already bought a Wii, you can order the jackets for free from Nintendo. Since my Wii was purchased pre-jacket, I ordered a pair for myself. Nintendo estimates 4 to 6 weeks for the jackets to arrive, but I got mine today after just over three weeks. Naturally, here's a hands-on look at the new accessories.

Well, it's a pretty nice sleeve for the Wiimote. The slight dog-bone shape feels comfortable in the hand and provides … Read more

Zegna's 'iJacket' lets you talk to the coat

In an odd way, the fashion industry may be uniquely qualifed to keep pace with consumer technology. Both fields, after all, can change with the wind--and often do.

Ermenegildo Zegna is becoming something of a poster child for that marriage, as shown last year with its iPod jacket and continuing with such innovations like its solar collar. Now, using "smart fabric" made by Eleksen--maker of such crazy stuff as a double-sided fabric keyboard--Zegna has created a coat that employs Bluetooth technology that can be used for mobile phone conversations.

The "iJacket" is a piece … Read more

Apparel for extreme listening

We can hardly blame the people at Plantronics if they've gotten tired of making and remaking headsets. But the last thing we would have guessed they'd get into is clothing. Not just T-shirts, mind you, but apparel with built-in technologies that can be used with media players and mobile phones.

Its new line is being marketed through a partnership with Quiksilver and Roxy--and, judging by the names of the first three products, Plantronics has deferred to the judgment of the apparel industry's marketing reps as well: the "Pulse Helmet" and "Double Daffy Snow Jacket&… Read more

Let this jacket answer the phone

Goofy as it may look, the Audex knit cap with built-in MP3 player would still have some practical applications in cold-weather activities. But spring skiing is just around the corner, and you may not want to mess up your mullet with a knit cap if you don't need the added warmth.

One alternative is the Audex Motorola cargo jacket, a waterproof coat with Bluetooth speakers sewn into its collar. The jacket can play MP3 tunes or answer your phone with a built-in hands-free microphone. But for a retail price of $645, we think this garment should screen calls and … Read more

Wear all your gadgets, all the time

The world has been waiting for the ultimate all-in-one uber-device for years, only to be disappointed time and again. So many of us are destined, at least for now, to carry a few gadgets at a time. But where do you keep your cell phone, camera, MP3 player, PDA and anything else you can't do without?

Brookstone has one alternative with its "Technology-Ready Fleece Jacket," which goes where iPod apparel leaves off. The jacket has 12 hidden pockets designed to carry all your precious possessions, as well as a "patented routing system" for earbuds and … Read more