umbrella

Ambient Devices' weather-forecasting umbrella now available

The folks from Ambient Devices came by the office yesterday to give me a look at the company's upcoming products and also let me know that their new weather-forecasting umbrella is now on sale. The Ambient Umbrella, which automatically receives weather data from Accuweather.com via Ambient's Infocast Network, has made some appearances on blogs, but it's now an official product with an official price tag of $125--though it's selling for $139 at Hammacher Schlemmer. I saw the thing in action, and while it isn't exactly super high-tech, the handle of the umbrella has a … Read more

Why would Darth Vader need an umbrella?

Star Wars merchandising has always been hot, of course, and everyone's favorite--the "Lightsaber"--is always at the top of the list. Witness the Lightsaber remote, phone and MP3 player, just to name a few. But we had no idea that there would be competition in a subcategory like Lightsaber umbrellas.

Uber-Review notes that the latest entry to this coveted market is no ordinary bumbershoot, belonging to none other than Lord Vader himself, in all his dark glory. Amazon describes it as "an incredibly limited edition item" from Japan that's "40 inches across and … Read more

Nanotech umbrella doesn't like water

I really wish I'd had a NanoNuno in hand when I got caught in yesterday's crazy thunderstorm with my flimsy, water-welcoming dime-store umbrella. The NanoNuno is a nanotech umbrella engineered to repel water; just give it a shake and it's dry right away.

Inventors of the NanoNuno got their idea from the rough surface of the Lotus leaf, which repels dirt and moisture. Because the NanoNuno does the same, the polyester umbrella will stay clean for years, even in light-colored fabric, say the product's makers.

The umbrella, which has a wooden handle and a 38-inch canopy, … Read more

'Lightsaber Umbrella' for dry nerdiness

We're almost afraid to post any information about this item because more people might actually buy it.

Some of us at Crave happen to think that the undying popularity of the Lightsaber is a sign of societal decay--or at least depressing nerdiness. But being equal-opportunity bloggers, we feel obligated to mention the "Lightsaber Umbrella" featured on Red Ferret.

There's not much to say, really--it's name pretty much sums it up. It lights up and keeps you dry. Or, more important, it keeps your DS Lite dry. (More photos here.)

Will it rain? Ask the umbrella

Next to digital photo frames, one of the most common products in gadget catalogs is the weather forecaster. But this trumps them all: an umbrella that tells you if it's going to rain.

The "Ambient Forecasting Umbrella" has an LED light built into the handle that pulses when it detects chances of showers according to an automatic AccuWeather feed. As Gearlog says, "If the chances of rain are 60 percent then the umbrella handle will pulse once every second. But if you see it pulsing a hundred times a minute then that means there's a … Read more

Watch YouTube on your umbrella

So you've been meaning to waterproof your iPod but haven't gotten around to it. And now the rainy season has begun, and you're afraid of getting it wet.

Why not just watch your videos on the umbrella? That's what researchers at Tokyo's Keio University do, with their invention called the "Pileus": a system that projects photos and videos onto your open brolly. According to Plastic Bamboo, it can even stream Flickr photos and YouTube videos directly through a Wi-Fi connection.

We assume the university won't be held responsible for the sidewalk accidents … Read more