Fashion

Secretly, I want to carry a superhero costume with me at all times. I want to be able to step into a phone booth (if they exist anymore) and step out as the Masked Avenger. For $492, my fantasy could come true with the AI Riders on the Storm down jacket.

The jacket sounds pretty much like a regular coat with specs that include a two-way zipper and down stuffing. Look up, though, and things start to get weird. It has a detachable hood with built-in bug-eyed goggles that zip together right up the middle. Freaky, man. … Read more

Your next pair of Levi jeans may include black trays, brown beer bottles, clear water bottles, and green soda bottles. The new WasteLess collection uses polyester fiber made from crushed plastic recyclables. The bottles are collected from municipal recycling programs around the country.

Both jeans and trucker jackets will be available. Plastic pants don't sound very comfortable, but the plastic parts only take up about 20 percent of the cloth. The recycled fiber is mixed with cotton fiber so you get a pant that feels like regular denim.… Read more

Geeks know there's more to life than video game marathons and "Star Trek" reruns. Sometimes, you need to step into the kitchen and make cookies with your "Star Wars" cookie cutters.

It's important to be properly outfitted when you're role-playing as a chef. You may want to pick up one of Etsy seller Darling Army's geek aprons as a personal force field for your body before you start flinging flour about.… Read more

There are some places where it's not appropriate to wear a Wampa skin "Star Wars" dress covered in fake blood, but you still want to express your fandom through fashion. That's when you whip out your surprisingly subtle Darth Vader glasses.

Japanese company Aigan has introduced a collection of officially licensed "Star Wars" eyeglasses. Choose the Force with Luke Skywalker or R2-D2 styles. Go for the Dark Side with Darth Vader or Stormtrooper models. Can't decide which side you're on? No problem. There's a Boba Fett pair, too.… Read more

Timbuk2, maker of messenger bags, backpacks, Kindle Paperwhite dinner jackets, and laptops sleeves, now hopes to attract even more attention from the tech set with two new bags that can recharge your devices. And if you've ever wondered how the company's famous bags get made, we scored a tour of the San Francisco factory floor to show you how that gets done, too. … Read more

What if every time a Facebook friend liked one of your Facebook posts, that friend appeared out of nowhere, wrapped her arms around you, and gave you a big hug of appreciation? That would be pretty sweet.

Since that's not likely to happen in reality, you'll have to settle for the Like-A-Hug vest from Melissa Chow, Andy Payne, and Phil Seaton at the MIT Media Lab.

When a friend likes your photo, video, or status update, the vest inflates. Send a hug back to your buddy by squeezing and deflating the vest.… Read more

If the idea of a heads-up display inside your eyeglasses still seems strange, what about one for your wristwatch?

A patent issued yesterday revealed a new frontier for the Google Glass project: the humble wrist. A wristwatch design filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office shows a timepiece with a clear touch screen that flips up from the base of the watch to serve as a secondary display.

Images filed with the patent show the display being used to offer directions, product information and e-mail notifications.

Patents don't always -- or even often -- become products. But … Read more

Halloween is coming up. If your Superman Underoos aren't going to cut it for the eighth year in a row, then consider an animatronic life-size baby Tyrannosaurus rex costume from Wizart Studio instead.

The company crafts creatures for museums, but the T. rex was born to roam. It can be worn and operated by one person. Cable mechanisms trigger the detailed movements.

The 16-foot-long costume weighs just over 50 pounds. It's made from rubber, high-density foam, aluminum, and fiberglass. The textured outside makes it look wonderfully realistic. Holes in the body let the wearer see what's going on around it, such as people screaming and running away.… Read more

In the geek world, cosplay is an art form. Sometimes it's just masks and colorful spandex. Sometimes it's elevated to a high level. Consider Anastasiya Shpagina, a 19-year-old Ukrainian whom some might call a goddess among cosplayers.

Shpagina is obsessed with anime. She's so obsessed, she turns herself into a real-life anime character, complete with giant eyes and a teensy body. She probably has a secret stash of Ramune, too. … Read more