• On mySimon: Ultimate Box Sets!

Crave

Read all 'Ambient Devices' posts in Crave
July 25, 2007 9:52 AM PDT

Ambient Devices' weather-forecasting umbrella now available

by David Carnoy
  • Post a comment

If it's flashing, you'd better take it.

(Credit: Ambient Devices)

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 little ring of blue LED lights that start flashing when rain is forecast.

According to the press release, "The Ambient Umbrella's handle illuminates when precipitation is expected, to remind the user to carry the umbrella. The Ambient Umbrella is designed to stand by upright by the door, near a coat rack or in an umbrella stand--so it will be visible whenever the user goes outdoors. The handle's illumination behavior changes according to the forecast; for example, the handle shows soft, intermittent pulses for light rain, and very rapid, intense patterns for thunderstorms.

"The Umbrella has a high-quality, 'gust-buster' dual-canopy design and requires very simple activation via the Ambient Devices customer service phone line. The Ambient Umbrella will provide a year or more of battery life with one 'C' cell battery."

Needless to say, rain or not, this is one umbrella you might not want to take out on the town for a night of heavy drinking, which studies show correlates to a near 100 percent chance of losing your umbrella. While $125 (or $139, as the case may be) may seem like a lot for an item that I'm used to buying on a New York City street corner for $3, I can see how an affluent, weather-challenged person might think it well worth the dough.

It's bad luck to open this umbrella inside too.

(Credit: Ambient Devices)

  • prev
  • 1
  • next
advertisement

About Crave

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com

Add this feed to your online news reader

Crave topics

Google's mobile hopes go beyond Nexus One

The world may have thrilled to the potential for a Google Phone, but what Google actually unveiled is its plan for a new smartphone world order.
• Photos: Unboxing Nexus One

Using your smartphone safely

faq Worms, Trojans, and SMS attacks are risks for mobile phones, but the biggest practical threat to users is losing the device.


Most Discussed

Gadget Galleries

Car tech unpacks at CES 2010

In-car electronics vendors--and some big automakers--take the wraps off their booths the day before the show kicks off.



Asus' EeeKeyboard PC

The inventive minds at Asus have packed the guts from a Netbook/Nettop Atom-based PC into a wireless keyboard.



Wackiest robots from 2009

Look back at some robotic tributes to the spirit of innovation, dedication, and silliness. No surprise that most are from Japan.



Top messaging phones of '09

CNET's top picks include the LG enV Touch, Samsung Rogue, and Helio Ocean 2.



Crave makes a wish list

We compile a holiday list and check it more than twice (we're a bunch of compulsive writer-editor types; what do you want?).



New-PC survival kit

It makes sense to have a checklist of apps, especially free ones, that should be installed on any new PC.



Fun with GPS devices

We show you a few ways to have fun with your GPS device between trips from point A to point B.



Gift guide for space jockeys

Looking for a perfect present for the space fiend in your life? Look no further.



Robolamps light up our life

Artist Robert Matysiak has come up with cute, quirky "Robolamps" made from plumbling supplies and colored lightbulbs.



Chumby gets leaner, cheaper

Take a closer look at the second generation of the small, Internet-connected widget host/Internet radio/alarm clock.



Modern Warfare 2 arrives

Game promises even more of the same thrilling storyline and captivating online multiplayer experience as its predecessor.



Nikes for the geek set

Humans have a nasty habit of producing garbage, but Gabriel Dishaw, a junk-metal genius, turns trash into artwork.



Courier's interface in-depth

A document published by Gizmodo explains Microsoft Courier's interface, gestures, and features more in-depth than ever before.



Nintendo DSi gets bigger

Nintendo has announced a supersize version of the DSi, the DSi XL (or LL in Japan).



Meet Barnes & Noble's Nook

Take a look at the new Nook, billed as the first Android-powered e-book reader.



Apple media player headset?

An Apple patent filing reveals designs for a wireless headset with integrated memory and music playback.



Snuggle up with a space quilt

Artist Jimmy McBride designs quilts with astronomy and sci-fi-movie themes. Perfect for the cold geek.



Peek at Nokia Booklet 3G

CNET checks out Nokia's Windows 7 Netbook at the CTIA Fall 2009 show.



USB drives from automakers

We've collected some of the wilder USB drive media kits we've received over the years.



From online ad to art

Illustrator Sophie Blackall has created whimsical drawings from online "Missed Connections" posts.



Curious robot contraptions

Artist Will Wagenaar scours yard sales and flea markets for discarded objects that he transforms into playful art.



IFA through the years

Historic photos from the German electronics show take us on a tour of tech trends.



Nissan GT-R can fight fires

What happens when you mix a fire engine with a 193 mph supercar co-designed by the makers of Gran Turismo?



Rubik's cubers compete

Puzzlers from around the world descend upon Stanford University for 18 mind-boggling events.



Kicking off game season

See Madden and other highly anticipated platform-agnostic games.



Eyeing Zune HD browser

Take a closer look at the mobile Web browser offered on Microsoft's Zune HD portable media player.



Twitter on your TV

The Twitter widget for Yahoo TV Widgets offers a well-designed, fully featured client that lets you post tweets from your TV.



Sony Walkman turns 30

CNET looks back at the last three decades of Sony Walkmans and the pop music that went with them.



Best 10 digital DJ rigs

CNET's Donald Bell rounds up his favorite digital DJ systems, including controllers and interfaces from Numark, Serato, Vestax, and Pioneer.



Saying hi to HTC's Hero

We take a close look at HTC's Hero, the company's third handset to sport the Google Android operating system.



iPhone 3G S and OS 3.0

CNET rounds up Apple's photos of the iPhone 3G S. Also, revisit iPhone OS 3.0 with screenshots from our iPhone 3G.



Giant Gundam after dark

Bandai has built a giant robot in Tokyo to mark the 30th anniversary of the "Mobile Suit Gundam" anime series.



Cracking open the Palm Pre

Tech Republic pries open the latest smartphone to create buzz and sees how it--and its insides--stack up against the iPhone.



Microsoft shakes up gaming

A recap of the motion-sensor system, games, and social-networking features Microsoft is bringing to the Xbox 360.



E3's wackiest moments

Getting ready to hit L.A. for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, we were inspired to peek back at photos taken at E3s past.



Meet the Amazon Kindle DX

Similar to the Kindle 2, the DX model's larger 9.7-inch screen is designed to better accommodate newspaper and magazine reading.



2011: The year of the electric car

Mass production of e-cars is coming faster than we would have thought. Nissan is out in front, but Mitsubishi and Ford aren't far behind.



Moto Labs' multitouch display

Updated sensing-screen concept uses--you guessed it--multitouch technology.



Part insect, part timepiece

Artist customizes real insect specimens with antique watch parts and other technological components.



All-in-one Nettops

Less expensive all-in-one desktop PCs with Atom processors are one of the few ways to buy Windows XP on a desktop these days.



Cracking open the Dell Adamo

TechRepublic disassembles the upscale, ultrathin laptop and even compares it with Apple's rival MacBook Air.



Give your iPhone a make-under

Embarrassed to be seen in public with your trendy iPhone? A zweiPhone sticker can make it look like an old clunker instead.



Raising CB2, the child robot

Japanese researchers are working on a bot that can mimic real kids' behavior to teach lessons about early development.



Yahoo Messenger for iPhone

Yahoo Messenger gets its own free app just for iPhones and iPod Touches. Take a look at the core features.



The inner life of gadgets

Artist Satre Stuelke uses a CT scan machine to offer a penetrating take on objects from the iPhone and iPod to a vacuum tube and a wind-up rabbit.



Controlling bots with thoughts

Honda has come up with a system that lets humans control a bot through thought alone. But don't start telepathing your Scooba yet.



Rube Goldberg showdown

Penn State held a contest for Rube Goldberg devices, which do a simple task in a complex way. The winner had a Super Mario theme.



Hands-on with the Dell Adamo

We've managed to get our hands on a preproduction version of one of the most buzzed-about new laptops of 2009.



iPhone 3.0 new features

Apple rolled out a host of new features with the iPhone OS 3.0. Check them out in our slideshow.



Step-by-step to geek chic

Former "Project Runway" contestant Diana Eng shares ideas for twinkling shoes, a music-filled hoodie, and more.



Fitness gadgets of the future

At health expo in San Francisco, "exergaming" makes a play, and a vibrating gadget moves your muscles for you.



Terrafugia's flying car flies

The Transition "roadable aircraft" makes its debut flight over upstate New York. It's still just a proof of concept, though, and another prototype is yet to come.



Inside Dell's design labs

The design staff has ballooned as the maker of PCs and servers aims to create a new look. Crave got a tour of two design labs at company headquarters.



Top five Swarovski disasters

Here's a look at the five crystal-clad abominations that have stood out most over the last few years. There are others, of course.



Favorite iPhone photo apps

Apple's App Store is loaded with really cool tools to make the most of the little camera that couldn't.



Gadgets that broke our hearts

See which gadgets have broken Crave contributors' hearts--or at least made us question our undying love.



To Timbuktu, in a flying car

A bio-fueled flying vehicle called the Parajet Skycar is journeying from England to Mali via France, Spain, Morocco, and the Western Sahara.