The Farago AirCool suit is lined with silver ions to absorb sweat.
(Credit: Aoki)During the heat of summer, a distinct smell is known to permeate public transit and elevators. It's the sweaty stench of business professionals who still have to wear suits to the office, despite the outside temperature and humidity.
The Japanese have caught on though, and Aoki is now selling a suit that emits deodorant, keeping its wearer in the cool. The Farago Aircool suit is made (Web site in Japanese) with a deodorant antibacterial silver ion lining, to absorb sweat and stifle smell.
Of course, a suit with special silver ions will cost some cash, and the Farago Aircool suit runs for the equivalent of $370 on sale, while other good-smelling apparel like a polo shirt or socks, run for $37 and $8, respectively.
While the deodorant suit's a perfect item to wear over an air-conditioned shirt, the most useful outfit might come from pairing it with a stylish bullet-resistant jacket.
When two scents collide.
(Credit: Michael Kanellos/CNET Networks)CHIBA, Japan--First you had personalized media. Soon, it will be personalized deodorizers.
The SpotScents device, devised by automaker Subaru, consists of two air cannons precisely aimed at a passenger about two feet away in a car. The cannons spritz the passenger with fragrances--there's "Cool Wind" and another one mysteriously called "Pleasure Time." Just the thing you need while driving.
The idea behind SpotScents is that not everyone wants to smell the same fragrance. Some people hate the smell of those little pine trees, after all, while other people hate the smell of dust in the car. Although it has two cannons, the SpotScents thing only blasts one person. The two air streams are supposed to converge on your head--the first picture here shows the pair of streams heading for the collision.
SpotScents at rest.
(Credit: Michael Kanellos/CNET Networks)Subaru did not put a date out for release, but a representative said it could come out by next year in Japan. In a four-passenger car, of course, you might need to have four SpotScents setups, if everyone is particular about aromas.
Subaru showed SpotScents off during a special tech exhibit over the weekend at Ceatec, the large Japanese trade show that took place here just outside of Tokyo. For more photos of stuff I found there, "Photos: Day 2 at the Ceatec gadget show in Japan."
What ho? Why, it's Sir James Dyson, inventor of the luxury vacuum cleaner, loitering about in the men's room. We haven't seen someone with a title in there since Sir Guy Burgess.
Hang on, give me six seconds
(Credit: Dyson)He's there to advertise the Dyson Airblade, an energy-efficient hand dryer that strips water droplets off your mitts in six to twelve seconds.
Put your hands in, and a curtain of air traveling at 400 miles per hour removes the moisture. The drying area is relatively small--you can't stick your head in, for instance--but it will whisk away water on your hands in about 12 seconds or less. The Airblade does not dry with heat, like most U.S. hand dryers, but by force. The air stays at ambient temperature.
It's similar to hand dryers found in Japan, but it dries your hands faster, says the company, and it's far more stylish. The company will show one off in New York City next Tuesday.
And if Sir James is there, you can drop a quarter into the tip jar next to the Airblade.
(Credit:
Debreu)
We're big on personal hygiene here at Crave--so much so, in fact, that we wish it would be a societal requirement (especially for public transportation). But even the most OCD-afflicted among us aren't sure about the need for scented gadgets.
As if Japan's aroma phones weren't weird enough (and they are), now we hear about a USB drive in a silver bamboo motif from Hong Kong-based Debreu that "holds your favorite scent for up to two hours of use," according to Everything USB.
We're not sure who exactly would want--or need--one of these but, if we see someone using one, we won't be sticking around after those two hours are up.
(Credit:
SmartShopper)
This is either an ingenious invention or a sad testament to the hopeless laziness of modern society--or, in our opinion, both. The "SmartShopper" is a voice-activated shopping list designed to put an end to the illegible Post-its you leave all over the kitchen.
Just tell the device what items you need as you think of them and print out the list before leaving for the grocery. Gadgetell says it even has 2,500 items already programmed in its memory.
The downside: You no longer have any excuses for not picking up any embarrassing hygiene items requested by other members of the family.
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