Ecouterre

Scientists from Bristol University in the United Kingdom have discovered a way to clean up oil spills without leaving behind a mass of suds. Derived from iron-rich salts dissolved in water, the “magnetic soap” can be manipulated through simple magnetic forces rather than physical or chemical means. Although the surfactant is still highly experimental, the research raises the possibility of slick-neutralizing detergents that can be removed from sensitive environments once the job is done.

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From odor-absorbing underpants to bacteria-resistant appliances, silver nanoparticles are on the cutting edge of antimicrobial technology. But although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has “conditionally registered” the disinfectant as a preservative for textiles such as clothing, baby blankets, and pillow cases, the Natural Resources Defense Council wants to ban the product entirely. The “conditional” clause means that the EPA requires further toxicity data but is allowing the pesticide on the market anyway, explains Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist at the NRDC, on her blog. HeiQ, the Swiss manufacturer behind several nanosilver products, has four years to prove that the substance will not cause “unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment,” she adds. “Four years!”

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Photos by the U.S. Dept. of Defense

Military intelligence just got a whole lot smarter with a new breed of under-armor that monitors soldiers’ vitals during combat. Developed by U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command and the Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center, in collaboration with Foster-Miller and Malden Mills Industries, the “wear and forget physiological sensing system” uses gel-free sensors to form an electronic network that monitors respiration, heart rate, body posture, and skin temperature. Unlike current monitoring systems, which typically involve bulky chest straps attached to a tangle of electronics, the high-tech drawers are designed for comfort. Using computer algorithms to extrapolate the data, the technology could identify critical casualties, as well as train and recruit personnel for missions.

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If Big Brother has you on the defensive, you’re not alone. With radio-frequency ID, Global Positioning System, and Wi-Fi location tracking on the ascent, privacy in the digital age has become an increasingly tenuous concept. To keep your data safe from hackers, advertisers, and identity thieves, MIAmobi has designed a “SilentPocket” line of cases that uses nanosilver technology to block any electromagnetic transmissions from your smart devices, credit cards, or other RFID-embedded items—no battery removal, required. Bonus: They also liberate you from the constant barrage of unwelcome calls, status updates, and text messages without the need to power down.

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Augmented reality—the ability to superimpose virtual data onto real-world environments—is appealing in theory, but typical head-mounted displays have the subtlety of a sledgehammer to your forehead. Vusix, a video-eyewear company from Rochester, NY, has invented an electronic headset that looks—and works—like a pair of designer sunglasses. Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, the Internet-connected “Smart” device uses holographic film to serve interactive content right before your eyes. Besides changing the way you work and play, not to mention interact with your assorted gadgets, the Smart also has potential applications in military ops, emergency response, and disaster management.

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If years of cranking up your tunes to sky-high decibels are taking their toll, the electronics wizards at AfterShokz have created a better way to rock out by bypassing your eardrums completely. The Syracuse, NY-based company, which debuted a trio of headphones at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, uses bone-conduction technology to deliver sound waves directly to your inner ear. Because AfterShockz doesn’t drown out ambient noise like conventional earphones can, you’ll be able to carry on a conversation, pay attention to passing cars, or maintain awareness of your surroundings while your music plays, all while keeping the peace between you and your fellow man (or woman).

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If winter’s lingering state of gloom has you down in the dumps, you could be prone to seasonal affective disorder. The most effective way to nip it in the bud? Light therapy (also known as “phototherapy”) for the months when sunshine is in short supply. For folks who prefer the do-it-yourself route, there’s YumaLite, an LED-equipped “visor” that claims to alleviate the symptoms of those pesky winter blues, which can lead to overeating, oversleeping, lethargy, and a general malaise. Unlike light boxes, which can cost up to $600 and force you to be stationary, the $99 head-mounted device accommodates a wide range of motion. Sure, it looks goofy—make that really goofy—but if wearing the YumaLite for minutes a day leads to a cheerier disposition, who are we to argue?

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Shopping for clothes online is a bit of a gamble, but Berlin-based startup UPcload is launching a new Web-based body-measuring system that will give you a perfect fit each time, no matter what the brand. Founded by university classmates Asaf Moses and Sebastian Schulze, who bonded over their frustration with buying ill-fitting garments online, UPcload seeks to eliminate the hassle of returns by taking the guesswork out of sizing. No fancy scanning equipment is required. All you need is a webcam
and an ordinary CD, which the company’s photo-recognition software uses to determine your distance and subsequent dimensions.

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Live data that streams directly before your eyes à la The Terminator sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but researchers are thisclose to making it a reality. In a study published in the December 2011 issue of the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, University of Washington researchers demonstrated the safety of such a device by testing it in the eye of a rabbit. Although the prototype contained only a pixel of information, which appears as a tiny dot of light, scientists say it’s a proof of concept that could lead to superimposed emails and other messages in your line of sight. Talk about hands-free communication.

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Following a spate of violent knife attacks on taxi drivers in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia, protective-apparel firm PPSS Group has developed a range of slash-resistant clothing designed to protect cabbies from hostile or intoxicated fares. The sweatshirts, windbreakers, sleeves, and gloves all comprise Cut-Tex Pro, a proprietary high-density polyethylene that shields the four major arteries against lacerations and subsequent blood loss.

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Ever wished you could dive up close to a clownfish or shoal of bluestripe snapper before it darts away? While not quite an invisibility cloak, researchers have developed the next best thing: a high-tech wetsuit that enables scuba enthusiasts to experience life underwater in its natural, undisturbed state. All living things, including humans, emit faint electric signals, according to Mike Slinkar, president of Human Energy Concealment Systems, an Oregon-based company that specializes in so-called “concealment textiles.” The HECS Stealthscreen full-suit, a collaboration with wetsuit manufacturer Xcel, dampens the electric signals that disclose our presence, allowing divers to achieve greater proximity to marine animals than ever before.

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People living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia have a tendency to wander off, slipping by even the most diligent of custodians. A new shoe, outfitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, however, promises some relief to the 15 million Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers in the United States alone. Designed by GTX, a company that specializes in miniaturized GPS devices, in partnership with footwear manufacturer Aetrex, the GPS shoe tracks its wearer’s movements in real time, alerting relevant personnel via smartphone whenever their charge drifts beyond the designated “safe zone.”

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Parents who worry about toxic chemicals in nonflammable children’s clothing can soon breathe a sigh of relief. Using a technology that protects skyscrapers from fire, Texas A&M University scientist have developed a fire-resistant fabric composed of renewable ingredients such as garden-variety clay and chitosan, a natural compound extracted from shrimp and lobster shells. When heat is applied to the material, the coating bubbles out, creating a protective layer of foam that keeps the fabric from igniting. The first-of-its-kind polymer treatment could find applications in children’s pajamas, terry-cloth bathrobes, and car seats, according to Jaime C. Grunlan, the associate professor of mechanical engineering heading the research. The water-based ingredients are less toxic than the so-called ‘halogenated’ or ‘brominated’ flame-retardants typically used, he says, not to mention more environmentally friendly.

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Need a gift for the man who has everything? Give him a tie woven from pure gold! Scientists from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, also known as EMPA, have developed a way to coat polyester fibers with a nanometer-thin layer of the precious metal, making it supple enough to weave. It’s an endeavor 10 years in the making, marking the first time anyone’s managed to keep the shiny stuff permanently bonded to fabric. To fete its accomplishment, EMPA is releasing a limited number of gold ties, tailored in the Zürich tie manufactory Hofmann und Co AG, just before Christmas. Retailing at 7,500 Swiss francs (or roughly $8,450) apiece, each tie will comprise 8 grams of 24-karat gold, plus a sheen that says “I belong to the 1 percent.” Bah humbug, indeed.

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She may be known as America’s sweetheart, but Reese Witherspoon’s latest acquisition has animal activists up in arms. The Oscar-winning actress has been spotted around Los Angeles toting a $4,000 Chloe Paraty bag made of genuine python leather. Considering that sales of the exotic skin have been banned in California since 1970—not least because of the unfathomable cruelty involved—it’s a pretty good bet that Witherspoon won’t be fielding nominations for PETA’s “sexiest vegetarian” anytime soon. In fact, the animal-rights group fired off a strongly worded open letter on Tuesday morning, condemning Witherspoon for her complicity in the animals’ “hidden suffering” for fashion’s sake.

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Ever eaten too much garlic, then smelled it wafting through your pores hours later? Imagine then, imbibing a concoction that produces the scent of aromatic flowers, herbs, or spices, much like perfume does. A new company out of Amsterdam is developing a “digestible scented capsule” that turns your epidermis into an atomizer. Swallowable Parfum, according to founders Lucy McRae and Sheref Mansy, uses the body’s natural processes to excrete fragrance molecules through the skin through perspiration, leaving tiny droplets of scent that are unique to the individual’s physical and emotional state. Although still in its salad days—and pending U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, of course—the technology could revolutionize the fragrance industry by personalizing scents based on your body chemistry.

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Photo by Jasleen Kaur

Sure, we’ve heard of stain-resistant fabrics, but what about fabrics that actively fight germs and toxic chemicals? Scientists at UC Davis in California have developed a self-cleaning cotton that kills bacteria and breaks down pesticide residues when exposed to light. Ning Liu, a doctoral student in Gang Sun’s group in the Division of Textiles and Clothing, managed to bind a compound known as 2-anthraquinone carboxylic acid (2-AQC) to cellulose in cotton. Exposing the fabric to light triggers the release of reactive agents such as hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide, putting the kibosh on any lingering germs or organic compounds.

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Photos by Greenpeace

Sure, wearable technology can push us off the grid, keep us limber, make head-turning statements, and offer new ways of interacting in a convenient, unobtrusive way, but circuits fry, batteries die, and all cool things, too, must come to an end. Unlike clothes that can be passed along or handed down, however, electronic textiles aren’t so easily disposed of. In fact, smart clothing could account for 1 million tons of additional electronic waste per year, according to a study in the Journal of Industrial Ecology. We may have entered a new era of technology, but are we prepared for the deluge of devices almost certain to follow?

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Sports fans will soon be logging more than player statistics during a game. Under Armour and Zephyr Technology have teamed up to create sensor-equipped compression shirt that measures an athlete’s performance, including heart rate, metabolism, body position, and lung capacity. But the data doesn’t just allow coaches and trainers to customize workouts without risking strain or injury; it can also be broadcast on a stadium display to engage spectators on a whole new level. Could instant recall of a player’s breathing rate or acceleration become the new bragging right?

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One of the least-glamorous aspects of the garment industry are the toxic chemicals used to dye textiles. Although support abounds for less-harmful dyes, along with stronger regulations to process the tainted effluent before it’s discharged, hormone-disrupting substances and their ilk continue to find their way into waterways and drinking supplies in countries such as China, India, and Bangladesh. One research student at Lund University in Sweden, however, might hold the key to an environmentally friendly purification process that leaves only clean water behind.

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Turn your favorite T-shirt into a walking business card with a new mobile app by French company Capturio. The free online service allows you to link any T-shirt of your choice with your contact info. The next time someone wants your digits, say at a party or business conference, all they have to do is snap your picture with their smartphone and text it to Capturio. Et voila, your 411 in an instant. Easy, non?

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Hospitals may soon have a new, noninvasive way to track the health and movements of their patients. Researchers from la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid have developed an “intelligent T-shirt” that not only monitors vital signs in real time, but also locates individuals on hospital grounds within a 2-yard margin of error. Dubbed LOBIN, or “Localización y Biomonitorización a través de Redes Inalámbricas en Entornos Hospitalarios,” the washable garment comprises a GPS unit, a thermometer, and an accelerometer that determine a patient’s temperature, relative position, and level of physical activity. The shirt also includes electrodes to measure and record bioelectric signals such as electrocardiograms.

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German researchers are putting the “Windows” into after-hours window shopping, an activity that has been strictly “look, but don’t touch”—at least, until the stores reopen in the morning. At the recent IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, representatives from the

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