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.
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!”
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.
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.
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.
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).
Why walk when you can roll? For short-range commuters, technophile thrill-seekers, and the just plain lazy, Acton Inc. has invented a motorized skate that turns any sneaker into your own miniature Segway. Debuting on Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, “Spnkix” (pronounced “spin kicks”) is a reinforced nylon frame that straps onto your shoe, imbuing it with the ability to sally forth at up to 10 miles per hour—just a tick slower than its 2-foot-tall counterpart—without streaming a cloud of noxious emissions in its wake.
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?
Which is the hottest wearable-technology concept of 2011?
Total Voters: 236
No Jetson-esque flying cars here, but you’ll find plenty of wearable technology concepts our archives.
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.
Applications for rapid prototyping in fashion abound but few are as charming as Chloë McCormick and Nicholas O’Donnell-Hoare’s tapestry eyeglasses, which combine the magic of three-dimensional printing with traditional needlework. Laser-sintered from nylon powder, the frame includes a grid of holes for weaving thread in and out of—perfect for personalizing with a pattern of your making (we …
No matter how frightful the weather outside gets, Diana Eng’s “Jack Frost” scarf will delight with snowflakes that magically appear as soon as temperatures drop. A magical spin on technology in fashion, the scarf uses thermochromic inks that react with cold to produce the awe-inspiring effect. At 65 degrees Fahrenheit, tiny flurries begin to materialize, becoming progressively larger as the mercury falls further.
The end of laundry is nigh as far as chemists in China are concerned. Scientists are developing a cotton fabric that cleans and deodorizes itself when exposed to regular sunlight, according to a recent report in Applied Materials & Interfaces, a journal of the American Chemical Society. By using a coating made from a compound of titanium dioxide—the white stuff found in white paint, food coloring, and sunscreen—Mingce Long and Deyong Wu of the Hubei University for Nationalities and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have created a self-cleaning material that doesn’t require a high dose of ultraviolet rays to work its mojo.
Transform your iPod Nano into an eco-friendly timepiece with the Deckster Re:Class series of wristbands by N-Product. Created in partnership with Mountain Equipment Co-op, an outdoor-apparel manufacturer based in Ottawa, each casing comprises discarded, damaged, or unusable backpacks, bicycle tires, and inner tubes—durable materials with adventurous pasts that would otherwise languish in a landfill.
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.
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.
You may have some hot stilettos in your closet, but nothing will make your winter wardrobe sizzle like the new “Volt” heated boot by Jambu. Each pair comes with its own on-board ignition switch, a heating plate that reaches up to 122º Fahrenheit, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for dual-source charging. With just one touch, you …
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.
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.”
No need to peel off your gloves every time you receive a ping on your smartphone or tablet. The “Fivepoint” by Etre features special conductive fingertips that allow you to touch, tap, or type on any touchscreen with neither fuss nor muss. Unlike competing brands, Etre makes its glove in Scotland according to fair-trade …
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.
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.
Cycling after dark isn’t child’s play. With dark roads and passing vehicles to contend with, a blinking red light on your tail is rarely enough. Enter Dargelos’s “Lightning” vest, a reflective mesh vest for nocturnal pedal-pushers. Hand-netted in Brooklyn using reflective material custom-manufactured by 3M in Rhode Island, the vest is designed to help you stand out even on the darkest evenings. The neck opening is large enough fit over your helmet, while the open-weave construction allows quick and easy access to any pockets. Best of all, the vest is compact enough to fit inside said pockets, without any risk of tangling. Who said you needed to look like a crossing guard to ride safe?
Pretty soon, the shirt on your back is all you need to cure what ails you. A new high-tech fabric by Schoeller Textil AG in Switzerland promises to convey therapeutic treatments transdermally, or through the skin. Unlike single-use syringes or patches, “iLoad” can be washed and reloaded with new medical agents after each use. With applications in sports and wellness, the system comprises a base fabric with a negatively charged “donor layer” that soaks up the positively charged medical emulsion like a sponge.
