The winter has arrived and temperatures are dropping across the northern hemisphere. For those of us that live in a cold climate and love our gadgets that means having to take off our gloves to use our touch screen devices, leaving our precious digits exposed to the elements, or does it? A company, by the name of OnTip, has designed and delivered what they claim are gloves that will keep your digits warm and cozy while you use your touch screen gadgets. With an embedded OnTip nub on the pointer finger and thumb of each glove, one can use their touch sensitive gadgets without having to remove their gloves. The team at The Gadgeteer was asked to review the OnTip 3-in-1 Gloves and I jumped at the chance to review them, as I am an avid skier and I love the outdoors. At $69.50, the gloves are a good deal, but we will need to see how they hold up to the rigors of the wintry outdoor world.

For this review I was able choose the gloves I wanted to review from the OnTip line of gloves. After visiting the OnTip website I found that the OnTip marketing team has a sense of humor and a stick it in your eye swagger as their company slogan is “Do it with your gloves on!” I like the slogan – definitely not your usual boring company in a sea of boring companies. Also, I found the OnTip company website extremely well designed and focused on the consumer – no weird links that take you to information you don’t need.

The first task for the review was figuring out which pair of gloves from the OnTip line up to test. A bit of background on my winter activities may help you understand the choice of gloves that I made; I ski and enjoy being outside in the winter. I also like to walk-jog in the winter on trails near my house, but I don’t like bulky gloves on my hands. I usually wear a set of runner’s gloves on the trails and a pair of ski gloves on the mountain.

I found that the OnTip team offers a number of OnTip equipped gloves, each with its own focus in terms of temperature tolerance and sports capability, including:

• OnTip Fleece
• OnTip Softshell
• OnTip WinterSport
• OnTip 3-n-1

I picked the OnTip 3-in-1 Gloves, offering a two piece system of fleece liner and shell, effectively creating three separate options for hand protection: fleece glove insert for running, shell for cold weather activities, or combined for winter sports. According to the OnTip website the 3-n-1 offers the best cold protection while also providing waterproof, windproof, and breathability – in short, the ultimate geek glove for snow sports.

The OnTip 3-n-1 comes in a variety of sizes and colors to fit your hands as well as matching your style and outfit. I needed to figure out what size would best fit my hands and the OnTip website came in handy with a men’s and a woman’s sizing chart. To use the sizing chart I simply printed it out and held my hand up to measure against the printout. I found out that my hand measures as a medium, so I ordered a pair of medium gloves.

After receiving the OnTip 3-in-1 Gloves I wondered how good they really are and what criteria I should use to evaluate them? Should I subject them to a torture test of icy cold water, a hike through the woods, or skiing out west? Or, all of the above?

Before I dig into testing the OnTip Gloves I had to read up on the OnTip website to find out what benefits and features that the OnTop Gloves gloves. I copied a list of the information from the OnTip Website and am including the list below;

• OnTip
  Using your touch-sensitive phone, MP3 player, tablet or laptop has never been this comfortable…or this precise! The OnTip™ family of gloves offers ground-breaking patent-pending OnTip™ technology that lets you touch screens in warmth and dry comfort. OnTip technology’s conductive fingertips provides visual alignment and fast-as-fingers sensitivity so you and your touchscreen can interact with more accuracy than ever before.
• DIWYGO
  Gloves with DIWYGO™ technology keep you warm by keeping you dry. Water droplets are repelled by the DIWYGO™ membrane while perspiration and excess heat pass right through. The pores in the unique polyurethane membrane are just big enough for perspiration to pass through easily…but way too small for raindrops! Conductive heat loss steals warmth from damp, unprotected fingers. Stay dray…stay warm with gloves protected by DIWYGO™ technology!
• ThermoLite Plus
  Thermolite provides warmth and comfort without weight, even when wet. It’s the lightweight fabric that provides heavy-duty performance… because it’s fabric made with ADVANSA engineered hollow-core fibers that trap air for greater insulation. Plus, wearers stay drier because it dries 20% faster than other insulating fabrics,and 50% faster than cotton.Thermolite® is the perfect layering fabric because it’s comfortable and lightweight, allowing more freedom of movement.
• 3M Scotchlite Reflective Material
  Versatility, performance and fashion come together in Scotchlite™ reflective material. We have designed 3M Scotchlite™ Reflective Material into our Winter Sport Glove and 3-in-1 Glove to give you high performance attractive handwear to help you be more visible no matter the weather conditions. Whether at work or play, 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Material helps you to be seen at dawn, dusk, or night.
• Reinforced Grippy Palms
  Grippy, yet abrasion resistant and soft palms made of polyurethane or silicone (depending on the glove) helps make sure your touchscreen device stays in your hand…and out of the snow.
• Soft Brushed Wicking Lining
  All of our gloves feature a soft, brushed, wicking lining that gives you added warmth and comfort while helping to wick moisture away from your hands.
• Nose and Goggle Wipe Thumb Panel
  Featured on our Lined Soft-Shell, Winter Sport and 3-in-1 Gloves, this sueded thumb panel helps you to clean your goggles… or wipe your nose.
• Fit and Fabric
  All of our gloves are constructed with years of expertise in the perfect glove fit. Patterns have been tested, tried and tweaked to ensure fit and comfort. The fabrics used are chosen specifically for the use of the glove – from a 4-way stretch fleece for a close form-fitting fit enabling maximum dexterity, to durable outer shell material to keep warmth in and wind and rain out, to super durable fabric and polyurethane palms for high stress areas and abrasion resistance.

I prepared for my first run in the woods by putting on the OnTip Fleece Liners and found that they fit perfectly, warm and cozy, yet giving and not tight on my hands. The OnTip Fleece Liners have the OnTip “O” logo embossed on them in a grippy material that made picking up a glass or other item simple. I started my run and almost immediately my phone beeped telling me that I had a message. The temperature outside was in the low 40′s Fahrenheit and I grabbed my phone and tried out the OnTip nubs for the first time and was happily surprised to find that they worked flawlessly – I was able to open my text message and respond without having to take my gloves off. While on the run the OnTip Fleece Liners kept my hands warm and cozy and the fit was spot on – the little print out did the trick.

What I really like about the OnTip nubs is that there are two of them; one on the thumb and another on the pointer finger of the gloves. I was able to both point and swipe on my phone with a good deal of accuracy even though I was wearing a pair of gloves. Both the fleece liners and the outer shells have the OnTip nubs, so I’ll be able to answer my phone however I’m wearing the gloves.

The next test I came up with is exposing the shell to icy and wet conditions. I turned to the cold water test and created an icy bath where I plunged my hands with the OnTip Gloves on. I kept my hands in the icy water for 30 seconds and the gloves performed admirably – my hands stayed warm and dry and the gloves were super cozy. I found the OnTip Shell fit very well and there was a stretchy bit that was sewn in around the wrist are of the glove to keep it securely on my hand. The length of the OnTip shell was welcome as it extended beyond my wrist to cover any jacket that I would be wearing and ensure that my wrist area stayed warm as well. On the bottom of the glove is the standard button closure that allows you to simply close the glove up to keep out any snow or water while outside. The palm area of the glove is covered in a soft grippy material that I would have to guess is a synthetic suede. I could easily pickup items even when the glove was damp as the fingers are also covered in a second synthetic material that made picking up items a snap. The rest of the shell of the gloves is covered in two materials; a waterproof breathable material and a softer black material. Finally, on both the liners and the shell there are snaps to keep the gloves together so they don’t get lost.

I performed the last test a second time by combining the OnTip Fleece Liner with the OnTip Shell and found the ultimate in comfort, warmth and protection from the elements. What surprised me was that my hands were actually getting warm inside the gloves, not hot mind you as the breathable materials were wicking away the moisture that was starting to accumulate inside the gloves from the heat, but noticeably warm. I could see the OnTip 3-n-1 Gloves standing up to the best Mother Nature could throw at me.

The last test will be taking the OnTip 3-n-1 Gloves skiing. You will have to wait a couple of weeks for an update as I am scheduled to go out west on a ski trip the first week of the New Year and will test the OnTip 3-n-1 Gloves then. To find out how they perform you will have to check back to catch the updated review in a couple of weeks.

So far, I would have to positively recommend the OnTip 3-n-1 Gloves as they deliver warm, soft and cozy gloves that keep your hands dry even in the coldest environment while you use your touch equipped technology. I could see the OnTip family of gloves being used by sports enthusiasts as well as those whose work requires them to be in cold and harsh environments.

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Capacitive, Clothing, gloves

OnTip 3-in-1 Gloves Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 8, 2012 at 11:00 am.

The Pillow Tie might look like a normal silk style neck tie, but it hides an inflatable cushion inside. Just pop open the valve, give it a few puffs of air and you’re all set to grab some shut eye while you’re supposed to be doing those year end budget reports. Pillow Ties are available in a wide assortment of colors and patterns for $19.95 each. If you like, you can even remove the cushion to turn it back into an ordinary tie.

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, News

Tagged: Clothing

Happy Office Napping with the Inflatable Pillow Tie originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 28, 2011 at 3:00 pm.

If you just can’t find the right belt buckle, you should try the Scrolling LED Belt Buckle from Gadgets and Gear.  You’ll be able to type in six of your own messages; the first can have 512 characters, but the other five are limited to 256 characters each.  The buckles are available with either red or blue LEDs, and the speed and brightness are adjustable.  You’ll have to supply your own belt, but the buckle will fit most standard belts.  The Scrolling LED Belt Buckle is $39.99.

Filed in categories: Gear, Geek Toys, News

Tagged: belt, Clothing

Scrolling LED Belt Buckle originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 28, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

Lots of companies will print your custom design on a shirt for you, but that’s so static!  No one but ThinkGeek lets you design on your shirt as you’re wearing it.  You’ll use the included UV laser to draw any design on your Lazer Shirt Interactive Tee.  When you go into the dark, your shirt will glow with the design you’ve drawn.  The design will eventually fade away, and the shirt will be ready for your next masterpiece.  The shirt is machine washable.  It’s available in adult sizes in white only for $24.99.  (Photo courtesy of ThinkGeek.)

Filed in categories: Geek Toys, News

Tagged: Clothing, Geek gift

Design Your Own T-Shirt – While You’re Wearing It originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 21, 2011 at 10:00 am.

Finding it hard to get your old film negatives processed these days ?  Process and print them yourself…..on your clothing.

Lumi’s Inkodye Photo Fabric Dye Kit uses a dye that develops photos on materials like fabric or wood when exposed to sunlight. You can use negatives or even small objects to create images out of silhouettes.  Paint the dye on, put a negative or silhouette  on top, and place it in the sun.  The UV light develops the film  on the material, and next time you’re out in the sun  you print will  change colour in front of you.

The dye comes in 3 colours so you’ll have to mix if you want other colours.

Available from Lumi for $11.95 per 4oz bottle.

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, News

Tagged: Clothing

Photo Fabric Dye Kit – Be in your own photos originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 19, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

The HoodieBuddie is a regular hoodie jacket with a bit of geek magic thrown in. They feature patented HB3 Technology™ through a 3.5 mm headphone jack in the front pocket that plugs into any audio device such as an iphone, ipod, or mp3 player. In-ear earbuds are attached at the end of the drawstrings. You won’t have to worry about wire tangles and the jackets are machine washable. HoodieBuddies are available in a large selection of colors and can be purchased for only $45.00.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Clothing, Earbuds

HoodieBuddie – Keeps you warm and lets you listen to your tunes originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

Star Wars fans will want to buy these hoodies now so they’ll be ready for the first cold fall day.  ThinkGeek is offering long-sleeved 60% cotton/40% polyester hoodies decorated to look like Boba Fett, Darth Vader, or a Stormtrooper. The hoodies have ribbed cuffs and bottom and two pockets on the front.  The back of the Stormtrooper displays the Star Wars logo, Darth Vader is plain on the back, and Boba Fett has a rocket pack.  Best of all, the front zipper zips all the way up to turn the hood into a full helmet with mesh eye holes.  The Star Wars Costume Hoodies are available in M-XXL for $49.99.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: Clothing, Star Wars

Star Wars Costume Hoodies originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 17, 2011 at 9:00 am.

I often complain (some will say whine) about the fact that I can’t control my capacitive touch screened smartphone in the Winter months, when I’m wearing gloves. As we know, capacitive touch screens will only work when we touch the screen with our fingers. That’s because the human body has a natural bioelectricity in our skin. Put gloves on and that goes away. No matter how hard you swipe your iPhone’s display, it will not react. We’ve heard of people that use their nose to unlock their ringing phones, or cut the finger tips of their gloves off so that they can use their fingers. I have a much better solution, it’s a pair of Agloves. Let’s check them out.

Available in three unisex sizes: S/M, M/L and XL, I was sent the S/L and M/L because I wasn’t sure which size would fit me best when I measured my hands using their online instructions.

These gloves are very similar in look and feel to the stretchy knit gloves that you can buy at most clothing stores. They are made of 60% polyester, 29% nylon, 3 spandex, 1% acrylic and the other 7% is the special capacitive compatible material. They are currently only available in a speckled Black color. The speckles are actually what makes the Agloves so special.

I’m sure you’ve seen other types of iPhone / capacitive touch screen compatible gloves before. But the ones I’ve seen have little pads attached on the finger tips. Instead of just being able to use the tips of the gloves to touch the display, the entire Aglove has little silver nylon threads running through them that allow you to touch with any part of the screen with the glove. Click the image above for a larger view.

I was worried that these gloves would feel scratchy on my skin, but they are soft, comfortable and warm. If you didn’t know that the grey specks were silver threads, you would think they were just grey thread. They don’t make the gloves feel any different.

You might be wondering if the Agloves are washable. I’m happy to say that they are. You can wash them in your washing machine on the gentle cycle or hand wash them. Then just let them dry flat and you’re all set.

I tested these gloves with unlocking my Droid X, texting using Swype, tapping icons, etc. I had no problems at all. Everything worked as if I were using my bare finger tip. And FYI, there’s no fear that the silver threads will scratch your display.

It’s the end of October here in Columbus, Indiana and we’ve already had a couple 40 degree F mornings. Pretty soon we’ll be having 30 degree mornings and I’ll be donning my gloves. This year I will be wearing Agloves because they will keep my hands warm and will also allow me to interact with my phone. At $17.99 a pair, the won’t break the bank either.

Update 11/17/10

It’s been cold enough this week to start wearing my winter coat and gloves on my drive to work each morning. The Agloves are working perfectly! They have been keeping my hands warm and allow me to interact with my phone without removing them. So in real-world usage, I give them two (gloved) thumbs up.

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Capacitive, Clothing, gloves

Agloves Capacitive Touch Screen Compatible Gloves Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 25, 2010 at 5:56 pm.

ThinkGeek always offers the most unique products. One of their latest items is an Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt that has a real musical “guitar” built right into it. It doesn’t play pre-recorded tunes, it will actually let you play your OWN tunes by pressing buttons on the fretboard that correspond with chords. The shirt even comes with a little amp that goes all the way to 11. (Spinal Tap fans will know what that means). Get yours now for $29.99.

Filed in categories: Musical Gear, News

Tagged: Clothing, Spotlight Gadgets

Is it a T-shirt or a Guitar? It’s both! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 14, 2010 at 9:30 pm.

It’s August here in Indiana, so that means 90+ degree weather, high humidity and heat advisories. Not exactly the type of weather for a hat. But hey, it won’t be long before the frost will be on the pumpkin here and elsewhere. Be ready with the Headphone Beanie from Convenient Gadgets and Gifts. It’s a 100% cap with special pockets for a special set of stereo headphones. Plug in your favorite audio device with the 3.5mm jack and you’ll be enjoying music in the coldest weather. The Headphone Beanie is available now for $16.95.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Gear, News

Tagged: Clothing, Headphones, Music, Spotlight Gadgets

A Beanie that can rock out originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2010 at 8:00 am.

You won’t fear the future while wearing the red Star Trek Original Series T-Shirt Dress – because you won’t have a future!  ThinkGeek offers the tunic-style mini dress in a cotton fabric and in sizes of XS-XXL, so any woman can live like there is no tomorrow.  The dresses are $39.99, and all sizes are in stock.  Live long and …. oops.  Well, have fun!

Filed in categories: Gear, Geek Toys, News

Tagged: Clothing, Star Trek

Live Like There is No Tomorrow in the Star Trek Red Mini Dress originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 17, 2010 at 3:42 pm.

Darnit, I didn’t know that today was a holiday just for me! Apparently today is Embrace Your Geekness Day and ThinkGeek.com is offering the perfect garment to help you celebrate it – literally. It’s the BeerBot Bottle Opening T-Shirt. It has a handy bottle opener sewn right into the front of the shirt. You can have one of your very own for only $19.99. Don’t resist, you know you want one…

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, News

Tagged: Clothing, Spotlight Gadgets

Today is Embrace Your Geekness Day originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 13, 2010 at 8:45 pm.

One of the nice things about The-Gadgeteer is that we review products that we have a passion for or that deserve attention even though the product may not require electricity.  Or wires.  Or Bluetooth compatibility.  Or a touch-screen display.

The set of SWIX earmuffs shown here is one of those products.  Simple, subtle, compact and works.  Sounds like Haiku, but if you commute to work on a bicycle, suffer from unexpected bouts of shivering, or have circulation problems in your aural cavities due to previous experiences with frost bite, and you don’t like carrying stuff, you might find these Swix muffs a nice addition.

It may be Spring time in the Rockies, but it’s still cold and snowy.  It’s actually cold all the time. And so am I.  The nice thing about the Swix muffs is that they are compact and they can fit into a jacket pocket without the bulk of the standard type of earmuffs or headbands.  They also fit perfectly under a bicycle helmet.

Not obtrusive in the pocket

One of reasons for their compact capability is that the hinges used to connect the head-piece to the muffs articulate.

The hinges allow the muffs to fold and fit into tight spaces when not used. They take a little getting used to because they are not a full ball-and-socket type of joint, but they work.

The ear clappers are covered with a soft material that is not heavy or bulky. Granted, the material is thin, but cuts down on the wind in the city. It may not be as effective on the top of a fourteener, but the next time I’m on top of Pike’s Peak, I’ll update this post to let you know.

The muffs are very light weight and are comfortable when wearing. The head-piece adjusts for narrow to fat heads, er, well you know what I mean. They don’t make you look too dorky, though I have that problem anyway.

I can’t over-emphasize how useful these are for biking in the early morning; they fit well under a helmet and don’t block out traffic noise.

Sorry, but they aren’t Bluetooth enabled.

Filed in categories: Outdoor Gear, Travel Gear

Tagged: Clothing

Aural Oreos? Naw – Swix Ear Muffs originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 12, 2010 at 1:55 pm.

Wish you had a place to stow your iPod while running or traveling?  Koyono‘s  BlackCoat-T and -Tx line of cargo T-shirts features two specially-designed, hidden pockets that are interconnected by a single passageway.  A central zipper opening provides easy storage and removal.  Use it for an iPod an a cell or whatever combination of person portable gadgets you feel the need to have with you.  Short- and long-sleeve “T” models made from interlock cotton.  T-shirt and tank “TX” models made from moisture-wicking PowerDry®.  Available in black and white.  Prices vary by model and range from $15.95 (normally $25.95) to $22.95 (normally $32.95).

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Clothing, iPod related, MP3

Stealthy gadget storage in your T-shirt originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 29, 2010 at 9:16 am.

One of the interesting purposes of the Vibram FiveFinger foot glove (floove?) is to allow the user to walk or run shoeless yet avoid toe hazards such as rocks, glass, thistles and other callous-causing objects.  There are several different models designed for various activities including running, hiking, and kayaking.

Some people are of the opinion that walking barefoot provides a pure and natural gait and therefore promotes better posture and avoids exacerbating foot problems that can come from ill-fitting shoes.  Others believe that barefooting is fine but only on uneven terrain (such as when hiking) and should not be performed on flat surfaces such as city sidewalks.  In either case, these look to be a great way to go au naturale.

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, News

Tagged: Clothing, Outdoors, Spotlight Gadgets

Vibram FiveFingers – A Glove for the Foot originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 6, 2010 at 9:20 am.

Need a unique gift for the holidays? No need to panic, think PANiQ! Back in January PANiQ introduced clothing coupled with PANiQ controllers that enable wearers to control their iPod (or iPhone) through smart fabric buttons embedded in clothing.  The PANiQ technology allows you to connect your iPod to a ribbon cable embedded within the clothing using an interchangeable PANiQ controller.  A Bluetooth enabled controller goes one step further and lets you pair a Bluetooth enabled phone to the buttons on your clothing.  If you are crafty, PANiQ offers a DIY kit for sewing at home. Compatible with the iPhone, iPod nano, mini, classic, and touch models. Many name brands have caught on. I scoured the web to find the following brands incorporating PANiQ:  Cole Haan, Zoo York, KILLA, Ralph Lauren, LimbGear, Celio, and Bailo.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Clothing, iPod, Spotlight Gadgets

Put some clothes on your personal area network originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 10, 2009 at 7:56 pm.

I live in sneakers. That’s all I wear day in and day out. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I don’t think I have even own one pair of ‘dress’ shoes right now that fit me. My kicks of choice lately have been Asics Gel Enduro trail running shoes because I like a lot of cushion. I’m always up for reviewing offbeat products, so I was happy to check out a pair of shoes from Chrome -  the same people that make the popular messenger bags.

Chrome recently expanded their product line to include some clothing items and shoes. We’re going to take a look at the shoes, of which they currently offer four styles: Midway, Saipan, Kursk and Arnhem. The sent me the Midway to review, in Brown.

Right away, it is not difficult to see where Chrome drew inspiration for the design of these shoes. Next to the Midways, you see a pair of Converse All-Star Chuck Taylors. I love the look of Chuck T’s, but the comfort, not so much…

The Chrome shoes may look like Chuck T’s at first glance, but when you get your hands on them and feet in them, you definitely notice a difference. The uppers are made of Cordura and are padded inside. Even the tongue is padded. The insole is removable.

The toe and heel of the Midway is covered in suede.

The sole is an eye catching Red.

For comparison sake, here you can see the height difference between Chuck Taylors and the Midway, which hit me just below the ankle bone.

The shoes are made very well. I have not noticed any problems with stitching, glue, etc. The cordura feels rugged, as do the thick laces with the metal ends. The only parts I worry about are the suede toe caps. I’d rather have rubber ones. Luckily, that’s available with the other Chrome shoes.

I’ve been wearing these shoes for a few days and for my feet, they are significantly more comfortable than my old Chuck Taylors. That said, I wouldn’t want to wear the Chrome shoes to do a lot of walking as they aren’t as cushy as my Asics. But for everyday, wear to work, run around town shoes, they are fine and in my opinion look really cool. If you’ve always liked Chuck Taylor sneaks, but want a pair with a slightly updated look and some extra comfort, check out these shoes from Chrome.

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Clothing, Shoes

Chrome Shoes Review – Sneaks for Geeks originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 21, 2009 at 7:48 am.

I have crummy posture, so this gadget / clothing product caught my attention when I saw it  in the latest Skymall catalog on my flight back from Fort Myers Florida this past week. The PostureTek Biofeedback Apparel System is available in a shirt or bra design. An adjustable controller is located in a hidden pocket in the garment. This controller can be set for the posture rigidity that you desire. Then when you slouch, the module senses the incorrect posture and gently encourages correction by vibrating. The PostureTek product will cost you about $100.

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: Clothing, Health, Spotlight Gadgets

Stop slouching with the PostureTek t-shirt or bra originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 11, 2009 at 7:30 am.

Runners and other workout junkies will appreciate the advancedShirt from Urban Tool. You can enjoy your tunes while you sweat, but avoid the flip flap of your earbud cables while you do so. Instead of routing your earbud cable through special eyelets or conduits in your clothing like some other products, this shirt has the routing on the outside to hold the cable in place. There’s a special pocket to hold your phone or audio player and shirt has reflective patches to keep you safe on the road. The advancedShirt is available in men’s and women’s sizes for $79.90.

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Clothing

Avoid earbud cable whiplash with the Urban Tool advancedShirt originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 24, 2009 at 5:41 pm.

How would you like to be able to adjust the comfort level of your hiking boots? You can with a pair of Wolverine iCS hikers. These leather boots have a removable full-cushion insole that provides four settings of comfort to choose from. Just turn the dial to select firm, cushion, outer or inner support on the insole’s removable heel disk. Firm stiffens the insole for uneven terrain, cushion provides shock absorption, outer decreases the arch height to compensate if you walk with an outward tilt and inner builds up the arch for those who suffer from flat feet or walk with an inward tilt. I wonder if you can buy these insoles and use them in other shoes / boots?

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Clothing, Shoes

Customize the comfort of your boots – Wolverine iCS Hikers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 13, 2009 at 10:58 am.

Chrome has been manufacturing premium messenger bags like the Citizen messenger bag for the last 14 years.  Now they are branching out with a line of shoes. Their new Red Sole line of sneakers have a classic design, but are built with bikers in mind.  They are made of Cordura and feature a Texon board in the forefoot to prevent pedal poke, a glass filled nylon shank to stiffen the mid sole, increasing pedal stroke leverage and a 55A durometer outsole for better pedal grip. I’m not a biker, but I still want a pair, just to see if they are more comfy than my Chuck Taylors

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Clothing, Spotlight Gadgets

From messenger bags to sneakers – Chrome Bags originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 24, 2009 at 4:53 pm.

The Insect Repellent Hat from Hammacher Schelmmer has an odorless EPA-registered repellent permethrin bonded into the fabric. I know this isn’t really a gadget, but it can definitely be useful to any gadget lovin geek who happens to live in an area with insects that they want to repell. From their head. I’m just sayin.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Clothing, Spotlight Gadgets

Insect Repellent Hat originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 4, 2009 at 8:50 pm.

I always look forward to new products from SCOTTeVEST and was happy to find 2 new garments in my mailbox the other day. Scott and Laura Jordan sent me their new Performance Polo and Performance Pullover 1/4 Zip shirts. Let’s take a closer look…

The Polo is short sleeved, while the Pullover is long sleeved. Both are available in 3 colors: Black, Smoke and Olive. I was sent an Olive Polo and a Smoke Pullover.

The Polo is designed like the classic shirts that most guys have in their wardrobe. But the SeV Performance Polo isn’t exactly like the Polo you already have. This one is made of a special light weight moisture wicking material that is very comfortable to wear even in the hottest weather.

Instead of a typical breast pocket, this shirt has a vertical zipper that gives access to a pocket that is large enough to hold a 60gb iPod. A special weight management system keeps the shirt from sagging when items are in the pocket.

The pocket has SeV’s famous PAN (Personal Area Network) conduit that allows you to feed wires from the pocket to the neck line and convenient elastic earbud loops inside the collar.

The Performance Polo has SeV branding, but not enough to detract from the overall look of the shirt. There is an embroidered logo on the back, a silkscreened TEC (Technology Enabled Clothing) logo on the left sleeve, and a Black TEC tab sewn into the right hip area (You can barely make it out in the picture below).

I was sent a men’s size Small. As you can see, it’s too large for me (for reference, I’m 5’6″ and weigh 125lbs)… This is the point in my review where I complain that SCOTTeVEST needs to carry women’s sizes. I’m not going to do that in this review because I have it on good authority that Scott and Laura are working on getting some items for us in the near future. Yay! )

In the picture above, I have an iPod nano in the breast pocket (not the nano on the table beside me… a 1st gen nano). You can’t really tell can you?

A couple things before we go on to the Pullover… The Polo is 100% Polyester, machine washable, has a 3 button front, 1.5″ tall collar, metal tabbed zipper pull on breast pocket, split sides with the tail being about 1 inch longer than the front. Now let’s take a look at the Performance Pullover 1/4 Zip.

The Pullover is made of the same material as the Polo and also has a vertical pocket on the left side which includes the PAN conduit.

Two small Red elastic loops located on the inside collar allow you to route earbud wires from the pocket on the front.

The collar on the Pullover stands 2.5 inches tall and zips 1/4 of the way down the front of the shirt.

In addition to the zippered breast pocket, there is a hidden zippered pocket in the Left hip area.

Here’s a view of the zippered hip pocket. As you can see it’s a wide pocket (7 x 6.5 inches) that sort of bends around from the front to the back. It also has 2 PAN openings for routing wires.

I was sent a men’s size Small for this shirt too. As you can see, it looks even larger on me than the Polo does. In the picture above, I have an iPod nano in the breast pocket and an HTC Excalibur in the side pocket. You can definitely tell that I have something in the side pocket as it noticeably pulls the shirt down in that area. I think if the shirt were smaller and fit me better that it would be much less noticeable.

Both the SeV Performance Polo and Performance Pullover are very comfortable to wear. They are soft and light weight enough to wear even on really hot Summer days. Having an extra pocket (or 2) comes in very handy when you don’t want to carry a wallet or gear bag with you on a quick jaunt to the store.

Use this special coupon code when you order either the Performance Polo or Performance Pullover from SCOTTeVEST to save 20% : 2save20
(Coupon expires after 5/13/07)

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Clothing

SCOTTeVEST/SeV Performance Polo and Performance Pullover 1/4 Zip originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 3, 2007 at 5:41 pm.

A year ago, when I reviewed the "http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/review/scottevest_sev_t_shirt">SCOTTeVEST
SeV T-Shirt, there were quite a few people that immediately saw
how great a Personal Area Network (PAN) enabled t-shirt such as
this could be for their workouts, but there was one caveat – the
first generation shirt was made of 100% heavy cotton. While a heavy
cotton t-shirt is great for everyday wear, the material is not
ideal for those who get outside and sweat. Runners, hikers,
cyclists and others that participate in outdoor activities wanted a
Tee that was made out of a more moisture wicking and lightweight
material. Well, in 2006 they will get their wish.

Composed of 100% Polyester 3M Quick Dry fabric that has been
treated with Scotchgard™ Protector, the new "http://www.scottevest.com/">SCOTTeVEST "http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/sev_blk_tshirt.shtml">SeV
Performance T-Shirt is made from the same material used in
competitive athletic clothing. According to Scott, “3M Quick Dry
fabric is designed to draw moisture
away from your body, keeping you drier, cooler and more
comfortable.” What this means for the
wearer is a quicker drying shirt, less chaffing, and less of that
prickly “sticky” feeling while sweating.

Available in black, with
either short or long sleeves, the SeV Performance T-Shirt can be
worn on its own or as a layering piece under multiple items of
clothing. I was sent a long sleeved shirt, in a men’s size
medium.

The iPod nano shown in the picture is probably one of
the best digital music player choices, as I doubt the wearer would
even feel it!

Like the cotton SeV T-shirt, the SeV Performance
shirt has a single pocket on the left breast. Behind the 5″ SeV
logo’d zipper is a 11.5″ tall x 3.5″ wide pocket that can hold a
mobile phone, digital music player or other similarly sized device.

Of course, not being made of thick cotton, Scott & company
ran into a few challenges while designing the Performance T-Shirt.
According to Scott, “the fabric is so stretchy that we had to
engineer the support system to avoid pulling on the
collar.“

Instead of using the collar to bear the pocket’s load, the upper
shoulder and inside arm seams support the top and side of the
pocket. In addition, the “loose” end of the pocket is invisibly
tacked to the base of the zipper. This provides the necessary
anchor to keep the lines of the shirt straight, the pocket from
flopping about, and the wearer comfortable.

A pocket is just a pocket, and a shirt is just a shirt – unless
we are talking about one of Scott’s amazing line of TEC wearables.
As with all other items in the SeV line, the Performance shirt is
designed to not only hold the wearer’s gadgets, but to also allow
the wearer access to those gadgets with a minimum of fuss. Built
into the stretchy and breathable fabric of the shirt is a PAN which
allows the wearer to thread a wired earphone from the pocket,
through a reinforced slit in the shirt, into a single elastic loop
made to hold the earphone wire in place at the base of the shirt’s
neckline.

In other words, if the wearer takes the earphone out of his or
her ear, they will not have to “go fishing” inside the shirt to
later retrieve the earpiece.

Labels on the SeV Performance T-Shirt are quite stealthy. On the
bottom left side is a black embroidered TEC as well as a black TEC
tag.

The rear of the collar has a gray on black SeV logo that is easy
to miss.

This picture, taken outside and under full daylight glare, best
shows the light mesh weave of the shirt. There are small
breather-holes woven all throughout the fabric which allow air to
enter and circulate. While the shirt is not at all what I would
consider “see-through”, it is lightweight enough that the
white interior tag may be seen through the material in direct
light.

The nature of the mesh fabric allows any bit of blowing wind to
reach the wearer’s skin, while any sweat produced will be in turn
wicked away as the breeze provides a cooling effect.

While long sleeves are great for cooler weather, keeping off the
sun, and for layering under other items, short sleeves will be the
choice of many who want to exercise in the summer heat. A short
sleeve version is also available that has all of the long-sleeved
version’s features.

According to the June 1st press release other colors are also on
the way.

The shirt has a generous, boxy cut that is equally comfortable
tucked in or worn untucked.

Can you see my mobile phone in the pocket? I bet not.

The SeV Performance T-Shirt will be a welcome garment for those
that want to carry their wired gear while exercising. The new
fabric will keep the wearer cool, dry, and comfortable.

Long sleeve SeV Performance T-Shirts are $34.99, the short
sleeve version is $29.99

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Gear, Miscellaneous

Tagged: Clothing

SCOTTeVEST SeV Performance T-Shirt originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 2, 2006 at 3:46 pm.

Updated on 02/20/07. See updates at bottom of review in Red…

SCOTTeVEST has been the king of high tech gadget clothing for several years now. We should know, here at The Gadgeteer, we’ve reviewed almost every product they’ve put on the market. But now there’s a new kid on the block: Kenpo of Los Angeles, California. Kenpo’s jackets don’t have 5 billion pockets like SCOTTeVEST jackets, they have something else. Their jackets have a built-in iPod controller sewn directly into the sleeve.

Styled for guys, these mid-weight jackets are available in sizes Small through XX Large and in come in Black or Silver, with or without hoods. The exterior of the jacket is made of a satin-like polyester that looks to be somewhat water repellent. The interior of the jacket is also made of 100% polyester, and is fuzzy and warm.

In the picture above, I’m wearing their men’s size Small, which is too big for me. I wish they had a women’s size Small! (update below) The jacket I was sent has a 3 inch tall stand up collar, zippered front, 2 zippered slash hand pockets and 1 large zippered pocket on the back (similar to the ones that SCOTTeVEST jackets have). All of the zippers are heavy duty and have chunky metal pulls.

It is important to note that the Kenpo website shows 2 styles, but that the style I was sent doesn’t match either of them. I was told that there are 4 styles available in select Macy’s, Dillards, and Comp-USA stores, that don’t show up on their official website. I guess my review jacket is one of them.

On the inside of the jacket, there is one open square pocket on the right breast, and the iPod pockets are opposite on the right breast. The iPod compartments are comprised of two vertical pockets with a large Velcro flap, and then an open horizontal pocket on top.

The main feature of the Kenpo jacket is the built in iPod controller. This controller is sewn right into the fabric of the jacket. Here’s how it works… There is a small black plastic module that is included with the jacket. This module connects to the Kenpo by way of a ribbon cable. The module has a regular earphone jacket connector (3.5mm) on one side, and a short iPod remote / earphone combo cable is connected to the other side. The best thing about this module is the fact that it does not require any batteries to power it. The jacket can be machine washed or dry cleaned too (don’t forget to remove the controller first though!) Yay!

The combo cable plugs into the top of your iPod, and then your iPod’s earbuds (or whatever headphones you prefer to use) plug into the 3.5mm jack. If you don’t own an older iPod with the remote / earphone jack combo plug, Kenpo will exchange the controller module for one that will work with the iPod nano. I’m not sure if this same controller is compatible with all 5th gen iPods though…

You slide the module into one of vertical pockets, and your iPod into the other. An opening between the pockets allow you to route the short cable between them.

Your earphone cable then routes through another opening in the Velcro flap. You can also route the earphone cable through a fabric loop sewn into the left lapel. Once you have your iPod, earbuds and module all wired together, you’re good to go.

Now you can control your iPod through your left sleeve. Near the wrist there is a 5 button keypad. It’s almost not even noticeable. From wrist to elbow, the buttons map to Track Forward, Play/Pause, Track Previous, Volume down and Volume up.

The first thing you have to do is to hold down the Track Forward button for about 3 seconds. This will unlock the module so that it will accept your other button presses. This is the only feature of the jacket that I wish you could deactivate… The jacket goes into lock mode after 7 seconds of inactivity. That means that almost anytime you want to change the volume, or navigate through tracks, you’ll have to first press and hold the Track Forward button first.

The buttons in the sleeve have absolutely no tactile or audio feedback to them. This may or may not bother you. The only reason why it bothers me is that if you’re in the dark or a dimly lit area, you probably won’t be able to see the outlines for the buttons, and you won’t know where or what you’re pressing.

I really like the Kenpo jacket. It’s comfortable, warm, and gets major gadgeteer points for having a controller sewn directly into the fabric. There are just 2 issues that keep me from totally loving it. #1 is the price. $245 for a non-leather jacket is pretty spendy in my opinion. Then there is that annoying 7 second lock feature. I can live with that issue. I’m just wondering how many people can live with the price.

Updated on 02/20/07

I’m happy to report that Kenpo now has jackets available in women’s styles and sizes. They sent me the Chamarra in Black (also available in Olive). This jacket is a poofy ski jacket style coat with a removable faux fur trimmed hood, zipper & snap front and front snap pockets.

I had asked them for size SMALL, but they mistakenly sent me LARGE. When I read the label, I was disappointed because I knew the jacket would probably swallow me. Guess what? It fits perfect! Let that be a lesson though as I am 5 foot 5.75 inches tall, weigh 123 lbs, and normally wear size 4. Anyone much bigger than me, will probably want an Extra Large.

This jacket has a nice length and princess seams, which are more flattering to women.

The hood is removable and also has a removable fur trim. The sleeve has the familiar iPod touch controls like their previous jackets. The module that you use to connect to your iPod looks almost identical to the one shown above, except that this one is compatible with all 30 pin dock connector iPods.

The jacket looks like it might be bulky or heavy, but it isn’t. It is light weight while still providing great warmth. As you can see in these pictures, it’s winter here in Indiana. I took these pictures when it was snowing and only 25 degrees outside. After the pictures were snapped, I proceeded to shovel my driveway for almost an hour out in the cold and was wonderfully comfortable the entire time.

The only thing that keeps this jacket from being the perfect winter coat for me personally, is that it lacks side hand-warmer slash pockets. Yes, it does have front pockets, but I prefer side pockets.

It’s nice to finally see that someone has stepped up to create tech-enabled clothing for those of us that are of the female persuasion. Thanks Kenpo!

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Gear

Tagged: Clothing

Kenpo Jacket for iPod originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 16, 2006 at 12:36 pm.