Although it’s the middle of May here in Indiana, we are still having a few 40 degree mornings. Instead of dragging out my winter coat, I’ve been enjoying the comfort and gadget storage of the SCOTTEVEST Lola Jacket. Wearing this jacket allows me to hide all my gear in the jacket and leave my shoulder bag at home. Let’s take a closer look.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

The Lola jacket is made of 100% quilted nylon with DuPont Teflon fabric protection that repels both water and oil based spills, while remaining machine washable. It is available three colors: Rhapsody, Sparkle and Fluff. The jacket is sized for women and comes in X-Small up to XX-Large. Guys don’t need to feel left out. SCOTTEVEST has a men’s version of this jacket called the Puffer which is available in Red and Black and sized from Small – XXX-Large.

I was sent a medium sized Lola in Rhapsody, which is a stylish Purple/Blue color with bright Yellow trim.

SCOTTEVEST products are famous for their pockets, so the Lola jacket lives up to that tradition. This jacket offers 16 pockets that allow for great gear organization.

With the jacket zipped (btw: I love the long metal zipper pulls), you have access to two zippered hand warmer pockets.

Inside the Right pocket is a removable extendable key holder, a wide elastic bottle holder and a lipstick / chapstick pocket.

In the Left pocket you’ll find a small change pocket.

The cuffs have a narrow elastic band to keep them from shimmying up your arm.

Like other SeV jackets, the Lola has a built in PAN – Personal Area Network that you can use to route your earbud cables. In the inside collar area, a flap of the quilted material is held in place with Velcro. Opening this channel will allow you to place your earbud cables so that you can easily access your music while on the go. Small rubber holders add additional cable management. This system works fine, but I did notice that if you don’t arrange the flap correctly, that the Velcro in the collar might scratch your neck. For this fact, I’d prefer just having a hole that I could fish the wires into, instead of a flap. I like the SeV Chloe jacket PAN system design a little better than the Lola’s design.

The pockets on the Left side of the jacket include a Cellphone / MP3 player pocket at the top, with a pen pocket next to it near the zipper. This pocket is large enough to comfortably hold an iPhone 4S or Motorola Droid X with room to spare. There’s a conduit in the pocket to route the connector from your earphones.

A little lower is a zipper that opens into a large 8.5 x 8.5 inch pocket that extends to the bottom of that side. This pocket can hold a small tablet or ebook reader like the Amazon Kindle Fire.

Another zipper allows access to a smaller 8.5 x 4 inch pocket on top of the 8.5 x 8.5 inch pocket. This pocket is meant to hold your passport and your ID (in the small pocket on the outer layer). The pocket works great for holding a Field Notes notebook or Moleskine Cahier notebook too.

On the Right side, you’ll find two large zippered pockets.

The upper pocket, which is accessed with a vertical zipper holds your sunglasses and includes a handy chamois cloth that is attached to an elastic cord.

A horizontally zippered pocket below the sunglasses pocket is meant to hold your digital camera. There’s even a smaller pocket inside which you can use to hold extra SD flash cards. It’s possible to place a CF sized card in that slot, but you won’t be able to Velcro the top closed.

I should note that all the interior pocket zippers have nice hard plastic pulls on them, while the exterior zippers have metal pulls.

You’ll also notice that there’s an adjustable bottom cinch cord that will help keep the wind and cold from blowing up your back.

Speaking of the back, that’s where the largest pocket of this jacket is located. It’s an open topped stretchy mesh pocket that is large enough to hold an iPad. I don’t think I’d want to walk around with an iPad bouncing against my back, but it also works great for holding a standard sized magazine.

I love the Lola jacket. It allows me to carry quite a bit of gear without having it all stuffed into two side pockets, which is what I usually end up doing with non-SCOTTEVEST jackets. I don’t carry tons of gear, but it’s nice to have my keys, wallet, phone, earbuds, lip baum, sunglasses clip, pen and a Field Notes notebook all stowed in the jacket so I don’t have to carry a bag. I also like that the jacket doesn’t have a lot of SeV branding. What it does have is subtle… the SeV logo on the interior lining and then a rubber SeV logo sewn into the back of the collar.

I was very surprised by how comfortable and light weight this jacket is, while still providing adequate protection from cool weather. It’s so cozy that I keep hoping for more cool mornings so I can wear it to work. It seems like the perfect weight for Fall and Spring weather, but not quite heavy enough for the dead of Winter… unless of course the winters in your area are not too cold.

The Lola jacket is made very well. I could not find any defects in the material or construction. I’m a fan of this jacket and expect it to hold up to everyday wear and tear for many cold seasons to come.

Filed in categories: Gear, Outdoor Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Clothing, Gear

SCOTTEVEST Lola Women’s Jacket Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 13, 2012 at 2:30 pm.

It’s been several years since we featured a SCOTTEVEST product here on The Gadgeteer and I’m happy to say that in the time since we last took a look at their tech clothing, they’ve added some women’s garments to their line up. I’ve been excited to try them out, so they sent me their Chloe Hoodie to review…

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

The Chloe Hoodie is made of machine washable 100% Poly Microfleece and is available in two colors: Magic and Kiss. Magic is Black with a Black lining and Kiss is Gray with a Pink lining. The Chloe comes in 6 sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL and XXL. They sent me the Kiss in Medium.

This jacket is super comfy and warm. It very soft and has nice deep hand pockets which are lined with plush fleece. The hood is also lined with plush fleece. It really keeps your head warm which is great for me since my hair is still growing back. I love that their Infinity zipper actually wraps around the hood, so that you don’t need drawstrings to cinch it tight around your face. You can just pull the zipper higher as needed.

No one will mistake this as a men’s jacket. It has flattering princess seams and some nice fashion elements to keep it feminine.

The cuffs can be worn turned up like you see here, to expose the plush fleece lining.

Or you can turn the cuffs down and take advantage of thumb holes to keep your hands warm.

All the zippers offer a nice metal pull tab like you see above.

SCOTTEVEST is well known for including lots of pockets in their garments so that your jacket essentially becomes your gear bag. The Chloe offers 14 different pockets. Let take the tour…

First of all, I’d like to mention that the branding on this jacket is pretty minimal. There’s the label on the interior that you see here and an embroidered logo along the waist band that is pictured later in the review.

Here we see the hood. You’ll notice two small white loops. These hold your earbuds.

The back of the hood has a PAN (Personal Area Network), which is geek speak for a special conduit that you can use to route wires like your earbud cables. In the image above, I have my iPhone’s earbuds routed behind my neck through the hood’s lining. Special BudBuckets on either side hold the earbuds when they are not in your ears. The PAN is really handy because you can have your iPhone in one zippered pocket, but still attached to your earbuds.

Ok let’s check out the rest of the pockets. When you unzip the jacket, you’ll find a set of satin pockets on each side. I was really happy to see that they include little cloth labels with icons to help you remember what each pocket is meant to hold.

From the top, you’ll find a budbucket for an earbud.

Below the budbucket it is a pen slot that is shown here with my Pilot FriXion Ball Erasable Ink pen. This slot will also work well for a stylus or pencil.

In the breast area is a vertically zippered pocket that is designed to hold your phone or audio player. A special opening in the roof of that pocket allows you to route earbud wires to the stored device.

Below the phone pocket is a zippered pocket designed to hold your sunglasses. There’s even a glasses cleaning cloth attached to an elastic cord which is sewn into the pocket.

The bottom pocket is designed to hold your camera. Inside that pocket is a small Velcro pouch that can hold SD cards.

On the opposite side, you’ll find a budbucket at the top, with another pen pocket below it. Next in line are two large zippered pockets. The largest is big enough to hold a Kindle sized device and the other works great for storing your passport or a small notebook.

The exterior zippered hand pockets hide a few goodies too. The right one has an extendable / removable key holder. Also in that pocket but not pictured is a lipstick / chapstick holder. The pocket is held closed with Velcro that is pretty strong. I’m a little worried that over time, pulling on the Velcro tab may cause the satin lining to tear.

You’ll notice the embroidered SCOTTEVEST branding below the pocket.

In the other hand pocket, is a small change pocket which is also held closed with Velcro. Like I mentioned before, the Velcro is pretty strong, so it’s not the easiest task to pull the little pocket open with just the fingers of your hand in the pocket. If it were up to me, I’d like to see magnets used to keep these tiny pockets closed.

So what can you carry around in the Chloe? Let’s see…

Here is a selection of gear that I would normally carry in a bag. Included is a Field Note notebook, Pilot FriXion Pen, Kindle Fire, Canon camera, extra SD card, iPhone 4S, Carmex lip balm, Waterfield wallet and iPhone earbuds.

Here I am with all that gear stowed in the jacket. I love that each item has its own pocket so that everything isn’t crammed in the hand pockets. With the Chloe, I can carry all the items and still be able to put my hands in my pockets to keep them warm.

I also like that the weight of the gear distributes itself evenly so that walking around is comfortable. The only item that doesn’t feel that comfortable to leave in the jacket is the Kindle Fire. But it really only feels bulky when I’m sitting.

Of all the SCOTTEVEST products that I’ve reviewed over the years, I’d have to say that the Chloe Hoodie is my new all time favorite. The ability to easily carry my essential gear makes it a great alternative to carrying a bag. The fact that it’s so cozy I could sleep in it doesn’t hurt either.

Filed in categories: Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Clothing

SCOTTEVEST Chloe Hoodie Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 13, 2012 at 11:00 am.

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.