Oh! Gizmo

By Chris Scott Barr

You know what I don’t see enough of these days? Bandoliers. It’s already been proven that they are stylish, I mean just look at Chewbacca, Rambo and Worf (at least I’m pretty sure that thing was considered an ornamental bandolier). What’s that, you’d like to wear one, but just don’t have a good enough reason?  Well have I got a surprise for you. The Dew Quiver iPod Shoulder Strap is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Alright, in all seriousness, this thing is the fanny pack for the 21st century. No, that’s not some sort of compliment to the designers. Sure, it’s got a place to run the cord for your earbuds and build-in volume control. But this thing boils down to being the equivalent of a fanny pack. It’s not stylish, it’s just a big ugly pocket. Make that a big ugly expensive pocket, as it will set you back $85.

[ SmallDog ] VIA [ Coolest-Gadgets ]

By Chris Scott Barr

It can be hard to keep your feet warm in the winter time. Sure, a nice pair of thick wool socks can go a long way in combating the cold, but even that only helps for so long. Once your toes get cold, there’s nothing you can do until you get them inside and heat them up. So what do you do if you’re working outside for long periods and want to be absolutely sure that your feet stay toasty? One option is to wear heated socks.

The Heat Sock EX system consists of a pair of heated socks, a battery pack and two long wires. On the battery pack itself you can select between five different levels of heating for your feet. Depending on what level you select, you can get between three and ten hours of warmth on a single charge. My biggest concern is what happens when the socks get wet, as they so often tend to do in the snow. The second biggest concern is the $265 price tag. Then again if you work outside all day in the winter, you really can’t put a price on warm feet.

[ Japan Trend Shop ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Chris Scott Barr

After spending a week in Vegas for CES, I was less than thrilled to come back home and find more snow on the ground. This means trading in my shoes for boots as I go wandering around outside. But even boots don’t always have the grip one needs for traversing the frozen landscape. That is why these particular boots have a little extra grip hidden underneath.

These boots seem much like any other, and can be worn whenever you like. However, when the time comes that you need that extra bit of grip, you can take the two red pieces of plastic tread and reverse them. On the other side are a number of tiny spikes to grip on the snow and ice. Granted, you’ll need to mess with putting them back the other way before stepping inside anywhere. Unless you do a lot of outdoor work in bad winter weather, I think that these $200 boots might be overdoing it.

[ Hammacher ] VIA [ Dvice ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Hailing from the Midwest means that I’ve really never had a reason to own a wetsuit. However, for those of you that happen to spend a lot of time in waters that require such protection, I give you the Star Trek Wetsuit. If you have the need to show your love of the original series even while underwater, then these are for you.

These 7MM suits are tailored specifically to your exact measurements and supplied by JMJ Wetsuits.  At $470 a pop, you’ll be paying around a hundred bucks extra for the Star Trek theme. The traditional yellow, blue and red uniform colors are available, though no sane person would dare jump in the water in a red suit. That’s just asking for trouble.

[ Roddenberry ] VIA [ Dvice ]

By Chris Scott Barr

There are a number of phones out there with touchscreens, which under normal circumstances are great. However, once the weather turns cold and the gloves come on, these wonderful pieces of technology are rendered all but useless. If you wish to check your email, send texts or do anything other than stare at the screen you’ll need to have at least one finger exposed to the elements. That, or you simply need to be a crafty individual.

Since most phone touchscreens require a conductive material (such as your skin) to work, your gloves aren’t going to register when you touch it. However, if have a conductive material that can touch both your skin and the screen at the same time it will work. Armed with this knowledge, you can sew a bit of conductive thread (yes, apparently they make conductive thread) in the tip of your glove’s index finger. You’ll then be able to go about your business as usual, with all fingers safely inside the confines of a glove.

[ Instructables ] VIA [ CoolestGadgets ]

By Chris Scott Barr

How many of you have accidentally busted a pair of your favorite sunglasses? Provided I don’t lose them first, it usually only takes a good two or three months before some accident befalls them. It would be nice to have a pair that could really stand up to a beating. These Japan Self-Defense Force Sunglasses might just do the trick.

These glasses are officially endorsed by the Japanese military due to their keen ability to withstand gratuitous amounts force. The lenses will not shatter if struck with a .3” object traveling at 106mph. Granted, that’s not quite enough to stop a bullet as depicted in their ad, but it’s impressive nonetheless. The frames themselves are made from TPR/TR90, which should be strong enough to take a bit of a beating themselves. At $317 a pair, I’d highly suggest not misplacing these.

[ JapanTrendShop ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

By Chris Scott Barr

The cold air has been settling in lately and my thoughts have been turning to winter and snow. I like the idea of snow, but it’s just not as much fun when you’re an adult. You tend to get bored with sledding and snowball fights a bit more quickly than you used to. If you have kids and want them to get all of the enjoyment out of winter that they can, here’s something you might be able to get for them.

Snowshorts are basically a pair of shorts that go over their snowsuit. The bottom of the shorts has a hard plastic shell, which can be used as a mini sled. Now instead of lugging their sled to the top of the hill after every run. It’ll only set you back $35, and your kid will no doubt be thankful for it.

[ Amazon ] VIA [ CoolestGadgets ]

By Chris Scott Barr

I’m a guy that likes to grab a robe and wear it when I first get up, or sometimes when I get out of the shower. They’re comfortable, and allow you to walk around pants-free without displaying your underwear to everyone. My robe is rather dull looking, as it’s just plain gray with a belt. If you’re looking for something a little more geeky to walk around in first thing in the morning, look no further than this Jedi Dressing Gown.

This awesome homage to the defenders of the Star Wars universe will not make you one with the Force. It will however keep you nice and comfortable in its cotton velour fabrics. The robe is designed to look like something your average Jedi might wear until he’s had his his morning cup of Joe. The hood and Jedi insignia definitely complete the look. It is currently available for pre-order, and will ship on November 27th for $96.

[ Find-Me-A-Gift ] VIA [ GearFuse ]

By Chris Scott Barr

If you like to have a drink directly after leaving the office, then you might find this interesting concept to your liking. During the day, the After Office Tie looks just  like any other. However, once your jacket is off, a small bit of metal at the tip is exposed. So what’s that little metal bit for? Opening bottles of course.

I guess I don’t drink enough (or actually work in a big fancy-pants office) to really find this to be all that useful. I suppose if enough people want it, it could easily be turned into a real marketable product. For now it will be shown at the London Institute of Contemporary Arts from September 30th to October 4th.

[ DesignBoom ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]