By Andrew Liszewski

Magnets! I don’t know how they do it, but somehow they find a way to improve every aspect of our lives. From hanging crappy crayon art on a fridge, to keeping baby’s clothes on. I’m sure there are thousands of uses for them, but those are easily at the top of the list. Or were at the top of the list before researchers at London based Nails Inc.—probably jonesing for a Nobel prize—created magnetic nail polish.

Iron powder is mixed into the polish, and before it dries after being applied, you hold the bottle’s cap over your nails for about 15 seconds. An embedded magnet causes the iron bits to align, presumably along its field lines, and once the polish dries you’re left with unique stripes and banding across your nails. And a shimmering metallic effect. The polish is available in 3 different colors all named after famous landmarks in London. Silver Trafalgar Square, purple Houses of Parliament and gold Big Ben. And sell for ~$20 a bottle. (£13)

[ Nails Inc. Magnetic Polish ] VIA [ Cool Hunting ]

By Andrew Liszewski

You’ll have to accept looking like an absolute fool while wearing them, but if you’ve got a soft spot for automotive design, particularly the gratuitous use of visible carbon fiber, Gucci’s got a pair of loafers for you. Their GG Plus Moccasins come in a beige & ebony fabric pattern similar to what’s found on the brand’s purses, with a black rubber sole. But on the heel you’ll notice a patch of carbon fiber which pretty much does nothing but provide eye candy. (And maybe lightening the shoe a touch.) Because they feature the Gucci logo they’ll set you back $425 a pair, and a bit of self-respect.

[ Gucci GG Plus Moccasins ] VIA [ Carbon Fiber Gear ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Etsy seller ‘EricaKnit’ (possibly not her real full name) is currently offering her knitting skills to anyone interested in this impressive wooly version of R2-D2. Custom made from merino wool for each interested buyer (or whatever type of wool they please) the sweater looks particularly appropriate for wintertime cosplay, or sci-fi conventions that take place when there’s snow on the ground. The ‘catch’ though? You’ll be dropping $450 for this unlicensed homage.

[ Etsy - CUSTOM made to order -- Star Wars R2D2 sweater ] VIA [ Gamma Squad ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Don’t you hate it when you see one of those good ideas that’s been poorly executed? I believe that this Orca PowerStrap falls into that category. Imagine, if you will, a fashionable bracelet that houses a battery. You can plug in a variety of mobile gadgets into the bracelet to recharge them while you’re using them. Sounds pretty neat, right?

Enter the $65 Orca PowerStrap. It’s everything mentioned above, minus the word fashionable. Rather, it is big and ugly. I understand that batteries can only be made so small before they’re unable to hold a decent charge. However, if the product isn’t something you’d want to wear most of the time, it really defeats the purpose.

[ Iwantoneofthose ] VIA [ Dvice ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Having a GPS is great when you’re visiting a new city. As there’s nothing quite like getting lost and having to stop in a seedy part of town and ask directions. However, if you’re somewhere that has no people to ask for directions, such technology is invaluable. That’s what makes these Transcend goggles so awesome.

The goggles feature a built in HUD which gives you information such as latitude/longitude, altitude, speed traveled, current temperature, time and more. The best part is that when you get back home, you can plug them into your computer and download the GPS information. The included software then overlays your route with Google Maps so you can see exactly where you’ve been. The spiffy goggles will set you back either $400 or $500 (depending on whether you want polarized lenses or not) and can be preordered now.

[ Zeal Optics ] VIA [ Technabob ]

By Chris Scott Barr

We’ve written about the shoes from Back to the Future II on more than one occasion. Mostly because it’s one of the few “futuristic” technologies that might have a chance of being made by 2015. A little while back we showed you a custom shoe that was made using an Arduino board. It was cool, but not exactly practical for wearing. So who do we look to for a real pair of these self-lacing shoes? Nike.

Yes, the company that “made” those sneakers in the movie have actually patented the idea. Specifically, they’ve received a patent for:

An article of footwear with an automatic lacing system is disclosed. The automatic lacing system provides a set of straps that can be automatically opened and closed to switch between a loosened and tightened position of the upper. The article further includes an automatic ankle cinching system that is configured to automatically adjust an ankle portion of the upper.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Chris Scott Barr

Having trouble finding enough uses for your iPad? Or perhaps you just want to make sure that everyone you come into contact knows that you’re cool enough to have one. Sure, you could prop it up on your shoulder, turn on some tunes and pretend it’s an old boombox, but that’s just not classy. No, what you need is a shirt that will hold your iPad, and display whatever pictures or video you want.

Okay, so maybe at first thought it might seem cool to essentially have a shirt that can depict virtually anything. But I can’t imagine putting my iPad in this thing and walking around. I’m not even talking about how it will no doubt weigh down the front of your shirt. Rather, I’m referring to the douchebag factor. If you really have nothing better to do with your iPad, then by all means, drop $50 on this fashion statement.

[ Syte Shirt ] VIA [ Gearlog ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Turning invisible is one of those superpowers that would be really fun to have (yes, other than peeping in the girl’s shower room). But sadly this just isn’t something that’s humanly possible right now. Not without the help of a little Hollywood style magic and this Video Green Full Cover Suit.

The idea behind this bizarre suit is that you’ll record your scene, then use some sort of Chroma Key software to simply edit yourself out. For the would-be filmmaker, this could be a really cool thing to use. The $225 price does seem a bit high though. Surely you could make one for much cheaper.

[ TubeTape ] VIA [ Dvice ]

By Chris Scott Barr

If you’re out for a drink at a bar, sometimes it’s good to attract a little attention. Not the “belligerent drunk” kind of attention, but more of the “guy that can make people laugh” sort. If that’s what you’re going for, then you need to dress the part. Naturally, ThinkGeek has you covered.

Keychains and belt buckles that open beer bottles are nothing new, but what about a t-shirt? This would have to be the first of its kind that I’ve seen. The opener itself is actually designed to look like the hand of a drunken robot, which is depicted on the shirt. The only way this could get any better is if the robot were Bender. I am assured that this $20 shirt is actually a prototype stolen from the year 2998, so don’t let it fall into the wrong hands.

[ ThinkGeek ]