OK.. seriously now? As an avid fan of both Star Trek and Star Wars (at least the original trilogy), I absolutely LOVE these corset costumes by the folks at Evening Arwen. Come on now.. how can you not love the Galactic Trooper Corset? Who needs a Storm Trooper after seeing a women in that?

And I’m sorry but Darth Vader just doesn’t compare when you put him next to someone wearing the Galactic Lord Corset Costume.

Trek fans won’t be left out either thanks to a collection of Yellow, Blue, Red Trekkie Corsets as well as the Trekkie Shrug.

The Trekkie Corsets will set you back $200 dollars while the Galactic Trooper will run $500 dollars. The Galactic Lord Corset will cost ya $600 dollars. Well worth it for all you ladies out there.. ahem.

[Check it out via Technabob]

Technorati Tags: Star Trek, Star Wars, Corset Costume, Evening Arwen

Let’s face it. Wearable electronics has been a rather boring market over the last few years. Sure it’s cool to have a jacket with embedded controls for your iPod.. but that “coolness” factor wears out fairly quickly and you end up thinking.. gee.. I wish the jacket could do more than play/stop my music.

Well that’s where the folks at QIO Systems come into play. The company has announced a new line of modular wearable electronics called PANiQ which allows consumers to decide which consumer electronics they want to control with their interactive wearable clothing. They call it a wearable “Personal Area Network”. We call it customizable wearable apparel.

The concept’s pretty straightforward. You’ll purchase clothing enabled with PANiQ electronics (i.e. they’ll come with PANiQ smart-fabric touchpad). Then you’ll purchase controller devices designed for your electronics – customizing your apparel to control the devices you care about. Thus unlike other jackets that might have controls and interfaces made specifically for the iPod, a PANiQ enabled jacket from a third party apparel manufacturer can theortically control a variety of device simply by swapping out a module controller.

At launch time, PANiQ announced the following controllers/devices:

• PANiQ controller for iPod (supports all third generation iPods and greater)
• PANiQ controller for iPhone
• PANiQ controller for Bluetooth enabled mobile phones and iPod
• PANiQ Walkie Talkie (Spring 2009)
• PANiQ AM/FM (Spring 2009)

As for apparel vendors, PANiQ’s initial customers include Cole Haan, Zoo York, KILLA, iQuantum, Celio, Beaucre, and Bailo.

PANiQ’s online store currently sells four KILLA products:

• The KILLA Go Go Gadget jacket for $250 dollars (and pictured above)
• The KILLA Infantry M65 jacket for $250 dollars

• The KILLA PUSHA Hoodie for $240 dollars

• The KILLA SNAKE EYES Hoodie for $230 dollars.

Here is the connector for the iPod ..

Which looks pretty much the same as the connector for Bluetooth cell phones and iPod ($79.99):

Check out the rest of the store at http://www.shopatron.com/index/1534.0.

Technorati Tags: QIO Systms, PANiQ, wearable electronics, personal area network

Looking for a new beanie? Check out LimbGear’s new “Noggin Net” – an MP3 enabled skullcap which houses both an MP3 player and the earbuds. Features of the Noggin Net include:

• Constructed of comfortable, breathable fleece
• Pocket holds MP3 players
• Internal earbud management channels to house earbud cords

The Noggin Net is also compatible with LimbGear’s Buds which offer a perfect fit inside the cap.  The cap is available in Melon Head and Pea Head sizes for adults and children. The cap with the buds cost $29.50 while the cap without the buds cost $21.99.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: LimbGear, Noggin Net

Sick of having people ask you what time it is? Why not wear that clock on your t-shirt for everyone to see then! That’s exactly what you get with the “Digital Click Tee”. This t-shirt has an electro luminescence fully functional 24 hour digital clock that you can set via a remote control. The remote can then be stowed away in a hidden pocket inside the t-shirt. Roughly $38 dollars for the shirt at the Lighter Side.

[Check it out via GearFuse]

Technorati Tags: Digital Clock Tee

Yes I know, this isn’t technology news but hey – it can be used with some gadgets so HA! It’s the NeatSheets bedding and it’s basically bed sheets done smartly. NeatSheets feature items such as optional convenience pockets along the side, smart tagging to allow you to figure out what kind of sheets you’re pulling out of the closet, 100 percent breathable cotton, and French seams and satin stitching. Perhaps the biggest thing is the side convenience pockets. Store your items there when you head to sleep – say a cell phone or an iPod. Yes.. why didn’t someone thing of this earlier eh? Neat huh? Yup.. that’s why these are the NeatSheets.

[Check it out via GearFuse]

Technorati Tags: NeatSheets

Here’s another way to be a bit more “eco-friendly” or “green”. Wear the solar-powered green colored swimsuit while out in the sun. The power derived from the solar cells can be used to either charge external devices or power the LED display right above the solar panel. Yes.. that’s right.. an LED display – should you feel the send people a message of some sort.

Aside from collecting power from the sun, the swimsuit also comes with reusable liquid containers around the cup areas of the suit in case you need a drink or two. Ah.. nothing like being green eh?

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Solar powered swimsuit

Looking for a “cool” edge over your fellow athletes? (please forgive the pun.. I just couldn’t help myself there) Check out the Nike PreCool vest which aims to lower your body’s core temperature. The idea is as follows: Lower your core temperature before you work out and your body will perform more efficiently during the workout because it doesn’t need to focus on cooling you down. If used up to an hour before a workout or competition, an athlete can supposedly last 21 percent longer than without it. The vest has an inner layer filled with frozen water which is then enclosed with aluminum on the outer layer. Interesting stuff.. though I don’t know if I would be willing to use this for my workouts.

[Check it out via DVICE.com]

Technorati Tags: Nike PreCool Vest

Ah yes.. even in Southern California, it’s starting to feel a bit like… winter. OK.. let’s get real now – it never really gets THAT cold here in SoCal.. but the majority of folks in the Northern Hemisphere are starting to witness dropping temperatures. So what do you do on those cold nights? You get yourself a Thanko HiPad/HotPad of course! This heating pad can be wrapped around your waist or shoulder and provide hours of warmth to your body. Best part of it? It’s completely powered by a USB connection to your PC (or of course you could always connect it to say your Xbox 360). Ahh.. leave it to the Japanese to come up with nifty new ways to utilize that USB port of yours.

[Check it out via Akihabara News]

Technorati Tags: Thanko, HiPad, HotPad, USB

Ok..picture this folks. You’re sitting next to a woman in a restaurant.. and as the lady is about to eat, she puts her hand into her shirt and whips out a pair of chopsticks. Wouldn’t that be just the strangest sight to behold? (or you might just enjoy that.. I have no idea!) Well that’s the concept behind the new “My Chopstick Bra” designed by lingerie maker Triumph International Japan. The goal of the chopstick bra is to actually encourage the notion of reusable chopsticks.

You see, the Japanese go through something like 25 billion wooden pairs of chopsticks a year so having a pair of reusable chopsticks seems like a pretty darn good idea from an environmental standpoint. However, how many people actually remember to bring one with them when they go out to eat? Well that’s where the “My Chopstick Bra” comes into play. Women (and maybe some men) typically wear a bra.. well if you’re already wearing a bra and your bra comes with the chopsticks.. then you see my point right?

Oh.. and the pictures here are of a concept bra with the right cup consisting of the rice bowl and the left cup a miso soup bowl. The chopsticks would lie between the cups. I don’t know about you but I think this would bring about a bunch of staring contests.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: My Chopstick Bra

If you happen to be needing a calculator AND a new belt buckle, then you might be interested in this Chrome Calculator Belt Buckle gadget. The buckle, currently selling for $9.99 over at BeWild.com, probably won’t help you get dates anytime soon.. but then again.. it’s certainly an interesting topic of discussion if you do happen to be wearing one!

[Check it out via technabob]

Technorati Tags: Chrome Calculator Belt Buckle