Technology has conquered the latest winter fashions with clothing keeping you not only warm and dry but fitted with anything from a cellphone display to multimedia or lighting systems.
British producer Berghaus is offering a fleece vest and gloves fitted with so-called heat-cell technology. Heating for up to three hours is powered by a battery that works without sensitive heat wires, according to the manufacturer.
Nike has developed the so-called Comm-Jacket, mainly for tour ski operators. It is fitted with an integrated microphone and earplugs and a plug for a walkie-talkie. The system is operated with a keyboard on the chest that can be used with gloves. On the long term, the company is working with Motorola to combine it with a cellphone.
An integrated control pad can also be found in the sleeve of a winter jacket produced by O’Neill to operate an MP3 player or cellphone. An MP3 player comes along with the jacket.
The world’s ”first communications and entertainment anorak”, selling for â,¬500, is also fitted with a Bluetooth module. Calls can be accepted over a headset integrated into the collar. The MP3 player can be stopped with a button to accept calls.
Bavarian firm Marmot Mountain Europe has developed what it calls the world’s first jacket with an integrated lighting system that is fitted into the sleeves and the hood. The jacket is selling for â,¬750.
The new technology makes it possible to read maps in the dark or to carry out small repairs. The anorak also offers more safety because it can be seen from a great distance in the dark. It was designed mainly for mountain climbers, guides and rescue workers. — Sapa-DPA