Given that it’s winter, it seems fitting that startup ThermalTech would announce an Indiegogo campaign on what it calls “the world’s first solar-powered smart fabric” to help you stay warm without having to layer up when venturing outside.
The clothing is made from stainless steel yarn, which absorbs energy from the sun and artificial light sources, and then generates up to 18 degrees Fahrenheit of heat in only two minutes, despite already being cold outside. However, the cold range isn’t very wide, according to the company’s Indiegogo description, saying that it “works great from 55-30-degrees (F).”
Designed to be water-repellent, ultra-thin, and lightweight, the stainless steel is mesh fabric meant to be breathable and lighter than other heat-storing materials found in other outerwear. ThermalTech claims that up to three pounds of weight can be shed from what other winter jackets currently have. They also say it’s completely safe to throw in the washing machine.
While the company notes that other types of clothing, including shirts and pants, can be made the same way, it’s starting out with jackets first in this crowdfunding campaign.
There are three different styles in various colors for both men and women. Street, coming in dark blue and green, is supposed to be the fashionable one. Explorer, coming light blue and red, is casual. Extreme, in black or gray, is aimed at being active outdoors in the cold. The latter two are generally made for spending more time outdoors, with an extra bit of material to make them a tad bit warmer off the bat. All come with hoodies attached and exits for headphones.
The Early Bird special is limited, but does offer 50 percent off on all jackets for those who get in as early backers, starting at $139 with the discount applied. All the styles will still be available after the early bird is filled up on the Indiegogo page.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.