Trying to stay hip in the clothing world is hard business. It’s no wonder clothing companies are always looking for that extra special something to keep them from becoming a dud. The latest case in point? The Levi’s Mobile Phone.

The Levi’s Mobile Phone, being developed for the European market by Paris-based ModeLabs Group, will reportedly be ready for public use this September. The phone is being offered in metallic silver, black and brown copper colors. There looks also to be feminine “shiny silver” and “shiny sand” editions featuring a mirror screen. The mobile will have a compact design and a riveted steel casing. Levi’s is adding a detachable chain to both make the phone a fashion statement and let one fasten it to jeans or bags.

Feature wise, Levi’s isn’t revealing too much about the phone yet. The company said the phone will let one “connect, …

Hey, remember those bottle-opener sandals we told you about last year? Well, just in case you want to make sure that you have some booze handy when the need arises you may want to pick up the Dram Sandals from Reef.

Imagine the following: it’s a hot summer day. You and your buds are splashing around in the surf and then you spy some hotness approaching. You have an empty glass but what do you have to offer the lovely ladies to drink?? Aha, that’s right, you’re wearing your booze shoes! Just reach down, take one of your soles off and pour out some of your finest drink to offer the fair damsel.

Of course, the shoe makes for an excellent conversation starter too, and people far away will just see you pouring your shoes into a glass …

For those of you that love getting high but don’t like to feel the cold, Grado Zero Espace’s Quota Zero mountain jacket is the best we’ve found so far. This limited edition was made with the needs of mountain climbers in high altitude environments in mind and uses several space age materials and engineering designs to make it perfect against protecting yourself from wind chill. The jacket’s external layer is waterproof and wind resistant but also allows moisture to escape from your body. The jacket has reinforced zones on the shoulders and padded material on the back to cushion the load of your backpack, durable padding on the elbows and extended covering over the back of your hands to protect this part of you from the elements. There’s also a patented portion called Pro-Hand which will protect you from losing your …

Imagine being able to play Donkey Konga without the need for the bongos, or play virtual tag online without the need for a keyboard, joystick or Wii nunchuk. The technonauts at Engineered Fibre Structures at the University of Manchester have come up with what could be the next big step in gaming: an electronic glove with a Bluetooth wireless connection that lets the wearer control and talk to the gizmos around them.

The patented device is made from soft nylon or acrylic material and stretches over your hand just like any other glove. Underneath the fabric are conductive pathways that are connected to sensors located in the fingertips of the glove, so when you make a connection (like say putting your index and middle fingers together in a line), a command is registered. Remember Tom Cruise shuffling pages and files around in …

Quiksilver, a leader in outdoor sporting apparel and Plantronics of Bluetooth technology fame have announced a partnership that aims to outfit outdoor enthusiasts with Bluetooth-enabled sports gear. The new line of products is designed to give outdoor enthusiasts a seamless experience to go from one environment to the next while staying continuously connected to their mobile devices.

The new line of apparel and accessories will integrate Quiksilver’s outdoor sports lineup with Bluetooth equipped mobile phones, iPods and MP3 players. Plantronics’ technology will be embedded within the Quiksilver apparel and accessories and allow stereo sound to stream wirelessly from compatible products so that users can play and control music as well as answer incoming calls.

The clothing will be designed for both men and women and will be found under the Quiksilver and Roxy brands. The inaugural collection of apparel and accessories …

I’m beginning to accept the fact that it isn’t going to end anytime soon, and have just succumb to the explosion of iPod accessories.

This rendition happens to be called the “Beat Buckle” (thank you for not calling it the iBuckle) and is an actual belt buckle that is made from durable clear plastic designed to hold the Apple iPod Nano or iPod Video. A actual belt does not come with the Beat Buckle, nor does an iPod but the case will work with any belt that supports a removable buckle. If you don’t have one Beat Buckle can also sell you a belt along with the case if needed.

The Beat Buckle case has ports for headphones and the iPod functionality is completely accessible when inside and sells for just under $30 USD.

Oh, and if you’re …

This is one for those World of Warcraft gamers who can’t be bothered by things like personal hygiene. Scientists have developed clothing with special molecules that repel water and oil and also kill bacteria.

The materials were designed for the United States Air Force for use in under garments. The t-shirts and underwear can be worn for several weeks without changing.

Before you dismiss this technology as trivial you should learn of the reasons behind the development. According to Jeff Owens, one of the researchers of the technology, “During Desert Storm, most casualties were from bacterial infections-not accidents or friendly fire. We treated underwear for soldiers who tested them for several weeks and found they remained hygienic. They also helped clear up some skin complaints.”

So the self cleaning or more aptly described dirt and germ repelling under garments can …

Traveling can sometimes make it difficult to keep gadgets charged up, especially when hiking or spending time in remote areas. This backpack from Voltaic Systems has three durable, waterproof solar panels across the back of it which generate up to 4 watts of power, which is plenty to charge up your things.

Inside the backpack there are channels that run throughout the pack and shoulder straps to run wires through which can power and charge various items. A 2,200mAh Li-Ion battery and eleven adapters also come with the Voltaic Backpack to hook up to a wide variety of gadgets and run them temporarily with no power source. The battery has three different voltage settings available to store the solar power.

When riding in the car or indoors, the solar backpack also contains adapters to charge your gadgets and it’s battery through a standard …

Many times I have been sitting in a room working away on my PC wishing my feet were not so cold. If only there were a way to warm them up, maybe with electricity that I don’t have to plug into a wall outlet? Maybe with electricity from my computers USB port?!?!

Well, after intensive searching I’ve found my solution. These USB slippers are the answer to the cold feet problem of computer geeks everywhere. They are two independently adjusted foot warmers that plug into the USB port on your computer and heat up to the desired setting to keep your feet warm. No electrical outlet needed.

The cords come at 118cm in length, but any USB extension cable can make them longer, and you can adjust the heat and power on/off for each slipper with an inline control. The heater portion is zipped …

Oakley and Motorola teamed up to make these O ROKR sunglasses / headset. The sunglasses are made from light weight “O Matter” weighing about 54 grams so that they can be comfortable for extended periods of time. The lenses are interchangeable (comes with one set) and they are made from Plutonite to filter 100% of all UV rays.

What makes this a cool gadget is the fact that the O ROKR glasses double as a Bluetooth wireless headset. You can use the dual ear pieces attached to the sunglasses to listen to a Bluetooth enabled phone or a music player with Bluetooth or a Bluetooth adapter. You can also take calls from your phone on the O ROKR glasses like you would with a normal Bluetooth headset.

The glasses have functionality built into them to remotely operate the playing devices. You can control volume, answer …

StrideLite has taken reflective jackets to the next level for lighted safety while running or walking in the dark. This jacket not only has reflective strips, but also has bright, blinking strobe lights to ensure you will be noticed while biking, running or walking at night.

The StridLite jackets have designs for men and women, and come in hardshell and softshell designs. Products also include a running belt and an umbrella. The strobe light embedded jackets are completely water proof, very light weight and run off of 2 “AAA” batteries that give the lights over 300 hours of run time.

StrideLite says that more gear is coming soon, such as hydration packs and vests.

More Info [Stridelite]

How many times have you been somewhere and gotten a bottle that’s not a twist off when you don’t have an opener?

I do not routinely carry an opener and I have been faced with this predicament many times. I would usually spend the next few minutes searching around the area for some fixture or hardware that even remotely resembles an opener and the whole time contemplating using my teeth against my better judgment.

Well, those days may be over with these new Men’s Bottle Opener Sandals by Reef. These cool flip-flop style sandals have a handy bottle opener on the bottom of the sole that works perfectly for removing the cap from your bottle, even without having to take them off if it’s your first or second.

If you are anything like me, you are probably wondering how well this really …