Researchers at Imperial College of London and a company called Fabrican are perfecting an aerosol fabric that can be spritzed onto the body to create T-shirts, dresses, and even pants for those who can never get them tight enough.

The canned couture will be on display this week at the college's Science in Style fashion show.

How does it work? The aerosol technology creates a thin layer of light, textured, nonwoven fibers that have the look of interconnected snowflakes. Fabrican says its benefits include allowing wearers to "personalize their wardrobes in infinite combinations."

According to Fabrican, the sprayed fabric can be peeled off, washed, worn again, perfumed, and even decorated to create patterns. In the demonstrations, researchers create an elaborate dress on a model as well as a white, strapless blouse on a mannequin (watch video below), folding down its edges for a sweet ruffle above the bust. Green scrolls are sprayed on the blouse for decorative impact.

"When I first began this project I wanted to make a futuristic, seamless, quick, and comfortable material," Manel Torres, a Spanish fashion designer and academic visitor at Imperial College said in a statement.

"In my quest to make the fabric, I ended up returning to the earliest principles of the earliest textiles, such as felt, which were also produced by taking fibers and finding a way of binding them together without having to weave or stitch them."

Torres worked with Paul Luckham, a professor of particle technology, to make the fabric. No word on when the product will be available for retail. Watch the amazing videos below for more details!

This dress, made from old computer wires, is by designer Tina Sparkles for the Keep Austin Beautiful Recycled Fashion Show. Sparkles calls the dress an “art project” and says it took her all summer to build. But lucky for us, she also has a book called Little Green Dresses with 50 far more practical patterns for re-used/recycled apparel. And if you’re interested in cutting back on your own “e-waste,” Sparkles offers more info on her website.

London-based fashion company CuteCircuit has just upped the ante in the Little Black Dress category.The company recently released images and a few details about its forthcoming M-Dress, a dark, richly textured, form-fitting silk jersey dress that also doubles as a cellphone. That’s right, you can make and receive calls with your current mobile number. From your dress.

Simply slip your SIM card underneath the garment label and you’re all set. The dress has special gesture recognition software that makes picking up a call as simple as raising a hand to your ear. (And yes, the dress rings. We were told that the default ring sounds like “Dilidilidilidliin dliin dliin.” Make of that what you will.) Dropping your hand will end the call, the manufacturer claims.

The dress will only be able to call a couple of pre-programmed numbers, CuteCircuit spokesperson Francesca Rosella informed us, pointing out that one of those numbers could be an operator’s. You will also be able to attach different ringtones to different numbers, so that you can determine who is calling.

The antenna, Rosella told us, is “super tiny” and stitched into the bottom hem of the dress, which rests at about knee-height. “We did this,” she explained, “so that antenna radiation is not near the head as with normal phones.”

Unfortunately, the garment won’t be out until sometime in 2011, and the company has not yet revealed the price. Given that an electronics-free dress from the company costs about $200, it won’t be cheap — but compare it to the amount you, your wife or your girlfriend spent on clutches last year, and it may not seem so expensive after all.

Source

Some people get a real high from driving fast cars. Others just like the windswept look. Now, for both types, there’s a new hair dryer by Conair made with parts from Ferraris and mimicks the design of the Italian sports car. "The industry has been dominated by advancements in the straightening iron category, and nothing has really been done with blow dryers," BaByliss's David Gardiner told WWD. Volare is the first dryer to use a ball bearing design, which is especially useful to keep it running nice and smooth. It also has precision insert-molded construction for a lightweight feel and a turbo boost button to make airflow rev up, of course.

While most dryers' lives last 500-700 hours, the Volare runs 2,000 hours. It also packs an impressive 2,200 watts of power. Unfortunately, the dryer, which comes in a compact or medium size, is available for professionals only, but if you had the chance, would you like to take it for a test ride?

Wow, I was never aware of this!

Keeping Saudi Women Tagged By SMS
Text alerts for men when their female charges leave Saudi alone is the new frontline in the country's technology war

Want to know whether your wife, sister or daughter has left the county? Well, in Saudi Arabia, there's an app for that. Reportedly, male guardians or mahrams in Saudi Arabia are now receiving text message notifications when their female charges leave the country unaccompanied. "iMahram", as some jokingly call it. According to Wajeha al-Huwaider, a Saudi female activist, when she left the kingdom for a holiday with her family, her husband received a text message from the foreign ministry notifying him that she had departed.

"It is sad how Saudis use technology in a way not intended to be used for," she told The Media Line. "In Saudi Arabia, technology brings more restrictions and misery. They use it to have more control over people's lives, especially women."

Although Huwaider is summarily dismissed as an exhibitionist by some Saudi women (mainly for her regular attempts to leave the kingdom without her mahram's permission in order to highlight the limitations of the guardianship system), it is very likely that she was targeted due to her previous activities.

But it is nevertheless an indication that the authorities are becoming more inventive and resourceful with technology. Just as expatriates in the country are tethered to their native sponsors, women are tethered to their guardians, who, no matter how laissez-faire they may be, must still go through the bureaucratic rigmarole of granting permission for their female dependents to leave the country unaccompanied. Even then, the permission has to be renewed regularly. There is little scope for blanket licences from mahrams – ostensibly to ensure that they are not abused.

Read the full story HERE.

Recycling mobile phones and other consumer equipment
Motorola is a strong proponent and supporter of global environmental sustainability and recycling programs. On our own and in partnership with our carriers, customers, retailers and recyclers, we operate takeback programs across the globe.

Recycling mobile phones and other consumer equipment
Small products such as mobile phones, two-way radios, batteries and accessories can be dropped into our ECOMOTO Takeback bins at the following address:


Motorola Ltd
UASC Office Building
1st Floor, Airport Road
Shuwaikh
P.O. Box 330, Salmiya 22004

Kuwait Returned products are sorted to identify any components which can be re-used; other materials are recycled or disposed of in an environmentally responsible way.

Recycling business equipment
You should have received details on the process for dealing with waste electrical and electronic equipment from your Motorola sales channel. If you are not sure of the process, complete the Business Equipment Takeback Enquiry Form and a Motorola representative will respond as soon as possible.

Read more information regarding these wonderful green programs HERE, and let's help spread the word to the rest of our community!

Is that an iPhone, or makeup? Beauty meets the techie world in this new eyeshadow palette that looks eerily similar to the iPhone. It’s called the Eyemobile, and it includes 20 different eyeshadow colors, two applicators, and a built-in mirror. It’s so discreet, you might even be able to get away with doing your makeup in public!

Fun! 8-)