Put grandma to work with this iPad power-generating rocking chair

Motion-powered generators are becoming a trend in tech-infused clothing, furniture, and accessories ... but none have targeted an older audience quite like this iRock rocking chair.

Who says technology is only made for the new generation? While my grandmother may not be cool enough to answer emails and text messages, she does know how to work an iPad. So if you’re visiting sweet old grams and realize your tablet is low on battery, just ask her to hang out in her rocking chair to generate extra juice in that iPad.

Yep, you really can play out that scenario. The iRock chair is built to not only dock an iPad or iPhone for your viewing pleasure, it will also generate battery power as the chair swings back and forth. Built-in 25-watt speakers align the sides of the headrest so grandma to rock out to her classic jams. And yes, adapters for the iPhone 5 Lightning connector will be included if you’re that caught up on the latest gadgets on the market.

“The iRock is an product that explores how furniture can interact with technology and actually support the power for this technology,” the iRock product page reads. “If you use iRock for 60 minutes you can recharge an iPad 3 to 35%.”

Not sure how fast granny would have to swing to get such power back onto your mobile devices, but any charge at all is better than leaving the tablet out to drain. Micasa Lab, the creator of the iRock, says Android compatibility is not yet available but it is something the company aims to add in the near future. Theoretically, one would only need to buy the chair along with various adapters to fit whichever mobile device you want to rock and charge.

The iRock is crafted with Swedish pine wood and will be available in five color options: Black, White, Pink, Green, and Blue. How much will you have to spend for some technological porch accessory? The iRock is available now for a pretty price of €1,300 (or approximately US$1,680), with an estimated shipment date of late 2013. But for a happy grandma, perhaps that sticker tag is priceless.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Japanese clothing giant Uniqlo launches online store for US consumers

Are you the kind of person that's fine buying an item of clothing without first trying it on and checking yourself in a mirror for an inordinate amount to check it's really 'you' before deciding whether to buy it? If so, you may be interested to know that Japanese clothing giant Uniqlo this week launched an online store for shoppers just like you.

If you live in the US, chances are it’s a bit of a drive to your nearest Uniqlo store. Like around a thousand miles.

But from this week there’s another way to check out the wares of the Japanese clothing giant – the Web.

The company – which occupies a similar space to Gap, H&M and Zara, offering stylish clothes at reasonable prices – launched an online store for US customers this week as part of a long-term strategy to expand its business in the country.

Uniqlo currently only has five stores in the US – in San Francisco, New York and New Jersey – but is hoping to increase its bricks-and-mortar presence in a big way, with plans to open up to 60 new stores over the next two years and earn $10 billion in sales by 2020, Reuters reports.

Rival clothing firm Gap has had an e-commerce site up and running since 1997, while Zara launched its own online service just over a year ago. H&M says it’ll be launching an online store in mid-2013.

While many fashion chains may offer only a fraction of their retail store inventory on their online shopping site, Uniqlo says it’ll be including everything in its Web-based store. In fact, it’s actually offering more items, with the addition of extra sizes such as XXS and XXL. Free standard shipping is available if orders exceed $100 ($7 fee for orders under $100), with items arriving in one to five days.

Keeping the Web-based store up to date will be no easy task, and could prove to be a costly exercise too. “You need to have photographs of everything. You need to be able to zoom in and zoom out, turn the image 360 degrees,” Paula Rosenblum, an analyst for Retail Systems Research, told Reuters. “When you’re turning merchandise eight to nine times a year, that’s expensive.” But Uniqlo evidently sees it as a price worth paying in its quest to make an impact in the US market.

Part of the Fast Retailing Company, Uniqlo is currently the world’s fourth biggest apparel retailer with more than 1,100 stores in over 12 countries.

You can check out the clothing company’s new online store here.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Never lose a sock again with RFID-chipped socks

Definitely helpful when attempting to locate the sock the dryer supposedly ate, socks with RFID chips brings a digital spin to laundry.

Detailed on the Blacksocks site, the clothing company has added a radio ID tag to a line of socks that allows consumers to keep track of the footwear within the bedroom or when being washed. The Swiss company attached the tag at the top of the socks and it can be scanned with the included RFID reader. Shaped like a small garage door remote control, the RFID reader communicates with an iPhone over Bluetooth in order to transmit specific information about the sock. Within the Blacksocks application, the user will be able to match up the same two socks over and over in addition to tracking data like the amount of times that the sock has been washed or the original production date of each individual sock. 

However, anyone can download the iPhone application in order to use the camera tool to measure the black level of their current socks. Using the iPhone camera, the application measures the black level on the image and offers a recommendation regarding the purchase of newer socks. The camera also takes a light reading on a white surface in order to calibrate the application for the room’s lighting.

Regarding keeping track of socks with the application, the app allows the user to pair socks together. If a sock is destroyed or fades after repeated washing, it can be paired with another tagged sock using the app.

Called the Plus+ socks, the radio ID tag looks like a small button on the outside of each sock. The socks are mostly made out of Peruvian pima cotton and basically look like a standard dress sock.

However, the socks are definitely on the expensive side. Blacksocks sells 10 pairs of RFID-tagged socks in three different sizes along with the RFID reader for a steep price of $189. In addition, replacement Plus+ socks can be purchased in 10-pair allotments without the RFID reader for $120. 

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com