Hi All,
What a week it has been, from the Charles Sattchi revelations through to the sad death of James Gandolifini, it has been a week of great sadness. The good news thous is that it is Friday – WHOOP. Time to forget the week and move forward into the weekend with hope and courage.
This weeks Feel Good Friday News come courtesy of the start of festival season – as you all know it is my favorite season of the year. So, for today’s news, we are looking at the blending of technology and fashion, to showcase the latest release from Vodafone, that will let you charge your phone at festivals, from the comfort of your own pocket. Yes you did read that right. I present to you the Power Shorts.
The Concept
We have all been there. You are witnessing your favorite band, up close and you reach for your phone to take that icon photo. You pull it out and realize that you are down to your last bar of power and it’s only day one. What do you do? Well, I have taken my phone to the charge points before, stood next to it for an hour, missing out on the music for the sake of my phone. However this is all set to change.
Welcome to the Power shorts. the actual name for the product is the Power Pocket and this should give you the general idea straight off the bat. There are two prototypes currently being trialed, so hopefully it wont be too long before they come into fruition. The first is a vintage effect pair of shorts, they are actually more like hot pants and the second is a sleeping bag with a front charging pocket. The product had it’s grand debut at the Isle of Wight Festival, being met with high acclaim.
The pockets work using a ‘smart’ material, I am not sure what this means, but it sounds good. This material contains thermoelectric modules which use your body heat and mix it with the electric voltage in the air. Thus charging the phone in your pocket. I am guessing that the longer you dance for, the better your charge will be – a great excuse to let yourself get funky! The general concept for this form of electric charge is known in physics as the Seebeck effect.
Concept and development has been a collaboration between the University of Southampton and Vodafone. The idea for the material has been developing since the late 80′s and due to the blending of a huge technology company and a powerful education establishment, it looks like the idea is about to hit the stores. Trialing will continue throughout the festival season, with Stephan Beeby, Professor of Electronic Systems at Southampton’s commenting that we should get this outcome;
“Eight hours in the sleeping bag, roughly speaking, will provide 24 minutes of talk time and 11 hours of standby time. That’s assuming the inside of the sleeping bag is 37 degrees [Fahrenheit]—human body temperature,” (source - http://www.ecouterre.com/vodafones-power-shorts-use-body-heat-to-charge-your-cellphone/)
What do you think? Would you buy a pair of these shorts, or even the sleeping bag? I for one will be looking too get my hands on the sleeping bag for festivals and of course my obsession with my yurt.
