News Archive for 07/05/11

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Scottevest intros new gadget-ready clothing

05/11, 6:10pm

Scottevest Polo and Hoodie

Scottevest has unveiled two new additions to its "Technology Enabled Clothing" line, designed to ease the process of carrying devices like Apple's iPod. The SeV Performance Polo shirt features a zippered chest pocket and "Personal Area Network" holes that allow wearers to run cords in and out. Hidden loops keep earbuds from tangling, and the shirt is available in black, grey or olive tones. The SeV Ultimate Hoodie comes only in black but boasts 11 pockets designed for everything from music players to change and sunglasses. The front pockets seal magnetically, and the apparel offers extra holders for keys and a bottle. The hoodie also inherits Scottevest's Polo PAN and earbud features. The SeV Ultimate Hoodie is slated for shipment in June for $70, while the Polo is already available for $45.

Gear4 launches iPod speakers with Bluetooth

05/11, 2:10pm

Gear4 HouseParty Blu

Gear4 today marked the release of the HouseParty Blu, an iPod speaker dock with the important addition of an onboard Bluetooth receiver. The technology lets the 30-watt stereo play music from A2DP-supporting cellphones or any other source using the wireless standard while still freeing up ports on the main system. Gear4 also includes a minimalist touchscreen for controlling playback as well as a remote that can separately navigate the speakers as well as the iPod itself. A line-in jack provides a hook for the iPod shuffle or other wired-only music players without Apple's Dock Connector.

Study: iPods interfere with pacemakers

05/11, 10:15am

iPod, pacemaker study

A new study presented by a 17-year-old Michigan high school student found that Apple's iPod portable media players can cause pacemakers -- small cardiac implants designed to monitor the hearts of people at risk of heart failure -- to misread heart pacing or fail entirely. The study which tested the effect of iPods on 100 patients with a mean age of 77 outfitted with pacemakers found that the portable players caused electrical interference 50 percent of the time when the iPod was held 2-inches from the patient's chest for 5-10 seconds, according to Reuters. The study examined iPods exclusively, and the results were presented to a meeting of heart specialists on Thursday. iPods caused pacemaker interference when held 18-inches from the chest in some cases, and in one particular instance caused the pacemaker to stop functioning entirely.