Walyou

iPhone-Friendly WTFJeans Are Water Repellant and Radiation-Proof

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 07:15 AM PDT

WTFJeans Water Repellant and Radiation Proof

Not that many clothes are created with the accommodation of specific gadgets in mind, but between iPhones and the WTFJeans there seems to be a very tight connection.

Zagreb, Croatia-based startup WTFJeans launched their gadget-friendly trousers in 2010, so this product is not particularly new. However, the third version, which you can see below, brings new things to the table. After all, a company needs to reinvent itself and its products from time to time, if it wants to spark the interest of its customers.

The most interest feature of the new version of WTFJeans is surely represented by the nano-layer that repels water. On top of that, one pocket features a copper-based radiation shield which might protect your body from the radiation emitted by your smartphone, in case you believe such theories.

Pedja Puselja, the founder of the WTFJeans, expressed his disappointment towards other manufacturers of clothes that don’t focus on gadget-loving people: “I have no idea why the big brands aren’t doing this. As a gadget lover, I just want to improve the jeans — that’s why we’re adding all these features.”

In an interview with Mashable, Puselja admitted why he decided to make these jeans iPhone-friendly: “I’m an iPhone user, and I wanted to associate the WTFJeans brand primarily with the iPhone. Perhaps in the future we will consider other models, but for now we’re only officially supporting the iPhone.” Well, as an Android-lover, I must admit that I’m quite disappointed by Puselja’s approach, especially since his company is in mainland Europe, where Google’s mobile OS reigns supreme.

The situation of the initial WTFJeans is a bit uncertain, as after taking a lot of pre-orders, Puselja had his funds blocked by PayPal after breaching the payment processing company’s terms of service: “What’s done is done. We did what we could to refund each and every customer the first time around. This is a different company now; only the brand is the same. We don’t handle payments through PayPal anymore, and we’re certain the same issues will not happen again.”

Whoever wants a pair of iPhone-friendly radiation- and waterproof jeans should head over to WTFJeans.com, where a pair can be bought for 127 euros ($175).

P.S.: Mindy Beaumont-Champollion asked on Mashable how do you has something that repels water, and another commenter pointed out that the WTFJeans have an ugly design, so this product’s success is not exactly guaranteed.

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Wilson Smart Basketball Features Performance-Tracking Sensors

Posted: 05 Apr 2014 12:30 PM PDT

For a second there, it definitely looked like the only piece of smart sports equipment was tennis rackets, but Wilson (ironically enough, also a manufacturer of tennis rackets) has just introduced a smart basketball which displays game stats using a companion app.

Obviously, Wilson is not manufacturing only tennis rackets and footwear, as even this basketball stands to prove, but it’s for the white sport that this company is best known for, as also emphasized on its website.

As all smart sports equipment, Wilson’s basketball features performance-tracking sensors that record data and transmit it wirelessly to a smartphone or a tablet. A companion app will be launched so that whoever buys the smart basketball is able to make sense of the data collected by the sensors.

Wilson developed this product in collaboration with Finnish AI firm SportIQ, whose real time tracking system means to be a real game changer in sports analytics. Some of the parameters tracked by the smart basketball include:

Running distance
Speed
Heat maps
Shooting accuracy through make or miss detection technology
Automated shot recognition
Distance of the shot

SportIQ’s system also provides overlays on video, allowing us to see the player controlling the basketball at the moment, as well as the basketball itself. Automated cameras would be able to follow either the basketball or the player who last touched it.

Needless to say, Wilson’s smart basketball could help players improve their technique by allowing them to see where they’re mistaking. More than that, by analyzing the trajectories in both offense and defense, a team could see the mistakes made by their adversaries and exploit them. Unfair? Maybe, but it’s a high-tech solution, and I’ll definitely turn a blind eye on that.

Wilson is planning to launch its smart basketball in the winter, so if you happen to known anyone tall enough to touch the rim of the basket, this would probably make the perfect gift for Christmas. Fortunately, basketball can be played in all seasons, either indoors or outdoors, so the Wilson smart basketball could be used used all year round by anyone who receives it as a gift.

Tom Gruger, Wilson’s VP of Digital, stated in an interview with Engadget that “Wilson is pursuing solutions in all of its primary sport categories. We’re excited by the roadmap ahead and feel that we can change the way that sport is approached.” In other words, expect to see some smart golf balls, footballs, baseballs, volleyballs and other such sports equipment coming your way from this manufacturer.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Sony smart tennis sensor that improves your swing and the Babolat Play smart tennis racket that connects to your smartphone to display stats.