Forget traditional socks and jumpers this Christmas—technology and fashion are merging in innovative ways. The BBC has highlighted some of the most unusual tech-fashion hybrids, from RFID-tagged socks to GPS-enabled shoes.
Swedish company Smarter Socks has developed socks with embedded RFID chips, designed to solve the perennial problem of odd socks. Each pair has a unique identifier, and a 'sock sorter' device scans them via NFC and Bluetooth, linking to an iPhone app that locates lost matches. The app also tracks sock blackness and offers replacements. A starter pack with one sorter and ten pairs costs £119.
English shoemaker Dominic Wilcox created 'No Place Like Home' shoes, inspired by The Wizard of Oz. These shoes have a GPS receiver in the left heel, allowing wearers to upload a destination via USB. Clicking the heels three times activates the navigation, guiding them home. The shoes were showcased at the London Design Festival and may go into production.
For those who want to wear their social media, the T-shirt OS, a collaboration between Ballantines and Cute Circuit, displays pictures, Twitter feeds, and plays music. An Android version is planned. Cute Circuit also made a Twitter dress for Nicole Scherzinger, encrusted with Swarovski crystals, which displayed tweets during a 4G launch event.
