Archive notice: This article was originally published on October 8, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The US company ThinkGeek has developed a T-shirt with a built-in Wi-Fi detector. The garment has an electronic display on the front that shows whether a Wi-Fi network is in the vicinity. The detector searches for the 802.11b and 802.11g Wi-Fi standards and displays the strength of the wireless connection. However, the T-shirt does not reveal whether it is worth switching on the notebook, since it cannot distinguish between encrypted and open networks.
The illuminated display is powered by a battery sewn into the T-shirt. The days when you had to either activate the laptop or at least take the Wi-Fi finder in the form of a key ring out of your pocket are now over, it says on the ThinkGeek website, where it also points to the factor of increased attention from people in the vicinity and lays it on thick: “Finally you get the attention you deserve. Others will bow reverently before the Wi-Fi god. You can thank us later.” The T-shirt will be available in the online shop from the end of October and costs 30 dollars.
ThinkGeek specializes in more or less useful toys for technology freaks. For example, the online shop carries an 8-bit tie that, in pixelated retro design, is intended to recall the days of 8-bit video game heroes such as Super Mario & Co. In developing the USB Security Lock, on the other hand, the tinkerers had a practical basic idea. For about ten US dollars, the geek store sells four dummy USB plugs with which ports can be blocked for all other USB devices. This prevents unauthorized persons from connecting USB sticks or external hard drives to the computer and possibly introducing harmful software in the process. The security plugs can only be removed with the matching tool.
Further Links:
- ThinkGeek
