Solar Powered Necktie Is Not Exactly Ralph Lauren
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.18.08
I have never quite understood the purpose of neckties, and wear them only for visits to banks and funerals. However finally I find that there is one with a purpose: researchers at Iowa State University have developed a necktie made from solar fabrics. It even has a pocket in it to hold your camera or cellphone.
This is all over the net these days, but there is something suspiciously dated about the picture and the width of the tie. If you search on Iowa State and solar fabrics, all leads back to Iowa Thin Film Technologies, now called Powerfilm, which makes a flexible solar fabric for roofs and military applications, and has been around since 1988. It looks similar, too. They say that their Powerfilm can be integrated with roofing or architectural fabrics.
Could it be that this necktie was a Powerfilm party joke? Does anyone know? via ::Dvice
UPDATE: no, it is not a powerfilm joke, it is the "APPLICATION OF DIGITAL TEXTILE PRINTING TECHNOLOGY TO INTEGRATE PHOTOVOLTAIC THIN FILM CELLS INTO WEARABLES" by J.S Hyneck, J.R Campbell and K.M Bowden from 2005. More from the Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management via ::Clean Technica
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yesterday i read a post about a little solar energy hand bag in Inhabitat and now i see the solar power tie in here. Apparently they are developed and designed by the same ppl (as the model up there looks very similar to the guy that design the solar hand bag.)
There is one more similar aspect between these 2 product - they are both ugly!
Moreover I am not sure about the efficiency of this Powerfilm. No one is going to have a sun bath in there suit and tie for 4 or 5 hours...
Anyway, not a big fan
MTSK
Colors of Swallowtail
I'm pretty sure the ties exist to punish men for our ancestors having made women wear dresses.
I like neckties. I am short-waisted and neckties lengthen the torso and make a person look slimmer.
I think their true purpose is as genital advertisement. It's a big arrow pointing to your crotch. =)
I like the idea of the solar necktie - but man it is ugly.
Yeah, I guess I could use the little AC adaptor that was included with my cell phone when I bought it, to charge it up.
But that wouldn't be nearly overly-complicated, expensive, ugly and unreliable enough.
I think I'll buy one of these laughably hideous ties, instead, because that would make sense.
OK, so it's a great idea to be able to wear solar power. My husband is at work at lot but away from a power outlet, pacing outside on his cell, he could get power from this. although a better alternative is the Solio. cheap and works wonders! Cheers