Viral Style: Sleep-Depriving Watches, Air Conditioning Shoes, And Selfie-Themed Clothing

Hot, sweaty feet getting you down this summer? Japanese brand Sanko have come up with a solution. The “USB Exhilarating Shoes Cooler” (thanks, online translator) is a clip-on fan for footwear that stops your feet getting overheated by sending a cool breeze to circulate around the shoe. Made of soft silicon, the fan can be connected to your computer via a USB cable for power when you’re at your desk, or you can try and use it outdoors if you have a battery and mobile phone at hand… yeah, we’re not sure if this one will take off either. However, it is possible to attach the device to other areas like a shirt or hat, which opens up the wearability a bit.

Ultra-small and light, researchers at Cornell University have developed the next gen in wearable life-trackers. Their BodyBeat prototype is a mobile sensing system capable of detecting a wide range of non-speech body sounds in everyday life – think coughing, eating and laughing – and plotting behavioural information based on the data.

The device is built out of a piezoelectric microphone attached to a 3D-printed neckpiece, capturing subtle body vibrations that contain information about the wearer’s dietary behaviour, respiratory physiology and affect. Sounds pretty technical now, but it’s innovations like these that point to a future where even smarter devices will be able to better understand their users and react to their environments in response.

Known for his creative approach to next-level photography (remember that iPhone-shot campaign he did for Diesel?), Nick Knight of SHOWstudio has teamed up with stylist Simon Foxton on a tricked-out menswear fashion film for V MAN magazine, inspired by the unique visual language of the Internet. Made alongside a matching editorial for the magazine, #asif explores the impact of our everyday exposure to this imagery with an intense series mixing digitally manipulated visuals. The garms featured look pretty sweet too, including styles by Been Trill, KTZ and Hood By Air.

In other SHOWstudio news, the site is currentlystocking a new two-piece capsule underwear collection by Russian designer Tigran Avetisyan, designed to make you look extra slick when you’re taking selfies. Yep, really. A monochrome coloured T-shirt and shorts combo comes complete with an ‘Us and Them’ slogan – which is mirrored, guaranteeing you get the most out of your bathroom shot (don’t pretend you don’t do them). The set retails for a mean £250, but hey, all those likes will pay for themselves right?

A.I. is getting smarter all the time, and over on Kickstarter a new project claims to have invented a ‘true next generation’ bot called J.A.E.S.A. Created by Canadian company Ainova Robotics, J.A.E.S.A. is a user-friendly A.I. who is able to think, learn, adapt and talk freely, along with virtual assistant capabilities like internet search, weather forecast and call and SMS answering.

Okay, I’ll say it – she’s also been designed to look pretty hot, if you’re into the whole non-human thing. J.A.E.S.A. can also integrate with the brand’s Smart House system (where she can basically run your home for you when you’re not there), along with the Warden app, enabling control over your device and home security. Let’s just hope she won’t get all Simpsons Ultrahouse 3000 on you.

If you’re anything like me, and have trouble staying awake sometimes (seriously, I can fall asleep standing up), then this is the accessory for you. Developed by US brand Blanc Watches, Spark is a wristwatch built to ensure you’ll never doze off during anything important ever again, whether you’re at the office, in lectures or just trying to struggle through the day after a really heavy night. The accessory is equipped with two motion sensors that keep track of your movement patterns over the course of a day, meaning it can detect when you’re in the process of falling asleep. When that happens, Spark vibrates to wake you up using a small vibration motor. Admittedly the design is a bit clunky, but if it stops you from getting fired, you should probably buy three. You can find out more on Spark’s Kickstarter page.