If you live in London, I encourage you to drop by the V&A to check out two garments, a shawl and a cape, woven entirely from spider silk.  1.2 million Golden Orb spiders were employed to create the beautiful cape on display. The cape itself is not dyed; the golden color is the natural hue of the spider's silk.  The garment took over 3 years to produce and 80 people to weave and embroider. 

The project was the brainchild of American fashion designer Nicholas Godley and British art historian and textile expert Simon Peers. 

The material is extremely strong and incredibly light. And as Godley himself describes:…

With last week's introduction of the Nike+ Fuelband, the competition for the best digital pedometer begins. The three contenders are the Nike+ Fuelband, Jawbone Up and the Fitbit Ultra. 

As a disclaimer, I have not used any of these devices so the following comparison is purely based on their feature sets. If you have used any of these gadgets, please share your experiences in the comments below. 

Let's start with the sensors. All three pretty much use a 3 axis accelerometer to determine movement. The Fitbit also includes an altimeter which measures the altitude of an object so it can tell if you are climbing stairs. 

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Just in case you missed it, Adafruit designed a new robust wearable electronics platform named Flora. The video above explains all its features.

Can't wait to get my hands on it!

It's conference season and the first must attend conference of the year is Smart Fabrics 2012 taking place April 17-19 in Miami. Join me this year to meet some of the major players from the fashion, electronics, research, academia, and action sports industry.

In addition to the wonderful talks (see full conference agenda here), two pre-conference workshops are offered. I'm particularly looking forward to the "Electronic Textile Interface Swatch Book Workshop" led by Clint Zeagler.

Below is a description of the workshop (including schedule):

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.... allow your baby to sleep comfortably and securely in a blanket with temperature control...... handwoven by helena loermans in climayarn (Schoeller) wicks moisture outwards, warms in cold weather and largely prevents heat accumulation....  more info http://helenaloermans.blogspot.com

A few years ago, I swapped my over priced ergonomic chair for a bright pink bouncy yoga ball in hopes of alleviating lower back pain that came with the territory of being glued to a screen for up to 12 hours a day. I assumed it was my posture and the yoga ball was the key to "engaging my abs" and preventing me from slouching. But after a few weeks, I somehow managed to figure out how to cheat "the ball." 

Bad posture  — we're all guilty of it — can certainly lead to back pain and eventually headaches. And solutions are tricky — ergonomic chairs and desks are great but I rarely work in the same location all week long. 

Wearable solutions seem like a  logical fit, but do they work? A student at Carnegie Mellon University, Tobias Sonne has designed a set of "Posture Suspenders" that alert the user with a buzz when he is slouching. Unlike the current products on market that use an…

From robotic exoskeletons to programmable bodies, these three Ted talks explore the boundaries of the flesh, computation and wearable robotics. 

Amber Case: We are all cyborgs now

Eythor Bender's Exoskeletons 

MIT's Hugh Herr's Bionic Ankles

It's not often that we see e-textiles used as an elixir for stress. As much as LEDs can be a shriek for attention (look no further than the Black Eyed Peas stagewear) , they also can be used to create a meditative environment according to AHO design students. 

Developed by Coralie Rocque, Maria Bacus Edvardsen and Aleksander Imset Wassum, Slenduro is an electronic wind chime designed to create a "a relaxing interactive installation." Part of the charm of the installation is its use of natural materials such as wool and home…

PIXELVERSITY. OPEN DESIGN, CRAFT, AND MANUFACTURING

We invite you to explore the marriage of traditional embroidery and electronics in an e-textile workshop, on Saturday and Sunday 17.-18.3.2012.

Embracing crafting traditions and open design, the workshop takes place in Helsinki as a part of Pixelversity 2012. Your embroidered creations will be exhibited as a collaborative art piece after the  workshop at Camp Pixelache Open Design Stalls on 12.5.2012.

For more info please click here.

Register now if you wish to join the workshop!

http://eembroidery.wordpress.com/register/

You are also free to drop by and witness the crafting in progress. More information and the program:
http://eembroidery.wordpress.com/

For the cost of a pair of Louboutins, you can now design and print your very own custom shoes at home. The Cube by 3D Systems is the first "consumer" 3D printer that is not a kit. Retailing for $1299 it's difficult not to place this 3D printer on your must have list for 2012. Plus the print resolution looks fantastic! 

Not too savvy with 3D modeling software? Cubify is their online community that allows users to upload, share and sell digital files. With 3D modeling pioneers like Freedom of Creation contributing to the community, it makes getting a Cube for my studio this year  even harder to resist. …