A few companies have tried to make clothing and accessories gadget-friendly. The results have been mixed, particularly when the item actually includes electronics. Butron is trying its hand with the Headphone Beanie, a winter hat with embeded headphones.
The Gadgeteer published a surprisingly favorable review of the Headphone Beanie, saying:
Sound through the Burton Headphone Beanie is surprisingly awesome! There is a definite difference between the sound you get from earbuds and in-ear headsets versus an around-ear headset or actual speakers sitting on top of your ears. Volume levels would be excellent in any type of noisy environment and the slim line of the speakers would keep the wearer from looking like they were walking around with an obvious head-set on.
I think that this beanie might be a good accessory for use at a ski area. The wearer would probably be able to hear voices and sounds in the immediate vicinity better than if he or she were wearing in-ear headphones. Someone should try to come up with a design similar to this for biking helmets. [ via Engadget ]