A pair of University of Washington students have begun promoting a bra they say can discreetly and comfortably be used to store iPhones, iPods, credit cards and more for women not carrying purses and who don't want to ask a companion to store the stuff in their pants pockets.
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JoeyBra (yes, the name comes from kangeroo moms carryng baby joeys in their pouch) has stretchy pockets built in on each side under the arm to store item, and co-creator Mariah Gentry says that while it might feel funny for a few seconds, like earrings, you get used to it quickly. She and fellow entrepreneur Kyle Bartlow are pitching their creation on startup funding site Kickstarter, where at this writing they had attracted 124 backers and nearly $6,000.
(One commenter on the site with a suspiciously similar name to one of the co-founders writes: "Won't be long before this catches the eye of Victoria Secret!")
The JoeyBra creators emphasize that just because their product is practical, doesn't mean its ugly. The bra demonstrated is push-up, lacy and spots leopard spots.
The bra is initially being sold at the University of Washington campus and online. Funding will be used to support sales and help the business expand to create new women's dual-purpose clothing and accessories, such as a sports bra that can also store smartphones and other items.
JoeyBra, of course, isn't the first attempt to meld computing devices and clothing. In fact, Google and others are looking to create wearable computers using advanced nanotechnologies.
Maybe Apple should consider stocking up on some JoeyBras for its female employees with access to iPhone 5 prototypes. As you might recall, Apple employees have had trouble hanging onto its prototype smartphones in the the past.
And if only the JoeyBra had come along earlier for that woman caught smuggling iPhones into Israel last year in her clothes. Although it seems she would have had to make a lot of trips since the JoeyBra can only hold a couple of phones at time.
Bob Brown tracks network research in his Alpha Doggs blog and Facebook page, as well onTwitter and Google +.
