It’s no secret that we’re experiencing an outrageously hot summer. Some places in the world are literally breaking records with their sweltering temperatures, while others are hitting numbers high enough to make residents wonder if maybe summer is even worth it .
But it’s still only July, and we still have more summer weather to endure, so how are we supposed to beat the heat? Ice cream helps, I guess, if you don’t mind the sticky mess and the calories. Pools are cool if you have them. And A/C units can make a hot day bearable, if you’re inside, that is.
But there may soon be an A/C solution for those times when you’re not sitting beside a wall unit.
Imagine if you could have your air conditioning on your person anytime and anywhere.
According to Verge , Sony is in the midst of making that unbelievable dream a reality. Sure, you could just carry a battery-operated hand fan around with you. But their nifty new device titled the Reon Pocket goes one very important step further and actually fits inside your shirt.
This portable and wearable cooling device is currently being crowdfunded in Japan.
These units are compact and fit snugly inside the pockets of specially designed shirts, allowing for cool air circulation throughout your entire body. When placed inside the shirt, the device sits right against the back of your neck, and can either blast cold or warm air, depending on the season and your need.
Simply control it with a phone app and let your mini A/C do all the work!
Sony says the effects of these units are incredible, with each one able to cool you by 13 degrees Celsius, or 23 degrees Fahrenheit.
For when the weather takes a turn and you suddenly aren’t quite so needy for brisk air, the Reon Pocket can be used as a heater and warm you up by 8 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit).
These gadgets work by using something called the “Peltier effect.”
Basically, a small electrical current is utilized to allow each unit to either absorb, thus cooling the user, or give out heat, thus warming them up.
A two-hour charge will offering you 90 minutes of cooling/warming air, which sounds like a pretty sweet deal.
Right now, the units’ prices start at ¥12,760 or about $117 USD.
You can find the products on Sony’s crowdfunding page .
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Now, there is a bit of bad news. The Reon Pocket won’t actually be shipped out until March 2020, so you won’t be able to pick one up to help you out this summer. But might as well think ahead for next summer and beat the heat before it even has a chance to throw you for a loop!
h/t: The Verge