The North Face brings iPod controls to the sleeves of two new winter jackets
10:33 am, December 22nd, 2009, John Brownlee
The iPod is always a tricky thing to manipulate in this chapping, frostbiting weather. In the December wind, the hand freezes quickly in a contorted, blue-skinned claw around the iPod Classic; fingers pressed against the iPhone’s frigid touchscreen tend to break off like icicles at the tips.
For iPod manipulation in these hypothermic months, then, a solution, courtesy of alpine gear makers, The North Face. They’ve just introduced two new jackets — the Hustle Audio Jacket for guys, the Femphonic Audio Jacket for women — which builds an iPod remote right into the sleeves. You can change tracks, play, pause and wiggle the volume around without once exposing your fingers to the ice-fanged bite of the season.
North Face jackets tend to be expensive, so you can expect to pay $350 for both the Hustle and Femphonic audio jackets, but while that’s a couple hundred dollars more than what you can theoretically buy an off-brand winter coat for, it’s only a $50 premium over North Face’s usual coat prices.
Posted by John Brownlee in Clothing, News, Top stories, iPod | Comment on this article
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I wonder whether it works with the iPhone.
I bought a Tog24 jacket with this feature. As soon as you plug it in the iPhone complains that it isn’t compatible and suggests going into aircraft mode. If you don’t, you get interference from the iPhone’s GSM transmissions coming through the headphones. Of course if you agree, your iPhone isn’t much of a phone for the duration.
I think it’s because they used really cheap, unshielded components in the jacket.
Very disappointing, considering what the jacked cost me. I hope North Face have done better.
Matthew Ralston, on December 22nd, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I agree with the Matthew Ralston viewpoint!,but whatever,
ipod + The North Face jacket is great idea!
junsz, on January 4th, 2010 at 1:07 pm