Keeping connected while walking in rainy weather just got a little bit easier. The Phone-Brella from kt Design lets you text and use for phone for whatever without having to worry about the water damaging the all-too-delicate device.

Unlike other umbrellas that require you to awkwardly balance them on your shoulder while trying to hold down the handle with one forearm, the Phone-Brella’s handle hooks around your arm.

A counterweight lets the Phone-Brella balance easily on your shoulder, leaving both hands free but still protecting you from the weather.

It seems like sort of a silly invention, but one that will undoubtedly be useful for plenty of people who are frustrated with the weather making them miss important texts and even more important Candy Crush levels.

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Not all inventions are life-changers, but some of them are so simply clever that you can’t help but admire the ingenuity that went into creating them. Such is the case with the Morella, a simple little piece of plastic that means you can walk around outdoors, in the rain or snow, while carrying a drink or two and still have a free hand left over.

The idea for the Morella came to the inventor, Ross, when he was in a pub in Wales and needed to step outside to make a phone call. He didn’t want to leave his drink inside, obviously, so carried it out with him. It was raining, so he tried to balance his drink on a ledge while holding his umbrella with one hand and his phone with the other. He never did get to finish that drink because it fell from the ledge and got smashed to bits. But it wasn’t for nothing; this was his eureka moment.

His invention is simply a cup holder that attaches to the handle of any umbrella. When your boss sends you on a coffee run in the rain, or your friend elects you to go fetch the beers at a festival, or you just really don’t want to carry that searing hot paper cup in the pouring rain, the Morella will be there to help out. The holder has a cool pivot system that ensures your drinks stay upright, even if you change the position of your umbrella. The inventor and his team started a Kickstarter campaign to get the product off the ground and onto umbrella handles in time for Britain’s always-rainy outdoor summer music festivals.

The post Simpler Sipping: Swiveling Drink Holder Keeps Hands Free first appeared on Gajitz.

Walking around at night in the rain can be a dangerous activity since visibility is usually limited. Japanese company Century wants to keep people safe in the rain (particularly women and children), which is why they created the Bright Night Umbrella.

The umbrella looks like any other except that it has a cool-running 6V krypton light at its highest point under the canopy. The canopy of the umbrella reflects the light and causes it to illuminate the path up to 6 feet ahead of the person carrying it. This field of illumination should be sufficient for making your way around in the dark or semi-dark hours.

Of course, it seems kind of like the opposite of safety to light a “vulnerable” person up at night. The light of the umbrella can be seen from up to 95 feet away, giving potential attackers a very easy path to follow right to the person carrying the umbrella.

The manufacturer’s information says that the umbrella is composed of a light but sturdy polycarbonate. The fabric of the umbrella is treated with a water-repellent coating and comes in several different colors to match your tastes. It’ll cost you the equivalent of about $40, but it comes with a replacement bulb and carrying case, which makes it seem like a pretty good deal if you’re always tripping over your own feet during your walks in the rain.

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No, that umbrella container by the door of your favorite coffee shop is not a ‘free – take one’ kind of thing. The designers of the Lizard Umbrella really want you to know this. They’ve designed an umbrella that employs lock and key technology to prevent wanton umbrella theft.

The Lizard Umbrella’s handle detaches from the rest of the unit. Its oval shape is like a carabiner clip and easily attaches to your backpack or, for the trend-inclined, your belt loop. It was designed to be functional as well as attractive.

At the heart of the Lizard Umbrella’s design is its bare stem, which has carved-out notches that fit only each individual handle like a key fits its lock. It is named for lizards that shed their tales in defense of potential predators…or thieves. “Lizard Umbrella is just for you,” explain the designers – comforting words for our rainy city-dwelling friends.

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When you’re holding an umbrella to protect yourself from the rain, at least one of your hands is typically occupied holding the umbrella handle. That means that doing anything else with your hands is pretty much out of the question. The Brolly is an umbrella with a difference that makes it possible to keep the rain off of you while still texting, emailing or playing phone games on the go.

Instead of the standard pole and small, cylindrical handle, the Brolly has a finger grip to hold onto. Fingers slip through the holes, brass knuckle-style, to provide a secure and stable grip. This added stability means that users can hold the umbrella and still use their thumbs for cell phone stuff.

Besides being perfect for people who want to text in the rain, the Brolly offers a welcome design change for people with arthritis and other hand ailments that make gripping small objects difficult. The Brolly is available to order now for about $20.

The post Redesigned Umbrella Grip is Perfect for Texting in the Rain first appeared on Gajitz.