GPS headsets make sure the cows come home

From the plains of southern New Mexico, we bring you a story of headset-wearing cows. The US Department of Agriculture and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are teaming up to remotely corral cattle using a wireless device that sends sound straight into the bovines' ears. HDTV-watching pigs can't be far behind.

The solar-powered "Ear-A-Round" is a naugahyde "helmet" held in place by the cow's ears. Atop the holster sits an electronics device hooked to sound-transmitting stereo earphones and containing a GPS unit that could let farmers monitor the animals' whereabouts from afar.

"It's a marriage between biology and electronics," said USDA research animal scientist Dean M. Anderson, who has been collaborating with MIT on the project for the last several years, but has focused on the concept of "directional virtual fencing (PDF)" for more than three decades.
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Accessorize with a vegetable garden

Growing a vegetable garden is hard work, but for on-the-go gardeners, the "Green Capsule" makes it easy to tote greenery around, one sprout at a time.

Created by Masaki Engineering & Consulting in Japan, the traveling miniature garden can become a necklace, earring, cell phone charm, or bag accessory.

The kit comes with seeds for peppers, cabbage, sweet basil, and cherry tomatoes, plus soil to start the portable garden.

Once the sprout grows big enough, it can be transplanted into a pot or garden bed. It's hard to say whether the little plant can hold up while dangling and bouncing, but green thumbs can try it out for the equivalent of about US$17.50.

Via CNET Crave

Deodorant duds for sweat-prone professionals

During the heat of summer, a distinct smell is known to permeate public transit and elevators. It's the sweaty stench of business professionals who still have to wear suits to the office, despite the outside temperature and humidity.

The Japanese have caught on though, and Aoki is now selling a suit that emits deodorant, keeping its wearer in the cool. The Farago Aircool suit is made (Web site in Japanese) with a deodorant antibacterial silver ion lining, to absorb sweat and stifle smell.

Of course, a suit with special silver ions will cost some cash, and the Farago Aircool suit runs for the equivalent of $370 on sale, while other good-smelling apparel like a polo shirt or socks, run for US$37 and US$8, respectively.

While the deodorant suit's a perfect item to wear over an air-conditioned shirt, the most useful outfit might come from pairing it with a stylish bullet-resistant jacket.

Via CNET Crave

Terrifying goatee gadget promises perfect trim

It appears we're not the only ones who looked at the new Goatee Saver and pictured a creepily masked Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs.

The wearer bites down on the plastic mouthpiece, using adjustable turnbuckles to control the gizmo's measurements in three areas--top, middle, and bottom. Shaving around the gadget is supposed to provide a neat and symmetrical shave (think of it as a stencil for the face).

A couple of my male colleagues here at CNET did crawl under their desks and assume the fetal position upon seeing this thing. But even they'd probably have to admit that it seems like a useful little doodad that could help keep goateed gadget guys (sorry, I like alliteration) well kempt.

Little Rock, Ark., inventor Scott Bonge created the Goatee Saver because he was sick of trying to get his own beard even on both sides. "If it ended up crooked, I would just shave it off," he said. "One day I thought, if I've got this issue, other guys have to have the same problem."
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Charge it to your SunTable

Sun worshippers now have a further reason to worship that great big AC mains in the sky. New York designers Devang A. Shah and Mike Low of Brooklyn were simply inspired with the SunTable since a table after all has a nice, big surface area perfect for those photovoltaic cells to snag the sun's power. Less inspiring is the US$2,200 sticker price, though for the money, you get a teak and stainless steel table with an integrated 64W unbreakable solar panel that will still charge if partially covered. We certainly like the idea that you can hose this down to clean since it's weather- and moisture-resistant. Anything that low maintenance gets our vote.
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