This tiny air conditioner fits in your clothing, cooling you down on the go

'Temperature-regulating clothing' is here

A shirt air conditioner.
(Image credit: Sony)

Each week, we spotlight a cool innovation recommended by some of the industry's top tech writers. This week's pick is a pocket-size air conditioner.

Sony is developing a pocket-size air conditioner to keep you cool in the heat, said Marc Bain at Qz.com. Called Reon Pocket, the device is small enough to slide "into the upper back pocket of a specially designed T-shirt," where it is then controlled with a smartphone app. One downside: The battery lasts only about 90 minutes, so the device is really designed to be used only while "moving between air-conditioned or heated areas, such as during the commute."

Sony is currently crowdfunding the concept, but it is not the only company working on "temperature-regulating clothing." The French fashion label Courrèges debuted "coats with built-in heaters" a few years ago, and the U.S. Army "is experimenting with conductive fabrics that can generate heat in extreme cold."

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