Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Technology

Tis the season to be silly

By Barry Fox

21 December 2002

Who could resist a piece of festive headgear that doubles up as a megaphone, a hearing aid and a traffic cone? Sportniks of Oregon’s conical Christmas hat is made of tapered polyester with a shiny, sound-reflecting inner surface (WO 02/49469). The wide end fits the wearer’s head, while the narrow end is mouth-sized. Both ends sport stiff fleece cuffs for lateral rigidity.

When the cone is worn as a hat, the thin end droops, Santa Claus fashion. Held to the mouth, it’s a megaphone and held to the ear, it’s a hearing aid – ideal for noisy parties. Warming…

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