O'Neill iPod comm/ent Jacket

The limited edition O'Neill iPod comm/ent jacket - part of the h2 series - combines the controls, storage, earphone jacks, microphone and Bluetooth connectivity necessary for an iPod and your mobile phone. The result is a jacket with buttons capable of controlling your iPod and automatically switching over to mobile phone for an incoming call. Attention has been paid to waterproofing to ensure the system works in arduous conditions.

At £450 the jacket is not cheap but it is a well designed and warm jacket with state of the art entertainment facilities built-in. It's a shame it only works with the iPod but the beauty of the system is that it's easy to unplug your headset from the collar and iPod from its special pocket and use them elsewhere as standalone items.

At the heart of the jacket's electronics is an h2 control hub (illustrated) that contains a lithium-ion battery, Bluetooth connectivity and links to the jacket's on-sleeve controls. The jacket can be used in conjunction with the h2 back-pack with its solar panels for charging the lithium ion battery.

You'll need to check that your mobile phone has the necessary Bluetooth features to enable it to pair with the control hub.

The jacket comes in canary yellow, dark-grey or black. It has a warm fleece lining plus a detachable semi-rigid hood and a wind-cheater button up skirt. The under arm section also has large zip-open vents to allow the jacket to breathe.

Clearly one of the target markets is winter sports as the cuffs have thumbhole neoprene extensions to allow the wearer to use wrist protectors while snowboarding. The on-sleeve controls are also especially useful for skiiers and snowboarders who would otherwise find it difficult to operate their iPods and phones with gloved hands.

For more information see: h2.oneilleurope.com