Quiksilver has added to their backpack line with sound shell in the 2007/08 range a Snowboarding jacket that let you control your tunes easily while racing down the hills.
The U-Ramp Snowboard Jacket has soft switch buttons in the left sleeve that can be operated even with thick gloves on your hands.
There is no mention anything specific for iPod but based on the functionality overview of this Jacket which says: ‘… select songs and turn up the volume’ means it only could/should work with an iPod. To select/skip songs is not possible on the generic solutions like the ones used in Quiksilver’s backpacks.
To control the iPod or other audio player on the sleeve might sound geeky or outright ‘not so smart’ as we hear sometimes. This might be valid when walking around town but such additional function in clothing has it’s benefits if you are out and about and do not want to stop, taking out your player and change whatever you want to change.
Usually you will end up listen to what comes up and live with a too loud or ‘wrong tune’ for the action moment you are right now into.
A compromise, I admit, many can live with but if there is an alternative like the U-Ramp or the many other iPod ready jackets – why not using it?
The controls in the sleeve of the U-Ramp are water-resistant and the jacket is machine-washable without taking out the control system, thoroughly e-textile and Wearable Electronic.
The U-Ramp is a ‘sophisticated cool’ looking jacket in the signature style of Quiksilver and comes in the colors Mint or Fudge with a very reasonable price of $ 209.95 as seen for example by dogfunk.com
