collar

Dog owners may like to show off their Ford or Chevy pride by giving their pets logo seatbelt-buckle collars and nylon strap leashes from Buckle-Down.

The Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Bowtie logo collars and leashes are made from recycled, or refurbished, sturdy nylon straps. In addition to Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Bowtie logos, Buckle-Down has a half-dozen other designs to choose from.

The collars have a welded D ring so the matching lead can easily be attached. The collar snaps tight with a miniature seatbelt buckle. The buckle locks securely and releases with the push of a button, making it … Read more

Solar panel maker SoloPower has secured financing to build a manufacturing plant in Oregon, a step toward ramping up production of its thin-film solar technology.

As part of a deal carved out with the state of Oregon, SoloPower said yesterday, it will receive a $20 million loan toward the initial construction phase, which will consist of a 75-megawatt manufacturing line employing 170 people. SoloPower, which is seeking a loan guarantee from the Department of Energy, intends to eventually expand the plant to turn out 300 megawatts worth of panels per year.

San Jose, Calif.-based SoloPower makes thin-film flexible solar … Read more

Thin-film solar manufacturer Stion announced today that it plans to build a factory in Hattiesburg, Miss., as part of a long-term $500 million investment in the state.

As part of the deal, in addition to tax incentives, the San Jose, Calif.-based start-up received a $75 million loan.

The first phase of the project, a 100-megawatt solar panel production line for making copper, indium, gallium, and sulfur-selenide (CIGSS) solar cells, will create 200 direct jobs and include $100 million in investment in the state, according to Stion.

"Today's announcement that Stion is locating a thin-film solar panel manufacturing … Read more

Former IBM executive Robert Moffat on Monday was sentenced to six months in jail for his part in a major insider trading scheme, according to news reports.

Moffat was also reportedly ordered in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to pay a fine of $50,000 after serving his jail time, which is due to begin on June 11 of 2011.

In March, the former IBM executive pleaded guilty to revealing insider information about IBM, Lenovo, and Advanced Micro Devices to New Castle Funds consultant Danielle Chiesi, with whom he allegedly claimed an intimate relationship, according to a Bloomberg report.… Read more

OK, so we suck at bringing you a show every week. But we promise that when we do, they'll be as explosive and ridiculous as this one right here! We revisit the idea of multitasking, but this time, we focus on functional clothing. That and we insult you a whole lot. Thou wimpled plume-plucked pignut!

Ping, a social networking garment

Hoodie buddy with built-in headphones (thanks Jacob!)

Sleeper hoodie (thanks Jacob!)

Beer opener dog collar (thanks Rodney)

How one soldier can carry a whole power plant on his back… Read more

WALTHAM, Mass.--Green-jobs advocate Van Jones has gone from being a community organizer in Oakland, Calif., to a community organizer in the White House.

Jones last month was named special adviser for green jobs, enterprise, and innovation in the White House, where he is tasked with coordinating green job-related initiatives among different government agencies. On Thursday at the Bentley University Leadership Forum, he gave a speech on the economic implications of clean-energy policies.

Jones, founder of the Green for All organization and author of the "Green Collar Economy," is best known for advocating job creation for low-income people … Read more

As consumers are deluged with GPS products, manufacturers are continually looking for ways to expand the market--and that includes non-humans. Tracking technologies for pets (and kids) are hardly new, but Garmin is trying to stay ahead of the pack, literally, with more powerful devices.

The company debuted its original "Astro 220" system only a few months ago, and now it's already coming out with an updated dog collar. The new "Astro DC 30" has a range of 7 miles that's displayed on the correponding handheld device's digital map, according to Gizmodo.

It can … Read more

Remember when you were in fourth grade and wanted to stop other kids from copying your stuff? You'd erect a fortress of open books around your paper, blocking it from prying eyes and creating a little courtyard in the middle for your work.

That's what the "Office Collar" essentially wants to do for your head, except in reverse: It's basically a horse blinder for humans, aimed at keeping you from getting distracted by your surroundings. Textually.org notes that this self-imposed isolation device, the brainchild of designer Simone Brewster, could also be used to help … Read more