Depending on your outlook, rain can either be an exciting outdoors adventure or a downright hassle that forces you to remain indoors. Thunderstorms, light drizzles, and hazy showers are each an adventure that I would rather experience from within my home (preferably wrapped as a burrito in my bed), but not everyone shares my view on the issue.
The Umbrella Here gadget allows you to adventure in the rain as others choose whether or not they’d like to tag along. Exactly how? The tool works as a circular light that can be attached to any umbrella by plugging it in at the tip when you want to use it; when the light is turned on, it signifies that strangers – local or from around the world – are welcomed to come in and share your umbrella for a communal and social encounter. It’s controlled by a mobile app that lets you know when an umbrella is available for sharing and alerts others when yours is up for grabs (quite literally). If you so happen to meet someone you genuinely enjoyed strolling and chatting with, you can login to the Umbrella Here website, type in the time and location that the meeting took place, and add them as a friend to continue the conversation…assuming they accept the request, or even respond.
Apart from making some new friends to adventure with, the Hong Kong-based umbrella accessory also has a number of other cool features. Remember the last time you forgot your umbrella? For me, it’s every single time it rains. With Umbrella Here, whenever you leave your umbrella behind, it immediately notifies you on your phone, so that you hurry back for it and never have to buy another umbrella again (oh, the little things). If you’re at home and don’t know what’s waiting for you on the other side of your travel destination, turn to Umbrella Here as it also doubles as a weather system; it turns red when the weather is hot, blue when it’s cold, and blinks when it’s raining. For those of you that like to color coordinate, you can even change the color of the mobile app to match your umbrella or your mood. Talk about details!
To see how you can learn more about this trend or help with funding, visit the Kickstarter.
