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DOTS gloves let you use your iPhone even when it's cold

by Mike Schramm Oct 22nd 2008 at 9:09PM


This is pretty brilliant in its own special way. Let's paint the scene -- you're wandering the cold streets of Chicago a few months from now, and you're wondering where the closest pizza place is. You whip out your iPhone to pull up the Google Maps application, but wait -- your hands are covered in gloves, and no matter how much you try to swipe the screen, you can't get it to register your swipes, much less hit those little keys on the keyboard. But it's too cold to take your gloves off -- what do you do?

Solution: DOTS gloves. They've got little smooth plastic "dots" built into the fingertips so you can control a touchscreen even while your hands are kept warm. Like I said, genius in its own way. However, I haven't actually used them, so I can't say for sure they work the way we'd expect. While they specifically mention them working on the iPhone, I've had trouble in the past getting the iPhone to register materials other than my finger. Still, if you want to take their word for it, $15 is cheap for a good pair of knit gloves anyway. If you're in the market for a new pair this winter and know you won't want to have to take your gloves off just to work a touchscreen, seems like a good deal to me.

[via Waxy]

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This is pretty brilliant in its own special way. Let's paint the scene -- you're wandering the cold streets of Chicago a few months from...
 

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37 Comments

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kawaiii

I ordered my gloves on 11/20/08 and still haven't received them nearly 2 months later.

January 17 2009 at 10:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
blockage

Got mine a couple of days ago. Disappointed. Scratchy! The dots are just metal studs, you have to push hard to make them work which feels like they'll scratch the screen. I couldn't make any two fingered gestures work at all, the studs are too badly placed. Also, the wool is also very itchy and feels cheep.

January 10 2009 at 6:00 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Dan Seaman

Do NOT buy these gloves. I ordered mine in September and received multiple promises that they would be sent "next week" and they never came. These guys are scammers. Buyer beware.

December 30 2008 at 3:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
chris

What a joke... I requested a refund today. I ordered them on 11/1 and nothing. But they have my money. I'd stay away from this FRAUDULENT company!!!

December 23 2008 at 8:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Andy Barratt

Yeah I ordered them when they were first announced - still haven't got them. I hope they hurry up because winter's knocking on Toronto's door right now.

October 24 2008 at 6:54 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Michael C

I ordered two pairs exactly a month ago (9/23) and PayPal was debited immediately. I promptly forgot about the order until I was reminded by TUAW article. I emailed 10/10 and got a prompt reply that my order was shipping the following Tuesday. Explanation: "We are a small startup company and we sold out overnight and went into backorder."

I hoping to see the box soon. It's been over a week, but it sounds like some have had to wait even longer after the "we're shipping" followup.

Luckily it hasn't got (very) cold in Texas yet. :)

October 23 2008 at 3:39 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
CaptSaltyJack

I got my pair finally. I went for the ragg wool gloves, they're quite nice and warm. The dots work 90% of the time. I can't figure out why I don't always get a good "connection" to the screen. I think the index finger dot is badly placed, I think it belongs more towards the tip of the finger, not on the pad of the finger.

Still, though, I'm glad I bought them.

October 23 2008 at 11:37 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
emil

Why does it always have to be about finding pizza with these location-based scenarios?

October 23 2008 at 11:23 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
D

They look too slippery to hold the iphone. I would risk cold hands over a dropped iphone.

October 23 2008 at 8:57 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mario Burkhardt

the company just anounced:
There’s currently been an average month-long wait until items are shipped. This is of course too long, but we’re a startup company. We have no muscle.

Full and immediate refunds are of course available, so just let us know. We don’t want to lose your business, but these gloves are handmade in New York City -- we can’t compromise quality for speediness.

This is a temporary hiccup of growing Dots Gloves. In the future, it will not happen. We will be streamlined, beautiful.

Take care, and thanks for your time -- and I know that phrase takes on extra weight in this context,

DOTS

(Please disregard if you have already heard from us, or your order has already shipped.)

October 23 2008 at 2:23 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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