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World's First Solar-Powered Jacket Keeps You Warm All Winter Long
Do you love the outdoors, but hate being cold? Well, this company might have a solution for you. ThermalTech claims to have developed the "world's first solar-powered smart jackets." According to the company, the jackets capture energy from the sun and artificial light sources to "convert and store as heat—increasing the in-clothing temperature by 18°F in only two minutes."
Developed by a team of five Ph.D.s, the company says that their jackets solve the dilemma of choosing between "bulk for optimal warmth or sleekness for fashion," thanks to its patented solar-capturing smart fabric technology. The jackets' stainless steel mesh fabric is strong, yet lightweight, allowing them to last longer and weigh less than other types of outerwear with heat-storing materials. And the specially designed fabric should also help prevent you from overheating.
As for what happens when the sun goes down or it's not particularly sunny, ThermalTech said, the jackets can reflect and capture your own body heat.
There are three different jackets for various temperatures: Street (rated for 32 to 50°F), Explorer (30 to 55°F) and Extreme (-4 to 14°F). And there are different options for men and women, as well.
The company is currently fundraising on Indiegogo. If you donate enough to their campaign, you will receive one of the jackets for 40-50 percent off the retail value of the jacket. If you donate $139, you'll receive a Street jacket. An Explorer will run you $149 and an Extreme $169.
Check out their Indiegogo video to learn more:
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A powerful volcano on Monday rocked an uninhabited island frequented by tourists about 30 miles off New Zealand's coast. Authorities have confirmed that five people died. They expect that number to rise as some are missing and police officials issued a statement that flights around the islands revealed "no signs of life had been seen at any point,", as The Guardian reported.
"Based on the information we have, we do not believe there are any survivors on the island," the police said in their official statement. "Police is working urgently to confirm the exact number of those who have died, further to the five confirmed deceased already."
The eruption happened on New Zealand's Whakaari/White Island, an islet jutting out of the Bay of Plenty, off the country's North Island. The island is privately owned and is typically visited for day-trips by thousands of tourists every year, according to The New York Times.
My god, White Island volcano in New Zealand erupted today for first time since 2001. My family and I had gotten off it 20 minutes before, were waiting at our boat about to leave when we saw it. Boat ride home tending to people our boat rescued was indescribable. #whiteisland pic.twitter.com/QJwWi12Tvt
— Michael Schade (@sch) December 9, 2019

Michael Schade / Twitter
At the time of the eruption on Monday, about 50 passengers from the Ovation of Seas were on the island, including more than 30 who were part of a Royal Caribbean cruise trip, according to CNN. Twenty-three people, including the five dead, were evacuated from the island.
The eruption occurred at 2:11 pm local time on Monday, as footage from a crater camera owned and operated by GeoNet, New Zealand's geological hazards agency, shows. The camera also shows dozens of people walking near the rim as white smoke billows just before the eruption, according to Reuters.
Police were unable to reach the island because searing white ash posed imminent danger to rescue workers, said John Tims, New Zealand's deputy police commissioner, as he stood next to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in a press conference, as The New York Times reported. Tims said rescue workers would assess the safety of approaching the island on Tuesday morning. "We know the urgency to go back to the island," he told reporters.
"The physical environment is unsafe for us to return to the island," Tims added, as CNN reported. "It's important that we consider the health and safety of rescuers, so we're taking advice from experts going forward."
Authorities have had no communication with anyone on the island. They are frantically working to identify how many people remain and who they are, according to CNN.
Geologists said the eruption is not unexpected and some questioned why the island is open to tourism.
"The volcano has been restless for a few weeks, resulting in the raising of the alert level, so that this eruption is not really a surprise," said Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London, as The Guardian reported.
"White Island has been a disaster waiting to happen for many years," said Raymond Cas, emeritus professor at Monash University's school of earth, atmosphere and environment, as The Guardian reported. "Having visited it twice, I have always felt that it was too dangerous to allow the daily tour groups that visit the uninhabited island volcano by boat and helicopter."
The prime minister arrived Monday night in Whakatane, the town closest to the eruption, where day boats visiting the island are docked. Whakatane has a large Maori population.
Ardern met with local council leaders on Monday. She is scheduled to meet with search and rescue teams and will speak to the media at 7 a.m. local time (1 p.m. EST), after drones survey the island, as CNN reported.
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