“Listen,” she said, “I have to come to the office in the subway, with this horrible heat and humidity killing me. That’s why I wear shorts. But then, when I come to the office we get this summertime sub-zero air conditioning, blowing at full, and I freeze! That’s why I got the Slanket.”

She is so right. She may not look as pretty with the Slanket, but it’s actually freezing here. This is the irony of spending summer in NY or any other city in the world: You go through your day suffering artificial winter in t-shirt and shorts, only to be toasted a minute later as you go down to grab a sandwich.

So as I write these lines and feel the hypothermia coming in, the frostbite on my feet — only protected with Havaianas — I wish I had a Slanket too. Definitely the ultimate accessory for summer in the city.

Developed with the University of Tokyo, Nissan says that their new Forest AC air conditioning system “is designed to recreate the refreshing climate, fragrance and natural breezes of relaxing forest settings.” How? Let’s review:

• The system’s Breezy Air feature actually creates a “natural breeze” effect by randomly changing the air volume through all vent outlets, according to external sunlight and external temperature. The system can change the air pattern in the breeze depending on which side of the car you are seated, increasing volume if you are seating on the sunny part or decreasing it if you are on the shade.

• The aroma control system is even more curious: The University of Tokyo’s research team studied the effects of fragrances, air flow, and humidity in mental activity, concluding that two aromas can “alleviate boredom and stimulate the driver’s brain”: Borneol and leaf alcohol. According to Nissan, Borneol “combines a compound made from fragrant Kapur wood, lavender and other essential oils to promote calm and focus, while leaf alcohol is found in most plants and is thought to have a calming effect and reduce fatigue.”

• Everything is combined with humidity control—which in theory keeps the car interior in perfect conditions—automatic outside and inside odor control—that will prove useful more than one time, I’m sure—and a plasmacluster ion generator… which may a) disintegrate you, b) teleport you to another place, c) “maintain cabin air quality, kill germs through strengthened bacteria deactivation and minimize odors clinging to the cabin air and interior surfaces,” or d) all of the above.

I like option D, although right now I just want option B. [Autoblog via Ubergizmo]

But why?

Simple: It’s the environment, stupid. And ironically, in a country obsessed with technology and where “business casual” is rarely allowed, it’s a low-tech, remove-your-tie solution to the energy consumption problem that’s ultimately to blame for Gross’s, well, gross and sweaty Japanese experience.

You see, in 2005, Environment Minister Yuriko Koike, a woman who had once had perspiration/del> aspirations for the prime minister position, was vetting various ways to cut energy consumption. Her brainstorming led to “Cool Biz,” a campaign that set all government building thermostats to 82.4 degrees during the summer. I’m sweating just typing that out this morning, but apparently it worked, and soon the business world adopted the practice too.

But since those temps are somewhat unbearable in the summer, Japanese energy scientists set to work on alleviating workers’ pain. Their big solution? Suggesting they remove their ties and undo their shirt collars. Fun fact: People feel 4 or so degrees cooler when they do this.

The result is a Japan that consumes less energy at the expense of some ripe-smelling arm pits. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go adjust my air conditioner. [Slate]

Yes, the CoolCop is a hose that runs the output of an AC vent right into the top of your shirt. For some reason, it’s being marketed to cops and cops alone, because they’re the only ones who get hot in cars.

On a hot day there’s nothing more uncomfortable than having to wear a T-shirt soaked with sweat. Add a bulletproof vest over it and no amount of air conditioning coming from your car vent is going to keep you cool and dry.

The CoolCop dash attachment attaches easily to the air conditioning vent. The soft vinyl vest attachment fits comfortably between your vest and undershirt. Cool air is then delivered under your vest to keep you cool, dry and comfortable.

Next time I’m cruising the steamy streets of Atlanta wearing a bulletproof vest, I’m totally going to jury rig one of these things out of a vacuum hose. That’s a promise. [CoolCop via Book of Joe]

The battery-powered Vent-Miser features a clock that opens and closes the vents at programmable intervals, completely independent of your thermostat’s settings. So if your A/C doesn’t need to keep your guest room cool on weekdays or if you only need to heat your bedroom at night, the Vent-Miser can automate this process for you, possibly saving you a few bucks in the process.

At about $US25 a pop, the vents definitely lean towards investment rather than instant payoff, but they’re a neat idea if you live in a house with crummy HVAC. [Amazon via OhGizmo!]

First off, let’s talk a little about clothing. Naturally, wearing the proper attire can make a huge difference on a hot day. Light coloured clothing, shorts and flip flops are one way to do it–but if you are looking for something a little more advanced, I have a few examples here you should keep in mind:

USB “Air Conditioned” Shirt: Plugging this shirt into the USB drive of your computer will pull in cool air to your body using fans positioned on the lower part of the back. Available for US$169. [Product Page and Link]

Nike PreCool Vest: This vest takes things a few steps further than the air-conditioned shirt when it comes to keeping your core temperature down. The innermost layer of the vest is filled with frozen water and it is insulated by an outermost layer of aluminium. Unfortunately, the vest is only available to Olympic athletes, so it looks like you will have to do one of two things to get your hands on one–undergo a complete physical transformation into a world class athlete, or be patient and hope that Nike releases it to the general public one day. [Link]

Insulated Evaporative Cooling Hat: Solar powered hats with fans are a dime a dozen, but if you really want to stay cool, this cap should do the trick. Just run it under a faucet and let the sun draw heat away from your head by slowly evaporating the water. Apparently, it can keep your head up to 30% cooler than the outside temperature–and a waterproof lining ensures that your head stays dry. And as anyone who has ever watched a survival show knows, you could always urinate on something like this if the going ever got rough. Available for $24.95. [Hammacher Schlemmer]

Sometimes basic air-conditioning just isn’t enough to stay comfortable in the heat. When indoors, these gadgets will keep you extra cool (or downright frigid):

Ice Sauna: If you have the means, the latest trend in many European countries is to install an ice sauna in your home. This particular sauna, dubbed the “Snow Room,” was developed by a company called MNK–and it can keep the temperature at a brisk 10 degrees below zero. But I must warn you–if you manage to lure a chick this hot into one of these things, keep in mind that penis frostbite will bring a party down real fast. [Link]

“Air Conditioned” Bed: If ice saunas are a little too extreme for your taste, you could always cool down at night with an “air-conditioned” bed. Using similar technology as the shirt mentioned earlier, this device will draw air in into the pad and circulate it under your body while you sleep. Available for US$399. [Product Page via Link]

Luxury 18-headed shower: A cold shower is not just for sexual frustration–it can be a great way to escape the heat as well. This monster luxury shower is an 18-headed beast that will all but drown you in water. Plus it has a powerful floor nozzle that looks as though it will give you a cold water enema. Now that is refreshing! Too bad it will cost you US$100,000 to install. [Tag Signature via Link]

When outdoors, a swimming pool is an ideal way to beat the heat. But not everyone is fortunate enough to have one at their disposal. Here are some alternatives:

Big Wave Trampoline: Pools are great, but what if I am looking for something a little deadlier? This 13-foot Big Wave Trampoline will keep you cool and give you that adrenaline rush you so desperately crave. Available for US$11.95. [Super Fun Trampolines]

Universal Shower Diffuser: Staying hydrated is extremely important when it is hot outside, but sometimes you just feel like pouring that bottle over your head to cool off. This gadget fits on any standard PET bottle and restricts the flow of water so that it can be dispensed like a shower head. That means you can enjoy a quick soak and still have some water left over for drinking. Unfortunately, the dude in this image has the wrong idea. Available for around US$50. [Made in Design via Link]

Finally, what you put on the inside is just as important as what you put on the outside when it comes to staying cool. And when I think of a hot day, two things generally come to mind: booze and ice cream.

Taisin Ice Sphere Mold: Perfect on-the-rocks-drinks require perfect ice–and this mold from a Japanese company named Taisin can help you achieve that feat by creating perfect ice spheres. When a chunk of ice is placed inside the press, the mold gradually closes around it as it melts. The result is a sphere that melts slowly in your drink–ensuring that it does not get watered down. The Taisin mold can produce 30-40 ice balls in an hour and it is available in 55, 65, 70 and 80mm sizes. [Taisin via Link]

The Scoop & Stack: By the looks of things, the Scoop & Stack can make quick work of getting ice cream out of a container. And the cylindrical shape means you can stack that sucker to the sky. Available for US$14.95. [Wrapables]

Old Tie.New tie.Old tie.New tie.

Repeat ad infinitum (rather like Thanko’s R&D department does with its products.) [Akihabara News]

Apparently, the energy consumption of the device is so low that you could run it everyday for 8 hours and only pay the equivalent of around 5 cents extra on your electricity bill for the month. However, this isn’t the first time we have come across an air conditioner of this type—Thanko came out with a version last year that is powered via USB. It also appears to be a little cheaper than the Kuchofuku model, but we are not sure how well it stacks up in terms of butt cooling performance and power consumption. [Product Page via Fareastgizmos]