The idea was so bad that the head of the British research team sounded ashamed in his letter to sewing machine manufacturer Singer, when he asked for help in manufacturing the hollow needles needed to deliver the toxin:

It is a little difficult to explain what I want sewing machine needles for…

Fortunately, it was never used. The hollow needles—developed with the help of Canadian and American researchers—would have penetrated clothes and kill anyone in thirty seconds, presumably in painful spasms. The bad news: The British want them back. The good news: They want to use a non-lethal agent. [BBC News via Danger Room]

The crux of the largely British movement is that both needlework and software creation are an amalgamation of tons of tiny little pieces of work that all come together to create something much larger than the sum of its parts. They also see that both are gender-specific—needlework is traditionally female, while software engineering is traditionally male. Some of the knitters were actually involved in the computer industry at some point in their lives, so their needlework is informed by their interest in technology. It's pretty cool stuff, check out the mini-gallery below. [Wired, images also courtesy Wired]

GALLERYEND

While we don't do much sewing ourselves, the QuattroT 6000D seems to have some good ideas. 56 LEDs illuminate the sewing platform while its "InnovEyeT Technology" provides a bird's eye view of the needle, which can be enlarged for a better view of precision work. Plus, the camera allows the fabric to be auto-positioned (with the help of a sensor positioning sticker) for automatic embroidery.

The screen itself, by Sharp, is a 32-(square)-inch display with 260,000 colors. It's not quite gameday ready, but we're sure that it tracks a mean cross stitch.

No word on price at the moment, but we may see more of the QuattroT 6000D at CES should we lose a button or become bored by endless rows of cameras and TVs. [Brother]

Think about it. The more all these people work in all those weird countries, the more clothes there will be, and the cheaper the manufacturing will result. That means increased profit margins for manufacturers, free entertainment for those workers/slaves/kids slaves no matter where they are, and exactly the same quality for your jeans, shirts, jackets, and sneakers, at the same price.

See? Everyone wins! [The Onion]

Is this comforting or unnatural? We don't know. On one hand, who wouldn't like to cozy up under their favorite tech gear, maybe special someone by their side? On the other, gadgets already fill my heart with enough warmth to fend off hypothermia while walking naked in the arctic. Either way, my house will be covered with this stuff in 50 years. – Mark Wilson

Pixel Samplers [via popgadget]