This lamp, made for a sculpture class, features over 1,000 toothpick umbrellas molded in a really cool architectural fashion. It's inarguably the coolest use of Mai Tai accessories we've ever posted, so congrats for winning that one. [Thanks, Jacob!]

[Shanghaiist]

The recyclable Powerbrella features solar panels on the top of the umbrella and outlets on the bottom to gather that beautiful sun and use it to power your gear. We're not really sure how much juice it could really provide, but it should definitely be enough to power, say, an iPod speaker dock. It's a great idea and one we'd totally use. [via Treehugger]

I would expect the rain to collect in the channels and roll underneath the umbrella—soaking the user in the process. Perhaps a mountain umbrella with cloud cover would prove more practical. [Don't Stop Design via DVICE]

[Wired]

Grabbed the tip and pull, collapsible umbrella in the form of units. Hardcover looked like a bottle of enjoyment as well as the smooth opening and closing / wet umbrella on the receipt in the bag immediately and round, and also glad to have a Jacuzzi-whirlpool! Afterlife as a unique design is also recommended.

So... uh... if I use this thing I'll be happy to sit in a jacuzzi and contemplate the uniqueness of heaven? Wow. That's quite a sales pitch!
Anyway, the Is.a.Brella from Ofess is available in many color combos for around $27, but that's in Japan and there's no info on whether you can get it over here. [Sixem.com and Impress]

What's special about this umbrella is the way it unlocks. You turn the knob to unlock the canopy, which then forces the knob down the umbrella and the canopy up through the shaft. You get the idea, so we'll quit all this knob and shaft talk now before someone gets hurt. – Jason Chen

Matt Swinton's Design Site [Coroflot]

Sprout Umbrella [Yanko Design]

On the other hand, making yourself more visible at night in the rain might just keep some errant driver from running you over. Your personal safety and flamboyant nature can be celebrated with just three AAA batteries and around $40. – Charlie White

Product Page [ I Want One of Those, via ubergizmo]

1. A projector in an umbrella, so you can collide with even more people than usual

2. This one glows different colors to tell if it's raining or not, in case you couldn't already tell

3. Is there an umbrella with a built-in MP3 player? Why, of course there is!

After the jump, you get seven more.

4. Another inevitability, an umbrella that's Made for iPod ^TM

5. Aerodynamic umbrella makes you the Lance Armstrong of walking in rain

6. Nanotech means one shake and it's dry

7. Umbrella for uncomfortable-looking couple

8. Umbrella for uncomfortable-looking dog

SW freaks, you've been very patient. So here you go:

9. Lightsaber Umbrella Number One

10. And finally Lightsaber Umbrella Number Two

There you go. Happy puddle jumping! –Wilson Rothman

Umbrellas [Gizmodo]

Walk in a bad neighborhood with one of these lit-up umbrellas along with some white iPod earbuds, and you might as well just hang a neon "mug me" sign around your neck. But worry not. If somebody does steal this umbrella from you, you're only out 41 bucks, anyway. – Charlie White

Lightsaber Umbrella For Uberdorks [CrunchGear]

Add this asymmetrical design to the pantheon of umbrella innovation we've been seeing in the past year, and you have yourself a veritable umbrella renaissance. Maybe some propellerhead will add a weather forecaster to the handle of this one. Check out the Euro-video of the Senz Umbrella:

The Senz Umbrella will ship mid-month in two sizes, the original black edition ($65), and the Senz Mini Black ($52). – Charlie White

Product Page [Senz Umbrellas, via Sci Fi Tech]

This peculiar idea, now in the prototype stage, also assumes many people will have these projector/umbrella grips, and will somehow be motivated to pass their projectors along to other users, trading pictures for everyone's amusement. Why you'd want to look at somebody else's pictures and trade away your valuable projector, we have no idea.

These guys are going to need more than a fakey-looking photoshopped graphic and a crude prototype to convince us that this is anywhere near viable. That's going to have to be an unusually bright projector to overcome daylight, even on rainy day, with some powerful batteries, too. Might be cool at night, though. – Charlie White

Product Page [Pileus] (Thanks, Stephen!)

You hook this thing to the pet's collar and hold on to it with your free hand and then, as the rain pours down around you and your miniature Scotty, you notice your sagging, withered dugs and tanned, taut, death-mask of a face in the Sacks Fifth Avenue mirror and realize that you are old, horribly, horribly old, and your husband doesn't love you, not that he ever did. Then you go into Barneys.

Product Page [RescuePetStore via MobileWhack]

Do you demand the dopest umbrella around with the ultimate rain-prediction technology? Look no further than the Forcasting Umbrella from Ambient Devices. Announced at CES, the Forcasting Umbrella does what every umbrella on the face of the earth should do: lets you know if it's going to rain. The umbrella is connected to Ambient's network and can automatically tell you the day's weather. If rain is near, the handle will glow blue meaning you should open Mr. Umbrella up and make haste to your car. This way, if you're leaving the office and aren't sure if you should drag the umbrella along with you, just look at the handle and you'll know what to do. No price has been set.

Forcasting Umbrella [Cool Hunting]

Now here's an art installation that would make Gene Kelly proud. Peter William Holden created an installation called "AutoGene" (get it?), which consists of eight umbrellas that dance around to the song, "Singin' in the Rain". Never heard that tune? Then you're uncool. Using a programmable logic controller from Siemens, pneumatic pumps quickly open and close umbrellas and turn them around in a pretty fashion. Watch this video to get the jist of how it works and to be wowed by umbrellas.

Choreographed umbrellas [WMMNA]