News you don't want to miss for May 5:

1. "UC Berkeley is in negotiations to purchase — and then potentially tear down — a 111-year-old rent-controlled apartment building on Walnut Street where some residents have lived for more than 25 years," Berkeleyside reports.…

Covid-19 propels push for federal cannabis relief; advocates see parallel with Prohibition Major political and social changes often seem impossible until they happen. The Supreme Court's 2015 ruling recognizing gay marriage surprised most observers, including those who had been working toward the goal for decades.…

You may not yet be able to bike to work, but that's all the more reason to embrace cycling Buying a bicycle has always been a life-changing experience for many, but during the Covid-19 pandemic, it can bring a heightened sense of freedom and control to one's life. Lydia Felt was previously too terrified to ride a bicycle on roadways.…

East Bay governments plan for revenue declines and budget cuts while bemoaning lack of federal assistance The massive $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act set aside $339.8 billion in federal aid for state and local governments affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic.…

News you don't want to miss for May 6:

1. Former Oakland Chief of Police Anne Kirkpatrick filed a lawsuit alleging the Oakland Police Commission, which fired her earlier this year, did so as retaliation for Kirkpatrick blowing the whistle on their own wrongdoing, including seeking personal favors, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.…

Gold Label Mayan Cocoa Elixir, made by Emeryville-based REBBL, has just won the 2020 NEXTY Award for "Best New Ready-to-Drink Beverage."

Its ingredients include maca, reishi, maitake, turkey tail mushrooms, lion's mane mushrooms, cayenne, and ashwagandha, among others.…

An employee at a Dunkin' (formerly Dunkin' Donuts) restaurant in Concord has inspired the company's brand-new DIY Dunkin' Donut Kits.

Norma Valkenaar asked the restaurant's franchisee, Matt Cobo, whether she could bring home some donuts, frosting, and sprinkles so that her young nephews could experiment with customizing their own treats.…

News you don't want to miss for May 8-10:

1. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf warned she may consider closing some city parks, including Lake Merritt, if social distancing rules are not followed, KTVU reports.…

A travel accessory designed to provide comfort to the user during a trip contains a neck-rest, a travel cape, and an attachment mechanism. The neck-rest is removably attached to the travel cape so that the user can utilize the neck-rest and the travel cape independently. The neck-rest has a stuffing which is concealed within a hollow body of the neck-rest. The stuffing is secured in position with a fastening mechanism such as a zipper. Additionally, the neck-rest also contains a first pocket and a second pocket which are used for storing items used during travelling. For user convenience, the travel cape is designed with a first-arm receiving hole and a second-arm receiving hole. In order to transport the neck-rest and the travel cape a carrying bag is also provided. A plurality of storage pockets on the carrying bag allow the user to store items that are essential when travelling.

This disclosure relates to a garment having zippers for separating the garment into two halves. The garment has a zipper on the front and a zipper on the back. The halves can be mixed and matched according to preference for color, surface ornamentation, or material. Each half has an inside pocket that can be used for storing an additional garment half. The garment may optionally include a hood. In embodiments where the garment has a hood, the back zipper may unzip as the slider is moved in the downward direction, thereby allowing the user to separate the hood and fold the hood into a collar.

A convertible swimsuit top may include a top portion, a mid-portion, and a slider. The top portion may include a lower edge and a row of protruding teeth along the lower edge of the top portion. The mid-portion may include an upper edge and a row of protruding teeth along the lower edge of the top portion. The row of protruding teeth along the lower edge of the top portion and the row of protruding teeth along the upper edge of the mid-portion may be configured to engage and disengage one another via the slider. The row of protruding teeth along the lower edge of the top portion and the row of teeth along the upper edge of the mid portion may extend for less than the entire length of the lower edge of the top portion.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates a baseball cap-type hat having a head covering portion as well as a forward facing bill. A sweat or liquid absorbing element preferably a terry cloth towel is removably attached to the bill or permanently affixed using hook and pile fastening means. In a preferred embodiment, the hook and pile fastening means half attached to the bill includes an opening to provide a storage compartment in which a key, coin, or other small object may be stored. If desired, the towel may be permanently stitched to the underside of the bill of the cap. In a further alternative, the towel may be made of a hyper-evaporative material.

A head guard is provided which has a fabric layer and a padding layer. The padding layer can be attached to the fabric layer. The head guard is stretchable between a relaxed configuration and an expanded configuration. The expanding configuration has a convex shape such that it can conform to a head of a wearer. The head guard can be worn by a wearer in combination with a helmet.

A helmet for rotational energy management can include an outer energy management layer comprising an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface. The inner surface can comprise a first slidable finish comprising a first glaze comprising a thickness less than or equal to 2 millimeters (mm). An inner energy management layer can be disposed within the outer energy management layer and further comprise an outer surface oriented towards the outer energy management layer and an inner surface opposite the outer surface. The outer surface can comprise a second slidable finish that directly contacts the first slidable finish. The second slidable finish can comprise a second glaze comprising a thickness less than or equal to 2 mm. A space between the first slidable finish and the second slidable finish can be devoid of a lubricant and devoid of any interstitial slip layer.

Provided is a shirt garment,—a short-sleeved, or long-sleeved, waist-length, hip-length, or tunic-length—shirt, which is made of material that is a relatively non-absorbent or hydrophobic substance able to wick perspiration off of the wearer's body, and which also contains an integrated section on the front of the shirt, and at the bottom one-third, to bottom one-half of the front of the shirt, but which may extend beyond this region, which is made of a relatively absorbent or hydrophilic substance, which, when grasped by the wearer, and lifted upward by the wearer and towards the wearer's face, is capable of wiping off the sweat from the wearer's face, eyes, eyebrows, and forehead, thereby absorbing sweat from this area, all the while the wearer continues to engage in his or her physical activity. In a second scenario, and using these same principles, the absorbent layer is detachable, and while detached, is used by the wearer to wipe sweat away from the wearer's face, brow and neck. It is then re-attached all the while the wearer continues to pursue the physical activity.

The disclosed herein is a personal rain protection device that serves as an umbrella combined and connected with a vest. The umbrella and vest combination can function in all types of rainstorms. The vest aspect is located at the torso of a wearer and extends from the users shoulders. The vest element also includes relatively light weights at the tail end of the vest to protect against succumbing to powerful wind gusts. The present invention, including the umbrella, is not handheld, but rather it is worn along with the vest to which the umbrella is attached to.

A swimsuit (1) has an outer shell (2) made of a flexible stretchable fabric and forms a tubular trunk portion (6) and two tubular thigh portions (7), the swimsuit (1) comprising two back stiffening lines (8) continuously connected to the outer shell (2) and extending each in a generally longitudinal direction of a one of the thigh portions (7) from a rear region (9) of the thigh portion (7) across a rear region of the trunk portion (6), in which said back stiffening lines (8) have a tensile stiffness greater than a tensile stiffness of said outer shell (2).

A batting glove or sports glove includes a glove base configured to accommodate a users hand. In some embodiments, the glove base has an opening in a palmar region of the glove. Multiple palmar layers are attached to the glove base and positioned over the opening. In some embodiments, the palmar layers include a first layer of material positioned between a second layer of material and a third layer of material. The first layer of material has a lower coefficient of friction than one or both of the second and third layers of material such that the layers may slide relative to one another.

A glove with a sleeve is provided in which the bonding strength between the glove main body and the sleeve is great, allowing easy wearing and removal as well as easy overlapping of the glove main body and the sleeve upon bonding. The glove with a sleeve includes: a glove main body compromising rubber or a resin as a principal component; and a cylindrical sleeve comprising a thermoplastic resin as a principal component that is arranged to protrude from a cuff portion of the glove main body, in which the cuff portion of the glove main body is bonded to one end portion of the sleeve through a moisture-curing urethane-based hot melt adhesive. The moisture-curing urethane-based hot melt adhesive is preferably crosslinked. A post-curing thermal deformation temperature of the moisture-curing urethane-based hot melt adhesive is preferably no less than 80° C.

An article having a panel secured between two layers of a trim piece and having a pocket affixed to a zipper, where a first zipper tape is affixed to the panel, and a second zipper tape is secured between the two layers of the trim piece such that the pocket is in communication with an incised opening in the panel is provided. The panel may be secured between the two layers of the trim piece at a first edge, and the incised opening may be formed proximate to the first edge such that the article comprises a pocket presented proximate to the trim piece. The present invention further comprises a method of manufacturing the article including a pocket presented proximate to the trim piece.

Embodiments are disclosed for headwear including a crown including a cap, a strap extending from the crown, the strap including two strap portions extending from different locations of the crown, and a clasp coupled to the strap at terminal ends of the two strap portions, the clasp having a top loop and a bottom loop, wherein the top loop is joined to the bottom loop via a hinge, a top surface of the bottom loop extending from the hinge having a substantially linear declination along at least a portion of the top surface.

A fabric having moisture management properties is disclosed. The fabric can also be made to be fire resistant. The fabric is particularly well suited for being used as an inner lining in protective garments. The fabric contains first yarns and second yarns. The first yarns extend in a first direction and the second yarns extend in the second direction. The yarns are woven together such that the first yarns form a pattern of shapes. The pattern of shapes concentrate the FR cellulose fibers and provide channels for carrying away moisture and improving the moisture management properties of the fabric.

An apparatus includes a bathrobe having a vertically-extending placket extending along a front section of the bathrobe, and the vertically-extending placket is configured to allow the bathrobe to be put on or removed by a user. An elongated towel assembly is fixedly coupled to the bathrobe. The elongated towel assembly vertically hangs from and extends along any one of (A) a left-side vertically extending portion, (B) a right-side vertically extending portion, and (C) the left-side vertically extending portion and the right-side vertically extending portion of the bathrobe in such a way that the vertically-extending placket is available for usage by the user.

The invention is a glove having a palmar side panel and a dorsal side panel and a thumb stall and a plurality of finger stalls for receiving a thumb and fingers of a human hand. The invention further includes a finger or thumb stall having a transverse expansion zone and/or a longitudinal expansion zone comprised of expandable material for accommodating fingers of varying sizes.

A wearable protection item having a redeemable member is disclosed. The wearable protection item may include a protective glove and a redeemable member. The protective glove may include a finger region, a thumb region, a palm region, a wrist region, and a separable region. The wrist region and the separable region may define an opening into the protective glove. The opening may include an edge. The separable region may be adjacent to the wrist region and the thumb region. The redeemable member may include an exterior surface and an interior surface, where at least one of the exterior surface or the interior surface has indicia thereon, and where the redeemable member is adhered to the separable region.

A device with a stationary portion and a rotatable portion, wherein the rotatable portion is lifted to form a substantially L-shaped bracket. Device is configured to be disposed on the forehead of the wearer, preferably coupled with protective headgear. When the rotatable portion is lifted, the bracket is configured for receiving an edge of eyewear. When the eyewear is pulled upward and back due to forces exerted by straps disposed around a user's head, the bracket exerts an equal and opposite force on the edge of the eyewear, holding the eyewear in place. Bracket may include grips for easier use in inclement weather or when the user's hands are otherwise encumbered.

This is a warning to everyone with a mortgage. The rates on new mortgage deals are getting more expensive, and there is a plausible chance of UK base rates increasing. If you have a mortgage, you should check urgently if you can slice the rate down – you may gain £1,000s right now.

Summer’s now over, and sadly there’s little you can do to repair a holiday ruined by flight delay or cancellation (eg from a strike like Ryanair’s) but many are entitled to up to £550 per person compensation. In fact this applies even for delays as far back as 2012.

“I am not a number. I am a free man!” I’m afraid not, you’re a number… when it comes to credit scoring anyway. The famous cry for help of the eponymous Prisoner from the cult 1960s TV show of the 1960, could have been written for today’s world of mass computer assessed finance.

This is a warning to every UK worker aged 22 or over. You’re about to get a pay rise, but it may cost you, and you may not even be told.

This April, whether we're in, out or, most likely, just shaken all about, one thing is certain... it’s the time of annual public service price rises. While you can't prevent the rises, there are often other ways to cut these bills. I want to show how you can steal a March (sorry) on April's hikes.

'Tax-Free Childcare' is a confusing and inaccurately named scheme that launched in April 2017. It can be worth thousands of pounds, but only 250,000 of the 1.5 million eligible families are collecting it.

A YOUNG driver caught with more than 15 times the legal amount of party drug ecstasy in his system has been banned from the roads.

The mood music for savers isn’t good. The world economic outlook is gloomy and there’s huge uncertainty here in the UK, so the City’s long-term interest rates have plummeted. And it’s these that many fixed savings rates are based on – so they’re dropping too. On top of that, the two top easy-access savings accounts cut their rates within days of each other.

Are you ripping yourself off? At least 11m people in the UK are overpaying on their energy bills, usually by £100s a year. Sorting it is one of the biggest and easiest savings you can make – yet the majority still don’t do it. More so, even if you’re scared of switching firm, right now you may be able to save £100s and stick with your existing provider. So as we’re in the core of winter, carpe diem (translation: get off your bum and try to give it a go).

Mis-sold Wonga customers have been legally robbed.

Sole structures (e.g., midsoles and/or outsoles) and articles of footwear include heel-supporting areas and/or forefoot-supporting areas that include a central area (e.g., a central recessed area) and a plurality of surrounding rings. Additionally or alternatively, the sole structures (e.g., midsoles and/or outsoles) may include bands of material defined by recessed grooves to provide a bumpstop type impact-force attenuating structure.

Sole structures include (a) a first midsole component formed at least in part from a first polymeric foam material, wherein the first midsole component forms at least a majority of a plantar support surface and at least a majority of a medial sidewall surface of the sole structure, and wherein the first midsole component includes a lateral side edge; and (b) a second midsole component formed at least in part from a second polymeric foam material, wherein the second midsole component forms at least a majority of a lateral sidewall surface of the sole structure, wherein the second midsole component includes a medial side edge that extends adjacent the lateral side edge of the first midsole component. The second polymeric foam material may have a higher durometer than the first polymeric foam material.

A polymeric housing may have a channel defined therein. A first conductive trace may at least partially coincide with the channel. A first wire may have a first conductor surrounded by a first insulating jacket. The first conductor may be in electrical communication with the first conductive trace. A jacket bonding region of the first jacket may be welded to a housing bonding region of the housing. The jacket bonding region and the housing bonding region may be formed from a common type of polymer.

The invention described herein is a self-cleaning footwear system comprising a sole, where a plurality of check valves are located within said sole. The plurality of check valves are preferably configured between an upper sole and a lower sole to allow debris to flow downwards but not upwards. The plurality of check valves preferably further comprise flap assemblies, where a length of flexible material preferably further comprises a semi-circular flap on one end. The flexible material is preferably a rubber-type material. The sole could be attached to normal footwear, as shown in a sandal. Alternately, the sole could be attached to any type of footwear.

The invention relates to a product for pilgrims performing the rites of Haj and Umrah. Used to reduce the crushes resulting from pilgrims colliding because, for example, pilgrims places their shoes close to the gate from which they entered thinking that it will be easy to return to the same place once they have performed the rites of circumambulation (tawaf) and running (sa'ay). However, in reality the pilgrims must walk against the flow, causing collisions and severe crushes, or he is forced to leave his shoes behind, which is a burden for cleaning staff, looks untidy and is a nuisance for pilgrims, the main figures for the inventions are FIG. 7 before wearing the shoes and FIGS. 8,9,10 and 11 after wearing it.

A cushioning sole for footwear includes a heel portion, an opening, and a cushioning slide. The heel portion includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The opening extends vertically through the heel portion from the bottom surface to the top surface. The cushioning slide is disposed in the opening and extends out from the top surface and out from the bottom surface.

A method for providing parts of waterproof and breathable shoes, parts of waterproof and breathable shoes provided with the method, and waterproof and breathable soles provided with the shoe parts. The method uses a mold including a first element and a second element, at least one of which has hollow regions of a matrix of impressions, which are filled with polymeric material in the fluid state by depositing it in the hollow regions or by injecting it while the mold is closed; a support made of flexible sheet is interposed between the first element and the second element and includes a waterproof and breathable functional element, on which, when the mold is closed, the polymeric material sets and adheres to the support.

An article of apparel includes a base layer and an auxetic layer coupled to the base layer. The auxetic layer includes an auxetic structure defining a repeating pattern of shapes, with each of the shapes defined by perimeter walls and an interior recess. The auxetic layer includes a first region and a second region. Each interior recess in the first region provides a void exposing the base layer, and each interior recess in the second region is at least partially filled with a recess material.

An article of footwear has a tubular structure. The tubular structure may include tab portions that extend away from a tunnel portion of the tubular structure. The tab portions may engage parts of the article of footwear. The tab portions may engage an upper or sole structure along a bite line. The tab portions may be attached to a heel counter, eyestay, or other structure on the article of footwear.

An article of footwear has a tubular structure that may conform to various anatomical features of a foot. The tubular structure has a tunnel, and a tensile strand runs through the tunnel. Applying tension along the tensile strand may cause the tubular structure to conform more closely to one or more anatomical features. The geometry, or path, of the tubular structure on the article may be customized.

The inventive subject matter shown and described is directed to an item of footwear with a tensioning system, comprising: a shell for enclosing a foot and at least a portion of a lower leg; a pair of opposing edges generally aligned along the top of foot portion of the shell and/or a front lower leg portion, the edges generally aligning with a longitudinal axis of the foot and/or lower leg, the opposing edges defining opposite sides of the shell; a foot retraction system comprising a tension path and at least two anchor points disposed along the path on the opposite sides of the shell and supporting at least one tensionable cable section disposed along the path, at least one anchor point comprising a tensioning mechanism, the tensioning mechanism allowing for adjustable tensioning of the cable section, the anchor points being arranged on opposite sides of the shell that support the edges, at least one being on a lateral or medial side of a boot and not on the top of the foot and front of the lower leg, so that tensioning of the cable causes the opposing edges to converge together. The inventive subject matter is particularly suitable for use in boots for snow and skating sports or any other such sport where sliding movement of the foot or leg relative to the item of footwear is undesirable and where secure coupling of the item to the foot and leg facilitates transfer of power to a board, ski, skate blade, set of skate wheels, etc., that is coupled to the item.

A footwear ornamentation assembly includes at least one insert and a plurality of design members that can be mounted on the insert or a flip-flop for decoration purposes. The at least one insert is releasably affixed on top of a flip-flop sole. The plurality of design members present different appearances. A method for decorating a flip-flop using the flip-flop ornamentation assembly includes selecting the at least one insert from a plurality of inserts, affixing the selected insert to a top of the flip-flop sole, selecting one or more design members from the plurality of design members, and mounting the selected one or more design members to the at least one of the selected insert and the flip-flop.

An article of footwear includes projection members providing sensory feedback. The projection members are movable relative to an upper of the article of footwear. When the upper encounters a surface of an object, the projection members may be displaced in a direction towards wearer's foot. The projection members may be configured so that they are inserted into apertures located on the upper, and extend above an outer surface of the upper.

Shoes and/or shoe elements facilitate natural foot motion and/or reduce forces tending to fight natural foot motion. In at least some such structures, a wearer's heel is secured to the hindfoot region of a shoe (e.g., by a strap system) in a manner that permits heel/forefoot rotation and that allows the lower leg to remain straight. In other structures, a shoe can include a heel supporting component that is separate from a midsole component, and this heel supporting component can move toward the lateral side and/or medial side of the shoe along an interface between the heel supporting component and the midsole component. Other suitable shoe and shoe component structures also are described.