Make that long-distance relationship last with a pair of Hug Shirts, which enable you to send a squeeze to someone far away. It’s a mobile accessory that links to your phone using Bluetooth technology. When you want your loved one to know you care, applying pressure to certain areas of your shirt is replicated in the shirt worn by the other person. Hug pressure and duration, and even skin temperature, are among the details that can be transferred from shirt to shirt. CuteCircuit has also designed a sleeve accessory for your mobile device that creates pleats on the fabric when a call comes in. Order the Hug Shirt—about £250 (about Cdn$500) a pop—at www.cutecircuit.com

Vancouver hasn’t exactly become as bad as Basra or Chicago’s Cabrini-Green housing project, but the recent spate of street murders might make you consider a little extra protection when you’re wandering around. You can protect yourself from knife attacks with a hoodie or T-shirt lined with aramid fibres, known for their use in body armour (Kevlar is a particular brand of para-aramid). Bladerunner offers a full line of clothing that can save you from a knife attack, and the company even claims to have developed a bullet-proof hoodie. Prices generally range from £50 to £80. See www.bladerunner.tv for more details.

Video-game players looking for a more realistic experience when playing first-person-shooter games can level up with the FPS Gaming Vest. Available in either black or fashionable camouflage, the vest uses an air compressor to simulate the impact of everything from bullets and explosions to taps on the shoulder by a virtual assailant who has snuck up behind you. The vest ships with two games—both rated teen for ages 13 and older—3rd Space Incursion and Call of Duty 2, along with drivers and mods for using the vest with other shooters such as Crysis, Quake, and F.E.A.R. US$169 at www.tngames.com

With the new Wi-Fi Detector Shirt you can source Wi-Fi signals without having to pull out that clunky notebook computer. This black T is equipped with a glowing, signal-sensitive decal of a broadcast tower that indicates the strength of the Wi-Fi signal wherever you are. A stronger signal will light up more of the parenthetical-looking Wi-Fi bars that have become iconic in our modern culture. The animated decal is removable for easy washing, which means you can also use it to decorate your cubicle during the monthly laundry cycle. US$29.99 at www.thinkgeek.com