These have actually been out for a tick, but we just got our special someone a pair of the Dots iPhone-compatible gloves and they're so simultaneously silly and brilliant we thought you'd get a kick out of 'em. Yep, they're just nice wool or knit gloves with metal dots in the fingers that work with capacitive touchscreens -- no crazy patented Apple "anti-sticky" layer or ridiculous overdesign involved. Of course, just because they're marketed towards iPhone users doesn't mean they won't work with the Storm or G1 as well -- honestly, we're sort of surprised these little nubs haven't popped up on gloves everywhere. Couple more pics and a quick video after the break.

A new Apple patent has been found that will assuredly warms the hearts (and hands) of many iPhone users currently enduring a cold winter. Originally filed a day before the iPhone's June 28, 2007 launch, it details a glove with a thin, electrically conductive, "anti-sticky" inner layer that is able to function with a capacitive touchscreen. It also suggests the glove could have apertures on the fingertips for opening and closing the more protective outer layer. Of course, the concept is far from new -- just do a quick Google search for "iPhone gloves" to see a wide variety of choices -- and Apple doesn't really dabble in this sort of iPhone / iPod accessory, but if Phil keeps his hands in his pockets for the first half of the Macworld keynote, we're gonna start to get ideas.

[Via Apple Insider; thanks, Shawn]

Ah, how timely! Over two years after the USB-powered G-Gloves hit the scenes, in comes Thanko to bring a much needed new face to the niche. These Kumasan mittens both get powered from a single USB port and even have cutouts to allow your fingers to move freely. There's no mention of a price nor any indication that these will ever be released outside of Japan, but this is definitely a must-buy if you're headed to that side of the globe anytime soon.

[Via AkihabaraNews]

For all you OCD desk tappers out there, I Want One Of Those is offering up -- ta da -- Piano Hands. These electronic gloves with built-in sensors at the fingertips emulate musical notes upon tapping any flat surface. With eight different instruments to choose from, we can't think of a better way to be endlessly annoying on elevators, airplanes, trains and other cramped enclosed spaces -- assuming you can find a place to plug in your Marshall Stack. Pick up your ticket to stardom for just £49.99 ($92) from IWOOT. No word yet on a release date.

[Via Popgadget]

Bluetooth technology has been finding its way into ski gear for years now, but Swany has taken things to a whole 'nother level -- one that's only reachable via the heated quad-lift. Unless this description is positively inaccurate, there's actually a Bluetooth module, speaker and microphone tucked within one of the g.cell gloves. When it detects an incoming call, it gives your wrist a shake (read: there's a vibrate function) and enables you to quite literally talk to the hand. Swany asserts that it'll last for 12 hours on standby (4 hours of talk time), though your phone may crap out a few hours earlier in extreme temperatures. Now that we think about it, wrestling that mobile out of our deep coat pockets with frostbitten hands is pretty annoying -- maybe that $495 price tag isn't so staggering after all.

[Via bookofjoe, thanks llya]

While you've got your H-Bomb to keep you nice and toasty while surfing through chilly waters, and the Airvantage vest to keep your chest warm while braving the bitter cold, even the most hardcore skiers will probably admit that their fingertips go numb just a few hours after they hit the slopes. Reusch's latest pair of high-end ski gloves looks to solve the chilly finger dilemma (sans USB power), as the new Solaris gloves pack iThermX heating technology, which was developed by Interactive Wear AG. Beneath the supple exterior is an electronics unit with a 16-bit microcontroller that "manages the intelligent power and temperature control and executes application-specific programmable heating algorithms," effectively turning up the heat whenever a user-selected temperature is reached. The heat is powered by two flat, lightweight Li-ion batteries, which can purportedly provide a hand-based oven for "around five hours" before needing to hit up the lodge for a quick recharge. There's even an onboard selector / LED indicator to switch from constant heat to "temperature-defined heating," and while we've no idea just how pricey these gloves will end up being, we're fairly sure any skier who has dealt with freezing fingers will do nearly anything to own them.

Alright fellas, if you're sitting around enjoying the cool breeze emanating from your seat cushion, then you're fully aware of how invigorating a USB-powered gizmo can be during the summer months, and equally aware in the depths of winter. For that lucky lady in your life (or cyberlife), these comfy G-Gloves (G for girl, we presume) can keep her hands warm during those chilly December fragfests, and thanks to their ability to quickly convert into mittens, even her fingertips are covered. Sporting a detachable cable, on / off switch, alphabet stitching, dual warming pads, two-levels of heat intensity, and the ability to get toasty through any powered USB port (yes, even the Wii), these should be a sure fire (ahem) hit in the stocking this holiday season. The G-Glove hand-warmers are available now to heat things up in pink or blue for $22.

[Via MobileMag]