[Music Room at Edison National Historic Site]

If you are having a tough time finding the right electronic craft materials for your next invention, try out one of these great kits available online.

Stern Lab is a good choice if you are looking for the basics at a good cost. With this kit you can light up a t-shirt or your embroidery. $15 on Etsy

I am not going to pretend that I know anything about nanotechnology. Nonetheless, I found this report on The Economist regarding how scientists are using nanoscopic needle to stitch carbon-fiber layers together quite fascinating. Sewers may want to give it a read:

Fashion technology is not all about "fashion." There are also serious use cases that may not be glamorous but serve the greater good. The just-announced GPS shoes for Alzheier's patients is one example. As you know, people suffering from Alzheier's may wander away from home and forget how to get back due to dementia. GPS shoes can help patients' families and caregivers to locate them in such a scenario.

If your headed into the wild this summer, be sure to take along the Light Cap by Sollight. You can drink till your hearts content and then hang the bottles from a tree for light as beautiful as the lanterns at Tavern on the Green.

These caps are also great for that old Nalgene bottle you've saved.

This charming flower is not costume jewelry but actually a hearing aid device made in—1802!

If you think that integrating useful technology into clothing and accessories is something new, think again. Without fail, we can always look to the past for seeds innovation to stimulate our own creation. Below I've put together a number of fun inventions from the bygone days and compared them to some of their modern day counterparts.

1972: Panasonic Toot-A-Loop Radio R-72