Over here at Coolest Gadgets, we’ve covered the Animated WiFi Detector Shirt last October, and that offering was from ThinkGeek which retailed for $29.99. It came in a cool black shade of various sizes, and is powered by a trio of AAA batteries. Today, we have from Firebox a WiFi Detecting T-Shirt that basically does the same thing as described in the product description right after the jump.

As its name suggests, this hi-tech garment lets you know when you’re in a WiFi zone by graphically displaying the WiFi connections floating around the vicinity. Glowing bars on the front of the shirt dynamically change as the signal strength fluctuates. Clever, eh? Armed with this so-nerdy-it’s-cool clobber there’s no need to crack open your laptop or fiddle with your PDA searching for nearby WiFi signals. Wear it anywhere - from coffee shops and airports to hotels and forthcoming Friends of DeForest Kelley Conventions. The possibilities are endless. Kind of. Capable of showing strengths of 802.11b or 802.11g (whatever that means), the WiFi Detecting T-Shirt is destined to become an essential travelling companion for all you roving surfers. Simply check out your chest and get connected. It’s just like being bionic. Well, ish.

What are some of the fundamental differences between both shirts? After all, don’t they do the same thing? Yes, both of them are capable of picking up 802.11b and g signals, but the Firebox version features the image of a laptop display that shows off just how much WiFi signal you’re currently getting in your area, while the ThinkGeek version comes in the form of a communications tower instead. Not only that, the one we’re talking about today runs off a couple of AAA batteries only, although I’m not sure whether it will last as long as TG’s version. It is a wee bit more expensive than the ThinkGeek version with a £19.95 price tag, but if it helps save you batteries in the long run, it ought to be worth it.

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