The core design of the humble umbrella hasn’t changed in centuries. The main reason for this being that the umbrella, as humble as it may be, works extremely well. Until someone designs a new version of the umbrella that actually offers some real advantages over its forebears, people are going to continue to use those already on the market. However, very few people would consider the umbrella to be perfect, which presents creative and inventive designers with several problems in need of solutions. Rain Shield solves several of these problems in one innovative hit.
http://www.gizmag.com/rain-shield-umbrella/25038/
Toms Blog on Life and Livingness