At last, technology to meet a truly pressing need

ANEW gadget is being developed in Hong Kong and it shows the world of tech has at least one woman in it. It could even encourage female tourism if Hong Kong supports the innovation.

It will prove there are city mothers and not just fathers (who do not care about this issue, unless they have carefully coiffed hair). This really is a crucial moment when Hong Kong’s investors are being told to put up or shut up and no, that’s not just a description of what the product can do. It’s an umbrella light. Phew. The umbrella and Hong Kong. You immediately think yellow and revolutionary thoughts. But fold those up and put them away. This is something else.

As rainy season approaches, the brolly issue looms large in Hong Kong. Everyone ends up owning umpteen, because of the number of times you get caught out. Flash squalls. Power showers. Homeless monsoons. We see ‘em all.

So, the invention. It’s an umbrella that lights up. When it’s lit, it means the umbrella is available for sharing. Come join me. Come hither. Come under. Just get yourself and your hairdo to safety.

It’s called Umbrella-Here. And it’s nothing short of hair emergency services for women. When great hair danger threatens, now there are saviours, with lights, to rescue you. It’s the hair police, the hair ambulance, the hair fire service all in one.

(Note, the light will suffice to denote this emergency service. No need for a brolly klaxon to further emphasise the haven offered. The actual emergency services in Hong Kong make far too much noise, and their “nee naws” at 3am wake up my street.

The hair emergency service personnel shall go about their hair saving business discreetly as there is also beauty sleep to be considered.)

When first seeing this marvellous new app, the people I was with (one male, one female) started taking the concept further. Suggesting it could be used for dating, with the bulb indicating the umbrella bearer is looking for love. Kind of like Tinder with tungsten.

Then they recalled from history lessons that the Chinese emperor in days gone by raised the lantern in the house of the concubine he was visiting. What, I felt like saying? WHAT??? You talk of finding love, when this is already saving HAIR. Get your priorities right.

What’s actually amazing is that this app has got so far, because the tech world is very male, and venture capitalists do tend to be blokes, and if they’re so successful they can invest pots of cash, they’re likely to be older blokes who don’t have much hair and therefore don’t get how spectacular this is for even a tiny second (as you won’t, most probably, if you’re such a bloke reading this).

For the Umbrella-Here woman to have survived pitch nights, she must be a shady lady, a paragon of parasols.

And it can only be good for the city. I worry about Hong Kong becoming a male only state because women cannot survive here due the effect of rain on our hair.

Less brain drain than a hair cut and run. This may just stop any flight from frizz. Oh, and there is a new spokeswoman for females in tech.

‘‘ What’s amazing is this app has got so far, because the tech world is very male, and venture capitalists tend to be blokes