Department stores don't want you bringing your wet umbrella inside, accidentally getting their fancy merchandise all wet. That's why, at least in Japan, many department stores have machines set up at the entrances to either put a plastic bag around your umbrella or dry it off with a hairdryer-like mechanism. The problem? These either create waste or use up lots of energy, neither of which are good things.

A new, more environmentally-friendly solution has appeared. The new contraption acts like a squeegee, pulling all of the water off of your umbrella without using any electricity or disposable plastic bags. Simply push the umbrella in, pull it out, and bam! You've got a dry umbrella. The water pours out the bottom, and if the store wanted to go all out, they could use the collected water in the toilets or to water their plants. But hey, this is a good first step.

DigInfoTV, via Core77