If I had a dollar for every time I've been at a park and seen a cyclist using a cell phone, . . . I would probably have enough money to get something like the Pulse bicycle safety helmet. Designed by Julie-Ann Davies, this helmet has a built-in Ear Drop feature with a Bluetooth receiver, so that cyclists can safely answer a cell phone, listen to music from an MP3 player or record cycling data while they're on the go. The Ear Drop is located on the side of the helmet away from the roadside (which is why it's not visible in the above image), so that the cyclist can still hear the traffic. While it isn't completely hands-free, it has just 3 simple buttons for toggling the music or phone call, so there's no reckless fiddling with wires or phone buttons.

There are also additional safety features packaged into the helmet's sleek design. The large LED rear safety light looks like a slightly smaller version of a car's rear tail light, and the helmet's polycarbonate shell carries reflective materials that can be personalised for greater visibility. There's also a removable visor for increased weather protection.

The Pulse bicycle helmet design is a finalist in the Australian Design Awards (Student Award). It isn't available commercially yet, but I can't imagine that it wouldn't be quickly snapped up by someone looking to tap the wider cell phone-carrying, iPod-listening market.