Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Fill In The Blanket

This La Tete Au Cube Buddy Throw would be a wonderful thing to have next time I'm home sick on the couch. The 85 percent wool blanket delivers a double dose of cuddliness. You can cover up with it when you're cold or let it "embrace" you while it's tossed over the back of the sofa. Plus, it's sleek and sophisticated which is more than I can say for most throw blankets.

Run For Covers

Apparently a Chuck E. Cheese Pizza animatronic band has found new life singing modern hits like Fergie's London Bridge, Evanescence's Lithium and my personal favorite, Ms. New Booty by Bubba Sparxxx. If you've never experienced the delicious trauma of seeing the Chuck E. Cheese furry robot band as a kid, then these videos will probably be more funny than creepy. For the rest of you that remember crying under the table while holding back pizza vomit, these videos may tap into your dark place.

Sex With Vegetables Vegans

Vegansexuals are vegans who do not eat any meat or animal products and who choose not to be sexually intimate with non-vegan partners whose bodies, they say, are made up of dead animals. If you are what you eat, vegansexuals don't want your meat.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Eat Your Art Out

Of all the ideas you wish you had, this one's probably way up there. The idea behind Wants for Sale is simple, but that's what makes it absolute genius. New York artists Christine and Justin simply paint pictures of the things they want. Then, they sell those paintings for exactly the same price as what those objects cost. The artists' tech "wants" include a Guitar Hero controller (the painting costs $64.98), an iPhone ($649.17), and, uh, chicken wings ($12.70). Via e-mail, you can even submit the stuff that you want. If Christine and Justin want it too, they'll paint it.

Peep Show

Street Peeper is a fashion site that brings you photos of street fashion from around the globe. Check out what hipsters are wearing to parties and openings from Amsterdam to Zurich. It's sort of like the Cobra Snake only it's not just party photos of 20 year olds who do a lot of coke - the site lists what each person is wearing and lets you search via tags.

Text Book

A Nokia 6630 has been used by Italian author Roberto Bernocco to write a 384 page novel as he commuted to work each day. Using the Nokia 6630’s T9 predictive typing system, Bernocco was able to type out his novel in around 17 weeks. He divided it into paragraphs which he then downloaded onto his computer. The book’s title is Compagni di Viaggo, which translates to “Fellow Travelers.” While Compagni di Viaggo is not exactly raking in the sales just yet, it is interesting to note that Bernocco tapped out his novel in perfect Italian. The novel is available for the very reasonable price of $17.38 or as an e-book for $2.47.

Cutting Edge

Michael Hilgers offers a modern take on the traditional window flower box with his On The Edge Pots. Designed to straddle the railing of a balcony, the pots are made from water-resistant polyethylene and can rest on any railing with a maximum thickness of 60mm. Two separate compartments offer multiple planting options. The On The Edge Pot is ideally suited for urban dwellers with limited outdoor space, but can easily be used in the workspace or restaurants to liven up a patio.

Haute Dog Rental

From the state that popularized purse puppies, drive-through dog washes and gourmet dog food delivery comes the latest in canine convenience out of California: a company that contracts out dogs by the day to urbanites without the time or space to care for a pet full-time. FlexPetz is currently available in Los Angeles and San Diego and will open in San Francisco next month, New York in September and London by the end of the year. For an annual fee of $99.95, a monthly payment of $49.95 and a per-visit charge of $39.95 a day, animal lovers who enroll in FlexPetz get to spend time with a four-legged companion. The membership costs cover the expense of training the dogs, boarding them, home or office delivery, collar-sized global positioning devices, veterinary bills and liability insurance. It also pays for the leashes, bowls, beds and pre-measured food that accompany each dog.

Advertising Cells

Celebs behind bars is nothing new but jail themed ads are. Apparently Sarah Jessica Parker thinks shooting her new campaign for her second fragrance Covet in a jail cell will increase perfume sales. Parker is not the only one celebrity working the bars, Kelly Osbourne recently did this shoot for her new role in Chicago. Do you think this new trend in advertising will work? I guess only hard time will tell.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Flower Arrangements

As more and more people are stockpiling online friends and contacts through social networks, it makes sense to let them be as giving to their online friends as to their offline buddies. Online flower store Social Flowers spotted a business opportunity and has created a way for consumers to send flowers to their Facebook friends without having to ask for their personal details. How it works? Users install the Social Flowers Facebook application, select a recipient from their friends list, pick a floral gift and pay. Social Flowers then sends the recipient an email and a Facebook notification requesting their address and the flowers are delivered by one of 30,000 local florists in the US and Canada.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Hidden Agenda

With Kameraflage now you will be able to plant subliminal messages on tee shirts, movies and billboards that can only be seen with digital cameras. This context sensitive display technology developed by Sarah Logie and Connor Dickie, works by using colors that are invisible to us but easily picked up by the silicon chips in digital cameras. As you can see, the model above is wearing a shirt that only reveals that cloud's lightning bolt when seen through an iPhone's digital camera, although any ordinary unmodified digital camera would get the same result. She just as easily could have placed her phone number in that cloud. What would your invisible message tee say?

Blackle & White Issue

Blackle is the new black screen version of Google that claims to consume less power. There's some debate (a gray area if you would) as to how much power it would actually save if Google switched to a black background, but I just use it because it looks cool.

Super Size Me

Recently featured in the July issue of I-D magazine, this Italian sunglasses company promises to be a hit. Similar in design to the iconic Wayfarer style trendsetters have been sporting the past year, Super Sunglasses are available in bright colors and are exceptional in quality. Handmade in Italy with Zeiss lenses, they can be found in such trend savvy stores as Fred Segal in LA, Steven Alan in New York, and Colette in Paris.

Limited Release

The much-abuzzed Wes Anderson movie Darjeeling Limited has a new trailer out. For even the most jaded of Wes Anderson fans, you know you're curious about it.

The movie stars Adrien Brody along with Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson. The movie looks more outright funny than some of Anderson's works like the Life Aquatic, but less obnoxious than say, a typical Owen Wilson movie (ahem) You, Me and Dupree. From the trailer it looks like the three men are playing brothers who embark on an adventure together. When someone asks what made them want to do so, there's a vague reference to a spiritual journey. It's a pretty slow-moving trailer until the part involving a can of mace, which made me laugh out loud, but it has that distinctively weird-cool Wes Anderson vibe to it throughout. My favorite line: "I wonder if the three of us could have been friends in real life. Not as brothers, but as people." Who hasn't wondered that at least once about one's siblings? I can't wait to see Darjeeling Limited when it opens September 28.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Electric Car = Sticker Shock

The Telsa electro-roadster that goes from 0-60 in 4 seconds is due to hit the streets this fall, and there are 560 orders for the $98,000 electric sports car already pending. When can you get one you ask? Not right away. First you have to plunk down a $50,000 deposit, which gives you the right to buy your shiny new Tesla when they come out or you can pay a $30,000 deposit but you'll be in line behind the $50,000 depositors. And really the $98,000 is just the base price cause on top of that you'll want to add the $1200 navigation system, a carbon fiber hard top that matches the body color for $3200 and then there's that $500 mobile charging system add-on. With all these options, which sound more like necessities to me, it brings your grand total to $102,900. Turns out being green is easy, it's just paying for it that is hard!

View Finder

Tired of staring at a crappy city view? Showcase a skyline with city lights instead with Better View Curtains. The design is a blackout roll-up curtain with punched out lights holes that silhouette a city view. The perforated city views currently available are Shinjuku, Tokyo, Kallio and Helsinki. Each piece is custom made by hand so I'm sure if you wanted to recreate your favorite city view they could.

Better View Curtains were designed by Elina Aalto of Fiasko Design and are currently on display at SAUMA, a Finnish cultural design exhibit which will be at the Los Angeles Architecture and Design Museum till August 28, 2007.

Singing In The Rain

Now that it's raining more than ever so you can stand under my umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh. If you recognize those lyrics from Rihanna's latest hit, "Umbrella," then it'll make sense why the singer has come out with her own line of umbrellas for Totes. There's nothing fancy-schmancy about Rihanna's umbrellas, but they get the job done. I personally have my eye on an even cooler umbrella.

Are musician endorsements the new celebrity endorsement? Marilyn Manson is selling Absinthe so I guess its only a matter of time before you can purchase R. Kelly closets or maybe even Lil' Mama's Lipgloss. What song do you think would have the weirdest endorsement product?

All Star's Boyfriends

What is Alyssa Milano’s deal with major league baseball players? Milano has been linked to major league pitchers Barry Zito, Carl Pavano and Brad Penny. But now it seems she has her eyes on Los Angeles Dodger catcher Russell Martin. Is it that she dates these guys to further her new Baseball themed jewelry line called TOUCH which is set to launch at the upcoming MAGIC show in Las Vegas from August 27-30, 2007 or is she just a bonified cleat-chaser? Alyssa is not the only Hollywood girl with her eyes on a baseball diamond, Eliza Dushku and Dodger's pitcher and might I add Alyssa's ex, Brad Penny are apparently a new couple. All I have to say is becareful girls, locker rooms have nicknames for girls like you. So what's the deal, have baseball players replaced British dudes as the new trophy boyfriend?

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Tray Chic

Peter D’Alessandro’s Waste and Want cutting board has detachable trays on its ends, one tray for waste and the other for, yeah you guessed it, the food you want. Everybody can identify with the frustrations of regular cutting boards; they’re too small for you to cut up all the ingredients at once so you have to do a lot of ingredient transfer. When those transfers take place, things tend to fall on the ground and you almost certainly get your hands dirty. The Waste and Want board pretty much eliminates those difficulties by providing non-messy, spill-proof containers in which to carry your culinary cargo either to the trash can or to the pot. Actually, it looks like Mr. D’Alessandro has made something of a career out of finding clever ways to do commonplace kitchen tasks, check out his website to see his other gadgets, including a spoon, which boils its own water.

(Un)Business Cards

There's a new kind of business card for the stylish set called Moo Cards. For those of you who don't work for a big corporation with fancy business cards, Moo Cards are definitely worth a look. They've taken what is essentially a fairly boring & standard product, the old business card, and breathed new life into it. These pint sized little beauties are about half the size of your normal business card so they already look different. Plus they link in with Flickr account so you can use your personal photos on the back of each card. Talk about business in the front, party on the back! The cards come in packs of 100 for $19.99 and there's currently a free shipping promotion going on, so be sure to take advantage of it!

Monday, July 23, 2007

For Love Or Money?

Impress that hottie at the bar by handing out your number on the back of an ATM slip that shows you're rich.


A company called CustomReceipts will send you a one-year supply (52 receipts) for only $15. The receipt includes your name, the last four digits of your account number, a withdrawal amount and closing balance of your choosing. The example shown above shows a balance of $629,112.23 with a paltry withdrawal of only $60. Talk about a small price to pay for finding true love getting in someone's pants.

Cassette (Tape) Dispenser

Ahh…cassette tapes. They really sucked. Fortunately they make much better scotch tape dispensers than a medium for playing music. The J-me Tape Dispenser is made of hard rubber and is available in your choice of red or green. Now if only someone could repurpose all those old 8 tracks...

Friday, July 20, 2007

Vault Lounges: A Safe Bet?

To most people, this photo represents somewhere to store some extra cash or possibly a good opportunity to steal some. To a number of players in the L.A. nightlife scene however it's the perfect spot for a new club. No fewer than three new venues are scheduled to open in former banks over the next six months. First up is Bank Heist, which launches in early August in a North Hollywood building by John Parkinson, the architect known for landmarks like Los Angeles Memorial Stadium and City Hall. In downtown L.A., another Parkinson bank is currently being converted into the Crocker Club where come fall guests will have to provide a password to enter the whisky bar to check out the marble teller counters and the VIP lounge in the main vault. Those turned away or turned off by all the gimmickry will be able to find consolation several doors down at Mercury Liquors, due to open in early 2008 in the 6,000-square-foot vault of the former Los Angeles Trust & Savings Bank building. Talk about money in the bank! I bet these club owners will be laughing all the way to the bank too. So do you think bank vaults are the new VIP club trend? I'm willing to put my money in on it!

Make A Splash

This unique lighting concept entitled The Light Drop comes from Brazilian designer Rafael Morgan. As you can see, the lights appear to ooze from the tap like some sort of thick sludge. And the best part is that the tap also functions like a dimmer. Give it a turn and you can control the intensity of the light. At this point, the Light Drop is just a concept piece, but Rafael is actively searching for a company to produce his work. So who knows - it could be on retail shelves or on the wall at a hip lounge very soon.

Weediculous

Stoners Smokers have long been known for their ingenuity. So, when one especially clever dude got sick of always looking for his lighter, he invented the Solopipe. The tobacco smoking device combines a butane lighter with a high-end stainless steel pipe. Already showing up in the hands of green celebs, the Solopipe features a sliding bowl cover, refillable gas valve, and adjustable flame control. Watch a video demonstration on how it works here.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Ooma Gawd...

An ambitious and long awaited new consumer VOIP startup Ooma launches this morning. Much like Vonage and the ill-fated SunRocket, Ooma allows consumers to use their normal phones to make and receive telephone calls, but at drastically reduced prices. Vonage provides unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada for a flat $25/month. Ooma, however, is using an innovative peer-to-peer architecture to significantly reduce their cost overhead. Because of that cost reduction, they’re charging for hardware only. Calls in the U.S. are free, and will be forever. That doesn’t mean there’s no cost to the consumer, though. You still have to get your hands on the hardware, which starts at $399, and have a broadband Internet connection. That buys you a base hub. You plug broadband ethernet into one end, and a normal phone into the other, and you’re all set. A one time $400 phone bill sounds like a good deal to me, but I'll let you make the Call.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Chari-tees?

Lance Armstrong and Nike announced a deal today that would make the LiveStrong brand more than just bracelets. A full line of tee shirts, jackets and even LiveStrong sneakers are in the works for next season. There hasn't been anything quite like it in fashion before, MAC Viva Glam and Gap were charity initiatives born out of huge companies, but not the other way around. Which brings up an interesting question: Can a charity stunt become a brand?

Upload Of Crap

Digital cameras lead to a new form of piracy. The Harry Potter leak is only the latest example; authorities in Japan have been trying to crack down on digital shoplifting for years. Japanese shoppers have been using their phones to take snapshots of content like hairstyles and clothing from magazines and sending the images to friends to discuss. Apparently the Japanese Magazine Publishers Association doesn’t like this and is describing this practice as information theft, so they’ve launched a whole ad campaign discouraging it. Do you think taking a picture inside a store is really shoplifting?

Seal Of Approval

The latest in a long line of ingenious yet simple concepts comes to you courtesy of the folks behind these Quik Tops Can Sealers, which can turn any canned beverage into a screw-top bottle, completely leak proof and secure. They are also great on the go cause you can use the lid as a cup. Unfortunately they are only available online for now but with a find this good I couldn't keep a lid on it!

New (Absolut) Orleans

At the Tales of the Cocktail festival this week in New Orleans a new version of Absolut vodka is being launched. The festival is an annual event celebrating the art of mixology. For the first time, the Swedish vodka company is naming a flavor for a city. Absolut New Orleans is mango-flavored with a black pepper kick. The flavor is meant to capture the unique spirit of the city. The vodka will be a limited run of 35,000 cases and will sell for $19. The best part of the new is that the vodka is expected to raise $2 million for five Gulf Coast charities. Future city vodkas with a similar charitable aspect are planned for the future. What would Absolut Houston taste like?

Not Another Teen Movie

There is a new movie coming out in a couple weeks called Charlie Bartlett, and if you're like me, you probablly haven't heard of it either. It's about a high school kid from a wealthy family, who's been kicked out of every private school he's been to and is forced to start attending public school where in order to make friends, he uses his access to his family's psychiatrist to become therapist to his classmates and sell them Ritalin, Prozac, etc. It's a sweeter movie than that description makes it sound, basicaly Charlie just wants to fit in. And he's smart enough to find an inventive way to do it. Watch the trailer here and tell me what you think.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Mercedes Makes A Spectacle

Mercedes-Benz is trying something new, and they're jumping in with both feet. In collaboration with Allison SpA, they've come up with designs for 40 different eyeglass and sunglass frames. They unveiled the new endeavor at the recently concluded Fashion Week in Berlin, and I have to say that I think they've really gotten it right. The designs look hip and modern, but not so trendy that they're not versatile enough for everyday wear. Prices range from $233-$330 for the Mercedes-Benz eyeglass frames and $220-$357 for the sunglasses, which is a small price to pay for an eye-catching Mercedes.

A Harry Situation

For all you adults who read children's books, you'll be happy to know that photos of every page of the new Harry Potter book have turned up online. Someone has taken the time to upload pictures (as above) of all 759 pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, including the "About the Author" page to a file-sharing site called Pirate Bay just days before it hits bookstores. Don't wish to read the book? No problem someone already has and has all the spoilers here.

Meet Market

According to the New York Sun, New York’s cheesiest singles go to Whole Foods on the Bowery to pick up cage-free eggs and each other. Have you ever picked someone up at a Grocery Store?

Passport Status

With Playboy Passport, the company’s new members-only concierge service, a $10,000 annual membership buys the ultimate in luxury and service for a Hef-like lifestyle. Aside from letting you go behind-the-scenes at shoots and attend events at the Playboy Mansion (and the mag’s parties across the country) the Passport offers practical luxury for the jet set: private jet and yacht services, discounted car rentals, automatic upgrades at hotels, spas, and resorts. The 24-hour service also extends to dining and nightlife benefits, including a personal assistant/shopper. Plus the Passport boosts your status, allowing you to breeze into club openings, private sales, galas, premieres, and big sports events. With playboys Jamie Foxx and Wilmer Valderrama already on board, the memberships, limited to 1,000 are going fast.

Playboy photo shoots. Poker with the Playmates. Parties at the Playboy Mansion. Whoever said money can’t buy happiness never had the chance to pony up for Hugh Hefner’s lifestyle.

Lite-Brite Idea

We all remember Lite-Brite, the colorful toy that let us leave messages for our parents, draw pictures, and generally release our childhood creativity in a non-destructive way. Now you can bring that fun into your living room with the Lite Table. Inspired by the classic toy, this table includes 100 oversized pegs to move around to keep your guests and yourself occupied.

Minnie Me

Bucking the trend of ever-expanding dining portions, Chicago-based Minnies is out to prove that bigger isn't always better. Featuring a wide selection of bite-size gourmet burgers and sandwiches, including traditional favorites such as grilled cheese and Reubens, alongside the more inventive Mykonos (roast chicken, tzaziki sauce and kalamata tapenade) and Thanksgiving delight (roast turkey, cranberries and wild rice gravy) Minnies applies nouvelle cuisine portions to casual dining. Besides serving waistline-minded eaters something to nibble on, the fifties-style diner gives hungrier customers the mix-and-match pleasure of tapas restaurants. Are you big on little food?

Wash Your Hands

I would like to personally thank, or shall I say, give a Hand to the designers of this soap for creeping me out.
Available at Foliage, this "Hand Soap" only costs $12 and is sure to make a great gift for say, someone who has waited on you hand and foot, or perhaps just lent you a helping hand. Weird or not, I've got to Hand it to them for not only making the soaps by hand, but using only organic products. I just wonder if these soaps are selling Hand over fist?

Monday, July 16, 2007

Tie-Dye For

You heard it first, you heard it here, Tie-Dye is making a comeback. Yes tie-dye, as in your sixth grade art class project. Spotted on a couple highend runway shows for next year, as well as several Hollywood it girls, I say it will be several more months before you can get yours at UrbanOutfitters.

Do You Look "Like A Virgin"?

How do you prove you're a virgin in the town that inspired "Sex and the City''? The producers of an off-Broadway show are giving away free tickets to anyone who can demonstrate his or her chastity. Which raises the question: Just how will the theater know? Producer Ken Davenport, 34, had a hypnotist screen people standing in line for the free tickets to the first preview of his 90-minute comedy, "My First Time'' to determine their status. The show, which opens July 28, is based on a decade-old website that invites people to anonymously share their stories about losing their virginity. Great, another "who's done it" play - just what Broadway needed!

Friday, July 13, 2007

Oh Good Grief, Tourism

When I hear the word tourism, I think of beaches, comfortable hotels, and lots of relaxation. But now, darker forms of tourism are gaining popularity in an increasingly news-strung world. It’s called Dark Tourism - and two of its genres are Thanatourism and Grief Tourism, which denotes the urge to travel to the dark places of the world like the Killing Fields, Ground Zero or Auschwitz. And you thought the guilt trips your mom gives you were weird.

Absinthe Minded

What does Marilyn Manson drink? Believe it or not the answer just might be Mansinthe his new absinthe which is set to debut in Europe in August. Liquor Snob reports that the distiller, Matter-Luginbuhl, is a famed maker of high-end absinthes in Switzerland. Manson is a noted lover of absinthe and the project has been in the works for several years. The absinthe is made from herbs such as grand wormwood, fennel and anise and is not sugared and the label artwork is by Manson. There are prereleases: a limited edition for 300 euros and a special signed edition with a different label available from "The Beautiful People, The Beautiful People" at Gallery Schenk in Cologne that sells for 500 euros.

Book Burning, Man

In the interest of full disclosure, let me state the following: I have not gone, nor do I ever intend to ever go, to Burning Man, which is scheduled August 27 - September 4 this year. There are many reasons behind my reluctance, not the least of which is my strong aversion to placing myself in situations completely out of my control and difficult to extricate myself from, much less a huge gathering of less-than-sober strangers in the Nevada desert. Photographer Leo Nash has been attending Burning Man for over a decade, rising early in the morning each day to document the bizarre and wonderful assortment of vehicles, structures, and other constructions that often defy description. The nature of his subject — like the festival itself — is fleeting, yet through Nash’s understated black & white compositions, you can see each surreal flight of fancy captured in time prior to being put to the torch. Nash released a hard-bound compilation of photographs in Burning Man: Art in the Desert that is worth reviewing if only to appreciate the book’s unique matchbox design, if not its contents.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Reservations about Reservations?

For planners like me, when I go on vacation making restaurant reservations is as important as making flight and hotel reservations, but that's just me. I know for many people trying to figure out what they are going to have for dinner is stressful enough, let alone trying to figure out where.

In New York City, reservations are serious business, or I shall I say a new business. Allow me to introduce you to TableXchange, a new website devoted to scoring you New York's hard to get reservations at the hottest restaurants in town. Wish you can eat at Nobu or PerSe, no problem! The only thing you have to decide is for how many and what time. Think of TableXchange like a concert ticket broker, but instead of two tickets to The Blue Man Group you get a table for two at Blue Water Grill. Procrastinators, eat your heart out.

Wheel You Look At That

What do you get when you combine a bicycle tire, a caster wheel, and some plastic? The Magic Wheel, of course. The Magic Wheel is set to be next in line when it comes to modest transportation fads such as the Razor scooter. While the unicycle remained lost in the realm of circuses and clowns, the Magic Wheel aims to change that by featuring all three forms of self-propelled transportation in a single mode of transport. This Swiss-designed scooter weighs in at just under 14 pounds. How do you ride it? Like any other scooter, you stand on it with one leg and push off with your other. Check out the video to see it in action. At around $240, the Magic Wheel isn't cheap but is "set to take the UK by storm". Magic Wheel you buy one?

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

$culptures

Even though the latest trend for the rich is "stealth wealth," there are bound to be those out there who just can't help but flaunt what they've got. One way to do it is to get yourself a money sculpture, or I suppose you could make your own if you have an artistic bend towards paper mache. You can easily customize it by using any dollar denomination you want (it cracks me up that this one is made of $1 dollar bills) but hey, if you're a little short on cash and don't want to hit the ATM you can just peel off a few bills and be good to go.

VeeVIP Cocktails

VeeV is the world’s first Açai (pronounced ah-SIGH-ee) spirit and is simply, “a better way to drink.”
Launched by a pair of ambitious, cause-minded Gen Y brothers, this new liquor brand is changing the way Los Angelinos and all these celebrities drink, one hotspot at a time.

In addition to becoming a permanent “mixture” at many entertainment industry mainstays like Winston’s, Parc, Les Deux and Bar Marmont, the açaí-infused spirit has also made appearances at high profile political functions for both Hillary and Barack. In addition to açaí ‘s superfruit properties, VeeV also boasts other exotic ingredients, such as prickly pear and acerola cherry, that are reputed to minimize the pain of the morning after.

Health and hangovers aside, my favorite thing about VeeV is that they are donating $1 for every bottle sold to Amazonian rain forest charities which is something I'll definitely drink to anyday!

Wallet You Know

Wallets appeared soon after the introduction of paper currency in the early 17th century and ever since then, leather has been the material of choice. If leather feels a little outdated to you, allow me to introduce you to the Dosh Wallet - an Australian design that uses a blend of flexible and semi-flexible polymers to create a rugged, waterproof home for all of those items like credit cards, keys and sim cards that just weren’t an issue in the year 1642.

See String?

We've all heard of G-Strings, but C-Strings?

Just when we thought every kind of panty had already been invented, they come out with the C-String Invisible Underwear. Instead of having to deal with annoying underwear lines, this C-String provides coverage without the panty straps. Here's how it works: The C-String has a flexible internal frame that hugs and holds to your body. At the front it looks like a normal sexy underwear and to the rear it has a thong-style strip. To learn more, watch a video about the C-String.

Time To Jet

Between barefoot security checks and the infamous shampoo ban, air travel is in sorry shape. But so far, no airline has offered much more than free drinks to put the class back in business class. Silverjet is reworking business class, from buying out a terminal in London to serving meals on real plates. Even Newark is getting a little more swank. (The airport, not the town; they aren't miracle workers.) Instead of waiting in a check-in line, just drift past the counters and over to the Silver Lounge. Attendants will handle the bags and tickets while you sit in the lounge, knock back a few and wait for them to bring you your ticket. Think of it as a pre-flight refueling. And if you are scared to fly alone, there's a Silver(jet)lining, book before July 30th and you can take a friend for free!