Not So Easy On The Eyes

Now here’s a jewel hot enough to make grown men weep. Literally. This little piece of finger bling doubles as a weapon. The Stunning Ring is not only nice to look it but it is filled with pepper spray (400 times stronger than the average jalapeno) for self protection! This blinged out ring could easliy become your new best friend, particularly if you are out in about in the wee hours of the morning.

House Everything?

Cool concept: a billboard-based house by Polish architecture firm Front Architects. Single-mast design means you can place the domicile just about anywhere and maybe even subsidize it with an ad for Rush Hour 3 on the back.

Put Your Best Faceball Forward

Faceball is the newest sport to come out of the cubicle jungle. The game involves hitting your opponents in the face with a ball. That’s right, Cubicle Connie—it’s time to show your colleagues the stuff you’re really made of! Beyond that, there only a few rules: Players that are seated 10ft (3m) apart take turns hitting each other in the face. You are not allowed to move. Only direct hits count. The official website discourages using medicine or other heavy, hard balls. You can actually buy an “official” Faceball, which is really just a plastic beach ball.

Feathered Hair

Feathers are set to be a huge trend for fall fashions for women. Actually you can find some feather silk screened shirts out there for men if you look hard enough. I have noticed a lot of feathers in women hair lately and think this could be an interesting way to wear the trend. Kate Hudson is pictured sporting the look in the new issue of Harper's Bizarre and Urban Outfitters recently debuted their Feather Hair Combs. What do you think about this approaching trend? Does it ruffle your feathers?

Pownce On It

Just launched at the end of June 2007, Pownce is a microblogging/social networking site created by Digg founder Kevin Rose that has become one of the most talked about new services among the Silicon Alley set. Invitation only at present, invites are being auctioned off on eBay and are highly coveted much in the same way as Gmail invites were upon its initial launch. Users set up a buddy list which they can then send not only short messages (similar to Twitter), but also invitations, photos, music and other files, making it a more exclusive P2P network. Content can be sent to one friend, a custom group of friends, or even the whole list. I imagine that once the service becomes open to anyone, you’ll be hearing even more about it.

Message In The Bottle

There is a huge trend in Alcoholic drinks being geared towards women: there is Karla beer from Germany and Karmi from Poland, and wine from the Netherlands called Sophie & Sophie. Continuing the theme, Heineken is about to soft launch a sparkling cider brew for the fair sex. Christened Charli, the drink combines cider, barley malt and fruit flavors. Although barley malt is one of Heineken beer's main ingredients, Charli is marketed to the 63% of women who, according to Heineken, don't like its main product. The brew is also being presented as an alternative to white wine, the quality of which varies widely at Dutch bars. Charli contains 5% alcohol, has a fresh, fruity flavor and will be sold both bottled and on tap. Like its aforementioned sister sips, the drink is packaged in attractive bottles. Heineken has also gone one step further by creating a svelte and sexy tap for Charli, which should help draw attention to the new brand in bars. Charli will be trialled in 17 bars in Amsterdam and Deventer from this Friday until the end of October, followed by a nationwide launch next summer.

Screen Your Calls

Even more so than in the US, people in Japan are overwhelmingly addicted to text messaging, mainly because making cell phone calls in public is considered extremely rude. However, overcrowded public spaces such as the subway are not always the most private, so it has become common practice to use stick-on cell phone privacy screens which are thin, tinted plastic screens (similar to iPod protectors) that make it impossible to read a cell phone screen from any angle but straight on. While you can currently find a screen for almost every model online with a little searching, I am sure these screens will become standard accessories here in the States very soon. For all you blackberry users out there, here is a screen I found on ebay for under a buck!

Corkscrew With A Twist

A thrilling victory deserves a thrilling wine. So, when the occasion arrives to celebrate and you order that bottle of Veuve Clicquot insist on a temperature check before you uncork. From the brains behind Prologix International comes the VinTemp Infrared Corkscrew, the only patented infrared thermometer capable of telling you the precise temperature of your fave wine or Champagne without popping the cork. Simply hold the tip of the VinTemp against the center of the bottle, press the button, and voilà, the temperature revealed. There’s even a recommended serving temperature chart printed on the side with temperature readings in Fahrenheit or Celsius (for your French girlfriend). Technology 1, Humans 0.

Works Like A Dog

What do you call an electronic toy puppy that grows to full size and learns your name, its own name, and various activities? Why, Puppy Grows & Knows Your Name, of course! Despite the shortage of creativity in the naming department, this plush pooch by Fisher-Price honestly grows (from unknown to unknown dimensions) within a week and can be personalized using the supplied software. What's even freakier is that once the dog is full grown, it can be "reset" to puppyhood over and over again. Not the best toy to teach a child the natural cycle of life, but pretty nifty for just $50.

A Whole New Ball Game

If you’re a frequent live sports or concert attendee, the site of a beach ball bobbing around the crowd is a common vision of community playfulness. The Zygote is a design concept that hopes to improve on the old typical tradition of the non-interactive beach ball. The Zygote is a pressure sensitive community ball that has reactive LEDs that change colors instantaneously when pressure is applied. Throw it in the air, squeeze it, poke it, and the LEDs will make it an interesting experience all its own. Watch a video about it here.

Embrace Yourself

If you’re longing for the touch of a loved one who is a few thousand miles away, what better way than to pick up the Hug Shirt for the both of you? The shirt is capable of recreating the physical hug feeling by teaming up with Bluetooth wireless technology, a Hug Me Java software and a Bluetooth-enabled cellphone. The Hug Shirt does not come with any pre-assigned cellphone number, but it instead sends data to your cellphone via Bluetooth, where your special friend on the other end of the line will receive a hug on his/her shirt via Bluetooth as well. Its almost like PG Cybersex. You'll have to wait a few more months to hug it out bitch before the shirts hit stores later this Fall.

Deter Gents

Now, this is a nifty must-have item for all travelers.

Laundry Paper is perfect for washing swimwear, socks and more while traveling and the best thing about it is that you can go through airport security without a hassle.

I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do is laundry while I am on vacation but there have been times I needed something washed quickly and this would have been perfect. Just don't get this confused with your Listerine tabs, unless of course you need to have your mouth washed out with soap!

Check It Out

Ever wish there were a Netflix for Books? Well there is, and BookSwim is its name. You build a queue of books you want to read on their website, they ship books from your queue, you keep the books for as long as you want, and you return books with pre-paid postage. Their base plan lets you keep 3 books at a time for $20/month, while their biggest and baddest premium plan costs $36/month for 11 books at a time. With over 150,000 titles, BookSwim looks like a promising service for the bookish sort; although, given that a quarter of people in the U.S. didn't read a book last year, you might not be interested in this!

Ruff Ride

A recent study showed that more households have pets than they do children. It makes logical sense then that people considering the pet-friendly features of a vehicle before making a big purchase. Just as parents check for safety features for their kids (child-locks, sufficient seat belts, windows that only go down halfway, etc.) they are looking for qualities to ensure maximum comfort for their pooches too. DogCars.com is a special site dedicated to reviewing cars from a dog owner’s perspective. The rating system is done in paws (of course) making four-paws the highest quality.

Limited Run

Apparently these "We Run Brooklyn" t-shirts all over Brooklyn right now. They're the new thing to wear now that you only see the "I Heart NY" tees on tourists who think Brooklyn is the toughest place on earth, even Park Slope. The tees are from NYC-based label Paulies and are available exclusively at Vinnie's Styles on Flatbush Ave. If you can't make it to Vinnie's you can buy yours online like I did. You better hurry though cause just like any other good tees, they will surely Run out!

Shot Pockets

Confiscated flasks. Frozen arms. Being thrown out of the club, theater, concert hall. These were just some of the risks associated with smuggling liquor or beer when I was younger. Kids today have got it so easy. They've got Pocket Shots, one shot of gin, tequila, whiskey, vodka or rum in a squishable, flexible, virtually unbreakable (not to mention highly concealable) little pouch. It's like sports gel for alcoholics: Pocket Shots are perfect for marathon drinkers, drinking marathoners, world travelers, outdoorsy types, frugal concert goers or for steadying the nerves on a Wednesday morning. I personally am happy to have found a good use for my cargo pants, and at only $2 each, talk about a cheap shot!

Good Vibrations

The OhMiBod, with the tagline, "Feel The Music" is the first iPod powered Vibrator.

The way it works is you plug it into your iPod or similar music player and it will keep the same rhythm and intensity of the music. So basically you can get jiggy with yourself and jig along to your favorite tune at the same time.

Nobody Does It Like Carolee

Jewelry brand Carolee is celebrating its 35th anniversary with the introduction of a limited edition collection of its popular "Sterling Sentiments" bangle bracelets. The celebrity "Words to Live By" pieces are inscribed with heartfelt sentiments from a distinguished group of celebrity women, including Beyoncé and Tina Knowles, Julianna Margulies, Deborah Norville, Lynda Carter, Mena Suvari, and Amanda Beard. All proceeds from sales of the $100 sterling silver bracelets will benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The collection will launch at Bloomingdales in September to coincide with breast cancer awareness month in October, and will be available through December at fine department specialty stores nationwide.

Dog's Eye View

This is genius! Pet Peek gives your dog a view of the neighborhood. It satisfy your pup’s curiosity and help reduce barking, scratching and digging every time he senses something on the other side of the fence. Domed design extends five inches to provide front and side views. Helping Fido see through your fence for under $30; there's no way you can be on the fence about buying one!

People In Glass Houses...

Here's a novel idea for people who enjoy the outdoors, but aren't overly enthusiastic with the idea of pitching a tent and singing koombaya around a bonfire. Travelodge has just announced its new mobile hotel rooms called "Travelpods," which are perfect for music festivals and sporting competitions. Each pod comes sealed in a polycarbonate glass box and includes all the amenities of a standard hotel room like televisions and air conditioning. This galmourous outdoor accommodation measures 6 meters by 2.4 and includes a double bed, bedside lights, carpeted floors, dressing table and blinds. Kinda reminds me of trailers, minus the wheels and driver!

On The Go Carts

Today everyone wants to be more green and not only is it hip to recycle - its even hipper to buy things that have been. There is a German company called Bordbar that is recycling old airline drink carts into well... more drink carts or whatever else you want to use them for! In Bordbar's online store you can design and customize your cart with the prints, boxes, shelves and drawers you want. Prices start around $1,225 for the units, which could be used in the kitchen, the office, or anywhere you need a little compact storage. Another bonus: These carts have survived years of turbulence, so their durability is time-tested. See being green is just as Plane as black and white.

Breakfast Bar

Cereality is more than a place to get cereal. It's a new way of thinking about cereal. A new choice in fast food. And an idea whose time has come.

At Cereality, customers choose from their favorite brands and toppings and pajama-clad Cereologists fill the orders. And customers choose and add their own milk, just the way they like it.

Although mainly located in the midwest, I think this make-your-own cereal bar might just be the next big fast food franchise, now that Cold Stone has acquired Cereality.

Calling The Kettlebell Back

There is a new fitness craze called Kettlebell. What is a Kettlebell you ask? Basically a Kettlebell is a rather old fashioned looking training tool that looks like a cannonball with a handle attached to it. They are designed to be swung (with a controlled motion of course) rather than lifted giving a more dynamic workout that is great for building functional strength. Kettlebelling (as some like to call it) is a great supplement to your current dumbbell/barbell lifting routine. Actually it's how Geri Halliwell got in shape. I would recommend getting a book, dvd or finding an instructor rather than going at it alone. Especially since the multi planar movement, while great for muscle development, can lead to injuries if not done properly. You can always buy your own Kettlebell from Amazon or see if one of these Houston area kettlebell clubs will "workout"!

Bring On The Bacn

There is a new email food group: It's not spam, it's bacn.

Bacn describes the things you signed up for but that still feel like clutter in your inbox: Email lists, MySpace notifications, Google alerts, Electronic bill notifications, etc. If you're like me you're ready to go Hog wild with this new buzzword but just remember you don't always have to bring home the bacn.

Shock Factor

I recently came across this bed in a Toronto, Canada design shop. The bed isn’t all that exciting. It’s well crafted and reasonably priced at around $1400, but the obvious stand out aspect is that the bed sits on four recycled automobile springs. The shop, called UpToYou, claim that the bed offers a good night’s sleep. I do get the impression that the bed is a bit like floating on air, but what if the springs got a little too springy? You may just get bounced out of bed.

Some Clean Fun

This supposedly live webcam invites users to control the temperature of an ocean-side beach shower. After turning the dial up or down while it is being used by a beautiful babe, the user is rated on what type of person he is, in life and with the ladies. This is a neat example of online interaction and internet marketing.

Faux Sure

Dying for the status a car sunroof will bring, but lacking the financial liquidity to have one professionally installed? Worry not friend, I have a good solution for you. The road to sunroof ownership is fraught with risks; leaks, rust and diminished security are only a few of the pitfalls possible when cutting a large hole in the roof of your ride. With the Decano Self Adhesive Sunroof the only risk you'll take is with the throngs of women that will doubtless be drawn to you as a result. Installation is easy, requiring only a clean car and a firm manly caress. Other products in development include imitation ABS brake lights for your dashboard, reassuring the ladies that they're in safe hands!

Hand-le With Care

If you live alone, it's not long before you start giving your furniture nicknames like Pee-Wee did in his Playhouse. I mean who wouldn't love spending hours talking to Chairy the Chair. That said, I've never really gotten to know my door all that well, it pretty much keeps to itself. I don't even know it's name. All that can change with this door handle. Now that your door has some character, what should you name it?

For Squares?

The quintessential childhood playground game Four Square is hot in Silicon Valley right now. Apparently the geeks techies at Meebo can't get enough of it. Want to start your own office Four Square tournament too, click here for the rules. I don't know why but I think this has IFC documentary written all over it! What if they called it "Server Down". Have your people call my people.

Sofa Bed

Having a simple, uncomfortable hide-a-bed in your living room is great for the occasional guest but is paled in the realm of coolness compared to this convertible bunk-bed from Mobileform. The furniture is designed so that in one simple, easy movement it will convert from a sofa to a double-decker bunk bed, complete with a ladder and a safety rail all incorporated into the transformer-like system. Modern life-style furniture like this doesn’t come cheap however. The doc sofa/bunk bed retails for $6,840.00 plus shipment from Italy and is available in multiple fabric colors aside from this fancy orange.

Wave Of The Future

I am not a fan of water parks, perhaps it is due to my childhood trauma of getting water blisters on my toes from walking around barefoot all day. Apparently water parks or primarily wave pools are all the rage in Japan. Believe it or not the photo above it not fake. You can watch this very funny video to see for yourself.

Water You Waiting For?

I know a lot of folks who won't go near tap water. They are terrified of dirty water and need to make sure it's filtered. While that's not an unreasonable request, it's sometimes difficult. What if there is no water filter? Or what if you're traveling? This is where the geeky iStraw comes in hand. This compact, portable device purifies water and reduces up to 99.99999% of all waterborne bacteria. It's good for up to 500 liters of water and supposedly leaves no after taste. I think this is pretty fantastic and can see where it would come in handy. Sure your friends might laugh at how over-cautious you're acting, but who'll be laughing when they get sick from drinking the water and you don't?

Hair Of The Dog

Fur the love of dogs, what will they think of next? As if the pet pampering trends weren’t ridiculous enough, a company in Florida has found its own niche in the market, selling pet wigs. With Wiggles wigs for dogs, you’ll never have to look at the fur your dog was born or comb and style its unruly mane. Now you can just shave its head and cover the bald zones with a ‘do of your choice. Sparky won’t even have to look like a Jack Russel anymore—with long, human-like hair, he can look like a four-legged Barbie doll. The company founder, Ruth Regina, is a well-known celebrity hair and makeup artist. When clients began asking if she would offer her services to their spoiled pooches, Regina realized she could make a business of it, and a successful one at that. I personally think this is the stupidist thing I have ever seen, but I am not a dog owner, so maybe I am barking up the wrong tree.

Jumpsuit Yourself

Tailored jumpsuits have been spotted on runways, on celebrities, and now even on Second Life avatars.

If the words “tailored jumpsuit” instantly cause images of an auto-mechanic’s heinous blue one-piece, or those orange jailbird jumpsuits that are also all the rage among Hollywood starlets, don’t worry; it’s not a look I would dream of endorsing! This look is hot and there’s nothing masculine about it. Celebrities including Pamela Anderson, Scarlett Johanson, Ashley Olsen and Kelly Rowland have been spotted in the new look and none of them look like they’re planning an afternoon underneath their luxury cruisers or behind bars for that matter.

Well (made) Drink

What do you want? Fruit juice, carbonated drink, flavored water, iced tea, beer, wine, or a mixed drink? MyFountain, the first fully automated drink slinger, will do it for you. The robotic bartender takes orders, mixes cocktails and then cleans up automatically. Underneath the countertop dispenser, you will find a dorm-style refrigerator that houses up to 12 varied types of alcohol and mixers, a water-line link and a carbon-dioxide cartridge for effervesce. The device is 100% customizable depending upon your tastes as you can create any recipe you can think of and make it available at the touch of the LCD screen. The brain of the system sits at the top of the fridge and it’s an Internet-linked Windows XP computer. Users can even limit access via password protection allowing parents to restrict access to alcoholic beverages. At around $2500, expect these robotic bartenders to make a slash when they hit the market next Spring.

Stem Where?

Drinking wine is more popular than ever and now the trend is extending to home decor as well.

Lately, I've noticed the iconic stemmed wineglass shape showing up in clever uses such as this Oil and Vinegar Set (pictured) as well as Candle Holders, Light Fixtures and one very cool Doorbell.

What do you think about this glassy trend?

Your Cup Of Tea Wine

These hand blown Sommelier Wine Glasses from Maxim Velcovsky feature a vessel shaped like a cheap plastic cup. It’s the perfect glass for wine lovers that like boxed wines quality wines, but don’t take themselves or their wine too seriously. Whether it comes in a box or bottle or served in a cup or glass, it's wine by me.

Image Is Everything

Trendy Portrait is a new site that allows you to make designed & illustrated portrait based on your own photo. They can be printed on a variety of products including posters, canvas, holiday cards and wedding invitations. You new masterpiece can also be used for computer uses such as e-mail signatures, e-cards and chat photo displays. Just choose your photo and then select your style: Vector, Retro, Warhol, Pop Art, or B&W. Create now and forever hold your masterpiece.

In The Mix

New uses for all those old cassette tapes have been popping up everywhere these days. Remember how exciting it used to be to receive a handmade compilation tape from a friend or someone who made your teenage heart flutter? Since the death of cassettes it just ain't the same, but Suck UK have come up with a quirky way of creating a mixtape format for the tech age. This retro tape box contains a USB drive that allows you to upload your digital audio tracks and send them to a friend, and you can have all the fun of personalizing the case too as it comes with a cassette sleeve. Just USB-Careful what songs you choose cause it's very easy to send mixed messages with mixed tapes.

Licensed Plate

Hands Free Picnic Plates hold your food and drink all in one hand, leaving your other hand free to use your fork or to shake hands with a new acquaintances. These divided plastic plate also keeps foods from mingling while you mingle. Not only are they reusable and microwave and dishwasher safe, they're cheap too! Expect to see these plates around town at your local novelty stores, but with this concept already trademarked, don't expect to buy a knock-off version.

The New It Baggu

Designed by mother-daughter team Joan and Emily, Baggu Bags are sleekly designed, easily portable, reusable bags that come in a number of funky colors. Meant to be used as an alternative to paper and plastic shopping bags, the company estimates that using one Baggu (which is Bag in Japanese) for a year avoids the waste of 300 to 700 disposable bags. I think this will resonate with consumers who are looking to ‘do good’ in small and effortless ways, and also for the consumers who can't get their well manicured hands on Anya Hindmarch's I'm Not A Plastic (it) Bag.

Black Is The New Black

Amy Winehouse isn't the only one going back to black. Maybe Apple started the trend with its new black iPods and MacBooks. Suddenly, black is all the rage (especially in Japan) as evidenced not only by a raft of new black fashions, but also by the new iMac, plus black airplanes, black toilet paper, black Q-tips, black toothbrushes and toothpaste, black cutting boards, and even black search engines. Like the pot calling the kettle black, this is one trend to keep your black-eye on.

Come Hell or High (priced) Water

Fred apparently isn't just any old bottled water. Fred is a bottled water with a MySpace page, listing lots of friends and plenty of comments. Fred doesn't just have consumers – if you drink it, then you are a friend of Fred. In fact, you are a friend with benefits. Fred has a blog, much like any other, it's filled with up-to-the minute pop culture, like links to puppetshow re-enactments of the newest Harry Potter book on YouTube, as well as potential actors to replace the current cast of the Potter films. Fred sells t-shirts with taglines like "Fortified with irony." And, of course, there's the "Friends with benefits" version. While only available in New York and online, I wouldn't be surprised if Fred's unusual marketing campaign will gain him national attention.

Too Pissed To Drive?

I'm not sure how much someone wants to play a video game while urinating, but a German company seems to think it may be the trick to reducing the number of drunk drivers on the road with their Piss-Screen systems. Here's the premise: A video driving game is displayed above the urinal. You control the car with your stream, urinating to the right moves the car right, peeing to the left moves the car to the left, and the speed is determined from the force of your stream (talk about your need for sPEEd). If you're too drunk to control the car, you crash and the game suggests you call a cab. The systems are popping up all over Frankfurt and are very popular so I wouldn't be surprised if we started seeing them here in the states very soon. The next time you've had to much to drink remember Urine control (sorry, I had to).

I Smell A Winner

Did I ever claim to have the super-human power to sniff out bad meat? Why does my mother keep putting raw meat in front of my nose and asking me whether there's "anything wrong with it?" As soon as I possibly can, I'm getting her one of these food smelling devices. The SensorFreshQ runs on two AA batteries, and detects the freshness of meat and poultry within one minute (I can do it 2 seconds, but my accuracy may be doubtful since raw meat always smells awful to me). It basically takes a sampling of the air around the uncooked meat and detects the presence of bacteria, which produce gasses that can be detected with this device. The results are color-coded so that green means the meat is fresh, yellow means it's "okay" but not for long (for my mother, this would mean it's not okay and goes in the trash), and red means "don't eat it." I wonder how long they come out with a sensor that can detect spoiled milk?

What A Hack Job

The internet is enabling the democratization of real life hacks. In other words, people are using the net to share how to hack just about everything. In a hurry or just don’t like to stop at every floor while in an elevator? The guy in this video shows you how to go straight to your floor with no stops. Apparently all you have to do i hold the “close door” button and the “floor” button at the same time for about 4 seconds. I guess most elevators have this capability built in for emergencies, and by emergencies I mean impatient people.

A New Seedy Dessert

There's a new food trend, or really dessert trend I should say, called Watermelon Steak. I know, there's something rather odd about putting those two words together, it's like saying Chocolate Potatoes or something. But I promise you it's really growing in popularity, actually several writers have even called it the next dessert classic. Apparently you cut the watermelon into slices (removing the rind) and cook it in a roasting pan (350 degrees) with sherry, butter, and salt and pepper, and viola, Watermelon Steak. I'm a huge fan of both steak and watermelon so obviously I'm very interested in trying it. What do you think?

The Writing's On The Wall

The first time I ever came across removable wall decals was from a little company called Blik, I thought they were some of the coolest things I'd ever seen. The removable designs look like murals or wallpaper, but since they are easy to apply and peel off, they're great for apartment dwellers and the indecisive. Now, wall decals are surfacing all over the shelter world in more forms that I could have ever imagined. There are stick-on wooden decals, 3-D paper decals, and even Wallwords and Wonderful Graffiti, which let you turn words and phrases of your choice into peel-off decals. I am confident to say that this is going to be a design trend that is going to stick around.

Circuit City

Be fumble free the next time someone asks for your business card. You'll see the irony in networking, as you simply flip open this clever circuit board card holder by Revolve. My favorite line of items (out of many) from Revolve are the rescued circuit boards turned into an array of office-ware, but others include: CDs, plastic bags, juice cartons, coffee mugs, and more.

Shoulder To Try On

If Justin Timberlake has taught us anything, it's what goes around, comes around but I'm sorry to report that Shoulder Pads are about to start coming around (pun always attended). Don't shoot the messenger - I'm just giving you a heads up. Just incase you don't believe me you can click on style.com's slideshow to see for yourself. Which makes me wonder, now that they’ve finally faded into “so last summer,” will our children be subjected to these?