Friday, September 28, 2007

Weigh To Go

The Ricardo Beverly Hills Solutions Travel Luggage Collection has recently won the Product Innovation Award, an award that recognizes excellence in design, development, and function. This luggage collection features a built-in digital scale to weigh itself and its contents. This new luggage collection directly addresses one of the major problems faced by today's travelers: costly airline overweight luggage penalties and the related inconvenience of unnecessary delays. Travelers can pack their bags and know that they have not exceeded the standard airline weight limitation. All together now: Why didn't I think of that?

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Smoke Out

There are a lot of places people are prohibited from smoking these days. Trains, planes, elevators, restaurants, offices, and so on and so forth — the list is much shorter if you look at where you can smoke than where you can't. Crown7's electric cigarettes, according to the company, will let you ignore those no smoking signs. Coming in cigarettes, cigars and fancy pipes, Crown7's products use cartridges sold by the company to deliver you a little nicotine love absolutely anywhere you like. No fire, no offensive smoke — only harmless vapor. Good luck trying to explain that to the bouncer, though. The cigar is the cheapest at $65, the cigarette is $100 and the pipe's $150. You'll have to buy cartridges at $10 for five, but at least the devices use rechargeable batteries. Sure, a pack of smokes costs quite a bit these days, but really all it sounds like you're saving is the time it takes you to get outside. That is, if you really could get away with smoking one of these where you're not supposed to...

Money Changes Everything

The five-dollar bill is getting a face lift! Uncle Sam is unveiling a new design for the $5 bill, to make it harder to counterfeit. Click here to read all about this new bill...

No Strings Attached

JumpSnap is the first computerized ropeless jump rope. Great for those with low ceilings, the JumpSnap electronically tallies calories burned and number of jumps based on your age, weight and height. The user can increase the difficulty by adding weights to increase the difficulty. Look for these to be popping up at Gyms and Retailers very soon.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Jump On The Soundwagon

Soundwagon is a tiny VW bus that will play all your records. Just set down Soundwagon on a record and it plays your music as it drives - it's got a needle on the bottom and a battery-powered speaker in the back. Probably not a great idea to use with your more precious vinyl, but very cool nonetheless.

Uber Cool

Things are running uber-smoothly for Uber.com, the sophisticated new social networking and media sharing community that I clicked through several months ago. The sleekly designed, user-friendly site offers innovative functions and features currently unrivaled by other popular social networking sites. Not only can users discover, publish, collect, store and share all forms of content (e.g. art, photos, videos, blogs and bookmarks) all in one place but the site also provides them with capabilities to consolidate, manage and store profiles, pages and media from YouTube, Flickr, MySpace, and Facebook all in one place. In other words, Uber is a virtual library where users can store their digital footprints.

R S (He) P

ManVite is a new Guy's night invation for men service where guys can invite friends over to any occasion of their choice with a few simple clicks. ManVite lets you enter in all of your friends’ eMale addresses, choose an event such as "Drink Beer", "Pickup Basketball", "Hunting" or "Cougar" -- for the man as adroit at picking up mature women as he is bandying about outmoded bro-jargon and then send off the invitations. Once received, your buddies can respond to your 'vite with In/Out/MIA, enter their nickname (already accepted, or vainly hopeful) and tell you whether they thought your attempt passed muster or was "Not Manly: Sack Up and Redo It" which is a totally uncool thing to say, considering how much work you've put into it...

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

It's Worth A Shot

Because everyone needs ice-cold Jägermeister on hand, at all times. Okay, maybe that's stretching it a bit, but the Chilled Shot Machine is a sure-fire way to take your home bar to the next level. It features a simple tap system for less mess, LED illumination to make your liquor shine, and colder-than-ice 15 degree output, to make that bomb go down as smooth as silk. Red Bull not included.

Don't Tase Me, Bro!

A tasing leads to a new slogan. The video of Andrew Meyer's stunt/police tasing during a John Kerry lecture in Florida is ubitquitous, but his screaming "Don't tase me, bro!" will live on long past the newscycle. It's already being called the catchphrase of our time, and here I thought it was "hug it out bitch". You can buy your very own shirt here or here. Also this site just popped up as well. I think this new saying is fanTASEtic!

Turn The Tables

Furniture design’s favorite couple, Form and Function is at it again. The power duo that makes and breaks the barriers of space, has taken on an Umbra face: meet the Magtable coffee table, a sweet little piece that lets you prop up those feet while storing your fashion zines…or any old paper publication, really. This $158 solid wood coffee table is stunning in its simplicity: a slotted surface for spine-up storage of your circulars; its natural coloring makes it all the more unassuming. It’s a table/storage/ottoman thing! Umbra called it exactly what it means. Form and Function agree.

Acoustic(e) Guitars

What’s a proper party without the right accoutrements? Be picky with the invites. Nix those tacky crepe umbrellas. And don’t even think about serving deli ice-in-a-bag. Polish the glasses and slice some limes: You’re serving up cubes made in Fred’s guitar ice trays. Just fill ’em and freeze ’em, and in a few hours, you’ll have ice to entice even the coldest guest.

Pop Your Top

Coca Cola is reportedly working on a self-chilling beverage. The beverage is nothing new, good old Sprite. The insta-cool, though, is cutting edge. Supposedly, once the drink is opened, a mechanism creates ice from the drink and therefore, doesn’t dilute it. Insiders have hinted that the technology will be featured in a new drink called Sprite Super Chilled, which could reach the UK by next year. I think its only a matter of time before all our beverages will have this new technology. Beer fans everywhere rejoice!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Story Of My Quarterlife

MySpaceTV will distribute this new online series called Quarterlife which is about six young adults in a big city who all long for careers as artists. It's like My So-Called Life, except Jordan Catalano happens to be a video blogger. You won't see the first episode until November 11th, but the site should be up next month, serving as a portal for viewers in their 20s trying to find points of entry in creative and professional worlds. Click here to watch a very Zach Braff-ish trailer.

You're A Life Saver

The Life Saver water bottle is a military grade water sanitizer that can make the dirtiest of water drinkable in seconds. The bottle not only filters out bacteria, but also takes care of viruses and water that has been contaminated by fecal matter. The creator, Michael Pritchard, initially came up with the idea after watching victims of Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 tsunami in Asia go for days without receiving clean water. There are others, however, that are interested in Pritchard's invention. After showing the bottle off at a defense conference in the UK, Pritchard sold all 1,000 of his $385 bottles in under four hours. Defense experts were impressed with the fact that it could filter 4,000 or 6,000 liters before the filter had to be replaced. An innovation such as this could have a significant impact if it ever reached the consumer market, not only being used as emergency gear, but for camping and travel as well.

Doctor Feel Good

Dr. Whippy is a machine that offers soft scoop ice cream according to the perceived unhappiness level of the customer. By asking you a series of informal questions, the Doctor measures just how sad or stressed or you are by your tone of voice. Based on how unhappy you are, the machine prescribes (er, dispenses) the appropriate amount of your favorite soft serve. This voice/stress analysis system comes courtesy of developer Demitrios Karg but sadly, it's not available for purchase just yet, and there's no word on how much it will cost.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Persol Null

The work of actually designing clothes deservedly gets most of the attention during fashion week, but, in terms of what people will actually be wearing, runway stylists can sometimes have as much impact. While fashion fans debate the relative merits of the fuchsia drop crotch pant or the rosette-laden suit, it appears that the Persol 649 has already been crowned the season's go-to sunglass style, thanks to its appearance on models in several collections, including Rag & Bone (pictured to the left) Yigal Azrouël, and Obedient Sons. Inevitably, some are even calling the model the new Wayfarers. The Italian-made specs boast a timeless Euro panache that recalls a bygone era—and, as with any good pair of shades, they're aspirational. You can get your pair here.

Sale Phone

If you love shopping, and you own a phone, you’ll flip for this trend! Forget going to stores or even shopping online, now you can shop straight from the billboards thanks to a hi-tech new campaign. Just snap a photo of the Semacode on the latest H&M ads, and you’ll have full access to their fashion catalog. The items can be bought from your phone and charged to your mobile’s account.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

'Spokes' Models

Bicycles are quickly becoming a major fashion accessory. This trend is not only for exceptionally good looking women (like Chloe Sevigny pictured above) but for men too. I have seen a lot of pictures of models riding their bikes to and from the tents at New York Fashion Week. To see what I am talking about, scroll through some of Scott's photos on the Satorialist. Also you can read a recent feature about stylish Manhattanites who go around New York shopping on their bikes.

The Neck's Big Thing

Smart. Sexy. Stylish. Enough about me. Meet the newest collection of neckwear from Alexander Olch, Manhattan’s hottest tie maker. Olch started making ties a the grand ol’ age of 18. Inspiration was sourced from his preppy, Upper West Side high school, Collegiate School (the oldest independent school in the United States) and four years at Harvard. For his latest collection, Olch stitches classic good looks with unexpected details. Sure, each piece is handmade with only the finest fabrics (Superfine English Wool). But to set it apart from the competition, Olch introduces materials like soft corduroy, Belgian cashmere, and embellishments such as raised decorative stitching, and patterns just slightly larger than the norm. The result is a refined masterpiece that complements your power suit. Somewhere, Ralph Lauren (who started out as a tie designer) is smiling.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Drink To Your Health

MonaVie is a new berry elixir that's receiving rave reviews from Vogue, Oprah (so it must be amazing) and Playboy for its health benefits. I first heard of MonaVie on New York Magazine's Fashion Week Food Diaries piece. Now I hear Sumner Redstone, at his ripe-old age of 84, practically gets high on this stuff. Redstone is such a fan that he's shared his super-juice with friends such as Bill Clinton, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, and Michael Milken. MonaVie, available only online, is a nutritional drink that blends 19 fruits, including the rare Acai berry from the Amazon. It comes packaged in a sultry bottle. MonaVie's patented process preserves the acai berries' live enzymes packed with anti-oxidants and phytonutrients. MonaVie enthusiasts say the anti-oxidant rich juice offers better health and joint pain relief. For skeptics, if nothing else, it's a simple way to consume the USDA daily recommended servings of fruit. One bottle costs $39 to $45, depending on the variety. A box of 28 gel packs costs $90.

A Fish Out Of Water

Unless you're throwing a surprise party for Heathcliff, I personally don't see the appeal of Fishbone Ice Cubes in the shape of fish skeletons but I have been seeing them everywhere. Then again, for only about $10 per tray, I guess I don't have to.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Map Quest

I'm not sure if Miss South Carolina had anything to do with this new trend but I have been seeing a lot of map themed gifts popping up lately. My favorite so far is the Zip Code Puzzle from Firebox. They are unique map-style jigsaws centered on a place of your choice. You send the company the house number, street name and zip code of the area you'd like at the center of your puzzle and they send you a personalized puzzle. Or I suppose you could just opt for one of the Upton inspired shirts like this one or this one with her now infamous speech: “I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps, and, uh, I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq everywhere like, such as and I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., er, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for our children.”

Customer Service

An inventor in Nuremberg, Germany has just opened a fully-automated restaurant, Baggers that delivers meals to diners via a gravity-powered rail system. No surly waiters or snobby sommelier, and you don't need to leave a tip for the machine. The kitchen is intalled directly beneath the roof of the multi-story restaurant. Customers order their meals using a touch-screen system that is placed at each table, and the entire restaurant is networked via a computer system. Customers' orders are registered upstairs in the kitchen and a computer in the cellar keeps track of supply stocks. The system also calculates the likely delivery times for drinks and meals at every table and keeps customers informed.

Bookcase In Point

It's rare to see a bookshelf with enough moxie to become the focal point of a room, but that's certainly the case with the Quad Bookshelf. The 47-inch squared bookshelf features a bevy of differently-sized shelves, sized for all different types of media and several colored back panels to add to the awesome asymmetrical design. For even more storage space, separate units can be joined together.

Up To No Good

No Good TV is a new internet television portal making a lot of buzz with its funny, sexy programming that appeals to the young male demographic. Think of it as the E! channel for intelligent fratboys. I say let the No Good times roll...

Virtual Insanity

My Second Life is a new documentary filmed entirely in the online world of Second Life just got bought by HBO; will head to Sundance and possibly the Oscars. The video diary captures the life of Second Life resident Molotov Alva and it created a stir when it debuted earlier this year. The HBO sale marks the first time a movie has gone from Second Life to a mainstream TV channel (first via YouTube, of course). Watch the first episode here. If you are not familiar with Second Life, you've got some catching up to do!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

What A Croc

Love them or hate them, the brightly colored foamy clogs lauded for their comfort, anti-microbial properties and amphibious nature is making a move into the clothing category. Croslite, the material which gives Crocs their light, durable, and breathable feel, has been blended with natural fibers to create a breathable, sweat and heat resistant yarn, promising a long life filled with UV exposure and sweat-inducing activity. Dubbed Croslite rt (relaxed technology), the upcoming line will feature men’s and children’s items such as tops, pants, skirts and shorts, with future plans to expand into womenswear. The line is scheduled to hit stores this October.