Louis Vuitton Cup Sunglasses

Louis Vuitton Cup Sunglasses
The 12th Act of the Louis Vuitton Cup began yesterday, June 22nd, in Valencia. With only one act following this one in the run up to the America's Cup, the competitors are all probably feeling the pressure to perform. Louis Vuitton, as the primary sponsor, has a number of logo products that have been created specifically to commemorate this year's races, including totes, calf-skin loafers and a watch, which is particularly appropriate because LV is the official timekeeper of the America's Cup, which the victor of the Louis Vuitton Cup will race in. Perhaps the most useful to the competitors are the special edition sunglasses, which will help shield their eyes from the glare of the water. The glasses offer 100% UV protection and are made of a special plastic that will allow them to float, should they fall into the water.

American Express Butterfly Card

American Express Butterfly Card
American Express has recently introduced Butterfly, for Gold Card holders. The Butterfly card is a foldable credit card that comes in a tiny case. It is completely free and linked back to the main Gold Card account of the Amex holder. The "signature accessory" is intended to give some cache to carrying a Gold Card, but it is also a way to minimize what you carry. American Express points out that it can be used as an accessory or key ring, as a chain or loop can be easily attached to it. It looks much more stylish than just about all other keychain credit cards.

South Bay at Lake Oconee

South Bay at Lake Oconee
A new development is being created on Lake Oconee in Georgia, a little over an hour from Atlanta in Georgia's tourist-friendly Lake Country. South Bay at Lake Oconee is a $60 million development of 114 condos, a full-service marina, covered dry-dock slips, a marina store and market. There will be six units in each building with lake views and amenities such as wrap-around porches, high-end wood cabinets, and granite countertops. The community will have a swimming pool, clubhouse, outdoor fire pit, a pavilion, walking paths, a sandy beach, and a children's playground. The marina will offer boat repair and dry slip storage. Condos will start in the $400,000s.

Sebring Sport's New Cupholders

Sebring Sport's New Cupholders
Engadget picked up on this hot (and cold) new cupholder that will be available in the new Chrysler 2007 Sebring. The cupholder has both heating and cooling mechanisms that will keep beverages at temperatures up to 140F or cool them down to a mere 35F. As Evan noted, the cupholders do look to be extra-deep, which means that they'll keep your drinks from spilling, too.

Now, if only we could get Audi to add this feature in cars that have the on-board espresso system - we'd never get out!

Bose QuietComfort 3 Headphones

Bose QuietComfort 3 Headphones
Luxury means not having to hear other people talk, unless you actually want to and Bose's new QuietComfort 3 Acoustic Noise Canceling Headphones are the perfect way to do just that. They offer full-spectrum noise reduction, along with Bose's usual commitment to quality and performance, very much like their older models. Unlike those models, however, the QuietComfort 3 has a much smaller, sleeker headset design. In fact, they are nearly half the size of the QuietComfort 2!

This also means that, since I have the QC2, the QC3 users might be talking about the size of my headphones behind my back - and not in a good way. Fortunately, the Bose headphones work so well that I won't be able to hear them.

If you want to upgrade your pair, the new headphones are $349.

Swiss Army Couch

Swiss Army Couch
The distinctive multi-functionality of a Swiss Army knife is the thing that makes it useful and appealing to so many people. San Francisco designer Ken Lee decided to apply the same concept to something larger: a sofa. The Swiss Knife Seating Unit is not only shaped like a Swiss Army knife, but it unfolds, rotating a full 360 degrees. This allows you to shape it to your room, add extra seating or tuck away to minimize the area that it takes up.