Cool Stuff. Interesting Things

Louis Vuitton Cup Sunglasses

2006-06-25T02:35:00.000-12:00

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

2006-06-25T02:30:00.000-12:00

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

2006-06-25T02:29:00.000-12:00

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

2006-06-25T02:27:00.000-12:00

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

2006-06-25T02:20:00.000-12:00

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

2006-06-25T02:17:00.000-12:00

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.

Goliath Expedition

2006-06-19T19:19:00.000-12:00

Goliath Expedition
Talk about a massive travel project. Well, it even has a name to match its scale: It's called the Goliath Expedition.
The Goliath Expedition is Karl Bushby's 36,000 mile gargantuan trek around the world. A monster, nay, Goliath effort to basically walk around the world. He began in the Chilean town of Punta Arenas, and started hoofing it through all of South America, Central and North America, then crossing from Alaska into Siberia using the frozen Arctic waters of the Chukchi Sea (north of the Bering Straits) as a land bridge (ah, land bridge...hasn't someone thought of that before???). He then heads across Europe through Siberia to Western Europe. Again, all on foot.

Pretty impressive. You can follow the whole exploit at Karl's site: the Goliath Expedition.

Google to bring GPS-based advertising to a vehicle near you

2006-06-19T19:18:00.000-12:00

Google to bring GPS-based advertising to a vehicle near you
So targeted, it's freaky. Google, everybody's favorite search engine, and Google-owned dMarc Broadcasting, plan to use GPS to hook up Google AdWords customers with GPS-based in-car advertising. What does this mean, exactly? As Eric Schmidt, Google CEO described it, if he needs a pair of pants, not only will his radio remind him of that fact, but it will also instruct him to turn left at the strip mall 500 feet up ahead to visit the clothing store to buy new pants.

In addressing a luncheon of publishing execs, Schmidt wasn't clear on how exactly Google would accomplish this, but he did expect to be able to show the industry something in a year or two.

The Obelisk

2006-06-19T19:15:00.000-12:00

The Obelisk
Part sculpture, part furniture, the Obelisk is an entire outdoor collection that stacks neatly up into one piece - unlike the vast majority of lawn furniture, which either must be left out or collected in an ungainly pile. Designed by Frank Ligthart, this modular stack appears to be a sculpture, hand woven from a synthetic fiber called Hularo. The stack deconstructs to reveal that it is comprised of four chairs and a coffee table. Available at JANUS et Cie, the Obelisk is $9,800.

Baby Brangelina's Domain

2006-06-19T19:13:00.000-12:00

Baby Brangelina's Domain
Suddenly, keeping up with the Jones means more than it used to, especially when it comes to naming your kids. When I was born, for instance, my parents went with Anne because it was at the beginning of the name book. No longer can parents rely on such simple reasoning.

You've got Apple, Brooklyn, Paris, Hazel, and Dweezle. The explanation behind these weird celeb names is simple. All of the good domain names have been taken.

Take the spawn of Brangelina -- young Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt. Even before the little bundle of paparazzi-joy arrived, the happy parents had been busily laying claim to at least 17 domain names, each featuring a various configuration of the wee-Jolie-Pitt's already strange moniker.

Certainly, trends come and trends go. But until this trend flies south, you can just forget about the silver spoon from Tiffany's, and you can forget about the diamond encrusted pacifier from itsmybinky.com
If you want to keep up with the Jones, then the best gift you can buy that baby comes from GoDaddy.com.

Klimt Painting Sets Record

2006-06-19T19:11:00.000-12:00

Klimt Painting Sets Record
Eclipsing the record set in 2004 by a Pablo Picasso painting, Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I has sold for $135 million, the highest price ever paid for a painting. It was purchased by billionaire Ronald S. Lauder, the heir to the Estee Lauder fortune, and it will be displayed in his small, New York museum, the Neue Galerie. The painting was taken from the Bloch-Bauer's home in 1938 by Nazis and was sold by her niece, Maria Altmann, who has only had it since the beginning of this year, after looted artwork was returned to relatives of the original owners.

DirecTV Titanium

2006-06-19T19:09:00.000-12:00

DirecTV Titanium
Our friends at HD Beat brought this brand new service from DirecTV to our attention. DirecTV Titanium gives you access to every single thing that DirecTV offers - including all their HD channels, sporting events, movies, pay-per-views and adult programs - for a flat fee. It is $7,500 per year and includes ten HD DVR receivers as well as 24 hour on-call concierge service.

The website doesn't say what the concierge service includes, but it's safe to say that it probably doesn't extend too far beyond troubleshooting, given that DirecTV isn't likely to start a chauffeuring service anytime soon.

Titanium will be released at the end of this month, June 28th, to "a select few" subscribers. Want to be one of them? Just fill out their online form and someone will contact you.

More Delays For the A380 Jet

2006-06-16T00:06:00.000-12:00

More Delays For the A380 Jet
For those patiently waiting for a ride aboard the massive double-decker Airbus 380, it seems like you are going to have to keep waiting. Airbus has said they are expecting new delays of at least six months. They still plan to deliver the first plane to Singapore Airlines but wiring problems with the A380 will mean that they will produce only nine planes next year instead of 27. The delays may force some companies to cancel their orders or lease other planes.

Bill Gates Retires

2006-06-16T00:03:00.000-12:00

Bill Gates Retires
Yesterday, Microsoft presented one shocking news: Bill Gates will retire and leave Microsoft.

Set for July 2008, Bill Gates who is now chairman of Microsoft will retire to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Still, after July 2008 Gates would continue to serve as the company’s chairman and an advisor on key development projects.

Since 1975 when together with his friend Paul Allen started Microsoft, Bill Gates was a key figure to the Redmond giant.

The company announced that Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie will immediately assume the title of chief software architect and begin working side by side with Gates on all technical architecture and product oversight responsibilities, to ensure a smooth transition. Similarly, Chief Technical Officer Craig Mundie will immediately take the new title of chief research and strategy officer and will work closely with Gates to assume his responsibility for the company’s research and incubation efforts; Mundie also will partner with general counsel Brad Smith to guide Microsoft’s intellectual property and technology policy efforts.

“Our business and technical leadership has never been stronger, and Microsoft is well-positioned for success in the years ahead. I feel very fortunate to have such great technical leaders like Ray and Craig at the company,” Gates said. “I remain fully committed and full time at Microsoft through June 2008 and will be working side by side with Ray and Craig to ensure that a smooth transition occurs.”

“This was a hard decision for me,” Gates added. “I’m very lucky to have two passions that I feel are so important and so challenging. As I prepare for this change, I firmly believe the road ahead for Microsoft is as bright as ever.”

Ballmer and Gates noted that Microsoft has been steadily expanding its senior leadership in recent years, and that today’s announcement continues a transition process that has been underway for several years. In January 2000, Gates assumed the role of chief software architect and Ballmer assumed the role of CEO, responsible for all day-to-day operations and company business strategy.

In the last time, Bill Gates main purpose was Vindows Vista. He was involved in every aspect of development. He also considered XBOX project as one of its child. Since July 2008, Gates will still remain chairman but he won’t be involved in any technical or development aspect. Maybe with advices or knowledge but he will mostly leave Microsoft to continue without him.

To continue with its actual CEO, Steve Ballmer. But until Bill Gates will leave, Ray Ozzie, a close friend of Bill Gates will stay close to him to learn and to continue its work.

After the retirement, Bill Gates will continue its work at the foundation that him and his wife have, foundation that is one of the largest in the world and which gave away until now almost $30 billion for actions like diseases, cancer and AIDS.

Well, that’s about all. Bill Gates will leave and Steve Ballmer era will start.
Source: News.Soft32.com

Questions surround the wireless network deal between Google/EarthLink and San Francisco

2006-06-15T05:27:00.000-12:00

Questions surround the wireless network deal between Google/EarthLink and San Francisco
Came across this blog post which says that the San Francisco wireless network that Google and EarthLink are developing was basically a sweetheart deal between the city and the companies. There are mentions of secret panels and secret negotiations that gave Google and EarthLink the ability to build the network with little resistance.

You'd have to read it further to get a true grasp of what is being discussed. Of course, this is from an "alternative" news site, so the tendency to bring forth conspiracy theories and accusations from these sources has to be considered. In any event, it's interesting reading, and may be worth further discussion down the road.

Mosquito-based ringtone not ready for adult usage

2006-06-15T05:24:00.000-12:00

Mosquito-based ringtone not ready for adult usage
In more interesting wireless phone news today, the "Mosquito" ringtone service provided by www.mozzytones.com is a "kids-only" ringtones service meant to be heard only by kids. This is possible since the ringtones are made in the 1KHz sound spectrum, a frequency many adults cannot hear from a distance due to age-related hearing loss. Say what?

Yes, a ringtone service meant to be used exclusively by kids to ensure parents and teachers can't hear what's going on and if calls are being received. In the grand tradition of Spy kids, perhaps this service will take off, if music clip ringtones give up some market share. Mozzytones is apparently pretty large in the UK -- but will it make its way to the U.S. anytime soon? Be listening for that eerily-chirping ringtone, that is, if you can get close enough to a teen with a cellphone packed.

GSM approaches 2 billion users

2006-06-14T06:33:00.000-12:00

GSM approaches 2 billion users
Twelve years for the first billion users, two and a half years for the second billion. Those are the staggering statistics being flaunted by the GSM Association this week as they prepare to sign up their two billionth customer, driving home the exponential growth mobile carriers worldwide have enjoyed as of late. Although China represents by far the largest single user base with over 370 million, Latin America and the Caribbean brought their "A" game last year, holding the titles for largest subscriber growth rate (97%) thanks to numerous carriers selecting GSM as their CDMA / TDMA upgrade path. So, how many peeps worldwide are toting cellphones, regardless of technology? According to the GSMA, there are 2.29 billion, making GSM the overwhelming standard of choice; we're guessing you can figure out who slots in at number two.

Panasonic rolls Cingular HSDPA for ToughBook CF-18

2006-06-14T06:29:00.000-12:00

Panasonic rolls Cingular HSDPA for ToughBook CF-18
It's a rough world out there, and no one should be without 3G nowadays -- especially not anyone whose job requires them to carry a Panasonic CF-18, one of their iron-clad ToughBook class laptops strong enough to take a bullet (ok, maybe not really). Looks like Panny landed a deal with Cingular to incorporate HSDPA into the CF-18 by way of a Novatel Wireless Expedite EU730 UMTS / HSDPA card, presumably a Mini PCI add-on. Nope, it's not the first shot the ToughBook has had at having 3G in its lifetime -- and we assume it won't be the last -- but this does add Panasonic to the short list of HSDPA laptop makers, as well as to the growing list of companies offering help in the way of laptop-internal 3G while remaining relatively (though never entirely) carrier agnostic.

Did Abramovich Give Away Le Grand Bleu?

2006-06-13T21:42:00.000-12:00

Did Abramovich Give Away Le Grand Bleu?
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has yachts to spare but did he really give a friend his 328-foot yacht Le Grand Bleu? The Sun reports that Abramovich handed the yacht, which is worth over $138 million, over to his business lieutenant Eugene Shvidler as a thank you. Abramovich had problems with the yacht last fall but surely that's no reason to ditch this beauty and while I'm sure Shvidler is a fine man and a good friend, I still sense there is another reason. There can only be one answer, Abramovich needs room in his stable for an even grander ship.

Rare A-20 Rare War Plane For Sale

2006-06-13T21:39:00.000-12:00

Rare A-20 Rare War Plane For Sale
You are looking at the only Douglas A-20 capable of flight is for sale. This rare plane, which has been exhibited in several flight museums, was impeccably restored. This plane was part of three different Air Force units as a trainer but was never in combat. After World War II, it was part of the 474 military planes sold to Paul Mantz, one of Hollywood's most famous stunt pilots, for use in movies and as camera planes. The plane was later sold, abandoned and then bought and restored by William J. Farah in 1970. It has bounced in and out of museums including the National Air & Space Museum, the Liberal Flight Museum and the Lone Star Flight Museum. It is selling for $1,150,000 through Courtesy Aircraft.

via General Aviation News

Miami Penthouse, Estate of the Day

2006-06-13T21:37:00.000-12:00

Miami Penthouse, Estate of the Day
This beautiful penthouse in Miami is an amazing 9,080 square feet of space with amazing views of Miami and the ocean. This amazing apartment has all sorts of contemporary architecture features and fine finishes that give it the feel of a luxury mansion in the sky. There are floor to ceiling windows, high ceilings and amazing staircases. There are five bedrooms, a theater and a gym.The roof top terrace has travertine floors, a pool, Jacuzzi and heart-quickening views of Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It is listed at a whopping $16.9 million but looks to be a truly extraordinary place. After the jump, is it possible to fall in love with a staircase?

iPod U2 Special Edition

2006-06-13T21:36:00.000-12:00

iPod U2 Special Edition

This new special edition iPod is a tribute to the band U2. The casing is black and it has a black steel back, which is engraved with the signatures of the band members. Differentiating it from other black iPods is the distinctive red click wheel. The iPod has 30GB of storage, with room for up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 photos, or 75 hours of videos. The black U2 iPod is $329. Included with purchase is an exclusive 30-minute U2 video from iTunes.

Jon Bon Jovi bejewels D807s for a good cause

2006-06-10T21:15:00.000-12:00

Jon Bon Jovi bejewels D807s for a good cause
We're for charity auctions just as much as the next guy, but Jon Bon Jovi and Cingular have made it hard to throw our support behind this one -- the duo are offering a limited run of ten SGH-D807s afflicted with the proverbial double-whammy of unfortunate modifications: jewels and American Idol propaganda. The eBay auction stands to benefit Jon Bon's own 2nd Floor Youth Helpline, a hotline kiddies can call to talk to a "trained listener about day-to-day issues of concern." Besides the defaced D807, a winning bid will net you a "special-edition collectors' box" signed by Ryan Seacrest and Jon himself. Whether Chris Daughtry's departure from the show counts as an "issue of concern" for the hotline, we're not sure.

How to automatically back up your Wordpress blog to e-mail

2006-06-10T21:14:00.000-12:00

How to automatically back up your Wordpress blog to e-mail
The other day I mentioned Engadget's blog backup guide, which works great but may be too Linux-centric for some. Reader Matt wrote in to point us to an alternative for Wordpress users, a tutorial at davebgimp.com that describes how to set up Wordpress to automatically e-mail a backup of your whole Wordpress blog to you every day. The tutorial requires you to install two Woirdpress plugins, WP-DB-Backup and WP-Cron, both by Scott Merrill. If you've ever installed a Wordpress plugin before, it will be a snap, but even if you haven't it won't be tough. The tutorial suggests you configure the plugins to send your backups to a Gmail account, but there are several other options to choose from.

New Hotel Luxury? No BlackBerries

2006-06-10T21:12:00.000-12:00

New Hotel Luxury? No BlackBerries

It looks like the new luxury vacation might be one where they take away your little luxuries. At least, they'll take away things like your BlackBerry, which you might have considered to be a luxury item before you were answering e-mails 22 hours each day. Some hotels have instituted programs that allow guests to put their BlackBerries - sometimes dubbed "CrackBerries" for their addictive nature - into storage for the duration of their stay, thus ensuring that you have a chance to relax on your relaxing vacation.

Hotels like the Sheraton Chicago offer no charge for the service, though peace and quiet might actually be worth paying for.

Southerly Winds Tote, Handbag of the Day

2006-06-10T21:10:00.000-12:00

Southerly Winds Tote, Handbag of the Day
The first two words that spring to mind when looking at this bag are, in no particular order, "yacht" and "beach." The Southerly Winds Tote from Anthropologie is made of a medium linen, festively colored with nautical-looking red and white stripes. The patches on the sides of the bag are made of cotton canvas, but the trim at the opening is made of supple leather, which holds the woven rope which serves as a handle. Inside pockets keep your cell phone and iPod from falling to the bottom of the tote(14"x 19.5"x 8") and getting lost beneath a bathing suit, sandals and a book of light summer reading. Price: $278.

Food Porn: Strawberry Mango Scones

2006-06-10T05:00:00.000-12:00

Food Porn: Strawberry Mango Scones
Indira, who blogs at Mahanandi, makes many beautiful dishes, but her Strawberry Mango Scones really sparked my interest. Not only are the scones mouthwatering to look at, but the combination of fresh strawberries and mango sounds like it is too good to pass up. If you bake frequently, you know that having too many wet ingredients, like berries and other fruits, can make a dish soggy. Strawberries and mango are both fairly wet fruits and Indira averted any potential problems by pairing dried mango instead of fresh with the berries, adding mango flavor to the scones without compromising their crumbly, soft texture or crisp crust. She served them for dessert, but I can't help think that they would make an outstanding breakfast on a clear, summer morning.

Take Dad To A Balloon Race

2006-06-10T04:58:00.000-12:00

Take Dad To A Balloon Race
There are tons of places you can take Dad to play golf on Father's Day but not to many of those places offer both golf and balloon races. The Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa in Galena, Illinois hosts an annual hot air balloon race to raise money for juvenile diabetes research. The weekend includes a Night Glow Extravaganza of balloons launched at night as well as three hot air balloon races on Saturday and Sunday morning and Saturday evening. There is also an Ale Fest. with more than 50 local breweries and specialty beer distributors serving local micro-brews. On Sunday, Father's Day, the resort will host a nine-hole Father/Son/Daughter Golf Outing followed by a buffet lunch. Balloon rides are $165 and rates at the resort start at $169 per night on weekends.

Ultimate Tree Houses

2006-06-10T04:56:00.000-12:00

Ultimate Tree Houses
I never had a tree that was suitable for a tree house where I grew up and I suspect that even if I had had one, I wouldn't have had a tree house anyway. All things considered, I'm sure that it turned out for the best, since I survived childhood without serious injury and without having fallen from a tree. But tree houses are undeniably fun and Daniel's Woodland makes some of the most outstanding tree houses imaginable. They also include a tree. There are tons of extra options that can be added to the houses, like slides, stairs and monkey bars, too. Prices start at $7,550 for the basic Ultimate Tree House and go up from there. Custom-built constructions are available and pricing varies by design.

Two clubhouses, connected with a bridge. It also has a cargo net railing, exterior stair case, fireman's pole, spiral slide, and bear head corner posts

"The Devil Wears Prada" Movie Products

2006-06-10T04:53:00.000-12:00

"The Devil Wears Prada" Movie Products
"The Devil Wears Prada" hasn't even hit the theater yet and the product placements are already flying off the shelves. Amazon is selling the Patricia Fields studded leather bag that Anne Hathaway's character Andrea wears in the movie. The bag, which can be worn several different ways, sells for $79.95 and is already back-ordered to August 1. There is also a special The Devil Wears Prada Tendre Set of Prada fragrance at Sephora for $65. Just a bit pricer than the toy giveways from Disney movies sold in fast food meals.

SimpleTech external HDDs designed by Pininfarina

2006-06-09T08:11:00.000-12:00

SimpleTech external HDDs designed by Pininfarina
We've never really felt the specific urge to have the plastic casing that houses our data be designed by a company like Pininfarina -- the same people who designed cars such as the Ferrari 575M Maranello, Jaguar XJ-S and Volvo C70. If, however, such design standards strike your fancy, SimpleTech is offering up some portable USB 2.0 drives that could do the trick. They range from the $110 40GB version to the $180 100GB version, and all spin their disks at 5400RPM with 8MB of cache.

World Cup tech: HD, mobile, and web TV makes Cup hard to miss

2006-06-09T08:02:00.000-12:00

World Cup tech: HD, mobile, and web TV makes Cup hard to miss
With the FIFA World Cup set for kickoff at 11:55AM EST today, most of us Americans are still sitting around scratching our heads trying to figure out how to pronounce Pelé, and whether we'd be offending anybody if we just called football "soccer" so things are less confusing. Turns out we are very alone in this predicament, since in 2002 the World Cup nabbed a total TV viewership of 29 billion, with 1.1 billion people viewing Brazil's defeat of Germany in the finale. The tournament takes place among 32 teams over the course of a month, and is being hosted by Germany this time around -- who have built or retrofitted 12 stadiums to host the 64 matches. Suffice it to say that this is the biggest sporting event in the world, making our American football's Super Bowl look quite minuscule by comparison. And what better way to celebrate this month of sporting excess than to round up all the tech it entails? If you need a bit more convincing, we recommend Larry Dobrow's "The Ignorant American's Guide to the World Cup," and if that doesn't help, might we remind you of the decent chance of celebratory and/or irate crazed-fan rioting -- brought to you live in HD?
While there are a myriad of ways to actually receive live TV of the matches all over the world, the main source for all this video is a team-up of HBS and Deutsche Telekom's T-Systems Media&Broadcast. HBS (Host Broadcast Services) is a dedicated organization set specifically to produce TV and radio coverage of the tournament, and they're all set with a staff of 2,000 to produce live 16:9, SD, PAL, and HDTV coverage from all 12 stadiums. The 1080i/50 MPEG-2 signals alone run at 1,485Mbps, with a minimum of 20 HDTV cameras running for each match. That's where T-Systems Media&Broadcast steps in: pumping out all that data. They'll be on the scene with ISDN, Ethernet, WiFi, DSL, EDGE, UMTS and HSDPA to shoot HBS signals to the International Broadcast Centre master control in Munich, and to manage all the other data from the 15,000 or so press people on the scene. From the IBC, the video and audio "pool feed" gets shipped off to more than 180 broadcasters worldwide.
No insanely popular sporting event would be complete these days without some beefy security, and Germany seems to have that in spades as well. Along with 2,000 active troops and 150,000 ready-to-eat meals just in case of some sort of worst-case scenario, the stadiums themselves have been rigged up with all manner of security. Siemens has done a lot of the work, implementing fire, smoke, and motion detectors in discreet ways; so as to not mar the historic look of many of the stadiums, they've embedded much of their technology in stadium roofing. Tickets are RFID embedded with name, address, birth date, etc. to prevent "black market" ticket sales, and are checked against a database as fans pass through the entrance gates. Stadiums also have cameras to record biometric facial features, and there's even technology in place to monitor and correct traffic flow leading to and from the stadiums.
Of course, most of us will end up watching these games from the comfort of our own homes, or the home of a buddy with a larger TV than us who splurged for the last Super Bowl. So the real story is how to acquire those HD feeds. Sadly, it's a bit of a mixed bag for us in the States, since the coverage is split between ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 --not all of which are available in HD in all markets. ESPN2 which will probably be getting a good chunk of games, including the first US game on June 12th (yes, we're playing in this crazy tournament as well, and we might not even be half bad!). Full domestic coverage listings can be found here.

HD coverage of the World Cup should be a bit more pervasive in places like the UK, where you can get the BBC and ITV's shared coverage through NTL Telewest's cable service, or via the new Sky HD if you were lucky enough to have it installed in time. Even better for British soccer fans is BBC's free streaming of most games live via the web. We have ESPN360 in the US, but it's only available via certain internet providers, and its game coverage will be minimal. Wired has an interesting article detailing a few slightly shadier methods to nab streaming coverage of the games -- which we neither condone nor condemn -- but are particularly intrigued by the idea of using a proxy to access the BBC site for their streams. All in all, while 2006 might not be the year of absolutely pervasive HD World Cup coverage, there shouldn't be too many moments that will require the avid football fan to be away from a live feed of the games -- especially with services like Slingbox and Orb to fill in the gaps. Hence, businesses (including our own) are predicting an incredibly unproductive month.
One method of coverage that we're surely not going to be getting much of in the States is in the form of mobile TV. While Verizon, Sprint, and Cingular are all probably due for some downloadable clips, nobody is ready for live mobile TV here. Even in Europe it'll be a bit spotty, with T-Mobile Germany as the only carrier to stream games to their 3G customers. Debitel did manage to get their T-DMB network up and running in Germany with their recent launch of the Samsung P900, but we're guessing coverage could be a bit weak this early on. Of course, South Korea has been doing this T-DMB thing for a while, so they shouldn't have many problems. Otherwise, most of the projected mobile TV "surge" will be for downloaded clips, not for live TV, at a projected revenue of $300 million during the month. Phone network capacity has been built in Germany specifically for the games, so as long as you stay near the larger cities and stadiums you should be able to hop online or call up your friends to brag about your current digs.

On the flip side of the mobile coin, Yahoo! Mobile Matchcast is being offered for Java enabled phones, and should provide solid realtime stats and match highlights to just about anybody who cares to download the free app. Yahoo is also offering coverage via free SMS alerts, so you should be able to manage keeping track of the games wherever you have a phone signal, even if all your attempts at live TV fail. There's also an app from Resco called "World Cup Mobile" for Windows Mobile, Palm OS, or Series 60 devices, which keeps track of loads of stats, images and even historical data.

We hope you're looking forward to the rampant patriotism and tasteless fandom of the coming month as much as we are. But before we sign off, we'd just like to chime in a bit of Team USA support as we prepare to settle in for 30 days of watching grown men in short shorts chase a round, slippery sphere around a large field to some unknown aim on just about every kind of device and wireless transmission system known to man. Goooooaalllll!

Ulysse Nardin Anniversary 160 Watch

2006-06-08T23:31:00.000-12:00

Ulysse Nardin Anniversary 160 Watch
The Anniversary 160 watch by Ulysse Nardin debuted at Baselworld this spring. This big-date chronometer uses the automatic UN Caliber 160 movement with 52 jewels which beats at 28,800 bph. The watch has hour and minute functions, small seconds and a two digit big date. The watch is made in a limited edition of 500 pieces in rose gold and 500 pieces in white gold.

Warwick Solar Fountain

2006-06-08T23:30:00.000-12:00

Warwick Solar Fountain
The appeal of the Warwick Solar Fountain lies in the fact that it is completely self-contained, in addition to looking quite elegant. The fountain has a solar panel discretely positioned at the top which provides power to an internal water pump. No plumbing or cords are necessary and the fountain reuses the same water as it operates, make it very eco-friendly. It can be positioned on any relatively flat surface, including grass, patios and even on balconies. It is made from a durable resin with a faux bronze finish, so it needs minimal care to maintain its good looks. At only 12-lbs., it is easy to move around should you need to reposition it for better light or to accommodate new patio furniture. Price: $249.

Betsey Johnson Lucky Star Bucket Bag

2006-06-08T23:28:00.000-12:00

Betsey Johnson Lucky Star Bucket Bag
Add metal stars and glammed up gold studs to a summery, white leather bag and you end up with the Lucky Star Bucket Bag from Betsey Johnson. The small, open top tote has a magnetic closure that barely hides a funky, leopard print lining. The bag is very Betsey Johnson, with her punk-y style, but the fact that white is so prevalent this season really tempers the bag. Anyone can wear this without making too loud of a statement. Instead, the effect it will have on your outfit, with the 8-inch adjustable strap hanging neatly on your arm, is just to add a little extra fun and flair. Price: $350.

Billion Dollar Babes Fifth Anniversary Sale

2006-06-08T23:27:00.000-12:00

Billion Dollar Babes Fifth Anniversary Sale
I've personally experienced the shopping nirvana of a Billion Dollar Babes sale in Los Angeles. The sales are full of great clothes at discounted prices and also feature a cocktail bar, a little unnerving at 8 a.m. but definitely festive. To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the sales they are holding a special shopping event on June 23 and 24 (VIPs, Platinum and Gold members get in on the 23rd). This time the venue is the Sony Studios Atrium in Culver City. The sale will features thousands of items from labels like Alice & Olivia, Chaiken, Diane Von Furstenberg, Joe's Jeans, Oliver Peoples, Tocca, and Ya Ya. There's also usually the bonus of at least one or two celebrity sightings. See you there.

Buy Michael Douglas's Pimped Out Golf Cart

2006-06-08T23:25:00.000-12:00

Buy Michael Douglas's Pimped Out Golf Cart
Michael Douglas's one-of-a-kind golf cart is hitting the auction block to benefit the nonprofit Motion Picture & Television Fund. The cart, which is a 2002 EZ-GO, was outfitted by automotive experts on MTV's Pimp My Ride, before being used by Douglas in a charity golf tournament. The cart is custom painted (as you can see, above) and has a built-in KVH satellite receiver that delivers DirecTV onto a 7" flip-down screen, MTX speakers, a DVD player, Tom Tom GPS (for those extra-large golf courses), a Star Gate mobile tablet PC in the steering wheel, a cigar humidor, and electric beer cooling tube - and more! A new set of Cleveland Golf Clubs, with a bag, are included.

The auction is online at www.mptvfund.org and ends on June 15th. The starting bid was $1,000, but it is currently over $8,000.

Cor Soap

2006-06-08T23:23:00.000-12:00

Cor Soap
$115 for a bar of soap? This simple little bar of soap commands the big bucks because of its ingredients. The Cor soap contains silver and four kinds of collagen including marine collagen from France (what is it about things from the sea them so pricey in skin care?) The soap is supposed to increase elasticity and prevent wrinkles as well as even skin tone and balance oil secretions.

Africa Gets Luxury Label

2006-06-08T23:21:00.000-12:00

Africa Gets Luxury Label
It seems that the fabric company Vlisco is planning to launch the first luxury label based in Africa. The traditional fabrics and designs that the company specializes in are facing competition from inexpensive, imported fabrics and they want to do something to set themselves apart. Creative director Dion Chang said, "The world is ready for a luxury African brand -- an Afro-Gucci." The label has been named Aziza, which means "gorgeous" in Swahili, and will launch in during fashion week in Johannesburg. It will first be sold in South Africa, where the demand for luxury goods is perceived to be the highest. Patterns and styles will be African inspired, but not over-the-top or clichéd.

Chloe Paddington Camera Bag, Handbag of the Day

2006-06-08T23:19:00.000-12:00

What is a camera bag if not a handbag with a very specific purpose? This particular one is a Chloe Paddington Camera Bag, a miniature version of the red hot Paddington bag - complete with a tiny padlock. It is made of incredibly soft, distressed tan leather with gold and silver hardware. The long and wide shoulder strap is adjustable. The front zip pocket is a great place to store extra memory cards or batteries for your camera - even film, if you prefer not to go digital. There is no reason that the bag couldn't be used for other things if you don't need to take your camera along. It would be a great way to hold keys and other small things when you don't want to carry a large tote. Price: $1,495.00

LG Designer Washing Machines

2006-06-04T03:01:00.000-12:00

LG Designer Washing Machines
Over at Gizmodo, they were pretty harsh on these new limited edition LG washing machines but I think they are pretty cool and would jazz up a boring laundry room. LG has joined up with Designers Guild on these four steam washing machines which come in Sevilla, Ribailagua, Imperial Flower and Cloisonné. The machine sprays hot water and steam on clothes to use less water and energy than regular washers. It also has a remote monitoring option. The machines will be sold at Harrods and John Lewis in Britain starting in June (with the black Cloisonné model debuting in October 2006). The washers will sell from 1300 – 1500GBP ($2,435-$2810). No word on when we get these in the States.

You've Got Jolie Lips

2006-06-04T02:58:00.000-12:00

You've Got Jolie Lips
Face it, ladies: whether you're Team Aniston or Team Jolie, we all covet Angelina Jolie's lips.

To get them, you've got a few options. You could go the collagen route, but that comes with the risk of accidentally winding up with Courtney Love's kisser, which is a risk that I dare say I'm not willing to take. And then, blessedly, there's the non-surgical route, for which there is no better balm than Lip Venom, by DuWop. It's the original, and it's still the best. Infused with a potent cocktail of cinnamon, wintergreen and ginger, the clear gloss comes in a sassy little vial.

Lip Venom encourages blood-flow into your lips. The result is a slight plumping and a gorgeous flushing (think the color of your lips after eating a cherry popsicle). And even if it doesn't make me look exactly like the lovely La Jolie, Lip Venom makes my pout look healthy and youthful -- which is a lot more than we can say for poor Courtney Love.

The best part? At $16 bucks a pop, it's also more affordable than an injection.

Don't you just love chemistry?

Pasion Azteca: Most Expensive Tequila in History

2006-06-04T02:56:00.000-12:00

Pasion Azteca: Most Expensive Tequila in History
Ultra-premium may be a popular buzz word for marketers, but there is a difference between the truly high-end spirits and the ones that are simply "ok". Pasion Azteca is the real deal. Made by Ley .925, only 66 bottles of the 100% blue agave tequila, aged for six years, will be produced. The tequila will be packaged in handmade gold and platinum bottles with original art (pictured) from Alejandro Gómez Oropeza on the labels. It is being marketed as the most unique and expensive tequila in history - and they're not kidding. Each bottle is $150,000.

Interested? You'll have to contact the company directly to get your hands on a bottle before they're released on July 21.

Louis Vuitton Epi Alma, Handbag of the Day

2006-06-04T02:55:00.000-12:00

Louis Vuitton Epi Alma, Handbag of the Day
I was unimpressed by the look of the Louis Vuitton Epi Alma handbag based on the pictures I had seen of it, most of which seemed to be of poor quality. After seeing the photo posted by Megs at Purse Blog, I had a change of heart. The bag is beautiful, made of a textured Epi leather in a striking blue color (also in black and blue/silver), and has the Vuitton logo in one corner. The trim is smooth leather, as are the rolled handles, and gives the bag an elegant, polished look. The bag is lined in alcantara and has a zipper closure, which can be secured with a small, included padlock if you're traveling with it or want to compare it to the padlock on your friend's Paddington. Price: $990.

DecoDent Tooth Jewelry

2006-06-04T02:54:00.000-12:00

DecoDent Tooth Jewelry
Okay, this is vaguely horrifying. For those who aren't interested in going the Lil Jon or Nelly route of having a big diamond and gold grill in your mouth you can get a DecoDent Tooth Jewel. A Tooth Jewel is a temporary crystal that gets bonded to your teeth by a dentist using a light-curing composite. They stay in place from eight months to up to many years, but can be taken off by a dentist. They only sell to dental professionals but the crystals are inexpensive. Apparently they are all the rage in Europe but just looking at these makes me feel old.

Ducati Announces Desmosedici RR

2006-06-04T02:46:00.000-12:00

Ducati Announces Desmosedici RR
Ducati calls their new Desmosedici RR the ultimate Ducati experience. The new bike was launched at Mugello on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix on June 1. The Desmosedici RR is the road-going version of the Ducati Corse Grand Prix racing Desmosedici GP6. The new bike won't be available until next summer and will be a limited edition with around 400 bikes produced per year. You can reserve one starting yesterday and Ducati 999R owners have priority. The bike will cost around 50,000 euros putting it at the top level of pricey motorcycles. The bike will include all the racing decals for those who want the total track look.

Lohan Sees Hypnotist for Shopping Problem - Maybe

2006-06-04T02:45:00.000-12:00

Lindsay Lohan has admitted to having a shopping problem and has either sought professional help or not (side note: Either way, by no means should a hypnotist be refereed to as "help." Perhaps "gimmick" or even "new age fluff.") Lohan's rep denies the star is seeing a hypnotist, but does admit to Lindsay "loving clothes." The teenager has spent over $1,000,000 in the past year on clothing and accessories, and has so much crap she can't wear it all. Sounds like of all the problems Lohan is reported of having, a shopping "addiction" may be the least of her worries.

A Diamond Pacifier for The Brangelina Baby

2006-06-04T02:43:00.000-12:00

A Diamond Pacifier for The Brangelina Baby
It's hard to find the words to describe this monumentally tacky baby gift. A company called It's My Binky has gifted Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's new daughter, Shiloh with this diamond pacifier. The binky has 278 pave cut white diamonds totaling 3 carats set in a 14K white gold base. It has a silicone nipple and a moving handle but the company says they "do not recommend actual use." The pacifiers, which sell for $17,000 can be customized with colored diamonds and engraved.

Christie's Star Trek Auction

2006-05-22T05:35:00.000-12:00

Stodgy auction house Christie's is going where no auction house has gone before, serving up 40 years of Star Trek memorabilia for bid October 5-7. The auction includes costumes, props, model ships and weapons from all of the "Star Trek" television series and films. There are a variety of prized items such as a Starfleet uniform worn by Captain Kirk in "Star Trek" The Wrath of Khan" and one worn by Captain Picard in "Star Trek" The Next Generation." Insignia, scripts, and all sorts of alien props are on the list. The Star Trek Enterprise shown here is a model from "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" which is estimated to sell for $15,000 to $25,000. Well aware of the buying power of the fans, Christie's has created a two-volume catalog for $90 and a box set for $500. Oh how I hope people show up at Christie's wearing Spock ears.

The collection will be touring around this summer and will appear at the San Diego Comic-Con, July 20-23, and a "Star Trek" convention in Los Angeles, Aug. 17-20 as well as other locations.

Chefs Remote Thermometer

2006-05-22T05:31:00.000-12:00

The Chefs Remote Thermometer works in much the same way as a baby monitor, allowing you to keep track of what is happening in another room without having to be there. The transmitter base has a meat thermometer attached to it. The receiver has a range of 100-ft. and receives remote temperature updates from the thermometer. An audible alert lets you know when your meat reaches the appropriated level of doneness, with preset levels from rare to well done and custom levels that you can set yourself. This frees up the chef to work on the rest of the meal or watch the big game on TV while the main course is cooking without having to get up and check on it. The thermometer works both indoors and outdoors. Price: $49.95.

Georgina Goodman Checkerboard Pumps

2006-05-19T08:40:00.000-12:00

Georgina Goodman Checkerboard Pumps
Whoever said checkerboard patterns were just for picnic blankets? Georgina Goodman's Madra Pumps add some fun to fashion. Hand made and woven in Spain, these are a splurge. They would look best with an outfit that is more complimenting in its colors as opposed to matching - let the shoes be the focal point. The striped heel measures at 2 1/3". Seen here in black and white, it is also available in a yellow, natural, and violet combination. Price: $375.

The Emirates Pearl

2006-05-19T08:39:00.000-12:00

The Emirates Pearl
Abu Dhabi is following Dubai's lead and creating a variety of projects to tempt tourists and investors. The latest is the Emirates Pearl, a 47-story tower which will go up on the Khalidiya coast opposite the seven-star Emirates Palace Hotel. The $136.2 million project will have 352 hotel rooms and 104 apartments. There will also be an atrium with five restaurants, a gym, spa and shops. There will be a private penthouse with a helipad and two Presidential suites each with a private entrance and swimming pool. The design is yet another twisting tower of glass, an architectural style that seems to be all the rage lately. Construction is set to begin this summer and is expected to take two years.

Get Ready For Windows Vista

2006-05-19T08:34:00.000-12:00

Get Ready For Windows Vista
Today, Microsoft announced the launch of the Windows Vista “Get Ready” Web site, the worldwide availability of Windows Vista Capable PCs, the upcoming availability of Premium Ready PCs and the availability of the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor beta.

“Customers have many options and choices to make when it comes to buying a PC today. A wide range of form factors, price points and new technologies figure into their decisions,” said Mike Sievert, corporate vice president of Windows(R) Product Management and Marketing at Microsoft. “With that in mind, Microsoft and OEMs are making it easier to prepare for the arrival of Windows Vista. Customers now have the information they need to get a great Windows XP- based PC today that will deliver rich Windows Vista experiences tomorrow.”

Microsoft today launched the Windows Vista “Get Ready” Web site. The new site, provides a variety of information and tools customers can use to prepare for Windows Vista. Today, this includes information on Windows Vista Capable and Windows Vista Premium Ready PCs, details on how customers can use the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor beta, and background on the different editions of Windows Vista. The site will be regularly updated with more information related to the forthcoming release of Windows Vista.

To help customers make informed decisions when buying new PCs, Microsoft today announced the availability of Windows Vista Capable PCs and the forthcoming availability of Windows Vista Premium Ready PCs.

Through the Windows Vista Capable program, Windows XP-based PCs that are powerful enough to run Windows Vista are now available from leading PC manufacturers worldwide, including Acer Inc., Dell Inc., Fujitsu Computer Systems Corporation , Gateway Inc., HP, Lenovo, NEC Corp., Sony Corp., Toshiba and more. The Windows Vista Capable logo is designed to assure customers that the PCs they buy today will be ready for an upgrade to Windows Vista and can run the core experiences of Windows Vista.

Microsoft also is working with PC manufactures to introduce Windows Vista Premium Ready PCs. Windows Vista Capable PCs can earn the Premium Ready designation by meeting or exceeding the requirements outlined below.

A Premium Ready designation ensures that the PC will deliver even better Windows Vista experiences, including Windows Aero(TM), a new user experience designed to deliver a productive, high-performing desktop interface. Microsoft recommends that customers seeking the best experiences with Windows Vista ask for PCs that are Premium Ready or choose PCs that meet or exceed the Premium Ready requirements.

And below we have some statement from different PC manufacturers:

“Dell is focused on designing systems today that will enhance the effectiveness of the features of Microsoft(R) Windows Vista tomorrow,” said John Medica, senior vice president of the Product Group at Dell. “We are working closely with Microsoft to ensure the best user experience on currently shipping performance desktops, workstations and notebooks, and customers can be confident that their high-performance Dell configuration can make the most of the next-generation capabilities of Microsoft Windows Vista.”

“Gateway PCs are optimized to take advantage of the increased usability, reliability, security and functionality that will be available with Windows Vista,” said Greg Memo, senior vice president of Products, Marketing and Web at Gateway. “The vast majority of our consumer and business PCs are already Windows Vista Capable and many are Premium Ready, ensuring that they will seamlessly run Windows Vista when it becomes available.”

“Windows Vista will create a more dynamic computing environment for both corporate and small-business users, and customers need to know that they can buy a system today fully capable of running Windows Vista when it becomes available,” said Philippe Davy, vice president of Strategic Alliances at Lenovo. “Lenovo is working closely with Microsoft to ensure that we deliver a powerful, innovative PC experience. Windows Vista Capable PCs and Premium Ready PCs from Lenovo will help provide customers that peace of mind.”

“Microsoft and Toshiba are working closely together to ensure our notebook customers worldwide are aware of the dramatically enhanced computing experience Vista will offer,” said Hisatsugu Nonaka, Toshiba corporate senior vice president and president and CEO, Toshiba PC and Network Company. “We want our customers to choose a Toshiba notebook computer that is Windows Vista Capable or Windows Vista Premium Ready so they are prepared for this exciting new operating system.”

Shady Lace Parasol

2006-05-18T01:50:00.000-12:00

Shady Lace Parasol
If your backyard is a bit low on foliage, this parasol from Conran can fill in with delicate shade you never have to prune. The parasol is cut in a pattern of foliage. The sunlight through the parasol casts shadows of branches and trees. A gold colored bird sits on top. The parasol plus stand sells for $840.

Motorola Q launch deets leaked

2006-05-15T03:04:00.000-12:00

Motorola Q launch deets leaked
Purportedly originating from a Verizon Wireless site, full details on Motorola Q specs and launch price have been posted to a Phone Scoop forum, and things are looking up for the much-delayed device. No mention of the A2DP support listed in the manual on the FCC, and most of the other specs we already knew, but we were interested to see the listed battery life at only about 4 hours of usage time. Luckily there's nearly 9 days of standby time, and everything else seems pretty solid. However, we were most interested to see the prices, at a rumored $349 with a 1 year contract, $299 with a 2 year, and $419 with no contract at all. If all of this holds true, that's not too bad for a QWERTY Smartphone, and hopefully a trend we'll be seeing more of in the future. Now just release the dang thing!

Camacho Select Cigars

2006-05-15T02:59:00.000-12:00

Camacho Select Cigars
Camacho has begun shipping their latest cigar, the Camacho Select. They call it the best wrapped Cameroon cigar ever made. The cigar was created by Julio Eiroa, the father of Camacho President Christian Eiroa. The cigar was developed as a private project and hasn't gone into regular production. There are only 400 boxes of 20 cigars, four each of five sizes (a Lonsdale, Robusto, Super Robusto, Churchill and Torpedo). The cigar has a Honduran-grown binder and filler and has a medium-to-full body. The Stogie Fresh Journal gave the cigar high marks for its spicy and robust flavor.

Tzoffey's Jewels Auction

2006-05-15T02:54:00.000-12:00

Tzoffey's Jewels Auction
Not all the big jewel auctions happen at Sotheby's or Christie's, Tzoffey's Auction House will be holding an auction of precious gems as part of the 32nd World Diamond Congress in Israel next month. The auction has an estimated value of $50 million and includes both jewelry and unset gems. The piece shown here is a brooch set with blue, pink and white diamonds (a total of 41.84 carats) mounted in platinum. This bauble has an estimated value of $5 to $7 million. Other items include a five carat orange diamond and a sapphire and diamond brooch in the shape of a swallow which is set with a briolette sapphire that weighs 43.48 carats. The auction takes place at the Tel Aviv Hilton Hotel on June 28 and is open only to professionals in the jewelry trade.

How Much Would You Pay To Have George Clooney's Hands On You?

2006-05-15T02:43:00.000-12:00

How Much Would You Pay To Have George Clooney's Hands On You?
The fun thing about the Get Hands On Campaign of celebrity handprinted T-shirts from James Perse is seeing which celeb handprints are bringing in the most money on Charity Folks. The high-ticket item for the auction which benefits the Revlon/UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program is a shirt from George Clooney. Clooney's pink paw prints are currently trading at a brisk $1,000 easily outpacing the king of tiny T-shirts Simon Cowell who floats in at a distant second of $330 but is still far above Paula Abdul, Randy Johnson and Ryan Seacrest (who was going for $85 last time I checked). Bargain shopping? The T-shirts from actors in the cast of "Scrubs." NBC's Hoda Kotb and comedian Carlos Mencia are bidless thus far but we've still got over a week to save them the shame of making unwanted T-shirts.

If you simply must have Clooney, you can also donate $45 to the Entertainment Industry Foundation and pick up a limited edition version of handprints done by George Clooney, Samuel L. Jackson or Keira Knightley.

Xemex 5000 Automatic Chronograph Watch

2006-05-12T07:24:00.000-12:00

Xemex 5000 Automatic Chronograph Watch

This yellow and steel creation is the latest from Xemex. The XE 5000 is not available until June but they are accepting web orders now. The chronograph watch has a 44mm brushed stainless steel case with a curved sapphire crystal. It uses the ETA Valjoux 7750 movement and the dial has yellow chronograph dials in a mirrored face. Buy the watch and they will throw in a Xemex T-shirt and an Automatic Watch Winder, valued at $350. The list price is $3,950.

Helio Launch Party

2006-05-12T07:22:00.000-12:00

Helio Launch Party
What better way is there to promote your new mobile gadget than by throwing a party and giving them away to celebrities? Helio doesn't think that there is one because that is exactly what they did. Over the weekend, Danny Masterson from That 70's Show, hosted the Helio event in the Hollywood Hills that included 20 and 30-something celebrities like Milla Jovovich, Chloe Sevigny, Sophia Bush, Michelle Trachtenberg, Paris Lastis and Rachael Leigh Cook. In addition to free food and drinks, each of the attendees walked away with a brand new Kickflip.

For a full look at the Helio Kickflip, rather than going by a celebrity's recommendation, check out Engadget Mobile's hands-on look at it. The Kickflip itself costs $250, but service charges from Helio will run you quite a bit more.

Grayson Tighe Fifth Anniversary Pen

2006-05-12T07:20:00.000-12:00

Grayson Tighe Fifth Anniversary Pen
To celebrate five years in the business, Grayson Tighe has created five special anniversary pens. The anniversary design on titanium is a collaboration with knife maker Jose de Braga collaboration. The pen features a Roman numeral V on the cap with a lapis lazuli composite inset. The pen has stainless steel accents and a titanium trim with blued millgrain accents. The body of the pen has another Roman numeral V set with 5 VS grade white diamonds. The limited edition number is displayed at the top of the pen. This pen sells for $5,500.

Yves St. Laurent Sunglasses

2006-05-12T07:19:00.000-12:00

Yves St. Laurent Sunglasses

Yves St. Laurent's latest sunglasses line is online and also for sale at Neiman Marcus. The sunglasses are predictably luxe, perfect for long afternoons on the deck of a yacht or for tucking into your Muse bag. My favorites of their latest collection are the two shown here. For logo lovers there are the rhinestone logo sunglasses with a sparkly version of the YSL logo. Those who prefer something a little more understated might prefer the metal loop sunglasses. The loop sunglasses are $260 and the logo-ed glasses sell for $275. The loop sunglasses are after the jump.

Cervélo's Soloist Carbon: the little bike that could

2006-05-12T07:16:00.000-12:00

As you probably know, the Giro d'Italia -- the Tour of Italy -- is in full swing. Today, the riders raced from Busseto to Forli, a jaunt of about 135 miles (227 km). It's mostly flat, and so a sprinter won the stage.

But who will win the overall tour? Very likely Ivan Basso, the great hope of Italian cycling. He's got a great team (CSC), a great director (Bjarne Riis, a.k.a. "The Eagle"), and great teammates (American Bobby Julich, among others).

But most importantly, he's got a dope bike.

This year, Basso and the rest of Team CSC are riding Cervélo's Soloist Carbon. It may just be the dopest bike in the pro peloton.

Cervélo -- an innovative bike design company from deepest, nicest Canada -- has taken its bread-and-butter bike, the aluminum Soloist Team, and made it even better (and more expensive) by using carbon fiber.

It's a compact frame, and so, in comparison to standard bike frames, that means its stiffer, lighter and handles better ... if you care about those things. For the rest of us, it's just cool.

Can bikes bling? This one just might.

The COLTs Really ARE At The Super Bowl!

2006-05-04T04:54:00.000-12:00

The COLTs Really ARE At The Super Bowl!
Although you won't notice it on TV while watching the Super Bowl, mobile wireless technology has played a huge role in the logistical setup at Detroit's Ford Field, including the creation of a WiFi network in the stadium to serve journalists as well as enhancing security at the facility.

Motorola, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint Nextel have brought along trucks furnished with mobile wireless equipment to enhance network coverage at these types of events. These cells on light trucks or COLTs (take that, Peyton Manning!) will play a key role in setting up a wireless network for the on-site pressrooms along with making coverage available for all of the mobile equipment (cellphones, two-way radios, etc.) that will be used by people working at the game and fans.

WiFi antennas have been placed throughout the stadium, so you can bet the wireless networks will be buzzing as the game takes place.

Motorola to buy BenQ research and design facility

2006-05-04T04:52:00.000-12:00

Motorola to buy BenQ research and design facility
Perhaps red-hot Motorola needs some good ole' Taiwanese (or German) engineering for a new uber-RAZR? Motorola has said that it will be buying a research and design facility from BenQ (the artist formerly known as Prince Siemens) for an undisclosed sum. The Denmark-based R&D center will focus on phone software and antenna design, among other things.

So, with this new center, Motorola -- please, please -- get up to par with the dingy and dull user interface found on most of your wireless handsets and find a nice balance between looking good and user-friendliness. I'll say this -- the Sony Ericsson interface, introduced over two years ago, is as darn pretty and entertaining as it is user-friendly. Take a cue, Motorola.

Google's San Francisco WiFi plans starting to raise eyebrows

2006-05-04T04:49:00.000-12:00

Google's San Francisco WiFi plans starting to raise eyebrows
Our friends over at the unofficial Google weblog have mentioned that Google's plans to team up with Earthlink and provide San Francisco a citywide WiFi wireless internet network are, of course, running into some concerns. Most of the concerns center around the quantity of public input that will be provided into the buildout process

Privacy seems to be at the forefront of many new areas Google attempts to enter these days -- and rightly so. They've gained much power in a short period of time and the folks who use its services -- including possible cheap or free wireless internet -- want to make sure Google sticks to their credo of "do no evil".

Breitling for Bentley Flying B Watch

2006-05-02T02:50:00.000-12:00

Breitling for Bentley Flying B Watch
The latest model in the Breitling for Bentley collection is the Flying B, a new rectangular watch. The watch is done in 18K rose gold and measures an astounding 38.5mm X 57.3mm. This massive watch has a sapphire crystal, and the back is engraved with the Flying B symbol of Bentley. The movement is the automatic Breitling caliber 28b, with 38 jewels, beating at 28,800 bph and with COSC-certification as a chronometer. The watch is also available in 18K gold or stainless steel and sells for around $20,000 for the gold version.

Ritmo Mundo Divina Watch

2006-05-02T02:37:00.000-12:00

Ritmo Mundo Divina Watch
The Ritmo Mundo Divina is for people who are into having a big slice of summery color to draw attention to the wrist. The Divina has an oversized round dial and is available with interchangeable rubber and leather straps. The dials are available in either a plain style or embellished with a thin line of diamonds. The watches start at $400.

Britney's Baby Shopping

2006-05-02T02:35:00.000-12:00

Britney's Baby Shopping
Since we all now know that Britney Spears is pregnant again, it's no surprise to see that she's out buying some new baby things. At least, she's browsing for baby things because she doesn't yet know the gender of the baby. She headed out to Petit Tresor in Los Angeles to look at their elegant and adorable line of baby furniture. Britney's hoping for a girl, so you can be sure that she had her eyes on some of the frilly, girly designs in the boutique. For now, though, she kept her son, Sean Preston under wraps in a Carezza Minifur Blanket. The blanket is made of soft Italian yarn, in blue or pink, with sabbia suede on one side. Price: $149.

Google Super Gum

2006-04-30T03:16:00.000-12:00

Google Super Gum
Have you ever wanted to chew like Google employees? Maybe get some extra brain strength to create some cool works with one of the many Google API's? Why not try some Google Gum?
Google Gum is supposedly tasty, and comes in a box that fits nicely into a purse or pocket! Why does Google sell this on their store? No idea! Is it really tasty? No idea, I guess we will have to order some and find out. Does anyone buy it? I’m sure they do.... Its just one of the many interesting items that Google amuses us with on their store.

If you have ever had an experience with this chewing gum, please let the rest of us know whether it’s worth buying or not.

Vista on a MacBook Pro?

2006-04-30T03:14:00.000-12:00

Vista on a MacBook Pro?

That crazy cat Marc Orchant (some of you may recognize that name) has gone and installed Windows Vista on a friend's MacBook Pro. Well, he hasn't yet fully installed it, but he got far enough to get the swanky screenshot you see here. Tomorrow they plan to go all the way. I thought this wasn't supposed to be possible. But hey, I'm not arguing!

Gold Nokia 8800

2006-04-29T20:09:00.000-12:00

Gold Nokia 8800
For those who found the Nokia 8800 Aston Martin edition to be too cheap and too plain, here is a really gaudy answer. It's a Nokia 8800 tarted up with 24K gold. It costs $2,700 and the specs are the same (a camera, 64MB of memory, Bluetooth, FM Tuner, MP3 player, etc.) so truly the only reason to buy this thing is for the flash factor. It's available through Siamphone and even the charger is all gilded up. I defended the Aston Martin version, but this gold version is the type of tacktacular thing that should only be in the hands of those who also require gold faucets and toilets.

The World’s Smallest Mouse

2006-04-29T00:07:00.000-12:00

The World’s Smallest Mouse
Miniaturization is an increasingly important trend nowadays, especially because of the need to create smaller and smaller, yet function-rich devices. And MicroNav, developed by Interlink Electronics, represents a true spearhead of this trend, because it is probably the world’s smallest pointer control device, with dimensions of just 10mm x 10mm x 1.4mm.
MicroNav enables precise, 360° cursor navigation for consumer handheld devices including cellular phones, wireless e-mail devices, PDAs, tablet PCs, GPS systems and even digital cameras
The device uses a technology developed by Interlink, called Force Sensing Resistor, which allows it to “sense” the pressure exerted upon it (more precisely, any pressure within the 1-100 N range), and is compatible with most mass-production technologies, which makes its integration into other devices a very easy task.

Moreover, the MicroNav concept offers a high degree of versatility, since it can be very easily adapted to other pressure-based pointer control products (a touch scroll control system, for example).

Skype Signs Up More Than 100 Million Users

2006-04-28T05:10:00.000-12:00

Skype Signs Up More Than 100 Million Users
Internet telephony provider Skype announced Friday it now has more than 100 million registered users worldwide.
Skype, which was bought last year for $2.6 billion by online auctioneer eBay Inc., said it has nearly doubled in size from September 2005 when 54 million people were using the service.

Founded by the creators of Kazaa, the free music-sharing program that riled the music business, Skype gives away software that lets people talk for free from computer to computer, or pay a small fee to place and receive calls from regular phones.

Internet phone providers like Skype are creating upheaval in the telecommunications industry and putting pressure on traditional operators.

Their Voice over Internet Protocol technology is cheaper and more efficient than traditional circuit-switched phone systems, and VoIP usage figures to become more prevalent as broadband penetration deepens.

Did Jessica and Ashlee Turn Down Coq au Vin for Pizza Hut?

2006-04-28T02:08:00.000-12:00

Did Jessica and Ashlee Turn Down Coq au Vin for Pizza Hut?
It sounds like a publicity stunt but gossip newsletter Popbitch is reporting that when Jessica and Ashlee Simpson were recently in Australia they weren't too thrilled with the local cuisine. They went for dinner at the lovely Glass Brasserie in the Hilton where they were staying. Instead of indulging in the fancy fare, the girls ordered in from Pizza Hut (Jess does commercials for the company). Given that the Glass Brasserie offers everything from crab bisque to creme brulee, it sounds like the girls missed out on a treat.

The Ferrari Motorcycle

2006-04-28T02:05:00.000-12:00

The Ferrari Motorcycle
No, Ferrari hasn't started making motorcycles (although apparently they did briefly in the past) but one enterprising builder has made his own. George, a former vintage GP racer built two Frankenstein-style Ferrari motorcycles using bits from other motorcycles, cars and airplanes. The V-12 Ferrari shown here is called "Dino": It has a 350 hp Ferrari engine. It's not the sleekest thing I've ever seen and is probably not that easy to handle but what a great sound it must make when you turn the key!

Penthouse Suite at The Hotel Martinez

2006-04-28T02:02:00.000-12:00

Penthouse Suite at The Hotel Martinez
The never-ending quest for the most expensive one-night stay in the world continues, as the Hotel Martinez now offers a suite that costs $37,200 per night. The Hotel is in Cannes, France and attracts more than its fair share of celebrities when they flock to the international film festival every year, but the luxury hotel is popular all year round. The penthouse suite, also known as the Exceptional 7th Floor Suite, is over 2,000 sq. feet, has four bedrooms, marble baths, multiple luxury living and dining rooms, plasma screen TVs with satellite programming, and a spa on a terrace which affords panoramic views of the Mediterranean. Interestingly, the rooms are also soundproofed. For those looking to save a few dollars, the floor can be divided into four individual suites, as well.

Gucci Charm Bracelet

2006-04-28T02:00:00.000-12:00

Gucci Charm Bracelet
Jewelry gets more ornate this season, with designers creating large, detailed pieces. Gucci went glitzy as well, updating the classic charm bracelet with this modern gold version. Called the Flora Charm bracelet, it's made of 18kt yellow gold and adorned with machalite, sugilite, and tiger eye pendants. Price: $4,590.

Hawaii Is the Most Expensive Summer Vacation in the U.S.

2006-04-28T01:57:00.000-12:00

Hawaii Is the Most Expensive Summer Vacation in the U.S.
It's no big surprise that Hawaii is the most expensive place to vacation in the U.S. AAA has released their annual vacation costs survey. They found that a summer vacation will cost 5.4 percent more than last year.

The top five most expensive places for food and lodging for a family of four per day are:
1. Hawaii--$559
2. Washington D.C.--$518
3. Nevada--$348
4. Rhode Island--$329
5. New York--$329

For those on a budget, the bottom five are:
1. North Dakota--$191
2. Nebraska--$191
3. Kansas--$193
4. Iowa--$196
5. Oklahoma--$200

The national average is $261 and the average hotel rate is $141 per night.There are no big surprises in the bottom five but I had no idea that Washington D.C. ranked so high. If I had to guess I would have chosen New York second and placed California and Massachusetts in the top five.

Flowerbomb Too Explosive For Norway Airport

2006-04-28T01:56:00.000-12:00

Flowerbomb Too Explosive For Norway Airport
Have security concerns gone too far? Cosmetics News reports that the Oslo Airport in Norway has pulled the Viktor & Rolf fragrance Flowerbomb from two airport boutiques. Why? The two boutiques in the airport took the fragrance off the shelves because of the distinctive grenade-like appearance of the bottle. The bottle shape breaks security rules because it looks like a weapon. Other items such as a child's water gun are also prohibited.

Edo Competition Maserati MC12

2006-04-22T05:11:00.000-12:00

Edo Competition Maserati MC12
Inside Line shows us another tease car, a one-off that has already found a home. This is a souped-up version of the Maserati MC 12. Edo Competition, a tuning company which specializes in exotics, created it for a "wealthy Russian enthusiast." The car has 700 horsepower and can hit speeds over 230 mph. It also has bigger ceramic brakes, an adjustable suspension, Bridgestone tires instead of Pirellis and a spiffy new paint scheme.

World's Most Expensive Hotel Suites

2006-04-22T05:03:00.000-12:00

World's Most Expensive Hotel Suites
Though there is still time to spare before summer, it might be difficult to get a reservation at one of the Travel Channel's picks for most expensive hotel suites. When you are spending upwards of $4,000 a night, however, the "necessity" of reservations may just turn out to be a minor inconvenience. Here is the list, with the rates listed per night:

10. Coco Chanel Suite, Hotel Ritz, Paris - $4,300 to stay in the room that Coco herself lived in for 37 years.
9. Presidential Suite, Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills - $4,700 for a chef, butler, kitchen, grand piano and a chance to live like the stars
8. Peninsula Suite, The Peninsula, Hong Kong - $4,875, including butler service and a chauffeured Rolls Royce
7. Royal Suite, The Lanesborough, London - $5,837, with private security and personal butlers for the 3 bedroom suite with a floor-to-ceiling view of Hyde Park
6. Royal Suite, Burj Al Arab, Dubai - $6,800 to stay in the world's tallest hotel, with a private screening room, views of the ocean and use of the hotel's helipad

5. Royal Floor, President Wilson Hotel, Switzerland - $9,090, with state of the art security and a room that takes up an entire floor of the massive hotel
4. Triplex Suite, The New York Palace, New York - $10,000 includes a 4,000-square-foot room, rooftop getaway and personal butlers with room service from Le Cirque
3. Presidential Suite, The Four Seasons, New York - $10,000 for a sleek, ultra-contemporary room with a 24-hour staff, lots of TV monitors and marble baths with whirlpools
2. Presidential Suite, St. Regis, New York - $10,500 includes the ultimate in elegant opulence, with wall-to-wall antiques, tapestries and a complete personal staff
1. Presidential Suite, The Plaza, New York - $15,000 per night buys 7,800-square-feet of space and an entire floor of the hotel. The suite has 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, a library, two living rooms, a private wine cellar, four balconies, maids, a butler and chauffeur with a Rolls Royce, not to mention an on-call personal chef.

Custom Couture Designer's Portfolio

2006-04-22T05:02:00.000-12:00

Custom Couture Designer's Portfolio
Once little girls are old enough to accompany their parents on shopping trips and start having an input in what they want to wear, it is not a big leap for them to want to design their own outfits. Most girls don't get the opportunity to do this, but with the Custom Couture Kit they can make their dream a reality. The design portfolio that is included has fabric swatches, pencils, sketchpad, and a questionnaire, which will help determine the final design. The design will then be made by a professional designer in New York, who will consult on color, fabric and fit, before completing the garment and sewing in a custom label bearing the designer's own name. Price: $800.

German World Cup Team Lodges in Luxury

2006-04-16T08:31:00.000-12:00

German World Cup Team Lodges in Luxury
With the 2006 World Cup coming up, teams are making their travel arrangements to stay in Germany for the duration of the 64-game tournament. The German team does not have far to go, but will be staying at the Schlosshotel im Grunewald, a 5-star luxury hotel in Berlin. It is situated in what was formerly the seat of the von Pannwitz family in 1914, essentially a palace that was known for its elegance and extravagance. The hotel offers 42 rooms and 12 suites, all with full amenities that include a wide array of personal technologies, from the standard minimum of three telephones and two lines per guest room to high speed wireless internet access.

The largest room is the Kaiser suite, which is fit for a king at 5-rooms and nearly 2,000 square feet. It is furnished in historic, antique elegance with silk sofas and marble bathrooms. The suite runs about $3,600 per night.

Sunday Real Estate Round-Up

2006-04-16T08:24:00.000-12:00

Sunday Real Estate Round-Up
From the NY Post's Gimme Shelter:
--Katie Couric will be summering in the Hamptons. She leaves the Today show in May and doesn't start at CBS until after Labor Day leaving her a full summer of play with plenty of dough in her pockets. Rumor has it she's hunting in the $300,000 price range, that is if she doesn't just snap up a summer home in the $6 million to $7 million range. Behold the power of cute.
--Real-estate heiress Connie Milstein is in at 998 Fifth Ave. In order to claim her new four-bedroom duplex which was listed at $15.7 million, she had to pass muster with the coop board. Milstein got in a wee bit of trouble when she was caught on camera bribing the homeless with cigarettes in exchange for a vote for Al Gore.
--Final details on Woody Allen's townhouse on E. 70th St. He paid $22.625 million for the five-story, 20-foot-wide structure with 17 rooms.

From Forbes Movers & Shakers:
--Sharon Stone has paid around $10 million for a home in Beverly Hills. She bought from a young investor who bought Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt's former home. The home has a gym, screening room and a tennis court with a $70,000 surface. Sounds like a much more sound investment than her recent movie, Basic Instinct 2 for which she was reportedly paid $13.6 million.
--The home of McDonald's heiress Joan Kroc (she of the million dollar diamonds) is on the market for $28 million. The Montagna De La Paloma (shown above) is located in Rancho Santa Fe (which we recently mentioned as being the home of the $40 million Ultimate Estate). This compound has more than 12 acres and has the main residence has a 1,000-bottle wine cellar, two-story library, pool and health and fitness room. There is also a two-bedroom guest house, a 3,500-square-foot second home with its own pool and a gate house.

--Howell Raines, the former executive editor of The New York Times, has picked up a New York townhouse on West 11th Street for $3.5 million.
--Writer Jodi Della Femina and her husband, investment banker John Kim, have closed on their two-bedroom Greenwich Village home which sold for $100,000 above the asking price of just under $1.6 million.

From The New York Observer's Manhattan Transfers:
Will the condos at 1200 Fifth Avenue be able to lure deep-pocketed investors? The area is on the path to gentrification. Studios start at around $767,000 and apartments top out at $6.6 million excluding the ten-room penthouse that is listed at $14.5 million. Building amenities like a private fitness center, individual storage, a refurbished lobby, a 24-hour concierge, and appliances throughout by Wolf, Miele and Sub-Zero might be enough to wash away those worries of the unfashionable address.
--Music mogul Antonio (LA) Reid has purchased a $10 million home in Sagaponack. The two-story home has six bedrooms, tennis courts and a bond.
--Gallery owner Paula Cooper and her husband, book publisher Jack Macrae, sold their Chelsea home for $6.05 million and spent $5 million on two London Terrace penthouses that belonged to photographer Annie Leibovitz.
--A West Village townhouse belonging to financier Enrico Marone-Cinzano has an asking price of $19.5 million The home which was built in 1833 is known as the Bacchus House and has a Beaux-Arts façade. Inside the home has expansive entertaining spaces, service quarters, garage and a full spa with infinity pool.

From the LA Times: Hot Property:

--Indiana Pacer center/forward Jermaine O'Neal has listed his two-bedroom Wilshire Corridor tower condo at close to $1.7 million. Good for the height-blessed, the condo has custom vaulted ceilings

--Musician Lindsey Buckingham and his wife have moved out of the Bel-Air home that they built in 2002. They had sold it for around its $21.5-million asking price last year but then leased it back while their new house was being remodeled.

M-5.5 Playhouse by Gregg Fleishman

2006-04-16T08:22:00.000-12:00

M-5.5 Playhouse by Gregg Fleishman
This module-style M-5.5 Playhouse is made of 1/2-inch thick birch plywood panels that are 28-inches square. With 85 pieces to work with, the fort of any child's dreams can be made easily. The playhouse, designed by Gregg Fleishman, assembles by hand without the need for tools; the pieces snap together securely and will support almost any geometric construction. It comes in a natural, weather-resistant finish and has smooth edges, which are safe for children. Think of it as being the largest, most stylish set of Lincoln logs you've ever seen. Price: $18,000.

The $3,000 Martini

2006-04-16T08:20:00.000-12:00

The $3,000 Martini
The Bombay Sapphire Martini at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut is for anyone with rich tastes - specifically with a taste for diamonds. The $3,000 drink is made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, Blue Curacao and a splash of dry vermouth, served in a glass rimmed with blue sugar crystals and garnished with custom-made blue sapphire and diamond earrings atop a sterling silver pick. Some are describing it as "pure decadence in a glass," but the Algonquin's $10,000 martini still probably has the edge in the decadence department if your criteria is based on price and the size of the stones that come with the drink.

Paradisus Palma Real

2006-04-16T08:19:00.000-12:00

Paradisus Palma Real
Tourism in the Dominican Republic is booming lately (most recently Brad Pitt has been rumored to be looking at land there). A new resort, Paradisus Palma Real had its official grand opening this month (its soft opening was in December). The $120 million new resort is Sol Melia's 2nd Paradisus in Punta Cana and their fifth in the Paradisus brand. The five-star all-inclusive resort has 554 suites which have mahogany furniture, Jacuzzis for two, plasma televisions and private terraces. There are seven restaurants including an Asian bistro that has a sushi bar and tepanyaki and Passion, an “adults only” fine dining venue. There are three pools including a 37,600-square-foot beachfront free-form pool that is the largest on the island, two small children's pools, a spa and health club and a casino with poker, black jack and slot machines. Their royal service option in 102 suites and two oceanfront Presidential Suites provides personal butlers, access to royal service lounges, access to a private pool and a private beach area with concierge service. The service also includes a DVD library, personalized pillow menu and a special in-room aromatherapy menu. According to some reviews on TripAdvisor, the hotel is still working out some of their opening difficulties, although many of the reviews did say that this is a beautiful resort. Their Romance package with an ocean view suite costs $509 per night.

Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang

2006-04-14T05:30:00.000-12:00

Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang
$50,000 for a Mustang? When Saleen's involved things get fancy and pricey. The Saleen/Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Mustang has a classic muscle car look that is reminiscent of the Grabber Orange Boss 302 Mustang that Parnelli Jones drove in 1970. Inside it's got the Saleen 302 cid V8 engine. Other details include 302 valve covers, a black striped “shaker” hood, a 1970 replica rear wing and rear window quarter panels. It's only available in the Grabber Orange shown here and it even comes with removable decals to make it look just like Parnelli's 1970 Mustang. They haven't announced how many units will be made but it will cost in the the mid-to-high $50,000 range.

Michael Jackson Refinances by Selling Songs

2006-04-14T05:28:00.000-12:00

Michael Jackson Refinances by Selling Songs
Michael Jackson, struggling to pay off the approximately $300 million that he owes to the New York hedge fund, Fortress Investment Group, has announced that he has reached a deal with the group. Though the exact details were not released, a part of the deal has Jackson selling half of his shares in the Sony/ATV music library - 25% of the total collection - to Sony. After the sale, Sony will own 75% of the library. Jackson's portion, which he purchased in 1985, is currently valued at half a billion dollars and includes the rights to 251 Beatles songs as well as music by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Stevie Nicks.

Cubi XXVII by David Smith - The World-wide Sculpture

2006-04-13T08:23:00.000-12:00

Cubi XXVII by David Smith - The World-wide Sculpture
David Smith was foremost among the welder-sculptors who came to prominence in the U.S. after World War II. Following the example set by Julio González and Pablo Picasso, who created welded-steel sculptures as early as 1928, the Americans constructed their work directly out of iron and steel sheets and wires rather than employing the traditional method of casting.

In the 1930s and 1940s, influenced by Surrealism and Constructivism , Smith created hybrid figural sculptures and dramatic mise-en-scènes. During the 1950s he began to work in stylistic series ranging from the complicated abstract drawings-in-space of the Agricolas to the anthropomorphic and totemic sculptures incorporating machine parts such as the Sentinels and Tank Totems. In the later part of the decade and into the 1960s his work became more volumetric and monolithic.
Smith completed 28 works in his last series of monumental abstract structures, the Cubis, before his death in May 1965. These celebrated sculptures were composed from a repertoire of geometric cubes and cylinders of varying proportions. All of the Cubis are made of stainless steel, which Smith burnished to a highly reflective surface. He told critic Thomas Hess, “I made them and I polished them in such a way that on a dull day they take on a dull blue, or the color of the sky in the late afternoon sun, the glow, golden like the rays, the colors of nature.”
Some of the Cubis are vaguely figural, while others, such as Cubi XXVII, suggest architecture. This example is one of three Cubis usually referred to as “Gates”, which rise like giant rudimentary doorways framing a central void. By counterbalancing a cylinder that appears to rest precariously on edge with two small tilted blocks that look equally unstable, Smith emphasized the potential energy captured through the welding technique. The artist activated the surface of the structure through the curling traces left by the polishing process, creating, in his words, “a structure that can face the sun and hold its own against the blaze and the power.”
Price: $23.8 million

BMW Debuts New iPod Interface

2006-04-13T03:38:00.000-12:00

BMW Debuts New iPod Interface
BMW has just announced the introduction of a new BMW iPod interface that will allow for seamless integration of the popular music-playing device into every current BMW model.
While probably not as comfortable as the iPod bed, a BMW is without a doubt the ultimate iPod accessory.

The new BMW Interface for iPod will be available for owners of the new BMW 3 Series Sedans and Sports Wagons as well as the 5, 6, and 7 Series. It will also be available for the new M5 Sedan and M6 Coupe. It will enable audiophiles to bring their entire music collections with them, plug directly and effortlessly into a superior sound system while maintaining uncompromised control over their driving experience. Since the new Interface is compatible with SIRIUS satellite radio as well as the recently introduced HD Radio, owners will be able to enjoy a broad selection of high fidelity broadcast music sources as well. The original BMW iPod Adapter will continue to be available for 2002 and later BMW models: X3, X5, Z4, and previous generation 3 Series.

The original BMW iPod Adapter was the world's first seamless integration between iPod and a vehicle audio system. The new Interface will also allow users to incorporate their iPods directly into their car's sound system, but with the newly available capability to sort their music according to their own playlists, as well as by artist, album, genre, podcast, and finally, a random selection of 500 songs from the user library. Artist, album, and song title will appear in the Display Monitor.

The seamless integration of iPod makes it effortless for drivers to control their music through their existing audio system and the multifunction steering wheel. The new BMW Interface for iPod enables drivers to easily access their entire music library, shuffle songs, skip between tracks and adjust volume -- all of this with no loss of sound quality or driving control.

The new Interface is compatible with all iPods with a dock connector, including the iPod nano and the fifth generation iPod. The BMW iPod Interfaces integrate the iPod through a direct connection in the BMW glovebox, providing outstanding sound quality and constant power to the iPod all while your iPod remains protected and out of view.

The new BMW iPod Interface will be available for customers to purchase at BMW centers beginning in July 2006. Pricing has not been determined.

Americans and Their Ideas

2006-04-12T09:03:00.000-12:00

Americans and Their Ideas

I’m not saying that having ideas is a bad thing. But when you come up with an idea that puts you in the situation of asking “What were they thinking?? something is surely wrong.
An American investigative firm named Washington Research Associates has developed a free ebook which answers many American singles’ most pressing question: “is he/she actually married?”.
We all know that when we meet someone that we like, we tend to lie about our marital status. While men lie the most, women are more truthful.

So, this firm wants to change the way to find out if the person you are interested is married or not. For doing this, they started to create a e-book with information.

A single resource which will contain all the government repositories, information and instructions to determine whether that person is married or not. All this made online or by phone.

“It doesn’t matter if you met the guy (or girl) online or at a party, singles bar, or dance, or while waiting in line at the local 7/11,” says Washington Research Associates’ Director Warren Ryan. “Marriage and Divorce Records, USA takes the mystery out of determining somebody’s marital status. It explains what kinds of government public records provide the needed information, where they are, and how to access them.”

“Marriage and Divorce Records, USA” provides thousands of links and county/state government phone numbers, plus detailed instructions on how to get the information you need. Now it’s no longer necessary to take somebody’s word for their marital status — you can check it out yourself.

The e-book can be downloaded freely from here

Google, eBay And Amazon To AT&T: We'll Build Our Own Network

2006-04-12T08:37:00.000-12:00

Google, eBay And Amazon To AT&T: We'll Build Our Own Network
AT&T and the telcos are threatening to charge Google and other Web sites extortion-type fees unless Google and others pay for adequate bandwidth. But Google and others may soon have this answer for them: No, thanks. We'll build our own fat pipe into customers' homes.

That's the speculation, anyway. Investor's Business Daily points out that big swaths of the wireless spectrum are about to go out to bid -- and whoever buys them could build a high-bandwidth wireless pipe into people's homes and businesses across the country.

I won't go into all the gory details, but there are two big blocks of spectrum up for sale, and Internet companies like Google are expected to bid on both.

Google, eBay, and Amazon could form their own consortium to spend the many billions of dollars needed to buy parts of the spectrum, and build a high-speed, nationwide wireless network.

Investor's Business Daily quotes George Dellinger, an analyst at research firm Washington Analysis, as saying "A consortium of new media companies could wind up leading the pack to buy that spectrum and provide a third (broadband) pipe into homes."

Sound far-fetched? Google is already building wireless networks in San Francisco and its home of Mountain View. The company is sitting on top of the biggest pile of cash south of Bill Gates -- probably close to $10 billion after a planned $2 billion new stock offering. It can afford to do it. And when it comes to cash, eBay and Amazon aren't slouches, either.

So the network neutrality debate may blow up in AT&T's face. When it comes to buying bandwith, I'll choose Google over the telco dinosaurs any day of the week.

New Ultra-Expensive Sandwich Hits London

2006-04-10T21:48:00.000-12:00

New Ultra-Expensive Sandwich Hits London
All of London is abuzz about the McDonald sandwich. BBC News reports that the new sandwich, named after its creator Scott McDonald, costs $148 and is being sold at the London department store Selfridges. What do you get for your money? The sandwich uses 24-hour fermented sourdough bread, wagyu beef, fresh lobe fois gras, black truffle mayonnaise, brie de meaux, rocket, red pepper and mustard confit and English plum tomatoes. At 2,000 calories its not for dieters but a few curious Londoners have already sampled the rich repast. I think I'd still rather have the $100 Philadelphia cheese steak because at least your get a mini-bottle of champagne with it.

El Bulli Named The World's Best Restaurant

2006-04-10T21:43:00.000-12:00

El Bulli Named The World's Best Restaurant
What are the 20 best restaurants in the world? According to Restaurant magazine, El Bulli, Ferran Adria's iconic restaurant in northern Spain is now top on the list, upsetting last year's winner the U.K.'s Fat Duck (shown here), which is now number two, where El Bulli was last year. Both restaurants specialize in experimental cuisine. French Laundry was tops in the U.S. at number three and Thomas Keller's New York restaurant Per Se ranked eighth.

1. El Bulli (Spain)
2. The Fat Duck (U.K.)
3. Pierre Gagnaire (France)
4. French Laundry (U.S.)
5. Tetsuya's (Australia)
6. Bras (France)
7. Restaurant le Louis XV (Monaco)
8. Per Se (U.S.)
9. Restaurant Arzak (Spain)
10. Mugaritz (Spain)
11. Can Fabes (Spain)
12. Nobu (U.K.)
13. Gambero Rosso (Italy)
14. Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road (U.K.)
15. Restaurant Alain Ducasse (France)
16. Jean Georges (U.S., New York)
17. Le Cinq (France)
18. Daniel (U.S., New York)
19. Oud Sluis (Netherlands)
20. Chez Panisse (U.S.)

The Guys That Never Sleep

2006-04-10T07:53:00.000-12:00

The Guys That Never Sleep
Kaspersky warns against a new cross platform virus that can infect both Windows and Linux.
Though its intensity is not something to worry about the news that this kind of multiple platform virus was given birth is not good.

Experts state that cross platform malware is just now starting to develop as hackers focus on writing code that can infect different platforms at the same time.

The new virus written in assembler is not a real threat to Linux or Windows but a proof that these kind of projects can be developed in the near future. Called Virus.Linux.Bi.a/Virus.Win32.Bi.a by Kaspersky anti-virus company, the virus infects only files in the current directory. The concept can be developed with given interest and can become a serious threat to PC security.

Though considered to be very difficult, the building of such cross platform viruses is not impossible. Writing such malicious code does seem difficult because it is limited to functions that are available on all the operating systems but as hackers seem to be doing their research things are far from ending here. All companies have been advised to start protecting their non-Windows operating systems with adequate anti-virus tools, as, otherwise, things are going to turn ugly.

The Flying Luxury Hotel

2006-04-07T05:05:00.000-12:00

The Flying Luxury Hotel
Even though the Aeroscraft dwarfs the largest commercial airliners, it requires less net space on the ground than any plane because it doesn't need a runway. The airship takes off and lands like a helicopter: straight up and down.
This is not a Blimp. It's a sort of flying Queen Mary 2 that could change the way you think about air travel. It's the Aeroscraft, and when it's completed, it will ferry pampered passengers across continents and oceans as they stroll leisurely about the one-acre cabin or relax in their well-appointed staterooms.
Unlike its dirigible ancestors, the Aeroscraft is not lighter than air. Its 14 million cubic feet of helium hoist only two thirds of the craft's weight. The rigid and surprisingly aerodynamic body—driven by huge rearward propellers—generates enough additional lift to keep the behemoth and its 400-ton payload aloft while cruising. During takeoff and landing, six turbofan jet engines push the ship up or ease its descent.

This two-football-fields-long concept airship is the brainchild of Igor Pasternak, whose privately-funded California firm, Worldwide Aeros Corporation, is in the early stages of developing a prototype and expects to have one completed by 2010. Pasternak says several cruise ship companies have expressed interest in the project, and for good reason: The craft would have a range of several thousand miles and, with an estimated top speed of 174 mph, could traverse the continental U.S. in about 18 hours. During the flight, passengers would peer at national landmarks just 8,000 feet below or, if they weren't captivated by the view, the cavernous interior would easily accommodate such amenities as luxury staterooms, restaurants, even a casino.

To minimize noise, the aft-mounted propellers will be electric, powered by a renewable source such as hydrogen fuel cells. A sophisticated buoyancy-management system will serve the same purpose as trim on an airplane, allowing for precise adjustments in flight dynamics to compensate for outside conditions and passenger movement. The automated system will draw outside air into compartments throughout the ship and compress it to manage onboard weight.

The company envisions a cargo-carrying version that could deliver a store's worth of merchandise from a centralized distribution center straight to a Wal-Mart parking lot or, because the helium-filled craft will float, a year's worth of supplies to an offshore oil rig. "You can land on the snow, you can land on the water," Pasternak says. "It's a new vision of what can be done in the air."

Aeroscraft
Purpose: Long-range travel for passengers who are more concerned with the journey than the destination
Dimensions (feet): 165 h x 244 w x 647 l
Max Speed: 174 mph
Range: 6,000 miles
Capacity: 250 passengers

The $30 Million Diamond Bikini

2006-04-07T04:19:00.000-12:00

The $30 Million Diamond Bikini
Victoria's Secret doesn't have the lock on diamond garments. This year's 2006 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue features the $30 million Diamond Bikini. The bikini, designed by Susan Rosen with Steinmetz Diamonds, contains over 150 carats of D Flawless diamonds. Some of the diamonds are the rarest in the world including a 51-carat, pear-shaped diamond, a 30-carat emerald cut, a pair of 15 carat rounds and a pair of eight carat pear shapeds. The stones are sent in platinum for one valuable and very tiny bikini. After the jump, Molly Sims models the teeny weeny pricey bikini.

World's Most Expensive Bunny

2006-04-07T04:14:00.000-12:00

World's Most Expensive Bunny
Harrod's is showcasing the world's most expensive bunny. The bunny is made to look like the iconic Lindt chocolate bunnies, which are traditionally wrapped in gold foil and sold around the Easter holiday. Though the critter matches the 200-gram chocolate double in size, the Harrod's bunny is inedible, made not of chocolate but of 24-karat gold. It is inlaid with diamonds, rubies, citrine and topaz, and is valued in excess of £20,000, or approximately $35,000.

On display until April 16th, you can bid on the bunny by visiting it in the Candy Room at the Harrod's Knightsbridge store. All proceeds will be given to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. Alternatively, you can buy yourself an edible Lindt chocolate bunny, sold in a set of three for $10.99.