Thursday, February 28, 2013

Hard drinking...

Macallan and Oakley have teamed up to create 'The Flask' - a virtually indestructible drinking flask make of laser welded food grade steel wrapped in carbon fiber. Cost: 910 USD
Read more about it via Esquire:

www.esquire.com

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

That's how they roll...

When Jetman Yves Rossy launches his powered wing, it's usually by dropping off from a helicopter. Now, an ambitious group of German friends are working on a better launch method... using a small runway.
Read more about it via SkyFlash:

www.skyflash.org

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Drone style...

Piaggio Aero and Selex unveiled a converted P-180 Avanti II passenger plane - now the P.1HH Hammerhead. Perhaps the most stylish drone available.
Read more about it via FlightGlobal:

www.flightglobal.com

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Silly robot tricks...

Students working in Zurich have taught their quadcopters to do some rather amazing things. Their latest antics include balancing and tossing pendulums - which requires balancing, timing, and predicting trajectories.
Watch the amazing video and read more about it via RoboHub:

robohub.org

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Smooth...

The 'BC Utility Vest' from Dakine is a vest with a built in back-pack. Basics can be stashed in the back of the vest providing a smooth profile to keep you from being snagged on underbrush. Available soon Cost: TBA
Read more about it via GadegtReview:

www.gadgetreview.com

Friday, February 22, 2013

Fortified...

Spitbank Fort has been protecting Britain for 134 Years. Now, it has a new mission - a luxury hotel. Decommissioned in 1982 - a few years and a few million pounds later, it's now the perfect hideaway for a weekend. Cost: about 350 GBP per night
Read more about it via the Daily Mail:

www.dailymail.co.uk

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Sober up!

Scientists working at UCLA have packaged enzymes inside a nano- particle delivery system that can accelerate the body's ability to sober up. Currently, the process works well with drunken mice and shows great promise for people. Soon, there may be a pill that can sober you up in minutes. Thank you, Science.
Read more about it via iO9:

io9.com

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Got it covered...

It can be a bit of a challenge to keep your gear stashed in a bumpy jeep - the 'Smittybilt GEAR Seat Covers' will keep everything tidy in the most adverse conditions. Cost: 100-250 USD
Read more about them via SmittyBilt:

www.smittybilt.com

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Strong box...

Anyone looking for a safe place to store items might check out the new 'Fortress' by Doettling. The safe comes equipped with watch winders, a humidor drawer, filing space, storage - and an unheard of VdS/EN 5 certification. It also comes in custom leather, just to soften it up a bit.
Read more about it via Dottling:

www.doettling.com

Monday, February 18, 2013

Refurbished...

The Jeep Wagoneer is certainly a classic, but it can be difficult to find one in good shape. The guys at 'WagonMaster' can do all the legwork for you - sourcing and tinkering - so that your 'new' car feels like an old pair of jeans. Cost: 30,000 to 45,000 USD
Check out the selection at WagonMasters:

wagonmaster.com/complete.htm

Sunday, February 17, 2013

I can see you're upset...

When people become excited, their facial blood flow changes. The '02Amp' glasses from 2AI Labs can help bring that into view. The glasses have broad applications in medical, tactical, and poker playing.
Read more about it via O2AMP:

o2amp.com

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Sneaky 'bot...

Scientists in Australia are teaching robots to sneak up on animals in the wild. Using a feedback system to listen for 'cover noises', the robot waits for sustained noise to cover it's own sounds while creeping closer.
Read more about it via New Scientist:

www.newscientist.com

Friday, February 15, 2013

Ruggedly handsome...

The 'QuarterMaster' started life as a humble Ural Solo ST - but with a little modification it's become a different animal.
Details and photos via Icon1000:

icon1000.com/bike/quartermaster

Thursday, February 14, 2013

It's an enigma...

Cryptography fans rejoice. You can now enjoy a World War II vintage Enigma Machine via a software simulation. The downloadable software is an exact simulation of various 3 and 4 rotor cipher machines. Cost: Free - Runs on Windows (or Mac, with a little help from parallels)
Read more and download (including user manual) via users.telenet.be:

users.telenet.be/d.rijmenants/en/enigmasim.htm

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Money belt...

The 'Smuggler's Belt' from Barrett Alley is a simple beauty - vegetable tanned leather with a hand forged iron buckle. The best part might just be the sneaky compartment on the inside for stashing contraband. Cost: 245 USD
Available from Barrett Alley:

www.barrettalley.com/smugglers-belt-natural

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Partying with clowns...

'Light' nightclub will be opening April 26th, in Las Vegas. The re-opening will have the distinction of being the first nightclub to launch in co-operation with Cirque Du Soleil.
Read more about it via The Examiner:

www.examiner.com

Monday, February 11, 2013

Get a grip...

German sporting manufacturer Meindl will help you stay on your feet with their retractable spiked boots. The geared system will allow the wearer to deploy crampons when needed, and retract them when they're not required. Available next September.
Read more from Tekstarllc:

www.tekstarllc.com

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Climbing the walls...

Defense company Battelle has been making grappling hook guns for the military - but now, they're working on a new, more powerful version. The pneumatic canon will be designed to scale a two story building.
Read more about it via The DangerRoom:

www.wired.com

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Art project...

Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg has an interesting art project called 'Stranger Visions' - She's taken discarded DNA samples and used them to construct printed '3D facial sculptures' of the donors. While not completely accurate, it certainly makes you think.
Read more about it - and see samples - via Co.Exist:

www.fastcoexist.com

Friday, February 8, 2013

Custom cigarette...

A collaboration between Mercedes tuner AMG and the Cigarette race team has yielded the 'Cigarette 42 Huntress' racing boat. The sleek craft is powered by five Mercury Racing Verado 350CSi outboard racing engines. It will debut next week in Miami.
Read more about it via Luxatic:

lunatic.com

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Finally Shredding...

UPDATE: Way back in 2010, the 'Shredder' all terrain vehicle was announced. Finally, it's possible to order the treaded off-road vehicle from BPG Werks. Cost: 3,999 USD
Info, videos, and hoopla via BPGWerks:

bpgwerks.com

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

We picked it together...

Gents that are a bit 'fashion challenged' can get a little help in the USA via 'The Trunk Club'. This online service selects clothing for you (with the help of a stylist). Garments are fedex'ed for a 10 day trial try on period. Unwanted clothing is sent back. No shipping costs. It doesn't get any easier.
Read more about it via The Trunk Club:

www.trunkclub.com

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Bone cold...

The 'Skull Ice Cube' from GamaGo sends the perfect, slightly menacing message. Cost: 12USD
Available from GamaGo:

store.gama-go.com/Skull-Ice-Cube-p/la1203.htm

Monday, February 4, 2013

Customs-bot...

The US Border Patrol is experimenting with robot interviewers that can detect deception. Using a combination of verbal and non-verbal queues, the animated screen interviewer might just flag you for 'further investigation'.
Read more about it via ThreatLevel@Wired:

www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/01/ff-lie-detector/all

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Tie one on...

The Shemagh (pronounced 'Schmog') is an extremely useful piece of gear adopted for use from the middle east deserts. Here's a very useful tutorial on how to tie one via 'The Art of Manliness'.
How to tie a Shemagh via The Art of Manliness:

artofmanliness.com

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Extra eyes in the sky...

The US Military is now working with the ARGUSIS 1.8 Gigapixel Spy Camera system for drones. The camera pod was developed using an array of inexpensive 'off the shelf' hardware. The ARGUSIS can identify an object six inches in size from 17,000 feet up.
Watch a clip describing the project via YouTube:

youtu.be/QGxNyaXfJsA

Friday, February 1, 2013

That's convenient...

The '2 in 1 Cigar Holder Flask' is pretty much what you'd expect - a flask with a space to stash a couple of cigars built in. Cost: 28 USD
Available from 'Great Gifts for Men':

www.greatgiftsformen.com

Flair...

A French Aerospace company asked designer Marc Newson to have a go at re-designing the jet pack. The result is the stylish 'body jet'
Read more about it via FastCo Design:

www.fastcodesign.com