Clubhouse...

One problem with being a world leader is finding a good place to hang out with your pals - or enemies for that matter. Donna Vassar (of the Vassar education family) has a solution: A remote desert hideaway. She's working on a 300m dollar project for stressed out word leaders in the Nevada desert - the Universitas Leadership Sanctuary. Sort of a futuristic monastery/conference center with golf course access.

Read all about it via the Guardian:
www.guardian.co.uk

It's a mystery...

The beloved board game 'Clue' is now available in a deluxe edition. The board includes nine sunken three dimensional rooms to enhance game play (including detailed contents). The whole thing is covered over in glass to keep people from disturbing the crime scenes. About 150 USD.


Deluxe Clue from Restoration Hardware:
www.restorationhardware.com

It's in the mail...

Have you ever wondered where a parcel or letter was? If you're very curious, you can track it. Really track it. Using a device called the 'Micro DPA Mail Logger', you can check the realtime speed, altitude, and exact location of your parcel. At only a half an inch thick and bendable, it can even be inserted inside an envelope. Cost: about 695 USD.


More info from Coolest Gadgets:
www.coolest-gadgets.com

Where's the drink cart?

How much room would it take to put a golf course in your home? Not as much as you might think... The 'Full Swing Golf Simulator' gives you the option of 50 different golf courses (including St. Andrews and Pebble Beach). Using infrared technology along with a computer, immediate feedback can simulate real play. Cost: about 55,000 USD.


Lots of details via Full Swing Golf:
www.fullswinggolf.com

Very Clever...

There are all kinds of books on tips for improving your life, but the Japanese think a little outside the bento box when it comes to figuring out little improvements. 'Urawaza' is a collection of these little secrets, translated into English for the first time. For instance: How to run faster using rubber bands, making your snow sled faster by using cooking spray, and over a hundred more.
Written by Lisa Katayama, it sells for about 15 USD on Amazon.


'Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan' via Amazon.com:
www.amazon.com

Painting by remote...

Do you enjoy paintball, but find it difficult to get away for the afternoon? Maybe the EMT Wireless Paintball Sentry Turrent could help. This 2,000 USD rig sits on a tripod, and holds about 400 paintballs (with an optional 1000 extra hopper). Remote controls include a CCD camera and servos for targeting. Just set it up, and enjoy splattering your pals from the comfort of your bunker while sipping a drink and working on a business call.


Details and long list of upgrades via EMT:
www.evolutionmodeltechnology.com

Dial 'T'...

At a recent watch show, the folks at Tag Heuer unveiled their first foray into the cell phone market: the difficult to pronounce 'Meridist'. Features will include high-grade steel casings, unscratchable dual crystal displays (front and top), hand finishing, and up to a month of standby time. It will be available in a selection of hand finishes including leather, rubber, and crocodile skin. Costing about 6,000 USD, you might want to be a bit careful where you set this down.


Details from the Tag Heuer site:
www.tagheuer.com

Traffic control...

Ever wonder what's hidden inside those blacked out SUV's in a motorcade? Sometimes, it's the mounted Dillon Aero - a 30,000 round per minute electronic gatling gun. Excellent for protecting important people from surprise attack or informing other motorists that they've left their turn signal on for too long.






Information and dramatic photos via Dillon Aero:
www.dillonaero.com

The Tubes...

Here's an elegant way to carry a single cigar: The Tiffany 1837 cigar tube. This sterling silver cigar tube is rubber grommet sealed and simply styled. Cost: about 225 USD from Tiffany and Company.



Details and order via Tiffany & Co.:
www.tiffany.com

Remembering...

If you have a little trouble remembering an important date, maybe this could help you: The Remember Ring. This self charging ring can be programmed to remind you before a big date. 24 hours before the date,a hotspot on the ring will heat to 120 degrees on the hour for 10 seconds, providing a gentle reminder that could keep you out of trouble. Cost: about 760 USD.


Details from Alaska Jewelry:
www.alaskajewelry.com

Drinks on the Nile...

Thinking of touring Egypt? You might like to check out the SS Misr. Built originally by the Royal Navy in 1918, it was converted in to a Luxury Nile Steamer for King Farouk. It's been rescued and restored as a 5 star floating hotel. With most of the amenities and public areas on the upper decks, you'll get great views as you make your way through the country.


Details and pictures via the Telegraph:
www.telegraph.co.uk

Tough scrape...

It's always good to have a couple of tools with you. The new Leatherman Skeletool CX is perfect to have tucked away. Small but rugged, it weighs in at about 5 ounces. The tungsten coated tool includes a blade, wire stripper, pliers, needlenose pliers, wire cutter, bottle opener and so on. It folds into a tiny size, and of course, it looks really cool. Cost: about 80 USD.


Details via the Leatherman site:
www.leatherman.com

Don't mess the hair...

If you enjoy motorcycles, but want a little more comfort, you might take a look at this: The Monotracer. An enclosed motorcycle with seating for two. You'll be able to hear your ipod, and you won't have to wear a helmet. It's 130 Hp engine will still get you to 250 kh/hour - and 0 tp 100 Km in 4 seconds. Cost: about 82,000 USD.


Pictures and technical specifications from Monotracer:
www.monotracer.com

Following Mr. Fogg...

As a promotion with the Academy Awards, the Leading Hotels of the World put together a travel package called 'Around the World in 80 Ways'. Roughly following the path of the fictional Philias Fogg, the luxurious trip travels through the following locations: London, Paris, Dubai, Mumbai, Udaipur, Jaipur, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Honolulu, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. Adorable monkey sidekick not included.

Read more detaIls via the press release:
www.prnewswire.com


Direct link to the 'Leading Hotels of the World':
www.lhw.com

Jagger's Daggers...

Belvedere Vodka has paired up with designer Jade Jagger (daughter of Mick) to create the 'Jagger Dagger'. Made for chipping ice to be used in vodka drinks at parties, these glamorous little swords are modeled on a medieval design. They will be available at a few select retail locations (like Harrod's), but make most of their appearances at hosted events by the manufacturer. Cost: 10,000 to 250,000 depending on the level of 'Bling'. ***



Details from the Fashion Week Daily:
www.fashionweekdaily.com


*** This is the first entry that is labeled both 'Weapon' and 'Food and Drink'

Bringing out the small guns...

The company Seecamp makes some very small guns of very high quality. Their semi-automatic pocket guns measure only 2.06 inches across. The pistols are available in .25, .32, and .38 caliber yet the form factor is the same small size. Rather charming for a firearm.




More info via the somewhat neglected Seecamp website:
seecamp.com


An excellent comparison PDF of pocket semi-automatics via Mouseguns:
www.mouseguns.com

The New Q...

The US government is forming a new agency, similar to DARPA - but specifically for developing 'intelligence technologies'. The agency, called IARPA, will be headed up by a Stanford Phd. called Lisa Porter, whose background is in applied physics. Looking forward to zany press releases on cutting edge research, robots, and general mayhem.




Until then, here's a short blurb via Wired:
www.wired.com

Lost and Found...

It seems like every week you read about some poor soul that gets lost while tromping around the back country. If you are adventure prone, maybe you might like one of these: A PLB (personal locator beacon). This little device sends an electronic request for help to the frequencies that the search and rescue folks use - including your GPS information. If it can't acquire that - the rescue people can still use a doppler technique to find you. You'll be back to civilization in no time.


An example PLB (the Microfix 406) via REI:
www.rei.com

Classic Bullets...

Many years ago, the Enfield company made rifles. As part of their military contract, they also made motorcycles. Then they stopped. OR did they? The Royal Enfield factories in India are still making sport bikes - some of them are pretty much the same as at the turn of the century. The Bullet 500 is an awful lot of retro fun for about 5000 USD.


The Bullet 500 via Enfield Motorcycles:
www.enfieldmotorcycles.com

Looking for trouble...

The ability to quickly scan your surroundings is a very good skill to develop. Here's a short but useful article on how to become more aware of what's going on around you while developing a security mindset.


'007 Style Operational Awareness' via our brothers at 'James Bond Lifestyle':

www.jamesbondlifestyle.com

Spun up...

Possibly the best looking foosball table made will be on display at Milan Design Week this month (16th thru 21st of April). A cooperative effort between GRO design and TIM modeling, this game is sleek, minimal and chromed out. Sadly, it's not currently slated for production, but if enough people pester them...


The 'Eleven' foostable via 'Eleven the game':
www.eleventhegame.com

Unchartered territory...

Europe, North America, and Outer Space are just the beginning. Now, Richard Branson wants to help you charter a plane. On the heels of the other Virgin enterprises (Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America, and Virgin Galactic), there's now 'Virgin Charter'. Virgin Charter is a service to help you charter air travel to anywhere in the world. It sounds a bit spendy, but compared to owning and maintaining your own jet, it's actually a pretty good deal. The site works as a hub for charter services to bid on your flight.


Here's a link to a brief cartoon describing how the whole thing works:
www.virgincharter.com

Who's the winner?

Last year, as you'll recall, the defense department sent a bunch of robots to drive through the California desert. Teams were competing for a prize, sending a driverless car about 300 miles through hostile territory. This year, it's all about speed. After the Toyota Grand Prix in Long Beach is finished, two more cars will be taking the track. But there won't be any drivers in the cars. There are those that would argue there are many driverless cars in Southern California but these are different.


Read a bit about it via CNET:
www.news.com

Working with a net...

Need to subdue a bad guy, wild animal, or door-to-door salesperson? The Net-2000 netrod might be just what you're looking for. This pneumatic device can throw a net almost 50 feet to entangle your target in a very dramatic way. If the net is undamaged, it can be reloaded into the tube and pressurized for reuse. Currently on sale for about 430 USD.

Technical info, action videos, and order via China Grabber:
www.chinagrabber.com

Time in space...

You might be ready to go to outer space, but is your wristwatch? Always thinking ahead, Seiko has built the 'Spring Drive Spacewalk' for those quick jaunts into space. Built to withstand vacuum and temperature extremes, the watch also sports other features like oversized space-suit-friendly controls. Which is a really good thing, since you wouldn't want to miss that shuttle.


Review from 'The Watch Report':
www.watchreport.com


and the product page from Seiko:
www.seikospringdrive.com

Listen to the bed...

Akava waterbeds offer you a different way to experience your music - using your entire body. With bass plates installed strategically in the bed podium, the water pulses in time with you favorite tunes. All this wrapped in sensible danish design.



The Akava Sound waterbed:
www.akava.com

Haute air balloons...

The madcap folks at Maison Krug have been arranging some rather expensive hot air balloon rides around the world. The luxury rides have been arranged for Tokyo, Hong Kong, Tuscany, various locations in France, and Gloucestershire. For about 50,000 EUR, you can be pampered with seven of your friends. And of course, there will be copious amounts of champagne...


Read a narrative of one man's experience via The independent:
www.independent.co.uk


The homepage of Maison Krug:
www.krug.com

The kindest shotgun...

The tricky thing about LTL weapons (less than lethal) is getting them to have just enough force. The Beretta LTL 7000 system has a new twist - a laser range finder that sends feedback to a firing mechanism that will bleed off some of the force. The projectile always has enough force to be very painful, but it won't kill you. Very thoughtful.



Here's a video segment from the American TV series 'Futureweapons' demonstrating how it works (via YouTube):
www.youtube.com

Very fitting...

Sometimes mistakes happen. Imagine the horror of getting the wrong ashtrays or glovebox liner in your new Ferrari. To avoid these sorts of tragic problems, Ferrari has instituted the new 'One-to-One Programme'. Under this new pilot programme, people purchasing the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti will fly to the factory. In a special area, they will select customized options and be measured for interior modifications to their new car. Problem averted.



Announcement, details, and photos via Autoblog:
www.autoblog.com

Making a strong case...

Halliburton is famous for making very hard to tamper with cases. Recently, they've started making cigar cases. Now your aged cuban cigars can enjoy the same level of protection as your important business papers. It seems only right, doesn't it? Available in black, gold, and silver for about 500 USD.



Details and order info via Zero Halliburton:
www.zerohalliburton.com