Alternate route...

Here's one of the design winners for this year's IDEA competition: the under water commuter vehicle 'Aqua'. This single user sub is designed for offshore commuting. Or chasing evil geniuses. Very cool.




Not much info via Businessweek:
www.businessweek.com

What a croc!

If you're in the area of Darwin (Australia), you might like to check this out: 'Crocosaurus Cove'. Yes, for a nominal fee, you can climb into the water with some very large crocodiles. Hopefully, no animals are harmed during the process, as the tourists are kept in large steel cages.


Read about it via Atypical Events:
www.eventective.com



More info via the Crocosaurus Cove site:
www.crocosauruscove.com

flippers...

Walking on dry land or climbing while wearing swim fins can be quite a chore. The 'Amphibian' swim fins are the first high performance fins that are hinged - allowing for easy forward walking and climbing. Cost: about 150 USD. Brilliant.



Description and embedded video via Nugadets:
www.nugadgets.com

In plain sight...

Sometimes the best way to hide your workout equipment is to leave it out in the open. The 'Kinesis Personal Heritage' system from Technogym takes up only one square meter of wall space, and is attractive enough to just leave out for anyone to see. The resistance system can be used for over 200 different exercises.



Details and video demo via Technogym:
www.technogym.com

Dial 'W' for Weasel..

'Sly Dial' is a new phone service that will allow you to call a mobile phone and bypass talking to the owner - by going directly to phonemail. Of course, this service can be used for good (not waking a the phone's owner in the middle of the night) or bad (breaking up with someone via a recorded message). Cost: Free. Frequent users can subscribe for advanced features at a nominal price.



Details and justifications via Sly Dial:
www.slydial.com

Good afternoon, Mr. Smith...

Here's another great resource for finding groovy hotels: the 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' website. This directory of interesting and luxury hotels is a perfect starting place while researching lodging for a trip. While poking around the website, you might like to check out their signature CD's - sublime collections of up tempo tunes for traveling.



Directory and hotel booking via 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith':
www.mrandmrssmith.com

Pack-bot...

Boston Dynamics makes a lot of interesting gear for the military. One of the projects they've been working on is 'The BigDog'. A quadruped robot that can carry a payload of around 350 pounds. It can pick it's way over rough terrain, ice, and rubble. Did anyone mention it was kind of creepy looking? Anyhow, watch the rather amazing video of people trying to knock over the robot.




Details and video of the BigDog in action via Boston Dynamics:
www.bostondynamics.com

The Eagle has landed...

Lotus Corporation's 'Project Eagle' has been unveiled this week at the 2008 British Motor Show. The first new Lotus in quite a few years, it will be called the Evora. Beautiful lines, luxurious interior, and fun to drive - all while meeting the stringent UK green specifications. Only 2000 of these mid engine beauties will sold starting in spring of 2009. Cost: about 45,000 GBP.



Tech specifications via the Evora microsite:
www.lotusevora.com



Details, more pictures, and press releases via Jalopnik:
jalopnik.com

Ask a spy...

It's summer in North America, and the lovable TV series 'Burn Notice' is back on for a couple of weeks. The promoters have done an admirable job on the website for their show - including an area called 'Ask A Spy', which is surprising good. Video shorts of the main character describe answers to submitted problems ... from prison breaks to avoiding getting drunk at corporate functions....very amusing.




'Ask A Spy' via the 'Burn Notice' website:
www.usanetwork.com

Two pack..

Paris based luxury leather goods maker Berluti is known for their unique designs. For transporting a pair of your favorite cigars, they've come up with this: 'The Havana Cigar Case' . This embossed cacao calf skin case will fit perfectly into your jacket pocket. Cost: about 450 USD. Available at their worldwide stores - and Barney's New York.




The Berluti homepage:
www.berluti.com


Direct order via Barney's New York:
www.barneys.com

Plan B, for Outer Space...

The gents at NASA are working away on plans for the Ares rocket (pictured) that will be used for the next generation of manned American flights to the moon. As a hobby project, many of the retired engineers and other space enthusiasts have come up with their own 'skunkworks' plan - the Jupiter rocket. Designers of this rocket claim it would be much more efficient and save billions of dollars over the life of the project. And it looks cooler.



Very interesting reading at Space.com:
www.space.com

Weight a minute...

Having trouble getting motivated to work out? The folks at World Wide Fred have an idea: the ShapeUp! alarm clock. The alarm clock is a dumbell shaped weight that won't stop ringing until you perform 30 repetitions with it. No one is sure if it will work after being dropped out of a window. Price to be determined.




Very little additional info from World Wide Fred:
www.worldwidefred.com

Gifted...

If you really like backgammon or need a thank you gift for a 'head of state' type, you might consider this: The limited edition Geoffrey Parker Backgammon Case. An alligator case with a shagreen inlaid playing field and silver inlay playing pieces. Only 20 cases will be offered at about 9,000 GBP.


Details and order via 20Ltd:
www.20ltd.com

Car hop...

Not satisfied with a regular driving vacation, the Skycar Expedition team will be taking their carbon neutral flying car prototype into the heart of the Sahara during the 2009 season. While in 'fly mode', the car can paraglide using an advanced airfoil. The car is equipped with a parachute if a wing failure should occur.




Read all about it via their site:
www.skycarexpedition.com

Happy place...

If you're looking for a heavy duty wine storage solution, you might like this: the 'Walk In Wine Cellar Vault'. With storage for 1,500 bottles, this brushed aluminum vault also has a computer based inventory system built into it. Cost: about 28,000 USD.




Available from 'Bars, Cigars, & Brew':
barscigarsandbrew.com

Nailed it...

Have you ever used a nail gun and thought it could use a little more umph? David Wiggins thought he could do a little better. He built the DeWalt-16, an M-16 based nail gun to add a little spice to those building projects. Very fun.




Read more about it via the Toolmonger:
toolmonger.com

Schnoz...

German Land Rover enthusiasts Thomas Bell and Holger Kalvelage have taken their fondness for another vehicle, the roadster, and combined the two. The result is the 'Bell Aurens Longnose' - which will be available in a V12 version that can crank out 1500 HP. The rather retro looking rovers will be available in, black, Sahara racing cream, or british racing green. Cost: about 100,000 EU. The price includes membership to the owners club and an optional visit to the bavarian factory to see how the work is proceeding.


All the particulars in German and English via the Bell Aurens site:
www.bell-aurens.com

Revved Up...

Some details of DARPA's very ambitious Vulcan engine program have finally been made public. A Ramjet/Scramjet hybrid engine, the specifications call for the engine to change modes 'on the fly' (as it were). The bottom line is an engine that could propel a plane to somewhere between Mach 6 and Mach 10 - which is very fast indeed.



Basic details and program outline via AviationWeek:
www.aviationweek.com


Details, cool prototype mockups, and details via DARPA:
www.darpa.mil

Secret Weapon..

The security team watching over Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo have a secret weapon. If you guessed 'Unbreakable Fighting Umbrella', you would be correct (and an excellent trivial pursuit player). After much abuse, the umbrella still functions to keep the rain (or sun) off of you. Cost: about 180 USD.



Watch the 'Unbreakable Fighting Umbrella' put through its paces at blog.wired:
blog.wired.com

Umbrella order and training materials via real-self-defense.com:
www.real-self-defense.com

Money to burn...

Fool your enemies and amaze your friends with these kindling sticks that appear to be rolls of 100 dollar bills. Use them to light campfires or cigars while out in the woods. Cost: about 15 USD for a pack of 6. Silly but fun.




'Firestarters' from gadgetbargains.com:
www.gadgetbargains.com

Classic times...

If you admire the styling of Panerai watches, but can't afford the steep price tags - you might take a look at these Margrette Timepieces. Hand made in New Zealand, they are of an extremely high quality at a fraction of the price. Rugged enough for marine sports and handsome enough to wear out for the evening.



The Official Website of Magrette Timepieces:
www.magrette.com

Tight spaces...

If you ever need to get a peek into a tight space, the new Milwaukee M-Spector Digital inspection camera might be exactly what you need. A handheld digital camera with an extended gooseneck, it can snake into those hard to view places. The tip of the camera includes an LED illuminator, and the base unit can digitally magnify what you're checking out. Cost: about 250 USD.




Order from Amazon.com:
www.amazon.com



Detail video review via youtube:
www.youtube.com

Duckhunt, supersized...

Now you can hone your shotgun and rifle skills without leaving he safety and comfort of your home. The ST-2 Shooting Simulator from Marksman Training Systems can give you a full computer feedback and analysis of your skills. Simulation modes include stationary, clay pigeons, and moving targets. 'Evil Arch Enemy' simulation is probably an expansion pack.



More details and links via Marksman Training Systems:
www.marksman.se

Sculpted...

The design workers at Enzyme Design have been thinking about what motorcycles could look like in the near future. Take a look at the 'iCare' - a six cylinder bike based on a Honda motor. Not much info - but you might find yourself looking at the pictures for a while.





The iCare via The Enzyme Design site - available in French and English:
www.enzyme-design.com

Kung Shoes...

The folks at Nike are working overtime to create shoes for the upcoming Olympics. Here's a quick peek at the martial arts shoes that they've got cooked up. Hopefully they'll make it to the consumer market, frankly it's a little dangerous to try and take them off the practitioners.



Martial Arts Shoes via mmarated:
www.mmarated.com

Very handy...

Usually, those late night TV offers are pretty cheesy. But, the 'Grab It Pack' was invented by a stuntman that needed fast access to a wide variety of gear. They're inexpensive, have a large capacity, and durable. Cost: About 20 USD.





Here's the website so you won't have to stay up late:
www.grabitpack.com

Multipurpose...

What's the best knife for fighting a bear or a shark? That would probably be the 'Wasp Injector Knife'. When the knife is used, a blast of gas is injected into the wound site - freezing an area about the size of a baseball. An additional benefit of underwater use is to over-inflate the victim, causing it to float to the surface. Certainly a bad choice for use in the kitchen. Cost: about 379 USD.




Details and purchase via Wasp Knifes:
www.waspknife.com

Keeping secrets...

In the digital world we live in, there's a lot to remember. The 'Take' pocket vault by Black Box Innovations is made to help you free up a little bit your brain space for other work. A combination of software and a USB device - it can organize all those pesky passwords and numbers that shouldn't fall into the the wrong hands. Security features include a pin pad for access, military grade 256 bit encryption, data destruction on forced entry, and a whole bunch more. All for about 50 USD.



Details and purchase via Takeanyware:
www.takeanyware.com

Road trip...

Arguably, the best way to see Italy is by car. Specifically, a Ferrari. That's exactly what 'Red Travel Italia' has in mind. After being greeted in Rome, you'll be taken to a location outside of town for an orientation. Then you're off through the Tuscan hills in the Ferrari you've chosen. Each night, their crew maintains the car while you're exploring. La Dolce Vita.



Details via Red Travel Italia:
www.red-travel.com

The obvious...

Well, you've probably already seen this. But - on the off chance you haven't...
The first look at the new trailer for the up coming James Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace'
It looks pretty good.

A rather large disguise...

During World War II, the US Army Engineers had to hide an aircraft factory from air attack. Using netting and a few props, they made it appear to be a rural subdivision. Very sneaky. Here are some great historical photos documenting their disguise.



The disappearing aircraft factory via Sonnyradio:
www.sonnyradio.com