Whale boat...

If your holiday shopping plans include a yacht - you might take a look at the 'Project Orca 96m'. UK Designer Michael Leach's very modern SuperYacht will be ready in Spring of 2010.









Details from James Spotting:
blog.jameslist.com

Pick a cigar...

If you're serious about your cigars, you might want to talk to the guys at 'Tobacconist University'. Founded by Jorge Amenteros and backed by Padron - their mission is to educate and certify Tobacconists. Lots of information and video via YouTube. No word on a belting system yet.






The homepage of Tobacconist University:
www.tobacconistuniversity.org

The YouTube video channel:
www.youtube.com

Packing light...

If you need to grab just the bare minimum for an overnight outing - Hermes wants to help you. The 'Hermes Essential Nocturnal Object' is a grab bag of basics - a change of shirt, tie, toiletries, etc. in a pouch not much bigger than a folio.







Description from 'Luxury Culture':
www.luxuryculture.com

Stand up guy...

Joby makes stands - tripods to be exact. With bendable legs and magnetic tips - they can be used to temporarily mount equipment leaving your hands free. Excellent for cameras, cell phones,iPods and now their LED flashlights. Very simple, very useful







The Gorilla series of tripods from Joby:
joby.com

Artsy storage...

Sand & Birch ask: Why hide your wine cellar when you can make it look like a piece of art? The sleek 'Opale' wine cellar will store over 100 bottles while looking great. Features include remote door control, zoned cooling, and LED lighting. Cost: TBA.







Deails from 'The Appliancist' ;
www.appliancist.com

Business case...

If your business is a bit on the secure side, you might want one of these: 'The Biometric Business Case'. This rolling briefcase can store and recognize up to 8 different sets of prints - so you can share it with family members and business partners. Or not.
Cost: 1,100 USD from Hammacher Schlemmer







The Biometric Business Case from HS:
www.hamacher.com

debugging...

If you have that creepy feeling someone is watching, you might want to get one of these: 'The Spy Wi-Fi signal and Camera Lens Detector'. This inexpensive device can locate common, store bought cameras and transmitters. Cost; About 60 USD







Lens Detector from ChinaVision:
www.chinavision.com

Misc. skills as needed...

If you're looking for a little light reading, you might check out 'Stuff Every Man Should Know' - by Brett Cohen, it's a compendium of stuff you wish someone would have told you about a long time ago. Cost: about 10 USD.







Available from Amazon.com
www.amazon.com

Clip on...

The 'RONI G1' from CAA Tactical can convert your pistol into a rifle (well... sort of). It adds a stock, front grip, scope, and extra magazine holder. The extra steadying can give better accuracy, but it doesn't extend the barrel. Cost: about 380 EUR.








The RONI G1 from CAA Tactical:
www.caatactical.com

Toss me that...

If you're looking for a camera to knock around a little, Casio has a new one that can handle it. The 'Exilim EX-G1' is a small 12.1 megapixel that's been ruggedized - it can be dropped up to 7 feet, resists water and cold temperatures. Cost: about 300 USD - available in December





The Exilim EX-G1 from Casio:
www.exilim.com

Wandering around...

If you have a bit of wanderlust, this might be the resource for you: 'vagabondish.com - The Travelzine for Today's Vagabond'. Information, reviews and resources that will keep you orbiting the planet indefinitely.






The homesite of Vagabondish.com
www.vagabondish.com

Pigeon: Impossible

A stern warning against mixing pigeons and high tech equipment.

Tacky...

When picking wallpaper, there's a lot to consider - color, pattern, blast resistance... The X-Flex wallpaper system installs with a peel-and-stick arrangement. The interlocking material makes standard wall material stronger - containing blasts to smaller areas.





Details from PopSci:
www.popsci.com

On patrol...

Well dressed operatives will be wearing this for fall: 'the Spectre Hoodie LRP Multicam'. The perfect multi-layer with the perfect amount of pockets to stash all your gear. Cost: about 400 USD from tadgear







The Spectre Hoodie from Tadgear:
www.tadgear.com

On Screen...

Bell & Ross have a rather unique limited edition watch - the 'BR01 - 92 Radar'. The black carbon fiber watch looks like miniature radar screen. Only 500 will be made.







Details via HRWatches:
hrwatches.com

Making a splash...

It may not win any beauty contests, but the 'Watercar Python' might just win the race for fastest amphibious car. Zero to 60 at 4.5 seconds on the road.. and it can hit 60 mph on the water. Cost: about 170,000 USD






Specs, video and details from WaterCar:
www.watercar.com

Combat gear...

Minor injuries are pretty common for 'weekend warriors'. Nike is trying to help out. They've created the 'Combat' line of gear that protects the areas most commonly injured. Cost: 21 to 80 USD. Which is a pretty sensible investment when you think about it.








Nike 'Combat' gear:
TXT

Start me up...

If you're putting a security system in your car, you can get a few new features using the 'Viper SmartStart'. It can turn your iPhone into a set of remote car keys - allowing you to remote start your car. Handy if you're in a hurry...





Details from Viper:
/www.viper.com/SmartStart

Faking it...

Can you spot a fake smile? Here's a visual quiz from the BBC based on the work of Paul Eckman. Very entertaining. it takes about 10 minutes to complete.







The Fake Smile test from the BBC:
www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/smiles

First class cabin...

You might have a little trouble leaving the house if you have one of these: 'The Revolution Shower Cabin' by Carmenta. It brings together a shower, dry sauna, and steam room while with additional features like an LCD television and an ipod dock.







The Revolution by Carmenta:
www.carmentasrl.com

Flying Bears...

The love child of American and Russian design teams - the Bear 360 is the reincarnation of World War II era fighter planes. It features a dual seat canopy and a 360 HP M14-P radial engine. Cost: about 285,000 USD.






Details and link from The Pursuitist:
pursuitist.com

Real training...

'The Real Shaolin' is a documentary about four students that travel to China to train at the Shaolin Temple.






More details from their website:
www.realshaolin.com

fully integrated...

Throw away your old junky grenade launcher. You're going to want the MetalStorm 3GL once you see it in action.

A little night vision...

Coming soon from Minox - the NV mini II - a pocket sized night scope. The lipstick sized device will do low light amplification and 2X enhancement. Perfect for a casual look around. Cost: TBA







Details from the PhotographyBlog:
www.photographyblog.com

Photographic memory...

Next time you need to scan some documents, you might like to use the 'DocuPen X Series' scanner. This pen sized device quickly converts documents into jpeg images - storing a sizable 64 gig locally. Additional storage can be added with a card. Cost: about 370 USD.







The DocuPen X series by PlanOn:
planon.com

Knock three times...

'Secret Knocks' have long been used as a signal for entering covert locations - here's a bit of an update.. an electronic lock that listens for that special signal.







Do-it-yourself video via Makezine:
blog.makezine.com

Hot water...

There's no need to shiver in cold water if you have the H-Bomb.. That would be the H-Bomb heated wetsuit. Heated carbon fiber elements are powered by lithium ion batteries keeping you warm for hours.







Video and details from Rip Curl:
ripcurl.com.au

Cool Shades...

The 'Eyegoodies' people have a retro treat - they've approximated the sunglasses Steve McQueen wore in the 'Thomas Crowne Affair'. They've modified a pair of Persol 714 with custom blue lenses made by the French company Essilor. The results are striking. Cost: 389 USD.







Persol 714 Customs from Eyegoodies:
www.eyegoodies.com

On Track...

If you're in the US looking to squeeze some performance out of your Aston Martin, you'll be interested to hear the Performance Driving Program is now open to the public. The one day class is available at the Michigan proving grounds - showcasing the special abilities of the cars. Cost: 2,500 USD.





Details and info via 'The Aston Martin Driving Experiences':
www.astonmartindrivingexperiences.com