Underground Computing...

Usually -- computing centers are rather dry, uninteresting places. Not so for this one in Sweden. Built to withstand a nuclear blast, this underground computing site has all the comforts of home: artificial lighting and greenhouses, submarine engines for backup power, lunar styled conference center. Just add a big chair and a cat, and it's done.






More pictures and layout via Royal Pingdom:
royal.pingdom.com

Mobile support...

Seems a couple of guys in Florida were tired of the public smoking ban - so they built the 'Airstream Mobile Cigar Lounge'. The upscale mobile cigar lounge has all the features you'd want in a regular lounge: heavy duty air filtration, five flat screen TVs, satellite receivers, a wine cooler, a wet bar, humidor, and of course -- the 'The Cigarista Girls'.






Read a bit more about it via Squob:
squob.com

The family nukes...

Would having a nuclear reactor in your backyard make you nervous? A company called Hyperion is starting to build them right now. Hot tub sized mini reactors that can be buried underground and left unattended for 5 years. The little reactor can power up to 20,000 houses. Cost: about 25 million USD






Details via Hyperion:
www.hyperionpowergeneration.com

Prints...

Polaroid pictures are a thing of the past.... but.... the new XIAO from Takara Tomy is bringing them back - with a twist. It's a 5 megapixel camera with a built in printer - so you can make hard copies while shooting. Other features include a 16 meg memory and a 2.48 LCD for reviewing your work. On sale now in Japan, it should hit the US market in spring. Cost: about 34,800 yen (about 357 USD)



More info via Takara Tomy (Japanese only):
www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/xiao

Going green...

Organics are quite popular these days... but, what about your adult beverages? 'Tru Organic Spirits' is a company based in Los Angeles, and they are brewing up organic small batches of Gin, Vodka, and other spirits. As an added bonus, they'll plant a tree for every couple of drinks. It would be wrong not to have a cocktail.





Tru Organic Spirits:
www.truorganicspirits.com

Skimming...

Reaction International Ltd. has added a new hovercraft to it's lineup: the Hov Pod SPX 120 Turbo. Hovering 9 inches above any flat surface (snow, ice, water, mud, etc), the SPX can reach speeds of up to 50 mph. A new feature is it's composite body that includes a buoyancy layer making it safer on open water and more resistant to impacts. It would certainly make morning commute more fun.



Details, specifications and reseller list via Hov Pod:
www.hovpod.com

Knight vision...

If you're in the market for an armored SUV, you might be interested in this: the 'Knight XV'. The handcrafted luxury SUV is powered by a biofuel V10 and jam packed with interesting features such as: side mounted laptop stations, LED cabin lighting, night vision cameras, bluetooth, etc etc. Only 100 will be for sale. Cost: about 295,000 (depending on customization)





Details from the Knight XV site:
knightxv.net

A small Japanese island...

If you're strapped for kitchen space, you might find this interesting: the Toya Kitchen's Isola 'S' kitchen island. It's compact slide out design houses multiple cooking rings, storage and prep areas, and a compact sink - all in a simple and functional modern design.




The Toya Kitchen Island via Trendir:
www.trendir.com

Service...

In London, Whitehall Court served as the headquarters of the Secret Service during World War I. Built in 1884, this landmark building has served a variety of functions. Now, it's been remodeled as a luxury hotel. The 'Royal Horseguards' is the flagship of the Guoman hotel group. Amazing what some elbow grease and 30 million dollars will do.





Details via the Royal Horseguards site:
www.theroyalhorseguards.co.uk

Small tokens...

The Tumi Luggage folks are now selling executive gifts. Small, inventive gift items that include some fairly creative options. A few of the more unusual are leather dominos, a portable charade game set, and a desktop maze. Cost: between 78 and 400 USD.






Executive gifts from Tumi:
www.tumi.com

Apropos...

Dressing appropriately is important. Especially if you're going on a long trip. Check out the Apollo 11 vintage space suits from 'The Space Store'. Extremely detailed replicas, they're of museum quality. Cost: about 9,500 USD.





Details and purchase from 'The Space Store':
www.thespacestore.com

Closet space...

On the US/Canadian border, there's a rather unique house for sale. The owner has been quietly building underneath the main structure for 20 years, a four level hideout. Features include a 3 ton blast door, hidden alcoves, and air/water pumping systems. The 'fortress' is located 45 feet underground which helps maintain a constant 60 degree temperature. Missile command system not included.




Lots of pictures and details from the 'One of a kind house' site:
www.oneofakindhouse.com

Falling at home...

If you need to practice your free falling technique - but don't really have time to sky dive, you might consider this: the 'SuperFly Vertical Windtunnel'. Using a rather large 1200 hp engine, enough airflow to lift two skydivers can be generated (sorry - you won't be able to practice any of those star shaped group dives) It's not an inexpensive thing to do... Cost: between 300,000 and 3 Million USD





More info and video from SuperFly:
www.superflyvwt.com

Lights, camera...

There's nothing worse than hunting around in the dark for a photo op, then missing it. The 'Swann FlashlightDVR' is a flashlight with a built in DVR/camera so you can record what you're looking at. It also has multiple levels of light sensitivity - including infrared to 13 feet way. You'll never miss those important bigfoot pictures again. Cost: about 399 USD.




The FlashlightDVR from MCMElectronics:
www.mcmelectronics.com

Key images...

You might want to keep your keys in your pockets. The scientists at UC San Diego have invented a new computer program that can make duplicates of keys - just from photos of them. And not even very good pictures at that.





Read a bit more via the Jacobs School of Engineering site:
www.jacobsschoolucsd.edu