Sound City
Unbeknownst to most common folk, many of rock's greatest albums came from a not-so-glamorous part of the San Fernando Valley. Sound City ($10-$13) is dedicated to the studio of the same name, and the rare sound board held within — sound featured on albums by Tom Petty, Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac, Rage Against the Machine, Neil Young, and many more. Directed by Dave Grohl, this full-length documentary features interviews and performances by some of the rockers who held court there, and is a must-watch for true music lovers.
Bandit9 Hephaestus Motorcycle
Not every custom bike has to be glitzy or overly rugged. The Bandit9 Hephaestus Motorcycle (RMB 85,000; roughly $13,700) makes its mark by being simple yet sleek. Sitting on standard tires and alloy rims, Hephaestus features a custom handcrafted stainless steel tank, cowl and fender, a custom gas cap, upgraded front and rear disc brakes and suspension, a custom hand-stitched leather seat, custom side covers, a custom exhaust and muffler, and custom turn signals. All the rest of it is a stock Honda Bros 400 — although admittedly, that's not very much.
Table & Tennis
Add a touch of fun to the boardroom or dining room with Table & Tennis ($6,600). This gorgeous table is designed to serve as both a meeting/dinner table and as a regulation-sized ping pong table. Features include a mirrored stainless steel base, a walnut veneer on MDF table top that offers the feel of an official table, and drawers at each end that are custom molded to store paddles, balls, and quick-release net. They're only taking reservations until March 1, but the good news is that the cost will drop — up to $600 — based on how many reservations they receive.
Bull Nose Keyring Holder
Have trouble trying to keep track of your keys? Ensure they'll be in the same spot everytime with a Bull Nose Keyring Holder ($8). This whimsical yet handy piece of decor mounts directly to the wall and holds the included keyring in its nose with the power of magnets. And that's it — seriously, it's just a red plastic bull that sits on your wall and holds your keys. 'Nuff said.
Timberland Earthkeepers Casco Bay Canvas Shoe
Prepare for casual summer days with Timberland's® Earthkeepers® Casco Bay Canvas Shoe. These lightweight, laid-back kicks will add a stylish pop of color to any no-sock, warm-weather look. Choose either a fun slip-on style or the one-eye moccasin style, with a choice of four colorways ranging from blueberry to poppy. See the entire collection here.
Google Chromebook Pixel
No longer do you have to choose between a Chromebook and a high-resolution screen, thanks to the Google Chromebook Pixel ($1,300-$1,450). Presumably designed to compete with Apple's Retina MacBooks, the Chromebook Pixel features a 12.85" Gorilla Glass multi-touch screen that boasts a 3:2 format and a resolution of 2560 x 1700, giving it 239 PPI. Other features include a dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 32 or 64GB of onboard memory, 1TB of Google Drive cloud storage, an HD webcam, Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, optional built-in LTE networking, and a sleek machined aluminum body.
The Architect's Home
Many great architects have huge lists of building they've designed for other clients — but it's the houses they create for themselves that really illustrate who they are. The Architect's Home ($26) is a 480-page exploration of this phenomena, with each home listed in an A-Z manner by architect, and including large, full-bleed photography, and text relating to the architect and the home, many times from the designer him/herself. Perfect coffee table fodder for the artsy/designer crowd.
Nikon Coolpix AW110 Camo Camera
If you're going to carry a ruggedized camera, it might as well be one that looks the part. With a camouflage, black, and dark grey body, the Nikon Coolpix AW110 Camo Camera ($350) certainly qualifies. Beyond just looking tough, the AW110 offers built-in Wi-Fi for easy, fast sharing, built-in GPS to record the location of every shot, a 16 mp sensor, Full HD 1080p video recording, and a waterproof, shockproof, and freezeproof build that candle nearly any condition you can throw at it.
Volkswagen XL1
Been eyeing a Tesla? The Volkswagen XL1 ($TBA) is pretty close. Sporting a super-futuristic body, it runs off both electric (27hp) and gas (a 47-hp two-cylinder TDI engine). It looks like a rocketship — or like a futuristic DeLorean — and has a top speed of 99 mph, and it's shorter than a Porsche Boxter. It's not as fast — no where close, actually — but you will enjoy the feeling when you see someone fueling up their Porsche while you're running on battery power. Because get this — this Jetson has a combined fuel consumption rating of 261 mpg.
Zero Dark Thirty
And here you thought just watching the killing of Bin Laden was exciting. Zero Dark Thirty ($30) takes you through the entire ordeal, from the inception of the idea to the execution in a room in Pakistan. While we could watch Jessica Chastain torture our own mothers for hours on end, the payoff of the real-time mission at the end was nothing short of amazing. The fact that it's directed by Titanically big director James Cameron's ex-wife probably doesn't matter. But the fact that she won Best Director for The Hurt Locker probably does.
Magmate Magnetic Blade Guards
Have a habit of slicing up your fingers when you grab the knife out of the drawer? These Magmate Magnetic Blade Guards ($25) are the perfect protection. Your blade is sealed inside a plastic fortress, with cushy foam to make sure you don't lose that sharp edge, and magnets you can count on to make sure it's closed. Which brings us back to the knives. You haven't cut yourself yet, right? [via]
Google Glass
Ever lost your way while walking in a straight line down a sidewalk? Wanted to take that photo of your daughter's first steps, but just too tired to pull out your phone? Ever feel lonely and just wish you had someone, something, to talk to? Those are just some of the things you can fix with Google Glass ($1,500). Controlled by nothing but your voice, this head-mounted computer has a camera and a screen, and is the closest you can come to a POV camera video game HUD in real life. What you do with it is totally up to you.
Vampliers
You'd think they might suck the innards out of a wire. And you'd be wrong. Vampliers ($35) are actually on the job to remove your rusty, stripped, damaged, jammed, or tamper-proof screws. And how do they do this, you ask? With vertically and horizontally serrated jaws that bite into nearly any surface without slipping or stripping the screw. Just try not to use it for normal plier-y things that you don't want to take a bite out of — something tells us they might leave a mark.
