*notcot - , 02:34 -

The Veuve Clicquot Bentley

bentley0.jpgSo traveling Veuve Clicquot style is quite a trip, they started us out on the yacht, flew us around in the helicopter… and now here’s the most impressive car… Who knew a 1960’s yellow and purple Bentley S3 could be so appealing? I love fast cars, i love beautifully designed cars, and apparently i love the vintage woody not at all discreet Veuve Clicquot Yellow and Purple Bentley? I couldn’t resist taking two rides in it with Stephane Gerschel as we drove around Reims… and every time i sat fascinated not only by the tiniest details (from the jeweled fuel light to the insane speed of the windows to the amusement of seeing a GPS in a car of that vintage)… You have to check out the rest of the pics!

p.s.
You would never believe how hard it is to cull from the hundreds of pictures from each day to figure out what to post!

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*Sub-Studio - 09.03.08 , 13:23 -

Band In My Pocket

0903band1.jpgNOTCOT Note: While i’m running around france learning about champagne at hyper speed, it’s hard to get much time or a good connection to work from… so good thing Anna has my back, and found this super awesome Band in My Pocket!

Yamaha has teamed up with au Design to create Band In My Pocket - a series of cellular phone prototypes that also function as musical instruments. Depending on the prototype you use, you can turn your phone into a brass instrument, drum sticks, piano, string instrument, etc. The au Design website is in Japanese, but be sure to check out the videos that showcase each design (click on the black box with the arrow beneath the diagrams). Also worth checking out are videos of Band In My Pocket in action over at Bola Sociology’s blog.

Check out the individual phones and their uses on the next page!

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*notcot - 09.01.08 , 09:10 -

GIVEAWAY! Jimmyjane Form 6 2.0

jimmyjane.jpgUPDATE: a winner has been chosen and emailed! Thank you for all of your entries!

Jimmyjane launches their new Form 6 massager and you can win it! Just leave an amusing comment as to why you need this $185 designer massager more than anyone else, and i’ll pick someone to send to the nice folks at jimmyjane once i have free time in Paris this week (hopping a flight at 3:30 today!).

This new Jimmyjane Form 6 massager is now completely waterproof, completely re-engineered with super subtle protruding buttons making the massager completely seamless/handle-less, and the gorgeous carrying case also acts as its storage/travel case and charger all in one! The original Form 6 picked up an IDEA award from BusinessWeed and the Industrial Designers Society of America, and honestly, i think this one far surpasses the original in design. So see a full unboxing and closeups of the details to this gorgeous new design on the next page, and don’t forget to leave a comment to WIN IT!

p.s.
Unexpected excerpt from the press release, “FORM 6 has been embraced as the gold standard by the sexual wellbeing market, where it is the product of choice for leading retailers and sex columnists. It has also been a crossover hit, performing as the best-selling premium handheld vibrating massager in top retailers for therapeutic massagers in the US, tripling their sales expectations.”

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*notcot - 08.31.08 , 18:05 -

O’Gara Coach - Lamborghini, Bugatti, and more…

lambo1.jpg On random Sunday posts ~ just got back from tagging along with some friends test driving at O’Gara Coach - Lamborghini Beverly Hills to play with the Lamborghinis, Bugattis, Bentleys, Aston Martins, Rolls Royces, etc - being such a warm gorgeous day out brought the camera, and some of the colors and details were far too inspiring not to share… so check out some of the imagery on the next page!

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*notcot - 08.29.08 , 16:20 -

Glasses as Monitor Rear View Mirrors

glasses.jpgOk, you know when you have some ridiculous idea, and you need to tell someone to see if its super silly or possibly functional, and no one seems to be online and not super busy working right now… so unfortunately for you, here’s my silly idea this late friday afternoon!

So many of my cubicle dwelling friends have either got or toyed with those rear view mirrors for their desks, monitors, etc. And really, regardless of whether you’re using it for fixing your hair, keeping an eye on who or what is behind you at all times, staring at yourself, staring at your cubicle mate across the way, spying on others around corners… does it have to be SO OBVIOUS? Especially when it is taking up so much of your precious teeny tiny desk space? So i couldn’t help myself and picked up some cheapy sunglasses that are pretty similar to the matthew williamson acrylic aviators i posted to NotCouture last night ~ and when i sat down at my desk i rested them up on my monitor.. and since they’re slightly mirrored, honestly it works far better than those silly mirrors (and there are TWO!) and seems far more understated for your workplace spying… If for some reason you have no clue what i’m ranting about today, go see the other products on the next page and then come back…

UPDATE: for those who asked - this particular pair set me back a whopping $35 at the Free People store ~ and is by Spitfire called the “Million @ 20”, clear aviator frame with mirrored lenses…

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*notcot - 08.28.08 , 15:24 -

The NOTCOT (Hulger) Hotline

hulger.jpgDEAL for NOTCOTers - 20% off all Hulger Products until Sept 14th! (just click through, they’ll take care of you.)

Next up ~ on the next page i have a full reverse unboxing of the Hulger Penelope*Phone and USB Base in Black and classic P*Phone & USB Base in Red… While the Penelope is sexy and classy and oh so modern designy retro… i couldn’t resist the red P*Phone… ok this is going to sound pretty silly, but i was wondering whether having an “official work phone” on my desk would somehow make me more professional on the phone… something about wandering around the house on the cell phone, i just have a tendency to get far too casual + friendly… It’s like the new NOTCOT Hotline! Less in that Moscow-Washington Cold War sort of way, and more in the playful Powerpuff Girls from the Mayor’s office to Pokey Oaks Kindergarten sort of way. I guess for NOTCOT, its more like ad folks to me hotline… So have been messing with the vinyl cutter and at the moment i have it filled with a black notcot logo texture inside and a little notcot on the front, have considered covering it with random textures or some fun pirate dinos…

Oh, and for those curious why i went corded over bluetooth ~ i’m terrible with charging, and the Hulgers are already far too large to get away with for the driving/talking handsfree laws, so this makes for a really fun desk phone, whether plugged into my monitors via USB, or into my curve. Anyhow, see a full unboxing of how awesome the packaging is on the next page! (And some old 80’s red phone ads as well…)

p.s.
yes, i do seem to feel more serious when on an old school phone, especially a red one, how silly is that?

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*notcot - , 00:37 -

AIAIAI’s Y-Com Mic/Headphones

aiaiai.jpgOk packaging lovers… you will definitely want some AIAIAI headphones, iphone/curve headsets (headphones + mic/button), and the new laptop sleeves (but more to come on that in a future post!)… These danish designers don’t mess around, their gorgeous headphones (you have to feel these cables to realize how nice the quality is) come in these incredible thick plastic tubes (think perfect for pens/pencils/paint brushes) where the ends aren’t just plugs but little containers with their own caps (they are like little pill boxes) with alternative ear pieces! As you can see, they have great attention to detail ~ and the Y-com model is named so for its signature Y shaped center piece where the L and R are labeled… some even have a playful behind the ear coil…

As for how they work ~ well i tried them hooked up to my blackberry curve for the 5.5 hour drives up and down to/from SF/LA this weekend, and it was great (driving with only one side in of course, since both sides in the sound is so good you can’t hear the world around you). Also, see the fun flashy page flipping AIAIAI Catalog here! See pics on the next page to get the full experience!

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*notcot - 08.04.08 , 16:50 -

Hard Graft Dapper: A Sneak Peak

dapper1.jpgOur favorite felt/leather technology carriers, Working Class Heroes, has evolved and is now known as Hard Graft. And honestly, nothing has changed, other than their moniker, and the quality and designs are, if anything, better than ever! So i’ve got an exclusive sneak peak for you of the latest line (and quite possibly my favorite yet)… here’s
The Dapper Collection!

I’ve always loved their leather pockets on felt, which my original laptop sleeve from them had, and now they’ve brought the motif back as the signature feature in
The Dapper Collection. Also, they’ve mastered the Kindle case (see pics of a prototype i’ve been playing with on the next page), and it has a pocket which perfectly fits the iPhone. Honestly, its the perfect little bundle to grab when you’re off to read in the park or at the beach. They’ve also got an adorable iPhone case, which has a pocket for some cash/cards… and a revival of the laptop wallet with top buttons and a new larger pocket also perfect for iPhones! So check out more pics on the next page, and see the full collection for purchase at Hard Graft!

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*notcot - 07.30.08 , 15:23 -

Sidekick Unboxing

sidekick.jpgFun packages to come home to ~ the new Sidekick that just launched today! Now with customizable skins that you can design yourself with black, white, or pink plastic as the base. So on the next page i have a full unboxing for you, and close ups of some of the fun details… and then some REALLY close up (like 200x) views of the new keyboard as well, which is my favorite feature. Overall, i’m loving the new design, its sleek, nice and matte in the center, and the font and non-chicklet like keyboard keys are so nice to use… also check out what the phone looks like with and without the new skins…

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*notcot - , 13:31 -

Game Libratory at CRCA, UCSD

gamelib.jpgYes, Game Libratory = Library + Laboratory. And yes, games - meaning everything from those historical ancient emulated DOS PC games to low cost edu-tainment products to the latest PS3, XBOX 360, and Wii games… It’s really something that all our current libraries are missing, and there aren’t nearly enough (if any) great labs organizing the history of gaming as it flies by us - in such a way that people could someday check them out like microfiche and catch up on some games of the past that are no longer accessible other than to a few who snatch them up from ebay or at a garage sale! Also, imagine how much history there is in simply watching people play these various games, and seeing how the usability and interactions have evolved over time… and when you someday tell your kids, “back in my day, we used a JOYSTICK”… well you can drag them down to the Game Libratory to experience some historical gaming first hand.

So, when this brainchild of NOTCOT friends (from the pre-notcot the site even existing days), Daniel Rehn, Derek Lomas, and Jeremy Douglass, who hooked up with the Software Studies Initiative, Center for Research in Computing and the Arts (CRCA) at Calit2, UC San Diego, launched, it was literally just an idea that is quickly growing out of the tiny lounge space they received from CRCA. They have been accumulating some incredible collections from donors (and shopping on ebay) and contributing their own gaming resources… and students and researchers internationally have been eagerly joining in to explore previously unavailable research opportunities! So while the space is quickly filling up, and they’re hopefully expanding to a new home soon - i convinced Daniel to let me take a few shots of things that intrigued me, from their set up, to some of the many crazy gadgets i’d never seen before! So take a peek on the next page ~ and if you’re not sure what to do with all your games and systems, but don’t want to simply sell them off to anyone… the Game Libratory is a good home for them to take their place in gaming history!

p.s.
things to look forward to? How about across game comparisons of the ways characters die? Or comparisons of the evolution of button mashing across controllers? And don’t you think the future Game Libratory needs to have Toledano’s Video Game Faces mixed with gorgeous screenshots framed on their walls?

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*notcot - 07.27.08 , 21:11 -

Polite in Public 2.0?

party1.jpgSo i took a bit of an internet break the last few days (blame the Sands motel in Bird Rock ~ but the relaxation and beachiness was awesome)… so unlike most die-hard comic-con-ers, we just popped by for a few hours on thursday - then went to the zoo for a few hours, and then found ourselves at the G4 + StrangeCo party for the new “Wonder Women of America” book which featured a few hundred photographs of the cosplay women of comic-con 2007… and many were present! They also had Nerdcore performances, and the place was a madhouse! But what grabbed me that you’ll definitely want to see… the boys of Polite in Public, have come a long way since we last saw/talked to them. (Catch up here for their back story and to see the old set up.)

So what’s new with this young revolutionary photobooth company, Polite in Public? With their impressive hollywood and technical backgrounds - they have taken their glossy, gorgeous imagery filled with props and sets and real prints on the fly! - to a whole new level. Instead of laptops, screens, printers, and more set up on a desk, we were amazed by their new set up with one large sleek machine that took the pictures, processed them from original form to the glossified form, and had a nice interface for their photobooth attendants to quickly browse and print from. It seemed like a large simple UI, and i was dying to run up and poke it, if only they weren’t SO busy! Also, from only being a small 2-3 man operation, sounds like they are expanding quite a bit, since on the same night as the San Diego event, they were also doing events in SF, NY, and LA! I got a few pics of the crazy scene - and some video of their impressive automated photoshop like filtering on the fly to give you a feel for how incredible their process is - check it all out on the next page!

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*notcot - 07.21.08 , 21:51 -

Ultimate Accessories: Geneva Sound Systems

infinitigeneva.jpgClick HereNOTCOT Note: This is the fourth in my series of Ultimate Accessories posts which have been sponsored by the new Infiniti G Sedan! As with any sponsored content ~ these posts are done - my way - my product choices, my content, and they help me keep doing what i love!

When picking some of the “Ultimate Accessories” for these posts, Geneva Sound systems always pop to mind, maybe it’s because i’ve been so tempted, but between moving and traveling quite a bit, i’ve had trouble committing to the pricetag for these gorgeous (and awesome sound quality!) audio systems! Ok, let’s be honest, that glossy lacquered finish in the red, white, or black are far too appealing ~ and when on the floor stand, just perched so perfectly, who can ignore it in a room? Details not to miss: the cd slot, is just that - a slot in the top of the system. The hidden red LED display that shows your settings, etc from behind the speaker…. when you’re ipod isn’t docked, everything is hidden under a panel on the top. I’ve toyed with buying one of these for YEARS now… and now, to further tempt me, they debuted a prototype of the perfect black glossy tv stand/shelf with built in sound system… its gorgeous, more pics on the next page.

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*notcot - , 02:28 -

Shih Chieh Huang’s Recycled Bots

robo1.jpgAnother find at at GLOW ~ was a collection of suspended robots under the pier, EX-SE-08, Shieh Chieh Huang. Made from plastic bags, plastic bottles of various sizes, computer fans, portable dvd players - all combined with circuit boards and what looked like many power adapters for the larger pieces… these robots were buzzing and breathing (well the bags looked like inhaling and exhaling oxygen bags that come down in airplane emergencies?) and spinning about - while filled with glowing lights, black lights, and uv glowing liquids… It was mesmerizing to say the least, especially when i wandered back in around 5am in a bit of a haze… i ended up taking more video of these creatures than pictures, so check out the video below for an overview of them in action, and a few more pics as well on the next page!

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*notcot - , 01:01 -

Usman Haque’s Primal Source

primal1.jpgThe show stealer at GLOW yesterday was hands down, Usman Haque’s Primal Source. Ask anyone who went what the best thing they saw was and odds are they will say “that giant fountain projection thing”.

On so many levels, this was an incredible art installation ~ a GIANT screen of water that with rear projection, set up such that the dark night sky served as the perfect backdrop for the perfectly clear visualizations - but it’s not just about watching, the group interaction element was there too: a series of microphones against the fence encourage the audience to participate by screaming into them in order to directly alter the visualizations. It was the only piece that truly sucked everyone into it, and kept them there for ages. Kids of all ages were absolutely mesmerized. And yes, i admit, it was one of the first things i was drawn to, even from up at the park - and i went back multiple times in that 12 hour window… and there were ALWAYS crowds at the piece… even at 5am. See images of Usman Haque’s Primal Source from all angles on the next page ~ as well as a video to give you the full effect of how awesome this was to behold in person!

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*notcot - 07.15.08 , 15:14 -

KRINK + Incase + Arkitip

krinkmain.jpgIncase has done it again… waking me up to yet another giddiness inducing package. They always manage to put me in the best moods with their great packaging (from packaging of the product, to the silver penned notes to go with them!). I’m sure you’ve been seeing these new limited edition cases buzzing around the web all morning, but here’s an unboxing and some close up pics of my own. And for those just catching up…

Incase has teamed up once again with Arkitip Magazine, and this time they’ve pulled in one or my favorite artists, Craig Costello aka “KRINK” aka “KR”, the legendary creator of KRINK inks and markers and artist behind those awesome silver drippy mail boxes! So this new KRINK Sleeve is the first in the “Curate by Arkitip” series. First impression, was being smitten by the silver on black drippiness, so messy, yet so clean. Next thing to hit me… although it is an awesome art product, the quality is incredible, but then again what else would you expect from Incase? This would be such a fun case to carry into a formal meeting… if not just to see what the reactions are like! Anyhow, go see the many pics on the next page, as well as the video with behind the scenes on how this sleeve came to be.

p.s.
i know it sounds silly, but part of me is dying to spraypaint ‘NOTCOT’ on mine…

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