Photo credit: Álvaro Serrano. Be sure to also read the story behind the photo. * This waxed-canvas pannier by Anhaica Bag Works is a beautiful, versatile messenger bag for cyclists. It clips securely onto the bike's frame via MEC pannier clips, which are covered by a velcroed flap while the bag is unclipped and being used as a shoulder bag.…
If you keep up with the web design world at all, you probably already know about The Manual, a design journal started by XOXO Fest cofounder Andy McMillan and with contributions from world-class designers like Frank Chimero and Ethan Marcotte. Each printed edition—of which there are three thus far—contains stories about what it means to design for the web and the people…
The Nomad 20 by Goal Zero is a portable, foldable solar panel with a max power capacity of 20 watts (hence its name) and multiple connector ports. It fits nicely into a backpack and is generally awesome for camping and other outdoor excursions. In the span of an hour or so, it can charge most of an iPad mini's battery or about…
The idea behind the ICON project, as told by designers Nathan Goldman and Dan Kuhlken: “Every film has one. A signature prop, set, or location. Something that, in a single image, can represent the entire movie. With this in mind, they created 50 geometric prints of iconic places and things from various films and TV shows. Examples include Office Space, Groundhog Day,…
Fujifilm has announced their upcoming X100T camera, successor to 2013's widely beloved X100S. It's not so much a huge evolutionary leap as a well-considered refinement with significant improvements in all the areas that matter.
'Unexposed', the newest edition to the Field Notes COLORS lineup, is...well, a mystery. And that's by design. Every pack contains three randomly-selected-but-unique 5.5" x 3.5" memo books in an opaque black sleeve, each with 48 pages of reticle graph paper. As for the covers? No one knows yet. All we know is there are six of them, meaning there are twenty possible…
If you're the kind of person who listens to vinyl records and also digs good typography, you'll love using these beautiful, laser-cut wooden dividers to keep your albums organized. They also work nicely for books and other physical media. There are a variety of collections to choose from, ranging from $100 to $410 depending on size, orientation (vertical or horizontal), and typeface…
I'm starting to think my fondness for gooseneck kettles is turning into full-blown addiction—and I'm okay with it. The Canadian-made Monarch Methods pour over kettle is among the more unique ones I've seen, with its copper construction and handle-less design. You grip it by the tanned harness leather insulator rather than an external handle, giving you better control over the pour. The…
The upcoming Olympus E-PL7 is a selfie-friendly micro four thirds camera, with its 180° flip screen, touchscreen shutter release, and 3-axis in-body image stabilization. Of course, it also has other awesome stuff you'd expect from a modern Olympus shooter: 16-megapixel sensor Wi-Fi (e.g. you can send photos to your iPhone for editing in VSCO Cam) TruPic 7 image processor Manual control dial…
The iPhone 6 is coming next week, but this is a pretty cool wooden case for those of you sticking with an iPhone 5 or 5s for now. The cover is made from real wood that has been laser-cut, engraved, and finished before being attached to a protective plastic casing. Mainly though, it looks awesome. Get one for $29 at Carved.com
The Handpresso Wild Hybrid is a travel-sized espresso maker for coffee addicts on the move. It won't replace a $1,000 kitchen machine but it produces surprisingly good results for what it is. The brewing process takes a little practice, but it's worth the effort to get it right and produce some lovely crema. The top Amazon review suggests preheating the reservoir beforehand,…
TOPO Designs and Doane Paper have teamed up again to produce the 2.0 edition of their Mountain Briefcase. It can be carried in three ways: Two-handle briefcase Backpack with stowable straps Over the shoulder with removable strap The exterior combines a a natural Horween butternut leather base panel with a dark maroon Cordura body that not only gives it a unique look…
We love a good kettle here at Tools & Toys—particularly the gooseneck variety—and this stainless steel Fino Pour Over Kettle fits the bill nicely. Nothing fancy about it really, just quality Japanese design and craftsmanship. I like that it's so compact compared to other kettles. My only quibble is that it doesn't whistle when the water's boiling, but the lid does bobble…
Up until recently, I've been happily buying saigon cinnamon to sprinkle on oatmeal and toast (and sometimes my coffee). That is, until I heard that out of all the cinnamon varieties out there, saigon contained by far and away the highest levels of the liver-damaging substance coumarin. Yikes. The type of cinnamon with the least coumarin is known as ceylon—also known as…
China-based Etsy seller CBedroom digitally prints colorful, quite-detailed galaxies and other spacescapes onto both sides of soft satin bedding sets. The printed images are fade-resistant and can be washed by hand or machine, hot or cold. Each set is $148 + intl. shipping and includes: 1 duvet cover (aka comforter) 1 sheet 2 pillow covers
Heads up, lovers of fine paper products: the 2015 Hobonichi Planner Book is now available for pre-order. For those unfamiliar with it, the Hobonichi is a beautiful planner—known as a techo in Japanese—that goes beyond schedule-planning by also acting as a journal, notebook, sketch(note)book, scribble pad, and generally a place to capture thoughts and moments. Originally made in Japan, the Hobonichi has…
After an unfortunate patent kerfuffle a few years ago, photographer Duncan Davidson recently announced the return of the popular Luma Loop camera sling. Now in its third form, the Luma Loop sports a machined aluminum mount that screws into your camera's tripod socket like so: It's designed to keep the camera hanging snugly by your side rather than bobbing about as you…
Motion Design for iOS is a new ebook by Mike Rundle that's all about animation design and development for iOS apps. It covers the history, principles, and physics of great animation and motion, with lots of examples and full-project code walkthroughs that break everything down in an easy-to-grasp way. In other words, this book will teach you how to make immersive, awesome-looking…
The Bose OE2i on-ear headphones aren't the sort of thing that would please a hardcore audiophile, but they sound quite good for how portable they are, especially if you enjoy a little bass. They're comfortable too, with their slim headband and memory foam ear cushions. The in-line mic and remote are the cherry on top. They were $150 on Amazon just a…
In case the name didn't already give it away, the SpiderHolster Black Widow is an easy-access holster...for your camera. More specifically, a lightweight point-and-shoot or micro four thirds camera. It attaches directly to your own belt or to the more specialized Black Widow Belt (pictured above, sold separately). From there, it's a simple matter of screwing the included mounting pin into your…