The Refresh Dopp Kit is a vertical bag for your home or travel toiletries. The vegetable-tanned leather exterior can stand up on its own, while the water-resistant wool felt lining (with zipper enclosure) keeps everything nice and dry. Get it for $269 at Hard Graft.
As the title suggests, the Kanex DoubleUp is a wall adapter that accepts two USB cables. It's powerful enough to charge two iPads relatively quickly, thanks to each USB port's 10.5-watt output, and it has helpful status LEDs on the front to let you know if your device is fully charged (green) or still charging (orange). I like that it's small enough…
You may or may not already be familiar with Cameron Moll's work over at Authentic Jobs, but did you know he also painstakingly recreates pieces of architecture in letterpress form and sells prints of them? If not, now is a good time to look at his store because he's having a buy-one-get-one-free sale until July 31, 2014. My personal favorite is the…
I know it seems a bit silly to be writing about a pair of scissors, especially ones that cost £22 (~$38 USD) but watch this video and you'll see just how much care goes into every set. They're made from professional-grade, hand-tempered carbon steel blades, and each pair is guaranteed for life. The company will even re-sharpen the blades for you decades…
These Spaceflight maps are perfect for anyone who's ever dreamed of going to space. From Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 mission routes to lunar landings and even to a Kennedy Space Center launchpad, these prints are sure to make your inner astronaut happy. They're printed on heavy pearlescent paper stock, giving them a beautiful and subtle metallic shimmer. City Prints carries the…
The Synology Diskstation DS213j NAS—recently reviewed by our own editor Shawn Blanc—is an excellent way of storing all the stuff on your home network. With two drive bays that can handle up to 10 TB of HDD storage, a gigabit internet connection, and a boat-load of add-on apps, there are so many ways to use the DS213j. Just a few examples: Family…
As this print's store page says, “Great espresso is both an art form and a science” Crafted with custom inks on beautiful Italian paper, this 20" x 27.5" print celebrates espresso by describing its theory and preparation in great detail, accompanied by illustrations. Get one from stellavie design for an introductory price of 59,95 EUR (~$81 USD) + 10,55 EUR shipping (~$14).
You know how they say you shouldn't skimp on getting a nice bed because you spend a third of your life sleeping? I think a similar rule should apply to towels—at least if you're like me and shower every day. That's not to say you need the most top-of-the-line towel in the world, but having a really nice one makes all the…
Summer is already halfway over, but there's plenty of hot weather left before we move on to more civilized seasons. If you're still looking for ways to beat the heat, you could do worse than picking up these mini-sized Zoku Slow Pops molds. They let you make up to 9 ice pops at once, which are easily removed from their silicone casings.…
The bttn is an interesting little gizmo that reminds me of a Griffin PowerMate but without the volume-dial component. What looks like a simple colored button (hence the name) is actually a web-connected device capable of executing interesting commands, similar to those of one of our favorite services, IFTTT. In fact, IFTTT is a service bttn is capable of tying into, along…
This morning, artist Grant Snider posted a comic about creative thinking that really resonated with me. As it turns out, he offers 11x17 posters of all comics on his site, and this one would be perfect for hanging in a creative workspace. The site isn't set up like a typical ecommerce store per se, but the shop page does provide instructions on…
I grew up eating (and loving) cheap frozen waffles, so when my wife and I received a Belgian waffle maker as a wedding gift a few years ago, we didn't expect to use it much. Once we finally tried it though, we knew there was no going back. The only downside is that the process is slow, especially noticeable when we have…
Those of you unafraid to show off your love of musicals will appreciate this Singin' in the Rain print by Brazilian illustrator Niege Borges. Even if you're not a fan, you gotta admit she really nailed the water effects. The print is unframed by default, with prices ranging from $17 (8" x 10") to $50 (28" x 38"). They do offer frames…
I have mixed feelings about Keurig brewers. There's no denying their sheer convenience—I mean, you literally just push a button to brew—but those disposable K-Cup pods are wasteful and tend to produce a subpar cup of coffee besides. The Ekobrew Stainless Steel Elite might be the best workaround for this problem. Rather than tossing out K-cup after K-cup, you simply fill the…
The iGrill 2 is a Bluetooth-enabled grilling thermometer designed for pros and serious enthusiasts but simple enough for amateur grillers to use. Building on the design and features of the original iGrill, the iGrill 2 has upped its probe capacity from 2 to 4 (though it only comes with two) and can now be magnetically mounted onto the side of your grill…
Embue is a new Kickstarter project that aims to replace your thermostat, but not just with a single unit like Nest. Embue has sensors that can be placed in every room, giving it a much better overview of your home or office's temperature and humidity. And like Nest, Embue can learn from your habits and make adjustments as needed for optimal comfort.…
As the name implies, this poster shows off the beautiful typewriters of famous authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, Joyce Carol Oates, George Orwell, Sylvia Plath, Hunter S. Thompson, and more. Perfect for any literary or writing geek to hang in their workspace. $14-$39 on Etsy.
I'm a huge fan of the site Zen Pencils, where illustrator Gavin Aung Than takes famous inspirational quotes and turns them into awesome cartoons. He just reopened his online store with redesigned versions of his popular poster designs, my favorite being this one. Gavin himself describes the new posters best: “The quality of the posters are incredible. They’re printed on heavy duty…
After yesterday's post about the All-Clad 12" stainless steel fry pan, reader Jake Spurlock wrote in to let us know about a potentially better deal: the Tramontina stainless steel fry pan. The All-Clad is nice, but this $50 Tramontina is just as good at a third of the price: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/08/equipment-the-all-clad-vs-tramontina-skillet.html I don't have any first-hand experience with the Tramontina but I was…
This one is for those of us with little kids running around the house. Watching them learn how to wash their own hands is fun in a way, but cleaning up the mess sure isn't. They have a hard time reaching anything, they're putting their hands all over faucet handles and knocking over soap dispensers and getting water everywhere, and you're standing…