‘III’ by George & Jonathan
Electronic music duo George & Jonathan recently released their fourth album, simply titled III. I would describe their style as infectious, funky-yet-mellow, and just plain fun. Their melodies are simple and catchy on the surface, but they layer instrument samples so densely (and yet never overpoweringly) that every song is a lush soundscape. I have a feeling I'm going to have this…
Ugmonk Waxed Canvas Messenger Bag
Ugmonk, the makers of awesome attire and other neat stuff, today unveiled their beautiful new messenger bags. Each one is made from 14oz. waxed canvas, lined with 500 denier Cordura nylon, and sports premium, full-grain leather straps. The shoulder strap is removable, so you have the option of wearing the bag over your shoulder or carrying it by the top handle. There…
‘The Golem and the Jinni’ by Helene Wecker
I've had The Golem and the Jinni on my Amazon wish list for a while. Despite all the acclaim for the book I've heard and read, it took a potentially* spoiler-ish episode of the Technical Difficulties podcast—wherein they interview the book's author, Helene Wecker—for me to finally pick up a copy. I'm only about a third of the way in as of…
Tramontina Prima 12-inch Stainless Steel Fry Pan
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…
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Your best ideas come when you least expect them. That’s why Scratch launches lightning-fast, ready for input. Write it down and get back to life. Later, send your ideas where they need to go: Email that recipe to your sister, turn that note into a reminder or post that joke to Twitter. Get Scratch for iPhone today. * Editor's Note:…
Whaleywasher
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…
All-Clad 12-inch Stainless Steel Fry Pan
A common mistake I see people make is overloading their kitchens with skillets of all shapes and sizes. You really only need two to cover your bases, though: a cast iron skillet and a good stainless steel pan. For the latter, the All-Clad 12" fry pan is my recommendation. You might think I'm crazy for suggesting a $150 pan, but believe me,…
Espresso Socks
Maybe you like to wear your love of coffee on your sleeve, but have you ever thought about wearing it on your feet? These espresso socks—which the company Espresso Parts is trying to have crowdfunded, Kickstarter-style—will let you do just that. If the campaign is funded by mid-May 2014, these socks will be made available in 3-packs at Betabrand's online store. They…
‘NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette’ by Nathan W. Pyle
Written and illustrated by Nathan W. Pyle, NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette is all about the unwritten rules of society that people in the Big Apple (and cities everywhere, really) often get wrong. The book offers friendly tips and advice to visitors and New Yorkers alike, answering important questions such as: What is a bodega? How do I walk on an escalator?…
Adonit Jot Script Stylus — Evernote Edition
As much as I love the Cosmonaut stylus, some note-taking situations call for a...finer touch. The Adonit Jot Script — Evernote Edition is about as close as you can get to writing on your iPad with a real pen (something I do not condone). Its mere 1.9mm tip would normally cause issues with iPad detection, but Adonit has solved that problem by…
A Map of the World: The World According to Illustrators and Storytellers
If you like maps, this is the book for you. A Map of the World collects the cartographic designs of designers, illustrators, and mapmakers from all around the world. Some are surprisingly detailed and accurate, while others are of the 'artistic interpretation' variety. This is the kind of book you can get lost in for days, taking in all of its whimsical…
LadderLimb
It's that magical time of year again when people start doing home DIY projects. Whether you're painting the house or cleaning the gutters, you'll probably be spending a lot of time on a ladder. To make your life easier, use a LadderLimb to hold your work materials securely. The rubberized end fits snugly into the hollow rungs of most ladders, giving you…
Buck Knives Travelmate Kit
The Travelmate Kit by Buck Knives is a portable toolset for preparing and eating food while traveling or out on the trail. It includes a wide, serrated butter knife, a fork—with integrated bottle opener, can opener, flathead screwdriver and even grill scraper—and an injection-molded sheath to hold it all together when you're not using it. It's a bit of a novelty item,…
Leica T (Type 701) Unibody Digital Camera
To develop their new T-series camera, Leica teamed up with the design team at Audi, and boy is it a beaut. Each camera body is milled from a single block of aluminum and hand-polished for 45 minutes—no seriously, you can watch the entire process—resulting in the most Apple-like camera I've ever seen. Almost all of the Leica T's functions are controlled via…
The Sketchnote Workbook
The Sketchnote Workbook is the upcoming follow-up to Mike Rohde's popular guide, The Sketchnote Handbook.* In the original book, Mike taught you how to use sketchnotes to visually capture ideas and remember key bits of information. In The Sketchnote Workbook he expands on those concepts, showing how to adapt your sketchnote skills to all sorts of areas outside of boring office meetings…
Stitch & Locke SLIDE Wallet
The SLIDE wallet by Stitch & Locke is a Kickstarter project for a wallet that is both eco-friendly and animal-free. A simple design, really—it sports a thin layer of cork on the outside and a thicker denim interior, with a notch cut at the lower corner that allows you to easily slide cards out (hence the name). They've already tripled their funding…
Victorinox Fibrox 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
I'm at the point in my cooking "education" (part self-taught, part watching a lot of YouTube videos) where I'm starting to get fed up with my cheap knife set. Several of the knives are on their way out or were never really good to begin with, and the one knife still worth my time —a Santoku model—isn't the most versatile tool around.…
Blek for iOS
Blek is a game for iPhone and iPad that relies on your imagination to solve its puzzles. The goal seems simple enough—hit all the colored dots without touching the black ones—but exactly how you accomplish this is up to you. Draw any line or shape with your finger, and it will repeat that motion in a pattern until the line leaves the…
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Mehaz 660 Professional Nail Clippers
We mention a lot of fancy gadgets and whatnot around here, but sometimes it's good to think about the little things, like personal grooming. A common mistake I see people making is not taking care of the appearance of their nails—even people whose hands appear in close-up promo shots of iPhone apps (shudder). The first step to fixing this problem is getting…