Altralto

Folks, our friend Grasshopper James over at Guitabites.com sent us the top 10 weirdest guitars. Check it out. It really drives home the fact that some people have too much time on their hands. Especially the scooter butcher guy.

Check out the top 10 weird guitars on guitarbites

In case you are wondering, this is the semi-automatic retro coffee machine, Elektra Mini Verticale lever coffee machine in chrome. We have tried to get as much information as possible on these delightful pieces of Italian espresso art, but it is not easy. The Elektra Mini Verticale coffee machines are scaled down models of the Belle Epoque upright espresso makers, shown below and found in coffee houses and cafes throughout Italy and Europe.

Especially sized and somewhat redesigned for home use, the Mini Verticale also comes in copper and brass finish. Wooden handle, chrome or brass eagle make them very retro stylish. The base diameter is only 320 mm or just under 12.625″, so it takes little space but weighs close to 30 lbs. According to the review we found on Coffee Geek this Electra has few negative points, mainly – no direct line to water, but a liter storage container, the drip plate and reservoir are pain to clean, and if you ever have to reset the pressure switch, then you really going to feel the pain.

Well, if you have at the very least about $1,800 USD or €1500 to spend, depending on where you live, those negatives are rather minor nuisances comparing with the beauty of this machine and the knowledge that you are one of the very few who dared to own one. Available in 7 voltages – 240, 230, 220, 127, 120, 115 and 110 Volts. Italian Espresso Coffee machines from Elektra.

What’s in Your Pocket?

Hey ladies why don’t you get your man a designer wallet for Christmas?

Leather wallets have become increasingly popular amongst men all over the world. There are so many reasons why this has become so. For one thing, leather is a material that is very sturdy and durable. Who would not want to get a wallet that can last for years and years? This spells much savings in the long run for any man sporting any sort of profession.

What’s more, leather wallets come with a lot of features. Some leather wallets come with card slides ranging from eight to twelve in quantity! With interior pockets and ID windows, all cards, IDs, and other pertinent documents can be stored in leather wallets very easily. Paul Smith has certainly brandished a strong name for himself as a designer and his prowess has expanded into the market of leather wallets as well.

One such wallet that has grabbed the attention of a lot of people is the one that contains a photographic print known as Mini in London. The wallet is made of premium leather, sporting cream stitching on its exterior. The inside contains the print of a car famously known as the Mini Cooper. The car is then placed against a London backdrop. The cool thing about the wallet is that the car sports a lot of colors against the backdrop that is a bit grayscale in color, giving more emphasis to the fast car!

Of course, one cannot help but consider the Billabong brand when it comes to men’s wallets. This is because the brand has certainly garnered a very strong portion of the worldwide market. The great thing about these wallets is that they come in all sorts of material. This is very nice since the preferences of men can differ relatively. The popular Billabong wallets come in both leather and canvas.

The Black Texas Leather Wallet by Billabong, for instance, is one of the recommended models in the market. The wallet comes with 2 compartments for all sorts of notes. One of these compartments is zipped, a security feature that adds more convenience. There are 6 slots for ATM and credit cards, a zipped coin pouch, an ID window, and 2 more slots for additional notes, receipts, and such. The wallet comes with the Billabong signature as well.

The Red Pepper Deck Canvas Wallet is also another popular model in the market. This tri-fold wallet made of quality canvas is perfect for the avid surfer. The wallet has two slots for credit cards, a zipped slot for notes, a zipped coin pouch on its exterior, a photo ID window, 2 other slots to contain miscellaneous things, and a plastic card holder that is removable for 4 other cards.

What are the Alternatives to a Classic Plain Leather Wallet for Men?

The leather wallet is considered a plain and functional accessory, with little opportunity for customization. Whilst many men favor a plain wallet for its convenience, there is also strong demand for unique and fashionable wallets.

This is certainly the case for the younger gentleman, but also for the man who appreciates individuality and attention to detail. There are many distinct and unique wallets on the market that offer style and versatility. In this article I will look at the different ways wallets can be customized (e.g. leather treatments, colors, lining and embossing), with particular reference to the designer brands that make them.

One of the most exciting wallet brands to emerge has been J.Fold, a New York based company established in 2003 that manufactures quality sports wallets. They have quickly developed a strong following amongst the likes of Justin Timberlake and the Arctic Monkeys, and are known for modern and bold designs.

Diesel is known as an urban brand, and their men’s wallets reflect this ideal with edgy designs that display maturity. Timberland offers a piece of the rugged outdoors with their fashionable accessories, whilst remaining relevant to the urban consumer. Ted Baker understands that men need versatility with their accessories as well as a unique sense of style, and offer a strong range of wallets. Simon Carter offer s a modern take on classic English design, and have crafted a distinctive and light hearted approach to their leather accessories.

Timberland produces a range of wallets in natural and earthy tones which includes their classic tan color (known as weathered iron), a light beigey-grey and an earthy brown. It shows off a more laid back and casual image, suitable for casual and business-casual attire. Many designer brands such as Ted Baker incorporate color into a wallet with a colored edge that contrasts with the brown or black leather. J.Fold use exciting color contrasts such as a turquoise trim against brown leather. They are more famous though for their bold use of color throughout the wallet such as bright reds, racing greens, blues and yellow. Although not for everyone, their colorful wallets are street smart and will receive a lot of attention from admirers.

Many wallets use a textured leather effect for interest, but there are other approaches to livening up the leather surface. For example, a leather glaze produces a shiny effect for a unique character without being too ‘way-out’. Simon Carter uses a glaze combined with a vintage effect on its travel wallet for a light hearted spin, ideal for city professionals who want a bit of individuality. Timberland uses a Nubuck leather for its ‘Sleeker’ wallet range which is softer and lighter than normal leather and has a similar look to suede. This is ideal for a casual and laid back look.

Many designer brands also customize the wallet by creating patterns and shapes with the leather. Most designer wallets have an embossed logo, but others use embossing to create abstract patterns (e.g. the Ted Baker Cutout wallet which has a paisley pattern).

The most playful designs come from J.Fold, who developed a technique of punching holes into their wallets, with a lining behind in contrasting colors. The J.Fold Loungemaster has tiny perforated holes punched into the leather surface, whilst the Reverb has small oval shapes that gradually change size. J.Fold also layer pieces of leather on top of the main wallet, as in their Roadster wallet which has two strips of leather to look like racing stripes. Another very modern approach to customize a wallet is screen-printing directly onto the leather. Diesel, known for their urban influences, screen-print anarchic designs for a dramatic look.

A more subtle way of customizing a wallet is a contrasting lining, which can be dramatic without dominating the whole wallet. A subtle but effective look is a brown interior on a black wallet or vice versa. J.Fold takes this a bit further and uses very colorful interior colors such as lime green and bright orange. Simon Carter, known for their quirky sense of humor, line all their wallets with a colorful comic strip that was developed exclusively for the brand. There are many types of unique and individual wallets that offer subtle and dramatic alternatives to the plain and ordinary.

Buying Slimmer and More Fashionable Men’s Leather Wallet
Fashion experts have been constantly and consistently recommending going for more fashionable men’s wallet products. There are many types of men’s wallets available in the market. Thus, many men are having a hard time deciding over which brands to buy. Some of the best and most popular brands are selling men’s wallets that are bulky and stocky, thus, many men tend to buy not-so-fashionable accessories. It should be your priority to find and choose the more fashionable and attractive ones. The wallet money clip is therefore among the best and usual choices for vanity and practical purposes.

A slimmer credit card holder could be the best option when buying men’s leather wallet. Some people call such accessories as skinny card cases, while others simply refer to them as the slim men’s wallet. This type of men’s leather wallet is especially designed to store and hold credit and bankcards. Most men rave that such accessories are handy and are very useful especially when there is hurry in finding functional cards. Unfortunately, such wallets do not feature much space for money bills. This way, you could accessorize the accessory through buying and integrating a wallet money clip.

The wallet money clip is a special clip that holds the money and clips it securely to the wallet. Slim men’s leather wallet products and credit card holders do not usually feature compartments and spaces for holding bills. The wallet money clip is attached to hold money bills inside or even outside the wallet. This way, men’s leather wallet products could still be slim and fashionable without sacrificing the money-holding feature and function. It is not surprising why wallet money clip in men’s leather wallet products is becoming very popular. The most fashionable and vanity-conscious men almost always prefer slimmer credit card holders or a money-clip wallet designed with credit card slots.

Where to buy such fashionable men’s accessories? The luxury and men’s accessory sections of retailers and department stores are sure venues where men’s leather wallet products are found and are bought from. Wallet money clip products are also to be found in such stores. Many men’s leather products do not already include or feature clips, but you could always easily add the money holders according to your preference and style. Thus, wallet money clip is a way to customize and personalize men’s leather wallet.

Wallet Buying Tips

The first thing that you have to consider when buying a wallet is the size. Size affects comfort. Too small of a wallet and your not carrying $400 in twenties. Too large, and you’ll get a herniated disk or bruised ass. Consider things that you want to carry in order to indicate the proper size. On the other hand, if you are the person who always carries cash, credit cards, you may consider leather smaller wallet with credit card slots. Taking this into consideration will save you from buying a wallet that you can not fill up, or a wallet that you have too much stuff for.

Another factor that you have to consider when buy a wallet is the amount of extra slots it has. From the reasons described above, you have learned that the size of the wallet must correspond to the number of things to be included.

Most importantly, will the wallet cause a herniated disk from being too thick when he sits down?

Expect to pay $50-$200 for a good wallet or about $10-$30 for a cheaper, functional one.

An exotic watch is cheaper than a Ferrari, after all.

Men’s watches can be as enticing as exotic cars.  They come in a myriad of styles and designs, like a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Bugatti to accommodate varying tastes. But by and large, features like gold or silver tone, a glossy dial, elegant hands, and a fashionable bracelet are usually good indicators of a fine timepiece. However, a classy watch is not always restricted to these parameters. In fact, manufacturers are coming out with more and more classy but colorful men’s watches every year. This helpful overview highlights a few watches that display exuberant color while still maintaining a high level of style and class.

Colorful watches have been labeled over the years as perhaps being “juvenile.” However, premier companies like Invicta are working rigorously to dash the antiquated notions. A watch does not have to sacrifice color to preserve class, and Invicta’s Subaqua

Collection proves this emphatically. These timepieces are always encased in 316L surgical stainless steel cases, possess only Swiss Made movements, and come in a variety of color options complete with ionic plating. Available with a beautiful lime green or sunshine yellow dial, this watch features a stylish, skeletonized lug to allow full visibility of its precise inner workings. Three semi-transparent sub-dials reveal the intricate mechanics of the date scale and Swiss ETA 251.272 Quartz Chronograph movement.

Another colorful entry in Invicta’s Subaqua Collection is the Men’s Reserve Combat. The black ionic-plated 316L surgical stainless steel case is complemented by a stunning royal blue dial. Three Semi-transparent sub-dials reveal the intricate working of the Swiss ETA 251.272 Quartz Chronograph.  Beautiful and functional, the Combat is water resistant to an impressive 500 meters.

The Invicta Lupah Revolution is a newer model that has been turning heads due to its unique design and bold colors. The silver-tone stainless steel case is crafted in a

daring round-rectangular design; and the stunning dial, available in brown or red, is protected by a Flame Fusion crystal that has been magnified and reinforced by a triple-layer of crystal coating. Three sub-dials are positioned around the piece’s unique center dial design, and proudly exhibit the Swiss ETA G10.211 Quartz Chronograph movement.

Invicta provides men with a plethora of options when it comes to watch styles. One of their more popular lines is the Russian Diver Collection, originally created to honor the 1959 watch commissioned by the Russian Naval Fleet. These watches are artfully oversized and crafted of surgical stainless steel or titanium, distinguished as being Invicta’s largest watches. Perhaps the most exciting, timepiece to come from this collection is the Quinotaur Extreme Grand Russian Diver.

A simple, yet bold design, the Quinotaur comes in a traditional black dial/black strap combination as well as vibrant options of blue, red and yellow. Water resistant to 100 meters, the Quinotaur’s case is constructed in silver-tone stainless steel.

It is important to note that unique color does not always have to mean extremely vivid shades. Some timepieces have fun with subtle, understated tones that still vary from the expected watch palate. This is precisely what Renato has achieved with its Men’s Wilde-Beast Diamond Watch.

Sturdy 316L stainless steel plated with 18K rose gold constructs the marvelous five-piece case adorned with approximately 3.44ct of diamonds. The round chocolate brown dial, fashioned with a unique carbon fiber, displays a date window at 4:00, rose-tone Arabic numerals at 8:00 and 12:00, and rose-tone luminous index markers at all remaining hour positions. Rose-tone sub-dials are located near 2:00, 6:00, and 10:00 with the Renato logo beneath 12:00. Also water resistant to 300 meters, a tapered, rose gold-plated stainless steel bracelet completes the Wilde-Beast from Renato. After looking at the Wilde-Beast, nobody will ever refer to brown as “drab” again!

Invicta’s Reserve Subaqua Venom Men’s Watch is truly amazing. The Venom’s signature 316L silver-tone stainless steel case protects a one-of-a-kind sunray dial, available in the vivid options of orange or green. A unidirectional rotating bezel has Arabic numerals at 10 second intervals, as well as scalloped edges where screw accents are located. The Venom’s bi-level dial comes in your choice of blue sunray or black matte, and has a very nautical aesthetic. A 1/10 second counter sits next to 2:00 while a second counter rests atop 6:00 and a minute counter is observed near 10:00. A black rubber strap keeps this exciting watch firmly gripped to your wrist, even at the Venom’s water resistant depth of 100 meters!

While years of conventional opinion may have deterred men from purchasing a colorful watch in years past, today’s watches are proving that vibrant colors do not detract from a watch’s class or style. In fact, many of these gorgeous pieces are notably enhanced by their colorful brilliance. With watchmakers constantly raising the bar and pushing the envelope, there is sure to be a daring yet classic timepiece out there for you!

That’s right folks.  We just got this on the Macworld website.

Many of you know (and are beginning to realize) that the Thanksgiving weekend is the busiest travel time of the year.  Things get hectic in Terminal 2 at O’hare and anywhere in LAX.  The business travel has to get to google to complete that last PowerPoint, and the college student returning home needs to finish some last minute assignment.  Why pay $10 for 20 minutes (or 24 hours, it all depends where you are) of boingo or whatever monopolistic ISP in that hot spot you’re calling home for the next twelve hours.

This holiday season, Google is offering free WiFi at 47 participating airports, from now through January 15th, 2010. According to the FAQ, Google’s doing this “to make the holiday travel crush a little easier.” To that end, the company is working with Boingo, Advanced Wireless Group, Time Warner Cable, Electronic Media Systems, Lilypad, and other airport Wi-Fi providers to foot the bill for airport travelers. The search giant also struck a similar deal earlier this year with airline Virgin America to provide free Wi-Fi on its flights.

And Google’s holiday spirit doesn’t stop with the free Wi-Fi. The company will also prompt folks using the gratis Internet connection to make donations (via Google Checkout, of course) to one of several non-profits—and will match the donations to boot (up to a maximum of $250,000). You’re not required to make a donation to use the free Wi-Fi, but doing so just might help you feel a bit more jolly.

The original LG Chocolate took the mobile phone world by storm in 2006, it flew off the shelves as consumers seeked it out for its distinguishable style and rich functionality.

LG have since released great phones such as the LG Renoir and LG Arena, but have now revisited the LG Chocolate range with the all new LG BL40 Chocolate Sim Free. Like its predecessor, the LG BL40 Chocolate Sim Free has a bold unique design with a widescreen 4″ screen and 5 megapixel camera .

The unusual HD widescreen 4″ display is the most unique and appealing part of the LG BL40 Chocolate sim free. The tempered glass display is truly stunning, and brings your images and videos to life in rich high definition. The large screen makes it ideal for viewing web sites, and thanks to multi touch technology you can easily navigate around with the flick of a finger

The Dual Screen User Interface gives you split screen functionality allowing for easy multi tasking. This is especially useful when you are reading through items in your inbox as you get an ‘outlook express’ type view with the messages on one side and the message contents on the other.

LG have ensured that web browsing and communication (whether thats text, email etc) smooth and easy. You can save text and images from websites easily and then SMS them to a friend. You could find out local transport times and then send it to a friend via a text or update your schedule with them.

LG BL40 Chocolate Sim Free Overview

* 4inch HD TFT capacitive screen
* 5MP digital camera with auto focus, flash, Schneider-Kreuznach lens and beauty shot * Auto screen rotation with the built in accelerometer
* On board Satellite navigation, Bluetooth and WiFi
* Standard 3.5mm headphone jack

You will be amazed with what you can do once you have a Nintendo Wii mod chip. The Nintendo Wii mod chip essentially opens up some closed doors on your Nintendo Wii allowing you to install additional software and apps.

The basic idea of a Nintendo Wii mod chip is so you can download/burn copied games and play them without restriction, but you can do more than just that. One of my personal favourites is the ability to download emulators for the SNES, Megadrive and Playstation to name a few and kick back with my favorite classic games.

You can watch DivX/XviD video files through your Nintendo Wii with help from the media centre app. You will be able to access your digital library of movies and tv shows by just pointing your WiiMote at the TV.

There are a lot of Nintendo Wii mod chip to choose from, but they generally come in 2 flavors -

Hard Nintendo Wii Mod chip – These are available for anywhere between $50 and $60, but bear in mind they must be soldered into the Nintendo Wii. This is very difficult to do, and may require professional installation at an additional cost as well as voiding your consoles warranty.

Soft Chip – You can buy these for $30 and the soft chip does everything a Nintendo Wii mod chip does. A soft chip is easy to install, you just copy it to your Nintendo Wii unlike a physical Nintendo Wii mod chip. The Soft Chip is cheaper to buy, can be installed by anyone and takes less than 20 minutes to complete

I have been using the soft chip for a few months now, and am more than happy with it. The automated setup process is a breeze, and if you struggle video instructions are provided as well. If for any reason you needed your Nintendo Wii repaired under warranty, you can simply uninstall the soft chip.

This little robot is perfect for a budding nature-lover scientist’s birthday or as a Christmas present. Requiring no battery, this educational kit has 21 parts that can be snapped together to form an airboat, a windmill, a puppy and two different planes, which can all move thanks to a small solar-powered motor. Available for about $15.

2. SimpleTech [re]drive by Hitachi

This energy efficient 500GB Turbo USB 2.0 external hard-drive uses less power than a regular drive and is made with renewable materials (naturally grown bamboo and recyclable aluminum). The bamboo’s natural cooling quality replaces the need for a fan, thus reducing the amount of energy used. It is PC and MAC compatible, automatically switches on and off with your computer, and comes with an Energy Star power adapter. It also includes award-winning Fabrik back-up software. Available for about $85.

3. Crank-powered Rechargeable Batteries by Yanko Design

Most of us already know the crank-powered flashlight or radio. Now rechargeable batteries can be cranked-up back to life, too. These innovative batteries are comprised of the cell (the battery itself) and a capsule with a small built-in hand-crank. Five minutes of winding up will restore 45% of the battery juice (an indicator light shows the level of charge). Not currently available for AA batteries.

4. Solar Clock by Suck UK

Well before clocks as we know them existed, people used sundials. This solar clock too uses the sun to give the time, but it will work at night and during a power outage as well. Sleek, modern-looking and battery-free, it comes with two sets of hands, a short one for free standing, and a long one for wall-mounting. Four different positions possible as the clock can be upright or on its sides. Excellent for a gift or for yourself. Available for about $35.

5. The ‘Ecobutton’ by Brite Ideas Global Ltd

This smart little button is an award-winning retro-fit computer power saving device that selects the lowest power saving mode available while you are away from your screen and keyboard. It sits next to your keyboard, connected to your computer via a USB cable. (MAC users will have to wait a bit longer for a MAC version). Simply press it and your computer goes into “eco-mode”, i.e. the most energy-efficient saving mode available, while you take a break, talk on the phone, go for lunch etc. Come back later and press it again: all your data is restored faster than when in sleep mode, and you can resume what you were previously doing. No data lost, no electricity wasted, carbon footprint reduced. It also displays how much energy and money you have saved by using it. Available for about $20.

Live your fantasy High-tech, super compact gadgets are no more a part of some James Bond fantasy flicks. They can very much be companion to you in your day to day life. Spy-pen 16GB is one such sleek fantasy gadget to equip your hands. This is mini spy pen camera
with Video/Audio recording function (DVR
pen) that is so small that you can conceal it anywhere you want.

Design At the first look Spy-pen 16GB is nothing but a sleek and smart looking pen that you will love to wear in your shirt-pocket. Within its slim body it conceals a camera with built-in batteries to capture any moment you wish.

Key features This tiny pen carries magic-like features within its body. It is one of the smallest DVRs in the world hidden inside an innocent-looking pen. It is actually designed keeping in mind the purpose of investigation in the field of law and media. It has both kinescope and record function. The in-built microphone is powerful enough to record minute sounds. The kinescope can get live evidence. Real time recording with great video and audio quality is a boon as it can give clues to any hidden truth. It also serves as a USB device and can be connected to the computer or any USB compatible electronic device without any driver. The camera has high pixel quality for clear images. It works on battery and does not need any cable, which makes it more convenient.

Pros The USB of this device lies in its size and performance
. It also can be used as a fancy pen. It can serve as a security device in office and home when you are not around. Nobody will ever think that you are actually carrying a camera in your shirt pocket instead of a pen.16GB memory is a real surprise element for such a small device. Record non-stop videos with this amazing device as the battery gives you enough back-up for your work.

Verdict There is hardly any doubt about its performance and utility. You never know when you accidently come across a situation that needs to be recorded, may be while travelling, attending a function or conference or just merely visiting somebody. Such an amazing gadget is made available to you at a surprisingly affordable price. Own this wonder gadget to excel in your field or just to indulge your hobby.

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