Recent Scene

XBMC Media Center Software

XBMC_mediaSW_20100526

Many of us are starting to use our computers more and more to consume music, movies, and even television. The problem with this picture is that not all of us have massive monitors and stereo systems to really enjoy all of this wonderful content. XBMC is media center software that is easy to use, fully customizable, and works on virtually any computer platform. The best part about XBMC? It’s absolutely free. Now you’re probably wondering “That’s nice, how do I get it on my TV?” Well the folks over at LifeHacker wrote up a nice little guide to build a silent and miniscule dedicated media center for about $200. You can read the guide here. Another cool feature with XBMC is that you can even set it up as a video game emulator to play all of those classic ROMs you have floating around your computer.

$FREE DOWNLOAD | Comments Off

X-Train – L.A.-to-Vegas Luxury Train

x_train_1

If any of you are from the LA area, then you’ve probably been wondering when the heck they would create another way to get to Vegas besides flying or driving. Let’s face if, your driving, traffic sucks and the only way to get around that is to leave at times nobody wants to leave. Well the “X” Train (launching late 2011) proposed route plans to link Las Vegas with the Los Angeles area by train. This isn’t your regular train though, the X” Train plans to provide entertainment consisting of a sports bar, food and beverage service and also plans on offering rooms and shows for its passengers. The train is said to take about 5.5 hours but if you’re having fun the whole time, who cares right?

$TBA PressRelease | Comments Off

DigiZoid ZO Personal Subwoofer

DigiZoid-ZO-Personal-Subwoofer

If you haven’t noticed, portable speakers are getting smaller and smaller. It’s crazy how much sound can come from such tiny speakers, however the down side is that there is usually no bass. The DigiZoid ZO Personal Subwoofer is here to change that. It’s not your conventional headphone amplifier, equalizer, or artificially produced 3D sound effect. Instead, the Zo is said to define a new category of sound system – an electronic subwoofer. The Zo fits in your pocket and provides booming audio with 32 bass intensity settings. Unlike anything you’ve heard before, the Zo uses SmartVector sound countering technology which adjusts equalization to provide optimum sound reproduction from any speaker with matched acoustic response.

$99 BUY | Comments Off

Ork Brain Poster

brain

The Chicago designer Jenny Beorkrem has added some new material to the mix with the brain poster. If this poster looks familiar, it’s because you may have seen some of her other typographically screen printed city map posters before, such as Los Angeles and New York City. These posters are definitely a cool way to rep where you’re from.

$18 BUY | Comments Off

empty L.A.

emptyla4-660x395

If you’ve ever spent time in bumper to bumper traffic on the 405, you’ve definitely had the same thoughts as Matt Logue. The Los Angeles-based artist, photographer and animator, after working on the Lord of The Rings Trilogy in New Zealand, has created a visual-essay of sorts based on the premise of an LA without people. The thought of one of the world’s busiest/populated cities being a ghost town is definitely eerie, yet peaceful at the same. One picture that caught our eye was the play ground. The same play ground that was attached to our elementary school. Check out the rest of these awesome pics after the break.
(more…)

Lensbaby Double Glass Optic

Lensbaby_DoubleGlass_Optic_20100319

Lensbaby has all sorts of trick lenses for your DSLR camera and one that stands out to us is their Double Glass Optic. This optical glass is multi coated to allow an incredibly sharp sweet spot for your subject while giving a minimum of diffusion at all aperture settings. You would use this optic to give you some of those artsy shots where the subject of the photo is very crisp and the edges seem to blur out slowly. Here are some examples shot with this optic: Here, Here, and Here.

$85 BUY | Comments Off

a-JAYS Three Earphones

a-JAYS-Three-Earphones

One of your biggest pet peeves are when ear buds get tangled and end up falling out of your ear. The a-JAYS Threes set themselves apart with wide flat cables that won’t tangle and enough silicon sleeves to find the right fit for your ears. They also have a 8.6mm driver that deliver a listening experience far superior to that of the standard ear buds that come with your mp3 player or phone. They also include an in-flight adapter and a sharp glossy carrying case.

$60 BUY | Comments Off

Valve’s Steam Coming to Mac

Steam_For_Mac_20100309

If you haven’t heard of Steam then you don’t play games. Steam is one of the original gamer market places that lets you sample and buy some of the latest games. Steam also hooks you up to their massive multiplayer community to go head to head with your enemies. Coming in April, Steam’s library will be available for Mac users. This is huge news. Games like Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, Portal, and Half-Life will be released for the gaming minority. When April comes around try not to lose all productivity.

$VARIES NEWS | Comments Off

Segmentus Clock by Art Lebedev Studio

Segmentus_Art_Lebedev_20100308

Art Lebedev Studios are one of our favorite tech designers because they always come up with great looking products that highlight the technology rather than mask it. As seen below, Segmentus works by having six sets of two individual legs for each numeral and they rotate to their position according to the current time. We also like the fact that the border surrounding each numeral is slightly translucent so you can sort of see what’s going on behind the scenes. The clock is a pretty large size coming in at 16.9″ wide by 7.3″ high. Our only issue with this clock is that we wish it could be mounted to the wall because it would make a great wall clock. Segmentus isn’t available yet, but we can imagine it won’t be cheap (probably in the $300-$500 range). That probably still won’t stop us because this is awesome.

$TBA SITE | Comments Off

Would You Rather? Overstuffed

Would_you_rather_20100305

If you’re getting to know someone or looking for a conversation starter then check out Would You Rather? Overstuffed. This paper back is filled (stuffed?) with over 1,500 ridiculous questions that will help you get to know someone really quick. The book has different categories such as: sex, what’s your cost?, not quite super powers, immoral dilemmas, and a lot more. Some of these questions include: Would you rather walk like a fashion model all the time or have your hands revert to jazz hands when not in use? Would you rather have a horizontal butt crack or vertically aligned breasts? The questions are seemingly endless.

$10 BUY | Comments Off