We pick interesting products and trends for you!
If you ever find yourself on the corner of Queen & Bourke Street in Melbourne, Australia – make sure you stop by the The Candy Room. This store isn’t just about sugary sweets, but also about retail design.
Check it out: The Candy Room in Melbourne, Australia.
If you are looking for cool posters to put around your house, check out Calvin Lin’s Superhero Minimalist Collection. Calvin has created 17 pieces of various superheroes from the Marvel and DC Comics universe. Some of heroes include the likes of Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman.
Quick Facts: Each art print cost – $18.00USD. Print Size – 7”x10”
LEGO has put lots Marvel’s Avengers LEGO toys on the retail shelf, but how about some custom “real life-size” Avengers weapons used by the superheroes in the movie? Ken Robichaud made his Avengers tribute with LEGO. The Hawkeye bow and arrows look amazing.
Usually the men’s restroom in public areas are a filthy mess. But maybe a interactive video game can help men shoot straight. Video game company SEGA will introduce the Toylet. You get points for shooting straight.
Teaching your kids at home can be very difficult with all the various distractions of everyday life. Artist/designer Mike Yamada has made it a little easier to teach your children the alphabets with his Zoom Zoo flashcard set. These alphabet flashcards are designed with cartoony animals, retro-style cars, and colorful alphabets.
This might be an odd couple – Danger Mouse and Norah Jones. But they’ve been making an album together called “Little Broken Hearts” and the CD will hit retail outlets tomorrow. It’s a mix of jazzy soul and eclectic beats. Like Adele’s 21 album, Jones gets personal and will sing songs about her ex-boyfriend.
Do you remember as a kid while playing your NES and you said to yourself – “Man, these graphics are so much better than Atari 2600!” Google Maps is also using 8-bit technology too.
2012 is the summer for superhero movies. Malaysia-based artist Marcus has created a set of 11×17 silhouette style superhero posters for Batman, Spiderman & Captain America. The set retails for $40.00USD and shipping costs. The poster is a digital print on 250g Off-White cardstock and comes with no frame.
LACMA – Chris Burden’s Metropolis II
Artist Chris Burden took 4 years to build this complicated city in motion sculpture – Metropolis II. A mix of HO scale train sets, specific built roadways and highway system built around an incredible looking city. Over 100,000 miniature cars speed around the tracks at 240 mph on a magnet system. Check out this really cool mini-documentary:
I love bacon, but this is a spectacle – 1,050 pieces of bacon in this sandwich. The sandwich costs: $80.00USD. The calorie count is over: 74,000.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a hardcore or a causal gamer while growing up as a kid but somehow and someway we’ve bought many video game systems over our lifetimes. I have probably spent over a couple thousand dollars buying and collecting video games for the Sega Saturn alone. I had everything for the Sega Saturn – I had the US console and also the Japanese “white” edition. I had the official Sega light guns for Virtua Cop, the 4MB RAM cart for those classic Capcom, and even SNK 2D fighters and shooters. Plus, I had this crazy cool fighting game – Groove on Fight. And I had the 3D analog controller for Nights and Burning Rangers. As you can tell by now I was a Sega fanboy.
I was going through my attic and found that I still had several gaming systems, like the Atari 7800, Sega CDX and Sega Dreamcast. I still have the sticker price on the Atari 7800 box. Guess how much Kaybee Toys was selling this system? $79.00 USD! Now, after I removed all the cob webs and dusted off the systems, I wanted to get the games I couldn’t get as a kid. Yes, you can go to eBay or Craigslist to find some old games, but where’s a site that’s more accessible and secure to buy old games now? Just recently, about 2 weeks ago, Amazon.com opened a brand new store front called the “Retro Gaming Store.” So now you can buy old video games and gaming systems, and yes, I know Panzer Dragoon RPG for the Saturn is still an expensive game to buy on here, but you can find some other games and systems at reasonable prices. It’s all about shopping around. I am glad that Amazon wants to open a Retro Gaming Store, because I don’t really care to shop at Gamestop.
Do you need a gift for your man? Do you need a gift for your woman? How about a cool geeky USB device?
It does everything!
For Him: Victorinox Flash 64GB, MSRP $400.00USD
How is your man not going to like this? The Superman of tools and even a nerdy dude like me has a Swiss Army knife. This Victorinox Flash has not only a 64GB USB flash unit but also a biometric fingerprint scanner so only you can access your billionaire plans to rule the world. And there is Bluetooth and a laser pointer if you have to do a presentation on why the American youth need to take statistics classes. If you are bored in your cubicle, it also has a nail filer to tame your nails.
Yves Rossy flies into Swiss airspace with a portable jet pack. If you are not familiar with Mr Rossy, well, he flew the English channel back in 2008. Now he’s done it again with this carbon fiber wing pack that has 2 turbine engines.
The Jetman.
I can look like American Idol contestants now!
It seems everybody has their own urban street wear line now. The popular FOX TV show American Idol recently launched their new apparel collection – Authentic Icon. This brand is exclusive to Kohl’s and the collection has a limited run. So if you want to look like that American Idol contestant, head to Kohl’s.
Justin Timberlake becoming Martha Stewart!
The singer-actor-apparel designer is now moving to home decoration. Justin Timberlake will be teaming up with interior designer Estee Stanley and will create an exclusive collection for HomeMint. The products will be available in early May 2012. Yippie, instead of buying Martha Stewart products now, I can buy Justin Timberlake plates and cutlery. Now when we have a family steak dinner I can tell everybody, “I’m using J.T. forks and spoons!”
I have to say this is a really cute and nerdy-cool commercial from Target.
Ever wonder what women carry in their purses? This past Wednesday in London, the Serpentine Gallery explores what’s in their purses put together by Hans-Peter Feldmann. What woman would have someone dig in your private purse – the security blanket that you carry with you? But Hans-Peter did pay to look in each hangbag for €5oo.
My own guided tour!
The Nintendo 3DS and the famous Paris museum, the Louvre, teamed up on a really cool project. Now you have can have your own guided audio/visual tour of the Louvre on the 3DS. If you haven’t been to Paris I suggest if you had time to check this magical city out. I spent around 2 weeks in Paris and let me tell you, it was not enough time (also a really good INXS song). I also spent like 3 days in the Louvre which is truly not much time. The Louvre is so big and has so much art and history. It can be overwhelming.
Happy Hour Dog Bar!
Welcome to our debut Retrenders Spotlight episode! Our host Al Morales takes us around San Francisco for dog friendly places.
To celebrate Disney’s upcoming TRON: Uprising animation series, here’s a TRON themed dance routine. The Japanese dance crew is Wrecking Crew Orchestra. Thanks goes out to gmixalot for letting us know about this!
French designer Jean Paul Gaultier and Diet Coke collab on a bottle. It will not be sold in the US so get it on eBay.
It looks a little like Batman Beyond but with neon blue lights.
Disney XD will be releasing a new animated series this June 2012 – TRON: Uprising.
Do you still have an old NES collecting dust in your closet? Sure you can take it out of the closet anytime and brush the dust off and play those classic Nintendo games. How about a Coffee Table-sized one? It’s a real working joystick that’s a coffee table and controller.
This ain’t for cosplayers but for the street & urban wear cool people.
Bandai recently announced it’s opening Strict G stores around Japan which sells men’s apparel inspired by the Gundam world. Basically Bandai is getting into the wacky and tough streetwear business. At least they will be getting it right by first doing some collabs with top urban wear companies like Alpha and Swans.
Johnny Moreno
Edward Ballar
GuestContributor
kellyannbrooke
Ramon Angel
Al Woo
SW biko
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