Futiro Designer VoIP Handsets Sound As Good As They Look

Above: Futiro's Luna, Terra and Solo



Above: The Futiro Luna

Futiro has three different USB handsets for VoIP (voice over internet protocol), all of which are wonderfully designed and have also been commended for their functionality.

The Futiro range of VoIP phones was highly commended in the recent IDI design awards. The IDI design awards were established in 1997 to celebrate the excellent standard of design achieved by Irish designers. They cover a range of designs and are judged by a distinguished panel of international jurors.


Above : The Futiro Terra

And Mac Life magazine named Futiro's Luna as an editor's choice:

"The Luna sounds as good as it looks"

"Call us shallow, but one of the things we like most about the Futiro Luna is the way it looks. The sleek black crescent is right at home next to our MacBook and black video iPod. (It also collects fingerprints just as easily as the iPod.) The form is a perfect complement to the function, which provided almost everything we wanted in a handset.

The Luna provided the best sound quality of any handset in our testing, especially in Skype-to-Skype calls."

"For those who value form as much as function, the Futiro Luna is a compelling choice."

"The Futiro Luna had that special combination of sleek style and user-friendly functionality that elevated it above the others."
---- Mac Life

Above: The Futiro Solo




Unique Free Standing Design
Handsfree Functionality
Ideal for Conference Calling
SKYPE Compatible - Windows & Mac

Supported Technology:
* H.323 & SIP
* AOL Instant Messenger
* BT Softphone
* Cisco IP Communicator
* eyeBeam
* Gizmo5
* Google Talk
* iChat
* MagicJack
* Microsoft Office Communicator
* Net2Phone
* Polycom PVX
* Siemens optiClient 130s
* SJphone
* Skype
* SwyxIt!
* Vonage Softphone
* Windows Live Messenger
* X-Lite
* Yahoo! Messenger

Learn more about them and buy them here.

Viktor and Rolf New Handbags Hit The Market!

Wacky design duo Viktor & Rolf have released their first plenty talked about handbag collection. Reports that they were coming out with a collection of purses and clutches surfaced on blogs last fall, but they are finally available- at least from the ultra hip store, Colette.



The line is comprised of handbags and clutches for day or night that incorporate their signature design motifs into the handbags by either stamping their logo into the leather or it's attached as a pendant. Their 'bow' is woven into the chain. The 'flowerbomb' diamond shape is either the clasp of the clutch or the stud on a city bag.

The handbag designs at Colette are different (better, actually) than the bags introduced last year on such blogs as Luxist and Fabsugar. And, in expected Viktor & Rolf's irreverent style, each handbag has a fun name: Good Evening, Just A Moment, What's Up, and I'm Fine.






So far, I haven't been able to find them anywhere else (not even Viktor and Rolf's online boutique), so if you want to be an early adopter, get them here.

Don't forget to check out Viktor & Rolf's 2008 fall collection here.

And their wild upside down boutique in Milan here.

Secret Circus Clothing: They're Not Clowning Around

There's a new clothing company whose style is evident in both their website design as well as their products. A little regal, a little rock n' roll, a lot of sparkle, leather and cashmere and you have Secret Circus Clothing. With a youthful, wealthy, hip look and feel, it's bound to be a favorite amongst celebs.




In a goth meets rococco meets royal kind of style, Secret Circus makes tops, denim, leather and accessories for both men and women who like to be noticed. Their clothes are not for the meek or timid, but instead for those who wear them as a badge of honor- or style.



From cashmere hoodies embellished with imagery and text like "beauty kills" (my personal favorite, shown above) to leather jackets studded with Swarovski crystals and ornate text, Secret Circus Clothing is not what you'd call affordable, but certainly what you'd call original and artful.

Some examples of their cashmere tops and hoodies:




Leather jackets and vests embellished with crystals and text:






Denim: Back pockets display the SC logo in gold, black or blue:


The website is a feast for the eyes as well.



Designed by Strange, it has the same look and feel as the clothes and is both easy to navigate and fun to look at.




So, even if you're not in the market for a cashmere hoodie or swarovski studded leather jacket, you may want to check out the site just the same.



If the name of this company sounds familiar, they received a lot of attention when, to launch the company, they auctioned off a pair of diamond emblazoned jeans at this past January's London Fashion Week to an unnamed buyer.



The jeans featured five large diamonds (and ten smaller ones) on the back pocket along with the SC logo.
Two 6.0 carat brilliant cuts
A 4.63 carat marquise cut
A 5.36 carat pear shaped
A 5.09 carat princess cut
and 10 smaller diamonds.
Value? $1.3 million USD, making them the world's most expensive pair of jeans.

UPDATE: Since this post, Secret Circus has changed their site and their look and style. The clothes shown in this post are no longer in their inventory, but you can see what they have here

With A $2,800. Price Tag, This Car Wax Ought To Rub Itself On.

DIVINE -
The world's most exclusive car wax, specially blended for a particular vehicle and particular paint finishes.



Each year, Swissvax blends, for a very limited number of collectors and enthusiasts, a glaze of most exceptional quality containing over 60% by volume of ultra pure Brazilian white carnauba wax.



It is made to order and is specially formulated to meet the paint system of one particular vehicle. Each individual formula comes in its own exclusively hand-crafted packaging, together with a solid Sterling Silver plate bearing the vehicle's details and/ or owner's name. Apply after pre-treating with Cleaner Fluid.



Swissvax is also known as Swizol and Swissol, depending upon the country. Divine is their top of the line product, but they carry many fine waxes that are more affordable for the common folk.

Below is a demonstration of Swissvax Divine on a Lamborghini Murcielago.



Buy it here.
Or here.
Or here.
Or use the United States order form found here.
Visit the Swizol site here.