The Art of Selling Naked - 10 Brilliant Playboy Ads From Around the World

Playboy is a global brand that entertains men around the world with boobs and blondes. You may think that it does not take much advertising creativity to sell photos of naked women. You would be wrong. Here's 10 Great Playboy Ads that Show the Art of Selling Naked:

Take a look at these ads and see whether you think they are effective or exploitative? What about appropriate? Do you think any of these cross the line between being tantalizing and being pornographic?

Playboy Ad 1. Online - Global

This is a viral ad that was used on the internet to direct consumers to the Playboy website.All it does is show the image of a woman's hand on a computer mouse, right? Does the image grab you? Did you see the subliminal image in it instantly or did it take a while? Did you find it obvious or subtle?

Source: Trendhunter

Playboy Ad 2: Playboy Mirror Doormat - Unknown Country

This ad program placed mirrored doormats for Playboy, so that all eyes can see up a passing woman's skirt. Brilliant or beyond offensive?

Source: Haha.nu

Playboy Ad 3. Hairy and Happy - Brazil

This print ad from Brazil reads: "1975/2006. 31 years of Playboy in Brasil." The picture is worth 1,000 words. With the simple use of a few black squiggles on plain white paper, the ad conveys the passing of 30 years.

Source: OneDigitalLife

Playboy Ad 4. Lay Me Down - Argentina

In Argentina, towels resembling the cover of a Playboy Magazine were playfully completed when beautiful women lay on them.

Source: Ads of the World

Playboy Ad 5. Playboy Supports PETA - Brazil

This PETA ad shows Playboy's support of the cause not only by their logo but also by the models. Skin for skin.

Source: Ads of the World

Playboy Ad 6. Every Man's Dream - Portugal

To promote the Playboy Channel, this print ad reads: Every man's dream for only €7,20 a month
Playboy channel. Subscribe now. Using the obvious lust many men would feel for a stunning car, the ad playfully teases with the TV on the hot car. So, are they talking the hot car or the hot channel?

Source: Ads of the World

Playboy Ad 7. Wet White T-Shirts - Germany

Every man must pray for rain in Germany! This billboard is rather innocent when dry but shows a revealing image when it's raining and the T-shirt gets wet!

Billboard When Dry

When Wet, It's Too Revealing for Us!

Source: Cubeme

Playboy Ad 8. Playboy without Nudity? - Germany

This outdoor billboard is designed to be kid-friendly during the day with just the logo and the “PLAYBOY” trademark visible on a golden background. However, when lit up at night , a more revealing image is created together with the “PLAYB0Y” becoming “PLAY, BOY!”. Nice form of subliminal advertising?

Source: Trendhunter

Playboy Ad 9. Attention Grabber - Germany

This ad uses the bodies of partially nude hot girls to read: Who says men don't like reading?

Source: Trendhunter

Playboy Ad 10. Get Your Hands on Playboy dot com

I could not find out much information about this ad, but I thought it was simple yet playful so I thought it worthy of including here.

Source: Adverbox

Anti- Playboy Ad 11. Say No to Porn - UAE

This is a bonus post, above and beyond the 10 I promised, since this ad is not strictly an ad for Playboy, but one that uses the infamous Playboy logo to advocate against porn.

This clever ad is from UAE. Al-Bayan Newspaper used this as as a public service announcement encouraging citizens to uphold morality and maintain public decorum. The Playboy symbol, slightly modified, forms the word “NO” in Arabic.

Source: KickMedia

So, what do you think of these Playboy ads? Which is your favorite? Do you think the ad folks were creative in creating interest for Playboy product?

If you like this article, could you please help me out by emailing it to your friends or linking to it on your favorite site? Thanks!

A Fighter Jet Inspired Jet Trike

Not everyone can fly a jet fighter. But if you put your mind and wallet to it, you can come close. Which is exactly what Rich Hanner of Philadelphia, PA decided to do. The final result was a Jet-Trike modeled after an F-14 Tomcat that turns more than a few heads.

Project "Frisbee" took about 13 months to fully complete and has a list of neat little features. The canopy is lifted and lowered by a hydraulic mechanism and give the driver and single passenger a "birds-eye view" of traffic. Air-conditioning was a must have as well as a fully adjustable wing-span that maxes out at a full 15ft. Obviously the latter being for shows only.

The front end is originally from a Honda Motorcycle and the rear from an Acura Sedan. The powerplant was also borrowed from the Acura. The instrument cluster came from an actual jet along with some of the other interior parts.

When asked why he built "Project Frisbee," Hanner said he "make it just for the heck of it."

From : /index.html" target=_blank rel=nofollow>NBC10-Local News

Beauty Treatment From Japan Made of Bird Poo

Smooth as a baby's bottom - thanks to what comes out of a bird's bottom
If you've ever wanted to get shi*t-faced without drinking a drop, then ladies, we've got what you need. It's called "Uguisu no Fun", and I would have to agree... how much fun could it be to plaster your face with bird excrement?

"Uguisu" is the famous Japanese nightingale whose distinctive call adds an exotic note to any forest walk or mountain hike. The noble nightingale was and is appreciated for another, less obvious reason. Somehow, and I can't even imagine how or why it first happened, nightingale poop became a beauty enhancer for women. No BS... well, at least not the kind that comes from bulls.

The straight poop on Geisha make-up
Uguisu no Fun's main effect - that being bleaching and exfoliating the skin - is a result of Guanine, a naturally occurring enzyme found in nightingale droppings. Kabuki actors and high-ranking geisha girls have always prized it as the best way to remove their heavy makeup while leaving their high-priced skin smooth and supple.



Word of the unusual yet effective face treatment has spread to other countries as well. "We have been trying the nightingale facial out and it has been an unbelievable success for treating tortured, dull and sun-damaged skin." So says Hari Salem, owner of Hari's in Knightsbridge, West London. "The droppings, which are applied as a mask with Japanese white clay, are completely safe and treated under UV light to remove bacteria." They are also (supposedly) "fragrance free"... thank goodness for small blessings!

Going to the source...
If you want to go to the source... no, not by following nightingales around, but by shopping in Japan, Uguisu no Fun is available at Japanese cosmetic stores though it's not cheep, er, cheap.

Odd though, if Japan really is concerned about the nation's dropping (sorry) birthrate, does it really need women slathering bird poop on their faces? Seems like hubby-san will be hard pressed to give his wife much more than a "peck" on the cheek... no matter how smooth it is. (product page @ ChidoriyaWorld)

Humorous Stop Signs are A "No Go"

Stop signs are a part of everyday life. You can't go more than a few blocks in any direction without seeing a handful. So it's no surprise that sometimes we begin to ignore them. Which is why residents of Oak Lawn, Illinois had no issue when some additional "stopping power" was put into place.

Such a thing came in the form of an additional sign under the stop sign that quoted some easily recognizable phrases associated with "Stop!". Some examples can be seen here:

Who can forget the 1965 single by the Supremes?John Wayne's Famous Quote

A few others not pictured above include, "and smell the roses," "collaborate and listen," "means your not moving" and "Hammer Time!!"

Most of the town, including the Mayor, found them to be amusing and saw no issue in allowing them to stay. Sadly, the Illinios Department of Transportation didn't not share the same opinion. They claimed it was in violation of the Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and needed to be removed ASAP. Since federal funding for projects could be paused, the town decided it was best to remove the $1,700 worth of amusement. Tragic.

Via : Associate Press

Experiences, Our Best Invention Resources

Today few of us live or work in a place that isn't influenced in some way or another by the pace of the global innovation, changes in worldwide events and the convenience of infinite information at our fingertips. Life bustles along at a faster pace each day allowing us to experience many new products, processes and innovations, oftentimes, more than we may need or want to know about. Where does an inventor who wants to innovate, create and improve products seek out their best potential? Must we re-tool our thinking and change often? Where do our ideas come from and where do we look for them?

Finding the answers to these questions is in itself a research or design project. As an inventor, I must continuously re-invent myself, use tools and experiences to define who I am and how I approach problem solving. The tools we use today allow us to work globally from our office or home, our experiences and knowledge define the world we live in and the problems we solve relate directly to our circle of life and its circumstances. When we discover a problem that needs a better solution, we must start the innovation process positively and objectively.

As often as it happens, I am surprisingly pleased when I promptly discover my innovation or invention already exists. This enables me to move forward onto another idea saving valuable time that could have been spent non-productively. I have a passion for designing new products and I enjoy the research and development process because there are always new things to discover and learn. I do make a habit of doing "keyword" searches using several search engines and comparison product shopping to determine what's out there and what path my innovation should take, if any, to secure a unique niche in the market.

It is apparent that many inventors utilize their experiences, lifestyles or careers to create new ideas; this is their curve of knowledge or experience. New experiences and events are opportunities to make positive changes or to simply reinforce your existing perspective based on previous experiences. Positive change or re-inventing yourself often is an asset to the creative process.

In the eighties, I worked for CBS Networks. CBS, the successful media giant, chose to pursue an interest in the Toy and Game Industries. Being in the TV entertainment business, CBS had acquired several magazine and publication companies to add to its media collection and it became apparent that toy and game products may have been the next form of entertainment for their mass market audience. Some of the companies it acquired were Ideal Toys, Child Guidance and Wonder Horse to name a few.

One of the innovative things we did as a new product development entity, which consisted of marketing, design, creative services and engineering, was to meet quarterly in the Manhattan headquarters to have new product " brainstorm" sessions. These sessions were held in a conference room with no windows, meals were brought in and we were expected to contribute as much as possible based on our experience. What I like best about these sessions were: they were held over a 3 days period, there were no "off limits" to new ideas and no one was permitted to say anything negative about another's idea and all potential product possibilities were explored. All were encouraged to use our circle of knowledge for positive feedback and determine ways to make the product more exciting and eventually a reality. As a result of these sessions, we initiated several exciting new product lines that were extremely innovative and we brought several technologies into the Toy Industry that never existed before.

This experience changed my way of thinking and has helped me to see positive qualities and benefits in the ideas and visions of others.

Since then, I have had numerous other opportunities to re-tool my thinking. More recently, I have had new opportunities and experiences that changed my thinking: I have been a consulting panelist for the Big Idea Group, a national invention search firm, I was selected as a guest for Koku , my all in one cutting board invention, to be on a 14 week series for PBS-TV (in the USA) for a show called Everyday Edison's, I have had products on QVC and I have been pleased to see numerous products I designed on store shelves worldwide. Other areas of my life that have contributed to my curve of knowledge have been: traveling with my wife, spending weekends on college campuses with my (2) older children, coaching middle school football, being a handyman, getting a new pet and volunteering on church building programs. All these experiences have contributed to changing my thinking and have giving me a new curve of knowledge for innovating new products.

Joe Casale
DesignGroup1.com
Guest Blogger
InventorSpot.com

* * * * *

Our guest blogger, Joe Casale, is an Industrial Designer with an eye for innovation whose experience has proven effective in developing and licensing new product concepts. You can reach him at DesignGroup1.com.

Got Allergies? Stick a Filter Up Your Nose

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been allergic to polluted air. Leave me breathing fumes for a few hours and I’ll be suffering from constant cough and cold for the whole month—no kidding. While my doctor keeps prescribing me medicine, Bio International Japan concentrates on physically blocking the allergens out. As some might know, it isn’t deemed as strange in Japan to go around wearing face masks if you want to, but thankfully, Bio International has a better alternative. As you might have guessed from the pictures, the device in question is meant to be stuck up one’s nostrils. Not quite as appealing when said out loud, but it actually makes for quite a discreet anti-allergen gadget.

Called the Nose Mask Pit , said U-shaped device is equipped with filters which are the ones responsible for its functionality. The filters, of course, come in various sizes, with the recommendation to get a size slightly larger than the girth of your nostrils for it to be a snug fit. Now, before anyone reacts that reusing the stuff is unsanitary, the device actually comes with a set of filters so you can change them when you need it. It’ definitely not as obvious as a face mask and it seems to be a sensible tool, but walking around with something stuck up my nose isn’t my thing, so I think I’ll stick to medicine, thank you very much. Anyone interested though can check it out for sale at the Bio International web site for approximately $14.

Source: DVICE

Three Unusual Inventions for Your Head

Many strange things in history have been invented to make a task easier or to just have some fun. Here are three such inventions - all unusual and designed for problems of the head.

Tipping-hat

Tipping-hat
It almost goes without saying that the late 19th century was a very different period in history than today. For instance, men wore hats much more often than they do now. It was courtesy for a man to tip his hat in greeting to a woman as they met. But what would happen if the man had his hands full and couldn't tip his hat? James Boyle asked himself that question and, concerned about perceived rudeness, invented the tipping-hat in 1896. This invention was a hat that could tip automatically, without the wearer needing to touch it in any way.

The secret to Boyle's tipping-hat was its arm and ball pendulum mechanism. The mechanism was wound up and fastened to a hat of choice, secured by curved springs. To operate this invention, the wearer needed merely to make a slight nod. Then, the mechanism would shift, tipping the hat. The mechanism would then shift back around and reverse the tipping motion. James Boyle's tipping-hat may well be history's most polite invention.

Toy hat

In 1966, video games were a few years from popularity, so parents at that time probably still believed their child's imagination was fully intact. This could explain the invention of the toy hat. This hat was strapped to the child's head and a long streamer attached to its top. The aim of this rudimentary toy was equally as simple. The child was to spin his or her head around, thereby causing the streamer to do the same.
Toy hat
The toy hat's inventor most likely intended for the child to be dazzled by the colourful streamer. Unfortunately, this invention's demise may have been due to the possibility of eye injury, dizziness or headaches - three things that toy inventors should stay away from!

Hair-cutting machineHair-cutting (or burning) machine

The experience of having one's hair cut can be stressful for many. Whether it was to alleviate the stress of visiting the barber, or in the interest of saving people some money, John Boax invented this hair-cutting machine in 1951. This invention is a misnomer, because rather than cutting the hair, it shortened it with heat. Using an air exhaust system, the machine would suck the wearer's hair up through a series of holes. At this point, electric coils would burn the hair off at the desired length.

Boax wasn't without a marketing plan for his invention. He envisioned, "a set of masks of various sizes and shapes [to] be provided to suit different sizes and shapes of heads as well as to provide for different lengths of hair." However, despite all his best planning, Boax's invention did not see widespread popularity. Not only was it large and unwieldy, but it posed serious risks of burns and electric shocks!

Source and images:
Jim Murphy. Weird & Wacky Inventions. New York: Crown Publishers, 1978.

Clean Baby - Great Invention for Mother's Day

Have you ever seen a kid so dirty you wish you could just tie him up to a tree and spray him down? Or perhaps the kid in question is too young for such measures, so you think about grabbing the child by the shoulders (neck?) and repeatedly dipping him into a warm tub filled with soapy water. Unfortunately, the modern tub is too big to accommodate little tykes safely for either method.

Once again the United States Patent Office comes to the rescue of American families everywhere; this time with its patent for the Stand Up and Stand Still Baby Shower. The baby shower is a modified version of the tying your kid to a tree and hosing him down approach. You simply prop your child in the restrictive tub effectively rendering him powerless to do anything but stand up straight.

Automatic Baby Bottom Cleaner

Now that little Johnny is nice and still you turn the knob and a showerhead, strategically angled directly at your kid's butt, lets out a blast. And since you're not behaving like a contortionist trying to hold her kid still while she tries to bathe him, you can actually play with your kid without worrying about dropping, or worse yet, drowning him!

This Mother's Day why not treat yourself, or another mom, to the Stand Up and Stand Still Baby Shower? Not only is it a nice thing for mommy and baby, but also less stressful bath time now is sure to result in less psychoanalysis for Junior later! It's win win for everyone - except the therapists of course, but who cares about them?

Image Source:
blog.360.yahoo.com

The Uno Electric Cycle : Fun and EcoFriendly

Two wheels may be better than 4, but are 2 wheels side-by-side better than 2 in a row? The Uno, which ironically has 2 wheels, is not your normal electric cycle and if put into production, could change how we get around in the city.

This neat little cycle came from the mind of 18-year-old Canadian inventor Ben Gulak. He took some of the same principals used by the Segway Scooter and incorporated them into a much more appealing design. The Uno rides on a pair of wheels, placed side-by-side, that are still independent of each other which will make turning easier. As with the Segway, you transfer your weight in the direction you wish to move, and the farther you lean, the faster you will go. According to Mr. Gulak, the Uno currently has a top speed of 25mph.

The bike is fairly easy to ride, but "takes a bit of getting used to because you have to learn to trust it." By using some additional gyro's the task of staying in the upright position becomes easier. It has a running time of about 2 1/2 hours and works very well for people who have to travel through crowded areas to get to work.

Ben Gulak is currently seeking investors to help him get the Uno into production.

Source : Winding Road

Scientists Create Apple That Doesn’t Brown

Sometimes you may just want a few bites of an apple, but you feel compelled to stuff down the whole thing since otherwise you'd just have to throw it away.

Picture of an ordinary apple. Now, researchers have created an apple that can be saved without turning brown, which usually occurs due to oxidation reactions. The new apple supposedly takes on a pale pinkish color for several hours after being exposed to air, but doesn't turn brown until much later than normal.

Researchers from Australia bred the apple naturally from a combination of Golden Delicious and Lady Williams varieties.

The researchers plan to sell the apple under the name Enchanted. Since the apple is produced without genetic modification, it will likely be sold throughout the world. Kim Chance, Western Australia's state agriculture minister, suggested that the apple would be popular for lunch boxes and on serving platters.

via: PhysOrg.com

Computers in the Palm of Your Hand - Computerized Combat Glove

Many of us are familiar with the Heads Up Display, built-in computer mapping, and automatic communications capabilities that accompany the main characters' of modern-day popular video games. In games like Halo or Crysis, the main character is a soldier wearing an exceptional piece of armor that grants him special abilities. Now, thanks to the efforts of a company called Rallypoint , a recent startup by MIT students, computer technology for soldiers is taking a large step forward with the Handwear Computer Input Device (HCID).

The HCID is a glove designed to allow soldiers to urilize their wearable computers while still holding their weapons or other gear. The HCID grants the wearer the ability to display digital maps, send commands, and communicate all via a small push-button activation system sewn right into the fabric of the glove. This particular device could be a big deal for soldiers particularly because it would allow them to maintain their ready and alert status. Previous wearable computer-like devices have required the soldiers to manipulate more familiar computer input devices like keyboards or mice, thus making them put down their weapons.

Wearable computer systems often require a helmet-mounted display and a belt to hold the remaining components. The HCID allows the soldier to interact with these components by an intricate sensor and push button system sewn into the fingers of the glove. The soldier can control it all from radio frequencies to digital maps to "mouse mode," where the solider can use his finger to manipulate data shown to him on his helmet mounted display.

Says Thad Starner, an associate professor of computing at Georgia Tech University and one of those at the forefront of wearable computer systems, "The problem with most new soldier technologies is that people are trying to do too much. Land Warrior, a wearable computer system built by the U.S. Army last year, was full of cords, batteries, and hardware that weighed almost 17 pounds. It was an overkill of features, and the military stripped it down to its most essential parts..."

Rallypoint has created something different and perhaps even useful with their HCID technology. Any device that can give our troops a tactical advantage over their enemies is a good thing in my book.

Via Technology Review

11 Eco-Innovative Gifts For Mom

This year, you could go for the organic bouquet, eco-chocolate, organic clothing, recycled jewelry, tree donation, organic fruit delivery to a green spa gift ideas, if you would like. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these gifts. They are wonderful for the environment and for your mother, but the greener we become the more options we have and you should know about those options. So, if this year you want something a little more unique for your mom take a look at the gifts below.

Green Gift for Mom 1. Egglings Grow Plants Not Birds

For the gardening mom how about giving her some Egglings. They're cute, organic, biodegrable and symbolize growth and life. She will crack open these ceramic eggs and see inside organic soil. Inside is a seed (wild strawberry, mint and petunia) Once the Egglings have roots they can be replanted outdoors. The shell is biodegradable. You can buy these at Amazon .

Green Gift for Mom 2. Bike Riding Mom

On mother's day this year make sure to remember to encourage your mom to keep riding her bike to work and everywhere else. It's not only good for the environment, but her health too. To support her even more give her an eco-basket for her bike like this one. The basket is made from old packaging tape. It has two handles so that it can be used as a shopping basket and two straps so that it can be attached to your bike.

Green Gift for Mom 3. Plant in a Frame

Does your mom like art? Does she like live plants too? Why not give your mom one of these. It is a combo of her two passions. It is a Plant in Frame. Prairie grass seeds are included and will grow in the frame. The frame can be wall-mounted or placed on a table or in a window.

Green Gift for Mom 4. Pool Table Balls And Spices

For the Mom who loves pool and spicing up her food give her some balls, pool balls that is. These are recycled pool balls made into salt and peppershakers. UK designer Alex Turner created the salt and peppershakers. One cue ball is for salt and one 8 ball is for pepper. The balls have had a cylinder drilled out of them and the bases ground down so that they sit flatly onto a table.

Green Gift for Mom 5. Elephant Dung Fancy Memo Book

For the writing or journaling mom (me) that always appreciates beautiful innovative notebooks (Hint! Hint!) give her this crafted memo book, made from elephant dung and recycled paper. She wont be disappointed. She may be disgusted at first, but when she sees and feels it she will be amazed at what can be recycled these days?

Green Gift for Mom 6. The Chef Mom and Her Eco-Pan

As a mom I personally don't like to receive kitchen items as a gift. To be honest it's a bit insulting, but there are exceptions when a gift like this is okay. For example, where I a chef who loved innovative kitchen items and better yet an environmentally friendly chef that loved eco-innovative kitchen items than this green frying pan would be awesome. The body of the Green Planet cookware is made from 50% re-cycled aluminum, which in itself is 100% recyclable. The riveted bamboo handle is a natural material selected and harvested from nominated and managed bamboo farms. You can find these at Amazon .

Green Gift for Mom 7. Outdoor Rug As Pretty As Indoor Rugs

This looks like an ordinary rug right? It's not. Its Turkish design is woven from threads of plastic bottles, milk containers bubble packaging, and more. Notice the amazing blue color. The rug won't mildew or stain. It sheds water instantly, and the designs are reversible.

Green Gift for Mom 8. Lawn Chair-Seriously!

Does you mom like to sit out on the lawn? The patio won't do for her because it's not close enough to nature, to the soft green grass? How about giving her a lawn chair, but not just any lawn chair, a Terra Chair? A bit of assembly and a sprinkling of water and her chair will grow in her very own yard.

Green Gift for Mom 9. Eat off of Recycled Glass

Does your mom like to adorn her beautiful well-decorated table with fancy dishes to show her family and friends when they come to dinner? Why not show your mom that she can continue to have her elegance, but in a more environmentally friendly way. Buy her an elegant set of frosted recycled glass plates. These recycled glass plates are handcrafted in western Pennsylvania. Each plate sold, 10 % of the profits go to benefit CASA. CASA provides community volunteers to advocate in court for children who are victims of abuse or neglect.

Green Gift for Mom 10. Green Lemonaide Not Drinkable

Give your mom a head start to her wish of living a greener life. Make it easier for her and invest in a Toolkit (1 or 2) from Green Lemonaide. Toolkit 1 includes a reusable tote, a smart strip surge protector, a tire pressure gauge, two sink aerators, two compact fluorescent light bulbs, a shorter shower timer, and some biodegradable doggie "business" bags.

Green Gift for Mom 11. Mixed Greens

Mixed Greens from Enviroblog (latest science and news on toxins in your food, water, and air, and what government agencies should be doing to protect public health) is a neat feature for busy moms that want the latest and greatest on green health. Sign your mom up to Mixed Greens. You can subscribe in iTunes or in a reader, or have her listen right here in your browser. Then slip a little note of what you did into the green gift you decided to give her.

I hope these green gift ideas are helpful. May mothers feel appreciated and loved this year. Happy Mother's Day!

The Answer to Gridlock in the Next Decade

So I was heading across Denver the other day and in the process I must have seen a dozen Smart for2's. So I started to think about how amusing traffic jams are going to look in the next 10 or 15 years. Assuming all of these concept cars make it into production.

Audi Snook Concept Car

Before you erupt into laughter, it should be duly noted that this concept took first place Michelin Challenge Design Award at the Detroit Autoshow this year. This example of a "personal mobility vehicle" uses a a set of gyrospheres to stabilize itself on a single contact point. It rides on a motorized ball that allows for some very precise and agile handling. It might also take some customers away from Segway.

Scion Sports Coupe Concept

The Sports coupe is a deign that you either love or hate. The stying is modern, yet simple for the most part. According to a press release, it combines "entertainment, digital technology, and versatility into one sinister looking package." The jury is still out on that one. I can't really say I understand the rear cargo area. It looks like it could be used for seating as well as hauling groceries, but why?

City Transport Cell Concept

The City Transport Cell by Volkswagen is among a growing number of person transportation devices. It is a plug-in vehicle intended solely for short-range urban use. It produces no emissions and can be easily repaired thanks to a "puzzle-piece" design. The interior is also customizable by using the same snap together design.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Concept

So just in case the tiny little pods aren't you style, Toyota designed a smaller SUV, more similar to the RAV4, that should be enough to keep you busy. According to Toyota spokespeople, it is only "Urban" in name. It has all the capabilities of a normal SUV, just smaller to give it more maneuverability in the "Urban Jungle."

Smart For2....Finally

The Smart For2 has been out and about for a while now, but for some reason we still love to talk about it. Originally designed for easy parking and affordability, the For2 has been under some heavy criticism over it's Crash Test Ratings. It just became available to the US this year as it finally passed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests.

Scion Hako Coupe Concept

The Hako Coupe Concept has been met with very little appreciation. Most people have written it off as a slightly modified Scion xB. Its boxy shape and unexciting lines didn't bode well with the judges either. According to the Scion Designers, their inspiration came straight from global youth-inspired trends. How well the study was conducted and where all they went it still open for debate.

Toyota Hi-TC Concept

An interesting concept from Toyota that can best be described as a Golf Cart they rear-ended a Nissan Frontier. It also uses plug-in Hybrid technology for power, which means no emissions and a short operating range. Power goes to all 4 wheels through 4 independent electric motors. The interior is roomy and simple and provides easy operation with little driver input.

Cadillac CTS

For when you really want to show up in style, the Cadillac CTS (shown above) or CTS Coupe are the way to go. They aren't really concepts anymore, but when it comes to cruising downtown, it's hard ot beat a Caddy. With over 300 horsepower going to all 4 wheels and still getting 26 highway miles per gallon, it doens't do all that bad from an environmental standpoint.

Of course there are many more that could also be included into this group. These are just the most intersting to imagine stuck in traffic.

From : AutoBlog , Jalopnik , AutoBlogGreen

Chill Out With Wine Chilled To Perfection

Most of us don't have wine cellars or even wine refrigerators in our homes. But, never mind; the Ravi Instant Wine Chiller chills your wine in just a few seconds, takes up infinitely less space, and saves you a whole lot of money. So chill out! You can drink your wine as you like it.

Invented by Canadian Michel Dallaire, the Ravi looks like a wine pourer with a stopper for the wine bottle. Those functions are accurate, but the wine pourer is actually the chilly component of the Ravi through which the wine must pass. Kept in your freezer for ready access when needed, the Ravi not only pours the wine, but chills it to its perfect drinking temperature!

Made primarily for red wines, the Ravi has controls for just the variety of wine you are drinking. If your choice of wine is a young red varietal, like a Beaujolais or young Bordeaux, the proper drinking temperature is between 12° and 15°Celsius (53° - 59° Fahrenheit). If the wine is more mature, like a Burgundy or fine Bordeaux, the perfect temperatures for serving would be between 16° and 18° C (60° - 64° F).

Here is an interesting chart showing the temperature effects of the Ravi on a red wine, compared to that of serving from a wine cellar storage or after the bottle has been kept in an ice bucket.

If you are currently serving red wines at room temperature, let's say at 21° to 24° C (70° - 74° F), you are likely missing out on the best taste of your wine, because at room temperature the alcohol overtakes the taste of fruit, spices, and barrel so distinguishing in each wine. Using the Ravi Instant Wine Chiller, you can serve wine at optimum temperature for its particular variety and, if poured within an hour of freezing, the wine will be chilled exactly as it was meant to be tasted.

White wines are consumed at cooler temperatures than reds, so whites are generally chilled in regular kitchen refrigerators, kept at about 1.7° to 3.3° Celsius (35° - 38° Fahrenheit). The Ravi will not chill a wine to a temperature lower than 12°C (53° F), but it certainly can be used to pour and chill white wine if the wine bottle has been standing around too long without a wine cooler or ice bucket to chill it.

For $49.95, the Ravi promises a little change in lifestyle that may help a red wine drinker you know chill out. The Ravi is available online at The Wine Enthusiast or in many stores throughout Canada and through Amazon .

Source: Ravi via Kaboodle

Indian Premier League - The icon's burden

The money, the freedom to build their own teams, and the challenge of testing themselves in Twenty20 have brought several problems for the big stars

Sambit Bal - May 1, 2008

VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly produced their most substantial performances of the tournament today, but, ironically, neither was substantial enough to secure victory for their teams. Was it a coincidence, or does there lie a bigger tale?

Ganguly's was a battling performance. His highest score of the tournament had been 14; his team had had two successive batting failures; and two of his major batsmen had gone home, leaving him to carry the innings. With his team chasing a tough target, he came out to open, and from the way he went about the job it seemed he had set his mind on batting through.

But as the overs ticked by, the asking rate, which started at an intimidating 10, kept creeping up and at the halfway stage, it was clear that desperate measures were needed. Ganguly was still there, on 30 at more than a run a ball. But that he had only faced 26 balls told a story: batsmen who take control usually manage to corner the strike. And it wasn't as if runs were raining at the other end.

Ganguly nearly holed out trying to up the pace, but Yusuf Pathan tripped over the ropes to give him a six, and an over later he earned himself a reprieve by coaxing the umpire to refer a catch that Graeme Smith claimed at deep midwicket for a replay, which, as it mostly does in such circumstances, was inconclusive. But he went cursing himself in the next over when Mohammad Kaif kept his balance to complete a catch on the boundary. There was an air of inevitability about that dismissal.

Laxman, by all accounts, played a delightful innings. It was very Laxman-like, crisp and wristy, and by his standards in the shorter versions, it was also furious. But he fell before the job was done, ironically, for the second time in three innings, to a legspinner. And his dismissal led to a slump from which the Deccan Chargers never fully recovered despite an innings of pure and precise hitting from Rohit Sharma. It was always evident that they finished at least 20 short.

Elsewhere, Rahul Dravid is grappling with his own nightmares. He has twice been dismissed first ball, and has been out slogging, flicking, pulling and hoicking in the most un-Dravid manner. His team languishes at the bottom having been outplayed thrice and once muffing up a match they seemed to have in their grasp.

Each of these batsmen seem to be getting better as the tournament progresses, but the problem is that run-a-ball 30s are simply not good enough. Not even 40-ball 50s. The impact innings of the tournament have been blazing hundreds. It is increasingly apparent that the innings that really matter are either the big ones or blinding cameos. Curiously, Ganguly's most meaningful innings so far has been the 30-ball 14 in the low-scoring thriller against the Deccan Chargers. It prevented a free-fall on a vicious pitch and helped his team scrape through.

And Sachin Tendulkar, the biggest icon of them all, already has a mountain to climb even before he has played his first match. Even though the Mumbai Indians won their first game the other night, they are clearly behind the front-runners and their batting needs a saviour. Tendulkar has had to deal with massive expectations all his life, but he is a newcomer to this form of the game, which is not always known to reward genius.

Call it the icons' burden.

It is ironic that four players who were not part of India's epochal victory at the World Twenty20 have been charged with the gravest of responsibilities for a Twenty20 tournament that promises to revolutionalise cricket. Three of them - Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman - are no longer considered good enough by the national selectors for the 50-over game, and Tendulkar had himself withdrawn from the World Twenty20. Yet, without them the concept of city-based franchises was a non-starter. They were needed not only as anchors and leaders, and for star value, but to give the concept elementary legitimacy.

Nor can they be blamed for accepting the job. The money was always hard to resist, and there need be no moralising about it: cricketers don't inhabit a different planet. But there was also the challenge of being part of a new idea, the chance of shaping a team with a freedom not usually granted due to national boundaries, and also a curiosity to test oneself in a different form.

But each of these factors have brought their own burdens. Having chosen to expose themselves to a form of the game that doesn't do justice to their great skills, it is their obligation to adapt. And having been anointed icons (all barring Laxman), and thus being the highest paid player in the team, it is inevitable that their performances will be measured against their value.

Twenty20 lacks many finer aspects of Test cricket. It lacks scope and scale; context and vision; intellect and subtlety. But it is not merely a hit-and-giggle. Slowly a pattern is emerging in batting. Of course, power is a big factor, but it is becoming increasingly evident that batsmen who rely more on hand-eye coordination are likely to have a greater chance of success. They are not necessarily lesser batsmen, but they are certainly different.

Should a group of players who have established their worth in the highest and, to many, the most demanding, form of the game, allow themselves to be belittled by a form that has little regard for their magnificent skills? It is a question they might confront soon if they haven't asked it to themselves already.

Sambit Bal is the editor of Cricinfo

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