Bike racks have always had problems, unstable gutter mounts, wheel removal issues, fork compatibility, and inability to hook up with OEM crossbars. Yakima’s solution is the HighRoller. This rack does not require the front wheel to be removed and is compatible with almost any bike (ie. road, mountain, cruiser). Pickup the Yakima Universal MightyMounts for your factory rack and the HighRoller setup is a snap. It’s also worth mentioning that Yakima’s customer service is amazing. Retail $179
Shai Agassi explains how we can become independent of oil consumption by 2020. The speech is about 17 minutes long, but worth it if you are interested in the transformation of the automotive landscape. The information he presents about future electric supply chains and overall costs per “e-mile” is simple to understand. For example, use the infrastructure of gas stations to become battery swapping stations since batteries last about 120-150 miles. Some background on Agassi, he was next in line to be CEO of software giant SAP but stepped down in 2007 to form the start-up Better Place. His efforts have gained the support of Nissan-Renault as well the countries of Israel and Denmark. The US administration’s goal to reach 40 mpg fuel economy standards by 2016 is weak sauce. Agassi is confident we can do better, faster, and cheaper. Tesla’s for everyone!
James Jarvis is the mastermind behind Amos Toys, which has brought you characters such as the In-Crowd and Vortigern. King Ken has always been my favorite Jarvis creation. My Pink King Ken never fails to make me smile. The Amos Toys’ blog made an announcement that a limited quantity of King Ken Rugs will be available. The rug design is a collaboration between Amos Japan and Gallery 1950. Available in brong, black, and pink. Pre-sale orders will be accepted until August 29th.
A design by Daniel Korb and made by Herman Miller, this desk inspires creative thinking and just looks plain cool. Keep it simple with a few desk accessories like a 24″ Apple iMac and Anything Design Alarm Clock. Retail $949 (desktop cabinet is additional $329)
Based in Seattle, Washington, Theo Chocolate is the first and only organic and Fair Trade chocolate factory in the country. This means the ingredients are grown sustainably and the growers earn a living wage including access to education for their families. Theo’s factory is also powered by green sources and use sustainable packaging. The end result… fabulous chocolate made with love for the planet and its people. Theo Chocolate can be purchased nationwide from Whole Foods, Pier 1, and REI. If you ever visit Seattle I highly recommend taking the factory tour.
The Ducati Monster is the definition of a street fighter. It has rugged good looks and do anything performance. Plus now there are 13 colors to choose from. Originally I was disappointed with Nicky Hayden for leaving Team Honda, but Ducati’s are art-in-motion and I can’t blame him. My favorite for the Monster 696 is still the pearl white.
The old adage “Dress for Success” is timeless advice. Paul Smith makes it easy with this quality fitted dress shirt from the London collection. Retail $205
Polaris utility vehicles are legendary for build quality and off-road capabilities. For the first time, they are offering an electric vehicle version of the popular Ranger. In my opinion it’s a no brainer, especially for hunting where silence is a premium. For the rest of us it would make an awesome golf cart! Top speed 25 mph and features a 45-mile range on a full charge. Designed to fit in the back of a full-size pickup for easy transport. MSRP $10,699
USA Microsoft Business Site
Polish Microsoft Business site
Can you spot the problem? Bad Microsoft. CNN’s article is pasted below:
Software giant Microsoft apologized Wednesday for the apparent bad judgment that led to the head of a black model being swapped for that of a white model in an online advertisement.
The ad — which showed three business people, one Asian, one white and one black — was altered on Microsoft’s Web site for Poland to place the head of a white man on a black man’s body.
“We apologized, fixed the error and we are looking into how it happened,” said Lou Gellos, a Microsoft spokesman. He said that because the company was still reviewing how the swap occurred he could not comment further. On Microsoft’s official page on the social network site Twitter, a posting calls the swap “a marketing mistake” and offers “sincere apologies.”
