Nike PHOTOiD, $135
Part of me thinks this is really stupid. Part of me thinks it's kind of cool. Part of me wants to apologize to you readers for such a shitty analysis—but, regardless, Nike has introduced a new customization platform called PHOTOiD. What does PHOTOiD do? It takes your favorite Instagram photo and “applies the image’s color palette to the likes of a number of Air Max classics – the Air Max 1, Air Max 90, and the Air Max 95,” then spits out a shoe for you to buy online.
Like I said, I have no idea what to think about this. Other than to now say that actually testing it out on the Nike site is a very enjoyable way to kill 5 minutes. (Technology, maaaaan.)
Une Bobine, $29.99
An iPhone charging cord that also looks pretty cool on your desk, the Une Bobine is said to function as an easy way to Facetime hands-free. Make of that what you will.
Mailbox App, $Free
This dumb, stupid app. This dumb, stupid app is coming off a “soft reveal,” meaning if you wanted it, like me, you were stuck on a waitlist for WEEKS behind literally 250,000 people before you got the chance to download the fucking thing. Now, literally a week after I finally got my download code, Mailbox has been made available for everyone… without a wait. I hate all of you.
So what do you get if you download Mailbox? A very useful productivity tool actually, which will immediately replace the generic Mail app on your iPhone. The big hook is that you can save messages for later when they're more important—so if you have an email from a professor that can wait till tomorrow, you hit snooze, and it'll be waiting for you in the morning. I've snoozed many, many emails from the bigwigs here, and I've seen a 48% increase in overall happiness and well-being over the past week.
Highly recommend.
Aaron Dana's Sports Prints, $16.64
Artist Aaron Dana's series of prints are linked by their focus on awesome sports nicknames. There's “Pistol” Pete Maravich (above), “Donnie Baseball” Mattingly, and Chris “Golden Boy” Mullin, among many others. A.C. “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” Green is sorely missing.
Propellerhead Balance, $399
Alright, you wannabe Tim Berglings. If you're trying to DJ and looking for equipment that you can easily move around, this 2-in by 2-out audio interface calls itself versatile AND “award winning,” so you know it's good. Beginners might be happy to note that the Balance works out-of-the-box with any recording software on the market. And its interface is remarkably simple.
American Giant Men's Tees, $20
There's a cult following that surrounds American Giant tees, due mainly to their durability and respectability. You're not going to rock the boat when you show up wearing an American Giant tee. Your shirt isn't going to do the talking for you. It's the anti-Rae Carruth jersey. That's a good thing.
Harmony Ultimate, $349.99
This is ridiculously expensive, but you gotta spend money to… create a home entertainment system so nice you'll never leave your home. The Harmony Ultimate—named after what sounds like an innocent-seeming robot from some sci-fi movie that slowly becomes more evil over time, I think—operates via a tiny Wi-Fi-enabled hub, and it allows you to control with one touch your Xbox and surround sound, or dim your lights, or do many other commands. It's the ultimate in lazy brilliance.
Jomers Pants, $58
It's pretty difficult to snag a pair of hand-picked pants for under $100. You can with Jomers. Said Lance this week:
They're stylish and affordable, high-quality, and feature “lightweight pinwale corduroy, a European-style side-snap closure, double-welt back pockets, and printed liner.” They're available in multiple colors, and are priced at $58–which as any style vet would know, is a tough number to beat.
Probably the best aspect of Jomers is that they're all limited edition–meaning the liners will change by season, as fabric is hand picked directly. Very DIY, very high-class, without being douchey at the same time. All in all, very 2013.
Budweiser Bowtie Can, $Same Shit, Different Bottle
SImilar to Miller's Vortex bottle, the Budweiser Bowtie Can looks to be an “invention” that will spur you to try a different cheap beer from your regular cheap beer, then immediately piss you off because, well, you're just drinking the same shit in a different sized bottle. You can pay for that experience starting May 6.
Boston Marathon Charities, $Various
Finally, I've seen a few different ways to help the victims of Monday's Boston Marathon bombings, and I wanted to pass as many as I could along. The first, and most obvious, is to donate directly to the One Fund Boston, which was announced this week by Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino as a way to financially support the victims and their families of the tragedy. You can also buy this Boston Marathon Adidas shirt or a Dropkick Murphys' “For Boston” tee—all proceeds from both sales go to those affected.
And, I'd be remiss to not also address Texas. I was unfortunately unable to find any charities dedicated to the relatively recent West, Texas explosion, however several readers have pointed out that the city's Red Cross chapter is accepting blood donations. If you're in the area, there are worse ways to spend your time. You can also donate funds directly to the Red Cross, but that's always a good idea.
If you know of any other ways to help out, feel free to email me at andy@brobible.com, or drop your knowledge in the comments.
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