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The latest menswear accessory is a Surface Book
As the line between fashion and technology continues to blur, Microsoft Japan is taking the well-trodden path of fashion collaboration to promote its Surface Book and tablets. Microsoft has claimed a corner of the upscale department store Isetan Men's in Shinjuku, Tokyo, stocking its hybrid PCs next to pricey fashion items. There's also a digital "hologram" mirror, which shoppers can use to see how they look in 360-degrees. Shop attendants scan you with a Surface -- of course -- while a platform spins you around. The results are then beamed to a floating display so that you can see how you really look. Browse the department store collaboration for yourself in our gallery:
Japan's leading designers combine to create the latest Infobar smartphone
Japanese carrier au by KDDI has been creating tech-as-art for well over a decade with its Infobar line of phones. After starting with a stylish-but-dumb cameraphone in 2003, the brand began offering fully-fledged smartphones with the A01 back in 2011. It's now back with the third iteration of the A series, the A03, and it's as pretty as ever. Industrial design for the latest Infobar comes from minimalist product designer Naoto Fukasawa, who has worked on the range since its inception, and also created Muji's wall-mounted CD player, part of the MoMA's permanent collection. After the uncharacteristically bland A02, the A03 returns to Infobar's more colorful roots. Encased in anodized aluminum, the A03 has a 4.5-inch 1080p display, 13-megapixel camera, 16GB of storage (expandable with microSD) and capacitive keys for navigation. It's available in a number of hues, but our favorite is undoubtably "nishikigoi," the koi-inspired coloring that Infobar is famous for.
