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The DS Life: Missed Connections
Aug 27 - Girl At Keisei Takasago Station - m4w - 37 - (Katsushika) pic Reply to: pers-8160291452720@craigslist.org [?] Date: 2008-08-27, 11:59PM JT
Secret of the Solstice offers new items for Asian Heritage Month
For those of you otherwise ignorant of the event, May is Asian Heritage Month, and Outspark is celebrating by offering unique, Asian-themed items in its Secret of the Solstice store!For the month of May, you can pick yourself up special objects such as kimonos, samurai gear, and ... a rice cake hat. Yes. Anyway, head on in to peruse these festive items and be the first on the block to be a ricehead![Thanks, Travis!]
Miyabi DS Lite cases are classy, available
The "Miyabi" line of DS Lite cases from Vis-a-Vis remind us somewhat of the kimono cases we featured before. Both use very Japanese fabric, and both allow you to operate the DS with the case on. However, these use a more robust-looking clasp (rather than the small band around the whole case). They also feature much bolder patterns than the subtle stripes and monochrome floral prints of the kimono cases. You may find them too purse-like for your tastes, as suggested when we first saw them, but we think they're rather nice. They're available for sale now, at a real-purse-busting $57.Are these fabrics coming out of storage somewhere, we wonder? Or are accessory companies suddenly being forced to learn about fabric since the release of the DS Lite?[Via GAME Watch]
NIS America to sell DS Lite kimono cover
NIS America just opened their own online shop, and it's already decently stocked with neat stuff. This kimono-style DS Lite cover isn't exactly one of them right now-- it's available for preorder only-- but as soon as it's available we're considering getting one. The cover comes in eight colors, all of which add an air of serene beauty to your DS as well as a barrier against unwanted contact. Touching is good, unless it's your keys "touching" your DS in your pocket.[Via Game|Life]
Apple as Japanese Art
This Wired article from a few years ago discusses Yuho Hayashi, a master of kimono design who paints traditional patterns onto iPods and PowerBooks (as well as any other portable devices consumers will pay to customize). Designs start at about $200+. Today, I visited the website linked by the Wired article and found an entire page devoted to customized Macs as well as several narrative pages like this one showing the customization process. It's pretty neat stuff and well worth a visit. Warning: The pages are not in English, but you can get a good gist just by surfing the site and looking at the pictures.
Nakamichi looks to the KIMONO for LCD design inspiration
While we enjoy sporting a snazzy kimono as much as the next guy/girl, we're not sure that we want our super-expensive LCD TV to be fashioned after said article of clothing. Nonetheless, Nakamichi has just unveiled a new flat panel lineup with a swooping lower bezel called the KIMONO series, complete with an "asymmetrical fold" designed to resemble the overlapping sections of the traditional Japanese robe. Besides the questionable aesthetics, however, the 42- and 47-inch KIMONOs offer quite an attractive feature set, complete with full 1,080p resolution, a 5.1 channel amplifier outlet (when hooked up to external speakers, the TV acts as the center channel), both analog and DVB-T tuners, a built-in DVD player, integrated FM radio, and our old favorite, an HDMI input for getting your Blu-ray or HD DVD on. Other nice touches include a USB 2.0 jack and 6-in-1 card reader (even xD gets some love here), allowing you to view pictures and presumably video content captured from a variety of sources. Pricing and availability are as yet unannounced, but if the company's $512 Lumos portable DVD player is any indication, you'll definitely be paying a premium for the privilege of sporting such an, um, unique design.
