Hasta La Gadget!

It’s been a while since we gave Harry Winston’s Opus watch any play, but some timepieces are just too lavish to pass up. Case in point: the Opus Eleven, designed by temporal taste-maker Denis Giguet of MCT. Aesthetically speaking, it’s probably a touch too steampunk for some, but the way it tells time is straight up fascinating. Giguet points out the movement enlists 566 parts, a good deal of which are exposed in the main face — the center piece displays the hour, while the upper right disc shows off the minutes. Now, it might look like a relatively minimal watch for Harry Winston, but its case is made of 18k white gold and sapphire crystal, and the Opus Eleven’s definitely got a Winston-worthy price tag, ringing in at about $250,000. So if you’ve got a quarter of a mill just laying around, this is a definite contender for that stack of cash. Want to see all those tiny pieces in action? Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Harry Winston’s Opus Eleven watch: mechanical masterpiece / bank breaker (video)

Harry Winston’s Opus Eleven watch: mechanical masterpiece / bank breaker (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CrunchGear  |  Watch Review Blog  | Email this | Comments

Ever stepped in a piece of dog poop? Sure, it’s happened to us all. But now you can get insurance against that!

Well, global sports shoe magazine Sneaker Freaker has collected stories of woe and has decided the solution to poop diaster is financial protection against animal excrement. According to the tongue-in-cheek special poop website, Sneaker Freaker will apparently start selling a trial version of the “unko hoken” (poop insurance) package if it gets 100,000 votes on the site. (At time of writing there are under 4,000 so still quite some way to go unfortunately.)

Check out the spoof video highlighting the problems of stepping in poop when wearing sneakers and how Dog Poop Insurance can be the answer to your prayers. As the straight-faced lady explains: “Just enroll with a single payment when you buy your sneakers and it will cover you from poop disaster for year.”

If you step in the poop (cat or dog) and it measures more than 5 square centimeters on the sole of your sneaker, take a photo of it and send the image and shoe (in a vacuum-sealed bag) to the fictional insurers, along with your warranty. They will then “evaluate” the fouled shoe and decide whether to give you the funds for purchasing a replacement pair.

Sounds crazy and it is. Japan already has a vibrant insurance industry for pets and plenty of services like pet funerals, plus we certainly know that local pooches enjoy some rather unusual fashion accessories. But what about insurance for people against pet-produced disasters? Well, at any rate it is a nice viral way of promoting your magazine courtesy of wacky Japan stereotypes!

Google is on a mission to connect with Japan at the moment. Following its More With Google ad demonstrating its image-searching as a fashion show, now it is actually participating in a real one, namely Tokyo Girls Collection.

And you don’t get more utilitarian and user-friendly a fashion event than the popular Tokyo Girls Collection, which famously innovated a whole new platform for mobile phone interaction, e-commerce and brand showcasing.

In collaboration with Google, Saturday’s Tokyo Girls Collection event at Yoyogi in central Tokyo will be streamed live on a special official YouTube channel, with three screens on offer for web visitors to view. The planned eight hours of realtime footage will include happenings on the main stage, backstage interviews with participants, and reports by the MC, says FashionSnap.

Mirroring the actual event, retail is integrated into this new digital version, with links to buy the fashion items online as they are showcased. After the live streaming is over there will be also be selected video highlights available.

Apparently you can even submit questions to the models and stylists through the Tokyo Girls Collection channel, as long as you have a Google account and are signed in. This replicates online the edge the now biannual TGC has always pushed of bringing closer together the power-house triumvirate of models, young fashion fans and e-commerce.

This also follows a precedent set by the major fashion shows and brands around the world, who have been live-streaming their events. Louis Vuitton even recently broadcast a collection via facebook, followed just hours later by 360-degree viewable images of the clothes.

This is just a small example of the funny products we see everyday. Yeah, engrish isn’t exactly new or surprising to us, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t funny.

From a convenience store collaboration with girls magazine Happie Nuts, now the ladies can have nuts as an accessory!

(Trying to formulate Jewish American Princess joke without offending EVERYONE)

I have no idea what to say about this. These photos were taken in two different stores, albeit of the same brand. Kicking myself for not buying one for my niece.

Finally, someone has created an extract of everyone’s favorite natural aroma!

The ALCATROCK vintage dress shop in Ebisu has business cards that took some thought.

The wash tag is sewn (not glued) to the card, and clearly states its love of all things girly. Check out their online shop, though apparently I’m not allowed in.