Audio cable giant Monster has teamed up with one of its biggest fans, Dr. Dre, to release its first-ever headphones. The results? Deafening. Beats by Dre, hitting shelves this July, pump enough bass to rattle your bones and are sufficiently stylish to wear out of the studio—thanks to a red-and-black design by Robert Bruner, formerly of Apple. They come with a handy earpiece mute button for when you want to hear the outside world and a noise-canceling system for when you don't. What they don't come with is a copy of Dre's long-awaited Detox, but it's nice to know that when the album finally arrives, you'll have your listening system in order.
$350, available mid-July

Half Gallery opens its second exhibit tonight: a show of oils including The Circus Tent at Night From a Helicopter (pictured), by artist Robert Hawkins. Renowned in the art community (Hawkins' 1985 painting of a glacier was hanging over Jean-Michel Basquiat's death bed), the American-born, London-based artist is a favorite of GQ style guy Glenn O'Brien, among others. That he's showing at Half Gallery makes perfect sense—the space was founded by designer Andy Spade, writer/editor Bill Powers, and sometime memoirist James Frey. Also? Hawkins used to live a couple of doors down.
Through June 14 at 208 Forsyth St., New York, NY, no phone, halfgallery.com

Casio's G-Shock watches have been weathering, well, shocks for 25 years, collaborating with some huge names in the process (BAPE, Stüssy). Tonight the company celebrates its anniversary collection, featuring partnerships with Japanese baseball team Softbank Hawks and Hawaii boutique In4mation (pictured). Kanye West, a fellow appreciator of all things Day-Glo, will be playing the party, and Spike Lee is slated to host. That's appropriate: Like the watchmaker, Spike's an expert at shocks—remember She Hate Me?

Prime Access and PlanetOut just released their annual survey of which companies are perceived to be the most gay-friendly. And while the top of the list is surprise-free (Bravo, Showtime), the bottom is as dynamic as it is puzzling. Then again, maybe everyone just hates Rachael Ray. The poll's five least-gay-friendly brands are below:

-Samsung (5 percent perceive it as gay-friendly)
-WalMart (4 percent)
-Frito-Lay (4 percent)
-Cracker Barrel (3 percent)
-Dunkin Donuts (3 percent)

[via Gizmodo]

Coming this August: Nike Sportswear, a new line timed to the Olympics that gives the brand's best-known classics a high-tech update. The Air Max 90 (pictured), for example, has been given a full mesh upper and a sole from its Free series of running shoes. The collection also includes the lightest garment the company's ever produced, a Windrunner jacket made with its lattice-style Flywire technology. But despite the forward-looking materials, Nike has produced the line with old-school craftsmanship—an AW77 hooded sweatshirt, for instance, is made from fleece by Loopwheeler, a Japanese company whose twenties-era looms produce only enough fabric for eight garments per day. Speaking of eight, the number dominates the designs—all in honor of the launch date, 8/8/08. Still, the line actually marks a return: Nike Sportswear was the company's full name when the brand was introduced in 1979.

Artist Bill Shannon is amazing to watch—and given that he suffers from a degenerative hip condition, his efforts are nothing short of astounding. WORK, Shannon's new solo exhibit, opens tomorrow and features his drawings, sculptures, and dance videos (see below). Using his crutches and skateboard, the artist creates an inspiring and lyrical form of movement (and demonstrates that he knows how to dress, too). "A search for balance is universal," he says. "To have video, sculpture and dance altogether? Well, I'm just trying to find that sweet spot."

Through June 18 at Douze and Mille, 138 Mulberry St., 6th fl., New York, NY, (212) 505-2075, douzandmille.com

Now out from Sharp: a set of two full-HD LCD TVs equipped with an Internet browser. (No word yet on which, but here's hoping it's not Explorer.) The line is targeted at businesses—those that watch YouTube videos during meetings, perhaps?—but seems more useful for checking headlines, scores, and/or porn during commercial breaks.
$4,000 for the 46-inch model, $5,000 for the 52-inch, sharpusa.com

The globe-hopping jet set has descended on Cannes, and while style matters, it's really all about size—yacht size. Alberta Ferretti's 148-foot Prometej will be docking off the beach, as will the Missoni clan's 162-foot Pegasus. Meanwhile, Roberto Cavalli's 135-foot R&C makes up for its (relatively) diminutive stature with all the subtlety you'd expect from the man who gave the world leopard-print eveningwear: It's painted with an iridescent lacquer that gleams electric-purple in the sun and softens to navy at sunset. We checked—Hypercolor's not involved.

[WWD]

For KCRW's Guest DJ Project, the Santa Monica station asks luminaries to comment on the music that shaped them. (Bonus: They play it, too.) The best of the bunch? The shows featuring Conan O'Brien (who, besides enjoying the White Stripes and the Clash, explains that he'd much rather be a musical guest than a late-night host) and John Cusack. The latter, while discussing Ray Davies, ventures into heavy music critic territory: "There's a dark, savage irony to his stuff that just adjusts you in a fantastic way." As Cusack fans already know, it looks like someone missed his calling.
kcrw.com

Yamaha's new FX Cruiser SHO, available in platinum and crimson-red-metallic (pictured), comes equipped with a 1.8-liter supercharged engine and weighs 25 percent less than previous models (thanks to the nanotechnology used to craft its chassis). But what's really remarkable is its introduction of a cruise-control feature. That, in concert with its 19.8-gallon cooler and self-draining beverage holders, just begs for casual Corona-fueled races. Our advice? Steer clear of resorts that cater to the college-age set.
$12,800, yamaha-motor.com