Bono might get all the attention, but let's face it: The Edge does the hard work and everyone knows it. The latest example? Even as U2 records their follow-up to 2004's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, the guitarist has remixed and remastered the band's first three albums, including a wealth of previously unreleased bonus material, which will be available for sale next Tuesday. Rabid fans, however, can stream the tracks now at imeem. Not all of the songs are show-stoppers—U2 b-sides are usually b-sides for a reason (see "Saturday Night" or "Angels Too Tied to the Ground")—but this ought to sate demand until the new record comes out later this year.

Those more interested in new new music would do well to check out the Hold Steady's fourth album, Stay Positive, which features the band's usual mash of hard-luck lyrics and greasy-fisted rock 'n' roll. On it, they praise working-class heroes like Joe Strummer. The Edge would approve.

The finalists for this year's $200,000 prize were just announced, and among the ten are several who make menswear: Richard Chai; Alejandro Ingelmo; John Patrick of Organic; and Swaim and Christina Hutson of Obedient Sons (pictured). Best of luck to all—and hey, even the two runners-up get 50 grand apiece. (And judging by his Target collaboration, new store, and, hell, even a lunchbox, things seem to have gone well for last year's winner, Rogan Gregory.)

Apparently Microsoft's Wireless Arc Mouse was supposed to be a secret, but an overeager blogger at Maximum PC posted a photo and some vague specs, and then it was off and running. We can see why: The device folds up for travel and looks like an appealing variant on a Bluetooth headset. More than that, you'll have to guess for yourself, or wait until the Arc is released this winter for a wallet-friendly $59.95.

[Dvice]

Leave it to the French to combine America's second and 21st amendments: Afasia 1 (pictured) is a nitrogen-powered machine that blasts (presumably) empty beer bottles at nearly 375 miles an hour. (Weirder yet, it does this at random intervals.) The piece is an art installation, part of a show called Superdome, in reference to the New Orleans stadium that has hosted both the NFL's Saints franchise and Katrina refugees. The exhibit also includes a taxidermy elephant standing on her trunk, and a series Darth Vader helmets on sticks. In other words, the show's got je ne sais quoi to spare.

MORE: Check out a Flickr gallery from the show here.

[We Make Money Not Art via Gizmodo]

The Yangtze is the longest river in Asia, which means that it's best traversed with plenty of amenities. The MS Yangzi Explorer, which makes its inaugural voyage later this month, offers the sort of luxury required for such a trip: private balconies in every state room, a spa and fitness center, and, best of all, room for only 124 passengers. Given that, it's no surprise that prices range from the mid to high five-figures for three- to four-night cruises. The highlight? An unparalleled view of the country's controversial Three Gorges Dam—an unlikely sight for foreigners, even those visiting the country for this summer's other big public works project.
Cruises start July 24, for more information visit abercrombiekent.com

[Luxury Insider]

We recently gave you the heads-up about Mazda's compact SUV, targeted for the Russian market, which now has both a name—Kazamai, Japanese for "swirling crosswinds"—and official images, released in advance of its debut in August at the Moscow International Auto Salon. The company boasts about the vehicle's "frugal fuel consumption" and reduced carbon-dioxide emissions, part of what Mazda calls "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom" (to which we say, please don't). Full details will be released on August 26 at the show, but until then, you can start dropping hints to your favorite Gazpromnik.

[Autoblog]

The Gehry House probably isn't going on the block any time soon, but rough consolation is available in the form of the architect's door handles for Italian brand Valli & Valli. (The company also sells models by Norman Foster, Jean Nouvel, and the ubiquitous Zaha Hadid.) Gehry's recently given his stainless-steel Arrowheads and Fog Collection an update (pictured); the price is TBA, but we suspect it'll cost more than what you'd usually spend at Home Depot.

[Dezeen]

While designer Daiki Suzuki has earned (deserved) praise for Engineered Garments, Nepenthes, his line's parent company, isn't widely known outside Japan. That state of affairs will likely be remedied when Needles, another one of the company's brands, sees larger distribution in the U.S. next spring. (Their Fall collection is currently sold exclusively at Odin New York). Designed by Keizo Shimizu, who founded Nepenthes back in '88, Needles' new fare has a quirky Western vibe and rumpled bohemian sensibility, not to mention an attention to detail that makes the clothes both covetable and entertaining—if, you know, you're into quirky, bohemian Westerners.

Click here to see our favorites from Needles' forthcoming Spring collection >

Probably not how they're actually made: Nike Lab's intriguing Japanese ad campaign, featuring an arachnid weaving a sneaker out of silk. Still, it's more industrious than simply writing "SOME PIG."

[Kitsune Noir]

Computer chipsets ain't exactly Gisele in her underwear, but they usually result in better computers. Case in point? Intel's recently announced Centrino 2 platform, which has already inspired newer, faster laptops built around it. For instance, Sony's new Vaio Z, which we got the chance to preview last night. (The event had finger food prepared by Wylie Dufresne, who went unnoticed by a crowd hungry for gadgets, not bite-sized pizzas). It's got the top-of-the-line specs you would expect—a Blu-ray drive, wide-screen display, and, of course, faster, more efficient processing courtesy of the Centrino 2. And it's all housed in an airport-friendly, ultralight carbon-fiber casing (just three pounds). Look for it this August, when it will retail for between $1,800 and $2,300.

Not to be outdone, Lenovo also has announced new Centrino-centered notebooks, including nine ThinkPads. The collection is led off by the SL series, which incorporates GPS (the better for monitoring your flight, we suppose) and, yes, a glossy black cover. Read more about the line over on Crave.

Real-life robots are catching up to their cinematic counterparts (vis-à-vis, say, the Terminator franchise, apparently). Consider the BigDog: The three-foot-long machine (pictured) can trot at up to four mph, carry loads of up to around 340 lbs., and runs on gasoline—not, as you might expect given its appearance, children. Developed by Boston Dynamics and funded by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, the BigDog is just one of several robots the company has announced recently. Others include the RiSE (a wall-crawler that resembles a scorpion) and the RHex (an all-terrain vehicle which looks like a mini-tank). No word on whether James Cameron had a hand in their design, but let's just say that we wouldn't be surprised.

[Cool Hunting]

Nas created a maelstrom of publicity when he announced, months ago, that his next album would be titled Nigger. That album, available today, is instead called Untitled, but the righteous (and thoughtful) fury that occasioned the original title remains—a grievance that doesn't always sit comfortably alongside the youthful bravado of his thug pose. There are radio-ready songs (the glossy "Hero," below) and truculent attacks, but what's most surprising is not who's slammed here (Fox News, Bush) but who's shown love (Billy Joel, PBS). The 20-year-old who made Illmatic is 34 now, happily married, and, allegedly, not controversial enough to sustain his own reality show. The fire's clearly still in him, but can it be that he's, well, all grown-up?

Accessories manufacturer Zero Halliburton recently celebrated its 70th year, and to mark the anniversary, the company has released a Classic Edition Collection, offering five aluminum cases based on original models from the thirties and forties. The totes are indeed design classics, even if the brand's name has a less-exalted contemporary resonance. Not to worry: Texas oilman Earle Halliburton sold the travel-case division of his company to Zero in 1952, so though the name remains, the affiliation doesn't. After all, you should wear your party on your tie, not your briefcase.
$375-$695, for more information visit zerohalliburton.com

[Selectism]

If Czech designer Jan Ctvrtník's vase looks familiar, it should: The mold references Alvar Aalto's ubiquitous design, which, in turn, was based on the shape of a Finnish lake. Ctvrtník's update imagines how global warming could alter the lake's shoreline. (Spoiler alert: It's thinner.) The new vase won Droog's recent Climate Competition, but any larger message about the environment will likely be limited to design-literate folks. Everyone else is just going to see a very cool piece of glasswork.

[Dezeen]

Out today on DVD and Blu-ray: The Bank Job, an underrated, fictionalized account of Britain's infamous 1971 "walkie-talkie robbery," and a glorified B-movie. (That's a compliment.) The heist in question concerns a gang of ne'er-do-wells who inadvertently stumble on documents that implicate the government and even the Royal Family in corruption and scandal. (Behind it all is the Black Power activist and pimp Michael X., a Trinidadian expat who was eventually hanged, but not before his case was taken up by the likes of John and Yoko.) The action's bolstered by a mini-doc about the real-life crime and its decades of cover-up, presumably for those who like some history with their Jason Statham. Check out the trailer below.
$16.99 on DVD; $23.95 on Blu-ray, available at amazon.com

Five things worth knowing today

- Today's the deadline to apply for Pilsner Urquell's International Photography Awards. (No, there isn't a beer-goggle category.)
- South Korea's annual Mud Festival makes like Woodstock '69—with military training thrown in for good measure.
- Founding member of The State and VH1 talking head Michael Ian Black reads from his new book in NYC, presumably wearing pants (see below).
- Today in 1815, Napoleon surrendered.
- And today in 2006, Hooters founder Robert H. Brooks passed away, going to the great wing bar in the sky.