Opening tonight: McTeague's Saloon, a San Francisco drinkery that offers as much in the way of microbrews as it does nostalgia. Named after the title character from Frank Norris' 1899 novel, the bar features design elements that reference the Old West (think: mineshaft lamps and swinging doors). It's even located on the ground floor of the first building constructed after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. History and danger? We can think of worse drinking buddies.
1237 Polk St., San Francisco, (415) 776-1237

[Thrillist]

It seems Sir Norman never sleeps: Fresh from his completed Elephant House and proposed waterfront development for the Italian town of Rimini, the peer's Foster + Partners firm has teamed up with YachtPlus to create its first seaworthy vessel. The teardrop-shaped behemoth will include four decks and two glass-walled saloons, not to mention accommodations for a small army. Plenty of room, provided, of course, that the cargo doesn't include elephants.

[Dezeen]

Japanese company Kokoro—a subsidiary of the Sanrio Group—has created a remarkably lifelike lady-robot, and, just like the real ladies, she wants to be in pictures. She's off to a good start: The Actroid DER-2 recently made her mechanized television debut hawking a combination sunscreen/insect repellent. The ad raises countless questions, but only answers one: "Surprisingly, I don't rust," she chirps after spritzing herself. Good to know—but does she tan?

[Pink Tentacle]

Coldplay and Apple, Joy Division and Microsoft, and now the latest in musician/digital-music-player collaborations: ZVUE and Journey. The 1GB player, emblazoned with a Journey-approved flaming scarab, comes preloaded with 22 of the band's tracks. The upshot? It's available at Walmarts nationwide for only $40—or roughly the cost of 40 remaindered copies of Journey's Greatest Hits. Those of you unashamed to do so: Rock on.

[Engadget]

Sure, there are hybrid sports cars, but none so far have done what Ronn Motors' new Scorpion claims to do: blend hydrogen with gasoline, all in one engine. The goal? Making the car more fuel-efficient without sacrificing the power of a gas-powered vehicle. It worked: The 450-hp engine goes from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds, all while getting an excellent 40 miles to the gallon. (And the car doesn't look too shabby, either.) A limited run of 200 is scheduled to go into production at the end of the year; expect to pay a cool $150,000 when it does.
ronnmotors.com

[Autoblog]

There's supposedly a Manhattan vibe to the just-opened Stork Club, brought to the L.A. by some of the folks behind LAX and Hyde. The space is, of course, appointed with exposed brick and designed using plenty of concrete, but the party isn't raging, at least not yet. Blame construction: The lounge portion of the restaurant won't open until later this month, but they're serving dinner now, off a menu from Matador & Cobras' restaurateur Steven Arroyo (think: steak frites, oysters, roasted marrow). When the operation's fully up and running, we expect the emphasis will be on both dining and the scene—foodies and photographers, take note.
1738 N. Orange Dr., Los Angeles, (323) 462-3663

[Eater L.A.]

We've made no secret of our love for AMC's Mad Men, so we're pleased to report that in its second season, which starts on Sunday, Don Draper and crew show no signs of the sophomore slump. The lowdown: The premiere's set on Valentine's Day, two years after we last saw our gray-flanneled antiheroes, as a slimmed-down Peggy hides her "secret," Sterling is back from heart attack, and Draper—sans mistresses, at least for now—quotes the poet Frank O'Hara, plunging deeper into existential angst. Against the backdrop of Jackie-O moving into the White House, all of Sterling Cooper is flummoxed by a curious invention called the "copy machine." Good news: The writing's still Cheever-sharp. Better news: There's as much change in the air as there is cigarette smoke.
Sunday, July 27, 10 p.m., AMC

Boy, those Royal College of Art kids sure get around, huh? One day they're creating tomorrow's eco-friendly cars, the next they're designing something else green: Beck's bottles. (Or their labels, anyway.) The project's called Beck's Canvas, and extends a longtime tradition: Damien Hirst, Rachel Whiteread, and others have previously created limited-edition labels for the beer. The new versions, however, are a bit more mass: Beginning in August, more than 27 million bottles will be sold. That's one for every two Britons, which is appropriate, since they'll only be available across the pond. Unfortunately, they'll still taste like Beck's.

[Creative Review via HypeBeast]

At auction in October: This second-century Roman statue, which bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain dead jumpsuit enthusiast. Make it yours for between 50 and 60 grand. Young Elvis, presumably, would fetch a bit more.

[Telegraph]

This weekend's box office fare includes some big-studio soul-searching—"The truth is out there," clamors The X-Files—but the truth might be better described as up there, balancing with French acrobat Philippe Petit on a tightrope between the late Twin Towers. Director James Marsh's inspired doc Man on Wire pays Petit the tribute of presenting his 1974 stunt as an achievement and not, as Petit peevishly describes in the film, an opportunity for Americans to ask him why he did it. Silly us: We're still curious about the answer. Perhaps this is another case that calls for the talents of Mulder and Scully?

Five things worth knowing today

- Two of Germany's greatest creations—beer and Wagner—are celebrated in their home country: Bierböse turns Bonn into a citywide beer garden, while the Bayreuth Wagner Festival begins its annual summer season.
- Hipster favorite Atlas Sound plays a free show at NYC's South Street Seaport.
- Conspiracy theorists not attending The X-Files can head over to Glastonbury for England's academic conference on crop circles. (You may still need those boots.)
- Today in 1946, Martin and Lewis performed their first comedy show as a team in Atlantic City.
- And today in 1958, Sonic Youth founder Thurston Moore was born. Below, Moore introducing the video for SY's "Kool Thing":

Pictured: Harley-Davidson's first three-wheeler, the Tri Glide Ultra Classic, which comes with cruise control, optional electric reverse gear, and a six-gallon fuel tank. Despite that third wheel, this one isn't for beginners (at least not impoverished ones): The suggested retail price is $30,000, which kind of makes us wonder how much it would cost if they threw in a fourth.

[Autoblog]

The curious minds at BoingBoing have turned up Toronto artist Sarah Lazarovic, whose ongoing "portrait project" involves painting one citizen of Old York per day. (Pictured: "LeDrew: He ran for mayor, he wears a bow tie.") There are about six million people in the Greater Toronto Area, so it's unlikely she'll get to everyone—how totally un-Canadian of her—but she's sanguine about her efforts: "I'll be doing one portrait a day until I can't do one portrait a day anymore." Charming, eh?

[BoingBoing]

Not that Samsung's i8510 doesn't make decent calls, but the phone—which bears the license-plate-worthy nickname INNOV8 (groan)—comes packed with one impressive camera. The 8-mp shooter has image stabilization, face detection, and even geo-tagging, which uses GPS to record exactly where you took last night's drunken party pics. In short, the kind of stuff you'd find in a decent digicam, but with a phone attached. No word on price, and it's sadly Europe-only—for now.

[Mobile Burn via Engadget]

The winner of the 2008 Pilkington Automotive Vehicle Design award was just announced. Why you should care: It's given out to grads of the Royal College of Art, which has produced noted car designers like Marek Reichman (Aston Martin) and Martin Smith (of Ford Europe). It also rewards eco-friendly design, which we hear might be important someday. This year's winner was the Airflow, which looks a little like the Batmobile as redesigned by John DeLorean. But we prefer Sergio Loureiro Da Silva's Phoenix, pictured, a runner-up that (like a certain Dutch club) draws power from energy wasted in movement. And more importantly, it looks like this.

[Inhabitat via Autoblog]

Tonight, Chelsea's White Box hosts Patrick O'Dell and the artists of New York Adorned, one of the city's premiere tattoo shops. O'Dell, the nightlife fixture behind Epicly Later'd (one of the Web's premiere photos-of-kids-lounging-and-drinking blogs), will present the inksmen (and -women) with identical large-scale photos of a nude on which they will go to work. (As a lensman for Vice, the guy knows from nudity.) A good way to try before you buy—never a bad thing when it concerns a permanent piece of bodywork.
Six Feet Under: Patrick O'Dell and the Artist of New York Adorned at White Box Gallery, 525 W. 26th St., NYC, (212) 714-2347, whiteboxny.com

Late last year, Aston Martin teased speed demons with its V-12 Vantage RS concept car, putting an enormously powerful 6.0L V-12 engine into its (relatively) lower-end, accessible V-8 (still no slouch, to be sure). Now a V-12 Vantage in the flesh has been spotted in Italy—in the company of a DBS, otherwise known as Bond's car—leading to speculation that the auto may be headed to production sometime soon. For those demons, it could be a prayer answered.

[Autoblog]

Conventional wisdom regarding home theaters in a box is that, well, they suck. No wonder: For truly excellent sound quality, you need not only top of the line speakers (wallet-exploding options abound) but also an AV receiver, neither of which are typically included in your run-of-the-mill HTIB. Onkyo's new HT-S6100 and S7100 boxed systems don't have the former, but in a bold and recession-friendly move, they break with tradition to include the latter: a separates-style 4 HDMI-input receiver. Good news for those taking the long view: When you (and the U.S. economy) are ready for speakers that cost the equivalent of a small nation's GDP, you'll have just the thing to plug them into.

[Crave]

Playing Tyra's foil isn't the full-time job it seems to be: America's Next Top Model judge and renowned photographer Nigel Barker opens A Sealed Fate? tomorrow night in New York. The show features photos and video of harp seals taken on Canada's east coast, meant to raise awareness about that country's controversial annual hunt. Barker tells us the three-day exhibit is a "celebration of life...and the awe-inspiring icy landscape where the seals are born." If that sounds a little flowery, well, it is, but the photographer balances out the cute factor with a documentary about the hunt (allegedly the world's largest slaughter of marine animals). Tyra, no doubt, would approve—even if she didn't think of it first.
July 25-27 at 401 Projects, 401 West St., New York, (212) 633-6202, humanesociety.org/protectseals

Leatherman tools have typically emphasized function over form, which, purists may argue, is as it should be. But not those created by Buenos Aires-based silversmith Adrian Pallarols, who channels the baroque to create sterling-silver and 18k-gold versions fit for the household maintenance of Versailles. It's not that you couldn't do your more yeomanly tasks with them—just that engraved vines of roses seem to demand a loftier accident. (Or maybe just a bottle of Château d'Yquem to open.) A royal budget helps, too: Pricing begins at $240 and tops out at $40,000.

[Luxist]

Adventurous isn't normally the first adjective that comes to mind in describing Silvano Lattanzi's footwear, but the classic Italian shoemaker's latest pair is just that (considering its odd historical influences): a boat shoe based on a pair worn by a young Benito Mussolini aboard his yacht. (No, you don't have to appreciate Mussolini in order to like the design.) Our favorite parts are the soles, which are stitched using 190 yards of hemp rope each. (In case you're wondering: Not all of it goes into the shoe.) We assume that's to help with traction during rough seas; whether you're up for wearing a fascist dictator's boat shoes is up to you.
Ready-to-wear $3,175; custom versions start at $4,950, available at Silvano Lattanzi, 905 Madison Ave., New York, (212) 734-2962, silvanolattanzi.com

To celebrate its 60th anniversary next year, Porsche will release a Sport version of its Cayman S coupe. The brand planned to unveil the car later this week at London's Auto Show, but the gearheads at British blog Cartribe broke the embargo and posted this picture in advance. (Thanks, Cartribe!) Some details: Its 303-hp engine packs a whopping eight more horsepower than the original Cayman S, while (as you can see) the two-tone paint scheme comes straight from the 911 GT3. Look for it next year, when it'll cost just shy of 100 grand. Now that's an expensive birthday present.

[via Autoblog]

Five things worth knowing today

- ComicCon 2008 begins in San Diego. Rumored to be in attendance: actual girls.
- The Lone Star state hosts the Great Texas Mosquito Festival, presided over by Willie Man-Chew, an enormous inflatable mosquito. (We have to assume it's more appealing than it sounds.)
- The EuroGames, Europe's largest gay/lesbian athletic event, kicks off in Barcelona.
- Today in 2005, Lance Armstrong won his seventh consecutive Tour de France.
- And today in 1982, model Élise Crombez (below) was born. You're welcome.

Medieval knights and something called "indie demeanor"—those were the pillars of Andrew Buckler's spring offering. Translation: a riot of asymetric tailoring, dangerously pointed shoes, and an incongruous mix of jousting headgear and little straw trilbies. The collection's strongest pieces were—surprise—the most wearable ones, in particular a navy suit coat that, despite being slung over the model's shoulders, managed to betray Buckler's sartorial skills. For the most part, though, the designer was more interested in what to wear to the end of the world than a night on the town. Or maybe his vision of a night out always ends in blood: That would explain the faux gashes on the models' fists.

Click here for a few highlights >

A thicket of legal issues kept British cult sitcom Spaced off region 1 DVD for years, but now U.S. fans can finally see what they've been missing. The show, written by and starring Simon Pegg and directed by Edgar Wright—the duo who brought you Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz—concerns the cohabitational adventures of Tim (Pegg) and Daisy (Jessica Hynes), two loutish Britons who fake a relationship to maintain their ill-gotten gains (a cheap apartment). You know, like What Happens in Vegas, only funny this time, and with that peculiar British-comedy twist. In the case of the episode excerpted below, that's a face full of Scottish speed and a fat tranny named Vulva. Hey, Kutcher: We smell remake potential.

$34.99, available at amazon.com

Looking for louche? Orthodox's spring offerings fit the bill. (Consider that Justin Bobby, of MTV's Hills infamy, recently modeled one of the line's collections for a look book). At last night's show, the three-year-old brand's mute palette (grays, blues, blacks, and the occasional puce) complemented the designs much in the same way khaki works for safari gear. In fact, the clothes seemed tailored for a downtown safari—think severely cut trenches, military-inspired trousers, and (naturally) a short, electric-blue motorcycle jacket (just the thing for hunting urban game). Uh, ladies? Beware of electric-blue motorcycle jackets. And of Justin Bobby, but you already knew that.

Click here for a few highlights >

The London Auto Show kicked off this week, though most of the highlights have already appeared online. (That Lotus Eagle we told you about? Renamed the Evora. Proceed accordingly.) Still, a few cars are out in the open for the first time. Among them: the Honda OSM (pictured), a curvy counterpoint to the brand's notoriously boxy designs. The concept isn't intended for production—instead, the design study is meant to show where the brand is headed. In other words, the 2015 Accord is gonna look sweet! Okay, probably not, but this is encouraging nonetheless.

[Autoblog]

Good call: holding this show inside the Classic Car Club of New York City. Better call: Using those cars as front row seats. (I sat shotgun inside a red 1973 Triumph convertible coupe; sadly, the keys were not included.) An extended riff on that old idea of classics with a twist, designer Andy Salzer's clothes matched the surroundings, especially the oversize jersey knit cardigans, a gingham Harrington jacket, and a contrast-collar short-sleeve button-front. Also notable was the outerwear. Both a sharply tailored trench and a hooded canvas poncho had a functional, stripped-down elegance. Not unlike a 1973 Triumph, come to think of it.

Click here for a few highlights >

What do you do when you've successfully designed and unveiled an enormous extension to the Tate Modern? If you're Herzog and de Meuron, that's easy—do it again. After releasing its original design to fanfare in 2006—an extension that stood to increase gallery space by 60 percent—the firm recently reassessed its plans and debuted a revision with sustainability in mind. Gone are the towering glass blocks that defined the earlier model; new plans show a rising pyramid of perforated brick that utilizes heat-recapture systems to maximize sustainability. (Indeed, the completed building will use 40 percent less energy and emits 35 percent less carbon than regulations mandate.) Good news for the glass-averse—not to mention those who care about the planet.

[DesignBoom]

For his collaboration with Condor Cycles, Richard James (the Savile Row tailor, not the dude from Aphex Twin) went hands-on. As spotted by Arkitip blogger (and Intersection creative director) Yorgo Tloupas, the carbon-fiber fixie (pictured) sports smart, considered details like a condor-shaped bottle cage, a tastefully refined logo, and even hand-painted "R"s on the hubs. In other words, it's exactly what you'd expect from a man who earns his bread by making handsome, exquisitely detailed clothing. No word on price, but expect it to cost slightly less than a bespoke suit.

[via HypeBeast]

That African and Middle Eastern influences were in the air (so to speak) was hardly surprising—after all, the line's named for a 12th-century Persian allegorical poem. (Some tees were even emblazoned, varsity-style, with the names of its characters.) The crackling soundtrack included "Walk Like an Egyptian" and Bogie intoning about Casablanca, but the actual Africana was limited to gauzy layering and scarves, while brilliant yellows in solids and ombré gradients livened up the whole. Best, though, were the surprisingly subtle cargo pants that buttoned at the cuff—a clever new way to expose the ubiquitous ankle. One-upping Thom? Call it an avian coup.

Click here for a few highlights >

Tequila and Van Halen are two things I've always liked but never really loved. Still, I couldn't resist the opportunity to mix the two—earlier this afternoon, I went to Manhattan's La Esquina for a tasting of Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo tequila, hosted by the man himself (and his right-hand tequila expert, Julio). The raison d'être: Earlier this year, Skyy bought a majority share of Cabo Wabo, which means you'll soon be able to buy it just about everywhere. (Hagar is still a part-owner and plays an active role in the company.)

First things first: The Red Rocker knows his shit. When he wasn't grilling Julio for more background on the agave, he was pointing out notes of butter and pastries in the brand's high-end Cabo Uno. ("It smells like a French dessert," he said. Indeed.) Also: The guy's a pro, not a lush—he spat out his tequila like he was Paul Giamatti in Sideways. (Like that dude from Wings, I did not.) And Sammy clearly enjoys his gig—he couldn't stop talking about the blanco, a sentiment I understood after sampling the brand's pure, slightly limey version (pictured), distilled without aging. All of which begged the question: Would he rather write a great song or make a great tequila? "This is as satisfying as my music was," he said. "And my tequila's as big a hit as my last song." As for my take: Cabo Wabo, it's all right by me.
Cabo Wabo tequila, cabowabo.com

If there's enough interest to justify menswear-only shows in Milan and Paris, why not New York as well? That's the logic behind Men's Runway NY, the group of recent collections that's the first step in bringing an all-men's fashion week back to New York. Here's part one in a series of runway reports from the event.

The siblings behind Nicholas K—Nicholas Kunz, who designs, and her (yes, her) brother Christopher, who handles the business—know from American sportswear: Between them, they've worked for Calvin, Tommy, Donna, and Ralph. The duo's Spring 2009 collection reflects the easy athleticism of those labels, augmented by a dose of the Orientalism the kids seem to like these days. Particularly strong were hooded windbreakers in Southwestern colors. (Less successful: a calf-length, patchwork version suggesting Joseph's proverbial Technicolor dreamcoat.) Knit cardigans, heathered or chevron, were best at their simplest, while those bedecked with stray zippers or an extraneous bow felt less true to the label's roots.

Click here for a few highlights >

We're big fans of freak-folkster Devendra Banhart, whose prolific facial hair helped to make scraggly chins a Lower East Side staple. (Or, as we once said: Enough.) But appreciation is different from indoctrination, which is why it pains us to see Banhart's adorable girlfriend Natalie Portman showing up in the video for "Carmensita," a Hindu-styled epic about a bearded prince saving his adorable girlfriend from the clutches of an evil overlord. (Predictably, it's sung in Spanish.) Natalie drank the Kool-Aid, we're afraid: See for yourselves, below.

If Maarten Baas' ideas weren't so tight (and, correspondingly, were he not able to execute such groundbreaking work), the Dutch designer would risk ridicule. He is, after all, known for lighting his meticulously crafted furniture on fire. His new show, The Shanghai Riddle, opening next month in China, includes more of the same, like this torched (but functional) chest of drawers. The exhibit is Baas' first in the country, and is heavily influenced by Asian design—the work is the result of a residency program at Contrasts Gallery in (you guessed it) Shanghai. We wonder what he'd come up with if Herman Miller offered a similar program.
Opens Aug. 15 at Contrasts Gallery, No. 133 Middle Sichuan Rd., Shanghai, China, (8621) 6321-9606, contrastsgallery.com

[Dezeen]

Marc Newson's new Atmos clock is a fascinating (if baffling) creation—easy on the eyes, but tricky to explain. Made to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Jaeger Le-Coultre's Atmos collection, the timepiece is encased in a block of Baccarat crystal (of course) and ostensibly runs on tiny temperature changes inside the cube. (Unlikely, but true. Unfortunately, there's no word on pricing or availability.) The best part: It's supposed to work for years without being touched by hand. Here's hoping a few execs in Detroit take notice.

[Cool Hunting]

Those already bored with their Apple 3G's design—and we know you're out there—should pay attention to what's happening in the tropics. Responding to a commission from iSkin, a Brazilian casing company, 16 of that country's artists have created original designs for phone holsters that are, as pictured, colorful. (Business-appropriate? Maybe not.) You can see the full line and availability info here, but you'll need at least a rudimentary understanding of Portuguese to order them. Disappointed Blackberry users, take heart: They've made versions for you, too.

[Josh Spear]

Between his record release and Fila launch, Nas is in the midst of a promotion frenzy, and we're betting that the rapper's appearance tonight on The Colbert Report will feature the sort of controversy he staked his name on. The back-story: Bill O'Reilly flipped when Nas performed postshooting at Virginia Tech, so Nas called him a "chump" and wrote the blistering "Sly Fox" (available on his new album, of course). Chances Colbert won't prod Nas on the subject: slim. Chance Nas won't indulge him: even slimmer.
11.30 p.m., Comedy Central

Taking a shot in the dark? Panasonic's new Leica-lensed Lumix DMC-LX3 makes it easier than before. Sidestepping the ever-escalating megapixel battles—this one holds fast at 10.1, which is plenty—the company instead developed a 1/1.63-inch CCD specifically for this model, which is good for nearly 40 percent better light-sensitivity than its predecessor's. (Good thing: Darkness has long been the Achilles' heel of Panasonic's camera empire.) The usual features are here as well, from HD-video recording to face detection to Intelligent ISO, which selects the best light level for a given shot. And when you're snapping in the bright light of day, take heart: The retro-inspired styling of the camera itself looks sharp, too.
$499, available in August

Downtown Manhattan's eastward gentrification continues apace—sorry, artists, you lose again—with next Tuesday's opening of the Thompson Lower East Side, the fourth of the city's hotels from Jason Pomeranc. The decor pays tribute to the neighborhood while staying well within the Thompson group's usual bounds: The 141 rooms have low beds, exposed columns, and floor-to-ceiling windows, and the staff are all sporting Rogan-designed uniforms. (In a word: louche.) There are even pop-art elements: Consider the filmstrip image of Andy Warhol photolithographed on the pool's tile floor (see below). Warhol collectors will appreciate the sentiment.
190 Allen St., New York, for reservations, visit thompsonhotels.com

Having tackled luxury travel with his Townhouse Collection, Tumi creative director David Chu set his sights on messier excursions with T-Tech, a new line of bags and outerwear—the first from the company—that are both wind- and waterproof (read: primed for adventure travel). Made from durable, lightweight fabrics, the T-Tech line can resist almost anything—including wrinkling. (We tried.) Chinese explorer Wong How Man recently took the gear with him through Tibet, so consider it battle-tested—even if your particular battle doesn't go farther than the subway.
Jacket, $348; vest, $298; hydro-resistant duffel (below), $225; available at Tumi stores, Bloomingdale's, and Nordstrom this fall

Five things worth knowing today

- Rastafarians celebrate the birth of former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, whom they believe to be divine.
- The Royal International Horse Show begins in England, promising to set stiff upper lips aquiver.
- Meanwhile, Stillwater, MN, celebrates its heritage during its annualLumberjack Days.
- Today in 1984, Vanessa Williams became the first Miss America ever to resign her crown, over photos that surfaced in Penthouse.
- And today in 1965, guitarist Slash was born. Love him or hate him, there's no arguing with classic GN'R:

We'd bet that the influence of Brideshead Revisited on style isn't top of mind for most of our readers, but perhaps it should be. Details' fashion director Michael Macko posted a brief history of the BBC miniseries' effect on fashion at our brother magazine's blog, Know + Tell, explaining how pervasive the show actually was. He writes: "The original 1981 production was so influential that it had all of America wearing cricket sweaters and vintage linen vests—and even eventually inspired Marc Jacobs' seminal spring 2005 Louis Vuitton men's collection, which included an LV teddy bear." The new remake hits select theaters this Friday (pictured, stills from the television show and the new film), but whether or not it will inspire as much sartorial adulation, of course, remains to be seen.

Gareth Moody says that his unisex jewelry collection is heavily influenced by "big Manga dreams and a love for industrial materials," but it's clear just from the appearance of the accessories that the Ksubi cofounder takes his inspiration from urban spaces. (If the bracelets here, for instance, recall chain-link fencing, that's no accident.) The designer launches his spring '09 collection tonight with an event at Assembly in New York's Lower East Side. Expect to see the jewelry alongside an exhibition of Moody's photos, gypsy music, and the usual fare—in other words, just another evening in lower Manhattan.
Assembly, 174 Ludlow St., New York, NY, (212) 253-5393, assemblynewyork.com

For decades, the Walkman name has been nearly synonymous with portable tunes. But today, it turns just three years old in its current role as the nom de phone for Sony Ericsson's music-oriented cell phone line. The brand is (of course) celebrating with three new handsets: the basic W302; the mid-level W902, which includes a five-megapixel camera; and the W595, a slider with speakers and twin headphone jacks (so you and a special someone can share your playlists, obnoxious couple-style). All are out near the end of the year; none, presumably, come preloaded with "Happy Birthday."

[Gizmodo]

Sorry, Bug drivers: Volkswagen's Concept R (pirate-friendly name, that) is the brand's best-looking two-door to date. Unfortunately, it's only a concept—for now. This November, the brand will unveil a rival to the Lotus Elise at the L.A. auto show, and rumor has it the new vehicle will look very similar to the Concept R (pictured), first introduced back in 2003. It's about time: Not only does it have a decent body, it sports a solid 168-hp engine and gets 55 mpg. Look for a production version sometime in 2011.

[Autoblog]

The nominations for the U.K.'s Mercury Prize were announced today, and now a new generation of musicians can consider themselves cursed—maybe. The pop-music award has a curious history: Winners' careers don't always flourish, and in 2001, Gorillaz even removed themselves from competition because, in the words of their bassist, winning would be "like carrying a dead albatross round your neck for eternity." (Don't believe it? Just ask Ms. Dynamite.) Among this year's contenders are several currently enjoying American popularity, from arena acts (Radiohead, Estelle) to up-and-comers (the incandescent folkie Laura Marling; check out her video for "Ghosts," below). The winner will be announced Sept. 9, but remember: Here's one prize where winning really isn't everything.
For the full list, visit nationwidemercurys.com

Curiously, an all-in-one GPS device—something handy for hiking that also works in the car—is the exception and not the rule. But today, the GPS experts at Garmin announced just such a device: the Nuvi 500. It's the brand's first to come with maps for driving, walking, cycling