A music box makes a magical sound and once you hear its tinkle, you are never going to forget it. Earlier, we have told you about the Reuge music boxes that arouse a sense of wonder. This time, we have a new electronic music box from Nidec Sankyo Shoji Corp. that is targeted at the elderly music box enthusiasts who want longer playing times and are fed up from the tedious task of winding their machines. The new music box plays for eight hours on two AA batteries and is available in two models. While the 157,500 yen ($1,630) version comes with 50 sound-producing plates, the 189,000 yen ($1,950) version features 72 plates. Customers can select from around 200 different songs available online or in specialty shops. Both the music boxes include a regulation feature. An attractive wind has been attached to the new models. Sankyo President Taizo Tatsumi said, “There were increasing numbers of people calling for long, slow tones they could just relax to, so we did away with our fixation with springs.”

Via: Mainichi

The granddaughter to well-known painter Henri Matisse has painted five unique chess sets for an exhibition called “The Art of the Game” for the Beyond the Border International Contemporary Art Fair. Each chess set is individually numbered and enjoys a distinguishing design. The Sophie Matisse-designed chess set will sell for a whopping $16,000 at the three-day fair that will take place at the luxurious Grand Del Mar in San Diego (September 2 to 4, 2009). Ann Berchtold, executive director and founder of BTB, said that four of the chess sets have their own unique imagery, but they also come together to create a unique design. San Diego’s first Beyond the Border International Contemporary Art Fair will include national and international galleries featuring over 500 works from all over the world.

Via: BigNews

Bidders are fighting for Michael Jackson memorabilia like anything after his unexpected death. Now, one of the only two iconic gloves that Michael Jackson wore during the Jackson’s 1984 Victory tour is up for grabs at “Profiles in History” auction house. The “Suit of Lights” glove is festooned with bugle beads and Austrian crystal rhinestones, and is fitted with 50 small lights. The electric–white glove, which was consigned by glove designer Ted Shell, gets its power from single 9 volt battery placed in the cuff. The auction house said that the King of Pop presented this illuminating glove to Ted Shell in 1986. The buyer of the glove will also receive a signed letter of authenticity by Shell and a signed letter by Judie Mallen of L.A. Marquee Special Lighting Effects. Mallen installed the lights in the glove for the 1984 Victory tour. Joseph Maddalena, who heads auction house Profiles in History, said ...

In celebration of Selfridges’ centenary year in the retail business, renowned watchmaker Hublot has introduced the limited edition “Selfridges Big Bang” timepiece. Offering the ultimate in shopping experiences, Selfridges’ luxury department store in London has always been an inimitable place for watch enthusiasts. The special edition Selfridges Big Bang timepiece draws inspiration from the classic Big Bang and boasts the Selfridges Pantone 109c color on both the hands and hour markers. The case of the watch has been crafted from black ceramic. The Hublot Selfridges Big Bang watch retails for GBP 11,000 (about $18,100).

Via: JewelersLounge

At $6,000, the limited edition Stealth MacBook Pro from ColorWare isn’t cheap, but the glossy Stealth finish compensates genuinely for the hefty price. ColorWare is offering a limited edition run of Stealth MacBook Pro units, which feature a custom matte screen that adds to the beauty of the already appealing MacBook Pro. ColorWare’s Stealth finish uses SofTouch technology that adds to its smooth-feeling covert look while protecting the surface from fingerprints. The tech specs include a 15-inch matte widescreen display, 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 256GB solid-state drive, SuperDrive 8x and backlit keyboard. Only 10 examples are available and I see them selling like hot cakes.

Via: Gizmodo/TechEBlog/TrendHunter

SolidAlliance, known for its ultra-flashy USB drives including the Mottainai USB Key made in gold, has now redefined the luxury USB drives with this innovative “Mnemosyne” 16GB USB drive-cum-puzzle that needs to be disassembled first to access your data hidden within and vice versa. “Mnemosyne,” in Greek mythology, is the memory goddess. The cube consists of five polished silver pieces with one black piece that is the real USB flash drive. So, if you are a puzzle lover this brainteaser exercise will be nothing short of a challenge for you, and if you are successful in solving it, the digital treasure is all yours! But, the catch is you have to shell out a hefty $10,000 for this “opera of art,” as designer Toshi Satoji dubbed it.

Via: Dvice/Crunchgear/Gizmodo

The luxury bathroom trend has rendered this private space which was earlier just limited to performing daily rituals as an extension of your living space, with a reflection of your opulent interiors. The bathroom fixtures are designed to realize the new bathroom architectural lines, like, for example, the new series of Vitra4Life offers four different individual bathtubs from Vitra in collaboration with the German designburo, Noa. Our pick is the wooden-layered bathtub from the range, which features a wooden roll-matt which uncovers/covers the bathtub to serve as a massage seat.

Via: Vitra/Noa

Lately, Brunswick Billiards offered the distinctly intercontinental Zanzibar table as an exclusive product and now, they are resurrecting the 19th century design and elegance with the special edition 1878 Exposition Novelty table. Originally introduced in 1878 winning gold medals at both the San Francisco and Cincinnati Exposition, this commemorative antique replica Exposition Novelty features outstanding craftsmanship through the use of sapele rails, solid white oak legs, a range of grained veneers, solid brass rosettes and rail sights made of Asian water buffalo bone. Austin Rothbard, president of Brunswick Billiards, said that although the company produced more than 130 different table models during its first 100 years, they have revived the Novelty table because its design speaks to a bold era of art, culture and politics in America and around the world. Limited to 25 units worldwide, every Novelty Table features a limited edition brass Brunswick emblem and comes with a matching wall-mounted cue rack and Brunswick Exposition Novelty cue. It has been unveiled as part of preparation for the company’s 165th-anniversary celebration in 2010. The nine-foot Exposition Novelty table will be made available in October for $39,999.

Via: AZBilliards

A company named DNA2Diamonds is offering a lasting connection to your departed loved ones by using personal DNA carbon taken from a lock of hair to create a one-of-a-kind, precious diamond that can be worn and cherished forever. DNA2Diamonds uses the latest technology to extract the unique DNA carbon from a lock of hair, from you, a loved one, an entire family or even a pet. They are offering a new way of paying tribute to your dead furry friend who was always an integral part of your family. DNA2Diamonds extract the carbon from a lock of pet fur or cremated ashes and turn it into a GIA-certified diamond within 70 days. Just like people, no two pets are alike. So, the resulting diamond will be unique and a great way to keep your pet close to your heart forever. Whether a gift, a token of love or a commemorative tribute, a DNA2Diamond will be a tangible way to feel the departed one’s presence with you all the time. Pricing starts at about $2,000 and goes as high as $18,000.

Via: Msnbc

The space tourism industry is heating up. While the Galactic Suite, the first hotel planned in space, expects to open for business in 2012, a team of students have unveiled plans for a new international space hotel as part of their Masters degree in the Innovation Design Engineering (IDE) course that’s run together by Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art. The hotel is intended to be built in space and fitted to the International Space Station. They have showcased a 12-meter-long replica of the hotel interior, along with the animated designs. The toilets have been designed to save space, counteract zero gravity and help human muscles to remove waste effectively. To avoid the possibility of water being left floating as globules, they designed a shower nozzle that can suck up the water after the washing is done. Clothes for the space tourists were made using natural fibers, and they come with small chest flaps to let the air pass in to keep the body cool.