360 DEGREES Weblog

Two icons of authentic sporting style come together in classic British outerwear brand Barbour’s cool new limited edition collection designed in homage to the great Steve McQueen, set to launch this fall. In celebration of the 75th anniversary of their iconic International clothing range, which the King of Cool wore while motorcycle racing in the 1960s, the capsule collection of 19 pieces features several new jackets, shirts and sweaters inspired by archival photos of the actor racing motorbikes and driving his collection of classic sports cars. McQueen first donned a Barbour International jacket when he represented the United States team in the 1964 International Six Day Trials (ISDT) motorcyle race in East Germany. The ISDT (now known as the International Six Days Enduro), one of the most challenging moto racing events in the world, requires each rider to cover 200 miles a day over hellish terrain.

Prior to the event in ’64 Steve McQueen and other members of U.S. team stopped off in London and bought six-pocket Barbour Internationals, derived from a one-piece racing suit first offered by the firm in 1936, as a defence against the vagaries of European weather. McQueen quickly became enamored of the International’s weather-defying qualities and rugged utility, wearing it in several grueling moto races over the years. Classic images of McQueen in his Barbour grace the linings of the jackets in the new collection.

The Canine Treadmill from Hammacher Schlemmer will help you keep your dog well exercised even if the weather prevents you from taking him outside for walks.  The soft rubber belt is easy on paws, and the speed, incline, and distance can be easily adjusted with the simple controls. There’s also an emergency stop.  The Canine Treadmill comes in three sizes:  small for dogs up to 30 pounds ($549.95), medium for dogs up to 60 pounds ($699.95), and large for dogs up to 100 pounds ($899.95).

That’s right. You heard it, the maker of one of the safest cars, Audi is now making skis too. And not just anything. Designed by Audi Concept Design Munich, then developed into a serial production product in collaboration with sportswear brand Head and the German Ski Association, these carbon skis combine the sturdiness of motorsport with the flexibility of sports in this pair. Weighing a mere 960 grams – that’s 200 grams less than the average ski- this pair is surely the lightest baby to float on snow. Now if that doesn’t make you reach out these carbon beauties, the looks will… All given, these sure are not to be inexpensive.

Tired of the issues you have with the iPhone 4 proximity sensor? Like holding the phone against your shoulder when you’re speaking onto it? It sounds like the iPhone isn’t the right phone for the job. This is where the Desktop Handset comes in. This simple gadget basically acts as a base and receiver for your iPhone. Lay the device down in the cradle, plug in the cable to the phone’s earphone jack and you’re good to go. The Desktop Handset has a receiver for you to answer or make calls without having to hold the iPhone up to your ear. You can even charge your phone while it’s in the cradle, but too bad there isn’t a built-in one. The Desktop Handset will set you back $59.95, though if it costs too much for you – there’s always the option of just using a regular hands-free kit to get the job done.

If Steve Jobs had a secret DJ alter-ego — DJ Vegan Monk, perhaps? — he’d probably do his spinning on the Hoerboard Scomber Mix Table (€1,700; roughly $2,300). Mixing a CNC-designed MDF top deck — customized to hold your gear, and sporting a built-in power point to eliminate unsightly cables — with a laser-cut, powder-coated steel support, the Scomber looks more than a little like an iMac that’s looking straight up at the sky — in a good way, of course.

Don’t ask us how Bremont managed to get the parts and make 125 timepieces of it, but it just did it again. The new Bremont P-51 is not only inspired by the 1944 fighter plane, but if you look carefuuly at the dial and the back you’d be surprised to see that it even resembles the plane – in how much it can. The watch uses the Pacific war veteran’s original aluminium metal in the dial and the movement. The 43mm hardened steel Trip-Tick™ case, using Bremont’s B-EBE2000 technology, integrates the new rotating ‘Roto-Click’ inner bezel that houses four ball-bearings inside the case. Assembled at the company’s atelier in England, the watch features a modified Swiss BE-54A automatic chronometer movement that also shows UTC time. Made in a limited run of 251 pieces only, the P-51 will retail for £7,450 ($11,820). The watch is to be unveiled at Basel 2011.

It takes some guts to go up against the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini. Fortunately Lee Noble has what it takes. The British sportscar designer has been working on the Noble M600 for years now, and it’s finally ready for the market.

Far from Noble’s first attempt, the British sportscar manufacturer has been around for about a dozen years now, producing simple but fast sportscars for discerning customers with a taste for something a little different. The M600 represents the culmination of their research and development.

It features a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces up to 650 horsepower (depending where the driver places the Road/Track/Race dial), and with a curb weight of only 2,775 lbs, it’s said to be capable of reaching 60 in less than three seconds and on to a top speed of 225 miles per hour. It costs £200,000 (~$320,000), and as we reported two years ago when development was still underway, poseurs need not apply.

Martha Stewart Living magazine app is now available for iPad.  The app is free, and you can download a free special edition of the Martha Stewart Living magazine.  Monthly issues are available for in-app purchase for $3.99 an issue.  Right now, there is no subscription option.  I downloaded the free issue last night, and the magazine looks great on the iPad’s large screen and the navigation through the magazine works nicely.

How many times have you left the house without your phone? What’s worse, how often do you leave somewhere else without your phone? Since we’ve become more dependent on our mobile technology, losing a smartphone can be devastating. Not only have we lost access to our data, but now it could be in the hands of someone else. So why not take an extra step or two to ensure that it never gets left behind?

One such way is by using this Alertron. This device stays connected to your phone via Bluetooth, and lets you know when the two are no longer in range. You should have up to 5 meters to work with, so you’re not going to need to keep them right next to each other when you’re in the house or at the office. This little gadget should only run you a little over $22.

Support the idea of reuse with Plattfuss Rubber Bands ($7). These bags of 70 black rubber bands — far preferable to the drab beige standard, we think — are made from recycled bicycle tubes, making previously dump-worthy rubbish into handy household items.