Tag: cool

watch includes fashion advice

So I was looking at watches a while back because my son wanted one for Christmas. I saw this Casio watch which looks just like they did back in the ’80s. Is this a retro thing? Or are the ’80s making a comeback (again)? Or did they just not bother to ever update the design? (I haven’t worn a watch in years, so I haven’t kept up with it.)

Also notice what is suggested with the watch, per Amazon.com. They have “styling ideas” to go with this ’80s-themed watch.

Does anyone buying a retro watch for $16 want style advice with it? It just seems odd. The recommendations aren’t anything like what I buy (nor do I buy clothes from Amazon), so it doesn’t seem to be custom to me, meaning it’s specific to the watch. I was curious if Amazon offered style advice on other watches, so I found an expensive one (a SUUNTO race sports watch) for $549, but it did not have any fashion advice. Perhaps they figure if you’re buying an ’80s-themed Casio watch for $16 that you need fashion advice… 🙂

Are they suggesting that your watch should match or coordinate with your outfit? I could see some people thinking that way, especially for more formal situations. However, I’m a man, so I don’t care about such things. Besides, I don’t even wear a watch anymore.

I had a watch similar to that when I was a kid, except mine had a temperature sensor to let you know the ambient temperature. That was high-tech in a kids watch back then! One time I also had one with a calculator, which was quite nerdy. Did you know that it was totally uncool to be a nerd back then? Now, people carry calculators with them all the time, but back then it was not socially acceptable for popular people. Now almost everyone has a smartphone and thinks nothing of how nerdy that used to be. You’re carrying a computer in your pocket/purse! NERD! In the ’80s, if you even knew how to use a computer, you were probably a nerd. Now it’s cool to be a nerd. Well, that’s what I tell myself anyway. I’m still a nerd, but I’m okay with it. (Being comfortable with who you are is actually the essence of being cool, if you strip away the preconceived notions of following the trendy popular crowd. But I digress… Such transcendental wisdom is not desired by some people who would rather put people in a box labeled either cool or not cool.)

creating ripped jeans

You might be aware that it’s trendy / fashionable these days to wear aged jeans. By aged, I mean jeans with holes in them where they look worn out. I don’t know the proper terminology for this, whether they’re weathered, worn, torn, distressed, ripped, or shredded. (I’ve never heard anyone say shredded jeans, but I’ve seen some that fit that definition — they had more holes than jeans.)

Now, I’m not normally one to write on fashion, but I have a question. I have a pair of jeans that are becoming worn out, developing faded spots and holes and frayed areas. So does that mean I’m suddenly more cool when wearing these? Or do you have to spend more money on designer jeans that look worn out but aren’t? Is there some type of fashion legitimacy to whether or not someone paid for that look or whether they paid in sweat equity?

Let me know in the comments, because I don’t understand fashion. However, to be honest, I don’t care. I’ve long since realized that coolness / awesomeness is not defined by what you wear but more by your attitude and how you feel about yourself. And so once I realized that, just mere thinking allowed me to transcend coolness. 🙂 Although even if you disagree with that, it’s okay, because I wore out some jeans, so now I’m cool by modern fashion standards. 🙂

I won’t even get started on the fact that some of these worn-out-looking jeans cost $100 more… Except I reckon I just saved $100. 🙂

Optimus Prime that transforms on its own

Someone has created an Optimus Prime action figure / toy / collectible that transforms on its own. It even responds to voice commands and you can drive it around via an app. If this interests you in the least, here’s a video showing it off:

I have to admit, that is really cool. It’s great that they used the original transforming sound effect and that they got Peter Cullen to voice the dialogue. So props to the maker of this for doing it right.

It contains over 5000 components, 60 microchips, and 27 servo motors, with more details at the official site. As you might expect, technology this awesome is not cheap. $700 is out of my budget for such things, so I won’t be able to provide a hands-on review. Hopefully in the future it’ll get a lot cheaper, because it would be a great addition to my desk.

The reviewer in the video declares this the coolest toy ever. Of course that’s debatable, but I’m not going to argue with that. It is indeed awesome. Do you know of a toy or toy-like collectible that is more awesome?

a manly iPod docking station

If you want an iPhone/iPod dock that looks cool, for men, here’s what you need.

Each model is built out of a solid block of aluminum, and they’re based on the exhaust manifold of a car engine.  It’s called iXoost, which comes from the English pronunciation of the word “exhaust”.  They feature several speakers, including a 140W subwoofer.

I haven’t heard one of these, but I would like to — unless I have to pay for it.  The starting price is $6200.  I think it looks awesome, but I suspect the WAF (Wife Approval Factor) would be considerably less than favorable.

You can find more info at the iXoost website, and you can even customize your own on this page.