View in gallery The Disco Chair by Kiwi & Pom encapsulates two of our favorite things here at TheCoolist– furniture and lighting. The Disco Chair is a modern lounge chair that is strung with electroluminescent wire that is illuminated when powered. The chair shines in a rainbow of color, and can be switched to a flash/pulse mode for a disco-style lighting effect. We’ll take four, please. Nice work, Kiwi&Pom!...

Looking to become a martial arts expert, but unsure of which discipline to pursue? We’ve got you covered with today’s guide to the most popular types of martial arts around the world. View in gallery Did you grow up watching martial artists in awe and wonder, marveling at their ability to master such skill, and want to learn how they do it? Or, do you want to learn self-defense or a new sport and are considering martial arts?...

Google Project Fi, the long-rumored Google Wireless service, is nearly here. If the news reports haven’t impressed upon you just how big of a deal this is, allow me to underscore the headlines. This game-changing wireless service could change the way mobile providers work with users like you and me. The days of fixed monthly fees may be numbered — and the same goes for data caps, throttling and more....

A grand, contemporary home has been built into a long, narrow plot in Madrid, Spain. The Green Roofed Labyrinth House by Estudio Entresitio, known officially as “# House # 1.130”, spans over 5,400 square feet of living space throughout stacked, terraced and green-roofed spaces. Its language is one of variance, where each space has its own unique appeal and constructive layout. It is a home created for a large family and their guests, one that stands out as a modern masterwork in urban environment of Madrid....

Rum has a far more storied history than any other spirit, yet for every ten bottles of rye or scotch you find on the shelves of your local liquor mart, you’ll often only be able to put your hand to one jug of rum. Usually the rum shelf is Bacardi, some spiced Captain Morgans, and a little Malibu, just for color. They completely ignore the nuances of the liquor, shunting black straps and agricoles to the side....

Since the advent of digital photography, pixel count has been a controversial but unshakable standard for DSLRs. The camera with the most pixels wins, at least in the eyes of enthusiasts, and there has been a megapixel arms race ever since. The new Canon 5DS 50.6MP DSLR is the undisputed king of the megapixel count, a beast of a digital camera with a ground-breaking image sensor. It comes from a great pedigree, following in the footsteps of one of the most significant cameras of the century, the Canon 5D MkII [2008]....

View in gallery The Keffer collective in Paris, France has documented Paris life and landscapes for the better part of the last decade. Their work ranges from carefully staged works of photographic art to live, unscripted action. The entire collection is certainly worth a long look, but we’ve published a decent starter gallery here as pointed out by our friends from the via link here… enjoy! View in gallery...

View in gallery The Japanese peripheral company Elecom has released a striking new mouse, the Orime Mouse as designed by Nendo . This faceted, lo-fi design is an array of flat surfaces meeting on hard edges, with no curves or slopes by nature. On the functional side, your standard three buttons (with scroll) are in place, as well as a fourth button on the left side of the mouse. It connects wirelessly using a USB dongle and is available in four different color styles....

We’ve seen our fair share of beautiful Bluetooth speakers, but we’ve never seen one quite like this. The Poet Audio Pandoretta may be the most exclusive Bluetooth speaker ever built. It’s the collaborative work of product designer Thomas Feichtner and “sound scientist” Thomas Pfob, and it is targeted at those with disposable incomes. How much exactly? $7,200 USD for the speaker system and that sexy wooden stand. Don’t let the “bluetooth speaker” distinction suggest that this is a mobile device....

Productivity measures how efficiently goods and services are created or delivered. Productivity is important because it impacts economic growth by increasing profit margins and competitive standing. Being productive involves using your time and managing your resources wisely to ensure the quantity of your output is consistent. Productivity is a vital meta-resource that factors into personal and economic efficiency and output. Different forms of productivity, such as labor, capital, total factor, and material productivity, correspond to different aspects of production and resource utilization....

Productivity measures how efficiently goods and services are created or delivered. Productivity is important because it impacts economic growth by increasing profit margins and competitive standing. Being productive involves using your time and managing your resources wisely to ensure the quantity of your output is consistent. Productivity is a vital meta-resource that factors into personal and economic efficiency and output. Different forms of productivity, such as labor, capital, total factor, and material productivity, correspond to different aspects of production and resource utilization....

View in gallery When it comes to black-and-white fashion photography, there are few who carry the same communicative talent as Sam Hessamian. His black-and-white prints convey striking emotion befitting the world of fashion, from simple facial expressions to behind-the-scenes stills to lone figures amidst urban architecture. For those aspiring toward this kind of work– or to those who simply admire it, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in the gallery below....

In the smartphone market, only two things are certain. The first is that Apple fans and Android fans are never really going to get along. The second is that most major smartphone manufacturers will, like clockwork, release a new model of their hardware more or less annually. It’s a long-standing tradition arguably first established by Apple, developer of the first true consumer smartphone. I’m certain you can fill in the blanks from there; most other manufacturers have more or less followed Apple’s lead....

View in gallery What is it that men love about Scarlett Johansson? It’s her accessible beauty . She has a girl-next-door allure that makes men think that, if the opportunity presented itself, “I could have her”. Sadly, that was a long time ago, before Ms. Johansson cemented her A-List status, and before photoshoots like this with fashion photographer Mario Sorrenti. Adding to her resume in film, Scarlett is the face of the Mango fashion line, a job which she fills beautifully....

View in gallery Day job wearing on you? Home life not making things any easier? It’ll be tough to find a better reset button than this, a vacation where you’d have only one goal in mind: relaxation. The Six Senses Destination Spa Phuket is the ideal retreat for those looking to escape the 60 hour grind, a luxurious temple of pleasure on the Thai island of Phuket. The Six Senses Destination Spa will keep you focused on yourself and nothing more, as this hotel offers no internet, no television, no way of keeping up with the external world....

View in gallery In a matter of years, the Burj Khalifa will lose its title as the world’s tallest building to a new skyscraper in Changsha, China. The plans have been nearly completed on Sky City, a new multi-use mega-building which will climb 10 meters higher than the current title holder. Sky City will not only reach for the highest heights, it will also be built to hold massive volume at its base and lower levels....

There are 10,000 species of bird on the planet, many of them renowned for their intelligence. However, do you know which is the smartest bird in the world? View in gallery Birds are hugely underestimated, and over time, the world’s smartest birds have evolved into animals that can use tools and even remember words or faces. Looking at a bird’s behavior can give us a good indication of whether or not they’re up there with the smartest birds in the world....

The business world has become divided into two camps. There’s the mostly casual jeans and jacket variety, where creativity and corporate savvy combine. This includes the tech geniuses who wear the same thing day after day. Then there’s the ultra slick double breasted , Double Windsor, pinstripe set. These natty sharks are dressed up and down, showing great precision in their clothing, but about as much variety as a herd of zebra....

AirBnB is the home to some of the most astounding and affordable rentals on the planet. Nowhere else can you visit Paris, Milan, Hong Kong, and New York City for so little cash. Even the worst fleabag motel will run you more than the beautiful rooms you’ll find on the website. It’s honestly the only way to travel, whatever your style or needs. However, there’s a side to AirBnB that’s hidden beneath the glitz and glamour, with a few unusual real estate owners putting up some real oddities that will surely entice those who prefer to add bizarre and unusual to their accommodation plans....

While Nikon and Canon slug it out below, Phase One handles the cutting edge. The brand just revealed their latest medium format line, the Phase One XF Camera System. The XF is a new modular body/back combo that is capable of 80 megapixel still photography with 14-stops of dynamic range. That’s the kind of resolution and flexibility that commercial photographers — from fashion to automotive to architecture — demand in a medium format camera....