Chrome can be so beautiful, before it got so tacky with all the spinning rims out there. What about them Zumreed ZHP-005 by Dreams Japan (a pair of headphones that has been, quite literally, a magazine favorite – featured on Nylon, Teen Vogue, and many other via AudioCubes.com), now in mirror finish. We haven’t seen them in person yet, but since even USA Today picked up on the feed, we have a feeling personalizing electronics and accessories with chrome could the trend for 2009 and 2010, again.

[ GEDDEM via AudioCubes.com now ]

Japan’s fashion electronics maker Dreams releases the new Zumreed Sfit Graphic, a line of 6 headphones with unique graphic elements. The old Sfit has been one of the first headphones on the market that emphasized on simple design with chic colors. Now the new Sfit is based off from the same platform but I have to say, the new designs are hot. Probably not going to see anything coming close within the next few months – the colors are well balanced (as opposed to, say Aerial 7 Headphones).

Expect to see them in store at AC Gears in a week or two. For now, you can get the first batch from AudioCubes.com.

Thanks to our friend Zhen Tan tipping us over FaceBook, apparently a Internet driven super computer is about to launch May 2009. Take a look at the WolframAlpha tutorial of what this search engine wil do for humankind, and how the mighty Google pales in the kind of result WolframAlpha can deliver. Prepare to get blown away …

Read a little more review on Telegraph UK, or on Stephen Wolfram, the British mathematician behind this “computational knowledge engine.” This could be a Super Computer prototype we see in Terminator/Matrix that will give us what we need at first, and then destroys us in the end.

That’s if it delivers (and then starts to have its own mind)

I should stop watching those doomsday SciFi movies.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYHFx7IOC_w 540]
So we sampled Utada Hikaru’s This Is the One album released just today at AC Gears. Instant reminder of how it was like being a freshman in college – great for late 90′s/early 2000′s, when we didn’t know better. But seriously, after almost a decade and the third English album to date, this Columbia drop-out (no pun intended) hasn’t improved much. I mean, I am sure the music will still appeal to recent high school graduates on weekends before having their parties in dorms.

Funny how mainstream music all eventually sound the same, no? Utada’s appeal to her non-Japanese market sounds just like when she first made it big. Even m-flo, Japan’s very own J-Pop/hip-hop duo that debuted around the same time retained their edgy core after making it. Their music’s still continues to be (most of the time) fresh with each album/remix release.

So here we go, our GEDDEM alternative recommendation instead. Looking for a sensual, raw, smokey voice that’s distinctively Japanese, and yet, a little bit Jazzy, a little bit groovy, try ACO:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3wrsDZufzY 540]

Another J-Pop nonetheless, but so much more flavorful.

So what those Daft Punk girls on Youtube are actually missing for their routine are these new Eskuche Headphones, which arrived to our store last Friday.

The designers behind these Daft Punkish headgear are in fact the masterminds of Boosted Headphones – candy colored headphones on acid. They were extremely popular when they were still available. So it was no surprise that the new Eskuche brand is stylishly innovative.

We gave them a try and at $59.99 a pair, they are not bad at all. Sound stage is fairly decent, and the lows are tight without being too boomy.

The Eskuche’s are currently available at Urban Outfitters’ (in gold) and AC Gears (in silver), and three other fashion stores, mainly as fashion accessories.

Finally a company to bring out the Daft Punk in all of us as we rock out discreetly those electro classics from the 90′s.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X05jmkant5U

So we just learned from Destructoid that Namco Bandai’s Katamari Forever will be coming to the US this fall. We are so thrilled we want to bust our beloved FriendsWithYou Rainbow Dance (see above). I mean, “Stand up, Jump Jump Jump, Laugh Ha Ha Ha, Huggy Party, Kiss Kiss Kiss,” the music’s only appropriate. If you are sad, or want something sugary for your eyes, visit FriendsWithYou’s website. The Miami Duo’s 2006 Skywalkers event with other artists makes me want to just Katamari those art balloons into one giant happy ball.

Now back to Katamari Forever, I mean, what else is there to say? Check out the preview below and save up for that PS3!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I-iIVuyZ0I

After 16 months, I have a feeling we are merely feeling the effects of the Great Recession right about now. So Sharper Image, Circuit City, and perhaps the soon to follow General Motors, have all but left us with useless plastic shopping bags and soon-to-be-null warranty papers. But something actually had an impact when we learned that the maker of PLEO – Ugobe has now filed Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Protection in Idaho. Not really a big deal, perhaps, but you’ve played with PLEO like we did, you’d probably feel a little sad, to see such an innovative (and cute) product go. Take a look at PLEO’s youtube demo below, if you never owned one, this is your last chance. Recession we truly hate you.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAYUb10YtsU

[ Image courtesy of Gizmodo ]