this blog is a visual notebook of inspirations for a group of bandit bloggers. we post things we see and like. our lives don’t revolve around singular topics and neither does our blog. sorry! nothing is in-or-out of context here. enjoy xx
effort was made to replicate the material and even the ads inside the store
the iconic blue t shirts and the large id tags where all there
even the store name was “spelled” out just in case you missed the subtlety… granted apple store never uses signage that states it as an “apple store” let alone apple steor.
forget the vuitton knock offs and i trust you saw our post about the fake chinese macbook air (laptop for $260), and now this! a free standing store!! a US blooger on a trip to china’s kunming city discovered the “fake” store. after checking with apple about the presence of this store she praises the villains on her blog… “beautiful ripoff- a brilliant one-the best ripoff store i have ever seen”. in her conversations with the staff she was amazed to find that many were convinced that they were employed by the US electronics firm. apple itself has so far refused to comment and its not clear where the “fake” store is getting the products from. clearly not from apple directly!! by cd
like wallace, i like my toast… well toasted!my first purchase: a delonghi toaster oven – set my toast on fire and nearly my apt… approx $100-120a cheap and clean looking cusineart “classic” toaster, acceptable but completely inconsistent… approx $70-80and finally my latest addition: a magimix vision toaster… $240
well perhaps you followed me in my previous adventures when i was looking for a matress or a dvd player, or for that matter choosing a worthy drink.
well, having your breakfast toast, toasted shouldn’t be that complicated, but like anything that matters, it actually is. for my first purchase, a counter top toaster “oven” was chosen for its perceived multi-function. i though, well… i can heat up a chocolate pie for my ice cream and toast my bread all at once. well the $100 contraption worked for a bit but many-a-toasts lost their soul’s to fire. after the 3rd toast inferno, that threatened the cabinets above, i came home oneday only to find it in the recycling bin. in a bind (as i’m the only toast fanatic here), i then made the quick and easy dash for the cheap cusineart toaster. i have to say i loved the look and still find it to be possibly the best looking toaster out there, and who would want to start the day with an ugly one? that worked well, and was fully fire retardent, however the toasts… inconsistant. i would toast a bread on a perfect setting only to find the very next in the bin. then i was finally introduced to the french fancy manufacturer magimix. i had no idea what it was but the name made me laugh, i imagined an anne-sophie look alike in white apron mascotting a “magi mixer” with stars sparkling around her. little did i know this little muppet was what ive been needing all along.
the design is so simple you wonder why arent all toasters like this? the clear glass on sides not only allows you to see exactly where your toast is at, but it also opens up my counter top to let some light in ; ) the unit is super well constructed, and surprisingly made in the southern part of france! i think today even hérmes is manufacturing certain items in china so consider this with amazement. the unit weights 5 times my previous toasters and the retrieve button is a solid lump of steel. being an audiophile i will tell you, electronics that weigh a lot are “potentially” very good, doesn’t mean lead will help performance, but trust that, manufacturers don’t add weight for no reason. the colorless silver toaster (like my previous toasters) goes quite well with my thermador oven… mind you i’m no yuppie with some fancy professional oven that i never use, i’m actually a renowned chef… well amongst friends that is. im gonna post this under “perfect gift” just for all you gromits out there. – love wallace. by uh
another beautiful audio object from swiss manufacturer nagra. price per value this unit is not as attractive as its pure aesthetic. for approximately $25,200 (17,750 euros), the approx cost of the 300i, much better sounding units can be excavated, and frankly i personally think anything over $10,000 is a bit of an ostentatious endeavor, but if money was not an issue this is indeed a beautiful piece, not only to listen to, but also stare at. type: integrated amplifier, power: 2x 20w, 15hz to 55khz -3db, total harmonic distortion: 0.8 %, valves: 300b push -pull. by xy
stylish design and concept by jonas eriksson for a 76 synthesizer ipad/iphone app. i hope he finds a developer to collaborate and bring this idea to life! by jr
beautifully made stereo amps by swiss manufacturer nagra known for its movie soundtrack recorders. with 60w per channel into 8 ohms output or the two channels can be parallel-bridged to reach a double mono output power of 120 watts RMS into 4 ohms. approximate cost $15,000. personally for that price i’d go for the pass aleph mono blocks but this deserves a post just for its looks. by dd
was looking for a multi-channel preamp, for pre-recorded music, and came across this home made lovely. it’s so minimal and so beautiful i simply want one. PR should consider one for sure. by dd
“march 1955, columbia recording studio, ny — canadian pianist glenn gould playing concert grand piano, as he records the bach goldberg variations. the sound engineers & director are following score as they look on from glassed in booth. note the boomed mike doubling as gould’s coatrack.“
“march 1955, columbia recording studio, ny — close-up of 22 yr old canadian pianist glenn gould’s hands while he removes the two layers of gloves he wears even (in the summer) to keep his hands supple for performing.”
all photograph by gordon parks for LIFE, through the selvedge yard by pp.
for a s long as i can remember, i have always searched for a simple pair of headphones that tick the right boxes. compact, classic design, great sound and good price point. this has eluded me for many years. a few weeks ago i picked up a pair of these AIAIAI track headphones. i am a happy man now i have these in my bag. from iggy pop to wu-tang to bobby lepointe, they all sound great on these guys. inspired by the function and design of the old iconic walkman headphones and paired with the newest speaker driver technology, material and craftmanship, this 40mm speaker gives you full spectrum sonic experience. $80 a pair. get black and white. by cm
although the real tube amps still remain to be, for the most part, american made this little japanese number, which is still in the works, looks pretty good. read more here. by dd
a visual collective outlet of inspiration
even the store name was “spelled” out just in case you missed the subtlety… granted apple store never uses signage that states it as an “apple store” let alone apple steor.
