View in galleryThe leaf vacuum comes in a pair of builds. There’s the mower-style body, that has a traditional push construction. You run it around the yard, hitting the leaf piles, and it will snap up any fallen soldiers and give them a quick mulch. The backpack or portable style looks more like a standard leaf-blower, but comes outfitted with a bag or hose that connects to a receptacle. Leaves are sucked up via the hollow wand, torn up through a quick pass into a small mulcher, and spit into the container....

Not familiar with Heimplanet? I covered the Heimplanet Mavericks tent earlier this month, an inflatable extreme-weather tent capable of sustaining 100mph winds. It’s pricey at $7K to start, but built for the most extreme traveler who wishes to scale mountains and handle just about anything mother nature will throw at them. Heimplanet also produces consumer options, like the Heimplanet Cave Tent we included in our round-up of the best adventure gadgets for rugged campers last year....

The Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera offers a couple things that has made the GoPro so successful. First, it comes in a small package and it weighs very little. The Micro Cinema weighs in at roughly twice the weight of a GoPro Hero 4 with housing, or 10.65 oz. It’s nearly a 3x3x3-inch cube, so it is a diminutive device compared to the digital film cameras it compares to. Last, it produces high quality footage in a small device....

Restored Cathedral Book Store Instead of allowing this old Gothic cathedral to fall into disrepair, it was purchased by a book seller and restored to its original glory. The Cathedral Book Store of Maastricht, The Netherlands might be the world’s most beautiful book store, featuring the breathtaking contrast of contemporary design with classical architecture. The walls, arches and cathedral ceiling of the original building were maintained, while the new interior bookstore rises from its center....

Photographer Riaad Algarei captures alluring and captivating images from several landscapes around the world. Emphasis is put on the distinct and vibrant colors created by light and different environments. Gaping valleys, breathtaking views and astonishing gorges and rock structures are among the subjects in Algarei’s photo feature. A unique perspective is shown to each landscape by intensifying the actual grandness and massiveness of the subject matter and highlighting the beauty in the composition of colors....

In this drinker’s paradise, this booze-hound’s garden of Eden, you can find any number of dives, but when you want to day drink and enjoy a little fresh air, a roof is the place to wet your whistle. That’s why we tippled until our eyes ran red to bring you the 17 best rooftop bars in Boston and the surrounding area. Atlantic Beer Garden Unlike some of the Bostonian rooftop watering holes, ABG has incredible views of the city and the harbor, letting you soak in a lot of local color....

The design of the Cheval Blanc Randheli is the work of architect Jean-Michel Gathy, who has married a contemporary aesthetic to the traditional palm cabana architecture of the islands. Merging traditional and contemporary design elements can be a challenge, but Gathy succeeded in a structure that is as relaxed and serene as it is progressive in design. The furnishings continue the emphasis on relaxed comfort, as the color schemes and materials are at home in this island setting....

The Drawing Room Chicago Michelin-rated cuisine? Check. Signature cocktails? Check. High design without the attitude? Check and check. The Drawing Room Chicago is a basement bar and lounge with a master mixologist behind the bar and an award-winning chef in the kitchen. Come for a Three Fork Michelin dining experience, stay for the absinthe fountain (pictured above) at the bar. It’s the perfect basement bar starting point. The Drawing Room Chicago | Gallery View in gallery View in gallery View in gallery...

If you want to elevate your casual attire, Chukka boots are the way to go. In other words, a good pair of Chukkas allow you to maintain a sense of style and a comfortable feel. The iconic boot is a worthy addition to any closet. History of Chukka Boots The origin of Chukka boots is somewhat of a mystery. Shoe historians agree Chukkas became popular in India and receive their name from a period of play in a polo match....

The design team at Murmure have created a line of electro-phosphorescent accessories to enhance the night time electronic music festival experience. These glowing pieces add to the cosmic experience of the synthetic music and alter the way the audience enjoys a performance. Among the goodies are glow in the dark glasses, cases, posters and paraphernalia galore. Each neon light contrasts with the darkness of the after hours shows. These innovative products will make a stylish stamp on the electronic music festivals of the summer and beyond....

36-year-old Eva Herzigova has had quite a year. While most models fade into obscurity in their mid-twenties, Miss Herzigova is a venerable part of the fashion industry. In short, she ain’t going anywhere. This 5’11” Czech beauty is even more beautiful today than when her career started 20 years ago. We salute Eva, her career, and the personality she puts into shoots just like this one by Hedi Slimane for Vogue Paris....

The journey of photography is marked by many milestones. You may not remember your first photograph, but you’ll never forget your first DSLR. If you’re like me, that first DSLR changed the way you experienced the world around you — all while capturing memories in rich resolution. But what’s next? What’s the next step after you’ve gotten comfortable with your DSLR? It’s time to remove the kit lens that came with your camera and invest in a lens that can change everything — the venerable 50mm prime....

The 2011 Ikea Catalog is now officially available online. The new Ikea Catalog is packed with 376 pages of inexpensive, flat-packed interior design goodness, with a focus this year on storage solutions for the home and office. While the phrase “storage solutions” doesn’t inspire excitement in most of us, the 2011 Ikea Catalog does a nice job of putting this form of furniture into a nice perspective. Beautiful, happy and dream-like homes are decked out with Ikea wares and arranged ever so stylishly....

The implications are rightly a little startling. With technology of the sort WinSun demonstrated here – which is, admittedly, still in its infancy – the entire construction market could be seeing an overhaul in the near future. Very soon, construction workers might find themselves employed on a factory floor as well as construction sites. Not only that, imagine the implications for housing and urban sprawl – buildings that once took months to construct could be shored up and ready to use in a matter of days – or even hours....

The Janus Motorcycles Halcyon 50 motorcycle is inspired by the early 20th century bikes that broke big records with small engines. The visual aesthetic is a throwback to the early Triumphs and Indians, featuring a slim frame, thick fenders, exposed machinery and a classy leather saddle behind that nice chrome gas tank. Mechanically, the heartbeat of the Halcyon 50 is similar to a performance moped– it runs on a 49cc engine but uses some impressive carburetion and air filtration and exhaust systems to get the most out of its small engine....

People in glass offices should not throw phones. The Kanagawa Institute of Technology’s Glass Building is the latest architectural wonder on our radar, a tall and translucent temple of teaching. This glass building, designed by Junya Ishigami and Associates, is supported by 305 white pillars arranged throughout its interior. While these pillars provide structure, they also suggest interior organization of furniture, creating communities within the larger, open space. It’s walls are pure glass from corner to corner, allowing unobstructed views of the Tokyo Bay environment....

The House in Itsuura is a celebration of wood. Its structure, facade and interior architecture feature prominent wood construction throughout. Both of its raised volumes stretch out over interwoven wooden columns, features which are central to the home’s visual identity. The facade features horizontal slatted screens and varied, intermittent windows that create an interesting, progressive appearance. Together, these predominant wooden elements yield a vivid shape that feels like a product of the 21st century, but with materials that have been used in Japan for millenia....

Minus K House Gallery

The two greatest criticisms of wind power farms are their construction costs and the visual drain they pose on otherwise natural environments. Suppose, however, there was a way to cut building costs by using existing infrastructure– and to add these eyesores to existing eyesores. A group of enterprising, eco-conscious thinkers have dreamed up a plan where existing electricity towers are used as wind power sources. The “Wind It” project by Nicola Delon, Julien Choppin, and Raphael Menard proposes a string of the tower-ported wind turbines to be placed in wind-sensitive areas, then feeding this freely-generated power directly back into the grid....

Pantone, the people of color, have released a new set of cases for the iPhone 4 and iPad with classic Pantone styling. These Pantone iPhone Cases are available in nine colors, each with their own Pantone color swatch identifier, including “Black C”, “711 Red” and “Cool Gray 5 C”. This isn’t the first out-of-the-box idea from Pantone, be sure to check out The Human Pantone by Pierre David and the Pantone Rainbow for Basheer Graphic Books....