On the search for the latest and greatest ish’ to to hit the streets, I was recently introduced to a brand called Recover that makes some great skins for products like iPhones, iPads, and Macbooks. Based in Portland (Shwood and Recover seem to be killing this wood game, huh?), Recover skins are precision laser-cut from authentic wood veneers. Each skin is made with professional grade 3M adhesive backing for easy installation/removal. So rip that cheesy cheap vinyl sticker off your Macbook, frat boy, and grab one of these!

I think this piece of machinery might require the DJ to actually learn to dance and step up his/or her stage presence. Time to walk the walk guys!

Emulator is a multitouch MIDI controller (for windows 7, oh ! yes NO IPAD),  software where you have all what you need on same screen and combine the power of multitouch, the useful standard mouse and the native interface of software to be controlled all in one nice and useful GUI, first version 1.0 include layout 100% compatible with Traktor Pro internal mode, future upgrades include Traktor Internal mode and new layouts for Deckadance, Virtual Dj, Ableton and more.This software runs under windows 7,   32bit/64bit;  and works on tablet PCs with 12.1 inch screen (1280×800).
I decided to do this because the big LCD multitouch screens available on the market aren’t really accurate and enough for pro usage; (optical sensors can) generate false touch, ghost touches, etc etc,  and you lose portability (on larger screens)

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Here comes some fun from Shepard Fairey that we haven’t seen in over a decade. OBEY and STRANGEco bring you Mr. Spray, the “Make Art Not War” limited edition vinyl figure. Mr. Spray comes in four colorways black, red, silver, and gold. Cop now, bound to go fast!

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Battle on, Apple vs. Motorola! With Apple’s latest edition to the iPhone family, the iPhone 4, Motorola strikes back with an edition to the Android collection via the Verizon-exclusive Motorola Droid X. The Droid X has a 4.3-inch, FWVGA 854 x 480-resolution screen that displays the results from an 8-megapixel camera. That’s not all though, it records 720p video and comes with 8GB of storage space. HDMI output and the highly anticipated Android 2.2 Froyo OS are set to come later in the year. The Motorola Droid X is available July 15th, exclusively through Verizon with a 2-year contract price of $199.99 (after mail-in rebate).

Serato and Stones Throw have recently teamed with the J Dilla Estate for the official J Dilla Serato release of, Donut Shop. This one time unique box set consists of 2 discs with six J Dilla tracks, 2 sides with Serato Control Tone (for use with Serato Scratch Live DJ software), and 2 donut slipmats in a package designed by none other than Shepard Fairey’s; Studio No.1 via designer Kristian Henson. Pre-order is available now.

The J Dilla tracks consist of three previously unreleased instrumentals selected by J.Rocc from the Dilla archives – “Safety Dance”, “Sycamore”, “Bars & Twists” – and three unreleased instrumental versions of Dilla’s production for Mos Def, Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes, each remastered by Elysian Masters who mixed and mastered J Dilla’s Donuts, The Shining and Ruff Draft albums.

J Dilla : Safety Dance (free download)

Pre-order for the J Dilla-Serato release (June 2010)

Forever Rest in Peace!!!

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Behold Apple’s newest generation of release, the Mac Mini ($700-1,000). While the aluminum unibody enclosure has undergone a face-lift, the insides remain similar and the price steady. Courtesy of a built-in HDMI port, now you can play media directly from your Mini onto your HDTV. Each Mac Mini comes equip with next-generation NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics and speedy DDR3 memory up to 8GB. Choose now to have a 320GB or 500GB hard drive to run Mac OS X Snow Leopard on your 2.4 or 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor.

Don’t forget you’ll need a mouse, keyboard and display.

As a DJ/Turntablist, enhancing a set with new tech toys while still harnessing the true art form of djing is an ongoing challenge. I appreciate all the great new technology available to us but I have to admit, when I watch other dj’s spin and do nothing but stare at their Macbook, I can feel the energy diminish in the entire room.  Not too long ago, dealing with records skipping while doing a beat juggle, the needle jumping while cutting, records warping and having to buy a new copy for $5.99 etc…were some of the pains us as dj’s faced on a daily. Some dj’s nowadays can’t seem to grasp the idea of paying $.89 for a song.

Anyhow, whether you’ve paid your dues and come from the days of crates and transformer switches, or a newbie with a passion for sharing your musical taste, this piece of equipment will enhance your presentation and delivery for sure…granted that you know how to freak it. Once you’ve mastered mixing without waveforms and can avoid matching the kick of one song to the snare of another, pick this up and incorporate into your set. The Dicer is yet another toy from our friends at Novation that truly redefines a “live” mix. It’s compatible with Serato and has mappings for Traktor Pro/Scratch. Anyone can get up their and play their iTunes library. This tool allows quick editing and effects and brings you closer to that place where it feels as if you’re touching sound.

Specifications:

Integration with Serato

Dicer is expected to be in stores in late June/early July 2010, priced:

USA: $99.99 MAP

Germany: €99.99 inc. 19% VAT

UK: £79.99 inc. 17.5% VAT

Now that WWDC 2010 has come and gone, we are happy to release buyer information for the new Apple iPhone 4.

The new iPhone 4G comes with:

1. All new design
2. Glass on the front and rear
3. Front facing camera
4. Camera and LED flash on the back
5. Thinnest smartphone ever
6. Stainless steel band on the exterior acts as antenna (the outer rim of the phone)
7. Stainless steel case
8. Resolution twice as good as on the 3GS with the Retina display
9. New A4 chip designed by Apple
10. Comes with Mircosim to save space
11. Improved battery life by 40%
12. 5 megapixel camera with digital zoom
13. HD video recording

Apple Presents iPhone 4
All-New Design with FaceTime Video Calling, Retina Display, 5 Megapixel Camera & HD Video Recording

Thinnest Smartphone Ever

SAN FRANCISCO—June 7, 2010—Apple® today presented the new iPhone® 4 featuring FaceTime, which makes the dream of video calling a reality, and Apple’s stunning new Retina display, the highest resolution display ever built into a phone, resulting in super crisp text, images and video. In addition, iPhone 4 features a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, HD video recording, Apple’s A4 processor, a 3-axis gyro and up to 40 percent longer talk time—in a beautiful all-new design of glass and stainless steel that is the thinnest smartphone in the world. iPhone 4 comes with iOS 4, the newest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes over 100 new features and 1500 new APIs for developers. iOS 4 features Multitasking, Folders, enhanced Mail, deeper Enterprise support and Apple’s new iAd mobile advertising platform. iPhone 4 will be available in the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan on June 24, starting in the US at just $199 for qualified buyers with a two year contract.*

“iPhone 4 is the biggest leap since the original iPhone,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “FaceTime video calling sets a new standard for mobile communication, and our new Retina display is the highest resolution display ever in a phone, with text looking like it does on a fine printed page. We have been dreaming about both of these breakthroughs for decades.”

FaceTime is as mobile as your phone, so you can see your loved ones and friends anywhere there is Wi-Fi. Using FaceTime is as easy as making a regular voice call, with no set-up required, and you can instantly switch to the rear camera to show others what you are seeing with just a tap.

Apple’s stunning 3.5 inch Retina display has 960 x 640 pixels—four times as many pixels as the iPhone 3GS and 78 percent of the pixels on an iPad™. The resulting 326 pixels per inch is so dense that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels when the phone is held at a normal distance, making text, images and video look sharper, smoother and more realistic than ever before on an electronic display.

iPhone 4 is the thinnest smartphone ever—9.3 millimeters—with an all-new design and build quality like no other mobile device. The front and back are made of aluminosilcate glass, chemically strengthened to be 30 times harder than plastic, more scratch resistant and more durable than ever. The front and back glass have an oil-resistant coating that helps keep it clean, and encircling iPhone 4 is a highly finished stainless steel band made of a custom alloy that is forged to be five times stronger than standard steel.

iPhone 4 features a new 5 megapixel autofocus camera with a 5x digital zoom, a backside illuminated sensor and built-in LED flash that allows you to take amazing pictures even in low light and dark environments. iPhone 4 lets you record and edit incredible HD video and the popular tap to focus feature now works while recording video. You can use the iPhone 4‘s LED flash for both still photography and video recording. The new iMovie® app for iPhone lets you combine movie clips, add dynamic transitions and themes and include photos and music, and users can buy it for just $4.99 through the App Store right on their phone.

iPhone 4 is the best mobile device ever for games and entertainment, with access to tens of thousands of games and entertainment apps on the revolutionary App Store. Every iPhone 4 has a built-in 3-axis gyro that when combined with the accelerometer provides 6-axis motion sensing such as up and down, side to side, forward and backward and pitch and roll, making it perfect for gaming. Developers can access the gyro using the new CoreMotion API to make games and other apps that go well beyond what other mobile devices offer.

iPhone 4 comes with iOS 4, the newest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. With over 100 new features, it includes Multitasking, Folders, enhanced Mail, deeper Enterprise support and Apple’s new iAd mobile advertising platform. With Multitasking, users can now instantly switch between any of their apps while preserving battery life. With Folders, users can easily organize their apps into collections by simply dragging one app on top of another. A folder is automatically created and named based on the category of apps selected. Users can change the name of any folder at any time. In addition, users can now customize their lock and home screens with an array of supplied wallpapers or with any of the photos on their phone.

The new iBooks® app will be available for iPhone 4 as a free download from the App Store and includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile product. The iBooks app will sync your current place in a book, along with any bookmarks, highlights and notes you have created, between copies of the same book on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch®. iBooks users can also now read and store PDFs right in iBooks. There are now over 60,000 books available in the iBookstore, and users have downloaded over five million books in the first two months.

More than five billion apps have been downloaded from the revolutionary App Store and more than 225,000 apps are available to consumers in 90 countries. Almost 100 million iPhone and iPod touch users around the world can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.

iPhone 4 delivers an amazing seven hours of talk time on 3G networks, up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi and up to six hours on 3G, and up to 10 hours of video playback and up to 40 hours of audio playback.** iPhone 4 is powered by Apple’s new A4 processor that provides exceptional processor and graphic performance along with long battery life. iPhone 4 features a second microphone and advanced software to suppress unwanted background noise for improved call quality when in loud places. iPhone 4 also offers 802.11n Wi-Fi networking and adds quad-band HSUPA to provide 7.2Mbps downlink and 5.8Mbps uplink capability.***

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 4 comes in either black or white and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model in both Apple and AT&T’s retail and online stores, Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores. iPhone 4 will be available in the US, France, Germany, Japan and the UK on June 24 and customers can pre-order their iPhone 4 beginning Tuesday, June 15 from the Apple Online Store or reserve an iPhone 4 to pick up at an Apple Retail Store. iMovie for iPhone will be available on the App Store for just $4.99 (US).

Also on June 24, a new iPhone 3GS 8GB model will be available for just $99 (US). iOS 4 software will be available on June 21 as a free software update via iTunes® 9.2 or later for iPhone and iPod touch customers.****

iPhone 4 will roll out worldwide to 88 countries by the end of September. iPhone 4 will be available by the end of July in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

*Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year AT&T rate plan, sold separately.

**Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

***Speed is dependent on cellular network capability.

****iOS 4 is compatible with iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, second and third generation iPod touch (late 2009 models with 32GB or 64GB). Some features may not be available on all products. For example, Multitasking requires iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 or third generation iPod touch (late 2009 models with 32GB or 64GB).”

iPhone 4 will be available in the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan on June 24, jump on the pre-order opportunity June 15, 2010.

Design video here for an in depth look at this new beast from Apple!

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Cervélo, the world’s largest manufacturer of triathlon bikes recently got together with with Chrome Hearts on a one of a kind, limited edition racing bike. The Cervélo P4 TT bicycle costs $6,000, but when you make the call to Chrome Hearts and they get involved, you get something a lil different. The Chrome Hearts edition race running bike comes refinished with artwork, a leather seat, silver cross, and and it’s going for the low price of $60,000… (No big shit..)

First is was Dre with the Beats, then Gaga with the Heartbeats. Now, who other than Hova to enter the personal audio game with his Skullcandy Roc Nation Aviator Headphones. Co-developed by Jay-Z and Skullycandy, I can see these flyin’ off the shelves with their Aviator feel and 40mm full-rage mylar drivers. Set to drop in June, the price is still TBA. Could be interesting considering they claim this is a “world class headphone.”

GrooveMaker, one of the most popular mobile loop remixing apps, is well on it’s way to dominating the new Apple iPad. I’m curious to see how all the rumors of the iPad being the new medium in DJ platforms plays out. Do you think the iPad is all your gonna need to use when performing? Are they planning on making a Serato App that can act as your laptop? That shit is getting way to techie for my taste. Nonetheless, GrooveMaker Free version has consistently been in the top 100 music apps with over 600,000 downloads, and the entire GrooveMaker family features 11 style-based apps for the most popular genres of music. Adopting the current user functionality as the iPhone & iTouch, the people at GrooveMaker added a couple new incentives (larger multi-touch surface) only compatible with the the iPad. Download

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Times are tuff these days on the funds, that goes without saying. But hey, that’s never an excuse to compromise the integrity of your wrist piece collecting fetishes (You know who you are). I stand guilty of being such a connoisseur, but alas something that is legit on all fronts…

The Diesel Time Zone Watch is quite the looker. It’s ultramodern aesthetic appeal delivers in functionality too, with four time zones in both digital and analog time. It comes with a sleek holographic like face and is completed with a comfortable leather band. The piece is a combination of stainless steel, leather, mineral crystal.

Available @ Nordstrom

Rumored for what seemed like ages, Apple officially announced the iPad today. Are we supposed to be impressed? Yawn. While the Apple iPad is a fun little device, I don’t really plan to buy it anytime soon. It’s capable of playing videos, music, browsing the web, reading e-books and all the other things the iPhone and/or a netbook could do.

What’s up with not putting a camera on this thing? At all! Not even a camera on the back, weak! Still no flash? JESUS! And…unless I’m looking at this thing wrong, where is the widescreen model? The fact that there is still no support for multitasking makes me want to hurl. I could continue the list forever…no removable storage support, no handwriting recognition, no new OS. I’m over it, I hate to admit it but this is the first Apple product I have to give a “WTF?”. Check below if you feel like wasting some loot!

Pricing:
16 GB = $499
16 GB + 3G = $629

32 GB = $599
32 GB + 3G = $729

64 GB = $699
64 GB + 3G = $829

Specs:
* Wi-Fi
* Digital compass
* Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
* Cellular (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
* Dock connector
* 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack
* Built-in speakers
* Microphone
* SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model only)
* Built-in 25Whr rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
* Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
* Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system
* 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip
* 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
* 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
* Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
* Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Via Apple

Uncommon brings us a unique collection of iPhone cases designed by artists, designers and brands. Please help support the Red Cross recovery and relief efforts through the purchase of this case. It will express your support and act as a reminder to yourself and others of the ongoing need in Haiti. 100% of profits from your purchase will go to the Red Cross.

Capturing the electrifying worlds of art, fashion, and pop culture and infuse them into every limited edition timepiece produced. Vannen makes exceptional, highly collectible, limited edition timepieces at competitive prices. Constructing wearable art that is both functional and accessible – but still exclusive – Vannen has given the public a new way to showcase their taste in art and fashion without breaking the bank.

Individually inspected, assembled and packaged by hand in Los Angeles, every watch is treated like a true piece of art. Designed by some of the world’s best artists, Vannen creates wearable art that appeals to forward-thinking, style-conscious individuals while honoring the distinctive vision of our team of artists.

This Christmas forget fruitcake, Chia Pets and Snuggies. The paramount gift to give or get this season is the limited edition Winter Holiday Watch Exclusive from Vannen!

The watch was designed by internationally renowned artist Christopher Bettig, who incorporated traditional holiday colors in such an intricate and alluring way that the watch is completely wearable beyond the month of December. Chris also designed the “snow globe” packaging – a clear poly-bag filled with non-toxic artificial snow and decorated with snowflakes.

There are only 100 of these limited edition timepieces in existence, and each one comes with a two-color silkscreen print designed, printed, signed and numbered by the artist.

Vannen has made 10 super-limited Winter Holiday Watches…. The Snowflake chase/variant! This version is made from the same fashionable Christopher Bettig design as the Winter Exclusive, but features silver snowflakes printed all over the straps and crystal, and it’s packaging is individually signed – and doodled on – by Chris. These mega-special watches will be sent randomly to 10 lucky individuals that order the Winter Holiday Watch.

I’m really digging these everyday session watches our friends at Vannen are putting out. Take a look at some of their previous collaborative series pieces:

“LA Muerte” fancy’s this very Dirty Donny “Halloween Exclusive”

Always showing lovage for anything the Buff one puts out! “Pink is Power!”

If I were ya’ll I wouldn’t be surprised to see Vannen Watches for sale in the Newestra Online Shop opening early 2010!

Incase has out done themselves once again with this Perforated Snap Case. Coming at you in white, black and magenta this iPhone case is one of the cleanest we’ve seen Incase put out yet. It features an all-over perforated design with slots for every feature the phone has to offer. Now available for only $30 USD, better tell that special someone to add it to your Xmas list, I did! :]

Buy here!

Perfect for the stocking this holiday comes DJ Mouse. A portable, sleek and simple way allowing you to Scratch, Beat Match, and Mix your entire MP3 collection with a click(s) of a button and a jog-wheel. Produced by Hong-Kong based DJ-Tech Professional, the DJ Mouse is available now here!

My iPhone battery sucks. Say, yours does too? What better to have on hand than this 2-in-1 Incase Combo Charger which can recharge devices in the car or at home. The ultra slick design features a hideaway wall socket prongs for maximum convenience. Not to mention this little gadget is compatible with all worldwide voltage capacities and DC compatible 12V power supplies.

Even better, if you’re rollin’ with someone else, who’s battery also is low…this device features two USB charge inputs. Perfect for any of your Apple products.

Perfect for this holiday season are these new Skullcandy NBA Series Headphones. Featuring the leagues hottest teams and players, these slick headphones will be available in December at select retailers. Featuring players such as- Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, and LeBron James you can bet these will be a swoosh for only $50USD. Avaiable for pre-order now!

Hearing rumors of the exciting collaboration between Leica and Hermes for a while now…here comes the Leica x Hermes M7 Limited Edition Camera. Using the classic Leica 35mm M7 as it’s base, Hermes outfits the body in with chrome, two different colorways of calfskin leather and a matching strap. Pretty slick huh? The downfall is that there are only 100 models produced and the hefty price tag of $14,000USD.