Crosley Traveler Turntable

by Ami Kealoha

For the casual crate-digger this Crosley Traveler is a retro '50s throwback that helps solve the problem of limited playing times and adds a portability bonus. Crosley's Stack-O-Matic technology enables up to six records (of most sizes and speeds) to play sequentially through dynamic full range stereo speakers, soothing audiophile ears in an iPod age. Weighing in at just over 18 pounds and powered with an AC/DC wall adaptor, it's many times less portable than other options, but costs only $180.

via Greggles, who's our first Reader-Contributor culled from the del.icio.us sidebar to the right.

We'll continue to post your finds throughout the week with a link back to your del.icio.us page, so keep them coming!

Run Athletics Legacy

by Josh Rubin

We got a sneak peek of the hot new Legacy kicks that will launch the footwear label, Run Athletics next month. Designed by Kevin Saer (Slanty Asian Eyed Rebel), the Legacy combines a vintage feel with modern materials. Subtle more high-end details include leather wrapping on the mid-sole and the rather unique suede front toe guard (click on the above images to zoom in). The colorways are mostly neutral, but each has a pop color on the tongue and heel.

One hunderd pairs of the first edition (the orange and brown colorway above) will be available initially only in the UK, Paris, Germany, and Amsterdam. Later installments will follow in about another month and eventually the complete line will be available in US independent boutique retailers. (Two more colorways after the jump.)

Running about $120 a pop, luxe looks and materials (like the upper faux-croc accents) and limited availability set the new line apart from other hip-hop fashion brands and seek to do more than just coloring-up Air Force Ones or Dunks. Come Spring 2006, look out for the "Arthur Ashe," an updated classic Tennis shoe and, later that year, "Mobius," a casual running hybrid, will drop.

Reader Contribution Week

by Ami Kealoha

We have a guest contributor this week, and it's you. Starting today through Friday, we'll post a daily pick from the del.icio.us sidebar to the right. So, create an account if you haven't already, add sites, share with the world. It's your chance for your Cool Hunting 15 minutes.

In case you forgot how, here are the original instructions.

Missed Connections

by Parker Hutchinson

Let's talk about feelings. According to Dutch design house Demakersvan, it's a subject not often enough addressed in the contemporary design world, and their assertion just may be true. The vast majority of furnishings either look good or perform a function well, or, if you're lucky, both. They sit idly in our living spaces and favorite clubs, reflecting little more than our tastes and our times. Demakersvan believes that very few offer the opportunity for real connection, the kind that seamlessly blends function and emotion. Their "Lost and Found" series, featuring the work of Judith de Graauw, seeks to correct that-- one design at a time.

Rife with nostalgia, these new works harken back not to decades past, but rather centuries, to a time when, for many, objects were more than eye candy. Aesthetically, the Lost And Found Stool (pictured left) certainly stands out, looking like a cross between a teddy bear and a toilet. But its selling point is in its construction; it was assembled with the same techniques employed in the making of antique plush children's toys. Instead of cotton or wool, it's made of silicone sheets, trespa and crylfiber, but its playfully animalish form and almost squeezable appearance lend to it an air of sentimentality usually reserved for hand-made keepsakes. de Graauw's Latern (pictured right) is a throwback to a time when utility meant connection (i.e., nighttime strolls with match-lighted oil lamps) and a bond was formed between person and object. More than decor, this light requires interaction: it only works when picked up by its handle; when set down, it goes right to sleep.