PRPS Slim

by Josh Rubin

PRPS, the 3 year old denim brand, has become well known among denim connoisseurs for their attention to detail. Made from African cotton woven into denim on vintage Levis shuttle looms in Japan, their productions are small batch but super high quality—making PRPS products often sought, but rarely found. Denim quality is just the beginning though, their distressing and aging techniques yield beautiful results. With their latest line they've gone into even more detail by adding patches, embroidery and pen drawing. Don't worry, it looks much better than it sounds. Also exciting is that they're adding a new, slimmer cut to the line which was previously all about being baggy.

Many pictures after the jump.

P.B.Loco

by Evan Orensten

More than 10 billion pb+j sandwiches are eaten in the U.S. each year—most with tired, processed, additive-laced peanut butter and sickly sweet jam on processed additive-laced white bread. Now you can spice up your pantry (and that pb+j sandwich) with one of the concoctions from P.B.Loco, makers of peanut butter with a twist—of curry (our favorite), cinammon and raisins, bananas, and dark chocolate among others. While kids may enjoy some of the flavors, they are geared a bit more to the adult palette. There are added ingredients (sugar, molasses, vegetable oils) but there aren't many, and all are natural and easily pronounced. P.B.Loco's peanut butters further solidify the trend of marrying spices and other fusion ingredients to established products (chocolates come to mind). Many of these would also be good as a quick sauce or ice cream topping.

P.B.Loco has several cafés in the midwest and a recently opened New Jersey location. Available online or at a store/café near you, for $5.95-$6.95.

Also on CH, (still) the best conserves we know of.

Talking with Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

by Ami Kealoha

Drummers, those guys sitting in the back of the stage behind a wall of cymbals and amplifiers, often complain about being overlooked, and they usually have a point. Add an extravagant lead singer with a penchant for causing havoc on stage into the mix, and you’re likely to feel downright invisible.

But that doesn’t bother Brian Chase, drummer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who's just happy to be along for the ride. He called Cool Hunting’s Rory Carroll from New York as the acclaimed art-punks geared up to tour behind their new record, “Show Your Bones,” due out 28 March 2006. (Pre-order it from Amazon.)

Interview, Gold Lion music video and free download after the jump.

Gaggenau IK 360 Wine Cooler

by Evan Orensten

So you've got your (probably illegal) aged Cohiba Esplendidos, your smuggled in Camembert au Calvados and a fine bottle of Krug Rosé, but don't have one place where they can all age comfortably? Try Gaggenau's new IK 360 series, which offers you three humidified zones to accomodate all of your aging/storage needs.

The optional humidor is hand-made from solid rare woods and can hold fifty of your prized smokes in peaceful, luxurious rest. The racks move easily in and out and are made from aluminum and beech wood. They can hold bottles up to a double magnum, with a maximum capacity of 118 bottles in the three zones. Your goods will neither be shaken nor stirred by the vibration-free compressor.

Available in several configurations with various options, this little beauty will bring you—and your bottles—years of pleasure.

SXSW: Futures Lab + Convergent Automobile Tech

by Ami Kealoha

Cool Hunting's in Austin, Texas this week to check out SXSW and all the related goings-on. With a bursting line-up that includes Interactive, Film and Music conferences, screenings, live music, tradeshows, and parties, it's no wonder that registration's rumored to be up by 50% this year. Here's the first of our reports from the frontlines of SXSW 2006.

Since landing in Texas, the How to Develop Digitally Convergent Technologies for Cars and a follow-up chat with panelist and Austin-based The Futures Lab founding president Derek Woodgate—showed us that gadgets like GPS-based devices are only the very first steps towards making driving a safer, more comfortable, and more convenient experience for tomorrow's road warriors.

Get Woodgate's take on cars that drive themselves and how your car may someday respond to your mood, after the jump.