Denon DP-200USB Turntable with Automatic MP3 Encoder

by Ami Kealoha

For those who want to convert their vinyl to digital but face the daunting prospect of spending hours organizing it, this system from Denon bests the competition by automatically assigning artist name, titles, etc. to imported tracks. Using a USB port, the turntable connects to any compatible drive and included software both analyzes the tracks and detects silences to automatically split them (or there's a manual option too.)

Built for use as a regular record player as well, it's a quality component with outputs for hooking up to a system. At $250, the DP-200USB is available from Amazon or Crutchfield.

via UrbanDaddy

Ancient Japan in Milan

by Karen Day

If design is in the details, at this year's Milan furniture fair the key shift is away from flawless surfaces and towards Japan's ancient aesthetic of wabi sabi, which rests on the concept that beauty is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.

In today's often jejune design world, it's refreshing to see the remnants of the artisan's work, reflecting the randomness of nature instead of what at times feels like contrived simplicity. Some pieces from the fair that speak to this look are Hella Jongerius' crackled pink vase for Ikea , Gitta Gschwendtner's concrete and recycled wood stools modeled after the rife disposable paper bag and Nacho Carbonell's recycled leather design, stapled together for Fendi's "Craft Punk" show.

Read more at Fast Company

Knock Out Matte Nail Polish

by CH Contributor

by Rachel Felder

Modern times (the president talking to Cuba, Twitter superseding newspaper's popularity) call for modern nails, like Knock Out Cosmetics new capsule collection of flat, matte nail polishes that has been selling out at Henri Bendel and Liberty in London. With the powder-coat look showing up on Chanel runways and elsewhere, the ultimate symbol of a perfect manicure—an ultra-glossy top coat—suddenly looks totally passé.

The oddly sophisticated look is smooth and buffed, a bit like a matte lipstick from the 1940s. Knock Out's white shade, Powder, looks more like an elegant marble floor than the white-out of high school days. And, like a crocodile bag after a few years of regular wear, the longer it's worn, the more each shade takes on a slight hint of a glossy patina.

The brainchild of makeup artist Mike Potter—best known for working on Hedwig and the Angry Inch—Knock Out started with two extreme colors, black and white. He's just launched a rich old-school red (named Karen, after the Yeah Yeah Yeah's front woman who's a fan of the brand) that looks as appropriate with Balenciaga as it does with a pair of battered black jeans—or maybe with all of the above. With such bold colors on offer, it's worth mentioning that Knock Out lasts longer than traditional nail polish, staying chip-free without a top coat for around a week to ten days.

And if you swear by your own favorite nail polish shade, Knock Out also offers a matte top coat, Flatte Top, which will give its distinctive finish to any color that's already in your makeup bag. Although it's fine on dark shades, the finish Flatte Top adds works particularly well over softer colors like pale gray and sheer pink.

Knock Out just might be the most original nail polish that's come out since the mid-nineties phenomenon of Chanel's Vamp. Each bottle runs about $20, to purchase by mail, contact Henri Bendel's concierge.

Kate Bernauer Photography

by Lost At E Minor

The photography of Brisbane-based artist Kate Bernauer contains a narrative and that's no accident. She constructs her pictures with theatrical lighting and props in specific locations to construct a story. For example, the intention of her Sydney exhibition, "I’ll Be Home For Dinner," is to "address the contradictions and absurdities of everyday life." Ideas for her pictures come from dreams, along with absurd true stories. The effort and thought behind each photograph is obvious and makes for compelling viewing.

Lucid New York Jewelry

by Karen Day

Inspired by a Dali sculpture of Alice in Wonderland at Montmartre in Paris, Anna Sabino's cutout series of necklaces entitled Dreaming are for women who love feeling like a girl with elegant but dainty charms such as those pictured above. Of all the pieces in the collection, none quite evokes the joy of childhood like the necklace that incorporates a chain as a cleverly whimsical stand-in for a girl's jump rope. (For a much weirder but similarly ingenious use of chains, check out Tobias Wistisen's shrunken head necklace.)

Originally a part-time glassblower, Sabino began working with metals and switched to a full-time jewelry designer after working as a market analyst on Wall Street. While the two professions may seem quite the contrast, it comes as no surprise as Sabino is a fan of opposition and can usually be found sporting classy grey attire bedecked with funky accessories.

Lucid New York jewelry is all handmade and Sabino even makes customized jewelry, although with their vast selection of cocktail rings and necklaces that includes everything from frogs to fortune cookies to guns, we doubt you won't find an item that suits your personality. Prices vary from $35-95 and can be purchased online or at select boutiques.