Inflatable Surfboard Bag

by Tim Yu

Improving on basic surf bag design, Nicholas Martino dreamed up a way to make surfer's lives easier by adding inflatable chambers for more protection. Although it's still a prototype, we hope to see it pushed into production soon.

The cover not only offers supreme defense from dings, but also makes for a convenient way to transport boards via a cushy handhold and it doubles as a sleeping mat for those who like to hike out to their favorite breaks or sleep in the back of their truck when anticipating swells. My favorite aspect is that Martino cleverly recommends filling it with helium, adding a little lift to lighten the load.

A simple and thoughtful multipurpose design, we hope to see this product in stores soon. Keep your eyes out in the future for more from Martino. Contact him at nicholas [dot] martino [at] bigpond [dot] com.

If you can't wait, we found another version from Soma with similar protective features (pictured above). The added convenience of compact portability—the cover deflates and rolls into a small carrying bag—is reason enough to purchase. Available from Soma for $150.

The 45365 Documentary

by Brian Fichtner

A Grand Jury Award winner at this year's South by Southwest Film Festival, "45365" documents daily life in rural middle America. Brothers Turner and Bill Ross, both natives of Sidney, Ohio (the town bearing the eponymous postal code), filmed over the course of nine months, chronicling the activities and relationships of a variety of town residents.

Presented from the perspective of a passive, patient observer, the classic vérité style offers viewers the opportunity to form their own impressions of the community. From high school football and trick-or-treating to an election campaign and the county fair, 45365's images will resonate with anyone familiar with the Midwest or life in any small town, for that matter.

Running through 6 August 2008, SnagFilms is screening "45365" online as part of its Summerfest Film Series. Check out the trailer below below.

Nespresso CitiZ: Hands-On Review

by CH Contributor

by Julie Wolfson

For serious coffee fans without a lot of space, Nespresso's new CitiZ packs all of their first-rate-espresso-making punch into a machine with a footprint that's nearly half the size of their other models. Like the Latissima, Antoine Cahen from Les Ateliers du Nord in Lausanne, Swtizerland designed the slim architecturally-inspired coffee-maker, lending an art deco feel that comes in two versions. The Nespresso CitiZ, at just five inches wide, keeps it basic with a single head espresso machine, while the CitiZ & Milk features a built-in Aeroccino, Nespresso's highly efficient and superlative milk steamer.

Use of the machine wins points for dead-simple operation that yields delicious long and short espressos with impressive crema. A top-loading slot drops a pod into the machine, which applies Nespresso's 19 bars of pressure to make the coffee. Below the spout there's a cup tray, which flips up to accommodate larger beverages and a drip tray catches any spills.

The machine drops the pod into a compartment for neat disposal and the water container in the rear also minimizes mess and its one-liter capacity makes for a low-maintainance appliance.

The CitiZ come in fire engine red, steel gray and '60s white, with the milk option available in red and limo black. They're available exclusively at Sur La Table this month, starting at $280 for the basic model and $350 for the CitiZ & Milk. Starting 1 September 2009, the new machines will be available online from Nespresso, as well as at Nespresso Boutiques and from other retailers nationwide.

Of Montreal: Yellow Bird Project T-shirt

by CH Contributor

by Julie Wolfson

Electro-art rockers Of Montreal recently unveiled a t-shirt, featuring a cat sprouting George Washington and Ben Franklin heads in vivid Christmas colors, for the Yellow Bird Project to benefit the Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital. The bizarre aesthetics come as no surprise from a band that just last week shared the same bill with Dengue Fever and Grace Jones, filling the Hollywood Bowl stage with animal costumes and imagery, as well as actual live animals—when Janelle Monae joined them onstage she sang walking a dog.

Matt Stotland and Casey Cohen founded the Montreal-based The Yellow Bird Project, in 2006, producing tees from bands like Bon Iver, Rilo Kiley, and The Dears, to raise money for many important charitable organizations including Art For Change, AIDS Society of Canada, Teenage Cancer Trust, and The Elliott Smith Memorial Fund. The Yellow Bird Project's Indie Rock Coloring Book will be available in September.

Buy Of Montreal's shirt for $25 from Yellow Bird Project, with proceeds going to help treat children affected by cancer and other diseases.

Photographer James Mackay

by Lost At E Minor

Award-winning photojournalist James Mackay’s latest project comes at a time when the world’s eyes are fixed on Burma and the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi. By photographing former political prisoners displaying the names of their colleagues and friends who remain behind bars, the series "Even Though I'm Free I Am Not" exposes the enduring pain faced by Burma's opposition movement. Over 2,100 activists, journalists, lawyers and politicians languish in prisons across the country and when the courts make their decision Aung San Suu Kyi will likely join them.