You've heard of whiskey stones, but few carry the ancient history that these Lithologie Granulite Whiskey Stone set ($50) possess. The stones are dark granulite Hornblende: a 940-million-year-old stone from the Trois-Rivieres area in Canada. Each stone is deep black and finely crystalline with a dark green translucence and bursts of coppery colors. They're perfect for keeping whiskey cold without watering down your dram and arrive as a set of four stones in a walnut case that is made in Quebec and coated with oil to protect the wood.

This is for all the cat lovers with Google Mini's. Odd-on Industries just launched Caat ($20) - a cute cat shaped silicone skin for your Google Home Mini. Caat is a new and fun accessory and transforms your smart speaker into a customizable pet friend for the home and is available in multiple colors - white, black and red.

Those that have a passion for record players, this one is for you. Even though it is a concept this creative bathroom sink and faucet is designed to look like classic record player. The concept design was done by Pato Casa.  Would you put this in your bathroom?

Now this would be a sight to see in your travels.  Its just North of the Arctic circle and rests on the Norwegian island of Andøya lies Andenes. Known for its high population of migrating whales, the location is a prime spot for viewing the marine mammals and to celebrate the creatures, Dorte Mandrup designed The Whale. The upcoming arctic attraction is located on the island's rocky coastline. Its rolling roofline integrates itself into the shore while also resembling one of the breaching giants. Its interior will be occupied by exhibition spaces, offices, a cafe, and a store aimed at bringing awareness and protecting aquatic wildlife through art, science, and architecture. While roaming around inside, visitors will also experience dramatic views of the landscape along with glimpses of the passing whales. The pavilion is expected to open in 2022.






Photos: Dorte Mandrup

The most iconic cell phone from the distant past has returned with some upgrades. The 2019 Motorola RAZR ($1,500)  shares a lot with its pre-smartphone ancestors, including a flip-open design, pronounced "chin", outward-facing screen, this time touch-enabled for quickly responding to messages and controlling music, and even the same radii on the curves. But instead of a keypad and tiny screen, it opens to reveal a 6.2-inch plastic OLED panel running Android 9 Pie. Its specs aren't overly impressive — it has a Snapdragon 710 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a single 16mp front-facing camera, and a fingerprint reader. The specs are nice but the world can't bring the joy of flipping the thing closed to end a call. For the truly nostalgic, it also has a "Retro RAZR" mode that apes the original's interior design, from the interface and boot sequence to the iTap text entry. It will be available exclusively on Verizon in the US and will start shipping in January 2020.

Named for its ethereal presence, the Ghost House is a striking contemporary dwelling in England's Warwickshire. The home inspired by the work of architect Tado Ando and features a concrete construction that was cast in-situ concrete. Its simplistic form frames in floor-to-ceiling steel windows on three sides. At night, the glazing gives off a celestial glow that creates a hauntingly beautiful effect as it mirrors off the reflecting pool that spans across the roof of the lower ground floor. The monolithic facade is left exposed to the interior continuing the sleek, minimalist design while a floating steel staircase adds a sculptural element to enhance the aesthetic. Find out more information on the Ghost House.





Photos: Felix Mooneeram / BPN Architects

Analogue is known for its beautiful renditions of classic gaming systems like the NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis. Now add the Game Boy to the ever growing list. The Analogue Pocket ($200) works natively with the more than 2,700 games released for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance. Cartridge adapters let it work with Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Atari Lynx, and other portable carts as well. Its 3.5" color LCD screen has 10x the resolution of the original Game Boy. Games look incredibly sharp, while stereo speakers, mappable buttons, and a USB-C rechargeable battery provides conveniences. Paired with an Analogue Dock, it can output games to a TV over HDMI, with Bluetooth for wireless controllers, and a second dedicated FPGA gives developers the chance to expand its capabilities. Should be arriving in 2020.

Wouldn't it be really cool to create your own vinyl playlist? The Phonocut ($1,100) aims to add vinyl to the mix. Roughly the size of a regular turntable, the 20-pound lathe uses a diamond stylus to etch sound waves into blank vinyl discs in real-time. Between 10-15 minutes of audio will fit on each side, and once cut, the record can immediately be picked up and played back on a traditional turntable. The project is being developed and backed by a slew of talent, including lathe experts, audio engineers, and even a co-founder of the Polaroid-rescuing Impossible Project. Check out the Kickstarter to get more information and they have a goal of shipping the first units out in December 2020.

Long-rumored, Microsoft's first post-Windows Mobile phone isn't really a phone at all. Sure, it makes calls, but that's just one feature of the Surface Duo ($TBA). This book-like device has a pair of thin 5.6-inch screens that unfold to form an 8.3-inch computing surface. It can be used as a tablet, like a mini-laptop, or as something altogether different when the 360-degree hinge is bent so both screens face outwards. It runs Android, instead of Windows 10X like its big sibling the Surface Neo, and will available for the 2020 holiday season.





Source: Uncrate.com

This is a home to fall in love with! The interior/exterior and natural light with  a minimalist look and feel. Placed in a forest in Hamburg, Germany, the Villa Neo brings a sculptural contrast to its natural surroundings. The main form is made from two intersecting concrete rectangles. Its L-shape is resting on a glass foundation wrapped in steel beams. Internally, exposes concrete walls create a minimalist aesthetic that's complemented by sleek, contemporary fixtures and modern furnishings. The monolithic barriers are only interrupted by expansive glazed panels, offering both natural light and views of the vibrant verdant landscape.







Photos: Frank Löschke / Querkopf Architekten

Looks like Amazon is getting into the Wireless earphone sector. The hands-free Alexa, which also supports Siri and Google Assistant. Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology. There's a lot to like about Amazon's first true wireless earphones. Dubbed the Echo Buds ($130), they have a sweat-resistant design that's ideal for workouts, 5 hours of battery life with up to 20 with the charging case, an in-ear design with three sizes of included ear tips for a comfortable seat, and an audio passthrough feature that lets you hear the world around you. So are you on board with the Echo Buds?

In my time in Florida, I've had the pleasure of meeting some very talented people with passion. So without further or do, let me introduce you to one of those people. J. Walt  who was born and raised in Tampa, FL and has an array of talents from being  a vocalist, producer, rapper, and studio engineer. He is currently working on releasing his first EP "Vieux Carre", which will be on all platforms in a few weeks. (Will update post with links once released).

Update: J. Walt just put out The Happy Hour Mix Tape on SoundCloud. Combination of two EP's for your enjoyment during quarantine of 2020.

J. Walt was even kind enough to let me put out one of his new tracks "Go All In" on The Collective Loop Collective Series 007. His track has that soothing sound of slow R&B with a nice bass beat to keep you swaying throughout the whole track.  Don't just take my word for it. Check out his tracks and other produced tracks on SoundCloud.

I even had the pleasure of asking J. Walt some questions for the curious mind. So continue reading and find out what this artist has to say about his musical style.

TCL: What influence your desire to make music?

J. Walt: Honestly, my time spent as an only child, I used music to entertain myself. Although I have older siblings they were all moving out by the time I came of age.

TCL: What does this EP Vieux Carre mean to you?

J. Walt: I was introduced to this drink through my bartender friends and I love this cocktail. Its usually served at a classic craft cocktail bar, and the vibe of those bars set the mood for this EP.

TCL: Who would you really like to collaborate with on a song if you could?

J. Walt: Andre 3000, heavily influenced by him.

TCL: Where do you get your inspiration for your lyrics?

J. Walt: Vibes I get from hanging out on vacations and the night life within in the up and coming Tampa party scene. 
TCL: What can we look forward to next in your desire to make music? Any new project?

J. Walt: I have A LOT of unreleased music that remains relevant to the current sounds in music. As far as new projects, there will be more after this EP.

TCL: You work at a studio. Tell me a little about the studio.

J. Walt: Glass House Studios is now a cultural stable of the Tampa Hip hop community. It's a joy. We watch artist grow into their own sounds as well as enjoy more establish artist making it a point to stop by and catch a vibe with our quality of work. It's a pleasure to work with so many different styles of artist in a short time span. It gives me a look into the music culture most don't get a chance to.

If you haven't heard "Go All In" have a listen to below.

The Rhythmo BeatBox ($TBA) is a DIY project that was meant to be a cost-effective first step in making music. It uses a cardboard box as a platform and leaves it up to the future performer to assemble it (no soldering required). It can be built in under one hour and uses an array of arcade buttons, knobs, and a joystick for control. A companion app handles much of the sound processing, and it also can serve as a standard MIDI controller. Creations can be enjoyed via the built-in speakers, through headphones, or through external speakers attached to the headphone jack.

Electric scooters are booming in big cities and piling up on sidewalks and causing a slew of accidents. Now here is Yamaha's Tritown scooter, which gives an innovative take on the electric scooter that aims to fix the usual electric scooter's flaws. Designed as a last-mile mobility solution and using Yamaha's Leaning Multi-Wheel mechanism, the Tritown has dual front wheels and is controlled by the rider's balance. The Tritown stands upright at a stop, and never requires the rider to step off the scooter until they've reached their destination. It has a  380 Wh battery powers a 500-watt motor mounted in the rear.  I'ts top speed is about 15 MPH. The Tritown weighs in at 88 pounds and is just over three feet long, making it light and compact while having a substantial structure and lighting. The project looks to be ready for production, and the rumor is that it will be available for purchase within the year.

The games haven't changed in a long while, and now the cabinets you remember as a kid are back as well and ready to power up at your home. Arcade1Up ($250+) brings 1980's and 90's nostalgia back with a full roster of games that includes Mortal Kombat, Golden Tee, Marvel Superheroes, and more... The cabinets are around 4 feet tall and they do have the option to add a riser so you can play standing up. They have 17-inch LCD monitors, so the games of the past look better than ever, with high-quality artwork that is faithful to the originals. Cabinets range from 2 games to 12 with a coin-less operation and arcade controls just like you remember.

How can you not smile when you see a bunch of realistic little birds with party hats made out of flowers and leaves on their heads? Vicki Sawyer's playfully illustrated bird party cards, placemats, place cards and even a coloring book with Nashville based company, Hester & Cook. In addition to birds, you'll find lots of other creatures from dogs to sheep to pigs and more with, of course fun hats and accessories. Check out more of her products on Hester & Cook.