bespoke

Fast fixie: Bicycle with giant chainring aims for 100 mph

Most of us don't put much thought into the components that make a bicycle move. Things like chains and chainrings are pretty much out of sight and out of mind as we peddle along. With Donhou Bicycles' 100-mph bike, you can't ignore the chainring. It's so big, you could serve a large pizza on it.

The Donhou bike has a purpose in mind. It's made to go fast. The strange-looking handlebars keep the rider hunched forward in an aerodynamic position. That humungous serving plate-size chainring then goes to work to propel you forward at speeds your Huffy would never even dare to dream of.… Read more

Future of 3D printing is bright, says SXSW panel

AUSTIN, Texas -- The future of 3D printing, a technology that's rapidly maturing and enabling a wide variety of people and companies to rapidly design and create physical products, is very bright.

That was the conclusion of a panel of experts who spoke at SXSW yesterday: while there are certainly limitations to the technology, the opportunities that 3D printing offers everyone from garage entrepreneurs to large corporations will be be plentiful, and often economically advantageous.

Today, the technology is already considered one of the hottest around, but during the talk -- which was moderated by CNET's Rich Brown … Read more

Fabric + algorithm: The fit geek's quest for a suit that fits

Buying men's suits online sounds risky, but a few fit geeks think they can get the right fit better than anyone else.

Two cousins with Las Vegas fashion industry ties, Mo Melwani and Vishaal Melwani, have teamed up with former space geek Raj Sareen to launch Sareen's new tech fit algorithm. Their site sells men's business wear and are aiming for the customers who don't like to shop, so a better fit means less returns and more repeat business. The technology, powered by Sareen's startup Styku, helps consumers find their correct clothing size online with … Read more

Hand-crafted audio artistry from NYC

Blackie Pagano's skills as a repair technician and designer of one-of-a-kind electronics and speakers have ensured a steady stream of happy customers. He started in New York City, relocated to LA and lived there for seven years, but now he's back in NYC. He's played guitar and bass since he was 11, been a roadie, then a live sound engineer, a recording engineer, and a studio tech; through it all, he's been just a guy who loves building stunning works of not just art, but art that also sounds great.

Pagano mostly makes his living repairing … Read more

3D tech adds art, design to custom prosthetics

SAN FRANCISCO--For people like Sarah Reinertsen, one of the many downsides of having a prosthetic leg is that there's never been a fashionable way to dress it up.

But for Reinertsen, a record-setting triathlete, and others including a growing number of combat veterans, a startup called Bespoke Innovations is forever changing the way they feel about themselves and how the world looks at them.

Bespoke was founded by industrial designer Scott Summit and orthopedist Kenneth Trauner. The company's initial products are what are known as fairings--3D printed prosthetic leg covers that are each one-of-a-kind and designed for and … Read more

Arcade machine to raise funds for Japan relief

Here's your chance to have some fun and contribute to the Japan tsunami relief effort at the same time. U.K.-based Bespoke Arcades and graphic artist Shok-1 have worked together to design and produce a limited-edition "Art-cade" machine, which is now available for auction on eBay starting at around $7,865. The auction is ending on September 25, with all proceeds going to the British Red Cross tsunami relief fund.

Some highlights of the Art-cade machine include a huge 28-inch LCD screen, a library of more than 350 classic games, and authentic arcade-style controls. The rig is powered by an Intel dual-core chip running Microsoft Windows 7 together with a 2.1 audio system featuring an integrated woofer. Refer to the auction page for more technical information.

(Source: Crave Asia via Born Rich)… Read more

Bentley's muscle-bound Mulsanne

The 2011 Bentley Mulsanne was officially announced at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but the luxury automaker was keeping quiet with the details regarding its newest land-yacht's power train and tech. However, with the 2009 Frankfurt auto show, the veil has been pulled back and we're finally able to share the goods.

Let's just get this out of the way: 752 pound-feet of torque--that's how much twist is generated by the Mulsanne's 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine. There's also 505-horsepower being generated, but we can't get past that number: 752.

The … Read more

Before he speak, his shirt bespoke

After reading Rick Broida's post on how to save a small fortune on custom eyeglasses, I decided to do some research into what other custom clothing items you can purchase online. I found a Web site called Shirts My Way that lets you design your own dress shirt using a variety of different fits, fabrics, and cuts.

The project started with co-founders Michael Yang and Peter Crawfurd, who married their knowledge of custom tailoring with Web programming to start the site. The interface of the online design studio is simple, but comprehensive: the ordering process begins and ends with … Read more