The Analog Watch Co.’s Carpenter Collection was designed to be as sleek, subtle, and natural. An all out lack of visible branding and optional time marks maintain the beauty of the all-natural wood and leather. Each is expertly crafted using a variety of wood types including maple, teak, bamboo and more. The eco-concious design is also 80% biodegradable, making it as beautiful as it is earth friendly!
Designer: Analog Watch Co.
       
-
|
2/13/14
Wooden Sculptures for Your Wrist
Awesomely Autonomous
A top 10 finalist in the 2014 Michelin Challenge Design, the Twinway is an exploration in vehicle autonomy & a perfect example of how this new tech allows vehicles to become an extension of the users lifestyle while retaining the experience of driving pleasure. In autonomous mode, passengers can talk face-to-face, play games, surf the web, or simply enjoy the scenery from the comfort of the cabin. An amalgamation of safety features including LiDAR ground topology radar & 360 degree object detection lets users rest at ease & enjoy the ride.
Designer: Marko Lukovic
       
-
|
The Strangest & Weirdest Exotic Fruits in the World!
Bored of bananas? Over oranges? Apples giving you apathy? Yeah, that happens to us all and we get that desire to try new exotic things, even in the case of fruits! Well, fortunately for us, mother nature has been kind enough to provide us with a variety of fruits, out of which some are just plain weird! But no harm in trying them right? Here are 10 of some of the weirdest fruits found in the world!
1) Akebia-Quinata
Native to China, Korea and Japan, this fruit looks actually more scary than delicious. These sausage shaped pods, which are purple in colour, are filled with a gooey type substance inside, and comes from flowers that actually smell exactly like chocolate! That doesn't sound too bad does it?
2) Noni
Found in parts of South Asia and Australia, the noni fruit is part of the coffee family but really does not taste like coffee one bit. This bright greenish fruit is not very pleasant in odour as well as taste and is anyways more used as a medicine than in a fruit salad!
3) Kiwano
The kiwano may look like a fruit from another planet, but its really from Africa and it’s a very popular snack in not only Africa, but Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the U.S as well! This peculiar fruit is also known as the horned melon, jelly melon, African horned cucumber, hedged gourd, melano, and blowfish fruit. Kiwano experts describe the flavor of the slimy green interior as a cross between cucumber, zucchini, and kiwifruit. Though when it ripens, it tastes like a banana!
4) Durian
This exotic fruit, which comes from southeast Asia, is called 'The King of Fruits'. Funny thing is that this fruit smells terrible, as if something has gone bad, and repels people from eating it. Other comparisons have been made with the civet, sewage, stale vomit, skunk spray and used surgical swabs! But if you can get past the stench, you'll find that the taste of the durian is excellent and like a rich custard highly flavoured with almonds!
5) Rambutan
Native to the Malay Archipelago and southeast Asia, the name of this fruit is derived from the Malay word meaning "hairy"..and no wonder, it looks like someone in a dire need of a haircut! But once the skin of the Rambutan is peeled, a white, tender fruit is revealed. It is sour and sweet in taste, almost like a grape!
6) Snake fruit
The snake fruit is also called salak as well and is found in Indonesia, Malayasia and Brunei. It's called the snake fruit because the outer skin of this fruit is very similar to snake skin, or in other words it has reddish-brown scaly skin! The taste is usually sweet and acidic, but its apple-like texture can vary from very dry and crumbly to moist and crunchy.
7) Wood Apple
The Wood Apple is a fruit bearing tree native to the Indian sub-continent – Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. The Wood Apple is a hard round fruit with a sweet/sour fragrant pulp.It’s quite similar to sweet tamarind fruit, a smooth pudding like sugary and acidic substance!
8) Bread Fruit
Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, growing throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands. It is also grown in the Leeward Islands and Windward Islands of the Caribbean. Its name is derived from the texture of the cooked fruit, has a starchy texture and fragrance that is reminiscent of fresh baked bread.
9) Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit is a beautiful fruit grown in Southeast Asia, Mexico, Central and South America, and Israel. The plant is actually a type of cactus, and the fruit comes in 3 colors: 2 have pink skin, but with different colored flesh (one white, the other red), while another type is yellow with white flesh. Dragon fruit is sweet and crunchy, with a flavor that's like a cross between kiwi and pear.
10) Star Fruit
Starfruit is also known as carambola. Starfruit is native to Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka. The fruit in cross section is a five-pointed star, hence its name. The skin is green to yellowish, slightly waxy and edible. The juicy flesh is yellow, transparent with a single black edible seed. The flavour of the fruit is fresh and slightly sweet and comparable to a mix of papaya, orange and grapefruit all at once.
20 Amazing Pictures of Camouflaged Animals
"Nature red in tooth and claw", said Alfred Lord Tennyson.
For, out there in the vast and unforgiving expanses of the wild, life is simply currency to be circulated amongst its participants. Yet, the natural order does not always entail the ultimate triumph of size, speed and muscle power. In fact, over the billion years of Earth's evolution, it is the the smaller creatures that have somehow managed to scrape through and survive, while the gigantic and magnificent are often interred and ultimately converted into fossil fuel, ironically, to power modern human ambitions. One of the techniques that have held the following often overlooked survivors and hunters in good stead is the ability to become one with its surroundings. The fascinating and often deadly trick of camouflage is one of Nature's most perfect genetic ornamentations, and these 20 creatures have mastered the art.
1. Horned Owl
2. Uroplatus Geckos
3. Willow Mtarmigan
4. Leaf Toads
5. Common Baron Caterpillar
6. Sea Horse
7. Desert Spider
8. Adelpha Serpa Selerio Caterpillar
9. Stick Insect
10. Frog
11. Owl
12. Tropidoderus Childrenii
13. Leaf-Tailed Gecko
14. Stone Flounder
15. Great Potoo
16. Snow Leopard
17. Cicada
18. Owl
19. Giraffe
20. Hedgehog
Top 10 Most Expensive Weddings Worldwide!
Weddings are the time for love and togetherness. It not only unites the happy couple, but these moments are shared with the couple's family and friends as well! To make this day even more special, people go to great lengths so that everything is picture perfect. These great lengths for the wealthy include adding millions of dollars to their sentiments! So, here are the top ten most expensive weddings the world has seen till date.
10) Liza Minelli and David Gest ($4.3 million)
On the 16th of March, 2002, at the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City, Liza Minnelli and David Gest declared their love for one another in front of 850 guests out of which many were star celebrities including the sensation Michael Jackson. The major attraction was performance of Natalie Cole “Unforgettable” performance. The guests were also entertained by Tony Bennett and a 60-piece orchestra. The wedding cost included a 12 floor cake worth $40,000, flowers of worth $700,000 and more than 500 staffs were at the service of the guests. The wedding costed a grand total of $4.3 million!
9) Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky ($4.8 million)
On the 31st of July, 2010, the beautiful daughter of Bill Clinton and Hilary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton was married to her childhood sweetheart Marc Mezvinsky, in New York. Chelsea's $250,00 wedding dress was made by America's top designer Vera Wang. It was a beautiful chiffon gown with a princess cut skirt and with a rhinestone and silver belt was attached to it. The guest list including famous celebrities,such as Oprah Winfrey on whom alone the security costed $200,000. . The cake cost was $11000 and the flowers like orchid, garden rose and Casablanca costed around $500000. With the total cost as $4.8 million, it takes the 9th place on our list!
8) Wayne Rooney and Coleen McLaughlin ($15 million)
Wayne Rooney and Coleen McLaughlin had a 4 day wedding ceremony that started on the 12th of June, 2008. The ceremony was in Villa Durazzo in Italy with spectacular scenic views of the beautiful Italian Rivera. The guests were taken on a yacht, five private jets were arranged to flow 64 guests on each jets. The bride's gown was studded with crystals and pearls making it more than 200,000 Euros. This $15 million wedding comes 8th on our list!
7) Vikram Chatwal and Priya Sachdeva ($20 million)
This wedding of Vikram Chatwal, the son of a New York hotel manager and model Priya Sachdeva was a ten day affair which started on the 18th of February, 2006, at different metro cities of India that included Udaipur, Mumbai and Delhi. Special chartered jets were sent to receive total of 600 guests from all over the world. Guests from more than 26 countries attended the wedding. The guest list included many high profile Bollywood celebrities. Also it is believed that Bill Clinton had also attended this $20 million wedding!
6) Andrey Melnichenko and Aleksandra Kokotovich ($30 million)
The wedding of Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko and model Aleksandra Kokotovich was an extravagant affair held in Cote D'Azur in France and took place on the 3rd of September, 2005. World famous singers like Christina Aguilera and Whitney Houston performed at the event. Both the stars were paid the hefty amount of $3.6 million each just for a performance. The performance was full of famous and rich guests across the world.
5) Prince William and Kate Middleton ($34 million)
The royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was one of the most awaited weddings in history. The wedding took place on the 29th of April at Westminster Abbey, London which was broadcasted all over the world, in 118 countries on the internet, radio and television. The wedding cake alone costed $80,000 which was an eight floor fruit cake, covered with white cream and 900 sugar flowers were pasted on it. $800,000 was spent on flowers and the bride dress costed more than $70,000. Kate Middleton dressed up in a white satin dress that was tapped with beautiful laces.
4) Vanisha Mittal and Amit Bhatia ($58 million)
The daughter of India's richest person Vanisha Mittal and investment banker Amit Bhatia had India's most extravagant wedding ever recorded. It started with an engagement ceremony held at the Palace of Versailles, followed by a dinner at the famous Jardin des Tuileries prepared by chefs flown in from India. The wedding itself took place a few miles away at the 17th century Chateau Vaux le Vicomte. The highlight of the reception was a performance by pop star Kylie Minogue amidst fireworks at the Eiffel Tower.
3) Prince Charles and Lady Diana ($115 million)
The fairytale wedding between England's Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer was held on 29th July 1981 at St. Paul's Cathedral, London and was broadcasted all over the world with more than 750 million people glued to their telelvision sets just to get a glimpse of the newly wed. . More than 6, 00,000 people were standing in the street to be part of the event. . 27 wedding cakes were prepared in the honor of the couple. The bride wore a white puff ball wedding dress, embedded with 10,000 pearls and a 25 foot long train of ivory and lace which was antique. . The engagement ring of diamond and sapphire was of worth $60,000.
2) Seemanto Roy & Chnadano Toor and Sushanto Roy & Richa Roy ($123 million)
Being the most expensive wedding in India till date, the wedding was Sahara owner Subrata Roy’s sons, was held in Lucknow on the 10th of February, 2004. More than 110 dishes were prepared for 11000 guests who attended the wedding. From corporate to celebrities, from politics to religious figures all were on the guest list. British symphony was a major attraction, which entertained guests by playing Indian tunes. Even the world famous Shiamak Davar group performed on the occasion. The whole of Lucknow was decorated like a bride. Over that more than one and half lakh beggars were fed to celebrate the happiness!
1) Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum & Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum ($137 million)
The Arabs outshined the Indians also on the list of most expensive weddings all over the world. In 1979 the wedding between Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum and Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum took place and earned a place in the “Billionaire Weddings” of the Forbes magazine. A five day official holiday was declared all over Dubai and the ruler himself went from village to village on his horse to feed everyone. A hall equivalent to a stadium was built from scratch especially to accommodate 20,000 guests.
