This Victoria Saddle Bag from Ian Mahaffy and Brooks has been making it’s rounds – exhibited throughout England over the past few years before becoming available for sale via the Brooks web-store.  Available in four different colors, the  convertible seat transforms into a functional bag to carry all of your important wares.

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For those of you who haven’t come into contact with a adolescent boy, the new fingerboard trend has become a phenomenon. Using miniature boards aka Tech Decks, the working replica skateboard is ridden by two fingers, while replicating skateboarding maneuvers. Check out the video below from Spazpants, one of the GOATS of fingerboarding.

A new upscale barber shop has just been added to the growing list of grooming spots that are targeting or men, known as The Grooming Lounge. Run by expert Michael Gilman, the Grooming Lounge recently expanded his gourmet service menu to included a line of luxury products as well as a blog, additional locations and the brand new iPhone app.

The app is the most intriguing to us, since it allows the user to self-identify their grooming needs.  From everything from overgrown nose hairs to shabby beards, the App will alert you and give you tips on how to resolve at home.  Ingenious!

via CH

She’s our unstoppable force, a soul sista in a tennis court and a true icon. So when knews broke of Serena Williams bout with pulmonary embolism and a hemotoma, we were shocked.

But we know our fave girl is going to recover and be back to setting trends, kicking ass and taking names. Hopefully in time for Wimbledon this summer. By then, a few more OPI Glam Slam collections will be underway, to continue celebrating the nail loving Williams sister with 13 Grand Slam titles. The original kit, released earlier this year, consists of Simply Smashing, a tennis ball golden green and black Shatter. You can find it at Beauty Collection Los Angeles, online at Amazon and other boutiques.

I’m definitely looking forward to the Grand Slam featuring a gold glittery Spark de Triomphe and a white Shatter. Victory will be yours, Serena!

Thrustmaster, the innovative PC and console accessory brand from Guillemot Corporation, is proud to unveil the T-Freestyle NW, the ultimate controller for snowboarding and skateboarding WiiTM fans. Experience the extreme action of boarding this winter from the comfort of your living room. Available just in time for the holidays, the T-Freestyle NW is available now for $29.99 SRP.

With the T-Freestyle NW (patent pending), now more than ever before, it’s more fun and intuitive for gamers to land perfect maneuvers and link up slides from one rail to another. WiiTM snowboarding and skateboarding gamers can use the T-Freestyle NW to execute freestyle tricks and to control their boarding runs with the same spirit of “freedom” and the sensation of “no limit” that makes these sports so popular.

Crafted of genuine maple – just like real boards, the T-Freestyle NW offers the perfect balance between flexibility and resistance reproducing the real sensations of boarding. Maneuvering half-pipes and rail jams in games has never been this realistic. Designed to reflect the extreme attitude and style of boarders, the T-Freestyle NW features a “Skull” logo and the size allows for positioning just like a real board.

“In order to achieve this striking realism for gamers, Thrustmaster has employed Rolling Motion Board technology, allowing for true lateral movement capabilities just like in boarding sports, as well as a Safety Stopper feature to eliminate any risk of tipping over, for maximum fun and safety,” says Winn Keaten, Thrustmaster Marketing Manager.

Users can attach the T-Freestyle NW to their Balance BoardTM* quickly and easily, then get on and enjoy endless hours of fun playing their favorite boarding games with a level of realism that has never been possible until now. This is the ultimate accessory for current and future ultra-realistic snowboarding and skateboarding games on WiiTM.

Want to grab one for yourself..or to give as a gift this Holiday season?  Good news, we are giving one away!

Here’s How to Enter: (this entry is mandatory)

• Fan Level Up on FaceBook!
  

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The  giveaway runs until November 26, 2010. Good Luck!

Founded in 1917, the NHL has created some of the biggest sports legends of our time.  Every Winter, millions of fans worldwide come into the cold to support their favorite teams mixing it up in the icy pursuit of the grandest prize of all, the Stanley Cup.  In one of their first audio partnerships, they have decided to go with Coloud on these new branded headphones.

Coloud turns brands into sound.  Their cords transfer visual life from any music player you choose to plug into.  Creating function, value design and promoting quality, the headphones make sure to endure, enrich and extend your lifelong music experience.

These new headphones come in 4 different great team designs including the defending champs РChicago Blackhawks, but they also have some great sound at an affordable price.  They provide a cool new way for fans to represent their favorite team!

REVIEW

After testing the headphones for the past week, I have to say that Coloud lives up to their promise.  The sound quality was excellent, both playing through my MBP and my iPod.  I have frequently used the headphones for not only music enjoyment but editing video and sound-bytes.  Not only are they above par in the functionality, but the look is great also.  I am not even a hockey fan, but these make hockey look cool. The red, blue and white colorway is crisp and clean, with the head piece stripped down to the bare essentials in the sexiest of ways.

Available at: Coloud.com and NHL.com
Price: $40
Website: www.Coloud.com

The California African American Museum is running a very cool exhibit on the history and legacy of Black Skaters. If you’re a fan of skateboarding and this cool things in general, you most certainly want to Roll Thru and check this out. The exhibit is up until January 2,2011 and it showcases the unique role that Black Skaters and surfers have played in the origins of a culture that has since taken the world by storm. Some of the skaters showcased include Ray Barbee, Chuck Treece, Steve Steadham, Chris Pastras, Atiba Jefferson, Pep Williams, Stevie Williams, Terry Kennedy, Shuriken Shannon and the pioneering Stephanie Person, who was the first black female skater and one of few female professional vert female skaters in the 80s and 90s. [source]

It’s August and that means that it is Madden season. This is the time of the year that girlfriends and wives make travel plans with their lady friends because their men become mutes as they indulge in their favorite pastime.  But this year, Madden finds itself getting sacked behind the line of scrimmage when it comes to advancements.

Graphically speaking, the game looks remarkable. The animations are crisp and really give the game a television feel. The new animations for wide receivers are much more than a visual enhancement as well. Wideouts will drag their feet when catching a ball by the sidelines and will reach and bend in ways that are very much like their NFL counterparts. It’s a very pretty game to say the least.

The commentary has also received a boost thanks to vibrant Gus Johnson coming in to relieve the snore inducing Tom Hammond. Johnson’s first year giving play-by-play is solid and adds a bit of excitement to the game. However, you can tell it is his first time as some of the audio sounds very choppy. I anticipate that to be improved upon by next year.

The game modes are your standard fare for the long running franchise. Franchise is still the same, online play is similar to last year and the Superstar mode has seen zero enhancements. That‚Äôs not a major issue given that the game has been around for as long as it has. The play calling system has now been tempered to the casual gamer who could care less about the X’s and O’s of football and just wants to pick up and play. Gameflow is where the AI will select a play for you with one button press and the gamer can focus on the action on the field. If you are a die hard Madden player, this addition doesn’t mean much. But as Madden looks to appeal to a broader audience, it is a solid addition.

But what the game does well is immediately shot down when it comes to game play. Madden is simply maddening. For Madden experts, you’ll find that the difficulty is either too difficult or too easy. Although there are sliders put in place to assist fine tuning, there is far too much trial and error to find the perfect setting. Playing a few games on All-Pro, I easily managed to rack up over 200 yards rushing with 5 minute quarters and deliver 20+ point thrashings to the CPU. But the All-Madden setting is like allowing the Saints to play against Division II college. Simply put, it’s cheap. On offense, the CPU is able to shed multiple tackles with ease, complete 3rd and longs at any time as your defense is rendered useless and the only way to keep up is by scoring at a pace that is ridiculously frantic. When the CPU wants to win, it will. There’s really nothing you can do to stop it.

Even though the game is still enjoyable when played with friends or online, Madden 11 is a step backwards for the long running franchise and perhaps the game is in need of some competition in order to right the wrongs done to the series.

Pros

- It’s Madden!

- The game looks gorgeous.

- Gus Johnson is awesome.

Cons

- Not many enhancements to the gameplay from last year

- The AI is cheap

- Gameflow is useless

Rating: 3 out of 5

While at Comic-con last week, Nerdlike got a chance to sit down with Rob Dyrdek and catch up on some of the things he has been doing lately. From his Wild Grinders toy line (which he moved to Mattel), to breaking world records, to the voice of Meaty, we get it in with the skateboard pro.

For more information on Rob’s toy line and to get a look at the animated shorts he mentioned in the video, check out:¬†www.wildgrinders.com or go cop one at Walmart or Toy R Us.

Rob on Twitter: @robdyrdek

The Miz walked into the WWE & Mattel panel giving us the show we are used to seeing from him.  He is The Miz, and folks, he truly believes he is awesome.  If you remember him from the Real World, then you know that he has a touch of ADD mixed with long winded speech, proving to be an interesting combination for a press panel.  He was all over the place, going from talking shit about Ryan Seacrest to the future of his career;

When I went on the Real World, it really expanded my mind.¬† I mean, when I got home I was having fun in college, but lets face it, the classes got in the way.¬† So I started training, and I was the underdog.¬† I think it was until I won [the MITB] that people took me serious.¬† And you know what?¬† I will be bigger than Hulk Hogan.¬† I will be bigger than Steve Austin.¬† I will be bigger than the Rock.¬† I am The Miz, and I AM AWESOME.”

However, even with the three piece suit and the Money in the Bank Briefcase, he far from overshadowed the beautiful Eve.  Almost demure, Eve spoke very little, but entertained a bit of banter between her and the Miz.

We also got to see the teaser trailer, inclusive of the new line of toys to be released in January, known as the Defining Moments series.¬† The first action figure to hit the shelves is the Randy Savage joint, showcased by the jerky eating wrestler himself.¬† I think it’s important to note that the figurine is a replica of Savage in his hayday, with the release being a true Defining Moment, since he has not had an action figure released in more than 12 years.

The Defining Moments pack will come out bi-monthly, with each one featuring 2 figures.  Check for the debut on January 11th.

For years, EA Sports’ NCAA Football has been the stepchild of Madden. But this year, the NCAA Football series sets itself apart from Madden by providing enough features to stand on its own and no longer be a one month tease before the NFL product hits the shelves. NCAA Football 2011 is different than Madden in just about every way and captures the college experience like no other. You have got to give kudos to that.

Visually, NCAA ’11 is stunning. The player models and lighting give the game an even more realistic look. The animations are on point and the view of the stadiums is breathtaking. The attention to detail is remarkable and you truly feel like you are playing a college football game rather than a minor league version of Madden. Each college team provides a certain level of authenticity that die-hard college football fans will truly appreciate. From rubbing the rock in Clemson to

But who cares about how the game looks if the gameplay is horrible? Thankfully, that is not the case in NCAA. Quite honestly, this is one of the better playing football games I’ve ever touched. The control mechanics are simple enough but it takes true dexterity to get it down pat. This year finds a new usage of the analog stick. Instead of flicking the stick left or right to juke, the amount of lean that is put on the stick influences how hard each player plants, shifts and leans. It’s pretty sweet to watch in action and makes all the difference between a short gain and getting those extra few yards for a first down. All 120 college teams have their own playbook so you’ll be busy dissecting which one works best for you. Teams like Nevada utilize the “Nevada Pistol” while Georgia Tech masters their patented triple option.

The animations are also an enhancement from the previous year’s game. Rather than having a toss to the sideline see your receiver bolt out of bounds, 2011 finds the receiver look to keep his feet inbounds while stretching for the catch. It’s a small – but much needed – detail that helps. The blocking finally matters in NCAA as well. Sure, there will still be times the Right Tackle doesn’t pull during the counter, but more often than not, you can rely on the offensive line to pick up their assignments. The passing game still has a few forehead slapping quirks that can be pretty frustrating (dropped passes, receivers running into each other, etc) but it’s nothing that will kill the experience.

That isn’t to say the game is perfect. Many of the game modes are the same. The biggest culprit is the “Road To Glory” mode where you take your own created player from high school standout to college stud. Erin Andrews again hosts while Kirk Herbstreit gives some insight on your performance. It’s frustrating to see Andrews appearance in the game is an exact replica of what was in 2010. Pretty lame. The dynasty mode hasn’t changed too much, but the recruiting process is a brand new minigame that feels refreshing and rewarding when trying to lock down high school stars for your team before, during and after the season ends. It makes you feel like your efforts to track down a particular player are worth your time, rather than being random.

The commentary of Herbstreit and Nessler is also a bit on the boring side. Lee Corso is no longer a part of the commentating team either – for better or worse. As the game rolls along, you’ll hear the same dialog recycled and there are times where the duo’s comments come a few seconds later than they should. With a game that pays so much attention to detail, you would expect that the commentators would get a brush up. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

For the online gamers, the game is solid and is what you would want out of a sports game online. The biggest treat however is the online dynasty where you and some buddies can battle it out to see who’s the best year after year. The best part is the web-based recruitment interface where you can keep tabs on everything via PC. It’s pretty cool to try and nab the best players while away from your gaming system.

NCAA Football 2011 is exactly what the doctor ordered for those who want a game that doesn’t feel like Madden. It has taken great strides visually to bring the college experience to your living room. It’s unfortunate that some of the game modes weren’t improved upon, but that is a minor detail. Overall, NCAA Football 2011 is a game that every football fan should have. The only question now is if Madden can keep up.

Pros

- Visually stunning

- The running game feels much better

- Truly captures the college football experience and does an excellent job of distancing itself from Madden

Cons

- The passing game could use some tweaks

- Not too many changes to game modes

- Blocking is a little suspect

Rating: 4 out of 5

Wii Games: Summer 2010, a series of cross-country gaming events resulting in a national championship competition is just about on! The throwdown begins July 16, so if want to show off your game, you better hurry up and register here

In the 1st episode of the series, we got a chance to see Nigel’s busy lifestyle riding his bike through the New York¬† City streets at night. The second episode is a look the day grind. Nigel makes it all look easy, I really need to get a bike.

This unique three part video series was conceptualized and written by Nigel and Glenn PP Milligan, with support from Gatorade. Shout out to Nigel’s brother Adrian Sylvester, as well as two young NYC riders Ikeem and Jose for their appearances in the video. Music provided by Donnis.