Mike Newman
Managing Editor at Cool Material
Jaguar All-Electric I-PACE SUV
Those in the market for an all-electric SUV have another name to consider: Jaguar. The just unveiled Jaguar I-PACE is a Battery Electric Vehicle that offers a range of 240 miles while performance is kept at the forefront of the experience. In other words, while this is all-electric, it still…
Lacoste Is Replacing the Iconic Crocodile with Endangered Species
The green crocodile on a Lacoste polo is one of the most iconic brand marks in clothing. Now, after 85 years, Lacoste is giving the croc a breather—but for good reason. A limited capsule collection sees the crocodile replaced on each shirt by one of ten different endangered species. "Save…
McLaren Carbon Fiber Senna
Ready to make a splash at the 88th Geneva International Motor Chow, McLaren is rolling up in this new "Carbon Theme" edition of the Senna supercar. The bespoke project from McLaren Special Operations takes the 789-horsepower rocket and decks it out with a glossy carbon fiber body and a Carbon…
The Chameleon House Reflects All That Surrounds It
If the Witness Protection Program was feeling especially kind, they might dump the next guy who rats on the mob in The Chameleon House. Why? Because the reflective wall cladding allows the unique structure located on the edge of Lake Michigan to reflect all the color and light of the…
This Company Takes Old Porsche 911s and Turns Them Into Electric Cars
Those who love the iconic body of an old Porsche 911 but feel the pull to step into the future are in luck. Voitures Extravert is a Dutch company that takes old Porches and turns them into electric vehicles. Wild, right? They strip the ride and drop in a battery…
Sierra Nevada Has Teamed With the World’s Oldest Brewery for a New Beer
For all the beer advances this country has made over the last handful of years, there are select styles that seem to have fallen by the wayside in the pursuit of juicy IPAs and candy-flavored stouts. None is more upsetting to us than the Hefeweissbier. While a few American breweries…
Vortecon Is a Hypnotic Desk Toy
If you were to pop into Cool Material HQ, you'd find a bunch of desks with toys on top of them. Not little kid toys and action figures—though, there are a few of those—but attractive, professional time-wasters that help us when we need to concentrate and look good when not…
‘Fahrenheit 451’ Trailer
Based on the legendary Ray Bradbury book of the same name, Fahrenheit 451 is set in a dystopian future where "firemen" burn all the books left in America. Michael B. Jordan plays Guy Montag, one of these firemen who is advised in life by his mentor, Beatty (Michael Shannon). When Montag…
Pillbox Short Bats
We remember going to ballgames when we were kids and getting a souvenir bat for being one of the first fans in the stadium. Those little bats did little on the diamond but made for fun display pieces. Pillbox is bringing back a little of that style with their collection…
The Lucnt SRL1 Is a Bike Light That Lets People Know When You’re Slowing Down
The average bike light makes you visible to traffic but does little else. The Lucnt SRL1 is the bike light that was developed with a car's light in mind. It uses multiple accelerometers to alert others that you're slowing down. The lights blink while you ride and turn solid when…
You Can Now Play a Long-Lost ‘Donkey Kong’ Game
If you're of a certain age, you grew up with video game characters that weren't voiced by professional actors and didn't have faces that looked lifelike. You grew up with characters like Donkey Kong and Mario (originally "Jumpman"). If you've longed for these simpler days but have clocked far too…
1961 Porsche Junior 108 Tractor
Not every Porsche was made for you to beat fools off the line; some were made for less sexy, albeit very necessary, purposes. Case in point, this 1961 Porsche tractor. Packed with an 822cc single-cylinder diesel engine, this Porsche was the smallest of the four tractor models the legendary brand…
Angle Razor
The straight razor is an old school piece of grooming gear that returns shaving to the ritual it once was long before vibrating handles and dozens of blades. The Angle Razor brings the straight razor into the 21st century. Machined from aluminum and designed for a precise shave, the Angle…
Nokia Is Bringing Back the Banana Phone from ‘The Matrix’
We have a sneaking suspicion that more and more people will return to the simple cellphones of old, the ones unpolluted with apps that suck you into a screen 24/7, the ones like Neo used to in The Matrix. Nokia has answered the call and has unveiled a new version of…
The Radinn G2X Is an Electric Surfboard That Doesn’t Require Waves
Anyone who's surfed knows that the bulk of the time is spent waiting for the right waves. You catch one, paddle back, and float. And float. And float. The Radinn G2X is the surfboard that is going to change that. The "jetboard" is powered by a rechargeable battery that helps…