Gearfuse

Amsterdam’s Koepelkerk (meaning roughly “domed church” in Dutch) is one of the main landmarks on the city’s skyline. Koepelkerk has been around since the 17th century and it’s been painted by the legendary Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh, but today it’s far from your typical church.

Since 1975, the Koepelkerk has been rented by the Renaissance Marriott and they’ve renovated the church so it can be used for parties and business meetings. When I stopped by the hotel the church was set up for a technology conference and I got to see how the three hundred year-old organ is used to show Powerpoint presentations using a projection screen. This is the only place I could imagine seeing a powerpoint presentation at a business meeting that wouldn’t bore me to death.

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Hennessy is the world’s most popular brand of cognac. Cognac is the choice beverage of classy dude’s everywhere like Saturday Night Live’s the Ladies Man and North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Il, so it was really only a matter before Hennessy stepped into the realm of menswear.

Since everybody else seems to have their own shoes these days, Hennessy’s first foray into fashion is a custom pair of kicks made with luxury sneaker label Jhung Yuro. These Hennessy high tops cost $300 and they’ll be available exclusively at the Jhung Yuro online store starting on December 1st.

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Easy Glider X6 is a four-year-old personal transportation device that’s like the demon love child of a Segway and a tricycle. stand on a two-wheeled platform and steer the glider using handlebars connected to an electrically powered single wheel. Easy Glider’s design allows riders to make sharp turns without losing balance. Last month, a tour company called Easy Gadir started renting the bikes in the Spanish beach towns of Malaga and Cadiz.

During my time in Seville I used my Eurail pass to take a quick train trip to Cadiz where I saw the Easy Glider in action. Read more to see exclusive photos and video of the Easy Glider doing it’s thing in Cadiz.

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Kazakhstan has bristled at Sacha Baron Cohen’s depiction of the Central Asian nation in his popular Borat movie. They say they’re not a bunch of anti-semites who marry their siblings. Kazakhstan may not hate the Jews, but they sure don’t like Livejournal.

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Free wi-fi is surprisingly hard to come by across in Europe, so I wasn’t able to post much during my recent trip across the pond. I’ve made it back home safe and sound now so this weekend and next I’ll be posting more of what I saw on my travels. One place I checked out was Seville, an ancient city in Southern Spain that’s always been an important center for arts and culture.

In addition to being the birthplace of 17th century painter Diego Velazquez and flamenco dancing, Seville is the the setting for several operas, a novel by famed author Miguel Cervantes, and the tale of legendary lover Don Juan. Today Seville is carrying on it’s artistic tradition by being home to some of the coolest street art that I saw during my European journey.

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Barack Obama clothing is everywhere these days. In order to give your even more Obama wardrobe options, UNDFTD teamed up with Geoff McFetridge to make this shirt featuring likenesses of the Democratic Presidential candidate.

UNDFTD’s Obama shirt is part of a voter registration drive. They’re releasing the shirt at an event in Las Vegas on October 4th. It’s a pretty cool shirt, but I can’t help but think that it looks a bit like a ripoff of Pharrell’s last album cover.

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While enjoying my European adventure I saw the renowned Jedi Master Yoda in Madrid’s historic Plaza Mayor. Apparently, Yoda’s fallen on hard times since filming the Star Wars movies and now he’s resorted to begging for money from tourists in Spain.

It was cool seeing my favorite sci-fi hero in the flesh, but I’d rather have a chance to get up close and personal with a hottie like Princess Leia or Queen Amidala. I hear Natalie Portman’s single again, so maybe I can make that happen. I’ll have my people get in touch with her people. As Yoda himself once said “there is no try there is only do.”

Lisbon is an old city where medieval castles, fortresses, and ancient Roman aqueducts can be found right in the heart of downtown. Incredible grafitti is also prominent in Lisbon, especially alongside the city’s many rail lines. After the jump, check out some of the best street art that I saw during my time in the Portugese capital.

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Etnies is releasing two pairs of their Jameson skate shoes celebrating Cartoon Network’s stoner-friendly Adult Swim lineup. There’s a bright green model featuring the Mooninites from Aqua Teen Hunger Force and a more subdued brown pair etched with pictures of various Adult Swim characters.

These Adult Swim Etnies were designed by the Cartoon Network creative team led by Jacob Escobedo. The green pair will be released sometime in October and the brown ones are coming out in November.

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Farol Design Hotel is a chic resort in the tiny beach town of Cascais on Portugal’s beautiful Estoril Coast. Farol is perched on a cliff right by the water’s edge making for spectacular views from every part of the hotel. Inside, the hotel is equally stunning. All of the rooms in the hotel are decorated by famous Portugese fashion designers. This year, the Farol got completely redone with a classy black-and-white makeover that accentuates it’s hip appeal.

Unlike so many other design hotels, the Farol isn’t just about trendy modern style. Half of the hotel located in a 118-year-old mansion that was once owned by the Count of Cabral, but the other part of the building is a sleek annex that was added on six years ago. This blend of contemporary cool and old-school elegance makes the Farol truly unique. Read more to see pictures of this extraordinary hotel.

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