For true tea connoisseurs, heating water to the proper temperature is key—too hot and the taste and health benefits of greens, whites and herbals are destroyed. Adagio, the company that introduced the automatic tea maker, has a solution with the new cordless Utilitea kettle featuring a variable temperature control.

Much like other electric kettles, the Utilitea has a stainless steel canister and heats up to four cups of water in a matter of a few minutes. The difference is the color-coded dial that selects a temperature suitable to the type of tea you're brewing. Pick it up from Adagio for $49.

Also on Cool Hunting: Tea Time, Anteadote Teas

Nerd-mobiles! At Japan's twice-annual comic convention Comiket, otaku (aka "geeks") showed off their hardcore dorkiness with sticker-covered cars. Called "itasha," these geeked-out cars take their name from the Japanese kanji for "itai" (painful) and "sha" (car). Rumor has it that the character "ita" was chosen because it sounds closest to the "Ita" from "Italian." Yes, these dork wagons are a word play on "Italian Car." Because nothing is more cool and exotic than a hatch back covered in stickers.

In recent years, it has become more socially acceptable to be an otaku in Japan, where previously adults into animation, manga and video games would be reluctant to publicly display their interest. A 21 year-old college student confesses to Yahoo! News Japan, "I like anime, and I want to attract attention."

Typical decor include stickers of popular anime "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" and erotic PC game "Fate/Stay Night." But it's not just the exterior that get dolled up. Itasha are also noted for their unabashedly nerdy interiors that include figurine stands and character pillows. (Pictured below left.) Itasha have moved beyond automobiles and have expanded to bicycles. Yes, there are nerd sticker bikes, too. (Pictured below right.) Talk about otaku pride.

See more images on the Senaka Blog.

by Brian Ashcraft

The Solopipe started popping up on the interweb a few weeks ago and when we saw the magic of this all-in-one smoking solution, we had to check it out. Based on a simple concept, the pipe has a built-in lighter that wins extra points for beautiful execution.

Sleek and compact, it's made of high-end stainless steel featuring a sliding bowl cover. The refillable lighter rotates itself 90º into position when clicked to ignite the bowl.

Perfect for on-the-go "motivation," the travel pipe makes a great companion for any concert and could even pass for a digital camera. It comes tastefully packaged with a carrying case, extra screens, and cleaning kit , selling for $70 here.

In this episode we go to Coney Island to dig a hole with the four Austrian-based artists known as Gelitin. Part of a series organized by Creative Time, the week-long project involved digging a hole in the sand and filling it back in each day. The piece was a relatively tame one for the group whose other performances have included hand-built working roller coasters, a giant knitted rabbit installed in the hills of Italy for 20 years and many other projects involving various states of nudity. But the laid-back mood of the performance (titled "The Dig C*nt") allowed us to spend some time with quartet on their last day on the beach to talk about their experiences and their general approach to art-making.