Hasta La Ideas

Split-arm sunglasses with impeccable details for a classic look with a sporty fit

For Activist Eyewear their name is more than just a name. A fundamental principal in their design process, the brand rejects the process of large-scale industrial production, instead priding themselves in creating limited-edition series of sunglasses in small batches. Founder and creative director Mark Craig cut his teeth working on shades for big brands like Michael Kors and Nike, but his passion coalesced as Activist, with a goal of producing glasses that marry high functionality with style.

Crafted in Japan, the glasses are first designed in Brooklyn, where Activist is based. As a nod to their local area code, Activist produces only 718 pairs of sunglasses in each colorway, which also guarantees you get a pretty unique set of frames. Currently there are three models available, but every pair features their signature Split Fit arm, which evens out the pressure usually situated at the temple. This not only ups the comfort level, but also gives them a more secure fit. Starting with the basics, Activist’s styles are based on the classics: Wayfarer, Aviator and Lennons.

In addition to their progressive fit, Activist kits out their specs with top quality lenses featuring an “ultra-high performance” Oleophobic Seal that’s impervious to water and grime. Combined with the split arms and hingeless frames, the shades are the perfect pair to don during a game of beach volleyball or a run around the park. A customized nosepad for each model, waxed canvas cases and cleaning cloths that double as pocket squares round out the keen attention to detail.

Activist sunglasses sell online and at stockists around the world for $450 a pair.

Watching this automated candy bar packaging machine made by Bosch, I was struck by how much it was like watching parts of a Formula 1 race:

It also makes me think superhighways would be cool to drive on if you could shut the car off entirely, and the highway itself—in the form of a huge conveyor belt complete with chicanes and automatic exit sorters—did all of the work.

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Reader OB submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

I am in the process of scanning all of our tax returns older than seven years and am considering storing them on Google Documents. Do you consider that safe, since they contain a lot of confidential information? Thanks for your opinion.

To answer your question, I contacted Timothy B. Lee who is a computer science researcher at Princeton University. Here’s what he told me:

It really depends on the user’s tolerance for risk and what her other options are. If you place confidential information on Google Docs, the risks include: Google being compromised by hackers, Google itself using the documents for nefarious purposes, your account being compromised, governments or other third parties requesting and obtaining access to the documents, and Google losing your information. None of these outcomes are very likely, but they’re all risks to keep in mind.

Personally, I wouldn’t put confidential information on Google Docs because I keep regular backups of the data on my hard drive and I’m vigilant about the security of my machines. If you run a business or are in a profession where you regularly handle confidential data, you have an obligation to do the same in order to safeguard your customers’ confidential data. But I know that, in practice, ordinary users don’t always follow these best practices. For those users, there may be a larger risk of losing information in a personal hard-drive crash or malware infection than having something bad happen to data in Google Docs. So trusting Google Docs may be a rational, calculated risk.

If you do decide to put confidential information in Google Docs, you should strongly consider signing up for 2-step authentication. This is a free service that greatly improves the security of your Google account. It won’t protect you from all the threats I listed above, but it will at least protect you in case a malicious party gets your password.

Thank you, OB, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column. I hope Timothy’s information helps you come to a solution that is best for you.

Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.

Like this site? Buy Erin Rooney Doland’s Unclutter Your Life in One Week from Amazon.com today.

I never wanted to work at a factory, until I saw this place.

This is footage of Volkswagen’s “Transparent Factory” in Dresden that I somehow missed the first time around, and folks, this place is mind-blowing.

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From the mountain to subway, six situation-specific headphones for all your listening needs

Even audiophiles will tell you that sourcing the ultimate headphones is a hunt for the Holiest of Grails. Rather than look for an all-purpose solution, we surveyed the latest models to come up with the following favorite pairs tailored for different uses. Matched with some recent tracks that have been on heavy rotation in the CH offices recently, consider this your guide to total listening pleasure.

Corner Office

Ideal for workaholics, the wireless Sennheiser RS170 means you’ll never miss a beat of your favorite song—whether typing at your desk or grabbing the twentieth coffee of the day. Features include bass and surround-sound on/off options, incredible acoustics, 260-feet of free range mobility and impeccable comfort. Absolutely worth the $280 price tag, pick up a pair from Adorama.

Listen: “House of Balloons – Glass Table Girls” by The Weeknd

Grinding

Sony brings pristine audio and clear tones to the table with their MDR-ZX700s. An extremely lightweight design fits over the entire ear, relieves the typical ear pressure and isolates the outstanding acoustics. Long the brand of choice for video and audio production both in the field and studio, these will stand up to hours of recording and editing. At $120 (available from Sony), there’s good value for the dough here too.

Listen: “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele

On the Bus

Urbanears’ Plattan, a full-sized, not-too-bulky headphone, is ideal for hitting the road. With a fabric cord at just about waist-length, the mobile-friendly design helps avoid tangles on the go. And with their “zound plug,” your new best friend sitting next to you can plug directly into your ‘phones to share the sweet tunes. Available in tons of on-trend colors and running $60 a pop (from Urbanears), they’re a good one for parents to gift to college-age kids.

Listen: “County Line” by Cass McCombs

Getting Action

For the record, we never, ever encourage wearing headphones while snowboarding, skating, biking or any other activity requiring a full set of senses. But our homies over at Frends sure do. Enter the Alli, designed by snowboarders for snowboarding. These small, over-ear headphones sound great even if it feels like you’re going Mach 10. Hit the smartphone-compatible pause button to chat with buddies, then hit play to drown out the chatty weekend warrior next to you on the lift. Plus, at $35 (from Frends), they’re cheap enough to be replaced after a nice biff.

Listen: “Standing at the Station” by Ty Segall

Commute

Long flights, missed trains, loud engines and babies crying equals no fun. Add the Phiaton PS 20 NC and enjoy your music without the distractions. The superior noise-canceling technology and comfortable in-ear design allow for amazing acoustics that make any song sound better. No more listening to your fellow subway rider’s less tasteful music, keep yours at a comfortable level while blocking out the world. Well worth the retail price of $130, they sell from Ritz Camera.

Listen: “Battery Kinzie” by Fleet Foxes

Work It

Small, sleek and solid, Moshi Audio’s Vortex stays in tune while you literally run around. Dial in the superb bass to get through your workout and rely on the braided cord to avoid tangles. Amazingly enough to actually stay in your ear during fast-paced activity, $80 gets you great sound and beautiful design—from Moshi’s online store.

Listen: “Boom” by jj

Contributions from: Karen Day, Graham Hiemstra, Ami Kealoha, Evan Orensten and Tim Yu