Great Gear

Special Report: Celebrating the Richness of Woodworking (1x28)

Data di messa in onda: Dic 05, 2012

Special Report: Celebrating the Richness of Woodworking We visit a new type of custom order furniture shop located in a former lumber district of Tokyo. Come and discover the endless possibilities of wooden furniture on this "Special Report" segment. Shinkiba is an area located near Tokyo Bay that was once a lumber town. Even nowadays, many different kinds of wood can be found here, each with a distinct look and feel, along with experts who know different ways of working with wood. This is the ideal location for a shop like "Flags Shinkiba". The studio-style shop is full of wooden products with natural finishes, including cups and saucers, desks, and even lights. All of the items are handmade by craftspeople using domestically cultivated wood. One of the aims of "Flags" is to create one-of-a-kind items involving the participation of the customers. Thanks to its location, this shop lets people discover the culture and richness of woodworking. On Site: International Optical Fair Tokyo 2012 In this "On Site" segment, our own far-sighted reporter Brian Hughes went to the International Optical Fair in Tokyo to see what the world's eyewear companies have in store for us in the coming year. Tag along for a closer look. Schedule: Oct 22-24, 2012 Location: Tokyo Big Sight This show is all the rage among eyewear enthusiasts. 520 exhibitors from 20 different countries displayed a wide range of stylish eyewear products. Everywhere around the show floor, designers and manufacturers proudly promote their latest innovations, including state-of-the-art materials like carbon fiber and "metal rubber", stylish eyeglass frames for kids, lightweight frames you can assemble by hand, a machine that automatically cuts lenses and even a pair of glasses that fold into a card-sized case. Gadgets: A Compact EV Made for Urban Travel A major automobile manufacturer has developed a new short distance commuter compact electric vehicle. Join us on our "Gadgets" segment and get ready for a nice little ride around town. This is a fully remodeled version of a vehicle that came out 12 years ago with a sleek new design. This one-person compact electric vehicle, called "COMS", was developed for short distance city transportation. Fully charged, it runs a distance of about 50km at a maximum speed of 60km/h. Everything from its electrical system, design, body frame to its suspension were optimized for short-distance travel. Although it has no doors, there are other options to protect it from the weather such as a cover. This EV has been selling very well with 800 vehicles ordered in the first month it went on sale. The company believes that EVs like this are the perfect transportation solution for societies with aging populations. But it is already being used by delivery services, and many people are finding it useful for daily errands as well.