Is.a.Brella Wine-Bottle Umbrella Doesn't Contain Wine, Sadly

Kit Eaton — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:59:00 EDT

First I thought "ah... what a cute gimmick" about this Is.a.Brella thing, but then I realized the essential cleverness of the design. You're in a rush to get on the train on a rainy day: furl your Is.a.Brella, leap aboard, slide it into the bottle cover keeping it compact and tidy, and stop all those trapped raindrops from splashing onto people nearby. Neat, and pretty unusual looking too. So I get it... but what I don't get is the marketing-speak from the website, auto-translated by Google.

Grabbed the tip and pull, collapsible umbrella in the form of units. Hardcover looked like a bottle of enjoyment as well as the smooth opening and closing / wet umbrella on the receipt in the bag immediately and round, and also glad to have a Jacuzzi-whirlpool! Afterlife as a unique design is also recommended.

So... uh... if I use this thing I'll be happy to sit in a jacuzzi and contemplate the uniqueness of heaven? Wow. That's quite a sales pitch!
Anyway, the Is.a.Brella from Ofess is available in many color combos for around $27, but that's in Japan and there's no info on whether you can get it over here. [Sixem.com and Impress]

Vinho Verde, a Wine Bottle with Built-In Glasses

Kit Eaton — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:29:09 EDT

A truly great idea, or a truly dangerous one? Perfect for oenophiles, or perfect for winos? This bottle by designer Viktor Pucsek lands smack in the middle of all those questions: it's a wine bottle with built-in "glasses." The idea of Vinho Verde is that you pop-off the portable paper cups, which also double as labels, for when you want a sip or two. It's just a concept, and I kinda hope it stays like that: I like my Portuguese green wine too much to sully it by drinking from a paper glass. [Yanko designs]

Gizmodo: wine bottle

Is.a.Brella Wine-Bottle Umbrella Doesn't Contain Wine, Sadly

Vinho Verde, a Wine Bottle with Built-In Glasses