The Sony x Disney S Series Walkmen come in a rainbow of colors

It’s officially official: if you’re tired of drab electronics and want something bathed in an obscene amount of cuteness, you need to get up and haul arse to Japan.  After all, the country is only home to more Hello Kitty cell phones, digital cameras, and Mp3 players than you can shake a bundle of sticks at.  Feel free to add these recently released Disney x Sony S Series Walkmen to the kawaii gadgets pile.  The Sony S640 and S740 Walkmen already featured a decidedly mouse flavored control scheme on the front, but now you can make the connection more official with an engraved image of Mickey, Minnie, or the couple together gracing the back of your Mp3 player.  Each unit also has a 2 inch LCD screen, an FM radio, video playback capability, and an epic 42 hour battery life.  Sony has even managed to include some very capable noise canceling headphones with each player.  Available in a wide variety of hues, including black, green, gold, and violet ,the S640 and S740 each come in either 8GB or 16GB flavors with prices starting at 13,800 yen ($152) and going all the way up to 18,800 yen ($207).  Luckily, in this internet connected age, you can order these from the Japanese Sony Style store from the comfort of your futon.

Panasonic's New Lumix DMC-G2 Micro Four Thirds Camera

It was about a year and a half ago that Panasonic rolled out the Lumix DMC-G1, the world’s first Micro Four Thirds digital camera that combined the photo prowess of a DSLR with the compact body of a point and shoot.  Now Panasonic has pulled the wraps off the new and improved sequel, creatively titled the Lumix DMC-G2.  While resembling it’s older brother quite a bit in the looks department, the 12.1 megapixel G2 adds a slew of new bells and whistles to justify the upgrade.  The G@ is the world’s first Micro Four Thirds camera with a flip out, rotating, hi-res touch screen LCD.  Users can adjust the focus by tapping on a subject directly on the 3 inch screen, take a photo with a quick double tap, or scroll through already taken photos as if turning the pages of a book.  In addition the camera’s dedicated recording button allows you to now record hi-def video up to 720p in the AVCHD Lite format, which increases recording capacity and is highly compatible with a wide range of A/V equipment.  Driving all this is the new high speed, high performance Venus Engine HD II, which has been re-engineered to vastly improve the G1’s already on point image quality  No word on a price or release date just yet.

Intelius' Date Check App Runs Background Checks on Potential Lovers

Dating is serious business these days.  Used to be you’d meet someone randomly while perusing the fiction section at your local Brentanos, go out to Sizzler, and learn their sordid life story over a steak and shrimp dinner.   Now, with everyone and their mama (literally) on every social networking site imaginable, it’s pretty simple to cruise over to MySpace, FaceBook, LinkedIn, or Twitter and stalk your next date before dinner has even begun.  But why stop with just searching for incriminating photos and profile information?  Why not take it a step further and find out if the person you’re about to kick it with secretly has a family  or is a felon wanted for grand theft auto in 32 states?

That’s where Intelius‘ Date Check comes in.  Available for iPhone/iPod Touch, Android, and Blackberry platforms, the free to download app allows you to run a background check on a potential date.  While the app itself is free, the checks are not.  However, if you decide to pony up $40 you can perform a number of searches ranging from Sleaze Detector (which checks for a potential criminal background) to Net Worth (just how much money does he really have anyway?).  Yes,it takes the level of stalkerdom to new heights, but you don’t want a future where you and your boo are on the Maury Povich Show together, do you?

The all new Series 4 TiVo Premiere

It was 10 years ago that the original TiVo debuted and changed our television watching habits forever.  I know it’s hard to believe, but there really was a time when you couldn’t watch your favorite TV shows whenever you wanted, and you actually had to sit through all the commercials.  The venerable old box has received a couple of upgrades over the years, but it seems like TiVo is looking to change the game again with the launch of the series 4 TiVo Premiere.

While older TiVo models allowed you to find your favorite cable or network TV shows and save them to a hard drive for later viewing, the Premiere goes all Emeril Lagasse and takes things up a notch.  In addition to all the useful TiVo features that came before, the now web connected, hi-def Premiere also allows you to access movies and TV shows from across the internet, including content from Netflix, Blockbuster, Amazon On Demand, Youtube, and video podcasts.  You can also stream music from Pandora Radio, Rhapsody, and Live 365.

The Premiere will come in two flavors.  The $300 standard version features up to 45 hours of HD recording, E-SATA for external storage, video output up to 1080p, and a single multistream CableCARD slot.  Meanwhile, the $500 XL version includes the same features while upping the recording time from 45 hours to 150 of HD recording, THX certification, and a backlit remote control.  Unfortunately neither version features Wi-Fi out the box, but it can be added by purchasing a $60 USB dongle.  Look for both to drop sometime in April.

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Incase's Metallic Monochrome Slider - Now Available in Spring Colors

Incase has just updated a couple of their accessory lines just in time for the upcoming Spring season.  First up is the Metallic Monochrome Slider Case, which has been refreshed in a bunch of bright, Spring hues.  Available in Metallic Blue Sea, Metallic Purple, and Metallic Silver, each case features a two-tone combination of metallic and matte colors as well as Incase’s signature all over soft-touch coating.  Inside, rubber guardrails provide shock absorption as well as impact and scratch protection for you iPhone 3G/3Gs or iPod Touch.  They’ll be available in physical retail locations soon, but right now you can pick them up in either the Apple or Incase webstores for $34.95.

Incase's Spring 2010 Courier Collection

While primarily known for their various MacBook and iPod/iPhone cases, Incase is no slouch when it comes to bags either.  They’ve also decided to refresh their Courier Collection with some new styles that will keep your gear protected as you traverse the urban jungle during your daily commute.  The Messenger Backpack ($149.95), which joins the collection’s Messenger Bag and Skate Messenger Bag and is the highlight of the collection, is constructed of custom weather resistant 1680D nylon and has a wide-mouth top closure for easy access, a side access faux-fur lined notebook compartment to keep your laptop cozy, and multiple pockets to stay organized.There’s also a bevy of adjustable straps to provide increased comfort and support while reflective hits make sure you’re seen even in the blackest of nights  In addition there’s a new iPhone Pouch ($29.95) that will keep your device even more protected and a lightweight Vertical Messenger Hip Pack ($49.95) good enough for holding your small, essential items.

The collection is available in a range of colors, from Dave Gray with Orange accents to more subdued Black on Black, and can be picked up at a retailer near you or online in the Incase webstore.

March is officially Women’s History Month and we’re excited to announce that for the third year in a row, throughout the month, we will be featuring yet another group of outstanding ladies who are “making history” in their respective fields including fashion, design, music, art, media and much more.

We will also be remembering the notable forces that came before us with our “Women Who Made History” series. Last year’s features included, Judy Blume and Peggy Guggenheim, just to name a few.

At M.I.S.S., we try to focus on women’s history all year long. We encourage you all to explore our site but more importantly our interviews section, where you’ll find the Women Making History series archived. Each unique feature is filled with insight and inspiration just waiting to be taken in! Consider this a place to gather strength, courage and wisdom to help you move forward gracefully into whatever the future may hold.

You can also view the line-up of ladies we featured in 2009 by visiting Women Making History: The Year in Review ‘09.

We hope you’ll join us all month long and beyond! Happy March!

Vivienne Tam and Monster's new "Butterfly" in-ear headphones

Not content with ruling over the beautifully designed “digital clutch” market with a delicate fist, Vivienne Tam has decided to team up with Monster, purveyor of premium audio equipment (and HUGE Lady Gaga fans), to bless the world with these new “Butterfly” high performance in-ear headphones.  The same butterfly motif  that adorned Tam’s most recent digital clutch with HP (and select pieces in her 2010 Spring collection) has found its way over to these headphones, with the elegantly curved earbuds bathed in butterfly imagery and a light gold-brushed finish. The earphone cables feature Monster ControlTalk that lets music phone users skip tracks, change volume, and receive calls, and multiple ear tips are included so you can get your optimum fit.

Butterfly images and brushed light-gold make these headphones gorgeous

They’re available now in Monster’s online store, and like every other Tam approved gadget to drop over the past year, the asking price for these babies is pretty steep ($200).  With Tam unveiling a new gadget to go along with her collections the past few times New York Fashion Week has come around, I wonder what we have to look forward to in the Fall.

Motorola's Backflip features an unusual design

AT&T is all set to get its very first Android powered phone in the form of the Motorola Backflip.  The Backflip’s big claim to fame is it’s unusual reverse flip design.  When closed the Backflip looks like your average candy bar style phone, but take a closer look and you’ll notice that the backside is actually a full QWERTY keyboard that becomes functional when the phone is flipped open.  The front of the phone, meanwhile, features a rather spacious 3.1 inch hi-res touch screen.  Beyond that you’ve got all the things that are pretty much standard in mobile phones these days, including GPS, WiFi, and a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with flash and video recording functions.  Under the hood the phone is rocking Motoblur, Motorola’s flavor of Android (first seen on the Motorola Cliq) that’s all about staying socially connected.  All posts, messages, photos, and more from places like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and Gmail are automatically delivered to live widgets for immediate reply right from the home screen.  You can check out a walkthrough of the phone with an AT&T rep below.

The Backflip is dropping March 7th for a Benjamin after a $100 rebate and on a 2 year contract (naturally).

Rawr! Puma Phone set to maul your face off....with sheer awesomeness

Smartphones aren’t exactly known as being sporty and/or fun, but Puma is set to change that with the launch of its titular Puma Phone.  Developed in collaboration with French company Sagem, the lightweight smartphone features a built-in solar charger on the back to keep you juiced during those daylight strolls as well as a 2.8 inch, 240×320 pixel resolution capacitive touch screen and a 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash and 6x zoom.  It’s also got a bunch of other modern smartphone features, like 3G, A-GPS, Bluetooth, a compass, and geotagging, social network integration, and video calling, but it’s the unusual (for a smartphone) user interface and distinctive Puma-ness that make this phone really stand out.  Unlike other phones that feature boring black backgrounds with equally boring, tiny icons layered on top of them, the Puma phone features a retina searing red background with huge white icons that leap off the screen.  Puma’s sporty heritage and sense of style has also infiltrated the phone in other ways.  You can track your runs and bike rids with the included tracker (that works with the GPS unit), interact with Dylan, the pet puma that’s chillin’ on the phone, get teased by the phones built in calculator for doing trivial math problems on it, or use the turntable built into the audio player to scratch along to your music.

Unfortunately the phone is only being released for our snooty European neighbors for the time being, but if it does well over there then there’s hope that it’ll find itself across the pond before the end of the year.

Check out this more detailed hands on video from Reombu.

M.I.S.S. Is Looking For Interns

We are looking for someone with a strong interest in M.I.S.S who is looking to be part of the “Crew.” We’re seeking graphic design interns.

REQUIREMENTS

Graphic Design Intern
We are seeking a design intern with Photoshop and Illustrator skills such as:
-photo resizing
-light photoshop skills – touch up, adding M.I.S.S. stamp
-creating layouts
-creating flyers
-this is a “mobile” position – you can be anywhere – all assignments are given online

The positions are unpaid but full of perks. A high school diploma is required and please send resume to MISSINTERNS@GMAIL.COM with INTERN as the subject AND answer the following questions:
1. How did you learn about M.I.S.S.?
2. Favorite fashion and non-fashion magazines?
3. Favorite websites?
4. Most recent music downloads?
5. Favorite brands?
6. What do you want to be when you grow up?

If you know someone that may be interested in these positions, please spread the word. We look forward to hearing from you!! Good luck!!