A MATTER OF DEGREES

“What’s the temp?” we ask ourselves each day, then check our morning paper, click our mouse, or watch a TV meteorologist explain the front coming our way. Some of us merely glance outside our window and see for ourselves what the thermometer dial reads or just how far the mercury has risen.

The thermometer, a simple instrument with an apt and tailored name — thermo comes from the Greek for “heat”; meter from the Greek for “measure” — is everywhere. We use one to check our fevers or to see if our turkeys are fully cooked. It has for centuries been the world’s most convenient metaphor for gauge. “Public opinion,” Napoleon observed, “is the thermometer amonarch should constantly consult.”

It was a monarch who made perhaps the most essential leap in the development of the thermometer. Ferdinand II, Grand Duke of Tuscany in the mid-1600s, was the first to seal the instrument, inoculating it against shifts in air pressure. For all the adaptations since, the essence of the thermometer has hardly changed. And while few of us rely on our own thermometer to determine the winter’s chill these days, we know (after we’ve consulted one mass medium or another, then picked out a suitable coat) that someone somewhere has relied on exactly that — a thermometer — to tell us all how cold it is.

ORIGINS
In the early 1600s, a group led by an Italian inventor named Santorio Santorio (a colleague of Galileo) applied a measuring device to an air thermoscope — an instrument that showed absolute changes in temperature without recording degrees of heat.

PIONEERS
In the early 1700s, German physicist Daniel Fahrenheit devised the temperature scale and the alcohol and mercury thermometers. The centigrade scale, devised by Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius, was named for him in 1948, more than 200 years after his death.

THERMOMETER MAN
Richard Porter, a retired science teacher in Onset, Massachusetts, built a massive collection of more than 5,000 thermometers. He displays many of them in his home, which is open by appointment to the public. “I love thermometers,” he says. “And I always have.”

— Kostya Kennedy

2008 SMART FORTWO

Bigger isn’t always better. The ultra-compact, fuel-efficient, and aptly named smart fortwo (as in “for two”) proves that sometimes smaller is better. After nearly a decade of success in Europe, the smart fortwo is arriving stateside. With fuel prices inching higher, more people moving into urban centers, and environmental awareness increasing, the timing couldn’t be better.

Measuring in at 8.8 feet long (more than three feet shorter than the MINI Cooper), two smart cars will easily fit into one typical American parking space. The five-foot-high smart car has the headroom of most luxury vehicles, enough legroom to accommodate two six-foot-tall adults, and as much cargo space as most compact cars. Despite the fortwo’s miniscule exterior dimensions, it doesn’t feel dwarfed by SUVs and other large vehicles on the freeway. Nor does the smart car skimp on safety: Electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, head and thorax side airbags, and a stiff steel safety cage are standard in the coupe and cabriolet models.

Though the fortwo’s exterior looks sporty with 15-inch 9-spoke alloy wheels and projector beam headlights, it’s clear that smart rightly favors fuel economy over performance. A 1.0-liter, 70-horsepower engine propels the lightweight, 1,808-pound fortwo from 0 to 60 mph in a leisurely 12 seconds, allowing it to achieve an impressive EPA rating of 33 miles per gallon in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. Smart’s clever packaging and perfect proportions for urban drivers will make you think twice the next time you can’t find a spot big enough to park an SUV.

More than 30,000 Americans have already placed a $99 deposit for the 2008 fortwo, which is slated to arrive this month at 45 dealers across the country. See smartusa.com for more info.

— Nate Chapnick

A CLEAR VISION

A cutting-edge designer marries form with function.

The bold, geometric jewelry, platters, glassware, and vases made by Phuze reflect cofounder and lead designer Orfeo Quagliata’s innovative take on the art of glass. Based in Mexico City, Orfeo and his team use “cold working” (grinding and polishing) to manipulate glass into edgy, yet functional objects. The rings, pendants, glasses, and plates are crafted in a signature “barcode” pattern, in which ribbons of color appear to be suspended in glass. Find Phuze works at various galleries and boutiques in the U.S. and abroad, as well as at unicahome.com.
$7 and up phuzedesign.com

— Callie Young

 

 

SHELF LIFE:

BOOKS BEFORE BOOKING

Besides the obvious allure of famous beaches and dramatic landscapes, Hawaii offers so much more. Here’s a short list of the best you can read before you go.

Gavan Daws’s Shoal of Time: A History of the Hawaiian Islands (University of Hawaii Press) begins with the story of Captain Cook’s arrival in 1778. The natives initially thought Cook, the first Westerner to explore the Hawaiian islands, to be a god. Angered after discovering he was mortal, they killed him. Each chapter relays an intriguing tale: King Kamehameha conquering the Hawaiian islands; whalers, missionaries, and immigrants staking claims; and the dramatic fall of the monarchy. The result is a book that’s a real page-turner.

Fans of historical fiction such as James Michener’s Hawaii will enjoy the shorter, but no less compelling Shark Dialogues (Plume) by Kiana Davenport. This multigenerational novel begins with a romance between an American sailor and a Tahitian princess, then tells the story of their descendants — including a seer named Pono and her four granddaughters — as they struggle with their multicultural heritage and relationships in contemporary Hawaii. To follow this family’s story through several generations is to learn about the islands’ history, legends, and social dynamics.

A rich culture thrived in Hawaii long before Westerners arrived, and Ancient Hawai‘i (Kawainui Press) provides a comprehensive introduction. Filled with beautiful images by Hawaiian writer and artist Herb Kawainui Kane, Ancient Hawai‘i describes how the first islanders arrived, their various beliefs, and how they lived.

— Anne Trubek

Photography by Stacey Haines

SOARING SOUND

This compact audio system is a feast for the eyes and the ears.

There’s a glut of external speaker systems for your iPod, but Bowers & Wilkins’ Zeppelin — named for the airship, not the band — rises easily above the crowd. What sets the system apart is its audio quality. With tweeters, midrange drivers, and a subwoofer packed tightly inside its 25-inch-wide cabinet, the Zeppelin is one of the few all-in-one systems that can fill a room with sound without losing clarity; in fact, it even sounds good when you’re standing directly behind it.

The other outstanding feature is its eye-catching design. The streamlined Zeppelin looks more like an elongated football than a dirigible. The sleek shape is practical, too: Tapered ends help the midrange drivers and tweeters distribute sound more evenly. A “floating” dock can handle third-generation and later models of iPods, while offering full access to the player’s scroll wheel controls. You can plug other MP3 players into auxiliary ports in the back, or shuttle videos from your iPod to a big-screen TV via the video-out ports. An egg-shaped remote lets you crank up the tunes or skip through your playlist from across the room, while a rubberized tilt stand lets you position the Zeppelin to the perfect listening angle.
$599 bowers-wilkins.com/ipodspeakers

— Dan Tynan

QUICK AND SNAPPY

Making home movies has never been easier.

Cute as a button and just about as easy to use, the pocket-sized Flip Ultra digital camcorder is the new camera of choice for the YouTube generation. Just five ounces, the Flip has an internal flash memory (it comes in 30- and 60-minute versions), takes AA batteries, and comes with a self-contained USB plug that folds out for a PC or Mac connection. Even better, the one-click built-in software lets you organize your recordings, edit them, add your own music, and upload the video of your child’s birthday party (or email it to friends) before the ice cream has even melted — all for under $180.
$150–$180, theflip.com

— Liz Seymour

TOP THIS
Talk about multitasking: How about a handy device that lets your water or soda bottle double as a camera tripod? Useful for travelers on the go, the Bottle Cap Tripod is a universal mount that fits on most standard plastic bottles.

It’s a snap to use. Screw your camera onto the mount, then slip the mount over your bottle cap. Give the mount a slight turn to secure it, and start snapping away — no shaky pictures. Want a better angle? Adjust the swiveling head. The tripod’s small size means it won’t take up a lot of room in your bag. (A tip: The tripod works best with smaller point-and-click cameras on bottles halfway full or better.)
$10, dynomighty.com

— Callie Young

DIY WINE

You can’t own a vineyard, but you can do the next best thing.

Owning a winery is but a fantasy for most wine lovers. But creating your own premium wine can be a reality, thanks to a hi-tech device that lets home vintners craft their own.

Standing at four feet high, the WinePod machine from ProVina handles everything from pressing to fermentation. Simply plug in the self-contained unit and add grapes. (Fresh-frozen Napa Valley grapes are available through ProVina’s Web site, or you can buy your own grapes locally.)

The pod’s WineCoach interactive software guides you step by step through the process. WineCoach wirelessly transmits data from the pod to your PC, allowing you to monitor temperature, fermentation, and sugar levels from start to finish. The WinePod yields up to four cases of quality wine, which can be aged in the unit or transferred to a small oak barrel (also available on the Web site).

The WinePod made its debut in late 2006 and quickly sold out. ProVina is taking orders for its newest model, which will start shipping next month.
$3500 personalwinemaking.com

— Tina Caputo

Photography by Todd Tankersley

GAME TIME

Even if you’re not a football fan, we’re betting you’ve already got plans for Sunday evening, February 3.

For those hosting a Super Bowl party, NFL-branded goodies abound. To go with the nachos, burgers, pizza, chips, and beer, there are all kinds of tchotchkes with team logos available: football jersey bottle holders, grill covers, apron and mitt combos, grill utensil sets, and even a chip-and-dip bowl in the form of a lobotomized helmet. For the more physical fan, there are foam bricks, Nerf dart guns, and football-shaped piñatas.

We checked out an array of products for the occasion, but two caught our fancy.

If you’re hosting a party, send out an invite with an ersatz game ticket. Party411 lets you personalize the text on the ticket and includes a matching color envelope. Optional magnet backers let guests stick the invitations on the fridge as a reminder ($1.29 per ticket). For more, visit party411.com.

If friends happen to be rooting for opposing teams, the winner just might want to rub it in a bit by sending a sports condolence card. The recipient will be taken off guard: The card’s front is a somber sympathy note. Inside, the punch line. Sports Condolence Cards offers several styles and lets you personalize the cards by choosing the losing team’s colors ($3.50). Go to sportscondolencecards.com for more info.

This cool tool will have you seeing stars.

Tour the cosmos from your own backyard with mySky, a hand-held, interactive guide to the solar system. With a database of more than 30,000 celestial objects, mySky identifies and describes planets, stars, constellations, comets, and far-away galaxies. It’s ready to use right out of the box: Take a brief tutorial, point mySky to a heavenly object, then click the trigger — the color LCD display and accompanying audio commentary offers up an astronomy lesson. MySky’s GPS Auto Alignment feature lets you take guided tours of the night sky from your specific location and time zone.
$399 meade.com/mysky

— Callie Young

 

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Here’s what to look for in the night sky.
January 2: Earth closer to the sun than it will be all year 3: Quadrantid meteor shower peak (best viewed away from city lights)		February 1: Jupiter and Venus in conjunction 14–15: Mercury visible in the eastern sky during pre-dawn hours 20: Total lunar eclipse (visible in the Americas, Africa, and Europe)		March 5: Mercury, Venus, and the moon visible in the same binocular view 9: Daylight Saving Time begins — stargazing starts later in the evening 28: Venus and Mercury twinkle in the pre-dawn sky
				— C.Y.

HAUTE RED For most of us, winter is a time for the blahs. More cold, less sun; more settling in, less venturing out. To take off the chill, these reds are guaranteed to warm the heart and please the palate. Mastroberardino Radici Taurasi 2003 The Aglianico grape, which comprises 100 percent of this Southern Italian import, makes for a deliciously esoteric wine with a bold blend of aromas and flavors, including black cherry, coffee, and violets. $43 Cycles Gladiator Central Coast Syrah 2005 Getting so much spicy, cherry-berry flavor for ten bucks is like finding a treasure. This Syrah, produced in the vineyards of California’s Monterey County, goes down as easyas the price. $10 Justin “Justification” 2005 There are many justifications for diving into this rich, luscious wine — its inspired pairing of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, its velvet-glove elegance and minty dried-fruit potency, its bottomless complexity. $45 Veramonte Primus 2004 Carmenere, the national grape of Chile, gives this blend (with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) an earthy, dusky, noirish character reminiscent of moonless nights in an exotic locale. $17 Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2005 Old zinfandel vines are like great actors; they get better with age. And this zin delivers a knockout performance, both as a cold-weather sipper and as a stand-up partner to the lustiest winter dishes. $15 — Bill Citara Photography by Stacey Haines