There is no doubt about the popularity of Paul Rodriguez and Nike SB have capitalized on this by producing a promotional campaign. Although the Paul Rodriguez V Lunarlon sneakers are not exactly new, the new video campaign is designed to reiterate the functionality of the technical skateboarding shoes. Thanks to the Lunarlon soles in the heel, these sneakers are lightweight, yet provides cushioning to absorb the shock of landing a huge trick. The proof is in the pudding, as Rodriguez shows us how these shoes perform in the promotional video after the jump.

Converse continues its mission to support independent music. The latest unsigned band to be profiled as part of Converse Rubber Tracks’ short film series is the Brooklyn-based trio Jumpers. In their “Oh, Hello” segment, drummer Tim McCoy, bassist Turner Stough and singer/guitarist Mary Page discuss how the three came together and why it’s great to be a band in a big city with a thriving music scene (they cite a sense of community and the ever-present inspiration to become better musicians). The accompanying “Track of the Week” clip provides a behind the scenes look at the recording of Jumpers’ infectious song “Fireworks.” Check out both videos following the click.

Back in December we told you about a roadway mishap in Japan that many had taken to calling the world’s most expensive car accident. In case you missed it, here’s a synopsis: a caravan of exotic sports and luxury cars were on their way to a weekend motor festival when one Ferrari driver attempted to change lanes and hit a barrier, skidding out of control and causing the vehicles behind him to collide into one another. The resulting list of casualties: eight Ferraris, three Mercedes, one Lamborghini and a couple of Toyotas. 14 vehicles in all, with damages estimated at over $1 million. (Thankfully, zero human casualties.) In the event your morbid curiosity and/or sense of schadenfreude is still not satisfied, click through for video of the gruesome aftermath. An appropriate title for the short film? Ferrari Graveyard. via: Jalopnik

San Francisco’s FTC began its rise to the top of skate culture from in the back of a ski and tennis shop in 1986 and by the time they opened their first shop in 1994, FTC was strongly positioned to ride the rise of street skating as it grew its own personal, grassroots style. Over the years, FTC has also attracted and nurtured riders from all around the world and have showcased their skills through a steady stream of short videos and clips. Now for the first time FTC is working on a new full-length video that features its team from the around the world and has dropped a three-and-a-half minute promo ahead of its launch later this year. This promo features the likes of Jack Curtin, Brian Delatorre, Marquise Henry, Karl Watson, and Adrian Williams as they crash the streets of San Francisco, Barcelona, and Toyko. Check out the Part 1 of the promo after the jump.

A friendly advice to the executives at Canon, now would be the perfect time to launch the Canon EOS 5D Mark III… On its way to gain digital imaging supremacy, Nikon has been on a warpath since the introduction of its V1 and J1 mirror less cameras late last year. Only weeks after the unveiling of its flagship digital SLR model, the Nikon D4, Shinjuku-base company announced the highly anticipated D800 HD-SLR this morning.

Clearly with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, long been an industry staple, at its sight, Nikon crammed every imaginable features onto the D800. To start with, there is the 36.3-megapixel CMOS image sensor. At 35.9 x 24mm in size, this FX-format, full size sensor enables the D800 to create a TIFF file up to 212MB in size. Several other key features taken from the D4, including the EXPEED 3 image processor along with the 51-point full-time Auto Focus. While less than D4′s ISO range of 12,800 and 204,800 with boost, the D800 is still very capable thanks to its ISO range 6,400 (25,600 with boost). The first Nikon camera to have USB 3.0 connectivity, the dual-slot arrangement on the D800 holds one SD card as well as one Compact Flash, thus streamlines the workflow from camera to post-production.

To really overtake Canon 5D Mark II’s dominance in the field of videographers, Nikon added a HDMI port for footage review on both LCD display onboard and external display. Audio output allows direct sound monitoring sans additional accessories. Capable of recording 1080p HD video at 24 fps and 30 fps, the D800 is also able to record at 720p in 30 or 60 fps.

One interesting addition is the D800E. Exactly identical to the D800 in every way, the D800E removes the antialiasing feature at a cost of $300 extra. The Nikon D800 will be available late next month at a suggested price of US$ 2999.95. The Nikon D800E will follow with a release date on Mid April 2012 and a suggested price of US$ 3,299.95. Laden with so much features, the ball is now in Canon’s court…

• 36.3 Megapixel FX Format (Full-Frame) CMOS Sensor
• Nikon EXPEED 3 Image Processor
• ISO 50 – 6400 (25600 with boost)
• 3.2-inch LCD Display with 921,000 dots resoultion
• 51-Point Full-time AF
• Multi-area Mode Full HD Video: FX/DX, and 2.7x crop mode
• Audio recording for professionals

Release Dates:
Nikon D800 – Late March 2012
Nikon D800E – Mid April 2012

The British singer, M.I.A., is no stranger to controversy; in fact, she recently stole the headlines at the Super Bowl halftime show, which involved a certain finger. Perhaps one of her most talked-about music videos was Born Free, produced by French director Romain Gavras. M.I.A. has teamed up with Gavras again on her latest music video for Bad Girls, which was shot on location in Morocco. Although this video is much more light hearted than the previous, it is still filled with the kind of high energy and grit that Gavras is known for. BMWs and Alfa Romeos perform high-speed stunts, and the fearless M.I.A. even sits comfortably on a BMW driving on two wheels. Watch the visually spectacular music video after the jump in high definition.

Supra presents a video profile of team rider Spencer Hamilton. Spencer explains his still developing career trajectory, from first hearing about Supra in 2006 and subsequently meeting the team — as he describes them, “all the biggest heads” — when they stopped in during a Canadian tour for a signing at the skate shop where he worked. Cut to present day, in which Spencer finds himself in London to sit for the team photo, surrounded by guys he once looked up to and now counts as peers. The otherworldly talent on display is enough to have Spencer believing in aliens. Check out the video after click.

For the first time ever, world-renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami will stage a solo exhibition in the Middle East. Qatar Museums Authority will host the show, entitled “Murakami – Ego,” featuring more than 60 works from 1997 to the present, as well as several new pieces created exclusively for the upcoming exhibition. Billed as the portrait of the artist as a cartoon, “Murakami – Ego” presents the artist as both a cipher and critic, exposing and commenting on pop culture and our consumerist society. Murakami has conceived the actual staging of the exhibition as itself a work of art, installing LED pedestals with digital animation, a circus tent that doubles as a cinema, and a new 100-meter long painting that wraps around the entire space. Curator Massimiliano Gioni likens the preparation of the show as “akin to building a little city.” The exhibition will also feature some of the artist’s most well-known pieces, including “Kaikai Kiki Lots of Faces” and “Pom and Me,” which will be presented in their entirety for the first time. “Murakami – Ego” will open at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, on February 9th and run through June 24th. Check out a behind the scenes video following the click, and for more information about the exhibition, visit the Qatar Museum Authority’s Facebook page.

They are of different genders, races, religions, sports, interests, ages, even nations. Yet, they are connected by one reason – cancer. While grim, their shared afflictions, struggles, and grievances also gave them a collected strength and resolve to see the end of the disease. In bring hopes to the other 28 million cancer survivors and their love ones, Nike announced Team LIVESTRONG. Along with seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, a group of world class athletes, each affected by the disease directly or indirectly, will join the fight in education, prevention, and research for a cure. You too can be a part of the movement, simply show your support or share your story via Twitter at @NIKELIVESTRONG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nikelivestrong. With the current advancement in treatments, a diagnosis is no longer the end but the beginning.

The one who brought that signature guitar riff to Velvet Revolver and Guns N’ Roses, including the opening to “Sweet Child o’ Mine”, electric guitar wunderkind Slash has been on a tear since embarking on a solo career in 2008. As the new album’s release date, a follow-up to the 2010 self-titled album, draws near, the metal/rock legend opened his studio and recording sessions to Ray-Ban‘s Never Hide Films for an unique perspective on the process of music making. Episode 1 of a multi-part documentary short, Ray-Ban Never Hide Films presents Slash In The Studio.

Marni‘s collaboration with H&M doesn’t release until March but a new commercial for the collection, directed by Sofia Coppola, gives viewers a taste of what’s to come. Shot in Marrakesh, Morocco, and set to the dulcet tones of Roxy Music’s “Avalon,” the clip follows British actress Imogen Poots as she traipses around the sun-drenched landscape while showing off pieces from the collection, all of which are dressed in Marni’s signature bold prints. In an accompanying behind the scenes video, Coppola explains she took on the project because she’d never worked before on a project centered around fashion, and that she admired Marni because the brand has its own distinct look. Check out both videos after the click, and look for the Marni collection to land at select H&M stores starting March 8th.