Kicks Online has a fascinating article about a shoes ‘fingerprint’, or the 1 x 1 square you can find under the tongue of just about any pair of Nike shoes. I’ve glanced at this tag a thousand times but never thought about what it might contact. How about what factory it was produced in? Korea? Italy? Japan? Production dates, types of sample, product codes, and much more. It’s all explained over at KicksOnline– now someone just needs to start a tracking database based on this information so people can show off and compare their collections! Via Hypebeast

One of my favorite San Francisco based stores, Huf, is having a monster-sale online. Literally dozens and dozens of shoes marked way, way, way down. Someone must have made a mistake– so many sizes, so many sneakers, yet so little time. Seriously, if you want to step into the sneaker game but couldn’t stomach the triple digit price tags before, this is your chance–But act quick, get digging before they’re all gone.

A friend tipped me off to this impressive video mix by Dj 2nd Nature– he performed it last week at the MGM Grand in Vegas. I’ve seen a lot of music video mixing, but none executed this well. He also has a pretty solid video-podcast worth checking out. A little bit of detective work and it appears he’s an Atlanta native with mixing/editing talent. Of course you can also browse his personal MySpace page too.

Many of you have probably noticed the guest posts by a new contributor and friend Aron Branam. Aron’s down at SXSW this week covering the whole shabang for me– he offered up his suggestions for 3 must-see Wednesday acts with details and times. Check them out after the jump!

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If you love music and haven't heard of SXSW (South by Southwest), then come out from under your rock, because you've been missing out. This week long music festival (March 10 -19) happens once a year when tens of thousands of music hungry fans invade Austin, TX. In its 20th year, South By, as it is often referred to, is a “tornado of creative activities” including over a thousand music showcases, hundreds of film screenings and panels, interviews, conversations, and mentor sessions. Saying that there is a lot going on would be an understatement. I will be posting throughout the week on what's happening, who to listen to, and what to watch, so stay tuned, and if my ramblings aren't enough, you can check out podcasts from this year's event here. Get ready because it's going to be an exciting week!

With the limitless amount of iPod accessories out there, it can be difficult to decipher the great from the garbage. Sonic Gear definitely makes the cut with their i-steroid 2, iPod speakers. With “Best of Class Audio” and piano paint finished, wooden ported enclosures, the i-steroid 2 offers clarity, quality, and power coupled with thoughtful design. Plus, it's the only set of iPod speakers I've seen to utilize a vacuum tube amplifier. The i-steroid 2 is compatible with all iPods and comes in classic white/gray or black/red with matching infrared remote.