Dapper Scout – A lifestyle web magazine for men

For whatever reason and however loose the connection, when we consider how the Sony Dash (available at Sony for $200) seamlessly integrates the best parts of the internet via a slick 7″ LCD touch screen, the editors at DS are inexplicably reminded of a certain Homer J. Simpson, who once questioned how pork, bacon and ham could all come from the same wonderful, magical animal (and by no means are we suggesting the Dash is porcine in any way shape or form).  The Dash is what Sony calls a Personal Internet Viewer, one that wirelessly delivers music, video, TV, and movies as well as news, games and social networking through your choice of 1,000+ free apps (e.g. Netflix, YouTube, Slacker).  The Sony Dash also happens to have alarm clock functionality, making it a highly intelligent and informative means of starting your day off on the right foot with access to what we’d consider fairly relevant information (e.g. news, weather, traffic and time).  However you view the Dash and whatever you use it for, there’s little question that it’s just as singular an amalgam (of the internet) as the magical pig (of all its disparate and delicious parts) is to Homer.

Clocks, Electronics, Gear, Loft

Inexorably inevitable from Monday through Friday (for most of us), the morning alarm is one of the most unwelcome sounds known to mankind.  Soothe the abruptness of the morning routine (i.e. waking up in a groggy panic) with the dulcet tones of the Vers 1.5R Clock Radio (available at Vers starting from $200).  This AM/FM clock radio is handcrafted with a real wood cabinet and features a 15 watt full range speaker and iPod compatibility.  The adjustable back lit LCD displays the time clearly, and as an iPod dock, the Vers 1.5R functions as an ideal compact sound system and dual alarm (wake up either to the radio or your iPod).  Available in six finishes (editor’s choice: bamboo), the Vers 1.5R is an impressively designed clock radio that even has us looking to upgrade what’s been sitting on our nightstand for the past decade or so (yeah we know, it’s time).

Clocks, Gear, iPod Accessories, Loft

With a quick glance, you might assume the Streets Clock by Fluid Forms (available at Fluid Forms for approximately $135) is just a modern interpretation of a wall clock, with no discernible reason behind its design.  But a closer look reveals the Streets Clock is a customizable wall clock based on a mapped section of just about any city in the world.  The online user interface allows you to choose a city, then determine the section of interest on a map by simply scrolling and zooming to your desired location.  You can choose from either an acrylic glass or wood finish in one of eight colors, and once your design is finalized, in about two weeks you’ll receive the finished result of your efforts—a  unique reminder of a location that has some significance (we’d hope) in your or your gift recipient’s life.

Clocks, Loft

Generally speaking, being called two-faced is not a good thing, except in the case of the Twice Twice Clock by Jonas Damon (available at Areaware for $150).  Made of a richly grained walnut wood, the Twice Twice Clock can either stand alone on a desk or be wall mounted such that you can check out the time from either side.  And whether you position the Twice Twice in a portrait or landscape position, its practically luminous green hands will clearly and stylishly keep you apprised of the time.  Now as far as being on time for your next appointment or meeting, that’s all on you.

Clocks, Loft

At the office, we’ve occasionally overheard colleagues mention how they overslept because their cell phone alarm failed to rouse them from a deep slumber.  And each time, we found ourselves wondering why you’d let a cell phone attempt to take on what a clock radio does so much more effectively, and in the instance of the Tivoli Audio Model Three Clock Radio (available at Tivoli Audio for $300), so much more exquisitely.  The Model Three Clock Radio is nothing less than the ideal hardware upgrade for your morning wake-up call, boasting a full range of technological features and beautifully retro-styled details, including a Henry Kloss AM/FM tuner, an analog tuning dial, a furniture-grade wood cabinet, and iPod compatibility as well.  And between the craftsmanship and superbly clear audio quality inherent to the Tivoli Audio Model Three Clock Radio, you’ll begin each day with the confidence that you’re starting out right on time.

Clocks, Gear, Loft

The Kibardin Design Black & White Clock is simple, yet powerful in its design statement.  Each individual figure is powered by a self-contained lithium-ion accumulator and can be independently affixed to any surface.  Made out of polycarbonate and using Organic Light-Emitting Diodes, the photosensitive Black & White Clock emits a white light in the dark and then goes black in the daytime—an effect that’s so basic, and yet one that makes us all the more impatient to see the Black & White Clock go into production as Kibardin Design searches for a manufacturer for this immensely intriguing project.  [Thanks Jess!]

Clocks, Loft

If you find yourself hitting the snooze button one too many times in the morning, then it’s time you became acquainted with the Nanda Clocky Chrome Alarm Clock (available at Nanda for $59).  Conceived out of a necessity for an alarm clock that wouldn’t allow for repeated snoozing, Gauri Nanda originally designed the Clocky while she was a graduate student at MIT.  Hence the Clocky Chrome Alarm Clock only gives you one chance to wake up.  The moment you hit the snooze button, Clocky will roll right off your bedside table and search for a hiding place as it beeps along, ensuring you learn to wake up without ever hitting the snooze button ever again.  Ever.

Clocks, Electronics, Gear, Loft

Suck UK’s Wood Clock (available at Suck UK for $160) turns an unassuming block of wood into a fully functional digital alarm clock.  A red LED display shines through the clock’s thin maple wood veneer so that the time illuminates on the wooden block’s face. Designed by Kouji Iwasaki, the design of the clock is minimal, simple and elegant.

Clocks, Gear, Loft, Office