Dapper Scout – A lifestyle web magazine for men

There’s nothing quite like owning (and driving) a Porsche.  But until that elusive convergence of a serious bonus and promotion comes through, we’ll be more than happy daydreaming about one, as the Etón Porsche Design P’9120 Tabletop Stereo System (available at Saks Fifth Avenue for $800) fills our room with the sounds of solace.  Embodying Etón’s technical expertise with the engineering prowess and powerful design statement reminiscent of its four-wheeled cousins, the Etón Porsche Design P’9120 is the tabletop stereo system that does a little bit of everything.  Both a radio (AM/FM/shortwave/XM Satellite-ready) and an iPod dock, the P’9120 channels your music with clarity and power through its three full-range speakers and subwoofer.  An OLED display keeps you informed of what setting you’re on, whether you’re making adjustments using the manual dials (placed around the three speakers) or the remote control.  Though it may not take you from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds, this Etón Porsche Design stereo system will immediately move you in many other ways (just while stationary for the most part).

Electronics, Gear, iPod Accessories, Loft, Music System

Sure, we’ve seen a few nooks and Kindles here and there.  But we’re anticipating things will be quite different once the Apple iPad (available at Apple starting from $499) begins shipping in March.  With the iPad, you not only get to choose from almost 140,000 apps, including the iBooks app (which lets you read and buy books), but you also have access to features such as the web, email, music (iTunes and the iPod app), photos and video, resulting in an experience that no eBook reader could hope to match.  With its high-resolution, 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS display, the iPad delivers an amazingly clear picture with a wide 178° viewing angle and brilliant color contrast.  The Multi-Touch technology has been updated for the larger surface area to ensure accuracy and responsiveness while the iPad itself is exceptionally light and portable, weighing just 1.5 lbs and measuring 0.5 inch thin.  Available in both a wireless and 3G model, the iPad enables you to take full advantage of every feature and app available with a battery life of up to 10 hours (while in use).  Nobody has yet to experience life with an iPad but we can just imagine that very few of us are going to be able to live without one.

Books, Electronics, Gear

There’s something about the glossy, monolith-like aesthetic of the Parrot Zikmu Wireless Speakers by Philippe Starck (available at Saks Fifth Avenue for $1,600) that brings to mind Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Granted, the resemblance to the 2001 monolith only extends about halfway down the speakers before they fluidly extend into a striking base that appears to float above ground.  Like all of Philippe Starck’s innovative endeavors, the Parrot Zikmu Wireless Speakers are incredibly executed and defy the typical convention of speaker design in both form and function.  Using NXT technology to deliver 360° room-filling sound, the Parrot Zikmu is able to adapt to the individual acoustics of any room, regardless of size, as it delivers stunningly clear sound.  While you can use the iPod/iPhone dock directly, the Parrot Zikmu’s wireless capabilities also let you stream music from your PC using Wi-Fi technology or from your Mac using Bluetooth technology.  Whichever means you choose, when it comes to seamlessly and consummately experiencing your music from any point in your room, the Parrot Zikmu is the evocative choice for design fanatics and audiophiles alike.

Electronics, Gear, iPhone Accessories, iPod Accessories, Music System

Whether its signature form reminds you of the famed airship it’s named after or the head of a certain baby on a Fox animated series, there’s no question that the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin iPod Speaker (available at Saks Fifth Avenue for $600) is nonpareil in its design.  Using the same technology standards as the audio equipment found in premier recording studios, the Zeppelin exhibits uncompromised form and function in one  iPod speaker whose performance is just as stunning as its appearance.  Every aspect of the Zeppelin reflects a dedication to design with purpose, from the spring-loaded docking port that allows the user to grasp the iPod in hand, to the placement of the tweeters on the narrow ends of the speaker to maximize the dispersion of the tiny high-frequency waves.  And with three high-quality amplifiers and an internal subwoofer driver, the Zeppelin iPod Speaker generates an acoustic performance that not only surpasses what most iPod docks are capable of, but also rivals what you’d hear from high-end component systems with an experience you can see, hear and feel.

Electronics, Gear, iPod Accessories, Music System

For those iPod owners who spontaneously and unabashedly break into song without regard for their immediate surroundings, the Griffin iKaraoke (available at fredflare.com for $60) is the ultimate iPod accessory.  Simply plug and play (no are batteries required as it’s powered by your iPod) and the iKaraoke isolates the lead vocal in your music and fades it out, allowing your own voice to be the center of attention.  The microphone also lets you control tracks and adjust the volume, and if the background vocal support from your iPod just isn’t enough, you can even connect the iKaraoke to your music system, ensuring that wherever you go, the karaoke party goes with you.

Electronics, Gear, iPod Accessories, Music System

As much as we love our gadgets, sometimes things can get a little cluttered as various remote controls proliferate with almost every new purchase of a home entertainment product.  And though we generally like to be in control (of everything at all times), this is a scenario in which less is unquestionably more.  The Logitech Harmony 1100 Advanced Universal Remote (available at Amazon.com for $305) gives you the ability to consolidate up to 15 remotes in one intuitively designed universal remote control.  With a 3.5 inch, full-color touch screen (that’s backlit for visibility in the dark), the Logitech Harmony makes things easy for you with one-touch, activity-based controls and customizable commands and icons.  You determine which commands you want on screen and with just one simple touch, the action is completed (e.g. press “Watch a DVD” and your TV, DVD player, and stereo are all turned on, with your inputs set, and your movie even started).  And with ongoing support of over 5,000 brands and 225,000+ devices, the Harmony has you covered not only for today’s home entertainment purchases, but also for tomorrow’s potential ones as well.

Electronics, Entertainment System, Gear, Home Audio, Loft

Although much of the eBook reader market has been driven by sales of the Amazon.com Kindle, a serious competitor has entered the fray with the introduction of the Barnes & Noble nook (available at Barnes & Noble for $259).  With approximately the same dimensions and weight of a paperback book, nook comes well equipped with a range of features including an electronic paper display that reads like a printed book page (with no glare or backlight, but with adjustable text sizing), a 3.5 inch color touchscreen LCD, 2GB of storage (i.e. up to 1,500 books, newspapers, and magazines), a wireless download time of just a few seconds per book using AT&T’s 3G network, and up to 10 days of battery life on a single charge.  And with additional capabilities such as bookmarking, highlighting, and even mid-sentence word searches using a built-in dictionary, nook provides you with the flexibility to read books in a way you’ve never experienced or even quite seen before, making this attractively sleek and compactly designed eBook reader a true contender.

Books, Electronics, Gear

Jedi or Sith.  Light or dark.  Regardless of which side of the Force speaks to you, the MIMOBOT Star Wars USB Flash Drive (available at Mimoco starting from $25) is the perfect data storage device for the most ardent of Star Wars fans.  With a memory capacity ranging from 1GB to 8GBs, the MIMOBOT Star Wars Flash Drive is both PC/Mac compatible and for the true fanboys, it also comes preloaded with software that plays samples of the characters’ movie sayings whenever inserting or removing the USB drive.

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Computer Accessories, Electronics, Gear, Office

Last time we checked, the calendar said the year was 2009, but inexplicably, some of us still tolerate webcam performance where picture and audio quality suggests we’re in a different millennium altogether.  The Blue Microphones Eyeball (available at Blue Microphones for $100) is an innovative and incomparably designed webcam with Super HD-quality video and audio capabilities that combine cutting-edge proprietary audio technology with a design aesthetic in a class by itself (the condenser capsule is a throwback design element we simply love).  The Eyeball is compatible with both PC and Mac and doesn’t require any drivers to install.  Instead, just connect it to your computer’s USB port and either use the integrated stand for flat surfaces or the custom-designed monitor adapter for placement on top of any desktop or laptop monitor.  There’s a retractable camera lens in the event you require more privacy and the Eyeball will even turn itself off when not in use.

Computer Accessories, Electronics, Gear, Office

What separates the Sigma DP2 (available at Adorama for $649) from other compact digital cameras is what its deceptively compact body hides within itself.  The Sigma DP2 was engineered to provide DSLR power and performance, but focused into a pocket-sized body—a uniquely compelling example of bigger is better, but understood within the framework of less is more.  The DP2’s image quality and colors are hauntingly vivid and full of depth due to the SLR-sized 14 megapixel Foveon X3 direct image sensor (20.7 x 13.8mm).  The DP2 also comes equipped with a 24.2mm F2.8 large aperture lens which is also known as a “standard lens,” providing a viewpoint similar to what the human eye sees.  Without zoom functionality, this single-focal length lens also reconnects the photographer to the experience of consciously photographing subjects by reengaging the imagination and vision in considering the distance, light, shadow, color and angle of every shot.  While the Sigma DP2 may not be the camera for everybody, for those with whom it resonates, they will be rewarded with an experience and imagery rich with emotion and vibrancy rarely seen in such a small yet powerful camera.

Cameras, Electronics, Gear