Sounding Off on a Portable Speaker: Great Audio at Your Fingertips

December 12, 2011

Talk about amping things up. It may be about the same size as your smart phone, and as easy to tote around, but what the WOWee ONE Slim does is create a wall of sound wherever you may go.

The slim speaker came out earlier this year – the evolution of the original WOWee ONE, and has been one of the hottest items in portable audio.

 

The new incarnation is about the size of a standard smart phone, meaning it can easily fit in your pocket or purse.  Of course, it’s rechargeable and works with just about every device from an iPod to a laptop, an iPad to a MacBook.

 

Just make sure your neighbors don’t mind huge sound, because that’s what you will get from this product after you attach it to any surface including a wall, a desk, a surfboard or even a cooler.

 

Just think of the possibilities. In addition to being a portable speaker for any music player device, or for watching movies, it’s a great tool for presentations or for providing speakerphone capability for any cell phone with a standard headphone jack.

The WOWee ONE Slim and Classic come in several colors and styles, including black on black and black and chrome, as well as the recently released white WOWee ONE, a perfect companion for the white iPhone.

The WOWee ONE Slim boasts a dynamic response range of 40Hz – 20KHz and reaches 90 decibels, yet weighs only 4 ounces. The Slim has a battery life of 10 hours and measures just 4.3″ by 2.2″ by .7″, ideal for a pocket, handbag, backpack, or glove compartment, so it’s always handy.

The WOWee ONE Classic has a dynamic response range of 40Hz – 20KHz and reaches 90 decibels yet weighs 7 ounces. The Classic has a battery life of 20 hours and measures 4.7″ by 2.4″ by 1″.

The Slim retails for $89.99, and the WOWee ONE Classic at $79.99. Available at www.woweeone.com

Filed Under: Products Tagged With: , ,

Sound That Will Blow Your Socks Off in a Limited Edition Wireless Way

November 1, 2011

 

 

Hi-tech audiophiles will be falling in love with a futuristic new product from Parrot, and clamoring for a set for their living room—or any room.

 

Parrot, the leader in high-end wireless devices, is releasing a limited edition series of their Zikmu Parrot by Philippe Starck wireless speakers just in time for the holiday shopping season, in the striking metallic colors Ancient Gold and Electric Blue. (They’ve previously been available in black, white and red.)

 

The Zikmu speakers, fashioned in an ultra-modern sculpted shape, combine sophisticated wireless technology with the sleek artistry of renowned designer Starck, known worldwide for his architecture and product design. The design of the speakers reflects the inventiveness of his artistry and he says, his personality.

 

Here’s how they work. The wireless speakers feature a dedicated iPod® / iPhone™ docking station and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® technologies. The two speakers communicate wirelessly with each other, allowing them to be positioned anywhere in any room. They deliver intense, 360 degree sound with spectacular clarity.

 

That means you can simply pop your mobile device into the docking station in one of the columns and spectacularly amplify all your favorite music, from Lady A to Led Z. You control the speakers from anywhere in the room using the intelligent remote control. At the same time, your device is charging up.

Along with music to the ears, you’ve got some gorgeous conversation pieces.

Available exclusively at Ron Robinson for Fred Segal, 8118 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, (323) 651-1800 www.ronrobinson.com  $3,400 for the pair

Filed Under: Products Tagged With: , , ,

Terrific Toffee, The Old-Fashioned Way

February 20, 2011

Terry's Toffee, in more than a dozen flavors, can be addictive

Using his grandmother’s recipe, Terry Opalek brings together the ingredients for a selection of gourmet treats that taste like a little bit of sweet, crunchy heaven.

Opalek and his partner Michael Frontier created Terry’s Toffee in 2002, and soon after, it became a favorite of Hollywood’s elite.

For the seventh year running, Terry’s Toffee will be in the green room and the dressing rooms at the Kodak Theatre as a special treat to the presenters, nominees and winners at this year’s Academy Awards

Coated in fine dark, milk or white chocolate, the toffee comes in 15 flavors, including McCall’s Classic and Dark—using grandma’s recipe, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Koffee Toffee, Lavenilla, Orange Blossom, Hazelicious, Asian Accent, Cran-Orange Passion, Peppermint Pistachio Crunch and Chai-cago Spice.

Yes, Terry’s Toffee makes its home in the Windy City, where the Grand Ave. store and a shop at the Andersonville Galleria also sell six flavors of yummy toffee ice cream.

But don’t worry if you can’t stop by those locations. You can mail order all the mouth-watering flavors, in sizes from ¼ to a full pound (about $9-$36), along with Terry’s “Beyond Biscotti.”

Terry’s also does designer gift boxes for the toffee and can brand it for you, your company and special occasions.

Terry’s Toffee, 1117 W. Grand Ave., Chicago (312) 733-2700, www.terrystoffee.com

Filed Under: Products Tagged With:

Plugging into the Petersen

January 30, 2011

Ford Motor Co. is already very well represented at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, but now there’s a new kid on the street.  It’s Ford’s Electric Focus. A bright orange version of it has just joined the permanent collection of rare and collectible automobiles on display.

And who better to “induct” the vehicle than car guy Jay Leno, who had celebrities race the vehicle in a segment called the Green Car Challenge on his failed 10 p.m. show.  Leno, who still seemed bitter about the prime time program and not in a particularly good mood, nevertheless gamely answered questions about the vehicle and compared it to his own 1909 electric car that’s part of his extensive collection. He said it cost about $1.50 to charge the Focus and that the vehicle had a range of 100 miles– and went surprisingly fast, hitting a top speed of 78 mph. It takes about three or four hours to charge up the car through a 240-volt outlet, the type used for washing machines and refrigerators, and the battery lasts for up to 10 years.

The racing prototype of the vehicle was designed for Leno’s show and outfitted with Recaro racing seats and a vibrant orange paint scheme.  You can see it now in the museum’s permanent alternative power exhibit.

Filed Under: Events, Products Tagged With: , ,

Lladro’s Limited Edition Treasures

December 21, 2010

A piece of Lladró always makes a beautiful gift for the collector, and now the famed Spanish porcelain company has come out with a limited edition line of beautiful sculptures and other pieces for the home called Lladró Atelier. Under that umbrella, two new collections, Rococo Mirrors and The Parrot Party, were showcased at a flamenco-flavored cocktail event at the company’s Rodeo Drive location, an occasion special enough that company president Rosa Lladro flew in from Valencia, Spain. Reflecting 18th century Rococo opulence, there are six mirrors available in six colors, each with a limited edition of 300, all hand-crafted by artisans in Spain, where the company was founded in 1958.

Lladro, 408 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 385-0690

Filed Under: Products Tagged With:

Carry All and Looking Good

August 10, 2010

Fashion, form, function and affordability. Those words describe Caboodles, and if you’re not familiar with the brand, check it out. Since 1987, it’s made organizing your cosmetics fun and fashionable, with a variety of cases, some of which can double as handbags and be personalized for your needs. The “Envy” soft-sided bag shown here gives you outside zippered pockets and inner compartments to hold make-up, brushes, electronics. It has a hot pink satin lining and straps long enough to work as a shoulder bag. And get this, it’s only about $20.

Caboodles, available at Target, Amazon and some Walgreens stores, www.caboodles.com

Filed Under: Products

Santa Monica: The New Place To Be

August 10, 2010

This wasn’t just a facelift.  It was a complete re-do of a ship that had long since sailed, one that took two years and cost several hundred million dollars. So when the curtain came up on the new Santa Monica Place last week, she was bold, beautiful, exciting and enticing, urging one and all to take out their wallets and spend, spend, spend. Bloomingdale’s was first to open its doors in a sneak preview of its boutique-style store, not anything like the Century City outpost and similar in feel to the Soho emporium. Curated for the local market with an edited collection of clothing, accessories and cosmetics—and reportedly the largest sunglasses wall in the country–Bloomies handed every invited guest a $25 gift card to get the shopping party started. The other department store anchor, Nordstrom, will open by the end of the month, creating even more of a frenzy.

The new CB2 store is already wowing crowds with its stylish and eminently affordable housewares, furniture and home accessories. Most of the shops are open already, and if you’re looking for trendy casual wear, this is the place, with Joe’s Jeans, 7 For All Mankind, Betsey Johnson, Fluxus, Kitson, Eva Varro, Juicy Couture and the ultra-hip All Saints vying for your business. Older-school brand names include Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Kenneth Cole, Michael Kors, Tory Burch and the still to open Tiffany & Co.

But the piece de resistance is the spectacular third-floor dining deck, with ocean and 3rd St. Promenade views, featuring six “chef-driven” restaurants—meaning non-chain eateries providing a new dimension to the local dining scene, like Xino, the Sandia, Zengo and Sonoma Wine Garden, which features walls made from wine crates, a 300-bottle chandelier and an ocean-view deck.  They’re expansive, expensive and it remains to be seen whether they’ll work in “this economy,” but we wish them the best. Meanwhile, there’s a fast-food court for hungry habitants with lighter wallets to grab a bite with the same great views. And it’s not the same old, same old there, either. Sarku Japan, Stefano’s Pizzeria and Sushi Itto are open, soon to be joined by Pinches Tacos and Fatburger.

Filed Under: Fashion, Products

Not Just For Blondes

April 28, 2010

You might call it the female version of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, or you might just call it really tasty. It’s an adult beverage, Dirty Blonde Cocktails, billed as the first line of premium bottled “champagne” drinks. The single-serve bottles all contain sparkling wine infused with chick-friendly flavors with tempting names like Peach Passion Bellini, Sparkling Mojito, Citrus Mimosa and Raspberry Flirtini. Founder Kristen Raskopf, a former sports and entertainment attorney, is traveling the country getting her product into restaurants, bars and a liquor store near you. She came up with the idea while looking for an alternative to margaritas and Cosmopolitans—without the waste of opening a whole bottle of champagne and having the bubbles go flat if not drunk in one sitting. She says the name emerged as a cheeky way to describe the playful spirit of the beverage. A 4-pack retails for $13.99 at BevMo and other retailers. Cheers!

www.dirtyblondecocktails.com

Filed Under: Products Tagged With:

Energized Jewelry

October 19, 2009

Lakers coach Phil Jackson may have worn his during the thrilling games that led to Kobe & Co. being crowned 2009 NBA Champions.  It’s a pendant made by Energy Muse, an LA based company that specializes in “wearable energy.” Its pieces—for men and women—are made from gemstones and crystals that are meant to fuse with the intention of the wearer to bring luck, love, protection and wealth into their lives. Energy Muse was founded by friends Heather Askinosie and Timmi Jandro. In addition to Phil, the line has a celebrity fan base, including David Beckham, Heidi Klum and  Kristin Davis. Jackson’s “Lucky” pendant is $140, about the midpoint of prices for the entire line.

http://www.energymuse.com

Filed Under: Products Tagged With: , , ,

Versace Lambo

September 21, 2009

It’s not quite as high-performance as the Lamborghini Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne flew through the streets of Gotham in, but it’s still a mighty impressive piece of custom automotive machinery. And who better than two Italian nameplates, Versace and Lamborghini, to come up with this object of desire: the Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640 Roadster? Sure, it’s one of those “if you have to ask the price you can’t afford it” deals, but because it will be custom-built to your specs, the price will vary. The ultimate howoff feature is a transparent engine hood that reveals the powerful V12 engine. Happy motoring!

Filed Under: Products Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts