Acorn (Verdict: Spungle's Magic)

Although we receive a ton of email asking us to review luxury products and services, we also occasionally get the “administrative message.” In fact, over the last few months, we have received a number of messages from future website creators about how we “do” Spungle. And while we won’t give you all our secrets, we will tell you that the secret behind our fabulous images is the genius software Acorn , from the folks at Flying Meat.

As they say on their site, Acorn is “A simple and easy to use image editor, built for the 21st century.” We are absolutely obsessed with this software because it allows us to use all the functionality that we loved in that overpriced memory hungry software that everyone buys, without wasting all of our money or memory!



Here’s a laundry list of their superior features:

-Web export.
-Adjust Levels.
-Take screenshots using Acorn and edit them right away.
-Chain together image filters to create stunning effects.
-Layer based image editing, an industry standard.
-Make new images and layers using your built-in iSight.
-Easy image and canvas resizing, just by changing the size of your window.
-Take advantage of every pixel of your monitor with full screen image editing.
-Tablet sensitive for pressure strokes and using the tablet's eraser.
-Vector shape and text layers.
-Freeform, elliptical, rectangular, and magic wand selections.
-Gradients.
-Create and apply custom text styles.
-Control opacity and blending modes for each layer.
-Write plugins using the Python scripting language, as well as in Objective-C.
-GPU powered. The same graphics card that makes your gaming experience smooth, helps Acorn fly through the toughest of graphics operations.

Taken together, Acorn is a serious photo editing suite for everyone from novice to pro. We find the interface to be incredibly simple and the backend to be incredibly powerful. To be honest, we wouldn’t think of using anything but Acorn for our beloved Spungle !

TubeStick Hybrid (Verdict: A-mazing!)

Now that it’s officially summer, we’re sure that vacations are the number one thing on your mind! And while vacations and romps in the Hamptons are great, you ever notice that those share houses rarely ever have cable? Annoying, right!?! And did you ever wish you could watch TV, just you could at least know the weather for the schlep back to the city? Well, you no longer have to wish, because now you can watch TV on your laptop!

The TubeStick, by Euinux is what we have always wanted, but never knew existed! This wonder product lets you watch free-to-air digital (ATSC via the included antenna), digital cable (clear QAM) and analog (Cable, Composite Video, S-Video) TV on your computer. You can pause live TV and intelligently resize your TV window while still getting work done in other programs.


One of our favorite features is that the “TubeStick hybrid connects the TV community with its TubeTalk live-chat.” Let’s say it’s a rainy night, you’re on a business trip, and you’re watching the Yankees kill Pittsburgh. Provided you have an internet connection, you can plug your room’s cable into your TubeStick and join a chat about the game with other TV viewers within The Tube. You can even see what percentage of The Tube viewers are watching each available channel!

Now let’s say your share house has internet and cable; you can use your computer like a DVR- this way you can watch that awesome episode of 20/20 on the Jitney back to the city!

All in all, TubeStick is a great product for whenever you have down time. In the airport? Use the included antenna to watch TV. In your hotel? Plug in the cable to your computer and record your favorite shows. You can’t go wrong with such an ingenious product!

Albin (Verdict: Work-Worthy!)

With today being the official start of the summer workweek, we bet that you woke up this morning a little confused. Can you wear flip-flops? Can you wear those badass shoes from last Wednesday’s review? We imagine you had so much trouble, because you had to wear a suit today. So, in an attempt to assist you in these summer footwear woes, we went hunting for cool yet casual yet “dressy-enough” kicks to accent your summer wardrobe. The shoes are made by one of our favorite manufacturers, PF Flyers, and they’re called the Albin .


We’re absolutely obsessed with these shoes because they are perfect with a suit and equally ideal with a tux. In keeping with their long-standing tradition of phenomenal footwear, PF Flyers has maintained the “low-top” shoe that we all love, yet adorned it with a wrinkled leather body and a patent leather toe. Taken together, this shoe is almost like a mullet (a cool mullet)- business in the front and party in the rear. The patent leather toe works perfectly with suits and tux’s when standing in an elevator with your semi-hip coworkers. The wrinkled leather body works perfectly when sitting at your favorite coffee shop with your tie loosened and crossed legs. And, of course, the white border and sole just prove that you’re not a slob, and that you know how to keep your shoes clean (so please keep it clean, Windex works wonders).


In conclusion, the Albin is sure to become the envy of everyone. They are created by a time-tested amazing company, fashioned beautifully with leather and patent leather, and finished off with a unique white sole. So, if you’re looking to jazz up your feet, while still “conforming” to the work culture, look no further than these awesome kicks!

Vilebrequin 2008 (Verdict: Timeless!)

With summer less than 24hrs away, we believe it is perfect timing to make our annual mention of our favorite bathing suit manufacturer, Vilebrequin. We have been reviewing their trunks for years, and have always been impressed by their timeless style and fun patterns. As such, Summer 2008 is no different for the lux-trunk brand with a slew of newly released fabulous patterns set upon their most wonderful designs.


For those of you who can’t understand why a bathing suit should cost $200 or more, we would like to point out that you’re probably associating Vilebrequin with all those “other brands.” For starters, Vilebrequin is nothing like any other in brand. In fact, we would argue that they don’t even have competitors since they are in a class of their own. As opposed to many other manufacturers, Vilebrequin believes in keeping its manufacturing clean and simple. This means that your trunks are made from 100% polyamide and the mesh lining is 100% cotton. Furthermore, by maintaining their cuts from season to season, you know that once you find the size and cut that’s right for you, all you have to do is then pick from their plethora of designs. No more wondering- will it fit, will it look funny, yadda, yadda, yadda. And lastly, when it comes to “lounging” in your trunks, nothing screams subtle luxury like a Vilebrequin suit. Those who you would want to know, know what they’re looking at when they see those amazing patterns and silver tassels. And those who don’t, wouldn’t even understand even if you tried to explain. So, in conclusion, we’ve loved Vilebrequin since we were kids, and we still love them today. We wouldn’t imagine going to the beach in anything but Vilebrequin trunks, and we guarantee that after you try them on, that you, too will be a Vilebrequin believer!

Santa Cruz (Verdict: Summer-Worthy!)

Truth be told, we’re Crocs addicts. You see, it’s not often that you can find a shoe that can go from water to mud to sand and straight to the dishwasher—all to be done again and again and again. We’ve been sporting Crocs for years, and are absolutely obsessed with their comfort and function. With that said, we openly admit that their sandals do make our feet look edematous, but that’s the price you pay for these rubber wonders. So, when we found out that Crocs had started manufacturing normal looking shoes that supposedly had the same comfort that we’ve grown to love, you can imagine our excitement. And without further ado, behold the Crocs Santa Cruz!

The Santa Cruz is an uber comfortable slip-on show with a canvas upper and • croslite™ footbed. The synergism between the two allows this incredibly lightweight shoe to perfectly conform to your foot. And since this shoe actually has a quasi-normal appearance, you could easily sport these bad-boys on your next casual Friday- provided you’re also wearing some nice baggy, linen drawstring pants and a linen shirt (like the one featured on June 2nd).

In conclusion, we’re expecting this shoe to be all the craze for Summer 2008. It is fashionable, comfortable, affordable, and most importantly, durable. So, if you’re looking for a great shoe to get your feet into the summer spirit, then look no further than the Santa Cruz from Crocs!

QTonic (Verdict: Tasty Tonic!)

As you may have noticed, there is a direct correlation between the outdoor temperature and work-related stress. In fact, it is not so much the temperature, but the absolute value. Now, in case you’re having issues remembering all the way back to 5th grade mathematics class, here’s a brief refresher. Negative 5 is damn cold. 105 is damn hot. Get the drift?

So, if we keep in the back of our minds this temperature association, we quickly come to the realization that we need to figure out how to blow off steam- fast. Well, since drinking is frowned upon in most workplaces, high-quality alcoholic beverages must be imbibed after work. And as such, they need to be as good as possible so as to effectively dissipate the pent-up stress from the day’s scorching temperatures and scorching attitudes. Thanks to our unrelenting lush-esque team of writers, we actually went hunting for luxury mixers, and happily stumbled upon Q Tonic, “a superior tonic water.”

Now, we’ll start by admitting that no one is “really” specific about tonic. In fact, it’s hard to remember the last time someone went to bar and said, “What kind of tonic water do you use?” With that said, it doesn’t mean that you can indulge your sophisticated palette in the comfort of your own. And, if you just happen to be in a malaria heavy geographical region, tonic water is near must, so thankfully we have found the best tonic that money can buy.

Although we usually love to flood you with our choice adjectives, we would like to share with you a snippet from their website. We believe it really sums it up:

“You now have no alternative but to drown your gin, vodka, or rum of choice with a tonic water of compromised quality. Designed from unpronounceable ingredients by multinational corporations, sweetened beyond recognition with high fructose corn syrup, and packaged in generic containers, the typical tonic water is an afterthought that adds nothing to the drinking experience.
Q Tonic is dedicated to making the world’s best tonic water - a clean, crisp, completely ungeneric beverage that enhances the finest spirits or stands proudly on its own. We’ve used the best ingredients we could find. We went to the slopes of the Peruvian Andes for hand-picked quinine and to the Mexican countryside for organic agave, a sweetener better than honey with a gently rounded sweetness. We meticulously refined our recipe with both food scientists and mixologists. Then we worked with one of New York City’s best design shops to develop a bottle as beautiful as the liquid it holds.

We think we’ve come up with a superior tonic water. One that’s good enough for the gin, vodka, or rum you’d choose to mix it with. And good enough to change the way you think about tonic water.”

And, as if Q Tonic’s description above isn’t enough to make you get off your butt and run to the store, here are some more great facts. First, they only use hand-picked quinine from the Peruvian Andes. And by using this organic agave as the sweetener, Q Tonic has 60% fewer calories than regular tonic water. They only use all natural ingredients, which means no high fructose corn syrup! Taken together, Q Tonic has an 85% lower glycemic rating than other tonic waters, and could actually help you justify your Gin and Tonic or Vodka Tonic as a key component of your distressing diet!

With respect to our experience, we were simply blown away. Typically we like our vodka straight up on the rocks, but after learning that one too many can lead to one too many rude comments, we’ve become fans of drink dilutions. In the past we would go for club soda since it couldn’t be messed with. However, after having just a tasting of Q Tonic, we’re now Q Tonic addicts. It makes almost any Vodka/Gin taste clean and clear! Q Tonic will make you turn away from flavored drinks, and go back to the simple, high quality distillations that we’ve all come to love.

In summary, Q Tonic makes the drink! So, next time you have a stressful day and you need to blow off some steam, pick up some great spirits on your way home, get a whole bunch of Q Tonic, and let the night slip away into a stress-free wonderland- we know you’re going to love it!

Sonicare Flexcare (Verdict: Pearly!)

It’s probably safe to assume that you’re in full-out panic mode about a Father’s Day gift. You probably ignored Wednesday’s product review, went shopping for a f-ugly tie, and came to the realization that you like your dad just a little too much to give him just another tie. So, what are you going to do? Well, provided your father is under the age of 85, or at least has all of his teeth, we have a great gift for you, the Sonicare Flexcare with Sanitizer electric toothbrush.

Now, being that you’re most likely a Spungle junky, which means that your uber tech savy, you’ve probably been using a Sonicare for years to keep your pearly whites all pearly and white. Well, we’re here to say that this ain’t your trusty Sonicare; the Flexcare is an entirely new beast that absolutely blew us away!

For starters, Sonicare has totally redesigned the shape and feel of this amazing device. This new toothbrush has a thin sleek look, with a smaller more manageable handle, and brushes that no longer have those gunk-collecting screw-on hubs like previous models.


Beyond aesthetics, this brush has a ton of added functionality! Beyond having three cleaning modes (Clean - for maximum cleaning efficacy,
Sensitive - for those with sensitive teeth and gums, and
Massage - to stimulate gums with an invigorating and pulsing motion) it also has two cleaning routines (MaxCare - which delivers a 3-minute, thorough, full-mouth clean 
and GoCare - for a quick 1-minute clean between regular brushings). Now, did your old Sonicare used to do that?

And, as if this wasn’t enough, “the specially engineered UV sanitizer helps to eliminate bacteria commonly found on your toothbrush. Simply place the brush head in the FlexCare sanitizing unit, and with a single push of a button, your brush will be sanitized. The UV Sanitizer utilizes similar ultraviolet technology used in hospitals to clean and store your toothbrush so you know it is always ready for the next use.”

Taken together, the Sonicare Flexicare is superior to any toothbrush we’ve ever experienced, even the Sonicare Elite we used to swear by!

So, take it from us, the gurus of gadgets, and favorite sons of all our respective fathers, this toothbrush is sure to be loved by your old-man (and your mom, or whoever else he kisses / sleeps next to)!

CarMD (Verdict: Money Saving Gift!)

With Father’s Day just around the corner, time is running out for a thoughtful gift. Chances are, you’re planning a quick lunch-time stop to your local men’s store to buy him another ugly tie that he’ll probably only wear when he knows you’re coming home to do laundry. So, in an attempt to give you some brownie points with your favorite guy, we went hunting for the perfect gift, and we truly believe that we found it— CarMD.

The best thing about giving your dad (or in fact, any other mild-technologic retard) CarMD, is that for the first time in his life, he doesn’t have to postulate about what the “Check Engine” light means. Instead of telling your mom, “Oh yeah, it’s probably nothing” and then coming home with a $400 bill he didn’t expect from the local mechanic, he can actually interrogate the car’s computer BEFORE he goes to the mechanic. So, in the event that the mechanic says that it’s the “just the rear catalytic converting smoke shifter,” he can say, “Well, I think it’s just a $3 spark plug, right?”

To quote the CarMD website, “You can use the tester to monitor and maintain the health of your 1996 and newer car, light truck, minivan and/or SUV for the life of your vehicle. The red, yellow and green indicator lights help you instantly diagnose the health of your, your family's, even your neighbor's vehicles. “


For example, CarMD can help you to:

1) Examine a used car before buying .
The green, yellow and red lights on the CarMD tester can tell you if the used car you're considering is jewel, a possible lemon, or a big red flag.
2) Give your vehicle a clean bill of health before road trips .
Again, watch the lights. Green = go, Yellow = proceed with caution, Red = consult your mechanic.
3) Pre-”smog” test your car .
Yellow or red lights mean you may not pass a state emissions test. Be sure to consult your mechanic.

“The handheld tester can read your vehicle's computer and upload that information to your PC via the CarMD website, allowing you to diagnose your vehicle's health quickly and easily. A green light means you're good to go. Yellow light or red light? You can run a diagnostic report to find out what's ailing your vehicle, likely repairs and estimated repair costs.”

We actually tried this device out on a number of vehicles ranging from a 1998 Land Rover, 2005 Lexus, 2007 BMW, and 2008 Mercedes. The device was an absolute breeze to use, and after inputting our respective VIN numbers online, we were shocked to realize that the CarMD website already knew everything about our vehicles. To say that this product is idiot-proof, might be an understatement!

So, in conclusion, if you’re looking for a Father’s Day gift, give your guy the gift he’s always wanted… a clue about his car! Trust us, one well-informed trip to the mechanic will make him feel like a king, and he’ll be thanking you for years to come!

Riedel O (Verdict: Stemless Wonders!)

While we’d love to speculate about what’s going to be announced at today’s WWDC, we have learned that speculation gets you no where- especially inhorse racing. So, while we won’t say what will be released, we are under the assumption that many Apple fan-boys will be celebrating and partying in the streets. So, what better way to celebrate than with a glass of champagne? So, we went hunting for the ideal Apple celebratory glassware, and thankfully stumbled upon the “O” collection from famed manufacturer Riedel.


At first glance, you will notice that the glassware in this collection is unlike any other seen before. That’s because Riedel has designed this collection to be totally stemless!

“The designs of "O" are based on the benchmark shapes of Riedel Vinum. For the first time in glass history the design parameters such as shape of tumbler, size, and diameter of rim have been finely-tuned to enhance the world's most important grape varietals. "O" is available as: Cabernet/Merlot, Pinot/Nebbiolo, Syrah/Shiraz, Chardonnay, Viognier/Chardonnay, Riesling/Sauvignon.” In addition, they have tumblers designed for your favorite scotch/whisky, and an absolutely amazing design for a champagne glass.

Taken together, these glasses are perfectly designed for everyday use. In addition to being great in the dishwasher (being that it’s stemless), they are also perfect for your anticipatory/celebratory picnic outside your nearest Apple store.

In conclusion, if you’re looking to jazz up your next party, show off your wine-snobbery, or just start a collection of fine modern glassware, then look no further than the beautiful designs contained in the O collection from Riedel.

Arcitec (Verdict: Closer-Than-Close!)

Although Father’s Day is still a few weeks away, it’s never too early to start shopping. And to be honest, nothing is more appreciated than a gift with meaning. So here’s the gift that will let you subtly tell the man you love that he’s just a tad too hairy for everyday life- the Philips Norelco Arcitec shaver.

For starters, it’s a damn good-looking shaver. As opposed to all those other brick-esque “competitors” on the market, this beautifully designed, shaver is a well-appreciated accoutrement to any guy’s bathroom. Besides looking fabulous, it also just happens to be ergonomically designed too! So, if you’re like one of our staffers (named anonymous) and have the tedious task of trimming back a forest every morning before work, when using the Arcitec, you at least don’t have to worry about your hand getting tired.

With respect to the actual shaving experience, we were stunned to say the least. We had always had the preconceived notion that electric met “nearly” as good as a standard razor. However, after using the Arcitec, we can honestly saying that we had a shave that was better than a razor!


Our justification for calling it “better” is rooted in the health of our skin. You see, when you properly use a razor, you have to apply oil (clog pores), apply shaving cream (soap based removing natural oils), and scrape off your outermost layer of skin/keratin to get a clean shave. Ultimately, if you survived the first 3 steps, you need to apply an after shave to allow your skin to heal from this traumatic experience.

Electric shaving just requires patience; all you have to do is go in slow steady concentric circles and whisk those whiskers away. So, when we’re in the middle of a heat wave, or a brisk cold day, and your skin has already been beaten up by the elements, you can at least rest assured that your skin has all its natural defenses, and that you haven’t done anything to further damage your skin.

Now, we also have to admit that we were amazed by the closeness of the shave. We not only tested this shaver out on our burly co-worker (named anonymous), but also on one of our pubscent younger brothers who was simply thrilled “to be shaving.” We found that regardless of hair density or thickness, we were able to achieve a clean shave every time! The reason that this shaving beast is able to tame the beast growing on our faces is because it has “three independently flexing heads in a shaving unit that swivels with a full range of motion. This unique combination ensures optimum skin contact in curved areas to catch even the most problematic neck hair.” In addition, “the three shaving tracks of the Triple-Track shaving heads offer 50% more shaving surface than standard, single track rotary shaving heads.”

In conclusion, we were skeptical when we opened the Arcitec box. However, after seeing it clean up our motley crew, we have nothing but praise for this shaving technological wonder. If you’re looking for a gift for Dad, or just a special grad, than look no further than the Arcitec for that hairy special someone!

Jawbone (Verdict: Sequel Done Right!)

In anticipation of Apple’s sequel to the iPhone (the greatest phone of all time), we would like to introduce you to the sequel to the Jawbone (the greatest Bluetooth headset of all time). It’s hard to believe, but our favorite Bluetooth headset has actually gotten better. Although the new Jawbone (aka Jawbone 2), is based upon the same great science of the original Jawbone, this new design puts it into a league of its own!

According to Yves Behar,
Chief Designer and CCO of Aliph, "the Jawbone strategy we set-out to follow three years ago has proven that products that live on our face need to be designed differently than typical technology wares; we regard them as personal accessories or even jewelry, and, as such, believe they need to be a complete departure from the gadgetry of the mobile and headset industry." This philosophy is demonstrated by the fact that the new Jawbone is 50% smaller than the original Jawbone.


In addition to being smaller, it is now constructed from “ultra-smooth medical-grade plastic” and included in the package are fine leather earloops. With respect to the user experience, we were already heavy Jawbone advocates, but even we were blown away.

For example, the original Jawbone required that the headset be “clipped” into the charging cable. Jawbone, realizing that the action of clipping / unclipping was extremely cumbersome, created an all new USB charger that chargers the headset via magnetic induction charging- therefore it just sticks to where it should be, and it’s as easy as 1-2-3! And although the battery life has been mildly reduced from the original Jawbone (4hrs vs 6hrs), you now have the ability to charge 85% of the battery within 35 minutes and have a complete charge within one-hour. This means that you can plug your Jawbone charger into your computer in-between meetings and be schlepping around the city blabbing without ever worrying about running out of juice.

With respect to talking outdoors, the Jawbone is perfectly designed for the urban warrarior. Besides having Jawbone's Voice Activity Sensor (VAS), which is able to detect very accurately when the person is talking and capture the frequencies of his or her speech even in the presence of noise, Jawbone utilizes “advanced DSP Algorithms: The NoiseAssassin algorithms [which] were developed over a number of years for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).”


With respect to their algorithms, as published on their site, “These powerful noise suppression algorithms [were designed for] use in the most extreme acoustic noise environments including battlefields and helicopters. The algorithms use Jawbone's two microphones and the VAS to accurately model the noise environment. 

Jawbone detects when and how a person is speaking, models the noise, and aggressively eliminates it. 



“Conventional "noise eliminating" headsets do not have the VAS and can only estimate when speech is occurring with software-based Voice Activation Detection (VAD) systems. For these systems to work, the speech must be significantly louder or spectrally different from the noise. These systems fail in loud environments or in the presence of other people's speech. Furthermore, because they can't accurately identify the speech signals, they distort the speech in the process of attempting to eliminate the noise. The result of this distortion is a significant degradation in intelligibility and quality in order to achieve a perceptual reduction in noise.”

So, do you really need to read anymore? We didn’t think so. So, while you’re anxiously anticipating your chance to see the sequel to “Sex and City,” and the sequel to the iPhone, why not fulfill your sequel desires and get yourself the newly released sequel to the Jawbone? We absolutely guarantee that you will love it- and just think, it’ll be perfect for calling your family/friends when you buy your iPhone 2 in the midst of the expected shopping melee!

Lugo Linen (Verdict: Euro Friendly!)

Eight months ago we introduced you to New York’s finest Italian shirt purveyor, Lugo. Since then, Lugo can barely maintain any semblance of a stock room. To say that their shirts are popular is an understatement! And while we’d love to take credit for all the phenomenal press they’ve been receiving since our review, we honestly believe that the fashion world’s obsession with Lugo is rooted in a love and admiration for Lugo’s tenacious pursuit to make the greatest Italian shirt. Well folks, Lugo has struck gold again, by creating an unparalled linen masterpiece and we’re ecstatic to be giving you the exclusive review of this newly released shirt.


For starters, Lugo linen is manufactured from the most exquisite of linens, a pure 175 gram natural cotton fiber. If this means nothing to you, this is the Bentley of linens- “the stuff that bespoke design houses die for!” However, having unbelievable fabric is only half the battle. In keeping with Lugo’s commitment to bringing Italian styling to the streets of New York (and the rest of the world), these shirts share the signature Lugo-look of a slim fitting high-collar shirt that can be worn tucked in or out and with a tie, if you so desire. This collection is being launch with six shirts- white / lime green / hot pink, all available in either a spread or button down collar.


Now, while we were interviewing Mr. John Meadow, the genius behind Lugo, we noticed that he was putting a curious sign in the window of his 246 Mott Street storefront. On further inspection, he was placing a sign stating that Lugo is now accepting Euros as well as US dollars!

It ends up that Lugo has such a large European clientele that he is accepting Euros out of necessity- and with the launch of Lugo Linen, he’s expecting a huge European outpouring.

When we further discussed his decision to accept Euros, he said, “New York is a truly global town. We have people from everywhere coming to New York to literally buy everything. And, believe it or not, we have a cohort of Italian businessmen who come to New York regularly, and come into Lugo to buy 5 white shirts at a time. When we see shopping such as this, it not only validates our product as authentic, it tells us that we need to cater to our European customers as well. So, we’re more than willing to go through the little hassle of exchanging Euros to make for a richer shopping experience for our dedicated European clientele.”

In our opinion, we’re surprised that more stores aren’t doing this- especially on Mott Street, one of the trendiest streets in Nolita, let alone NYC, let alone the world!

In conclusion, Lugo linen is a class above all the rest. This is not only “The Shirt” to have for Summer ‘08, it is the benchmark for fine luxury linen manufacturers. Never before have we seen a shirt that is perfectly suited for a day at the office underneath your favorite cotton suit, or for a morning brunch with a pair of jeans and loafers, or for a day in the Hamptons, or for an uber-exclusive nighttime extravaganza. Lugo linen is the pinnacle of fine summer fashion and is even Euro-friendly, too!