Everyone likes a cool gadget. And everyone likes pets. Import Japan’s incredibly lifelike, white robotic cat and voilà, customers will line up for Lucy (that’s what they call her).

So far so good for the newly opened AC Gears, Manhattan’s new gadget and cool toy emporium. Located in prime NYU territory in the East Village, the store’s artful pieces range from Japanese MP3 players to high-end Humanoid Robot Kits.

We asked store owner Kohn Liu to tell us what’s hot:

SEGATOYS DREAM CAT SMILE ROBOT. It purrs. It’s sensitive to touch. And it doesn’t shed on your designer coat. Currently the store’s best seller, the Dream Cat is another fine example of Japanese design. Makes a nice Valentine’s Day gift too.

BANPRESTO AQUAPICT LED JELLYFISH AQUARIUM. Sometimes you need a diversion at the office. Thankfully, the life-like jellyfishes swimming around in Banpresto’s little aquarium provides exactly that. Hey, those TPS reports can wait.

BANPRESTO FACEBANK. What the heck is that you’re asking? Well, it’s the Banpresto Facebank, a bank that will slowly “eat” your quarters and dimes. Should make an excellent conversation piece.


All items are available exclusively in the U.S. at AC Gears.


AC Gears, 69 East 8th Street (off Broadway), (212) 260-2269, acgears.com

So with less than sixty days to bonus season, it’s time to consider indulging a little. Will it be another piece of limited-edition art? Or a portfolio of rarefied Champagne vintages? Have it all…

From the House of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin and the award-winning Porsche Design Studio comes VERTICAL LIMIT, a visually-stunning, brushed steel cellar with individual compartments for twelve of Veuve’s most prized vintages. Think of it as the ultimate trophy for your inner Champagne connoisseur.

Standing over six feet tall, the handmade VERTICAL LIMIT combines two of your favorite luxuries: outstanding design and crisp bubbly. Each shelf holds one vintage magnum (the perfect size for Champagne) at exactly 12˚ Celsius (about 54˚ Fahrenheit) in a sound- and vibration-proof environment. You can saber a rare ‘55 or keep it modern with a ‘90 - you decide.

And if all that talk about rich French Champagnes and illustrious German design doesn’t persuade you to take a look, consider this: each one goes for $70,000 and there are only two available in the country.

Cheers.

Learn more about Veuve Clicquot and Porsche Design.


Who would you share a bottle of Veuve Clicquot with, and why? Send us your most creative answer to rsvp-veuve@raredaily.com. The wittiest entry will win a bottle of La Grande Dame, Veuve Clicquot’s Haute Couture 1998 Vintage Champagne wrapped in Emilio Pucci. It’s top-notch vintage meets high-end fashion.

So, when the occasion arrives to celebrate and order that vintage bottle of 1996 Krug Clos du Mesnil Champagne, insist on a temperature check before you uncork.

From the brains behind Prologix International comes the VinTemp Infrared Corkscrew, the only patented infrared thermometer capable of telling you the precise temperature of your fave wine or Champagne without popping the cork.

Simply hold the tip of the VinTemp against the center of the bottle, press the button, and voilà, the temperature revealed. There’s even a recommended serving temperature chart printed on the side with temperature readings in Fahrenheit or Celsius (for your French girlfriend).

Technology 1, Humans 0.


Learn more about the VinTemp Infrared Corkscrew at vintemp.com.

Your summer play schedule is time-sensitive.

Well, we’ve got a chic way for you to keep track of the hour without breaking a sweat. Toy Watches are playfully hip, designed to echo ‘80s flare, and your childhood wristwear (think Swatch).

Made of plastics and acrylic bands and stylishly designed, Toy Watches have popped up on the arms of everyone from Michael Jordan to Mario Batali to the Entourage crew (Vince, Turtle). And, while celebs have happily sported them, prices run on the low end (starting as low as $150). Plus, with the watches’ somewhat underground status, they aren’t likely to become ubiquitous.

So, as Summer “officially” begins next week, make sure you’re counting down the minutes with panache and precision.


Toy Watch retailers and online ordering available at toywatchusa.com.

CUFF LOVE
Frank Gehry Fold Cuff Links
A little art, a little accoutrement, these Frank Gehry-designed Fold Cuff Links are sure to steal the show. Sterling silver. $285.

Available from Tiffany.com.

PIECE OF CAKE
Payard Rugby Polo Shirt Cake
Score this Father’s Day with the dessert everyone will want to tackle. François Payard’s limited edition Rugby Polo Cake looks like the real thing, and tastes amazing, with layers of almond sponge cake, coffee buttercream and chocolate ganache.

Available in two sizes, 6 servings or 10 servings. Pre-order this week only at (212) 717-5252 (ext. 111) for pickup on Friday (6/15) or Saturday (6/16).

Payard, 1032 Lexington Avenue (73rd & 74th Streets), (212) 717-5252, payard.com.

SPOIL HIM
Cipriani Wall Street Club Membership
Spoil your father all year with an annual membership to The Cipriani Wall Street Club. Let him choose his own pampering from a screening room to a wine cellar and a shoe shine. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. And, it sure beats a Fruitcake Of The Month Club. $5,000.

The Cipriani Club, 55 Wall Street, ciprianiresidences.com.

FIRST CLASS
Limited Edition Domino Case
If you want to get him something no one else will (including your fashionista sister) check out the Globe-Trotter Domino Case. All black with a white leather corner and lining the case is handmade and in very limited production. Sleek yet strong, the Domino will give Dad the chance for in-flight boasting. $1,680.

Available exclusively from 20Ltd.com.

MEDIUM RARE
Bobby Flay’s Boy Meets Grill
Give Dad the gift of directions, without asking. Add to his BBQ repertoire with the manly man’s cookbook, Boy Meets Grill. The grill (and media) master Bobby Flay gives 125 “patio-friendly” recipes for all kinds of meat and vegetables so Dad can char to perfection.

Available online at Amazon.com.

NOT JUST JAVA
Kopi-Luwak Coffee
Get Dad a $288 pound of coffee and show him how far you’ve come since an allowance-financed Box o’ Joe. Arguably the finest and rarest Kopi-Luwak Coffee beans are harvested (after making their way through the digestive tracks of Luwak cats and onto the Sumatran jungle floor) and roasted in Indonesia. Each year only 700 pounds are produced. What better way to tell Dad he’s one in 700?

Available at Bon-Luxe.com.

BEER MAN
The Beerbelly
Tell Pops he’s still young and fun with a Beerbelly. Even if his own is au natural, the Beerbelly lets him add another layer to proudly slurp anywhere he wants from its liquid holding pouch. He can even slip it on and imbibe when Mom isn’t looking. $35.

Available online at thebeerbelly.com.

And, of course, a level playing field.

The Eleven Forty Company, makers of the most deluxe football table, and 20 London Limited (20ltd.com), an online luxury shop of exquisite, limited edition items, have teamed up for the ultimate game.

The special edition “Good versus Evil” Opus football table lets you choose which side of your consciousness to play for. Do you join forces with God, Gandhi and Dr. Jekyll? Or do you indulge your inner sinner and play alongside Lucifer, Jack the Ripper and Mr. Hyde?

Each player’s head is meticulously detailed to perfectly resemble its real life counterpart. The table itself is also a work of art: taking over 400 man hours to create, the handcrafted maple wood cabinet is flush with high-end elements including telescopic aluminum rods with brass castings, ergonomic handles, and toughened frosted UV glass.

But the most ingenious piece is in the playing ball: designed as a mini globe of the world, with the winner taking home souls not goals.

Game on.


Special Edition “Good versus Evil” Opus football table by The Eleven Forty Company is available exclusively at 20ltd.com.

With a top speed of 198 mph and a 0 - 60 mph time in a mere 4.7 seconds, you’re almost satisfied… but you want more.

So, LP Wheel Group delivers just what you didn’t think you needed - a diamond encrusted 18K white gold Bentley shift knob. At $150,000, this is no ordinary bling - cast from an original Bentley shift knob, LP Wheel’s owner/designer Tony Lee has customized every millimeter to maximize this knob’s luxe exterior.

30 carats of custom-laid diamonds, supple blue leather and 10 ounces of gleaming white gold perfectly mesh with the classic casted Bentley insignia on top and on front of the piece. It took 100 hours to complete, and the attention to detail shows.

After premiering at last November’s Specialty Equipment Market Association Trade Show in Las Vegas, this sexy, ultimate car accessory has yet to find it’s mate.

Are you the one?


Visit LP Wheel Group’s website.

And, then there are Kidrobot-style renovations!

Picture the launch party for their pop-up Pirate Store. Thousands of people attend, including Jenna Jameson, Heatherette, and more than one hundred artists show off their custom toys. Now, picture Jenna Jameson, again.

Oh yeah, back to the article. In honor of their relocated Los Angeles store and renovated New York store, the crew behind Dunny and FatCap have launched a temporary showcase for all their limited-edition, ugly-sexy art toys and mini-figures.

The best part is that proceeds from the store help support “Rewrite the Future”, a Save the Children Global Education Initiative.

So, go ahead, bid on a badass toy bunny.

You might just save the world.



Kidrobot Paintball Store
281 Lafayette Street (near Prince Street) | View Google Map
New York, NY 10012
www.kidrobot.com/paintball

2. Best Pencil
Eberhard Faber Blackwing 602 (Available on eBay)
Artists, designers, and writers swear by this legendary soft lead. And why not? With its handsome looks, smooth-as-silk stroke on paper, and extremely limited supply, this pencil commands prices north of $20 each. Yes, each. Truman Capote used it for editing - save yours for the kids.

3. Best New Vodka
Jean-Marc XO Vodka (Available at Astor Wines & Spirits and other fine liquor stores)
Handmade and distilled nine times then micro-oxygenated, this spirit goes down easier than a long holiday weekend. But at $50 a pop, you might want to save it from that bowl of Jungle Juice.

4. Best Fois Gras Delivered
D’Artagnan’s Duck Fois Gras Terrine
On the pyramid of perfect foods, few things rank higher than foie gras. Sauté yours at home with the help of D’Artagnan, purveyors of really, really fine foods. There’s even a recipe for a fois gras burger polished with Armagnac. Now, you know.

5. Best Food Experience
The Gourmet Institute (October 21-23)
For epicureans across the country, the pinnacle of food celebrations is Gourmet magazine’s Gourmet Institute weekend extravaganza in October. Get pointers from Nobu Matsuhisa and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, mix it with up Mario Batali and Daniel Boulud. Then rave about it to all your friends.

Not bad, considering you secretly hate going to the gym.

Your run might be worth running to if you took home the ultra luxe Demso S treadmill. Preferred by professional athletes and investment bankers alike, Woodway’s line of premium running machines are the Porsches of the category. With the introduction of the fully-loaded model S, expect a LCD screen to watch cable TV, DVDs, and even surf the Net on.

At around $17,000, however, don’t expect to dump your local sweatshop right away.

Available online at www.woodway.com.