Style and Tech for Men

Introduction

The quest for a well-groomed beard is made effortless with the Philips 5000 Series Beard Trimmer. With its sleek design and advanced features, this grooming tool offers precision, versatility, and convenience. In this comprehensive review, we'll delve into its key features, performance, and overall user experience to help you make an informed decision.

Design and Build Quality. The Philips 5000 Series Beard Trimmer boasts a sophisticated design with a sturdy build. The ergonomic shape ensures a comfortable grip, allowing for precise control during trimming sessions. The trimmer is lightweight yet feels durable, making it suitable for extended usage.

Performance and Precision. Equipped with self-sharpening steel blades, the trimmer delivers excellent performance and ensures consistent cutting power. The blades effortlessly glide through the hair, providing a smooth and uniform trim. The trimmer offers multiple length settings, allowing you to achieve your desired beard style with precision. Additionally, the lift and trim comb feature ensure efficient and even trimming, leaving no stray hairs behind.

Versatility. The Philips 5000 Series Beard Trimmer is a versatile grooming tool that offers a wide range of trimming options. It includes various comb attachments with adjustable length settings, providing flexibility to groom different beard lengths and styles. Whether you prefer a short stubble or a longer beard, this trimmer has got you covered.

Battery Life and Charging. One of the standout features of this trimmer is its long-lasting battery life. With a single charge, it can deliver up to 90 minutes of cordless usage, allowing for multiple trimming sessions before needing a recharge. The trimmer utilizes a fast-charging technology, providing a quick power boost for those moments when you're in a rush.

Ease of Use and Maintenance. Using the Philips 5000 Series Beard Trimmer is a breeze, thanks to its user-friendly design. The intuitive interface and easy-to-access controls make it simple to navigate through different length settings. The trimmer is also easy to clean, as the detachable head can be rinsed under running water. The inclusion of a cleaning brush adds convenience to the maintenance routine.

Additional Features. The trimmer comes with a travel lock feature, ensuring it remains inactive while in transit, preventing any accidental activation. However, the absence of a travel pouch is a minor drawback, as it would have been a useful addition for portability.

Price and Value for Money. Considering its exceptional performance, versatility, and durability, the Philips 5000 Series Beard Trimmer offers great value for money. While it may be priced slightly higher than some competitors, the trimmer's quality and long-term performance make it worth the investment.

Conclusion

The Philips 5000 Series Beard Trimmer proves to be an outstanding grooming companion for men seeking a well-maintained beard. Its remarkable performance, versatility, and user-friendly design make it a top choice in the market. With the ability to achieve precise trims, long battery life, and easy maintenance, this trimmer is a reliable tool that enhances your grooming experience. Embrace your style with confidence and precision using the Philips 5000 Series Beard Trimmer.

Unless you’ve been living in a media blackout for the last couple of years, you have probably noticed that major consumer electronics retailers are falling over themselves to help you recycle and trade in your aging gizmos. “Our overarching sentiment is that we’ll take back any electronic device a consumer has,” says Best Buy marketing manager, Rich Yudhishthu. Up until recently, you probably just tossed your old cell phones or laptops into a drawer or closet and left them there until you had enough courage to actually throw them in the trash. But now you can effortlessly take Best Buy and other companies up on their offers and turn all your clutter into cash or credit toward the latest must-haves. Here’s how.

Best Buy
“If you want to go to all the time and trouble of preparing your stuff for sale and vetting buyers on sites like eBay and Craigslist, you’ll probably make more money,” notes Yudhishthu. But what we’re offering is a fast, hassle-free service that allows you to recycle or trade in your electronic devices via the Internet or instantly at any of our stores nationwide.”

Yudhishthu says Best Buy offers three options for customers with used devices. Older products with no real value can be taken to any store to be responsibly recycled. Better yet, you can trade in your newer, gently used electronics at your local outlet or online and get some return on your original outlay. Or if you purchased the company’s Buy Back Plan when the product was new, you’ll receive a guaranteed percentage of the purchase price when you turn it in -- from a high of 50 percent if it’s returned within six months down to 20 percent if you hand it back within 18 to 24 months.

Amazon
Amazon Trade-In will not only take your MP3 players, GPS devices and other electronic equipment, but you can also milk some value out of your old textbooks, DVDs and video games as well. “Over a million products are trade-in eligible,” says Robin Mendelson, director of Amazon Trade-In and Warehouse Deals. “We not only take items that are in like-new condition, we’ll take items that are in good or just acceptable conditions too.” And according to Mendelson, if an item is received by Amazon Trade-In and is graded by staff to be in a better condition than the customer selected, the trader will automatically be paid a higher amount.

However, Mendelson cautions that different products have different depreciation cycles. So if you’re thinking of trading something in down the road, it’s important to stay aware of how long you’ve had a device and how well it continues to meet your needs. A laptop may retain some value for up to two years, for example, whereas a television might still be worth something for up to four. “Amazon’s trade-in value calculations take into account what other companies are offering,” adds Mendelson. “And they are adjusted accordingly to ensure we’re giving competitive value throughout the product lifecycle in each trade-in category.

Gazelle
Gazelle is the only one of the three companies that specializes exclusively in the trade-in and resale of used gadgets. “Maintaining and keeping your devices in good shape will help you get the maximum value out of them,” advises Gazelle’s chief gadget officer, Anthony Scarsella. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, he recommends staying on top of firmware and software updates, using protective cases and screen covers, and keeping things like chargers, batteries and other accessories with the device. Anything missing that is required for the equipment to operate effectively can have a big impact on the price.

“We have 22 different product categories and accept hundreds of thousands of items,” continues Scarsella, “But overall we focus on creating an awesome consumer experience. Our customers can trust that their confidential data will be erased or destroyed from anything they send in that has a hard drive or a memory card, and that payments are made within five days via check, PayPal or an Amazon gift card.”

In the End
One of the enduring problems with trade-in programs is that sellers and buyers often have vastly different opinions about the value and condition of products. So what happens if you rate your laptop as pristine, but the buyer thinks you’re out of your mind? All three companies offer free shipping. So if you happen to disagree about how much your junk is worth, you can either take less money or have your stuff shipped back to you and returned to dust-collection duty. Bottom line: You’ve got nothing to lose. So gather up your old crap and start trading!

Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash

The steampunk movement has been bursting from its corseted seams and spilling out over the pop culture scene in a big way over the past few years, expanding to include an aesthetic that influences movies, graphic novels, music and more. While steampunk has gained recognition through exposure on episodes of the hit television shows “Castle” and “NCIS: Los Angeles,” the movement’s biggest influence can be seen in the fashion industry.

It’s clear that steampunk style is rapidly outgrowing its niche status, but the subculture remains misunderstood by many and is considered an oddity or a costume by most. In celebration of All Hallows Eve, here is some enlightenment.

In the Beginning
While steampunk’s roots stretch back to the classic sci-fi tales of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells from the turn of the 19th century, the term “steampunk” wasn’t coined until 1987. Author K.W. Jeter first used it to describe an emerging literary genre (i.e., fantasy tales set in an era where steam power is still widely used -- usually Victorian era in Great Britain). Works of steampunk often feature futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architecture and art. Jeter initially meant it as a riff on the more modern term “cyberpunk.” Regardless, the moniker stuck and has since expanded to include an aesthetic that influences movies, graphic novels, music and more.

How to Wear It
With Halloween ahead, it’s the perfect chance to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes and create a unique steampunk guise. And it’s a cool look you can keep on rocking long after everyone else has put away their costumes.

Want to try out this fashion trend in which people reimagine modern capabilities with 19th century machines? Simply follow the advice of the famously flamboyant Victorian Oscar Wilde: “One should either be a work of art or wear a work of art.” And while there are no set guidelines for steampunk fashion, your look should synthesize modern styles influenced by the Victorian era.

Steampunk aficionados advise to “start period and then add.” Begin by pulling out that 19th century American garment staple that’s still hanging in almost every closet: a sturdy pair of trousers fashioned by a guy named Levi Strauss. Or don a suit with a vest, a long wool coat and spats. You can also sport military-inspired garments.

Accent your look with a mix of technological and period accessories: timepieces, parasols, goggles and ray guns. Modern accessories, like cell phones and MP3 players, can also be used in steampunk outfits. But to properly juxtapose 21st century technology and 19th century accoutrement, the devices should be modified to look like they were made in the Victorian era. How? Apply a little antiquing paint, available at most craft stores, to give the product that aged looked. Then, place it in a vest pocket as though it were, say, an antique pocket watch.

For Inspiration
If you need some ideas to handcraft your garments and accessories, or want to purchase ready-made faux 19th century designer fashion, check out the websites

Airship Ambassador

Historical Emporium

Photo by Johnny Briggs on Unsplash

Going green is big business these days. Environmentally conscious consumers have plenty of choices when it comes to what goes in their grocery carts, what’s parked in their driveways, and what product they use on their bodies. But when it comes to the gear that resides in their closets, eco-friendly pickings are slim at best. And most of them are still designed for the Petrulli oil-using, Birkenstock-wearing crowd.

But that’s about to change.

A growing number of fashion-forward companies have begun to explore ethical sourcing: The use of sustainable materials and new technologies is now making eco-fashion more accessible and stylistically appealing to the average guy.

So forget about all the clothes you have or the clothes you want: These are the essential items that every man must own to live a comfortable, well-dressed life -- and all of them are made in a manner that is safe for the environment.

White Dress Shirt
If you only own one shirt, make it crisp and white. A white button-down or spread collar will go with almost anything and can be worn in almost any situation.

When it comes to eco-approved shirts and other apparel, certified organic cotton is the fabric of choice. Non-organically grown cotton is chemically dependent and, thus, harmful to both the immediate environment and the farmers who harvest it. Organic cotton is grown without synthetic fertilizers and herbicides, and thus doesn’t destroy the land it’s grown on and isn’t harmful to handle.

Boll Organic, started by twin brothers Kent and Kevin Russell after they couldn’t find quality, organic cotton dress-shirts, offers one of the best options for the very reasonable price of $35.

Polo Shirt
Next to jeans, the polo shirt is one of the most popular items in a man’s wardrobe for good reason: It looks great in any casual situation and is easy to care for. Outdoor clothing specialist Patagonia has a long track record for producing earth-friendly fashion, offering up a wide selection of polo shirt styles and colors made from organic cotton, ranging in price from $50 to $70.

Khakis
Like jeans, khakis are a staple of the American wardrobe. Casual, yet dressy, Nau’s People’s Chinos, $135, have a stylish slim fit and are made from 100 percent organically grown cotton.

Jeans
Products can be good for the environment in a number of ways. In the case of Roy Denim, the product is eco-friendly because one guy (that would be Roy) makes each and every pair himself. Roy cuts every pattern, sews every stitch, forms each belt loop and even creates the branded leather tags one letter at a time. No huge factory, no trucks or planes crossing the globe carrying loads of mass-produced denim -- just a man and a bunch of recycled machines. When it comes to a company with a tiny carbon footprint, Roy is hard to beat -- even though his jeans ring in at a hefty $275 a pair.

Blazer or Sport Coat
Versatile and classic, a quality blazer or sport coat can be worn in any situation. You can dress it up with a pair of wool pants and a dress shirt for special occasions, or down with jeans and a T-shirt for a leisurely night on the town.

One of the most sustainable, versatile and eco-friendly materials around, hemp also seems to be the fabric of choice among eco-conscious suit makers. It has long been used for fine clothing (actor Woody Harrelson even had Burberry create a custom hemp tuxedo for the 2010 Academy Awards), it looks like linen and it is incredibly durable. Plus, it’s used to make everything from super-luxe, high-fashion houndstooth sport coats from Brunello Cucinelli, on sale for $1,599.99 on Bluefly.com, to inexpensive blazers (under $160) from Rawganique.

Dress Shoes
Most men don’t give their shoes much thought. Big mistake, boys. Shoes finish the fashion statement. Go for a basic, classically styled model; it’s more versatile (i.e., it can be dressed up or down).

U.K.-based Vegetarian Shoes creates classic styles using a breathable synthetic microfiber material often found in yachting upholstery. Our favorite is the sleek antique brogue style, about $113, which has a modern profile that works equally well with a three-piece suit or a pair of jeans.

Sneakers
Casual footwear doesn’t have to shine like dress shoes, but it should still be neat, clean and presentable. So leave those funky-smelling, ratty-looking running or workout sneakers on the porch when you go out on the town, especially since eco-friendly kicks are one of the easiest green fashion items to find.

One of the coolest pairs is the retro-inspired Tauas, about $151 from Veja. The name comes from the region in Brazil where the organic cotton used to make the shoes is sustainably grown; the shoes also feature a sole made from wild rubber.