1,080 vertical, the Panasonic TH-103PZ600U is the world’s largest high-definition plasma. It’s the size of four 42-inch displays and weighs nearly 500 pounds. This 103-inch Goliath is priced at $69,999. www.panasonic.com
Best Mobile Phone Design: Samsung/Bang & Olufsen: Bang & Olufsen’s innovative Serene Mobile breaks the mold in cell phone design. The display is located in the lower shell of the phone along with the microphone. A circular keyboard and loudspeaker are placed in the top shell. The camera lens is hidden along the side of the phone. It’s at your fingertips for $1,275.
www.bang-olufsen.com
Best Smart Phone: APPLE iPhone: The newly released iPhone is one smart cookie. Use the multi-touch, wide-screen display to enjoy your favorite downloads, take high-quality photos, or search for directions and phone numbers. The predictive soft keyboard fixes mistakes as you type. Pick one up for $499 for the 4GB or $599 for the 8GB model. www.apple.com/iphone
SPAS
Best Male Spa: BBRAXTON: This gentlemen’s grooming parlor, located in a “green” development in Harlem, offers barber services, hot towel shaves, manicures and pedicures, facials, and an Ike Behar custom shirt service. Other features? Leather armchairs, a flat-screen TV, and a well-stocked bar.
Though BBRAXTON’s been open less than a year, Broadway actress Brenda Braxton and her husband, Anthony Van Putten, are already receiving requests for duplicate spas in Japan and California. www.bbraxton.com
Best Hotel Spa: Bathhouse: Stone, glass, and special design orchestration allow for an open and luxurious experience at the 14,000-square-foot Bathhouse in Thehotel at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The focus is the rejuvenating effects of water, hence varying presentations of waterfalls and rainfall corridors. www.mandalaybay.com
FINE ART
Best Contemporary Artist: Kehinde Wiley: Kehinde Wiley paints B-boys adorned with French rococo in a technique that stirs curiosity and harsh critique. His portraits are unique and explore stereotypes of masculinity, power, spirituality, and class.
Best Classic Artist: kyle S. Lane: A well-kept secret among art enthusiasts, Kyle S. Lane, a stipple artist, is sold only through private placement. His earlier works featured images of the jazz greats. Today, he is focused on instruments of the New York Philharmonic, with each creation composed of millions of dots.
Best Multimedia Artist: Kara Walker: Controversial and genius are descriptors attached to Kara Walker’s expressive silhouettes of repression, power, and sexuality in the historical context and contemporary perspectives of race relations in America.s
AUTOS
Best Dealer Service: BMW of Sterling: Thomas Moorehead, owner of BMW of Sterling and Mini of Sterling, in Sterling, Virginia, has 32 technicians on staff, with 24 at master’s status. With a customer service index above the national market, their round-the-clock service provides turnaround for the customer in a day. There are also loaner vehicles and an Enterprise Rent-a-Car on location. www.bmwofsterling.com
Best Off-Road Vehicle: Land Rover LR3: For easy transition from on-road to off-road maneuvering, the LR3 provides four-corner independent height-adjustable air suspension terrain response. Starts at $49,300. www.landrover.com
Best Driving Experience: Ferrari Challenge: The longest-running sanctioned race series of its kind on the continent, the exclusive event allows owners of the F430s, 360s, and other models to