Nike LeBron 9 Elite Varsity Maize

On the lookout for a new pair of basketball shoes, and still want to look the buisness on the court? Check out these limited edition trainers from Nike.

The Nike LeBron Elite 9 Varsity Maize launched over the weekend alongside the Air Jordan 4 Cav and Zoom KD IV Aunt Pearl, and come with a seriously eye-catching yellow upper. All eyes will be on your feet, not the ball as you weave around in these.

Elsewhere, the trainers sport Max and Zoom Air cushioning and Pro Combat-style padding, along with inset carbon fiber wings.

However, you’re going to have to move faster than Jordan himself if you want to bag yourself a pair. A limited edition, they’re not even available at Nike’s own online NikeStore.com shop. Instead, you’re going to have to head instore to grab a pair while stocks last. There will also be a scant few pairs over on the FootLocker web store.

Expect to pay around the $250 mark on import for these beauties, not including shipping. See them from all sides in the gallery above.

Written in association with High and Mighty

As a man, you may feel a bit reluctant to look to the catwalk for fashion inspiration, and with the weird and not-so-wonderful pieces that often make their sorry way down it, you’d be forgiven for your hesitance. However, one feature of the most high-profile catwalks should be allowed to infringe upon your wardrobe choices, no questions asked.

That special feature is model David Gandy. With his dark hair and tall stature, he could so easily be just another male model, but his masculine face and well-built body mean he’s a man real men can aspire to.

If you too have the stature to tower over most men, you could do much worse than to take a few tips from the model’s repertoire when building your own style. Online store High and Mighty caters specifically for tall and large men, so could help you find the clothes that fit for your own spin on David’s winning look.

In recent photos posted to his Vogue blog, David is seen with a goose of all things, wearing dark denim jeans with turn-ups, work boots, a brown leather belt, plain t-shirt and cream scarf. He finishes the look with a chocolate brown jacket for farmer-meets-history teacher cool. His facial hair rounds off a perfect casual style for the masculine man. Oh, and the goose isn’t a requirement. In fact I’d advise against it; hissing isn’t sexy in anyone’s book.

So now you’ve got the idea; simple styles worn to emphasise masculinity, yet not shying away from “softer”, more fashionable accessories that show an awareness of what’s on trend – it’s time to build the look.

Go for earthy shades like browns, olives and tans when choosing boots and belts. You can introduce brighter shades with your scarf or t-shirt, but don’t go for cartoon-worthy colours. If you are tall with very long legs and a short torso, choose longer-length jackets to elongate your upper body.

If your torso is long, wear your jeans as high as possible and expose your belt buckle by half-heartedly tucking your t-shirt in, a look perfected by David in the goose shots.

And who better to shed light on Team GB’s prospects at the games than one of Britain’s greatest ever Olympians, Daley Thompson. Two-time gold medal winner and four times a world record breaker, Thompson is considered the greatest decathlete of all time.

Brandish and Tech Digest contributor Gerald Lynch stole a few minutes with the star, asking about Thompson’s hopes for this summer’s sporting extravaganza, and his thoughts on SEGA’s upcoming London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games title which he is currently promoting.

Well, as of today, you can now add Brad Pitt to that list of celebs who’ve attached their faces to the most famous of ladies’ scents.

The thing is, Brad’s harbouring a deep, dark secret. Underneath those wavy blonde locks, piercing blue eyes and striking features, the Se7en and Benjamin Button star  is…actually a man!

That certainly sets Mr Angelina Jolie apart from his predecessors, and marks a bold new direction from Chanel’s marketing department.

Confirming the news in a press release today after rumours began circulating yesterday, Pitt is the first male face of the iconic perfume. A full blown ad campaign including a UK TV advertising spot is to follow in the Autumn, with Pitt picking up a cheque with a tidy seven-figure sum inked onto it.

Though Pitt’s the quintessential ladies-man and multi-generation spanning heatthrob, the 48-year old is still an odd choice by the brand, leading some to speculate that sultry Jolie may be making an appearance in the campaign at some point too.

“Hang on, aint this a site about men’s stuff, guvnor? What’s this gotta do with us blokes?” I hear you cry!

And you’d be right. With Pitt being the kind of guy that women want to be with and men want to be, there’s plenty of speculation that Pitt’s appearance with Chanel could be the start of a massive push from the brand into the male sector.

Come Christmas, you and your missus both could be unwrapping a bottle of scent sold by Pitt’s lovely mug.

iPhone 4S
Though it’s a rehashed version of the iPhone 4 (with the dreadful antenna issues all ironed out) it’s hard to fault the iPhone 4S design. Whether you grab it in black or white, the angular unibody design with chrome trim oozes style. It’s arguably hit the sweetspot for mobile-phone size at 115.2 mm x 58.66 mm x 9.3 mm too. It does however lack a HDMI-out port, pretty much a standard with high-end Android handsets these days, and it’s a little delicate, with its glass prone to shattering if dropped from even a modest height.

Galaxy S3
Thin at just 8.6mm and light at 133g, the Galaxy S3 feels great in the hand, and slips almost invisibly into a pocket. Available in Pebble Blue and Marble White, its curved edges are meant to conjure memories of nature. However, its plasticy “Hyperglaze” finish lacks that premium feel, and some may decide the Galaxy S3 is a little flimsy, albeit unfairly.

Winner – iPhone 4S

Screen

iPhone 4S
The latest iPhone’s Retina Display is pretty much as good as it gets for mobile display technology right now. Measuring 3.5 inches diagonally, it uses LED backlit IPS TFT LCD technology to deliver images at a staggering 326ppi. What the screen lacks in size it more than makes up for in detail, with vibrant colours, lush brightness and deep blacks.

Galaxy S3
A 4.8 inch Super AMOLED HD display sits on the front of the Galaxy S3 and it’s gorgeous. Though its extra size and resolution mean it “only” hits a 309ppi pixel density, to the naked eye that won’t make a difference. Vibrant and colourful, it dwarfs the iPhone 4S screen, which is a far less comfortable size to view videos on. Bigger, in this case at least, is better.

Winner – Galaxy S3

Processor

iPhone 4S
Apple’s 800Mhz dual-core A5 chip may sound a little dated in this age of quad-core mobile CPUs, but thanks to Apple’s careful marriage of software and hardware, you’ll never find the iPhone 4S being overly taxed. You’ll fly through menu screens, tap away at breathtaking polygonal-3D gaming apps and playback detailed HD video without a stutter.

Galaxy S3
Samsung have popped a quad-core 1.4Ghz Exynos processor in the Galaxy S3. And despite having to push more pixels than the iPhone 4S (and running off the sometimes temperamental Android OS) there wasn’t a stutter or hang to be seen. This is one powerful phone, best presented by the Pop Up Play feature that offers true picture-in-picture multitasking, offering windowed HD video playback. Impressive is an understatement.

Winner – Galaxy S3

Storage

iPhone 4S
Though Apple’s iPhone 4S doesn’t offer expandable storage, they at least offer three different configurations when it comes to size. 16GB, 32GB and 64GB iPhone 4S models are all available, with pricing rising appropriately. It’s a crafty tactic though, as those opting for more storage space have to pop money directly into Apple’s coffers, rather than picking up cheaper expandable storage elsewhere. With the iCloud back-up feature too you’ve got a little leeway with which to store files remotely too, though extensive cloud storage through Apple doesn’t come cheaply.

Galaxy S3
Samsung’s generous storage options make Apple look very cheap here. For starters, you’ve got the same 16GB, 32GB and 64GB handset options. Add on to that the option of popping in as much as an extra 64GB from a microSD card. Then pile on top the 50GB of FREE Dropbox cloud storage that comes as standard with every Galaxy S3 purchase. There’s no competition here.

Winner – Galaxy S3

Battery

iPhone 4S
The iPhone 4S is said to have 200 hours worth of battery standby time, 8 hours talk time on 3G, 14 hours talk time on 2G, 6 hours 3G browsing, 9 hours Wi-Fi browsing, 10 hours of video playback or 40 hours of audio playback. In reality however, you’re going to be juggling through all these tasks (at times simultaneously) throughout a day, meaning that you’re going to need to recharge that battery long before the day is done.

Galaxy S3
Samsung have popped in a whopping 2100mAh battery in the Galaxy S3. It sounds awesome, but remember there’s a massive screen to power, as well as a quad-core processor draining juice all the time. Touches like the Smart Stay tech should keep battery usage as low as possible, but we can’t pass judgement here till we’ve put the phone through its paces for a bit longer. We’ll call it a tie for now.

Winner – Tie

Software and Apps

iPhone 4S
Apple say there’s an app for everything, and with the iOS App Store, that’s pretty much true. With over 500,000 different apps available in Apple’s store, there’s pretty much an app to cater for every potential need. From fitness to finance, arts to archaeology, you name it, there’s a shed load of apps for every possible niche. Gaming in particular is well served on the iPhone, with it more than a match for handhelds like the Nintendo 3DS or PS Vita these days. Just check out Infinity Blade 2 if you need convincing.

The iPhone 4S also features the much-publicised Siri voice control app. With it, you can search the web, set calendar reminder, dictate emails and much more with just your voice alone. In the US it’s a fully-featured service that has a giant database of details on local businesses and events. In the UK, it’s far less comprehensive in terms of what it can do, making it a bit of a novelty for the time being.

As for the iOS operating system itself, it’s incredibly easy to use and looks beautiful. It pretty much invented the grid-based app layout that everything from the Xbox 360 to Roku entertainment players have ripped off since. It is also however incredibly limited in terms of customisation, and if you’re a tinkerer who likes to get under the hood of his device and tweak every property and potential UI layout, it’s not a patch on Android.

Galaxy S3
The Galaxy S3 runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich. When it comes to apps, Android just can’t compete with iOS. For starters there are fewer apps available, and they tend to be uniformly less visually appealing than similar ones available on the Apple App Store.

Likewise, Android is a far less user-friendly OS, but what it lacks in dummy-proofing, it excels with customisation options. You can make your Android look and act pretty much however you want it to, freely adding widgets and personal touches throughout the device.

Samsung have also gone a long way to stamping their own touches into the software of the phone too. As well as the aforementioned Pop Up Play feature, there’s superfast data sharing over NFC with S Beam, intelligent facial recognition and photo tagging capabilities, eye-tracking screen dimming tech called Smart Stay and their own Siri rival called S Voice.

Winner – iPhone 4S

Camera and Video Recording

iPhone 4S
Though its megapixel count of 8 isn’t any higher than the majority of top-tier smartphones the iPhone 4S’s imaging systems consistently deliver stunning results. Using a lens with an aperture of f/2.4, and combining that with clever HDR and Macro software, you get excellent still image results almost every time. A super-fast shutter speed that lets you snap multiple images directly after each other sweetens the deal, as do the many superb photography apps on the App Store. However, you can’t tweak sensitivity settings like white balance and exposure, which may irk pro photographers.

1080p video recording with anti-shake functionality likewise returns brilliant results on the iPhone 4S, with the iMovie app letting you make a few simple edits on the go.

Galaxy S3
Samsung’s top-tier smartphone camera seems every bit as good as the iPhones. Again, it’s an 8MP offering, with impressive start up speeds of 990ms, and the ability to fire off 3.3 photos a second. A 20 in a row, six photos per second, burst mode also features, alongside Best Shot, which takes 8 pictures and picks out the best based on framing, lighting and blur, as well as elements such as open or closed eyes on the subject.

Then there are the facial recognition features. Snap a friend, tag them in one photo, and every subsequent picture you take of them in the future should automatically be tagged accurately by the handset. Groups of people appearing in the same shots can also have group tags associated with them, making organising large photo libraries incredibly easy. Images can quickly be shared via email or social networks using this feature too.

Elsewhere, more standard features like High Dynamic Range (HDR), panorama, Smile Shot and Beauty Modes are onboard too, as well as plenty of manual settings for things like Exposure values.

Though we spent less time with it, 1080p video recording is also onboard. Just like the S2 before it, the results from our early tests looked a real treat, with video stabilisation options working superbly. Up front, a 1.9MP camera for video calling and shooting 720p video is also available.

Winner – Tie

Price

iPhone 4S
Unlocked, the iPhone 4S in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB sizes cost £499, £599 and £699 respectively.

Galaxy S3
We’re still waiting for official pricing for the Galaxy S3, but if the Galaxy S2 was anything to go by, expect premium pricing. The S2 started at around £500 SIM-Free too depending on retailer, so we’d imagine things to be similar with the Galaxy S3.

Winner – Tie

Overall Winner – Samsung Galaxy S3

There’s not much in it, and the Apple faithful will likely see nothing that will make them change their ways, but our first impressions of the Galaxy S3 suggest it may be the best smartphone on the market today. A great camera, superb screen and innovative software features show Samsung have really pushed the boat out with the Galaxy S3. If the price proves right, and the battery is up to scratch, we could have a new smartphone king on our hands. Remember though, the iPhone 4S is based on a design (that of the iPhone 4) that is now a couple of years old. With the iPhone 5 launch almost certainly looming, the tables could turn yet again very quickly…

 This post is sponsored by Joop! Homme

Another lesson in seduction from charming ladies man, James Charm. In Episode 8, James reveals his secrets  to seducing a lady in an elevator!

Think a lift is a stange place for hitting on girls? Then think again. No matter whether it’s going up or down, sexual tension is always up in an elevator.

Whether the lift is playing hardcore punk or salsa, the elevator provides valuable flirting minutes with an attractive beauty.

Just a few tips on things to avoid if you want to succeed with your elevation seduction techniques. First of all, if some irresistable charm machine is running up to his luxury suite then forget it – just wait for another girl and another elevator.

And unless you really are the aforementioned charm machine then do not press the ‘red button’ to prolong the stay in the elevator, or you might just get a whiff of the tear box vaporiser she has in her handbag.

And while real men do sometimes wear pink, real men don’t cry in elevators! EVER.

You can see more of James’ Top Tips in the video below:

Aimed at anyone who’s a bit sick of saying “hands off, it’s mine”, it looks especially preppy on a Ted Baker leather satchel, as seen here, with a bit of gold trim embossed lettering. There’s also a blind option too.

“Customers can now choose from a select range of high quality Ted Baker menswear and womenswear pieces and then add your own initials to create a truly unique gift that’s as individual and stylish as the clothes that bear Ted’s name,” reads a post on the brand’s blog.

That four letter limit though seems a bit short sighted. I’m thinking of grabbing a shirt that has a four letter word beginning with “F” on it, and a bag that reads “OFF”.

The service is only available instore at point of purchase, at the Covent Garden Ted Baker branch. Visit www.tedbaker.com to find out more about the service.

Blur’s Parklife is 18 years old today! An ode to Blighty aimed at girls who are boys who like boys to be girls who do boys like they’re girls who do girls like they’re boys, Parklife was a wry, anthem-filled album that championed mockney Cockneys, a day at the (greyhound) races and…er…the shipping forecast.

All the people (so many people!) went out and bought Parklife that it became a pivotal moment in mid-ninteies UK culture, influencing not only the sound of music for a generation of now mid-30 something indie lovers, but also a revivalist fashion sense that saw all things Union Jack celebrated under the banner of Britpop.

Here, Brandish goes beyond the music to highlight just what made Parklife so seminal. Pop on the Spotify album playlist below and read on!

COOL BRITANNIA

Britain, Britain, Britain. The Small Faces, The Kinks, the Blitz spirit, Carnaby Street, fish and chips. We’ve got a lot to be proud of as Brits, but in the early-to-mid 90s we’d all been swept up in a wave of Americana. Dreary grunge dominated the airwaves, and in the immortal words of Morrissey “it [said] nothing to me about my life.” However, the 1993 self-titled debut from Suede sent a shiver down the spine of the lumberjack-shirted invaders from across the pond, paving the way for a more sophisticated, theatrical Anglo-influenced sound. Picking up the Brit-focussed imagery of their own 1993 album Modern Life is Rubbish and refining it into flag-waving call for patriotism, Parklife made us all realise it was as cool to be British in the 1990s as it was in the swinging 60s.

The umbrella of Britpop would later open the floodgates for a wave of copycats and bandwagon jumpers (Menswear, Gene et al) and became a contrived export marketing tool of worldwide proportions following the Spice Girls Brit Award performance and Geri Halliwell’s infamous Union Jack dress, fuelling champagne socialists and ill-conceived political partnerships. But for a short while, and in no small part thanks to the popularity and imagery of Parklife, Britain was back on the map for all the right reasons.

BRITPOP FASHION

“We wear the same clothes cos we feel the same “ sang Blur’s Damon Albarn on End Of A Century. And indeed we did, and Albarn did a fair bit to direct what we were all wearing too. After re-inventing themselves out of the ashes of baggy into Dr Martens-wearing mod warriors for Modern Life Is Rubbish, Albarn and co went a little more Carry On colourful for Parklife.

Clearly inspired by the 1970s sportswear of BBC Superstars, tracksuits from the likes of Kappa and Adidas were in, as well as Adidas Samba trainers, a little bling with a sovereign ring, polo shirts and parkas. Though pulling in brands from all over the world, it was quintessentially a melting pot of UK fashion trends from across the previous 30 years. And not a greasy mullet or plaid shirt in sight..

THIS IS A LOW

If Britpop did only one thing well it was its championing of British idiosyncrasies. It’s no better illustrated than in the swirling, epic closer to Parklife, This Is A Low. A floating journey around the the British coast, it referenced the antiquated shipping forecast radio broadcast, framing the album’s geographical pride. Pop it on now; it’ll give you goosebumps.

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“Today is a very exciting day as, for the first time in Lazy Oaf history, we’re giving you a whole 50% off ALL of our men’s T-shirts,” reads the Lazy Oaf announcement.

“This ridiculously radical offer starts at 12pm today and finishes at 12pm MIDDAY tomorrow Friday 20th April. This is a once in a life time discount deal so make sure you get involved before it is too late.”

HALF PRICE! Just in time for summer too, making this a very timely way to update your wardrobe before the sun starts shining.

Including long-sleeve T-shirts and polo shirts too, the offer is also available instore at Lazy Oaf’s 19 Fouberts Place retail outlet, just off Carnaby Street in London W1F 7QE.

We’ve already bought two, and suggest you do too. Click here to check out the deal.