Sponsored editorial: Do You Want To Sleep Or Do You Want To Live?

There's a lot to be said for sleeping. As Ernest Hemingway once opined, "I love sleep. My life has the tendancy to fall apart when I'm awake." That said (and as enticing as the prospect of controlling your dreams through the technique of lucid dreaming is) real life is almost certainly more stimulating. Who knows where its beautiful unpredictability will lead you, eh? To underline this incontrovertable fact, Eastpak - maker of superbly authentic footwear and stylish/durable backpacks - are posing this question: Do you want to sleep or do you want to live? Now, before you answer that we'd advise taking a trip over to Eastpak's well-appointed microsite, which explores that very question. Those who choose 'Sleep' are rewarded with a fine array of Zzz-inducing videos, including such classics as 'Watching paint dry' and 'How to sharpen your pencil'. (Practice makes perfect, apparently). However, those brave and curious enough to choose  'Live' are rewarded with access to findagignow.com, which, via the magic of location-based technology, suggests an array of mouthwatering music gigs and live shows happening at a venue near you. It even supplies directions and tells you where to get hold of the last tickets. So, dust off your shoulders, throw the front door open wide, and prepare to have your hair blown back by an amp stack cranked up to 11. Now that's living. Poor old Hemingway didn't know what he was missing...

Do you want to sleep or do you want to live?

Eastpak Rollout Duffle Bag

The shape of a very large pencil case, this finely-crafted Rollout mini duffle bag displays all the hallmarks of Eastpak's legendary durability. Made from tough canvas with superbly-stitched seams, we're almost certain that this product - much like Alastair Campbell - has a half-life of 300 million years. The size is perfect for books, artists' tools, work boots, a change of clothes or - as Mr Outre discovered - the accourements required for a day at the beach. And by 'beach', we mean freezing swathe of pebbles on the South coast. By 'accoutrements', we mean Thermos. Still, we're happy to report that the canvas Rollout is more than capable of withstanding the bleakest conditions afforded by the English Riviera... 

Around £50 | www.eastpak.com

Shaker & Co. Cocktail Bar

Shaker & Co train the world's best barman - and provide their expertise to The Savoy, The Nightjar and Selfridges amongst others. Hence it's reasonable to expect a lot from their very first venture of their own: Shaker & Co. Not surprisingly, it's hugely impressive. The cocktail list is creative without resorting to gimmicks (no attention-seeking 'meat-flavoured' cocktails here) and the staff are insanely talented. If you order the likes of a Breakfast With Obama, you can see for yourself - watch as they forensically assemble the ingredients as if constructing an atomic bomb. 

Around £8 per cocktail | Shaker & Co, 119 Hampstead Road, London, NW1 3EE

Sponsored Video: Samsung's motion-sensitive Smart TV

Sponsored: If you want to know what the future of TV looks like, we strongly suggest you view the video above. The good news is that the remote control is ancient history. No more finding it; you won't actually need it - thanks to Samsung's motion-sensitive, voice-activated, mind-reading televisions. The bad news is, fights over the remote control will now go on infinitely because anyone in the room with a voice or at least one working arm can change the damn channel. 

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Sponsored Editorial: When Was The Last Time You Did Something For The First Time?

It's fair to say that Eastpak, which originally made military-issue backpacks and duffels, is a pretty authentic brand. It stands for style, toughness and functionality. It's also pretty cool - but not the kind of cool that means slamming a jukebox or wearing a leather jacket like The Fonz. Anyway, in the spirit of adventure and exploration, Eastpak wants to inspire you to take the path less travelled; to break new ground. Basically, to stop worrying about whether a Pret salad really does contains more calories than a Big Mac. In short, Eastpak is challenging you to answer this simple question: When was the last time you did something for the first time?

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Hotel Elephant Gallery: Bollywood Bitesized

If you're the kind of man who won't watch a film unless it contains tyrannical Norse gods (who doesn't like them?) or slo-mo shots of Rihanna on a battleship (again, who doesn't?), it's unlikely that you've ever seen Deewaar. The good news is that the 1975 bollywood gangster classic, credited by Danny Boyle as the film that inspired Slumdog, contains a lot of guns and a lot of girls. The even better news, is that if you watch it at the Hotel Elephant Gallery in Borough on May 25, the screening will be followed by Kolkata street food and cocktails... 

£12.50 (per adult) | www.bollywoodbitesized.com

Pringle Houndstooth Scarf

This beautiful example of seventies luxe is Pringle of Scotland's houndstooth scarf in camel and white. From the A/W 2011 collection, it's 100% merino wool and costs £230. At least, it should do. Thanks to LUX FIX, a rather splendid new members-only online fashion emporium, it's £70 for a limited period. LUX FIX doesn't charge anything to sign-up, and offers tempting prices on over 50 luxury fashion labels. Members recieve a weekly newsletter pointing them to the most impressive pieces - some of which are designed exclusively for LUX FIX members.

£70 (LUX FIX members price) | www.lux-fix.com

Senna's 1984 Toleman F1 Car

Few F1 fans will remember Toleman. An underachieving team sponsored by fridge magnates Candy, Toleman scored zero points in both the '81 and '82 seasons. They did, however, do something right. They hired Ayrton Senna. Now you can own the car Senna announced himself to the world in, famously fighting his way up to second in the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, challenging Alain Prost for the lead until the race was stopped on lap 31 due to torrential rain. The Brazilian's 650hp Toleman TG184-2 F1 car is up for auction on May 16 and while it almost certainly isn't much fun to drive, it's probably the most valuable piece of the Senna memorabilia money can buy. Wouldn't you just love to park it in your lounge...      

£600,000 (Auction Estimate) | www.silverstoneauctions.com

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The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook

What man wouldn't want to step into Don Draper's shoes? Girls, whisky, cigarettes... and that's before breakfast. The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook contains classic recipes from the show: Steak Tartar, Waldorf Salad, Nut Bread, Cherry Cheesecake and more. Much like the show, it also contains a lot booze. Or to be precise, cocktail recipes - broken down by episode. For instance, when Peggy Olsen celebrates her first major copywriting success in P.J. Clarke's, the book not only provides a brief history of Clarke's infamous New York establishment but the recipe for his equally infamous Vesper Martini, too.

£10 | www.amazon.co.uk 

AMG Viella V12 turntable

If you think £9,500 is a lot for a record player - even one as exquisitely beautiful as this - then allow us to introduce you to the world of the hi-fi geek. Believe it or not, there are some who turn down the corner of every page of every book in their listening room - all in the pursuit of the ultimate audio experience. AMG's V12 turntable is clearly aimed at this market. It's hand-machined using 'analog' lathes and drills; they even float the 11kg stainless steel platter on ball bearings made completely from scratch. What's more, the tonearm is suspended with sprung steel wires rather than a gimbal, so it's extremely precise and doesn't require any maintenance. To be fair, AMG has gone to so much effort, turning down the corner of every page of every book seems like the least we could do... 

£9,500 | www.amg-turntables.com