For sheer—we do mean sheer—functionality, this “Best Of” entertainment center wins an Oscar. Beauty, notes designer Karim Rashid, is a “collective human need.” Rashid’s design, carried out in thick rivers of glass, is the only media platform we’ve seen that so dramatically—and simply—merges art and technology. We need that. For displaying sleek electronics that look as good, or better, than they sound, this is the minimalist’s dream. Its four-foot length fits well in small spaces, making it great for urban apartment dwellers. Ugly cables and twisted cords are neatly hidden away in a central chrome-plated tube. But the best feature of all is that you can see what you have, which is exceedingly convenient. Plasmatic, in case you wondered, refers to plasma—undoubtedly your handsome TV. Karim has designed everything from a bottle opener (it won a distinguished award) to external computer drives (in the permanent collection of France’s Centre Pompidou). Karim’s Plasmatic is what should happen when aesthetics meet electronics.