• by David Kaplan , March 30, 2005

Ah, man, we missed bon Jovi!" says one woman to a friend at the Samsung Experience, referring to a live Webcast the band made as part of a series of public events and displays in the lobby of the Time Warner Center in New York City. The pair consoled themselves at the Winter Warming Station sponsored by Samsung, which has a demonstration space on the third floor of the Shops at Columbus Circle, the center's gleaming retail showplace.

Billed as a "10,000-square-foot interactive emporium of virtual reality experiences and technology," the Samsung Experience is designed to showcase the electronics company's wares in typical surroundings  that is, if your habitat happens to resemble a hipster technophile apartment.

"It's not a store," says a Samsung representative, referring to various demonstrations from the mit Media Lab, Parsons School of Design, Napster, and Microsoft that offer glimpses into the high-end digital lifestyle. "Our hope is that the venue will become a great educational resource, communicating the life-enhancing benefits of digital technology without the pressures of a sales environment."

A major feature of the Samsung Experience is the "loaner program," where visitors are invited to take a camcorder around New York City. When they return, they can edit the footage at kiosks inside the Samsung Experience, burn their movies onto dvds, and return home with a digital souvenir. David Kaplan