Swarovski-coated webcam: because everything should be shiny

Vicious and Divine's Laplace webcam had it all... 2 megapixel photo and 1.3 megapixel video resolution, an integrated flash so that it could handle innumerable lighting situations, a folding mechanism that particularly suited it to mounting on laptops or flat panel monitors, plus that compact and sleek design. It was the jet-set of webcams, some might say, but it seemed to lack something -- some essential quality of life. Possibly a higher purpose? As it turns out, all it needed was to be absolutely, 100 percent covered -- bedazzled, if you dare -- in Swarovski crystals. The results are pretty... stunning. And not at all obscene. It comes in both black and clear crystal variations, and €49.99 (about $63) seems a small price to pay for something that's going to make you the envy of all of your friends -- but it seems to be available only in Europe. Your loss, rest-of-the-Earth!

Update: According to a commenter, the actual price of this camera is €399, not €49.99. We missed that in our frenzied excitement.

[Taylor @ Oct 31st 2008 3:07PM]

I really don't get it. Those "crystals" are just little adhesive pieces of plastic, i don't even know why there is a trend of covering gadgets with them... Oh right, people are insane...
-Taylor

[tom @ Oct 31st 2008 3:19PM]

+1

This is utterly unnecessary.

[happy_penguin @ Oct 31st 2008 4:10PM]

As hideous as this stuff is, it is not plastic. Swarovski has been one of the leading manufacturers in the world of fine crystal for more than 100 years.

[paul-engadget @ Oct 31st 2008 4:35PM]

crystal glass is, basically, glass mixed with various mineral elements and then cut. there's nothing magical about it, it's just bucket cand for some reason people think that it should be somehow valuable or special!

let me correct your statement: "has been one of the leading manufacturers in the world of fine crystal" => "has been one of the leading marketing companies in the world of fancy glass".

[happy_penguin @ Oct 31st 2008 5:03PM]

Call it what you will, it isn't plastic but for it to be "crystal" means something of a higher grade than ordinary glass.


Not that it makes it any more functional. I can get a glass of water out of a mason jar just as well as out of a Waterford goblet. It's just a matter of aesthetics.

[Nacho PATA @ Oct 31st 2008 6:21PM]

Is that leaded or normal crystal?

[gyung @ Oct 31st 2008 6:33PM]

While I think it is a bit excessive, you could say the same about cars. Do you need a 500 HP Viper when you can get around town in a Smart? Anyway girls would love this =)

That being said, we need more web cams with an optical glass lens!

[Wwhat @ Nov 1st 2008 7:23AM]

Did anybody ever make something with them that didn't look worse than before? I'm curious, you'd think it was theoretically possible to use these crystals in a nice way, but I've yet to see any evidence.

[happy_penguin @ Nov 1st 2008 12:01PM]

I still don't understand the highest rank for calling this stuff plastic. I agree, it's ugly and superficial, but could someone tell me where it says that it's plastic?

[Wwhat @ Nov 1st 2008 1:44PM]

They are actually pieces of lead crystal glass, I guess they plaster them on everything because lead-containing crystal that once was so popular was found to be unhealthy to use and is now not allowed for consumption use anymore, and how many vases can you sell really.
Still, I'd rather put a lead crystal glass on a shelf and look at it than any product plastered with these swarovski things I think.

[CKMBA @ Nov 2nd 2008 4:42PM]

The crystals may not be plastic but the rest of the webcam is >>PLASTIC

[CKMBA @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:06PM]

I have an idea...I'm going to coat a piece of sh!t in swarkrapsi crystals and sell it for €1000.

[Esat Dedezade @ Oct 31st 2008 3:08PM]

THIS DOES NOT NEED TO EXIST.

[Brian @ Oct 31st 2008 3:13PM]

Madness!

Everything has to be covered in Swarovski crystals.

[Patriks7 @ Oct 31st 2008 3:28PM]

Madness?

THIS IS SHININESS!

[StalematE @ Oct 31st 2008 5:25PM]

how did we EVER live without camera bling before?

[AJR @ Oct 31st 2008 3:10PM]

Now if I could get a computer with the same dazzle I'd be good to go, or maybe not...

[Esat Dedezade @ Oct 31st 2008 3:14PM]

In before Mac Book comments....

...Wait, does this count?

[Tim @ Oct 31st 2008 3:30PM]

ESAT,

No.

I call 6 months before the Paris Hilton iMac comes out cover in this carp.

[Taylor @ Oct 31st 2008 4:52PM]

@Tim
If a Paris Hilton macbook comes out, it will be covered in something, but it won't be crystals...
-Taylor

[Nacho PATA @ Oct 31st 2008 6:24PM]

Taylor,

You mean if a Paris Hilton version comes out, it won't be covered in anything. Or useful.

[Taylor @ Oct 31st 2008 8:29PM]

@Nacho
No, i meant it would be covered in something, and it would not be crystals.

It was a sexual joke. I'll give you a hint, it starts with a "C", and ends with um.... hmm, well, now i forget.
-Taylor

[Adam Kantor @ Oct 31st 2008 3:13PM]

This looks like something Paris Hilton would buy, and she's an idiot.

[Esat Dedezade @ Oct 31st 2008 3:20PM]

Hang on just a minute, you can't possibly say that about her.

She's a good few levels below 'idiot': lower than a chipmunk but slightly higher than an algae growth layer on top of a slightly neglected pond in someone's back garden*.

[Lowest Ranked @ Oct 31st 2008 3:30PM]

You just accurately described her vagina.

[Esat Dedezade @ Oct 31st 2008 3:38PM]

...

I

....

I love the comment sections in articles like this. Really brings out the creative side in people :)

[Matthew Hilario @ Oct 31st 2008 3:56PM]

that's hot.

[joe23521 @ Oct 31st 2008 3:18PM]

I wish they made a diamond version to go with my gold PC.

[Hellaphunt @ Oct 31st 2008 3:27PM]

Are these the same people that hand out saftey-pinned condoms, spreading AIDS Awareness to the masses?

[Lowest Ranked @ Oct 31st 2008 3:32PM]

The promo pic used looks like another presidential debate, Obama and McCain.

[Esat Dedezade @ Oct 31st 2008 3:40PM]

I haven't been following the election from across the pond, but I fail to see how I missed the fact that both candidates for your next president are cyborgs....

I need to pay more attention to the news.

[Lowest Ranked @ Oct 31st 2008 4:31PM]

Don't worry, you haven't missed much.

[Esat Dedezade @ Oct 31st 2008 4:58PM]

Incidentally, do you mean to keep switching your avatars back and forth between beer drinking ( i assume that's you) and that red no entry sign thingy?

[Deed @ Oct 31st 2008 7:16PM]

I'll bite: uh, that's the -1 vote button.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 1st 2008 5:07PM]

You can blame the shitty avatar uploader for that. No idea why it keeps doing that.

[patriotsn1 @ Oct 31st 2008 3:35PM]

Wouldn't the light reflecting off the webcam cast those shiny rainbow colored spots all over the user's face?

[souleater23 @ Oct 31st 2008 3:51PM]

I'm sorry, but does that say VD on it? LOL!

[Najakwa @ Oct 31st 2008 4:16PM]

When would you ever what something that looks like its been infected with bedazzle. Looks like something Lisa Frank threw up.

[Steve @ Oct 31st 2008 4:24PM]

You know, I wouldn't mind bling on things that don't really suit it if it actually looked good but it doesn't. Those things look hideously tacky.

"something that's going to make you the envy of all of your friends" Those are not the kind of friends I want.

[brokenkeyboard @ Oct 31st 2008 4:44PM]

one of my friends worked for a company that put these little crystals on everything. She made some joke about "bedazzling": apparently that term isn't appreciated AT ALL among the people who take this seriously. (customers, her boss, etc.) I guess it reminds them that in a few years this fad will end and they'll all look kind of dumb and have to deny they were ever involved. Or at least I hope that this ends.

I thought it was funny that no one involved had any sense of humor about that, except for the person who actually did the work in making this kind of stuff.

[Wwhat @ Nov 1st 2008 1:49PM]

Tell them to try to get the pentagon to make swarovski covered weapons, that should make them rich quick so they can get into a real business.

[Backlin @ Oct 31st 2008 5:01PM]

"...but it seems to be available only in Europe. Your loss, rest-of-the-Earth!"

Pff, more like our win.

[frankXchange @ Oct 31st 2008 7:24PM]

Is there a way to maybe track he location of these webcams, by which I mean produce co-ordinates that would makes sense to, say, a cruise missile? Just wishful thinking.

[translator @ Oct 31st 2008 7:49PM]

Get your translation straight please.. It's not 49.99 euros for this camera.. It's 49.99 for the camera without any crystals. The camera with them is 399 euros, has a two month waiting list and is only by special order... For those who speak german (or those who know how to use any online translate tool: http://www.presseportal.de/pm/72153/1292455/boh_me_public_relations )

[Stem $ell @ Oct 31st 2008 8:45PM]

Perfect for keeping a watchful eye on my Bedazzler™!

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 31st 2008 10:01PM]

eerp

It almost made me barf a perfectly good Mallow Cup!!

[phrank @ Nov 1st 2008 3:08AM]

@Translator:

Thanks, that clears things up. I was starting to think this was a cheap piece of crap!

[Bruno @ Nov 1st 2008 11:52AM]

@OFFTOPIC:

Genuine Activation Windows 7
Livebetas.net: http://livebetas.net/2008/11/01/windows-7-activacao-legal/

[aofzagroup @ Nov 1st 2008 8:48PM]

They are actually pieces of lead crystal glass, I guess they plaster them on everything because lead-containing crystal that once was so popular was found to be unhealthy to use and is now not allowed for consumption use anymore, and how many vases can you sell really.http://www.discountgolfclubsnow.com
Still, I'd rather put a lead crystal glass on a shelf and look at it than any product plastered with these swarovski things I think.

[Holger @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:27AM]

damn they are hideous!

who the hell buys this "bling bling" crap?

Paris Hilton you go to hell, you go to hell and you die!