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Diamond-encrusted Lunatik iPod nano watch is as superfluous as it sounds
If you're the type of person who has 99 problems, a satisfactory wristwatch being one, feast your lustful eyes on this diamond-encrusted abomination. ZShock has managed to work its magic -- $18,000 worth, to be precise -- on a Lunatik iPod nano watch, with the end result being something that we'd hardly recommend being caught dead with. Of course, those who'd disagree vehemently are going to need a magic number in order to procure one, but those who are just curious can peek the source link below for a bit of wrist-on action. Temper that jealously, though.
Got $8 million? Buy an iPad 2 inlaid with gold, diamonds and a dinosaur bone
The iPad is no stranger to the bling culture. But in case you have a few extra million tucked beneath the mattress, Stewart Hughes is offering an iPad 2 that is encased in solid gold, diamonds, some of the oldest rock found in the world and a dinosaur bone. The back is covered with 24-carat gold, with an Apple logo fashioned out of 53 diamonds. The front frame is made of 75 million-year-old Ammolite rock with shavings from a Tyrannosaurus rex. The home button is made of a single-cut flawless diamond with 12 smaller diamonds surrounding it. You can get all of this for the low, low price of £5 million, which these days comes up to a little under $8.17 million USD sans matching Smart Cover -- that you'll have to get from Apple on your own. [via MacStories]
No Comment: A diamond-encrusted iPhone 4
So, Apple's free bumper case wasn't enough for you? Do you want to encase your iPhone in something a little more ... erm, maybe "classy" isn't necessarily the word for this one. At any rate, as you can see above, customizer Stuart Hughes has enwrapped this iPhone 4 in over 500 diamonds (totaling over 100 karats), which are placed around the outside (that antenna gap has never looked so sparkly), on the Apple logo, and on the Home button. The back of the phone is plated in gold, and the unit comes in its own custom-made granite box. Total price: US$8 million. Apparently, two were made, and both were for an Australian businessman who wanted a little more bling on his iOS device. Was it worth it? No comment. [via Engadget]
Stuart Hughes strikes again with world's most expensive, diamond covered iPhone 4
We've already established that if you're filthy rich, you probably don't want the same cell phone as common folk. No, if you're looking for something higher end, you'll probably end up talking to Stuart Hughes, who customizes electronics by plating them in gold and diamonds. We've already seen his work on a $20,000 iPhone 4, but his latest achievement is downright ridiculous. Called the "world's most expensive phone" (we'll see how long that lasts), Hughes made two identical models for an Australian client. Each handset includes over 500 diamonds and totals over 100 karats, and comes in its own special granite box. Its total cost is £5 million -- nearly 8 million dollars. Just don't bother crying when you leave it on the seat of a cab.
Diamaze diamond-tipped razor blades can literally split hairs (video)
At last, a sign that we're advancing from our caveman heritage into a brave new world. Gone are the days of rough-hewn blades, the world of modernity does its cutting with "plasma-sharpened" implements polished off with a layer of synthetic, industrial-grade diamonds. Okay, we're not quite there yet, but we're en route, thanks to a small German outfit named GFD, which has recently debuted a diamond-tipped, tungsten carbide razor blade that promises to retain its sharpness 1,000 times as long as regular steel and to be precise enough to slice a human hair in half. Hell, that latter bit isn't even a promise, it's a fact, which you can verify in the video after the break. GFD is looking for a manufacturing partner to bring this ingenious prototype to market, and given its years of experience applying the technology to industrial uses, we reckon it has enough of a pedigree to stand a decent chance of success.
iPhone 4 Diamond Edition: white, unlocked, and $20k
Looking for something a bit more eye-catching than a iPhone 4 with a wooden veneer? Then it looks like you can once again thank Stuart Hughes for throwing any subtlety to the wind and going all out with the so-called iPhone 4 Diamond Edition. As you can see, not only does the phone pack a smattering of diamonds (including a bedazzled Apple logo), but it's a white iPhone 4 (32GB, naturally), and unlocked for good measure. Of course, there's no guarantees you'll actually get it before white iPhone 4s become commonplace, but we're pretty sure this is $20,000 well spent either way.
iPad Supreme Edition: worth its weight in smug
It's that time again, the time when excess ruins a perfectly functional device. You can thank Stuart and Katherine Hughes for creating this 22ct "solid gold" iPad Supreme Edition slathered in 53 gems. A cookie for the first person to wear this £129,995 (about $190k) monstrosity from an iPad Chain.
Why you should be playing Runes of Magic: It's free!
"Why you should be playing ..." is a free form column from Massively.com intended to inform you about our favorite parts of our favorite games. We want you to know why we're playing them, so you can know what to play. It's no secret that free-to-play MMOs have gained a permanent foothold in the MMO landscape. With some titles garnering millions of players and others reporting record profits, it's clear that this business model is here to stay. Like most free-to-play games, Runes of Magic is supported by a micro-transaction system. Players spend cash on "diamonds", which can be used to dye equipment, unlock extra backpack space or buy items in the cash shop. Available items for purchase include tools for upgrading equipment, skill reset stones, XP gain potions, cosmetic pets and costumes. In addition to the usual conveniences and cosmetic options, the Runes of Magic cash shop contains some items that could be considered essential. Yet of the few free-to-play titles I've tried that are supported by a cash shop, I find it the most supportive to players who don't want to spend any money. The method Frogster uses to keep Runes of Magic open to free players is highly effective. While cash can be used as a short-cut or convenience, free players are still able to acquire essential items and make full use of the game. In fact, there's very little a cash-wielding player can do that a free player can't. In this article, I look at how Runes of Magic can be played without spending any cash.
World's first diamond iPad tries to deliver that magical experience
Get ready for some buyer's remorse if you're one of the thousands who pre-ordered an iPad last Friday: your soon-to-be new toy already pales in comparison to the $19,999 diamond-coated iPad from Mervis Diamond Importers. What you have here is a stock unit of undisclosed specifications that's been coated with 11.43 carats of G/H color diamonds rated VS2/SI1 for clarity -- not exactly top-shelf stuff but chances are you'll be so transfixed with the amazingly beautiful user experience you won't notice the flaws. This poor iPad is just the latest in a long line of ridiculously expensive gadgets made more luxurious (many of an Apple persuasion) and is every bit as tasteless as the rest.
Stuart Hughes goes low-end with $160k Nokia Supreme
Stuart Hughes aficionados take note. The luxury bedazzler is now back with an entry-level alternative to its $3.2 million iPhone 3GS Supreme. Of course, the new Nokia Supreme will still set you back a suitably ridiculous £99,995 (or $160k), which will get you a Nokia 8800 encrusted with 12.5 cts of pink diamonds, some handmade veneers made from 83 grams of platinum, a navigation button topped off with a single 3 ct diamond, and the usual granite box to store it in. Only three have been made, but it looks like today's your lucky day -- it's still in stock.
Nintendo Wii Supreme is topped with a layer of gold, sprinkled with diamonds, and priced at £300,000
Inventing a new echelon in Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide, Stuart Hughes has managed to Supreme-ize a Nintendo Wii, covering it in over 2,500 grams of solid 22 carat gold and an aggregate total 19.5 carats of flawless diamonds for the three front buttons. Three have been made and were done so reportedly over the span of six months. Asking price is £299,995, or about $484,818 in US dollars, which if you go by Kotaku's admittedly untrained estimations is about $200,000 in raw materials and the rest in labor / profit. The only to make this sound reasonable is if we compared it alongside a $3.2 million iPhone 3GS, and what do ya know, that was also a Stuart Hughes creation. We're gonna take a stab in the dark and say that Wii Sports is not included.
iPhone 3GS Supreme is diamond encrusted, spectacularly expensive
Seeing as how the iPhone's exclusivity status has been slipping, it was inevitable that the bourgeoisie would invent a new way to distinguish themselves from the lowly masses. Enter a designer by the name of Stuart Hughes, already expertly familiar with slapping precious metals onto slightly less precious mobile phones. He classes up a 3GS handset with a 22 carat solid gold body, which he then sprinkles with no less than 190 diamonds. And just to make sure none of the riff raff can get their hands on it, this creation is priced at £1.92 million ($3.2 million), which places it precisely £1.92 million outside our budget. Completing the, erm, value proposition is a storage chest cut from a single block of granite, which you may peep after the break.
Runes of Magic opens new PvE server, will hold Independence Day celebration
It looks like Runes of Magic is getting in on the 4th of July MMO celebrations this weekend. Frogster America has announced that players can usher in Independence Day with bundles of fireworks (minus any fines or risk of bloody nubs), which they can pick up for 1 diamond in-game. They've also said the holiday celebration will bring specials in the item shop with prices on three Power Bundle slashed by 75%. Frogster America also announced they'll launch a new PvE server tomorrow, "Reni", and there will be other summer activities that kick off on July 4th as well: a community screenshot contest; item and prize giveaways; and a leveling contest for players and guilds on Reni. Be sure to see their full announcement for more details on the Runes of Magic Independence Day contests and giveaways.
Nokia's stunning E71 gets diamond-clad makeover
Nokia's E71 looks perfectly elegant in its Espoo-sourced attire, but there's nothing that can't be made more gorgeous / gaudy with diamonds. Enter Continental Mobiles, which makes its ends by shoving all sorts of glitz and glam onto handsets and charging a ridiculous price. The phone you see above is doused with an undisclosed amount of VS1 quality diamonds, and thus, it'll run you a staggering £5,999 ($9,546). 'Course, it is hand-crafted in England, but you'll have to provide your own bodyguard when taking it to the streets.[Thanks, Sierra]
All the World's a Stage: So you want to be a Jewelcrafter
This installment of All the World's a Stage is the thirty-third in a series of roleplaying guides in which we find out all the background information you need to roleplay a particular race or class (or profession!) well, without embarrassing yourself. When I was getting ready for my wedding last month, one of the obvious things we had to do to get ready was to pick out wedding rings. I'm not much of a jewelry wearer myself, but I put a lot of thought into this choice, and in the end, I learned quite a bit more than I knew before about the jewelry profession and how it works. It struck me as a profession for people who really love making beautiful things and who love interacting with people at some of the most significant moments of their lives (such as ... weddings) -- but above all, real life jewelcrafters struck me as people who love details.Of course, a number of professions in Azeroth have to pay attention to details in their various gaming aspects. Deciding which items to make for oneself, which to sell at the auction house, and how to use your chosen profession in itself requires lots of details. But when you think about roleplaying, there's a definite difference between blacksmithing on the one side, with its broad strokes of a hammer on metal, and jewelcrafting on the other, focused on the smallest of cuts and adjustments that the naked eye can't even perceive. Jewelcrafting is the profession on Azeroth that requires the keenest eye, the steadiest hand, and the most attention to detail. In some ways, jewelcrafting in the real world seemed like sub-world of its own, where jewelers knew special secrets no one else knew. They used these secrets to draw forth items that were at once dazzling and magical, artistic and personal for each individual that wore them. Jewelcrafters in the World of Warcraft have no reason to be less devoted to their profession, or any less proud of their ability to craft the most delicate of magical items with the most powerful magical effects, using the secret knowledge only they can understand.
HTC Touch Diamond2 gets unboxed, shown off on video
We haven't heard much about the appearance of the HTC Touch Diamond2 on US shores apart from a few AT&T-related whispers, but the squared-off handset is starting to pop up overseas, and the requisite unboxings and video tours have started flooding in. Sadly, these early units are still running Windows Mobile 6.1, so beauty's only skin deep -- or at least as deep as TouchFlo2 3D. Hardware video after the break, but there's plenty more at the read links. Read - Windows Phone Mix Read - Tracy and Matt
Touch Diamond XV6950 finally hitting Verizon next month?
It's sort of baffling that Verizon Wireless has yet to launch HTC's now aged Touch Diamond, and honestly, we're not even sure that late is better than never in this scenario. While Sprint has had the thing out for a good while now, Big Red has been lallygagging around while staring aimlessly at those spectacular BlackBerry Storm sales figures. Now, phoneArena has it that the XV6950 could finally be arriving on the carrier's airwaves next month, and while it has yet to be confirmed, we're hearing that it shouldn't vary from the Sprint edition in terms of specs -- something that conflicts with information we heard about a century ago. At any rate, we'd ask you to just be patient here, but chances are you're already over this thing, anyway.
Amosu hands-on: pink, pricey, and plenty of diamonds
While scavenging for pricey handsets to hang on the gilded walls at the Mansion, we luckily bumped into one Alexander Amosu, of Amosu fame. The Amosu brand is synonymous with gold, encrusted and dripping with gemstones, and most of all, pricey. In his bag of tricks we found three fully-kitted BlackBerry Bolds, a pink iPhone, and an iced Motorola Aura. If you lined them up on a table -- which, of course, we did -- you'd be looking at some 12 plus carats and a price tag somewhere up around 50k. Sure, we're normally harsh on these types of things, but seeing them up close, we could almost kinda get it. Huge sparkling gallery after the break, so if you have shades, now's the time to don them.%Gallery-45070%
Nokia's 8800 gets more bling, more expensive, more ugly
How do you improve on a phone that's already been diamond-studded, layered in carbon fiber, and then dipped in gold? Why, you add more diamonds and some hints of gratuitous platinum, of course. Meet the Nokia Royal Edition, an 8800 that succeeds its predecessors in terms of pretentiousness -- but not necessarily in looks. It has 1160 wee diamonds around the edges and platinum plates on the fore and aft, all surrounding the same internals as those other, plebeian fashionphones. Only 50 of these will be sold at an undisclosed price that surely is equally excessive.[Thanks, Robin]
Mitsubishi's 65-inch Diamond WD-65835 RPTV HDTV reviewed
If you've been eying something a touch larger than Samsung's 61-inch HL61A650, why not consider Mitsubishi's WD-65835? The 65-inch Diamond series set was overshadowed by the altogether more intriguing LaserVue when it was introduced this Spring, but there's still a lot here worth loving. The surprisingly lightweight set was found to have accurate colors, "convincingly deep blacks" and a "bright, punchy, dimensional image," all of which sound characteristically Mitsu. Truth be told, critics had a tough time knocking the image quality at all under real-world scenarios, noting that its "exceptional contrast and solid blacks" easily trumped all but a few flat-panels. All that praise for a 65-incher under three grand? Smells like a winner if you've got the space.
