Swarovski
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Swarovski’s smart binoculars identify the birds you’re looking at
Look at a bird, hold down a button, and the system will tell you what you're looking at.
Swarovski's VR shopping app is glittery virtual decadence
Mixed reality apps from the likes of Ikea and Edmunds already let you preview things like furniture and cars. Keen to jump on an emerging trend, Swarovski is releasing its own VR experience. The crystal maker's bizarre new app offers a virtual shopping excursion through a random home stocked with insanely overpriced items. It's as escapist as VR gets, because there's no way anyone in their right mind would drop thousands of dollars on one of these faux-luxury products in real life.
Misfit and Swarovski team up for the most fashionable health trackers yet
Leave it to Misfit, one of the first companies to deliver some truly attractive health gadgets, to be the first wearable startup to team up with a fashion icon like Swarovski. The two companies unveiled the Swarovski Shine Collection today at CES, a suite of jewelry and accessories that combine Swarovski's iconic crystals and Misfit's svelte Shine health tracker. They're among the first gadgets for tracking your steps, sleep and overall activity that you could actually wear out in the open at a fancy party. The Shine Collection, available in three introductory sets ranging from $170 to $250, offers a health-tracking spin on Swarovski's existing bracelet and pendant designs. In addition to running over six months on a watch battery (just like the original Shine tracker), there's also a violet Swarovski Shine model with integrated solar charging. Technically, that won't ever need a battery replacement (unless you live in a cave). You can pre-order the Swarovski Shine Collection today, and they'll also be available in Swarovski stores this spring.
LG covered some televisions in Swarovski crystals, because why not?
We'll be honest: We were expecting more. When we heard LG was coming out with a television covered in Swarovski crystals, we just assumed LG would go big. Crystals on the bezels. Crystals on the remote. Crystals coming out of the HDMI ports. Actually, though, it's just a dusting of 460 crystals on the base of an otherwise normal 55-inch OLED TV. Additionally, there's a version where the base is made of sculpted crystal. Like, the see-through kind. Not the sparkly Freddie Mercury kind. It'll ship by the end of this month for €4,000 in Germany, and maybe some other European countries. Because if there's anyone who knows class -- well, we won't go there.
Samsung coats its new smartwatch in Swarovski crystal, so now you'll want it
LG's not the only electronics maker hoping a scattering of Swarovski will add... something to its products. Not far behind, Samsung now has the Gear S Strap, an accessory ready to pair to its just-announced (and again, just after LG) wearable. If you're a fan of Swarovski, you'll be glad to hear it uses the company's newest Crystal Fine Mesh which, according to Samsung, is apparently already being sprinkled upon "top brands in the fashion industry." And if you're not a fan, well, you're probably not remotely interested or even reading this. It'll be available in Samsung's flagship stores next month.
LG's Swarovski-encrusted OLED TV is a thing that exists
There are few things that scream class more loudly than coating a piece of consumer electronics in gold. Except, perhaps, for doing the same thing, but with Swarovski crystals. That's the truth-bomb that LG has just deposited into our laps, having announced it's bringing an OLED HDTV with such glittery detailing here at IFA. Why? We can't even begin to answer that question, but LG claims the 460-crystal pattern "turns a cutting-edge television into a work of art." There's no word on a price, but LG says this TV will go on sale in Europe this year -- we'd rather forego the crystals to get OLED down to a price that competes with the best LCDs and Ultra HD TVs instead.
Sugar smartphone packs 5.16 carats in Swarovski gems, worthy specs (video)
Many ostensibly female-oriented phones tend to be compromised, with flashiness on the outside sadly unmatched by power on the inside. Not so Sugar's inaugural, namesake smartphone: while the Android 4.2-based device is lined with 5.16 carats' worth of Swarovski Pure Brilliance gems, the underlying hardware is worth attention all on its own. The 5-inch, 1080p Sharp LCD is backed up by a quad-core MediaTek chip, 2GB of RAM, an 8MP a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 1.3MP an 8-megapixel front shooter and either 16GB or 32GB of storage. Sugar plans to launch the phone in China and Europe, although you'll have to wait until August for full details. In the meantime, you can catch the full Engadget Chinese hands-on at the link below, and our colleagues' English hands-on video is available after the break. Update: The article originally misinterpreted the camera resolutions. It has now been updated with the correct figures. Stone Ip contributed to this report.
BLU Amour phone comes with crystal home button, gender stereotypes
BLU Products: we like your value-packing smartphones, but we have to talk. Your just-shipped Amour is leaning a little too heavily on female stereotypes with its Swarovski zirconia home button, quilted back and luxury-themed take on Android 4.0. We'd rather you focus on the quite respectable budget phone inside. For $159, customers are getting a real bargain: there's a 4-inch WVGA screen, a dual-core MediaTek chip, dual SIMs with unlocked 3G, a 5MP rear camera and a front VGA shooter. That kind of bang for the buck can appeal to frugal buyers of all kinds, not just those replacing an HTC Rhyme.
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 1st, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, FCC Chairman Genachowski weighed in on what must be done to keep the spectrum crunch from becoming a crisis, pricing leaked for the Motorola RAZR HD LTE at Rogers and Japan got a version of the Xperia V to call its own. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 1st, 2012.
Google Android booth at MWC 2012: smoothies, robots, slides, oh my! (video)
Want a taste of Mobile World Congress whimsy? You've come to the right place. Like every year, Google's Android booth is the closest you'll get to experiencing Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory in real life here at Fira, and we're gonna take you on a tour. Join us as we enjoy smoothies and ice cream sandwiches, robots and Swarovski crystals, plus a trip down the rabbit hole -- in our video after the break.
Mouse Computer's LuvBook S heals emotional scars, one Hello Kitty at a time
What the world needs now is just one thing, and that thing is a bejeweled Hello Kitty laptop. Fortunately, Japan's Mouse Computer is well aware of this, which is why it's unleashed the LuvBook S, pictured above. Designed in collaboration with Sanrio and Swarovski, this masterpiece is powered by a 2.2 GHz Intel Core i3-2330M processor and boasts an 11.6-inch, 1,366 x 768 display. It also packs a 500GB HDD and a 1.3 megapixel camera, but all that really matters is the swaggy centerpiece -- a heart-ensconced Hello Kitty mug made out of about 1,100 Swarovski stones and untold buckets of cuddles. The LuvBook is available now for ¥69,930 (about $900), at the source link below.
Gresso flaunts $30,000 white iPhone 4, holds more ice than a skating rink
Sure, you probably waited longer than you should have to get the elusive white iPhone 4. But, you know what's better than a boring regular model? One with diamonds, crystals and pearls... of course! Known for its ridiculous custom mobile devices, Gresso may force you to refinance your house and hock a kidney to afford its latest creation, the Lady Blanche. A solid diamond-coated mineral glass backing, three independent Swiss clocks and pearl dials replace the usual body on this iced-out iPhone. If the $30k diamond model is a bit out of your price range, the much more affordable Swarovski crystal version will only set you back 7,000 bones. Release details are unclear at this point, but when they drop you better act fast -- only 150 of these gems will be available. Heck, if you have that kind of cash lying around, just get the salesman to throw in one of these for your iPad, too.
NTT DoCoMo announces 24 new mobile wonders (yes, really) to flood its network
So, Japan... want a new mobile device? How about 24? This grandiose announcement comes straight from NTT DoCoMo, which commonly lays its cards on the table for the delight of consumers. Among the selection you'll find eight new Gingerbread phones, six incredibly high-res shooters (ranging between 12.2 and 16.3 megapixels), eight waterproof handsets, and one embedded with Swarovski crystals. We're particularly thrilled to see the mighty Galaxy S II, 3D-capturing Aquos SH-12C, 700-nit Optimus Bright (contrastingly-named but nearly identical to the Optimus Black), ultra-slim MEDIAS WP N-06C, and mobile payment-enabled Xperia Acro. Oh, and don't forget about the LOOX F-07C -- a multi-talented handset that's running Symbian and Windows 7 Home Premium -- while two LTE-enabled WiFi routers are sneaking into DoCoMo's party, too. That's a lot to absorb, so check out the source for individual release timeframes, which begin now and continue through August -- or just check out the PR after the break.
Phosphor Reveal wristwatch hands-on (and giveaway!)
It usually takes a very particular type of personality to buy a crystal-encrusted object of any sort, much less something that you'd drape across an exposed body part like your wrist. That said, the pure novelty of the movement in Phosphor's Reveal line of watches might be enough to change your mind: it uses some sort of patented black magic to flip between two different colors of crystals to form digits that indicate the time. We've had a couple of the watches in our possession this week, so we're able to personally confirm the cool factor. What surprised us a bit is the amount of time it takes for digits to change: depending on how many crystals need to flip, we'd estimate it can take as long as a quarter second or so, because the crystals flip in sequence rather than all at once (perhaps to limit current draw). Like E Ink -- another one of Phosphor's specialties -- this "display" is bistable, meaning it'll stay put without any power consumption once a time is set. Of course, we don't know exactly how much power it takes to be flipping all these crystals every minute, so it's an open question how often you'll need to be replacing the coin cell. The most understated men's style is -- in our humble opinion -- simple enough to wear even if you can't stand the thought of donning dozens of Swarovski crystals, thanks in part to the fact that the bezel is a clean dark metal; of course, if you don't mind the crystals, Phosphor is happy to help you bling it up. Follow the break for some video of the watches in action! Oh, we almost forgot: we're giving two of these away. Right now. Here's what you need to know! The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winners will be chosen randomly. Two winner will each receive one Phosphor Reveal wristwatch. We choose which style you get. We can't honor requests -- sorry! If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Friday, March 11, 2011, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Phosphor's Reveal wristwatch uses Swarovski crystals to tell time, bedazzle you
The Phosphor brand has usually been associated with E Ink watches in the past, but they're taking the off-the-beaten-path timekeeping technology in a very different direction this time around with the introduction of the new Reveal line. Of course, glittery little stones are no strangers to the surfaces of watches around the world, but with the Reveal, they play an active role: Phosphor is using what it describes as "proprietary Micro-Magnetic Mechanical Digital technology" to rotate Swarovski crystals into place to form digital time readouts on the thoroughly encrusted face. Think of it like an extremely low-res E Ink, we suppose... but with shiny rocks in place of electrically-charged granules of white and black pigment. The models are available in six styles -- four for women, two for men -- starting today from $199 and up. Follow the break for the full press release.
Seen at CES: Blinged-out iPhone and iPad cases
This intriguing (and shiny!) M.C. Escher case was seen in the CES booth of one Lux Mobile last week. The custom case was made with over 18,000 Swarovski crystals and was apparently made in the good old US of A, "one crystal at a time." Pretty snazzy, no? Lux Mobile does carry this case in a standard non-crystal form (and we're told it's a popular model), but that's not nearly as fun. One more note here: the custom-made crystal case on display above costs a whopping $3000 -- just about six times the value of the iPad it's actually supposed to hold. Check out a few more of Lux's blinged-out iDevice cases after the break, including a pink Ed Hardy monstrosity that would keep Jonathan Ive up at night.
Blingiest bling booths make your Apple gear gaudy to the max
The companies making these rhinestone or Swarovski-encrusted iPad and iPhone cases are numerous. But if you're in the mood to wrap your Apple gear in shiny, sharp little crystals or plastic "gems" then there is no shortage of gaudy garbage vendors at CES -- or on the internet. Here's a little gallery of just a couple of outfits we spotted while walking around. Am I crazy for thinking this stuff is suitable for Snooki and her fans only? I mean, one of the packages states "Bling My Thing." You have to be kidding. %Gallery-113387%
Finally, a Kinect smothered in Swarovski crystals
We understand. You work hard every day. You do your best. You like to come home, take off your crystal-coated cardigan, slip out of your crystal-laden loafers and fall back into your favorite crystal-encrusted chair and relax. But something is out of place, isn't it? Standing in the middle of your blindingly bright, crystal-enveloped home entertainment center is that plain, normal, hideous black Kinect. Look, we've all been there, but you don't have to stand for it anymore! Now, thanks to DS Styles, a sparkling Kinect covered with over 5,000 genuine Swarovski crystals can be yours for only $631. See what your new and improved life will look like after the break.
Kinect meets Swarovski crystals, gaudiness ensues (video)
Hey, you know that Kinect thing that Microsoft recently launched and hasn't been heard of since? Well, it's such a boring and useless creation that somebody had to try and spruce it up. Enter DS Styles, with a bag of 5,000 Swarovski crystals and the courage to use them. The result of that coupling has been the (quite literally) unmissable concoction you see above -- a Kinect that will blind you first, then record your clumsy reaction for posterity second. And it only costs $632, what a steal!
Troika's mechanical LED sculpture lights up Art Basel (video)
Art Basel down in Miami has been the go-to place to see the best and brightest in design this past week, with Troika's 'Falling Light' installation falling squarely into the latter category. This mechanical LED sculpture needed a room to itself, as it hosts 50 ceiling-suspended devices with each incorporating a custom cut Swarovski crystal optical lens, a computer programmed motor and a white LED. As you can see in the video down below, the white metal armatures rise in syncopation by rotating cam before gravity releases them earthward, which then activates the LED to move closer to the crystal lens. Through the magic of diffraction, you end up with a rainbow effect being flung to the floor, creating a perfect environment for... let's say, a rave. Or, you know, your next bedroom.
