Luxury -- Engadget

luxury posts

Leica X1 photo gallery proves that big shots do come in little packages

by Darren Murph posted Nov 8th 2009 at 11:48AM

For those who've never really understood the mystique and allure surrounding Leica's retro-styled cameras (and their stratospheric price tags), here's a gallery of shots that might just lend a little insight into the fixation. The outfit's X1 was announced back in September, though initial shipments aren't expected to begin across the pond until early 2010. That said, the shutterbugs over at dpreview managed to procure one ahead of time, and they've hosted up a cornucopia of sample images from the currently unpriced compact. Go on and give that read link a look if your interest in piqued -- we're guessing you'll come away wishing your SD200 could produce similar results.

Bang & Olufsen's multifunctional BeoTime gets carefully handled

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 4th 2009 at 5:50AM

It's rare that we get to see magic wand-shaped remote controls, and rarer still for them to have integrated alarm clocks. The Bang & Olufsen BeoTime is just that sort of exotic specimen, and its $375 touch-sensitive aluminum body has now been tested for our amusement. Being able to turn on your other B&O products by simply grabbing the remote or setting an alarm for the desired time struck positive notes, and those bite-sized displays earned praise too. With automatic backlighting, built-in accelerometer, and full channel readouts, they ensured the minimum of strain for the user (which is probably still pretty high considering they're tiny!). There wasn't much to complain about, but at that price point you wouldn't expect it either. Full hands-on gallery can be found at the read link.

Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 10 orders up the 'hands-on special'

by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 3:24PM

Bang & Olufsen may be irrelevant to those with annual salaries having fewer than six digits to the left of the decimal (or comma, if that's how you roll), but even the laypeople can't help but drool at a spectacle such as this. The BeoVision 10 has just landed down across the pond at Electric Pig, and they were kind enough to snap a few shots and show 'em to the world. The £6,000 price tag is definitely a stunner, but those lucky enough to lay eyes on it have said that it just might be worth it -- if money ain't a thang, you know.

TAG Heuer Meridiist Lamborghini model announced, snickered at

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 11:36AM

In the market for an over-priced luxury handset? Do you equate luxury with a brand name, snakeskin, perhaps even a feature phone with all but the barest of "features?" You're in luck! Once again looking to give Vertu a run for its money, Tag Heuer has upped the ante with its newest, the Meridiist Automobili Lamborghini. In addition to that world famous 1.9-inch sapphire crystal display, 2 megapixel camera, media player, Bluetooth, and roughly seven hours of talk time, this guy throws the Lamborghini logo into the mix. Available in a limited edition of 1963 (the date that its namesake was first sold), look for it sometime this month at selected TAG Heuer and Lamborghini retailers -- which we're sure you frequent anyways. PR after the break.

[Via Pursuitist]

Continue reading TAG Heuer Meridiist Lamborghini model announced, snickered at

Titanium Mouse by Intelligent Design costs $1,200, might be worth a little less

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 27th 2009 at 10:59AM

No matter how bad the global economy gets, you can always rely on there being a select few people with (a lot) more money than sense. Exclusively for them, Dutch outfit Intelligent Design has put together this handcrafted Bluetooth laser mouse, which boasts a neodymium scroll wheel, high quality plastic resin and a grade 1 titanium body. We didn't know you could handcraft titanium and we challenge anyone to explain what neodymium has to do with good input ergonomics, but then maybe that just shows how little we know about luxurious items like this. So, if you have $1,200 (or €800 in Old World money) to spare, why not add this unnamed mouse to your shopping list, just under the Mnemosyne USB drive? More snaps can be found after the break.

[Via HardOCP]

Continue reading Titanium Mouse by Intelligent Design costs $1,200, might be worth a little less

Bang & Olufsen BeoCom 5 landline: all the cool kids have one

by Laura June posted Oct 21st 2009 at 1:42AM

We know what you're thinking: what could be more impressive to your "friends" than an incredibly super sweet landline telephone about 9 years after most people stopped having them? That's right, a landline. Bang & Olufsen's BeoCom 5 is destined to take things to the next level with hot functions like "hold" and the ability to store up to 400 contacts. The BeoCom 5 also boasts a rad looking speaker phone if you want to get a whole group convo going like we did back in junior high. Other good news here is that this baby can handle two separate lines -- in case one is simply not enough. No word on when the newest BeoCom will be unleashed, or how much it will cost, but we're going to guess it won't be cheap.

[Via Acquire Mag]

Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 10: something awesome in the state of Denmark (update: video!)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 19th 2009 at 1:19PM

If you're an HDTV buff with style, taste, and money to burn (and if you're reading Engadget we have our doubts about at least two of the three) then you've probably been waiting impatiently for Bang & Olufsen to make this one official. The BeoVision 10 is a wall-mounted LCD flat screen that boasts 40-inches of real estate, a brushed aluminum frame, and bottom mounted speakers that are available in a variety of colors. As the company boasts, "every aspect of the design is thought through." It also said something about "vægplacering," the definition of which we will leave to your imagination. On sale now at the B & O store on Kongens Nytorv in central Copenhagen for 43,495 Danish Kroner (roughly $8,700) -- not shockingly expensive, as far as this company is concerned, but still far too dear for you. No word on stateside pricing or release date.

Update: As several astute readers pointed out, the translated source for this one listed the price in British Pounds when it should have been listed in Danish Kroner (DKK). The thing is far less expensive now -- so feel free to send us one for an early Christmas present! You have the address. Oh, and a vid is after the break!

Read - Here is the new B & O television
Read - B & O's new flat panel

Continue reading Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 10: something awesome in the state of Denmark (update: video!)

B&W's $400 Zeppelin Mini iPod sound system up for pre-order, ships next month

by Darren Murph posted Oct 12th 2009 at 10:02PM

Bowers & Wilkins has never been one to play the bargain game, and the $399.95 price tag on its new Zeppelin Mini is evidence of that very fact. The somewhat miniaturized iPod sound system is up for pre-order as we speak on Amazon, and we've heard directly from the company that it'll be shipping out to US-based consumers in "early November." So, is a flashy design, a pair of 3-inch drivers, 3.5 millimeter auxiliary input jack, USB 2.0 port and a promise of a better tomorrow enough to pry those four Benjamins out of your hand?

Continue reading B&W's $400 Zeppelin Mini iPod sound system up for pre-order, ships next month

Ultrasone goes 'airy' with $329 HFI-2400 headphones

by Darren Murph posted Oct 7th 2009 at 8:04AM

They're no Edition 8s, but Ultrasone's newest cans are still aiming to make a believer out of you. The mid-range (by its standards, anyway) HFI-2400 headphones are collapsible, over-the-head cans that promise an "airy tone" from the 40 millimeter drivers. Encased in black and silver, these definitely look the part, and the bundled velvet case and demo CD certainly go a long way towards making you feel like a real epicurean. The pain? Just $329, and they should be up for order as we speak.

Gallery: Ultrasone goes 'airy' with $329 HFI-2400 headphones

iida Ply and Prismoid phones strut their stuff at CEATEC (video)

by Darren Murph posted Oct 7th 2009 at 1:20AM

While Fujitsu's design entrants already boggled our minds here at CEATEC, KDDI au is looking to take things one step further by actually shipping a pair of decidedly futuristic handsets in Japan. Just months after the iida sub-brand was formally launched, the Ply and Prismoid are making their debuts on the show floor. The latter sports a 2.7-inch primary display, a 0.6-inch OLED sub-display, a microSD expansion slot and a design to die for; the former packs a 3.2 megapixel camera, 1seg TV tuner and a 3-inch panel. Have a look at the gallery below (and video past the break) if you're yearning to see just how lovely a dumbphone can be, and trust us when we say you've only yourself to blame if you carelessly let this opportunity pass you by.

Gallery: iida Ply and Prismoid hands-on

Continue reading iida Ply and Prismoid phones strut their stuff at CEATEC (video)

e-WOLF e2 seeks to electrify, succeeds

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 1st 2009 at 9:29AM

Woah. Looks like the Shelby Aero finally has some competition on its hands in the EV supercar stakes. Weighing in at less than 2,000 pounds, but generating north of 736 foot-pounds of torque, the e2 should be, uh, kinda fast, while claims of a half hour charging time and a 187-mile cruising range are just too stupefying to contemplate. Power is stored in 84 lithium-ion battery packs from CERIO, and unleashed via four 134-horsepower motors -- one for each wheel. If you liked e-WOLF's e1, but thought it needed a dash of spicy Lamborghini-inspired styling and the acceleration to reach 60 miles per hour in less than four seconds, well here's your answer. Production is set for 2011, and you can ogle the car's rear end after the break.

Continue reading e-WOLF e2 seeks to electrify, succeeds

Samsung Armani specifications and press shots emerge: mmm, luscious

by Darren Murph posted Oct 1st 2009 at 8:48AM

You know, if it weren't so early in the morning, we might just think Samsung's latest Armani slider (more formally known as the SPH-W8200) was a gilded Instinct HD with a pull-down number pad. We're going to do our best to pretend there's really something more here, starting with the fact that the Giorgio Armani logo beneath the screen is probably worth more than half of our belongings... at least according to Craigslist. At any rate, the first glimpse at this here phone's specifications has finally emerged, and while some tidbits are still up in the air, we do know that it'll arrive with a 3.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen, a DMB TV tuner, 5 megapixel camera, HSDPA, Bluetooth and a microSD expansion slot. Too bad the price will inevitably overshadow all of that, but hey, fashion ain't cheap -- ya heard?

Artcoustic vomits bling allover its Crystal line of wall-mounted speakers

by Laura June posted Sep 25th 2009 at 1:33PM

It's a bit hard to tell if Artcoustic's latest wall-mounted, ultrathin loudspeakers, the Crystal line, are incredibly horrid or insanely awesome. There's no denying that high-end loving audiophiles are enticed by the brand -- but the Crystal line? Well, let's just say that adding a bunch of Swarovskis to any product won't necessarily make it better. Regardless, these bad boys are customizable and if you're into ostentation, they probably belong in your apartment. There's also a matching iPod dock available, and it'll run you about $3700 to get one, speaker included.

Vertu announces Constellation Ayxta flip phone for the discerning, friendless traveler

by Laura June posted Sep 25th 2009 at 10:31AM

Vertu's not known for making cut rate electronics, so this is probably the closest it'll ever come. The company's just unveiled its latest flip phone, the Constellation Ayxta. The Ayxta is aimed at citizens of the world who are looking for a "high quality product to assist in maintaining their standard of living wherever they may be," -- i.e., lazy people who'd rather throw money at something than figure out what to do on their own on a Friday night in Vienna. We can sympathize -- sort of. To that end, the handset will be kitted with all manner of awesomeness, including Vertu's own Concierge service which puts you on the line with a customer service representative directly -- no hold required. Users will also get access to Vertu Select -- which, as we said before, will help you out and tell you where all the cool people are in whatever one horse town you happen to be in at the moment. It's got 3G and a micros SD slot for up to 8GB of storage, plus a 3.0 megapixel cam with integrated flash (which is always nice), but other than that it's pretty unimpressive. The Constellation Ayxta is available in Europe now, and for a very affordable €4,900 to €6,500 -- somewhere in the neighborhood of $7,000 - $10,500.

[Via T3]

Roman Abramovich's Eclipse has anti-photo 'laser shield'

by Vladislav Savov posted Sep 22nd 2009 at 4:57AM

If you ask a young boy to spec out his ideal boat, you might hear of helipads, swimming pools, missile-proof hulls, mini-submarines and laser shields. Well, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is one of those people with the time and money to listen to his inner child, and he's gone and put all of the above together inside a $1.2 billion 557-foot vessel of luxury and excess. The Eclipse will attempt to repel paparazzi with a laser system that is said to "detect CCDs" (we suspect they mean it detects the autofocus light), and responds with an intense beam of light that precludes unwanted photography. We don't know how well the automatic system will work, but it must be fun to manually point the lasers at the paps and go "pew pew!"

[Via Fark]