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Twilight-customized LG GD510 set to Eclipse all other phones in France
Think Apple and Android fans are hardcore? Those guys are mere lightweights compared to Twilight fanatics, who'll soon have a phone to call their own too. Coming with eight tie-in wallpapers and that embellished back cover, this version of the GD510 -- a thoroughly unexciting featurephone with ambitions above its 3-inch, resistive touchscreen station -- has just become available over in France, for free on contracts with Orange or in exchange for €199 ($238). As a bonus temptation, LG is also throwing in a free copy of Twilight: New Moon, though we doubt anyone buying this phone will have seen that movie less than a dozen times.
Sony's VAIO W Billabong hits US shores June 11th, $500 buys you a ride
Remember the boardshort-inspired VAIO W Billabong netbook that surfaced in Australia last week? The limited edition lappy's headed stateside, too, and its Imperial Lime lid and faster 1.83GHz Atom N470 CPU will only cost you $50 more than the stock model. Mind you, this is otherwise the same pricy VAIO W that wasn't worth five Benjamins last fall, but if you're the type that dreams of barreling down a tunnel of deep blue ocean nightly, we suppose the occasional concession can't hurt. Now available for preorder via the source link, the mini-notebook ships June 11th; PR after the break.
Sony hangs ten with Billabong, pops out gnarly special edition VAIO W netbook
Sony's never been one to craft a "low-cost laptop," and even the company's minuscule VAIO W netbook remains one of the most expensive in the sector. But this, friends, might just be one worth the premium. Announced over in Australia, the limited edition VAIO W you're peering at above has been designed in partnership with Billabong, and the Imperial Lime lid is certainly the primary selling point. Expected to ship Down Under next month, the 10.1-inch machine will be outfitted with a 1.83GHz Intel Atom N470 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 1,366 x 768 resolution panel, Windows 7 Starter and a GPU that's incapable of handling 1080p material. You'll also find an Ethernet jack, a pair of USB 2.0 sockets, built-in webcam and a 250GB hard drive, but none of those ho hum specs help to justify the AU$749 ($619) price tag. The lid, on the other hand...
Barbie's Samsung X170 thin-and-light is her only part made to scale
As long as we're corrupting our daughters with an improbable baseline for bodily perfection, we might as well extend that reach to portable computing, right? Meet the Samsung X-series Barbie Special Edition with Intel Core 2 Duo CULV proc, 4GB of memory, 500GB disk, and scads of Barbie-branded trinkets and bloatware. The ultimate irony here is that the X170 is one of the least attractive and chubbiest thin-and-light devices we've ever seen. But hey, if you're lucky maybe it'll ship with a free copy of Cosmo to complete the cycle.
Canon brings out Jackie Chan-branded Rebel T2i / 550D for Chinese market
"Eye of Dragon" must be Chinese for "better kit lens, fancier neck strap, a branded photo album, and a leather case." Because that's the totality of substantive changes you'll be getting if you opt for the upgraded Jackie Chan variety of Canon's Rebel T2i. Of course, there's also the knowledge that you'll be one of only 2,010 owners of this exclusive kit, which will set buyers back an unenviable 10,000 Yuan ($1,467). If you ask us, we'd rather just buy the body and add on the EF-S 18-135mm lens ourselves, but then we were always more partial to Bruce Lee anyway.
LG BL40 gets fancy gold lettering, not much else for Russian special edition
Remember that fancy schmancy Christmas Edition of the LG BL40-alike for South Korea's domestic market, the SU630? No? Well, allows us to refresh your memory: the phone took the BL40's basic ultra-wide 21:9 theme and added some gold accents along with an 8 megapixel cam, upgraded from the standard model's 5. Well, here we are a few short months later, and those same gold accents have made another appearance -- this time on an authentic BL40 in Russia, but sadly sans the upgraded camera. It's not clear who's carrying the tweaked model or how many rubles you'll be shelling out for the pleasure, but honestly, didn't the original black / red scheme look gobs sexier anyhow?
Vertu reminds us it's still alive with million-Yen phones, still tasteless as ever
What's a distinguished person of taste and refinement to do when smartphones nowadays are all so bulky and, well, ubiquitous? He or she should go take a look at Vertu's store, of course, which has today been populated for the first time with a new, even more exclusive Signature collection, composed of four models -- one for each season. There's a load of talk about delicate hand-crafting and latest technology with these, but the truth of the matter is that you'll be buying one solely for the purpose of puling it out of your carefully pressed, kerchiefed Armani suit in the hope of impressing any and all nearby members of the opposite sex. What this phone will then say, nay, scream, about you is that you have the money to buy things that are neither functional nor physically appealing -- the surest way to signal wealth and prestige. How much money? Try a million Yen for each handset, which roughly translates to $10,830. Update: Our sage readers have noted a failure in our machine-translated pricing. The handsets in fact cost 20 million Yen a piece, which equates to $216,600. So sorry to have misled you if you were heading off to the bank to get that 10 grand. %Gallery-89084%
Nokia's limited edition Oakley N97 mini is a match made in Dog heaven
Nothing says, "I don't play sports but I want you to think that I do" quite like wearing a pair of Oakley shades. And no smartphone has had a tougher time earning respect than the mini version of Nokia's N97 debacle. To its credit, the N97 mini has become a very successful device for Nokia despite its namesake with not one, but two special edition runs already under its belt. Now we've got three with this limited edition model handed out to Oakley-sponsored Winter Olympians. Other than a laser-etched back, the Noakleyia mashup also comes packed with exclusive Oakley team content. Just 200 were produced so if you see it on eBay, you'd better be fast with the snipe. Gratuitous N97 mini video of Shaun White after the break because over-saturated is not in your vocabulary.
Pentax trots out gorgeous K-7 Limited Silver DSLR
Do Japanese gadget makers think we're not superficial enough to appreciate specially repainted editions of their gear? Because we are, we totally are. Pentax is producing a mere 1,000 units of the above slice of DSLR beauty and predictably they all seem to be headed to the Japanese market. The Limited Silver variant of the K-7 adds a few enhancements, too, with a specially reinforced glass plate protecting the LCD and adding to the original's robust weatherproofing, as well as updated firmware and photo processing software. The most intriguing addition is the inclusion of a "golden section ratio" focusing screen with curved guiding lines that are supposed to make image composition even easier. We'd say that's just the sort of cosmetic enhancement you'd expect on a prettied up limited edition shooter, but that'd make our bitterness at not being able to buy one too obvious.
Xbox 360 retailing in a Final Fantasy XIII bundle for the rest of us
Japan's been Final Fantasy-ing for a while now, but it looks like an import FFXIII PS3 isn't your only shot at pointy-haired excellence. Outside of Japan, Microsoft has the exclusive "official" Final Fantasy XIII bundles, in the form of a $399 Xbox 360 that packs a 250GB HDD, two controllers, a standard edition of the game, and some exclusive avatar downloads. Separately available will be some limited edition faceplates (pictured after the break) created by designer Tetsuya Nomura, but if you want a full console paint job you're still going to have to turn Japanese and fork it over for a PS3 -- or level up on your Bob Ross technique and paint it yourself. The bundle should hit stores March 9th.
Ricoh GR Digital III adds splash of blue for Stussy Special Edition
If Ricoh's classically attired GR Digital III filled your conservative heart with joy, you may want to look away now. Fashion brand Stussy is celebrating its forthcoming 30th anniversary by partnering with Ricoh to offer a Special Edition run of the GRD III. Limited to 500 units, these cameras will be almost identical to the original, save for the luminous blue highlights and the use of Stussy's font. Still, if you're into limited production runs or just can't get over the awesomeness of having XXX imprinted on your camera -- maybe you're from Amsterdam -- you can grab one in early February for ¥99,750 ($1,100). Hey, nobody said being ultracool was going to be cheap. One more pic after the break.
TomTom XXL 540S World Traveler Edition: perfect for that dude you're jealous of
We know, our GPS gift guide has already been erected, but if you're in the unfortunate position of needing a high-end gift for someone who'll actually be in San Juan del Sur over the holidays, there's hardly a better option than this. The TomTom XXL 540S World Traveler Edition is exactly what you think it is: it's an XXL 540S, but with maps for the United States, Canada and Europe (what -- no Central America?). The 5-inch touchscreen is still there, as is the company's IQ Routes, 'Help Me!,' an increased 4GB of storage, advanced lane guidance and 7 million points of interest. It's expected to hit retail shelves in both the US and Canada early next month for $349.95 (US) / $399.95 (CAD).
Paradigm ships its Special Edition speakers
The winning record Paradigm's Special Edition (SE) series of speakers racked up in blind testing piqued our interest, but now it's time for John Q. Public to take the taste test. If the promise of Studio-like sonics at Monitor-ish price points holds, the SE series should help Paradigm add customers to its ranks, that's for sure. If you're chasing after a matched surround setup, it's simple -- pick between bookshelf (SE 1, $299 each) or floorstander (SE 3, $699 each) left/right channels, and then add in an SE center ($499), SE subwoofer ($699), and additional SE 1s as surrounds to your heart's content. As you'd expect from Paradigm, there's some emphasis on high-efficiency -- so you can bet that these will sing well together, even with a smaller amp. Judging from the press photo, the cabinets are a little boxy, but the glossy finish (in slimming black, no less) and radiused edges should help you sneak these into your setup. Full press release after the break.
Black Wii gets unboxed just in time for the darkest holiday
Those lucky enough to live in Europe will soon (as in November 6th soon) be able to purchase a special edition of that black Nintendo Wii some of us have been drooling over for the past few months. Sure, it's just a regular Wii... but it's black, which is so much cooler. Well someone's finally gotten their hands on it and done an unboxing, and we have to say that it looks even better than it did in the press shots. The limited edition Black Wii bundle with Wii Sports Resort and a Motion Plus controller will run you around £164.99 in the UK, and those of us in the US? Well, we'll just have to make due with the black controller and nunchuk. There are a few more shots after the break. Hit the read link for the full unboxing and video. [Thanks, Emilia]
LG's Xnote Mini X120 Levi's Special Edition for Deadheads and truckers
When your netbook is too bulky to fit in the back pocket then sometimes, not always, but sometimes you just have to bring the back-pocket to the netbook. Meet LG's Levi special edition of its Xnote Mini X120. It's exactly like the regular X120 running XP and Splashtop-powered "Smart On" OS only now with Levi graphics and an obligatory denim laptop sleeve just as you'd expect. More pics after the break because sometimes a man needs more than a monkey.
Star Trek edition Nokia 5800 announced: officially awesome
We knew that endless product tie-ins would come along with the new Star Trek film, so this isn't too big of a surprise (though it is rather a welcome one). A new Star Trek special edition of the 5800 has been announced to coincide with the release of the new J.J. Abrams epic, and while it doesn't appear to be an official Nokia release, it does appear to be pretty rad. The handset is going to boast four animated screensavers, three wallpapers, and eight exclusive ringtones, including ones named "Phazer Shot," "Red Alert" and "Kelvin Communicator." We've also heard tell of a special "Phazer application," and though we don't yet know what that entails, we have really high hopes. The stellar 5800 will be available starting May 1st exclusively at Phones 4 U in the UK in blue, red, and black/silver on Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and O2. Make it so.
Leica M8 Special Edition White on sale in June for a very special $9,000
Sure, that white leather and chrome looks good now, but how's it going to look after a few months of handling? Is a beige Leica M8 with muck and ass accents really worth ¥882,000 (about $9,000)? Rangefinder fans will undoubtedly say yes when this goes on sale in Japan in June.
Leica special edition white M8 spotted at car show in Tokyo
Some keen-eyed fellows at the Audi Forum Tokyo car show were just hanging out, checking out an R8, when bam! The recently announced special edition white Leica M8 appeared out of thin air, ready to impress. We don't know what the circumstances were, or how the cam came to be there, but it's looking really fly, we can tell you that much. There's still no official word on pricing or availability, but rumor has it that it's going to appear sometime in May and might cost around €7,000 (about $9,150). One more shot after the break.
Special Edition Advent Children PlayStation 3 unboxed in all its matte glory
There's a lot to love about the special edition 160GB Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete Cloud Black PlayStation 3 bundle that was unleashed this week in Japan -- a fancy Strife Wolf emblem, a copy of Advent Children Complete on Blu-ray, and a Final Fantasy XIII demo you can't play anywhere else -- but perhaps our favorite part is the console's matte finish. For us, a smudge-resistant PS3 is well worth the 49,980 yen (US $505) price of admission. 1UP has the unboxing, hit up the read link for more pics.[Via Joystiq]
Leica rolls out truly special Special Edition white M8 digicam
Seems like Special Edition white digital cameras are quickly becoming a trend, and one that we'll freely admit to being fans of. The Leica M8 has gotten a fresh coat of paint (as you can see above) and it's looking pretty good. We're not hearing many details yet -- no release date or price -- but don't expect it to be cheap. The wild stuff never is.
