How much would you pay to see movies on launch day without having to share a theater with anybody else? Prima Cinema Inc. hope the number you have in mind is $500 per film, since that’s the sort of cash they’re expecting for their new digital delivery system, a $20,000 niche content platform hoping to create its own segment in around twelve months time.
The concept is not to replace DVDs or streaming platforms like Netflix, but to find room in the market that’s previously been untapped. “We’re not here to replace anything,” claims company founder Jason Pang, “we are trying to create new revenue streams for studios and new viewing opportunities for moviegoers.”
That target audience is, more accurately, those who would like to see new releases but in the comfort of their own home cinema room rather than at a public theater. Hollywood already circulates launch-day copies among a limited cadre of high-profile figures, but Prima would allow them to expand that number as well as make some money from it. Industry analysts are skeptical that the company will find a sufficient audience with both interest and cash, but Prima has already secured backing from Universal Pictures and the venture arm of Best Buy.
Stuart Hughes’ latest luxury abomination creation is the iPhone 4 HISTORY Edition pictured above. What sets it apart from the iPhone 4 you walk out of the Apple Store with is that it’s been bedazzled with 8.5ct internally flawless diamonds around the bezel, as well as covering the Apple logo on the back. But the reason it will appeal to history buffs with more money than taste is that the back also features a finish made from a meteor AND a T-Rex tooth. Not even Romain Jerome has managed to create a luxury watch with both prehistoric and intergalactic materials. Only 10 of the special edition iPhones are being created, with a price tag of ~$62,700(£39,995) each.
Is there any way to sensibly justify Mobiado’s colossally overpriced, underspec’d handsets? Not as far as we can tell — but Mobiado seems to be eminently aware of (and okay with) that, diving yet deeper into the bottomless pit of conspicuous consumption this week with the announcement of the 712 Mokume Gane candybar. What’s “Mokume Gane” mean, you ask? Well, turns out it refers to an ancient Japanese metalworking technique used to craft decorative weapons in which several types of metals are folded into one another to create a wood grain look. Oh, and if you’re wondering why they don’t just simply things a bit and use real wood, the short answer is that Mobiado already does that — see the 712EM model — so this would be for people looking for a little more heft (and presumably, cost). As with most of Mobiado’s models, this is a situation where you’re going to have to hit up a retailer to find out how close to bankruptcy the phone is going to push you.
Is there any way to sensibly justify Mobiado’s colossally overpriced, underspec’d handsets? Not as far as we can tell — but Mobiado seems to be eminently aware of (and okay with) that, diving yet deeper into the bottomless pit of conspicuous consumption this week with the announcement of the 712 Mokume Gane candybar. What’s “Mokume Gane” mean, you ask? Well, turns out it refers to an ancient Japanese metalworking technique used to craft decorative weapons in which several types of metals are folded into one another to create a wood grain look. Oh, and if you’re wondering why they don’t just simply things a bit and use real wood, the short answer is that Mobiado already does that — see the 712EM model — so this would be for people looking for a little more heft (and presumably, cost). As with most of Mobiado’s models, this is a situation where you’re going to have to hit up a retailer to find out how close to bankruptcy the phone is going to push you.
If you’re a tenured professor who likes to live life in the fast lane, that traditional wood pipe you’ve been smoking probably doesn’t suit your style. But instead of giving up the habit, why not just upgrade your hardware? This drool-worthy carbon fiber alternative from PURISME is almost cool enough to make me want to take up smoking.
The pipe is actually made from a combination of straight grain bruyère wood and carbon fiber, but that latter ingredient is wrapped around the outside giving it that million dollar sports car finish. As a result the pipe weighs just 75g, and it’s also got a unique inverted design so you can set it down anywhere without it tipping over. As always looking cool doesn’t come cheap, but if you’ve got ~$2,500 (€1,890), a desire to take a few years off your life and the patience to wait 5 weeks, you can order one directly from PURISME.
Mobiado’s 105 series of Series 40-based luxury candybars is nothing new — in fact, it’s quite old — but as Vertu has discovered over the years, customers that are looking to spend four or five figures on a phone are apparently often uninterested in smartphone capability for some reason. On that note, the 105 rolls on with the recent introduction of the 105 Damascus, coated in hand-forged Damascus steel from Sweden with sandblasted (or rather, glass bead-blasted) steel buttons and screws to match. That’s neat, but you know what isn’t neat? The 2 megapixel camera, the 2-inch display, or the “more than” 1GB of memory available. Anyhow, enough venting — point is, the recently-announced device has gotten a little hands-on time courtesy of Vietnamese site MaiNguyen, and though the steel edges are admittedly pretty beautiful, they wouldn’t seem to come anywhere near justifying the phone’s heart-stopping $4,500 asking price. Judge for yourself in the video (paired with a hands-on of some neat Damascus steel pen) after the break.
Mobiado’s 105 series of Series 40-based luxury candybars is nothing new — in fact, it’s quite old — but as Vertu has discovered over the years, customers that are looking to spend four or five figures on a phone are apparently often uninterested in smartphone capability for some reason. On that note, the 105 rolls on with the recent introduction of the 105 Damascus, coated in hand-forged Damascus steel from Sweden with sandblasted (or rather, glass bead-blasted) steel buttons and screws to match. That’s neat, but you know what isn’t neat? The 2 megapixel camera, the 2-inch display, or the “more than” 1GB of memory available. Anyhow, enough venting — point is, the recently-announced device has gotten a little hands-on time courtesy of Vietnamese site MaiNguyen, and though the steel edges are admittedly pretty beautiful, they wouldn’t seem to come anywhere near justifying the phone’s heart-stopping $4,500 asking price. Judge for yourself in the video (paired with a hands-on of some neat Damascus steel pen) after the break.
Apparently Audi of America made its first ever appearance at the recent SEMA show in Las Vegas, which is kind off odd since the luxury brand doesn’t exactly seem to fit that bill. But they were in attendance to show-off a handful of new accessories for their vehicles including these unique illuminated floor mats. Designed by the company’s electronic research lab in Palo Alto, California, the mats feature the vehicle’s nameplate backlit with LEDs, and owners will be able to choose the color, intensity of the glow and even custom graphics when ordering them as an ‘after-sales’ accessory.
I’m going to assume they’re completely waterproof and have some clever way to tie into the vehicle’s electrical system without needing to be plugged in to the cigarette lighter. And as for price, it wasn’t specified. But if you’re the type who thinks they need illuminated floor mats in their Audi, I’m sure the price tag won’t be a hindrance.
Are you staring down a nasty divorce and looking to unload some assets before your soon-to-be ex claims it all? Well I’m not sure if it’s the wisest way to blow $25,000, but it’s definitely pretty quick. And you won’t have to worry about your arm aching if you have to carry it around all day!
But at just under 8lbs fully loaded, I’m inclined to believe it’s not actually the lightest backgammon game ever created though. Where it saves on weight with a gratuitous use of carbon fiber, it packs on the pounds with gold covered stainless steel play stones. I guess you can’t have your overly opulent cake and eat it too. The game is available in a limited edition run of 99 sets, but don’t worry if it’s going to take a couple of days to get your 3rd mortgage approved, something tells me these aren’t going to be snapped up overnight.
A watch capable of playing music these days is far from newsworthy, but one that does it via purely mechanical means? Well now that’s interesting. This is the Opera Three musical watch from Girard-Perregaux which features an extremely tiny music box inside composed of a ‘keyboard’ with 20 blades that’s played by a spinning drum featuring 150 hand-mounted pins. So instead of some annoying digital beep at the top of the hour, you can enjoy Tchaikovsky or Mozart. The watch, with its platinum case and alligator skin strap, was actually released way back in 2002 and is on the brink of becoming a collector’s item with prices going up as a result. But lucky bargain hunters might still be able to find one for under $500,000. Seriously.
