Posts tagged luxury

Green robot in an Armani suit: Ulysse Nardin Chairman upgraded with Android

Apr 20th

Posted by Chris Ziegler in All

Alright, hot shot, so you've been pining after that impossibly expensive Ulysse Nardin Chairman -- you know, the world's first "hybrid" phone -- for nearly a year now, and the millions of dollars in those off-shore accounts of yours aren't exactly spending themselves. What's next? Well, fortunately, Ulysse Nardin and its hardware partner SCI Innovations have been locked away in the laboratory upgrading the Chairman with a fairly impressive new set of specs that includes a larger 3.2-inch touchscreen, an 8 megapixel camera (up from 5), 32GB of memory on board, "proprietary rotor improvements" for better battery life (that's something you don't hear too often when discussing a phone), and an Android core.

As with the first version, the new model will be limited to just 1846 copies -- assuming there are that many people on the face of the Earth wealthy enough to afford it -- and will be available in your choice of steel, "Stealth" (which is apparently colored or blacked out, up to you), or a selection of precious metals. Of course, no luxury phone would be complete without an equally excessive charging solution, and the new Chairman delivers with a lacquered wood dock that tops off the battery while simultaneously backing up the phone's contents to an external USB drive and offering luscious, soothing sounds through a pair of Bluetooth-connected speakers. Then again, if you're ever in a position where you need that backup -- if you lost your beloved Chairman, that is -- we'd say you've got bigger problems to worry about than a little bit of data.

Green robot in an Armani suit: Ulysse Nardin Chairman upgraded with Android originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceUlysse Nardin  | Email this | Comments
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Devon Works Tread 1 is the bulletproof Droid of wristwatches (video)

Apr 20th

Posted by Vladislav Savov in All

Forget the fact that this thing is bulletproof or that its internal battery is recharged wirelessly, just look at it. Built around an array of four microstep motors -- each driving one of an interwoven quartet of time belts -- the Devon Works Tread 1 creates a veritable visual symphony of precise motion to accompany the typically mundane task of checking the time. The watch was designed with the help of a Californian aerospace engineering company, which should go some way to justifying its $15,000 asking price. The rest of that justification will have to come from the "oohs" and "aahs" you incite in stupefied onlookers. Go past the break to see the promo video, it achieves rare heights of machismo that are not to be missed.

Continue reading Devon Works Tread 1 is the bulletproof Droid of wristwatches (video)

Devon Works Tread 1 is the bulletproof Droid of wristwatches (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHodinkee  | Email this | Comments
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Leica V-Lux 20 compact with 12x superzoom is pure brand extortion

Apr 20th

Posted by Thomas Ricker in All

It's out -- the V-LUX 20 -- what was rumor is now official courtesy of a Leica press release. The 12.1 megapixel superzoom with 25-300mm Leica DC-VARIO-ELMAR 4.1-49.2mm f/3.3-4.9 ASPH lens and integrated GPS is slated to ship to the UK in May for a suggested retail price of £495 (about $757, likely a bit less when priced Stateside). The matte-black finished compact sports a 1/2.33-inch CCD sensor, 720p/60fps Motion JPEG video recording, a 460,000 pixel 3-inch LCD, 11-point AF, SD/SDHC/SDXC storage, and plenty of options to drop into manual mode when you want a bit more control of the action. Nice huh? Just remember that the V-Lux 20 is a near exact replica (same lens, sensor, LCD, and GPS) of the DMC-ZS7 which lists for just $399, is smaller, and shoots HD video in the more sophisticated AVCHD Lite format. Yeah, we know.

Gallery: Leica V-Lux 20 compact with 12x superzoom is a brand extortion

Leica V-Lux 20 compact with 12x superzoom is pure brand extortion originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDigital Photography Review  | Email this | Comments
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Leica V-Lux 20 gets leaked with (nearly) reasonable price tag

Apr 15th

Posted by Darren Murph in All

An M9 it ain't, but Leica's latest still might tickle the fancy of those who see value in paying for that cute red logo. If the image above and details linked down there in the source are to be believed, the V-Lux 20 will be launching in five short days, bringing with it a 3-inch rear LCD, 25mm to 300mm zoom range, integrated GPS and price of nearly €549 ($744). The tough news is that this thing is based around Panasonic's ZS-7, which can be had right now for under $400, so it's hard to say how much value you'll get in paying more for Leica's variant. If all goes well, it's rumored to be in stores by May 9th, sitting right alongside the ultra affordable leather case (€99) and extra battery (€69).

Update: Now even Leica is saying some "fresh" camera news is on the way. Boom.

Leica V-Lux 20 gets leaked with (nearly) reasonable price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceLeica Rumors  | Email this | Comments
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Vertu Constellation Ayxta gets unboxed and admired

Apr 6th

Posted by Vladislav Savov in All

Overkill, thy name is Vertu. Nokia's luxury handset division has rarely gotten much love on these pages, but that's mostly to do with the excessive use of "high end" materials on its phones and zeroes in its prices. Both are present and accounted for here, with the stainless steel and leather-bound Constellation Ayxta starting at somewhere around $7,500. Still, we retain a curiosity to see such exclusive devices in the glaring lights of reality, and Gear Diary has treated us to just such a treat. The handset before you can crank out 6 hours of talk time over GSM or 300 hours of standby, navigate preloaded maps over GPS, or hook you up to an instant Concierge service if you don't feel like doing the work yourself. And why should you? Mosey on over to the source for the full unboxing gallery.

Vertu Constellation Ayxta gets unboxed and admired originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGear Diary  | Email this | Comments
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