Smart Home Lifestyle

July 22, 2006

Extravagant Electronics: Dream a Little Dream of me

What’s your dream? A big car? A big house? How about “big” electronics? High-end electronics are the new “brag,” giving the eye candy to make your friends say “wow,” but with price tags that just might leave you crying “ow.”

Luxury speak

Vertu’s line of luxury cell phones caters to the rich and the fashionable. Like diamonds? You’ll love Vertu’s 18-carat gold phone with 4.2 carats worth. Into racing? Check out Vertu’s Motorsport Limited Edition phone that’s crafted from automotive leather and inlayed with the same carbon fibre that’s used on the Team Vertu Supercup racing car.

“Vertu’s growing association with Motorsport is borne out of the similarity in precision engineering and performance entities,” said Chris Harris, Global Sales and Marketing Dirctor at Vertu. “The Vertu brand is about being crafted for performance, and the Team Vertu racing car, which inspired the new Vertu Ascent Motorsport, reflects both design and performance engineering.”

Vertu is all about style, giving the word “accessory” a whole new meaning.

“The new Vertu Ascent Pink is the ideal accessory for women wishing to make a stunning personal statement without compromising on quality and craft of a luxhury product,” said Giles Rees, Vice-Presidet, Global Sales for Vertu. “This is the phone for women who are modern, confident and like to show their feminine side.”

Vertu’s pink phone, like the other precious metal and leather collection phones offer standards like Bluetooth, voice dialing, and text messaging. Plus some unique structural components like jeweled ruby bearings below the keys, better acoustics with 20mm speaker and heavy metal so hard that it can’t even be damaged with a key scratch.

So, what’s the price? Vertu cell phones run the gamut from about $4,600 all the way up to $40,000 for the special edition and jeweled phones.

Cinema style

There’s nothing better than going to the movies, except “going to the movies” in your own home theater. Runco plays on that premise, offering movie front projectors that rival just about anything on the market today.

“It is so common to hear hype about this or that product being the cream of the crop, which it all begins to sound the same. Personally, I feel that when we have really achieved the best, the product will speak for itself,” said Sam Runco, founder and CEO of Runco International, Inc. “That was the dream behind the Signature Cinema SC-1. It’s the best that Runco has ever offered, and truly our crown jewel, custom crafter fro those elite few who want the very best that money can buy, and have budgeted accordingly. Its film-like quality and overall performance is simply stunning. There is nothing else in the world like it, period!”

Runco’s Signature Cinema SC-1 produces deep black levels, dynamic contrast and detail and tremendous light output that is suitable for screens up to 40 feet wide.

What’s the cost? $250,000, and that’s not including the screen.

Theater in a pod

Star Trek meets high-tech with the Oculas’ new personal pod-like home theater. The Oculas combines luxurious style with the latest in technology, offering computing, gaming and a home theater- for one. Custom options include Mac, PC, Xbox and Playstation integration, and don’t forget a flat screen TV with 5.1 surround-sounds.

The Oculus is shaped like an egg and measures 67” high by 74-3/4” long. It’s made of fiberglass and has an electronic door that closes silently at a touch. Leather seats and continual airflow provides comfort. There’s also adjustable lighting that’s controlled by an interactive touch screen to set the mood for sleep, or for play.

So, how much for this O-Pod for one? $45,000.

Author: Diana Kostigen, Marketing/Public Relations Director, Comtec