gold

The ruby-studded TV proved it, and now some PCs are following suit: The Era of Bling clearly is not the sole province of iPhones, iPods, and other portable gadgets.

Japan's Tokyo's Zeus Computer has crafted a line of luxury desktops that bring a new definition to "over the top." On the menu are the "Jupiter" model made of pure platinum and the "Mars" molded in solid gold, according to Tokyo-based Pink Tentacle, at the respective prices of 80 million and 60 million yen--or $760,000 and $570,000. The specs (as if … Read more

Silly us. After seeing Amosu's work on its diamond iPhone, we thought there was a market for such things. But apparently it's the case that people are after.

Case-mate's cleverly named "Diamond Case" is made with 42 of the rocks, totaling 3.5 carats, embedded in 18k gold. Tech Digest says the company gave one away at Macworld and will happily sell them for $20,000 apiece if you didn't attend. There's also a carbon-fiber version for $90, in case you're in need of a late Christmas gift for the butler.

But … Read more

This is wrong on so many fronts. First, there's the obvious: a mouse festooned with diamonds and gold? It's bad enough that we're forced to endure $29,000 USB sticks made of the same. Second, would you really want to jam something like a rock-studded "MoGo Mouse" into your computer? That's where the ultra-slim peripheral is stored and recharged, in the PC slot.

Even though this limited edition is estimated at a relatively paltry sum of $1,000, according to Newlaunches, we can just imagine its stones coming loose inside a laptop's chassis. … Read more

Sony Ericsson has been strutting its stuff in Vegas this week with some new designs, which is par for the course in Sin City. And its latest luxury handset would fit right in with the chorus line at the Bellagio.

The ostentatiously named "Precious Gold T650i" is outfitted with 24k plating to frame its 1.9-inch mineral-glass display, which complements a rose-tinted keypad. Luxurylaunches quotes a Sony Ericsson exec as saying the gaudy talker "evolved from a consumer's request for a mobile that was like a piece of her jewelry--glamorous, expensive and exquisite in quality."… Read more

Given its general lag behind the iPod, it makes sense that the Zune would be late in coming to the Gilded Age as well. But if exclusivity is what this limited edition is going for, it will certainly accomplish that--as long as 10 people are willing to buy one.

That's how many of them will be sold in 8GB and 80GB versions, according to MobileWhack, in a partnership between Microsoft and Seattle boutique Goods. No price was given but, if it's more than a few bucks over the usual tag, it'll be too much as far as … Read more

It may not be embossed with a crystal Hello Kitty head (thank God), but this MP3 necklace an equally gaudy and ridiculous way to pamper your pooch. As if the mere idea of a canine music player weren't silly enough, the "JooZoo" is a heart-shaped MP3 pendant made of diamonds and 18k gold, with matching remote and speaker dock.

Even worse, Popgadgets says South Korea's Innobitz claims it will "enhance your pet's physical health and relieve stress through automatic content responding to various pet behaviors." Luckily, it's reportedly available only on the … Read more

Another iPod, another diamond--or 586 of them, to be exact. In this latest example of egregious excess, a company called Ice Forever will reportedly cover your Nano in 10.36 carats of diamonds set in 14k white gold.

But if you're worried about the cost, take heart: This is an after-market service, so you'll save money by having the bling job done on the iPod you already own, rather than having to pay the additional mark-up charged by the customizer. That will bring the cost down to a mere pittance of $12,495, according to BornRich.

Still, … Read more

Amid the endless supply of gold in the gadget world, we've often thought that the Midas-touched Thermasol remote was among the most decadent. That it was used to control the shower just added to its outrageous uselessness.

But for the more practical-minded gold fetishist (talk about an oxymoron), there's now a remote that can be used for everyday media appliances--and it's only $55,000. The "Gold RC1," made by Denmark-based Lantic Systems, not only controls entertainment devices but also "burglary alarm, lights, curtains, air-conditioning, and surveillance of navigation systems," according to BornRich. All … Read more

Where there's gold, diamonds are sure to follow. It's become a familiar pattern, as we saw most recently with an 18k gold Shuffle that was soon followed by a diamond-encrusted version. So it was time to start an office pool after a 24k iPhone began making the rounds a few weeks ago.

Like clockwork, today Crave got an email from Amosu, one of the more prolific bling meisters in the gadget world, with what it calls "the first diamond Apple iPhone." In classically over-the-top fashion, the U.K. purveyor has adorned this limited edition with 420 … Read more