Philips, Swarovski put the flash in flash drive
When I look at my Sony noise-cancelling earbuds, I'm embarrassed. Although I love their sound quality--I can completely block out everyone when I'm listening with them--their black and silver minimalist design is nothing to brag about. So when I heard that Swarovski and Philips Electronics will start selling their new crystal-adorned headphones and other gizmos in August, I was pleased.
(Credit:
Philips Electronics)
The new line, called Active Crystals, features eight styles of sound accessories and USB drives. My personal favorite is the key-shaped USB drive, which can be worn like a necklace, featuring signature Swarovski crystals embossing the pendant. There's also a two-piece, heart-shaped drive called Heart Beat (pictured).
Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed after perusing the product site. The earbuds are nothing extraordinary; they look like a dolled-up version of the iPod headphones, perhaps ready for a hot date in their fancy silver shine and crystal accents. But no Bluetooth. Not that my Sony headphones have that either, but come on--if you're going to have jazzy 'buds, might as well have the latest technology to accompany them.
The headphones retail from $79 to $150; a 1GB USB drive will cost $179. Considering that $100 for good-quality headphones is not unheard of these days, especially among designer-fashion aficionados, that's a price some will be willing to pay. But $179 for a USB drive? Granted, the port can be worn as a necklace, but who ever heard of wearing files around your neck?
(Via ZDNet Korea)
