Thursday, December 31, 2009

It's the World's Most Expensive Phone

This bank breaker is actually the Apple iPhone 3GS encased in 271 grams of 22ct solid gold. Seated around the gold casing's bezel are 136 "flawless" diamonds (color F whatever that means), equaling to a massive 68cts.

Not enough diamonds to dazzle your dots? Stuart Hughes has planted an additional 53 "flawless" diamonds into the rear Apple logo stamped into the gold casing, equaling to 1ct. On the front, the company mounted a single cut of a very rare diamond, equaling at 7.1cts. With all this glitter, diamond lovers should salivate in glitz heaven.

Stuart Hughes didn't stop with the device. Rather than dump its precious golden iPhone into any old box, the company devised a chest made from a signle block of granite. There's also Kashmir gold thrown into the mix, and Nubuck top-grain leather lining its interior. Apparently, the casing alone weighs around 15 pounds.

Currently Stuart Hughes' golden iPhone 3GS costs a whopping £1.92 million... that's almost $3.2 million USD. That's a whole lot of crazy for an iPhone, and with the amount of gold and diamonds loaded onto the device, it's a wonder if anyone would actually dare take it out in public.
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Most expensive dog collar

From the i Love Dogs La Collection de Bijoux, Amour Amour is the world's most expensive dog collar with the price tag of $1.8 million.

It is a one-of-a-kind, stunning, 52 carat diamond dog collar. The collar includes 1600 hand-set diamonds with a seven-carat, D-IF, brilliant cut center diamond.

The line of diamond dog collars include other pieces named Juene Cheri, Amour de la Mer, L'Etoile, and Cheri and selling for $280,000 to $480,000.

i Love Dogs La Collection de Bijoux is a stunning line of dog collars that showcases over one hundred carats of sparkling diamonds and exquisite jewels. These breathtaking, limited-edition collars are in a class of their own, and are most certainly the first of their kind. Even the most pampered pooch will stop in its tracks for the chance to wear one of these elegant beauties.
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Sunday, December 27, 2009

Gold PS3 named most expensive console

A golden PlayStation 3 from gadget manufacturer Stuart Hughes has been named as the world's most expensive console. Priced at £200,000, the limited edition machine has been reformed with 1,600 grams of solid 22ct gold and encrusted with 58 0.5ct diamonds on both sides of the disc loading entrance.

"Officially the most individual and expensive PS3 in the world. Twelve weeks of unambiguous workmanship was involved to fashion this beautiful console," read the designer's description of the product. According to the company, only three of the elite consoles will ever be made. Stuart Hughes has previously developed a golden Nintendo Wii and gold plated iPods.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Wiicked Expensive - Designer Sells $485,000 Nintendo Wii

For the gamer who has everything -- including gobs of money -- a British designer has unveiled the ultimate video game console: a solid-gold Nintendo Wii. Stuart Hughes, famed for plating consumer electronics such as the Apple iPod and the Nokia Royal smart phone in gold and silver, has unveiled his latest creation. He calls it the Nintendo Wii Supreme, and claims that it's "officially the most unique and expensive in the world."

It's hard to confirm the uniqueness of the gaming console, but the fact that it sells for 300,000 pounds in the England -- that's nearly half a million U.S. dollars -- indicates it's easily the most expensive. Hughes's Web site boasts that six months of workmanship went into creating the ultimate gaming station. Some of his creations use platinum, silver, and other gems. The Wii Supreme uses over 2,500 grams of solid 22ct gold. The front buttons are home to 78 quarter-carat flawless diamonds totaling 19.5 ct.

Hughes's other creations are equally lavish. His iPhone (with a solid-gold body, of course) sells for a mere $37,000, although there's a platinum and diamond version that's a hair more expensive, at $40,000. But if you're interested --and you've been sitting on a spare half a million dollars -- you'd better move quickly: The Wii Supreme is available only as a limited edition of three. Operators are standing by!
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Saturday, December 19, 2009

The most expensive Wii in the world

Shiny. That's what one might think when taking a look at the Nintendo Wii Supreme. This special Wii console has been created by Stuart Hughes - with gold. A lot of gold.

All in all more than 2.5 kilograms of the metal have been formed into a unique and impressive console. The whole production took more than six months.

Besides the gold there are also worth-seeing since they are made of almost 80 flawless diamonds. The price for this awesome piece of consumer electronic entertainment is set to 299,995 British Pounds.

Currently this would be about 483,442 USD or 336,924 Euros. You can find more information about the Nintendo Wii Supreme at the Stuart Hughes website, where you can also purchase one of the consoles. The exclusiveness of this device is extreme since it is limited to only three units that will be made.
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Thursday, December 17, 2009

World's Most Expensive Chicken

It is the annual National Bekisar Chicken Competition in Jakarta, and dozens of Bekisar owners are waiting for the judges to take a look at their prized possession. How is the Bekisar judged? Although it looks like an ordinary chicken, the Bekisar has a distinct voice. So a Bekisar is mainly judged by its voice, which also determines its monetary value.

For ordinary people, all Bekisar chickens sound the same. But a professional can determine the quality of a Bekisar’s voice. Some of the criteria include intonation and vibration of the voice. Besides its beautiful voice, the Bekisar can form a special bond with its owner. It can sense what its owner is feeling.

[Joko – Bekisar Chicken Owner]: “He knew and he was familiar with anybody in my home. When I came home from my office and called his name, he always went looking for me. And if I tell him to crow, he immediately sounds his beautiful crowing. So it looks like he has an ability to understand my heart." The Bekisar is the first generation hybrid offspring of a male Green Junglefowl and a domestic female game chicken. It is the mascot of East Java province.
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The Most Expensive Women's shoes in the world

The Cinderella Slippers is the name for the world's most expensive pair of women's shoes. These 4½-inch heel stiletto sandals are decanted with 565 platinum-set Kwiat diamonds which include 55 carats of clear diamonds and one big 5-carat stone. The Cinderella Slippers are designed by Stuart Weizman and cost stunning ≈ € 1.51 million ≈ £1,34 million$2 million! They were worn by singer Alison Krauss at the 2004 Oscars ceremony.

2nd most expensive women's shoes in the world Another masterpiece created by Stuart Weitzman are the second most expensive women's shoes called Ruby Slippers. They are based on the ruby slippers worn by Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, but these slippers are much more expensive. They were made for an actress for the Oscar ceremony, but were never worn. Ruby Slippers are studded with 690 rubies woven together with platinum thread and have a price tag of ≈ € 1.36 million ≈ £1,21 million$1,80 million.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Bugatti Veyron, most expensive and fastest production vehicle of all times

I just saw the launch of the new ‘Beetle’ by Volkswagen, the German car-manufacturer. Now it is believed that Volkswagen AG is all set to launch the fastest and most expensive car in India, the legendary French car brand Bugatti, Bugatti Veyron. Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is the most recent version of a mid-engined full-sized grand tourer.

It is produced by the Volkswagen-brand Bugatti Automobiles SAS at their headquarters in Château St. Jean in Molsheim (Alsace, France). The car is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti Company.

Bugatti Veyron is all set to hit the Indian roads by next year, mid- 2010. Bugatti Veyron would be the most sophisticated vehicles of all times with its 16-cylinder four-wheel drive. Bugatti Veyron is nonpareil in the super sports category that boasts a maximum speed of more than 400kph.

Each cylinder has four valves for a total of 64, but the narrow staggered 8 configuration permits two overhead camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only four camshafts are required. The engine is fed by four turbochargers and displaces 7,993 cubic centimetres (487.8 cu in), with a square 86 mm by 86 mm (3.4 in × 3.4 in) bore and stroke.

The Electronic Stability Program (ESP) assures the essential flexibility and maneuverability at any speed. “To reduce the risk of injuries in accidents, Bugatti had a Formula 1 safety concept adapted for the Veyron. All these technical details combine to make the Veyron a truly exceptional super sports car,” as informed on the site.

Bugatti Veyron will cost anywhere between Rs 5 crore and Rs 12 crore when it hits the Indian roads by the mid-2010. According to the website, “The Veyron’s high velocity is due to the perfect combination of engine technology, consistent lightweight construction, specially developed tires, and the complex balance of propulsion and downforce.

For not only the aerodynamic drag is a crucial factor at very high speeds, but also the precise adjustment of the downforce that holds the car to the road surface. And in addition to all this, the Veyron production vehicle meets the highest safety, reliability and maneuverability standards of even the most discerning drivers.”

“A super sports car like the Veyron 16.4 needs to be light in order to reach top speeds.” Each part of the Veyron 16.4, Titanium, carbon, magnesium, and aluminum is made of the material with the lowest weight and the highest level of functionality.

“The Veyron’s GPS data are always accessible in case the car should go missing. In addition, the Veyron features speech-controlled, hands-free mobile phone operation with integrated Bluetooth technology. The Bluetooth GPS is controlled via an exclusive Bugatti PDA.

Both systems use the Burmerster sound system for crystal-clear audio output. All visual data are displayed on the rearview mirror – a feat made possible by the extremely bright LED display placed behind the semi-transparent mirror glass.” The Veyron debuted in China and Russia in 2007.
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Monday, December 14, 2009

Sakawa Cars Under Fire

The bloody thirst for money through the sacrifice of vital parts of fellow humans for ritual purposes by the youth of today has started causing ugly problems to young and hard working people who drive relatively expensive cars.

Results from interviews conducted along the streets by a team of The Heritage reporters have revealed that eight out of 10 teenagers who driver expensive cars in parts of the capital are booed by people on the streets. The reason is simple; the perception is that “they killed people to buy those cars.”

Paul, a 20-year-old man, narrated his ordeal to newsmen. According to him, the Ford he drives belongs to a team of volunteers from the United States of America, who contracted him in August this year to drive them around.

“But, on more than three occasions, people have said to me ‘You are Sakawa man, God go punish you,’ he laments. According to him, when he is alone in the car and “especially, when I am playing music to ease off some stress; I get so angry and always reply them with an insult.”

Most of the teenage drivers interview on the Accra-Circle, 37-Airport roads re-echoed Paul’s experience. “I don’t know why people think some of us are Sakawa boys; I worked hard to buy this vehicle I drive,” was how Frank Adu, a businessman, put his frustration across.

The Heritage Newspaper rounds also revealed that not only are teenagers who driver private cars subjected to unfair verbal insults on the streets, but some landlords deliberately refuse to rent their premises to them. A classical case involved a 23-year-old final year student of the University of Ghana who narrated that his uncle living outside the country instructed him to find a three-bedroom, self-contained apartment for rent.

He said an agent led him to a house at Labone suburb of Accra, but on realizing that he drove there in a green Astra that belonged to his family, the landlord refused to negotiate the price with him on suspicion that he might be a ‘Sakawa’ man.
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Saturday, December 12, 2009

The most expensive bike in the world

IT’S billed as the world’s most expensive motorcycle and at a price tag of $185,000 we don’t doubt it.

The MV Agusta F4 CC is named after MV Agusta, Italy, president Claudio Castiglioni.

The Australian distributor for MV Agusta has managed to get hold of the very last F4 CC in the world - number 84, to be exact.

Only 100 of the exclusive motorcycles have been built - one for Claudio Castiglioni and the other 99 for the rest of us. MV Agusta is recognised as the world’s most premium motorcycle brand.

This stems from its glory days back in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s with the marque winning 18 premier class riders championships. The company was bought lock, stock and barrel by Harley-Davidson Motorcycles in 2009 for a reported $108 million.

The F4 CC features an up-spec engine to 1078cc, 200hp, rated to 315km/h and an abundance of technical upgrades. It comes with a luxurious F4 CC Trussadi leather jacket and Girard-Perregaux watch which is individually numbered as the motorcycles production number.

Australian MV Agusta importer, Paul Feeney Group managed to secure one last production F4 CC machine. Feeney has already sold “a few” of the bikes in Australia, but remains coy about the exact number. The last F4 CC is being offered for sale after failing to find a new owner at the recent Sydney Motorcycle Show.
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Thursday, December 10, 2009

World's Most Expensive Christmas Card Includes iPhone

Former CNET UK staffer Chris Stevens has designed one of the most expensive Christmas cards ever, and also released a video that shows you how to make one too. The card includes an iPhone that displays the Bauble app, which shows a Christmas ball that sways from side to side as the iPhone is tilted.

While the idea appears to be conceived as an advertisement for Bauble, the card is at least an amusing idea. It's very unnecessary, sort of like taking an airplane to cross the street. I'm not sure who would treat an iPhone this way, but for a project that probably nobody will actually take on Stevens sure gives perfect step-by-step instructions.

If anything, this card could be a clever way to give someone an iPhone. Maybe I'm missing something, but I believe an iPod Touch could be used as well, which wouldn't require a phone contract. On a side note, the slots in UK mailboxes sure look small; I'm surprised Stevens could fit his iPhone Christmas card in one of those.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Avatar is Foxs Most Expensive Film Ever

It’s obvious that James Cameron’s Avatar cost a pretty penny to produce with its 3-D graphics, animation, and special effects but everyone wants to know the final price tag. Most estimates have ranged from 250 million to half a billion dollars, which would scare even the most profitable studio, but not 20th Century Fox. Their the ones backing Cameron’s latest feature, and according to them Avatar is money well spent.

Fox executive James Gianopulos recently spoke about Avatar and its budget speculation, but wouldn’t confirm the official number. He just owned up to the rumor that its the biggest film the studio has ever produced.

The studio stood behind Cameron when he made Titanic, which was another costly investment and we know how that story ended. The film made over a billion dollars at the worldwide office and won a Best Picture and Best Director Oscar.

Even though Gianopulos’s attitude seems a bit arrogant, he never fully states that the film will be a huge success. If anything he puts up a strong front for the sake of the studio, which makes sense. The film will hit theaters next Friday so this isn’t the time to show weakness.
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Monday, December 7, 2009

The World's Most Expensive iPod


Katherine Hughes, of Stuart Hughes, has designed what is likely the world's most expensive iPod. The iPod Touch SUPREME's body was re-formed using 149 grams of solid, 22-carat gold, with a rear Apple logo from 21 grams of gold that houses 53 VVS1, color F diamonds.

The front outer section has been set with 300 VVS1 diamonds, also color F. The main navigation buttons has 12 diamonds of the same quality set in 16 grams of gold, all of which surround a single cut pink 2.10-carat diamond, color G-H. A true limited edition -- only three available. £139,995, or $231,776 USD at today's exchange rate.
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Saturday, December 5, 2009

Most Expensive Diamond-'Vivid Pink' sets world record

The price smashed the previous Guinness world record, set 15 years ago in Geneva for a 19.66-carat stone that sold for $7.4 million. The pink gem's per-carat price of $2.2 million was also the highest ever paid for any diamond at auction, Christie's said.

"No stone has ever been sold for $2 million a carat, we were used to ... a million dollars a carat for colored diamonds but never 2 million," said Francois Curiel, Christie's Europe chairman. "This is an absolute record that is not going to be broken for a while I believe."

"Vivid Pink," as it's called, is a glittering five-carat stone flanked by two white diamonds and set in a ring by elite jeweler Graff, owned by U.K. billionaire Laurence Graff. Demand exceeded Christie's' expectations. Last week the auction house's department head for jewels, Vickie Sek, predicted the rock would fetch $8 million.

Auctioneer Francois Curiel said the pink gem's per-carat price of $2.2m was also the highest ever paid for any diamond at auction. The Most Expensive Diamond toured Singapore, Bangkok, Geneva and Taipei before returning to Hong Kong, where collectors and connoisseurs vied for it at the Convention and Exhibition Center.

An anonymous Asian buyer placed the winning bid of $83.5 million Hong Kong dollars via telephone through a Christie's representative, beating out Shanghai millionaire Liu Yiqian, who ranks 196th on Forbes' list of the richest people in mainland.
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Friday, December 4, 2009

Hybrid Cars May Be Industry's Next High Profit Center

Is it possible that the auto industry has found its latest Holy Grail? For a long time, the industry had relied on its pickup trucks and sports-utility vehicles (SUVs) as their largest profit centers. Indeed, they looked at these vehicles as the geese that laid the golden eggs. That changed with the sharp spike in gas prices a couple of years ago and with gasolines settling back to the $2.50-$2.75 range so that now the margin on pickups and SUVs is razor thin, if theres any margin at all.

However, if you look at the hybrid segment, theres an interesting phenomenon going on. The 10 least expensive hybrids are priced between $19,800 and $28,100. And the prices seem to be holding at or near dealer invoice, which means that dealers are making a profit on these vehicles that, while it may not approach the same levels as their former star profit-makers, they are still doing all right.

AOLs list looked like this (from least to most expensive): 1. Honda's reborn Insight. The Insight, was the first hybrid to market, beating Toyota by a full year, and became a cult car when it didnt achieve the mass it needed to be considered a mass-market car. The Insight is priced at $19,800.

2. Toyota's Prius Hybrid. Available since 2001, this has been the vehicle to beat in the hybrid market. It achieved the critical mass needed to become a market mainstay and offers a wide variety of features, including 40-plus mpg on the highway. The Prius starts at $21,000.

3. Honda's Civic Hybrid. The Insight was produced until 2006, although it was very limited in its last year on the market. The Civic Hybrid, which came to market in the 2003 sales, powered by a 1.3-liter four, is available only as a sedan and is starts at $23,800.

4. Chevrolet's Malibu Hybrid is next. It is also a mid-sized, rather than a compact as are the first three on this list. Still, it achieves respectable mileage of 34 on the highway and 26 in the city. It is powered by a 2.4-liter Ecotec four and cranks out 164-horsepower. It is priced at $25,592.

5. Toyota offers the next hybrid with a Camry Hybrid. Priced starting at $26,150, this front-drive mid-sized sedan seats five and offers mileage of 34 and 33, highway/city.

6. Saturn, although no longer part of General Motors active stable, has an entry with its Aura Hybrid. It is essentially the same car as the Malibu Hybrid mid-sized and achieves mileage of 36 and 24, highway/city. It is priced starting at $26,325.

7. Nissan';s Altima Hybrid is next. Another mid-sized sedan, it seats five and powered by an electric motor that is charged by a 158-horsepower, 2.5-liter four. The interesting ratings for this vehicle are its highway/city rating. The Altima Hybrid achieves 33 mpg on the highway (probably the most realistic estimate so far in this bunch) and 35 around town. This is the type of mileage skew you would expect in a hybrid. The reason is that in the city the vehicle can take advantage of the natural charge offered by first and second gearing as well as the charging of the regenerative braking system that does put a lot of energy into the battery system. The Altima Hybrid starts at $26,780.

8. The Ford Fusion Hybrid is next on the list. The 2010 Fusion was radically restyled for the 2010 model year, roughly three years into its product cycle which makes this an even more interesting offering because automakers usually wait until the fifth or six year of their product cycle to change a model radically, but Ford chose to do it halfway into the Fusions product cycle for 2010 and the result is not only a Car of the Year, but also an exciting product. The Fusion Hybrid if a sedan that seats five and uses a 2.5-liter four to power its electrical system. Ford is another of the automakers that uses honest figures in its mileage, showing its highway mileage to be 36 mpg and its city cycle to be 41 mpg. This is a far more honest way of listing things. This model starts at $27,625.
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Thursday, December 3, 2009

9th most expensive city

A STRONGER currency and a rise in inflation have made Singapore a more expensive place for expatriates to live in, a survey has found.

Singapore jumped three spots from a year ago to become the ninth priciest Asian city in the latest cost of living ranking by human resource company ECA International.

It beat Taiwan's Taipei and China's Shenzhen and Guangzhou, but remained cheaper than Japan's Tokyo and Yokohama, and China's Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Worldwide, Singapore's rising cost of living catapulted it into the 78th spot on this year's global survey, up almost 20 places from 97th last year. The main reason for the movement - and, in fact, for most of the changes in this year's survey - was exchange rate fluctuations, said ECA International.

The Singapore dollar has gained about 10 per cent against the US dollar since March. This has helped push up the cost of living in Singapore, compared with some neighbouring cities whose currencies are pegged to the US dollar such as Hong Kong.
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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

New York most expensive place to be ill

IT'S at the top of many Australian's travel wish list, but New York has also emerged as the most expensive place in the world to get seriously ill.

Travellers could face fees of up to $64,000 for three nights in intensive care, a survey by insurance company AAMI has revealed.

AAMI's national travel manager Heather McDonald said most people don't realise each state in the US has a different fee structure for medical expenses.

"Hospitals in popular US destinations for Aussie travellers, like California and Florida, charge up to $8,500 per night in intensive care, while the same treatment in a Hawaiian hospital can set you back up to $10,500 per night," she said.

"But New York City is by far the most expensive, with the amount per night priced between $16,000 and $21,500."

Hawaii was second on the list, with intensive care costs coming in at $10,500 a night, followed by Canada with $10,000 a night. France was fourth with $9,500 a night.

South East Asia is the cheapest place to fall ill, with hospitals in Thailand and Indonesia charging around $3,000 per night for treatment in intensive care. Vietnam hospitals charge up to $2,500 per night.

Ms McDonald said people should factor travel insurance into their travel budget, just as you would your airfare and spending money.
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