Cool, but expensive
Theo Boshoff
We went in search for what we think are some of the coolest gadgets from around the globe, and we take a look at gadgets that carry a hefty price tag, but would be oh-so-cool to have.
 103-inch plasma widescreen
If you love big things, then the Panasonic 103-inch plasma display panel (PDP) widescreen display might just tickle your fancy. According to Panasonic, the screen offers a 16-bit widescreen progressive display with full HD (1 920 x 1 080) resolution, a contrast ratio of 5 000:1 and 4 096 equivalent steps of colour gradation.
In terms of pixel resolution, the company says it can be compared to the size of four 50-inch Panasonic plasma displays. For crisp and clear images, the Real Black Creation colour-enhancing feature is said to produce high contrast and rich, deep blacks, and the incorporated motion pattern noise reduction circuit automatically adjusts the image for better quality by detecting motion patterns that generate noise. Now all you need to ask yourself is: Would I pay $70 000 (R532 000) for this?
 Rub a dub, dub, the TV's in the tub
Di Vapor’s Cosmo B-DV003 TV bathtub might possibly be the ultimate in luxury tubs. Not only does it feature an integrated 17-inch waterproof LCD with a remote control, to which you can also connect a DVD player and TV tuner, it is also a full-on Jacuzzi-style tub.This luxury bath sports seven hydro massage jets, nine bubble jets and six back massage jets, which are all adjustable and can be operated through the touch-sensitive control panel.
But, as they say in those infomercials, wait, there’s more! The B-DV003 also features an underwater light (for ambiance, perhaps?), as well as a fully programmable FM radio.
Knowing that electronics and water don't really play nicely together, it features a residual current device (RCD) for safety reasons. So why not fork out the $5 000 (R38 000) for this? You can rest your head on the padded head rest, relax, and catch up on your soapies.
 Turn that table the modern way
So you still have a stack of vinyl LPs but don’t know what to do with them? Why not get the Japan-based ELP company's laser turntable for about $15 000 (R114 000)?
The laser turntable plays a vinyl record much like a CD. You place it on the disk tray, which retracts like a CD tray, and you're ready to rock ‘n roll - no awkward needle placement required. The remote control allows you to skip through tracks while the turntable indicates the elapsed and remaining times.
According to ELP, the laser turntable will also play damaged records that are warped or have scratches, with better results than a needle.
The laser system uses five laser beams. The first two beams aim at the left and right shoulders of the groove for tracking, while two other beams read the stereo sound at ten microns below the shoulder. The final beam maintains the height between the laser head and the surface of the record, enabling the playing of thicker or warped records.
 Pick your keys
When we first saw this, we thought it was nothing more than an expensive gimmick. On thinking a bit about it, though, it started to make sense. What we’re talking about here is the DX1 input system, which is aimed at the hardcore gamer.
It’s basically a keyboard that you can customise and configure to your liking, placing certain keys where you want them. You can also tell the system what the functions of those keys should be. You can configure the keys to either perform a single command, such as "backspace", or program a macro, which will complete a string of commands when you hit a single key.
There are 25 keys you can use to stick on the tray in your desired configuration and there’s no need to use all the keys.
According to the developers of the system, the DX1 works with any program and can remember a different set of macros for each program you use.
The DX1 will set you back in the region of $150 (R1 140), a good deal more than what a regular gaming keyboard costs.
 Watch it!
How cool would it be to have a watch that also plays videos? The stainless steel Video Watch has an 1.8-inch full-colour TFT LCD screen and built-in speaker so that those lucky enough to own one can entertain themselves wherever they are, like waiting for something to happen on a stakeout!
The watch is capable of playing video in 160 x 128 resolution at 20 frames per second (fps) and supports multiple video formats. It boasts 8GB of internal flash memory for videos or music and JPEG images, allowing you to view pics while listening to music. It's like having a digital photo frame on your wrist. The watch also features a standard 3.5mm jack for headphones if you need to be in stealth mode. It can also record voice with the integrated mic, so if you want to play spy, you can. Voice recordings are captured in WAV format, which can be immediately played back through the integrated speaker or through a plugged-in headset, all while knowing what time it is. It is a watch after all, and it’ll only set you back $100 (R760).
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