Very few things get a techie as excited as taking delivery of the latest gadget and giving it a spin. Whether it is the latest cell phone, a high end laptop or a new gaming console, the allure of playing with the hottest high end gadgets remains a constant draw for the technologically inclined. <\/p>\n
Financial constraints mean that most of us have to budget carefully before splashing out on an iPad or a PS3 Slim, but for the likes of Bill Gates and company there is a wealth of cool devices to blow your dosh on. So which gadgets are catching the eye of the rich and famous?<\/p>\n
The world’s most expensive gadgets<\/strong><\/p>\n The world’s most expensive laptop, called the Luvaglio notebook<\/a>, costs R7.6 million ($1,000,000) and it is designed using precious metals, leathers and real woods to the buyer’s specifications. To round off this elegant purchase you may want to buy a computer mouse with your own diamond initials<\/a> to the tune of R185,000.<\/p>\n When it comes to Smartphones it is quite easy to spend the equivalent Rand value of a Ferrari or Lamborghini. Both the Diamond Crypto Smartphone and the GoldVish ‘Le Million’ Piece Unique<\/a> are priced at around R10 million ($1.3 million).<\/p>\n But for the real high roller there’s the Goldstriker iPhone 3GS Supreme<\/a> – the most expensive smartphone on the market. The Goldstriker is a standard iPhone 3GS but with a casing made of 271 grams of solid gold and decorated with 53 one carat diamonds. At R24 million ($3.2 million) it is the pinnacle of cellphone bling.<\/p>\n The idea of making gadgets ludicrously expensive by draping them in gold and diamonds is not limited to the realm of the mobile phone. You can get Diamond Encrusted Earphones<\/a> for R40,000 or even a Plantronics Bluetooth headset<\/a>, once again adorned with diamonds, for a cool R350,000 ($50,000).<\/p>\n While any gadget’s price can be pushed up by giving it a gold and diamond finish, it does little to increase its technical appeal. The likes of 50Cent or Paris Hilton may find ‘bling’ gadgets appealing but the true tech fanatics are more likely to blow their money on cool technology.<\/p>\n Cool boys toys<\/strong><\/p>\n And when it comes to cool tech who could possibly turn up their nose at their very own jet pack? The Martin Jetpack<\/a>, retailing for R655,000 ($86,000), is essentially a personal helicopter<\/a> which will take you up 8,000 feet and can reach a top speed of just under 100 km\/h. With a range of around 50 km it is just the thing to ensure you are not stuck in city traffic on your way to work. <\/p>\n If you are however more comfortable on land than in the air you cannot do much better than the R13 million ($1.7 million) Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4<\/a> with a top speed of 431.3 km\/h. You may however want to hang on for their latest model, the Bugatti 16C Galibier<\/a> which the company describes as “the most exclusive, elegant, and powerful four-door automobile in the world”<\/p>\n If you are an audiophile with an unlimited budget you will most likely want to invest in Transmission Audio’s Ultimate<\/a> system – consisting of twelve 500W speakers, an Audio Laboratory BP-1 dual-mono power amp and a BC-1 preamp. The system also boasts forty 15” subwoofers and another twenty-four 8” woofers – all for the bargain price of R15 million ($2 million). <\/p>\n But what would a great sound system be without a great television. The 152’’ Panasonic TH-152UX1 3D Plasma TV<\/a>, which has a resolution of 4,096 x 2,160, is the obvious choice. <\/p>\n