Open the Vault,
My Phone Is Ringing!
November 2, 2005
Open the Vault, My Phone Is Ringing!
By JACK SMITH
REMEMBER when merely owning a cellphone set you apart from the crowd? You were a man of mystery. You would set it on the bar and bystanders would eye you enviously. Men would call the bartender over, point to you, and whisper, "I'll have what he's having."
Ah, such an innocent time. Today it takes something more than technology to wow our friends and impress strangers. That's why there are phones like the $1,900 Mobiado Professional Executive Model, which Mobiado, a Canadian company, contends is the ultimate luxury phone. This is not just because of its engineering, though its array of functions is impressive: video streaming with sound, a 1.3 megapixel camera and video camera, Bluetooth technology, push-to-talk-over cellular walkie-talkie, speaker phone, stereo music player and FM radio.
No, what distinguishes the Executive from other phones is that it is made of wood.
Not just any wood, but rare cocobolo or Honduras rosewood, depending on the buyer's preference, and trimmed with aircraft aluminum.
If phones can be so specialized, can they be made especially for preteens? After all, who needs to keep in touch with us more than our children? But who is more likely to run up charges or lose their phones? The Firefly, a voice-only phone designed for children 8 to 12 years old, offers just five keys instead of a regular dial pad. Up to 22 numbers can be programmed into the phone, including speed-dial keys for Mom and Dad.
It is about the shape and size of a computer mouse, though flatter, and color selections include bubble gum, fire, limeade or X-ray (a transparent shell). A glow-in-the-dark shell is also available for an extra $10. The Firefly costs $100 and is available through www.fireflymobile.com with 30 minutes of time; another 40 minutes is $10; 100 minutes, $25; and 200 minutes costs $50. Remember, it is for your children.
As you may expect of a $31,850 cellphone, there's nothing run of the mill about the Vertu Signature Platinum. The phone's body is ceramic and platinum, while the keys are 18-karat gold with ruby bearings beneath the keypad to make sure the key press is smooth and precise - don't you hate a rough key press? The sides are enclosed in fine leather to ensure "a warm, sensual grip," the promotional copy explains.
Another feature that sets the Vertu platinum apart from other cellphones - those you merely clutch instead of grip warmly - is the discreetly positioned side key. One touch of this button and you're connected to the Vertu Concierge, who will make airline, restaurant or hotel reservations and provide international assistance around the clock in the United States, Europe and Asia. The Vertu is available at Barneys New York, Tourneau and Neiman Marcus.
If you tend to call home from business trips and ask to talk to your dog, the Pets- Cell is the cellphone for you. The bone-shaped tracking device is about 4 inches long by 2 inches wide and connects to Bowser's collar; it can also work like a conventional phone if you overlook that your dog can't talk.
After dialing your dog's number, the PetsCell automatically answers after one ring, allowing the dog to hear your voice from the bone. Perhaps the dog will bark happily in response, and the two of you will carry on as if you were right next to him. If high strung, he may go on a tear through the house while you yell: "Good boy! Good boy!" The phone costs about $188, is available in 2006 and can be ordered through PetsMobility.com.
Of course, if all you want to do is get attention, why not buy a Presidential MP3 player from Douglas J., a British purveyor of music and fashion? The $44,000 unit contains neither cellphone nor camera, but who needs them when you have a device covered in either white- or yellow-gold diamonds - we counted 104 - encrusted on the case? The Presidential, created by the singer Xavier Aeon, the P. Diddy of Britain, has a one-gigabyte drive and plays videos as well as audio.
But this isn't just an MP3, it's a style of life. As with Douglas J.'s other music players - available through www.douglasjx .com - owning a Presidential will soon entitle you to shop the company's future fashions. It also gets you into the Soho Lounge, the London nightspot. "You just walk right in, past the queue," says Jonathan Fianu, managing director of Douglas J. Once at the bar, surrounded by aficionados, it's acceptable if not de rigueur to display your diamond-encrusted Presidential.
Right next to your rare-wood cellphone.
