Golf may be the game of the Richie Richs today but in the days gone by, it was chess (hands down) that mainly defined the leisure time of the Royalty and the intellectuals. We have witnessed quite an interesting range of some luxurious adaptations of the board game in the past. And today, we have one more. The limited edition lacquered chess sets from Japan Brand deserve a respectable place in your uber-rich house for it exudes such a charm that it should not get anything less!

These unqiue design patterns have been created by a New York designer, Alexander Gelman. He has developed the chess sets in four different types of extremely fine Japanese craftsmanship – fuki-urushi (wood lacquering), makie (gold lacquering), haku (platinum lacquering) and kutani (hand decorated ceramic pieces with intricate patterns).
As of now, the chess sets are on display at the Fellissimo Design House in Manhattane to excite New Yorkers. They will be available for made to order at a price lying between $80K and $123K depending on the craftsmanship. Apparently, Gelman wants his city mates to see an alternate way of life via these magnificent artworks!

Via breitbart

How does putting together Heidi Klum along with your family this holiday season sound to you? Before you get scandalised with a statement like that, let us assure you that this one will not be an embarrassing feat to undertake. Truth is that Editions Ricordi has gone on to create a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle from an image of Heidi Klum clicked by fashion photographer Ruven Afanador.

The name of the snap is Couture Banquet and it appeared for the first time in Vogue Spain. It has the magnificent Heidi Klum sprawling against an extravagant feast. The jigsaw puzzle is indeed an interesting concept and it sure isn’t easy. This activity will indeed help keep up the excitement within you family as you put the intricate puzzle together, in the correct order, of course.
Each of the puzzles has been numbered and signed by Ruven Afanador. Plus the packaging is pretty cool too. A silk bag in a hand-made wooden box with a red velvet interior holds all the pieces. The puzzle measures 24 x 36 inches. A very high-quality art paper with a velvet back side with golden glitter has been used to craft this wonderful recreational item. The price is 350 Euros.

Via artdaily

Bang & Olufsen spells luxury entertainment to us. This brand credits itself on bringing to its loyals such stylish technology that other brands will always have a tough time coping up with. Recently, it was the sleek BeoVision 10 TV that caught everyone’s fancy, and now it is the newer and bigger BeoVision 7 that is sure to blow everyone away!

For starters, there is a avery evident 15 inch boost such that the television measures 55 inches in total which is real grand. The LED backlight support with local dimming option works wonders to boost the contrast. Then there are the two different motorized stand options that make room inside for a Blu-ray player. The refresh rate is pretty impressive at 120 Hz. No wonder we were using the adjective ‘Big’!

Like the rest of the B&O items, this high-end LCD too doesn’t come cheap. With a price tag of $18,700, it sure goes into the exclusive category for we know only a very few who can actually afford such an extravagance. By the way, the TV is also accompanied by a custom-tailored center channel speaker.

Via endgadget

This favorite leisure activity will be referred to as gaming on the move. We don’t mean figuratively but literally so! Garnet Hertz has created what he likes to call the OutRun project. And this unique gaming system has successfully combined the real world with Sega’s seminal racing game. This is achieved by simply converting the 1986 sit-down arcade cabinet into a rather small but drivable car. Believe it or not, but this car can reach a speed of 20 miles per hour.

A li’l birdie told us that this arcade machine has been greatly inspired by the 1984 Ferrari Testarossa. And the quite evident stamp can be seen in the wheels, motors and equipment like the GPS sensors that help run the cabinet like an actual car. You get updates on-screen.

Garnet is planning to equip this wonder gaming machine with all the necessary gears and stuff but before he does that, several test drives are underway to make sure that it is a perfectly safe concept. All the best to this inventor on his safeguarding mission and we sure are waiting with bated breath to lay our hands on the OutRun project for real.

Via jalopnik

Video games might be a luxury for avid gamers but as far as the luxury market is concerned, they are nothing special. Perhaps, someone (a die-hard gamer, maybe) wanted to prove this belief wrong and so decided to cover the Play Station gaming console with gold all over. Yes, referred to as the PS3 slim, this one has been dipped in 24 carat gold. And that is not all for there are controllers that have had their fair share of 24K gold too.

We think this one would possibly be counted among the most expensive video game consoles in the world ever. The credit for it goes to Computer Choppers who have decided to go with a limited edition of only five of these. And because of this very smart marketing strategy, the PS3 Slim has become ever so popular.

Though there is not word on the pricing yet, but we do have a feeling that some rich Sheik from the Middle East might just buy them all for his extended family. Jokes apart, hurry if your are really keen on getting this one. The item is numbered but the customers are not.

Via chipchick

We like to call her the Queen’s cousin though there are a few who do recognise her as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, the British model who is also believed to be a distant cousin of the Queen of England (and could be more popular for that simple fact than her own natural sexiness). Well leaving the debatable topic aside, let us tell you that the scaldingly hot beauty has recently been anointed as the newest Victoria’s Secret Angel. And that is indeed a feather in the crown for this model who has already worked for big names like Burberry and Agent Provocateur and featured in the Pirellu Calendar.

A li’l birdie tells us that Rosie is the only current British Angel to join the group of Lindsay Ellingson, Emanueal DiPaula, Candice Swanepoel and Chanel Iman.

If you are not familiar with the job profile of a Victoria’s Secret Angel then let us tell you that they are supposed to be the spokesmodels for the brand and enjoy their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Rosie’s predecessors include the likes of Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum and Gisele Bundchen.

Via graziadaily

The famous Italian fashion label Prada has given things in plenty to put in our wardrobe. But now, the powerhouse of style and exuberance has shifted its focus on to our bookshelf what with the recent unveiling of a ‘big’ (stress intended) book. This 706-page tone has tried to capture 30 years of innovations and experiments in a whole lot of related worlds like art, fashion, cinema, communications and even architecture.

With a simple name like ‘Prada’, this one impresses enough to make a bookworm out of us. Prada Progetto Arte has published this exciting venture that is quite sure to have the entire reading world as well as non-reading world swooning all over.

The main motivation of the endeavour was to illustrate all aspects of fashion and entertainment with a strong dose of history thrown in. The presentation is very appealing and it ensures that there isn’t a single dull moment in your reading experience. You can lay your hands on this heavy collection for your home library at all the Prada stores across the world. The price is 100 Euros.

Via hypebeast

Airboard is a petite gasoline powered personal hovercraft or a propeller driven vehicle, that has an electric start. Start it up, hop on board, adjust the throttle and move on. Its makers say it is easy to control, maintain and ideal for riders who are aged above 14 years.

The handle bar has two levers, one to lift the engine speed and another to thrust. By bending  backwards, a small propelling wheel at the rear of the vehicle can be used to touch the ground to help accelerate the hovercraft.

To turn left, lean left. To turn right, lean to the right. To stop, let go of controls. The machine or engine to propel it is a four stroke petrol engine. Airboard can move on mown grass, asphalt, pavement, or any surface with no stones and litter.

Via: likecool, arbortech, opulentitems

We’ve been inundated with shows like Bridezillas and Married Away before that threw light on the pre-marriage bonhomie, while there is no dearth of dating shows on television.

TV shows like Baby Whisperer, Baby Borrowers  have had their share of audiences too. It is now the turn of We TV to begin by featuring its chosen couples who have come on board to share their preparation-for the baby’s arrival.

Each episode will feature a couple on its fascinating journey to the ninth month, be it through pampering baby showers, or indulgent nurseries.

The new show will debut Friday November 6 and highlight wealthy parents-to be. The first two episodes have Victoria and Tom, Tara and Andrew who continuously shop for baby products. Will this be a genuine show helping with know-how, or another excuse to sell baby products? You decide.
Via: We TV, WeTV

Rockwell Collins is  a name that most high profile flights reckon with courtesy the TES in-flight entertainment (IFE) system which is quite a hit these days. The company is forever making advancements in technology to further add to the quality of the in-flight entertainment experience. And now it has announced to add a new feature to its digital in-flight entertainment systems that will let passengers to output audio and video to the in-seat displays. Plus there will be accompanying portable media devices like headphones from  Apple iPod.

The Rockwell Colins’ Digital Total Entertainment System (dTES) as well as the Enhanced Total Entertainment System (eTES) will sport this new integration. And this means, there will be a USB charging capability which is compatible with  iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano and other popular media gadgets.

The dTES solution feature will have an upgrade from analog tape to high-quality digital audio and video souces. On the other hand, eTES will offer AVOD and interactivity as well as a high speed network connectivity to the users.

Via rockwellcollins