Wall of Sound, Vertu Auxta, Nike Total 90

Wall of Sound

 We thought we’d seen it all. iPod docks shaped like grand pianos, gramophones, and the massive Geneva XL. But this beats them all for sheer, oversized foolhardiness. It’s called the Wall of Sound and that’s what it looks like: a wall that’s four feet high (about the size of a small woman, but it weighs considerably more, at 102 kg).

It’s built by Studio Per in Malmo, Sweden, and each component is hand-made. Also included, connections to plug in your CD player or TV.  Within, sit no fewer than 28 speakers: 16 subwoofers, providing bass that’ll wake the neighbourhood, eight mid-range drivers and four tweeters give you a frequency response of 40-20,000 Hz. That’s super-low bass, and highs only owls can discern. All this sonic grunt results in 125 watts of power, and a whopping 95 decibels of sound. According to the American Hearing Research Foundation, that’s “the level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss.” So maybe it’s best not to sit too close.

The first batch of these over-sized sonic weapons has already sold out, so you’ll have to wait for the second generation, with more features, slicker design and, we hear from Studio Per, even bigger dimensions.

Rs. 2,20,000, www.thewosexperience.com
Courtesy T3



Foot the Bill

 

 

Supposed to be the next revolution in football shoes, the Nike Total 90 Laser III pair brims with tech that improves accuracy and puts more swerve on the ball so that you can bend it like Beckham too. The strategically-placed fins on the medial side increase friction and allow for greater control over the ball’s movements, while the shape-correcting memory foam and asymmetrical lacing allow for a smoother and cleaner surface for striking the ball. Now, that’s a stud!

Rs. 4,200, www.nike.in
Courtesy T3


Operation Ayxtacy

 The first clamshell from Vertu is now available at the Ethos Swiss Watch Studios. Called Ayxta, this new member of the Constellation series succeeds in breaking Vertu’s reputation of only making ornamental phones; it weds the glam factor with the tech quotient — 3G and a microSD slot for up to 8GB of storage, plus a 3-megapixel cam with integrated flash — in a stainless steel, aluminium, leather and ceramic body (no gemstones, no diamonds!).

The sapphire glass screen on this Vertu means that it can withstand quite a few scratches and dinks. It also features Vertu Select, a service that helps you locate all the cool people in town without moving your keister.

It comes preloaded with ring tones composed exclusively by English electronic act Zero 7. And for the hyperbusy executive, the Vertu Concierge service offers 24-hour access to a lifestyle manager who helps manage your busy life, and City Brief, which tells you all about a new city on arrival — a personal guide of sorts.

Price on request, www.vertu.com
Courtesy T3



WEBHEAD
Southern Stars
As these pages were going to press, India had a new trending topic on Twitter: #princesssheeba. It refers to a young lady from Tamil Nadu who calls herself Princess Sheeba. We won’t show you any pictures, because her not immodest site, princesssheeba.com , is, erm, one to behold. She, in her own words, has played multiple roles, “as a Software Engineee,as a Beauty pagent and as a Human rights officer.” She seems to be taking the place in Tamizh hearts formerly reserved for a certain Wilbur Sargunaraj (see wilbur.asia), “Dance King, Performer, Drummer and Tamilian,” and “one of the most original musicians to grace the industry” (verbatim, that). Enjoy! Neither one seems to have political ambitions. Yet.


Living
Zero Gravity

 

Image: Steve Boxall

No need to go through the rigours of training. Thanks to a company called Zero G, anyone with the cash can come unstuck from gravity for a short while. After a morning briefing (“don’t kick, don’t jump, don’t swim”), Zero G takes you up in its hollowed-out and liberally padded Boeing 727 for a series of parabolic climbs and dives based on NASA training exercises. You get to float, weightless, for up to 30 seconds at a time.The climbs are steep, and you feel the heavy press of G-forces as you lie back on a floor mat. Suddenly, the plane tips into the down slope and you drift upward. Fifteen unearthly parabolas allow you to bounce in slow motion off the ceiling and walls, somersault in midair, and try to mouth-catch M&M’s or globules of mineral water. The series lasts for about 45 minutes, but for days afterward, gravity seems like a real drag.  

  —Richard Nalley

$4,950 per person. 888-664-7284, www.gozerog.com