From supercars to space chairs, from Avegant to Zensorium, the Luxury Technology Show in Manhattan gathers ritzy brands and glitzy watch bands into one decadent high-tech showcase.
As the most expensive item at the show, the McLaren 12C Spider (about $270,000) is the ultimate luxury. We weren't allowed to sit in it, and moreover were advised to be careful with the Prosecco.
"Every inch of the 12C Spider is bespoke and crafted to precision. The steering wheel has been modeled from digital scans of a World Championship-winning driver's steering wheel for optimal ergonomics. The Formula 1TM style rocker shift is designed to deliver you an unparalleled sense of control, and 12C Spider's controls are distributed rationally according to how often you use them." Much like your offshore investments.
The Emp is designed to provide ergonomic comfort and total immersion, complete with five widescreen monitors on an articulated arm. It's the perfect way to indulge in high-stakes day trading while keeping an eye on your estate's security cameras.
The chair adjusts six ways and offers a heat/vent climate package. I was told the massage utilizes blood stimulation. No mention was made of a built-in bidet option.
If you have to use a more conventional "work" space, to go over plans for the new chalet for example, the Stir Kinetic Desk ($3900) can moved from a sitting to a standing position with a double-tap on its touch screen -- which also includes a calorie tracker.
The integrated 21.5-inch multitouch console delivers live streaming and on-demand fitness classes. Getting yelled at by someone on a screen never cost so much.
Get your cook to blend up some refreshing post-workout smoothies. The Blendtec Designer 700 ($750, background) has a 1700-watt motor and touchscreen control. Meanwhile, the Stealth ($1500, foreground) is "simply the most advanced blender on the planet, and also the quietest–blending at the sound level of normal conversation."
Make sure you're not breathing the same air as the common rabble with the Blueair Sense ($479). It filters 99.97 percent of all particles, leaving only the wealthiest 0.03 percent.
Time to relax? The Sim2 Fuoriserie ($100,000) is a hand-built, limited-edition three-chip DLP projector that delivers a blinding 5,000 lumens, enough to fill your Ziegfeld-esque media room screen.
A huge screen isn't exactly decorator-friendly, but a custom frame with retractable art -- VuTec's Art Screen (around $7,000) -- can tastefully hide that unsightly white rectangle until you want to watch something.
Meanwhile, if you're just looking for a regular old TV, the 85-inch Sony XBR-85X950B ($25,000) fits the bill. Full-array local dimming and 4K resolution should make a luxurious combination, and its easel stand legs a nice conversation piece.
Your ears deserve a bit of luxury too. Sure it's not a Krell or a McIntosh, but the TA-A1ES stereo amp ($2,000) is impressive for a Sony. And more important, it matches perfectly with the...
A personal home theater, the Avagent Virtual Retinal Display, comes complete with integrated headphones. It's still in the prototype phase however, so it's literally priceless.
When it's time to leave your penthouse, mansion or private island, you'll need to accessorize with the latest luxury gear. The first thing you'll want to do is safeguard your walking money. Enter the iWallet Biometric Locking Wallet ($350).
The bluetooth wallet and companion app can also alert you if you leave behind a credit card or if the wallet itself leaves your pocket without permission.
Next accessory: Your smartwatch. Any chump can buy a Pebble, but it takes someone of refined taste to venture further afield. One candidate is made by Android ($200) -- no relation to the mobile operating system used by millions of plebs.
Moving on...the masses are likely happy with their iPhone photos, but your images are worth more. Like ten times more. The Walnut wood grip of the Hasselblad Stellar ($2,000) makes every snapshot classier.
Of course you have an iPhone too, and now it can help assess your fitness and wellness when you're away from the spa. The Zensorium Tinke ($119) measures you heart and breathing rate, oxygen saturation, and even your heart's rhytmic pattern. "Thump thump ca-ching, thump thump ca-ching!"
The Vita Fitness measurement helps track your body's status, while a Zen Relaxation measurement can "calm as well as understand your inner self." Who needs thousands of dollars in therapy?
If you prefer your tobacco wackier, meet the Pax ($250). This premium loose-leaf vaporizer heats rather than burns, loose leafy substances and releases clean vapor instead of smoke.
