iPod Touch

Katherine Hughes, of Stuart Hughes, has designed what is likely the world's most expensive iPod. The iPod Touch SUPREME's body was re-formed using 149 grams of solid, 22-carat gold, with a rear Apple logo from 21 grams of gold that houses 53 VVS1, color F diamonds. The front outer section has been set with 300 VVS1 diamonds, also color F. The main navigation buttons has 12 diamonds of the same quality set in 16 grams of gold, all of which surround a single cut pink 2.10-carat diamond, color G-H. A true limited edition -- only three available. £139,995, or $231,776 USD at today's exchange rate.

There's likely no end in sight to the number of iPhone apps to come. So I'm going to tell you about one more, OK? You'll thank me. Actually, thank The New York Times: Designer fashion hub Net-a-Porter.com released its iPhone application, the Net-App, in mid-July. Shoppers can browse handbags, clothes and shoes; read the site's weekly fashion stories; and make purchases. The Times noted that even though some people use their cell phones to buy virtual goods to use in mobile games or e-books to read on their phones, the masses have not shown much willingness to buy physical goods - especially expensive ones - from their cell phones. (Kind of like how early online purchases, of anything, were made by the few and the brave; now, it's second nature.)

But Net-a-Porter.com, which went live in 2000 and states it has 1.8 million visitors a month, succeeded in getting people to buy $4,000 gowns and $1,000 stilettos on the Web, so iPhone app success may be in sight. The potential for shopping on phones "is massive," said Alison Loehnis, v.p. of sales and marketing at Net-a-Porter.com, in the Times. "We feel very strongly that third-generation technology is the new shop window. No one wants to be bound to their computer anymore."

Net-a-Porter.com is not the first to offer an iPhone shopping app: there's Lucky at Your Service from Lucky magazine and ShopStyle Mobile from ShopStyle. Net-a-Porter, however, developed a tool it calls ClosetFlow, which shows users small images of new products to thumb through. Shoppers can zoom in, flip the phone to look at items from different directions, and read more detailed information about them. The shopper can add the items to a wish list to access later from a computer or buy from within the application, without opening a separate browser window.

Loehnis noted in the article: "Our customers love to shop from their homes or offices, but we want our customers to be able to shop from a cab or while waiting in line and really maximize what little free time they have."

[Thanks to my savvy sister, GP]

Feeling frivolous? For just a small splurge of $74 - $78, you can dress up your iPod Touch (or iTouch) in its very own sparkling tuxedo like the one at right from Pliadesigns.com. It's a cute way to protect your Mac paraphernalia for a night on the town -- or a very novel way to wrap an iTouch being given as a gift.

If you feel strongly that your iTouch is a girl (and you're not into cross-dressing her up like Diane Keaton -- 'cause really, almost no one can pull that off), Plia also has Bellini Clutches, which look like miniature clutch purses and fit iPods, iPhones, and anything you have that's small and flat. It's a great way to protect your devices' casing glamorously -- even if it is a little silly. Everyone knows glamor should be fun!

Check out the gallery below to see the Bellini Clutches and the iPod Touch cases from all sides.