If the late, great George Carlin was to list 'Seven Things You Can't Write About on Gadget Lab', Swarovski crystals would make it in, if only because these hideous glass baubles are such obvious bait for our wrath, an easy path to a few words of free publicity. But like a fish drawn to a maggot on a hook, we are helpless before such a sparkly lure.
Which brings us to the latest crime of encrustation, the Elements Stardust MP3 clock radio from German manufacturer Sonoro. The basic Elements model can be had from Amazon for $250, and it looks gorgeous, with its piano-black finish, brushed metal dial and low-key LED display.
Compare this with the Stardust version. Internally, it is exactly the same, able to tune into the "Hits from the 80s and 90s" FM station of your choice, grab internet radio streams and play MP3s through its top-mounted speaker. Externally, though, the Stardust is an example of Euro-trash tastelessness, slathered in "almost 4,000 white and black CRYSTALLIZED™ SWAROVSKI stones."
Here's a quote from Sonoro boss Marcell Faller, which we imagine was extracted at gunpoint:
How much does this spangly box cost? Remember, the crystal-free version is $250. If you guessed $2,500, you'd be right. That's an order of magnitude more expensive, and anybody who buys one deserves to pay such a premium for their bad taste. We hope Sonoro sells a million.
Product page (basic model) [Sonoro]
Press release [Lewiswire. Thanks, Nicole!]
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