</sarcasm>

While some sectors of the luxury industry are still debating the use of technology and trying to ignore it away, German luxury yacht company Lurssen has developed a custom app for the iPad that allows voyagers to control everything from the ship’s temperature, lights and sound system from the tablet, and quickly jump to the features most important to them from the start page. {BlackBook} The best feature though is on demand food and drinks, which we wouldn’t pay $850,000 for, but would love to see happen at a local level.

At $850,000 per week, the Solemates yacht has to do something to differentiate itself from other luxury yacht rentals and while we can poke fun at the extravagance, the iPad app actually seems like a good way to do that. Rather than competing on square footage or amenities alone, it’s nice to see a company using technology to create a true luxury experience  that goes beyond simply adding a gold and diamond covered case and calling it luxury innovation.

Beyond the cool iPad remotes, the yacht comes equipped with everything else you might expect of an $850,000 cruise; a crew of 15 including two chefs and a nurse, 6 cabins that accommodate up to 12 guests, a water trampoline, Waverunners, power surfboards and diving equipment.

The ship is booked for St. Barth’s and St. Maarten through the end of the month, but February 1st through 19th are still available. Good luck finding any last minute discounts on this ship though, we’re fairly certain there’s still no app for that.

If your gadget du jour is the Apple iPad, British company Stuart Hughes has just the thing for you. $190,000 (£129,995 actually – maybe you’ll get a break on the exchange rate) will make you the proud owner of 1 of only 10 solid gold, diamond encrusted iPads. {Consumerist} The top of the line 3G 64GB version, of course. If that’s not expensive enough for you, just wait a little while. The company hasn’t announced plans for other versions, but the website shows a platinum and diamond iPhone, so it’s possible the more precious metal will make its way onto the iPad soon.

When the Apple iPad was launched in stores across the United States last month, users immediately had one concern – the tabletâ€s exposed screen surface makes it very vulnerable to physical damage. {New York Times} While the solid gold case may protect you from lowering your profile with gadgets made from ordinary metals, you’ll still need something to protect your flashy pad.

In light of this, a protection sleeve has become an absolute necessity to keep the iPad cushioned and intact. Indeed, this is so much so that a simple search on Google will lead you to hundreds of search results (considering that it’s been exactly a month since the iPad was released, this is pretty impressive).

At left, the Louis Vuitton iPad sleeve in monochrome Damier Graphite. At right, the sleeve in the label's classic Monogram.

Just last week, Louis Vuitton announced its own plans for the iPad sleeve. The casing will be available in stores in 2011 and will come in the fashion house’s signature Monogram or the monochrome Damier Graphite. The two designs will set buyers back $360.{GQ} But what’s a few hundred to protect your investment in a gadget that costs as much as a home?

If you decide to stick with the regular case, the price of the LV sleeves are definitely much steeper than a number of other options out there. However if you are someone who is very particular about what your gadget casing should look like, then look no further. The Louis Vuitton iPad sleeve is clean and sleek, and your treasured tablet will be very secure in it. And now that you know what the real top end of the iPad spectrum is, perhaps even a bit of a bargain.

How much could we pay?

We all know that a bottle of Cristal is the official drink of choice for the conspicuous champagne consumer, but what’s the Cristal of beer? And would it have been a better choice for Canada’s women’s hockey team celebration? Well, check out…

The World’s 5 Most Expensive Beers:

#5: Brewdog Atlantic IPA

Ahh, we love a beer brewed on the open seas. You can almost taste the salty Atlantic winds, that subtle flavor of months-old fishing boat.

Scottish brewery Brewdog created this beer based on a recipe from 1856 (you can’t beat a classic) and even went so far as to age it on the open seas of the Atlantic Ocean – on the company co-founder’s fishing boat, no less.

This is a beer that’s been through the elements, all right, including a: “tense barrel-rescue-mission, beatings from force ten storms, 60 foot waves and encounters with killer whales.”

Only 960 bottles were made available for American consumption, but you can sample this unusual brew for $25.99 a bottle. Not bad, considering this is a beer that’s probably seen more high-packed adventure in its short existence than most people see in their entire lifetimes.

#4: Tutankhamun Ale

Supposedly conjured up in a Cambridge basement laboratory using a recipe taken from Queen Nephertiti’s temple in Egypt, Tutankhamun Ale is definitely not your average brew.

And at $52 a bottle, it’s not your cheapest brew either.

We’re just wondering if this beer is as cursed as everything else bearing King Tut’s name supposedly is…of course, come to think of it, we’ve definitely been cursed by beer before. And we’re pretty sure that had nothing to do with King Tut.

#3: Sam Adams Utopias

This pricey beer is so luxuriously unique, it’s not even really a beer any more – it’s more like beer’s more sophisticated, richer uncle.

Utopias was brewed from the highest-quality hops in single-use bourbon casks. Non-carbonated and a whopping 25% alcohol, this is a beer that’s meant to be sipped with a cigar – certainly not chugged at a kegger.

And at $100 a bottle, you better believe you won’t  be chugging this ale any time soon.

#2: La Vieille Bon Secourts

If you’re craving beer, then Belgium would probably be a good place to start. With the world’s best-quality beers all coming out of one relatively small area, it’s no surprise that someone would want to find a way to get ahead of the pack.

And did they ever.

London restaurant Belgo invested in a whopping $1,160 12-liter bottle of La Vieille Bon Secourts, a ten-year old Belgian beer, that’s so big it takes two people to pour it.

Unfortunately, Belgo only has one bottle left – so we suggest getting mighty chummy with the owners if you want to snag this bottle for your Olympic ending party (men of the Canadian hockey team, this means you).

#1: Carlsberg Jacobsen Vintage No. 1

The world’s most expensive beer? Carlsberg’s Jacobsen Vintage No. 1 for $400 a bottle – that’s 12 times more per liter than its next leading competitor, La Vieille Bon Secourts.

Now, Carlsberg only produced 600 bottles – but before you go running off to get your own, you may want to consider what else you could buy with the same amount of cash:

1 nightâ€s accommodation in the SAS Royal Hotel Copenhagen plus 2 pints of Carlsberg beer on draft

Ah, decisions, decisions…

After all, not every one cares to have an animal’s head mounted on her wall.

Strangely enough, though, Stag Heads, and antlers too, are making a comeback in the Design world – although these updated versions are not like the stuffed, and we’ll admit, pretty creepy, quarries of yore. They’re sleeker, animal friendlier, and pretty gosh-darned cool. So, if you have the extra cash to splurge on a wall mount, let us suggest these unusual options.

NOTE: No animals were harmed in the making of this post.

Roost Carved Wood Deer Heads. $649 on Velocity.

Aluminum Steer Head by DK Living. $650 on Vivre.

Your very own customizable woolen, knitted deer head. $700 by erachel on Etsy.

Probably the most expensive product showcased at CES, the Emperor 200, made by NovelQuest, is a personal workstation with three 19″ display monitors, slide-out tables for keyboards, ergonomic seating, a full spectrum lamp (who needs sunlight?), an air purification system (who needs fresh air?), and many more gadgets you couldn’t possibly live without.

The Emperor 200, a $40,000 Personal Workstation from NovelQuest

And while you’re browsing NovelQuest’s Site, check out their other unbelievable product: Mindball.

This is a game that lets you – you guessed it – move a ball with the power of your mind. This neat device actually measures the electrical activity in your brain by detecting Alpha and Theta brainwaves. The more relaxed competitor (the person who produces more of these brainwaves) actually rolls a ball towards his/her stressed-out competitor to win the game.

Neat, huh? But at $23,900, this game may produce a wee bit more stress than it was originally intended to…

Read More {NovelQuest}

Read More {TreeHugger}

This Luxury Safari, courtesy of Big Five Tours & Expeditions, is a 7-night adventure that begins in Quito and takes you all over Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. The “Safari” part of this vacation includes tours of fantastic craters, encounters with tortoises and blue-footed boobies, a visit to an organic coffee farm, and stays on white sandy beaches.

Now for the “Luxury:” each of the 9 tents available has its own private balcony (with views of the ocean) and private bathroom – hot shower and toilet included. And just a short walk away are a communal fireplace, private chef, and infinity pool. At $2,750 a person, this is camping like you’ve never seen it before.

Read More {Luxury Travel Advisor}

Read More {Galapagos.com}

Itâ€s not bling-bling

Reservations and information

6mandel.com (only available in French)
6 avenue Georges Mandel
Paris, FR 75016
+33.1.42.27.27.93

If you love lace and can’t resist the red soled foot candy that is Christian Louboutin, you certainly won’t be plagued by a lack of choice this season. For this week’s fantasy fashion expedition, we round up our favorite pumps, booties and boots among the many lace lovelies on offer.

Top Image

Lace Bootie
Christian Louboutin
$1785

{Bergdorf Goodman}

1. Ronda Dina Lace
Christian Louboutin
$1033

{My Theresa}

2. Paola 100 Ankle Boots
Christian Louboutin
$1155

{Net-a-Porter}

3. Clic Clac Lace Bootie
Christian Louboutin
$1064

{My Theresa}

4. Ambro Lace Peep Toe
Christian Louboutin
$825

{Neiman Marcus}

5. Papilipi Crepe Satin Pumps
Christian Louboutin
$812

{My Theresa}

6. Paola Botta Lace Knee-High Boot
Christian Louboutin
$1745

{Barneys New York}