eK-gadgets info

OK, so maybe there aren’t as many precious stones as you’d like, but at least you get some spare change left over. After such models as the “Diamond” ($88,000) and “Signature Cobra” ($310,000), Vertu’s “Ascent Ti” is cheap at about $6,628.

The handset by Nokia’s luxury unit features premium materials including a Titanium chassis, cowhide leather back, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal face and polished ceramic. Available in stores starting this month, it also comes in you choice of black, red or brown.

It’s not all flash, fortunately. One of the unique features in the Ascent Ti is the Vertu Fortress technology. This synchronizes important data on the phone such as contact details, calendar and notes to a remote server, (supposedly) maintained in an ex-military bunker at a secure location in the English countryside. So if you do lose your very expensive phone, at least the data can be quickly restored in a new handset, providing some peace of mind.

The Ascent Ti will come with support for 3G and quadband GSM networks. It will also be equipped with a 3-megapixel camera, in addition to the standard concierge button that provides 24-hour service worldwide.

Read more about the Vertu Ascent Ti phone here.

The BlackBerry 8130 Pearl has just been announced today as the first BlackBerry Pearl smartphone to run on CDMA networks. The new phone is still built with BlackBerry’s highly acclaimed style and compact design and comes packed with new features including communications enhancements, a striking new software interface, rich multimedia capabilities, built-in GPS and support for high-speed EV-DO networks.

The 8130 still has all the standard features that have made BlackBerry popular among mobile users, including unrivaled email and messaging (SMS, IM, MMS), web browsing, organizer and more. The new smartphone also expands on its communications and multimedia features and presents the entire offering with a striking new software interface.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8130 smartphone is designed to help you do everything you want with your life. It comes complete with advanced phone features, multimedia, digital camera, video recording, built-in GPS* and expandable memory.

And it offers the full BlackBerry experience — email, browser, text messaging (SMS and MMS), instant messaging, organizer applications and more. Small, smart and stylish.