Tech Eye: Waffles and shiny, shiny phones

The secret, we've learned, is to increase the stress levels of those around us and then sit back and bask in their anxiety. On those rare occasions when we get really angry, however, we cope with our frustrations by putting on our Scooby-Doo outfit and "going postal" on adorable plush toys. Then - crucially - we make waffles.

There's something soothing about the waffle, something geometrically pleasing. It's decidedly low-tech, and yet we're able to accept that and resist the urge to add high-tech flourishes. The waffle is thus the exception to Techeye's Cardinal Rule: "All things can and should be technologically improved upon." Of course we'd be interested if someone were to invent a delicious cyborg-waffle, but there currently seems to be little scientific interest in this field.

As for non-waffles, everything is worthy of technological improvement. The stapler, which is patently unrelated to the waffle, makes a good example. The last worthy addition to the pantheon of stapler technology, the swiveling metal plate that switches between inward and outward stapling, appeared ages ago. And let's face it, only weirdos staple outward.

Even gadgets which already boast bleeding-edge technology can be bettered. That's where Austrian designer-jeweller Peter Aloisson comes in - he takes already exciting mobile phones and encrusts them with beautiful this and shiny that. Aloisson's website notes that, "many credit [him] as being the ultimate pioneer when it comes to blurring the lines between gadget, art and jewellery." Not exactly modest, but we like a bit of sass in our designers.

Aloisson's firm offers a rendering service, which "provides an animation of the mobile phone of your choice with full details of all engravings and stones, enabling you to experience the beauty of your new phone in vivid 3D views." The service costs €2,500 (zł.8,732), but this is deducted from the ultimate purchase price.

Among his recent phone projects, the Apple iPhone Princess and the Nokia Communicator E90 stand out. The former is made of 18-carat white gold with rhodium trim and encrusted with around 318 high-quality diamonds. The latter is also made of 18-carat white gold and boasts a total of 408 F-colored diamonds.

Unlike many luxury designers, Aloisson is refreshingly upfront about pricing. The iPhone Princess runs for €120,000 (zł.419,173), while the Nokia E90 costs €52,000 (zł.181,641), excluding VAT (or other duty charges), transport and insurance. To be honest, we can't afford either, but there's something about the Nokia that seems delicious and waffle-like to us, so maybe we'll start saving up to get one.