Computer SUVs

Manufacturers from Panasonic (with its Toughbook) to Twinhead (the makers of the Durabook) are introducing a new kind of supercomputer, this time built for the extreme traveller. Take the Hummer laptop, which comes souped up with shock absorbers, GPS, water-resistant body armour and military-grade temperature resistance, making your regular model look like a Fabergé egg.

Luxury convergence

Companies like Luxury Alliance and Leading Residences of the World are starting to bundle prime time-share real estate, first-class cruise ships, private jet service and round-the-clock concierge service (everything from interpreters to private pooper scoopers). Next up: the tentatively named Sky Palace, a new Indian airline set to take off in late 2006 that lets your servants travel with you. In coach, of course.

Crowd control

Challenged by their own popularity, museums are rethinking the way they showcase their famous works. Under Peruvian architect Lorenzo Piqueras, the Louvre completely renovated the Mona Lisa viewing room – even installing computer-controlled lighting – so that viewers can see the famous mug from 30 metres away. Now there’s something to smile about.

Cruising into your golden years

A Journal of the American Geriatrics Society report estimated that retiring on a cruise ship would cost little more than a nursing home. Pioneering condo ship The World already offers swank apartments for its fiftysomething residents, along with a full Clinique La Prairie Spa, chapel and fish-food golf balls on its top-deck driving range. We’d like to see The World 2.0 equipped with elder care – call it ResidenSea for the 65-plus crowd, making old age smooth sailing. 

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