Have a very VIP Olympics July 26, 2012 THE OLYMPICS have finally arrived and London’s VIP landscape is ready and set to go. There are a number of venues across the capital being transformed to cater to deep-pocketed high-rollers who have a penchant for partying. The first of such pop-ups is The Retreat in the City which is being created this week at [...]
A good week for music at the Royal Albert Hall July 26, 2012 Prom 12: This was the third outing for Daniel Barenboim’s Palestinian-Israeli West Eastern Divan Orchestra this proms, midway through its Beethoven symphony cycle. We were treated to a superbly sonorous, expressive and caramel-like Pastoral Sixth and a slightly too-quiet famous Fifth, interspersed with work by modern French composer Pierre Boulez. There was something of a [...]
Here’s what you could have won July 25, 2012 Apple has said the feverish rumour mill surrounding the impending launch of its next iPhone has dented the growth in sales of its current product, with customers holding off for the next generation. So what exactly has got consumers in such a spin? We take a look at some of the gossip surrounding Apple’s next [...]
BLUE SKIPHONE THINKING July 25, 2012 The wearable iPhone This bizarre device is a kind of clip-on iPhone designed by Federico Ciccarese at CiccareseDesign. It looks like it might get a bit uncomfortable after a while but you’re certainly not going to drop it. ciccaresedesign.com The ultra-slim iPhone This beautiful concept by Antonio De Rosa of ADR Studio looks like a [...]
Living the charmed life July 25, 2012 Pandora Union Jack London Bus charm ‰ £40 ‰ pandora.net Pandora British Rose charm ‰ £40 ‰ pandora.net (£6 goes to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity) Pandora Murano glass charm ‰ £40 ‰ pandora.net Links 18ct Rose Gold Thumbprint Star Charm ‰ £310 ‰ linksoflondon.com Old Bond Street W1 charm ‰ £120 ‰ tiffany.co.uk Wimbledon Hat [...]
Safety still rules at unflashy Volvo July 24, 2012 The law of Jante is a Swedish idea that discourages individuality and showing off. Literally it means: “Don’t think you’re anyone special or that you’re better than us”. It’s a fascinating idea because it’s contrary to the concept of a premium car, which by its very nature means “I deserve the best”. This puts Volvo [...]
CAR TALK July 24, 2012 Vauxhall’s new urban-chic small car Vauxhall has released images of its new urban-chic small car which will be launched at this year’s Paris motor show in September. Called Adam, the three-door, four-seater has a distinctive two-tone “floating” roof and will be offered with a choice of three petrol engines with optional start/stop technology and a [...]
Alpine school holiday heaven July 22, 2012 JAKE’S huge grin said it all. But in case I’d missed his wild enthusiasm as our raft careered down the white waters of the River Arve, he spelled it out with a series of whoops: “Best. Fun. Ever.” Chamonix, which bills itself as the ultimate summer playground for children, had really delivered on its promise. [...]
Holy smoke! The Dark Knight Rises rocks July 19, 2012 FILM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Cert 12A | By Steve Dinneen ***** UNLESS you’ve lived in a cupboard for the last six months, it won’t have escaped you that there is a new Batman movie. Even if you have, you’ll probably have heard about it anyway. You’ll have seen a trailer through the little crack [...]
Microsoft launches new Office July 18, 2012 Microsoft boasts that its Office software – which includes Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint – is used by more than 1bn people. It is the company’s biggest revenue driver, bringing in an astonishing $15bn a year. Around 90 per cent of business PCs use it. And yet many people see the new version of Office, [...]