Day: March 12, 2012

Xperia S and Armani moment

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Getting a preview of the new Sony Xperia at Armani Hotel

On my way home from office today I was tempted by Rhazi to check out the new Xperia S smartphone at Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa. This was his way of convincing the gadget diva why I didn’t need to carry an iphone, a blackberry, an ipad, a MacBook Air +++ in my bag at all times.

Naturally I am not one to ignore checking out new stuff and Armani is one of my favourite venues. So while rushing to make it to my bellydancing class, I went to play with Sony’s new toy. (Man that sounds dodgy – I’m glad Sony is not a guy)

The demonstration of the feature-rich smartphone highlighted key functionalities such as the ‘connected entertainment experience’. Offering seamless connectivity between all devices whether smartphone, TV, laptop or tablet and PlayStation, it is ideal to share and enjoy content.

The Xperia S sports ‘Iconic Identity’ is an innovative transparent design element at the base, that creates a simple, strong, instantly recognizable look with illumination effects and integrated antenna components. The user interface has been restyled to match the minimalistic design of the hardware and the home screen features a new colorful flow background making full usage of HD Bravia Reality Display and dual-core processing power.

I tested the camera – it was almost the same as my current Sony that is 12MP. Xperia S is set to deliver a stunning viewing experience with a high resolution screen, full Sony Bravia HD, powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor for faster performance and a 12MP camera with Exmor sensor that takes pictures in just 1.5 seconds from standby mode. Nice aye! Diva likes…..heaps!

While I’m not about to give up my iphone and Blackberry right now in a hurry, Xperia S may just tantalise my gadget hunger palette…its great for people who want to make a fashion statement too….I love the look!

I liked the white one...matches my personal Apple computer and my white BB

Nice stuff - image courtesy the Xperia team in Dubai

The awesomeness of Yas Marina

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How cool is this place - Image courtesy Yas Marina team

Whenever I venture towards Yas Island Abu Dhabi, people automatically think it is to fratenise with car manufacturers on the circuit – but diva is not only hooked on super cars….as an island girl, I love everything relating to the sea and my current favourite place to hang out in Abu Dhabi is the Yas Marina.

Now…it has been gut wrenching not tweeting or blogging about it but I did promise dear Jonathan when I do touch on it, it will be from the heart and I will talk about my adventures there from experience – unfortunately I have only been able to do whistle stop tours recently while testing the latest cars. (Yas Island is the best place to cruise around in open top convertibles in the evenings amongst other super cars that are there for a spin on the tracks).

Having orange juice with the GM of Yas Marina Cedric Le Rest during my lunch break at Radisson earlier in the year was the first time I got to know all about Yas Marina and the fabulous way its managed by Camper & Nicholsons Marinas. Samer from Yas as well joined us for a bit of laid back chat and between Samer, Cedric and Jonathan, I found out more about Yas Marina in that one hour than I had from all my adrenaline driven visits to the Yas Island.

Camper & Nicholsons is widely recognised to be one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious yachting business names, with origins dating back to 1782. The company has specialised in marina and waterfront development for over 40 years and has provided services to clients in more than 25 countries worldwide.

Their projects range from small marinas through to developments over 500 hectares. Camper & Nicholsons Marinas International Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Camper & Nicholsons Marina Investments Limited, listed on the AIM of the London Stock Exchange. Camper & Nicholsons currently operate marinas in Abu Dhabi, Grenada, Italy, Malta and Turkey.

The guys at Camper & Nicholsons are awesome – they recently announced that berth occupancy has doubled in the last 6 months and Cedric believes its due to their extremely competitive annual berth rates – which now includes an F1TM berth.

The best bit here is the VIP Privilege Card that offers berth holders a variety of discounts and value added services to Yas Island facilities. The 2012 Annual Berth rates (starting from 16,455 AED inclusive of a berth at 2012 Formula 1™ week) and the 2012 Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Grand Prix berthing tariffs which start from 10,395 AED. One superyacht to have recently taken an annual berth at Yas Marina is the 95m Indian Empress.

The competitive tariffs, coupled with the success of Yas Island Show Weekends, featuring international superstars such as Madonna, Janet Jackson and Elton John have helped to reinforce Yas Marina’s position as an attractive home port for yachts of all sizes.

Yas Marina features a variety of dining and entertainment options ranging from fine dining at Cipriani or Yotto, to more casual settings like Stars ‘N’ Bars and the vibrant Allure Night Club by Cipriani. I absolutely love Cipriani and it was everything Cedric had said about it to me months before.

Located at the heart of the Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island and located 10 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport, 20 minutes from central Abu Dhabi and 45 minutes from Dubai, Yas Marina has 143 berths for yachts up to 150m in size.  Visitors to the marina can enjoy easy access to pristine coastlines, 200 uninhabited islands and the nearby cosmopolitan cities…….looks like a place tailor made for diva!