Australians plan to take more than four devices away on holiday to ring in the New Year

Aussies create a digital home away from home

Optus research reveals Australians plan to take more than four devices away on holiday to ring in the New Year

It seems the nation’s gadget obsession continues, especially as we head into the new year. Optus research reveals that while 50 per cent of Aussies claim they would love to have a holiday free from all digital devices, almost a third are stressed by the thought of leaving home without their gadgets.

As a result, the average Australian family is planning to take more than four devices like mobiles, cameras, laptops and music players away on holiday. Despite dreaming of a digital-free holiday, more than half of us (58 per cent) don’t feel comfortable leaving for holidays without our devices, while 46 per cent think it would be quite boring to go away without them.

Almost one in three Aussies (32 per cent) consider gadgets as welcome distractions from their family, as well as people with kids. Meanwhile, men are especially keen to use technology to escape the family.

Clare Gill, Head of Government and Corporate Affairs, Optus said, “As we head on holidays, Aussies want to remain connected and entertained via our gadgets. The portability of mobile phones and tablets mean that even when we’re sitting by the pool or visiting relatives, we can still check-in or post our latest photos.”

Devices such as smartphones are set to play a huge role this season, with 22 per cent of Aussies planning to jump onto social media sites to wish friends and family a happy New Year. Optus forecasts that on New Year’s Eve, the peak load of mobile data will be 54 per cent higher compared to the same period last year .

However, texts are still popular with 34 per cent of Australians planning to SMS their friends and 29 per cent likely to SMS their work colleagues on New Year’s Eve.

Optus data supports this, with millions of its customers this New Year’s Eve predicted to :

• Send more than 72 million SMS messages – an increase of over 4 million from last year
• Make more than 44 million mobile calls
• Make more than 29 million local and national calls
• Spend more than 3 million minutes calling overseas friends and family

On Christmas Day this year , customers on the Optus network:

• Sent over 64 million SMS messages
• Made over 32 million mobile calls
• Made almost 25 million local and national calls
• Spent over 4.5 million minutes calling overseas friends and family

“Our customers can be confident that we have been working hard throughout the year to ensure our network is capable of providing optimum coverage, with upgrades to many popular holiday destinations around Australia in preparation for the holiday season,” Ms Gill continued.

Designs on Bangkok

Pullman Bangkok Hotel G - cheeky urban fun

One doesn’t simply build a hotel these days, it seems, they must be ‘created’.

On my most recent visits to the capital of charming chaos, Bangkok, I’ve had the opportunity to stay in a series of staggering hotels, each seemingly outdoing the other for style, design and ‘lifestyle’ elements.

Despite a reasonable degree of experience covering the hospitality industry, I’ve had to go back to school, so to speak, to acquaint myself with the latest vernacular in hotel-speak. Specifically the terms ‘designer’ and ‘lifestyle’ which, on their own, are fairly self-explanatory, but when applied to the new wave of sexy, chic hotels springing up in the world’s grooviest locales, it helps to understand the motivating philosophy.

 Read full story at:
http://kaojaithailand.blogspot.com/2012/12/designs-on-bangkok_12.html

Andrea Riseborough Wears Faberge to the British Independent Film Awards, London, England - 9th December 2012

She wore the rose gold and diamond Collier and gold and diamond Fine Bandeau rings from the Treillage collection. The collection features trellis-like lines of the quilted pattern, trailed with diamonds and reminiscent of luxurious button-backed furniture, of Belle Époque opulence. Treillage possesses a strong fashion flair, fusing fabric and jewel, mixing nostalgia with a contemporary edge.

With Erin O'Connor choosing to wear a rose gold and diamond Treillage ring to the Serpentine Gallery Summer Party earlier on this year, the Treillage collection is becoming the collection du jour.

Fabergé offers High and Fine Jewellery collections as well as timepieces and men's accessories. The collections are available at Fabergé boutiques in New York, London and Geneva, as well as at concessions within Harrods in London and Lane Crawford IFC in Hong Kong. Selected items are also available via Fabergé's online boutique at Fabergé.com.

JOHNNIE WALKER(R) ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF JOHNNIE WALKER HOUSE BEIJING, CHINA

JOHNNIE WALKER, the world's number one Blended Scotch Whisky is proud to announce the grand opening of 'Johnnie Walker House Beijing', the world's largest embassy for luxury Scotch Whisky outside of Scotland.

Following the success of the first Johnnie Walker House in Shanghai last year and continuing the brand's mantra of 'Keep Walking', the Johnnie Walker House Beijing is located at the prestigious Ch'ien Men and creates a highly contemporary space, rich in authentic whisky story-telling for the discerning consumer along with the opportunity to participate in the art of blending.

"Johnnie Walker House Beijing is a multi-sensory experience, showcasing Scotch Whisky culture; it is a luxury boutique, selling the Master Blender's finest work; it is a private club, providing a new cultural platform for whisky appreciation; and it is an artistic space, providing inspiration for new forms of creativity," said Lawrence Law, General Manager, Johnnie Walker House.

In attendence at the grand opening were Karen Mok, Chen Shu, Pace Wu, Zhang Yadong and many other celebrities.
 

The Maggies 2012 - And the winner is...

Grazia (January 30, 2012 issue) has beaten off fierce competition to be hailed as winner of The Maggies: Magazine Cover of the Year 2012. The stunning cover featuring a patriotic Miranda Kerr as Australia's Wonder Woman , beat titles across all eleven categories to be crowned overall Magazine Cover of the Year, as well as winning the Weeklies category.

Tornado Tower Doha Goes Green

The Tornado Tower in Doha, Qatar, has been lit up in green using energy efficient LED lights, for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP18), in an effort to establish a strong focus on green technology innovation.

The Tornado Tower, an example of Siemens Total Building Solution, is located in the West Bay business district of Doha. Resembling a tornado in the desert, the impressive building is 200 metres tall and offers 58,000 square metres of world-class office space on 52 floors. Siemens' Tornado Tower intelligently integrates all building technology disciplines to make the tower a landmark for maximum security, energy efficiency, and flexibility while offering the highest level of comfort. Additionally, an ongoing monitoring and reporting system makes it possible to reduce energy consumption, save resources and minimise CO2 emissions.