Georgina Goodman Checkerboard Pumps

Georgina Goodman Checkerboard Pumps
Whoever said checkerboard patterns were just for picnic blankets? Georgina Goodman's Madra Pumps add some fun to fashion. Hand made and woven in Spain, these are a splurge. They would look best with an outfit that is more complimenting in its colors as opposed to matching - let the shoes be the focal point. The striped heel measures at 2 1/3". Seen here in black and white, it is also available in a yellow, natural, and violet combination. Price: $375.

The Emirates Pearl

The Emirates Pearl
Abu Dhabi is following Dubai's lead and creating a variety of projects to tempt tourists and investors. The latest is the Emirates Pearl, a 47-story tower which will go up on the Khalidiya coast opposite the seven-star Emirates Palace Hotel. The $136.2 million project will have 352 hotel rooms and 104 apartments. There will also be an atrium with five restaurants, a gym, spa and shops. There will be a private penthouse with a helipad and two Presidential suites each with a private entrance and swimming pool. The design is yet another twisting tower of glass, an architectural style that seems to be all the rage lately. Construction is set to begin this summer and is expected to take two years.

Get Ready For Windows Vista

Get Ready For Windows Vista
Today, Microsoft announced the launch of the Windows Vista “Get Ready” Web site, the worldwide availability of Windows Vista Capable PCs, the upcoming availability of Premium Ready PCs and the availability of the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor beta.

“Customers have many options and choices to make when it comes to buying a PC today. A wide range of form factors, price points and new technologies figure into their decisions,” said Mike Sievert, corporate vice president of Windows(R) Product Management and Marketing at Microsoft. “With that in mind, Microsoft and OEMs are making it easier to prepare for the arrival of Windows Vista. Customers now have the information they need to get a great Windows XP- based PC today that will deliver rich Windows Vista experiences tomorrow.”

Microsoft today launched the Windows Vista “Get Ready” Web site. The new site, provides a variety of information and tools customers can use to prepare for Windows Vista. Today, this includes information on Windows Vista Capable and Windows Vista Premium Ready PCs, details on how customers can use the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor beta, and background on the different editions of Windows Vista. The site will be regularly updated with more information related to the forthcoming release of Windows Vista.

To help customers make informed decisions when buying new PCs, Microsoft today announced the availability of Windows Vista Capable PCs and the forthcoming availability of Windows Vista Premium Ready PCs.

Through the Windows Vista Capable program, Windows XP-based PCs that are powerful enough to run Windows Vista are now available from leading PC manufacturers worldwide, including Acer Inc., Dell Inc., Fujitsu Computer Systems Corporation , Gateway Inc., HP, Lenovo, NEC Corp., Sony Corp., Toshiba and more. The Windows Vista Capable logo is designed to assure customers that the PCs they buy today will be ready for an upgrade to Windows Vista and can run the core experiences of Windows Vista.

Microsoft also is working with PC manufactures to introduce Windows Vista Premium Ready PCs. Windows Vista Capable PCs can earn the Premium Ready designation by meeting or exceeding the requirements outlined below.

A Premium Ready designation ensures that the PC will deliver even better Windows Vista experiences, including Windows Aero(TM), a new user experience designed to deliver a productive, high-performing desktop interface. Microsoft recommends that customers seeking the best experiences with Windows Vista ask for PCs that are Premium Ready or choose PCs that meet or exceed the Premium Ready requirements.

And below we have some statement from different PC manufacturers:

“Dell is focused on designing systems today that will enhance the effectiveness of the features of Microsoft(R) Windows Vista tomorrow,” said John Medica, senior vice president of the Product Group at Dell. “We are working closely with Microsoft to ensure the best user experience on currently shipping performance desktops, workstations and notebooks, and customers can be confident that their high-performance Dell configuration can make the most of the next-generation capabilities of Microsoft Windows Vista.”

“Gateway PCs are optimized to take advantage of the increased usability, reliability, security and functionality that will be available with Windows Vista,” said Greg Memo, senior vice president of Products, Marketing and Web at Gateway. “The vast majority of our consumer and business PCs are already Windows Vista Capable and many are Premium Ready, ensuring that they will seamlessly run Windows Vista when it becomes available.”

“Windows Vista will create a more dynamic computing environment for both corporate and small-business users, and customers need to know that they can buy a system today fully capable of running Windows Vista when it becomes available,” said Philippe Davy, vice president of Strategic Alliances at Lenovo. “Lenovo is working closely with Microsoft to ensure that we deliver a powerful, innovative PC experience. Windows Vista Capable PCs and Premium Ready PCs from Lenovo will help provide customers that peace of mind.”

“Microsoft and Toshiba are working closely together to ensure our notebook customers worldwide are aware of the dramatically enhanced computing experience Vista will offer,” said Hisatsugu Nonaka, Toshiba corporate senior vice president and president and CEO, Toshiba PC and Network Company. “We want our customers to choose a Toshiba notebook computer that is Windows Vista Capable or Windows Vista Premium Ready so they are prepared for this exciting new operating system.”

Shady Lace Parasol

Shady Lace Parasol
If your backyard is a bit low on foliage, this parasol from Conran can fill in with delicate shade you never have to prune. The parasol is cut in a pattern of foliage. The sunlight through the parasol casts shadows of branches and trees. A gold colored bird sits on top. The parasol plus stand sells for $840.

Motorola Q launch deets leaked

Motorola Q launch deets leaked
Purportedly originating from a Verizon Wireless site, full details on Motorola Q specs and launch price have been posted to a Phone Scoop forum, and things are looking up for the much-delayed device. No mention of the A2DP support listed in the manual on the FCC, and most of the other specs we already knew, but we were interested to see the listed battery life at only about 4 hours of usage time. Luckily there's nearly 9 days of standby time, and everything else seems pretty solid. However, we were most interested to see the prices, at a rumored $349 with a 1 year contract, $299 with a 2 year, and $419 with no contract at all. If all of this holds true, that's not too bad for a QWERTY Smartphone, and hopefully a trend we'll be seeing more of in the future. Now just release the dang thing!

Camacho Select Cigars

Camacho Select Cigars
Camacho has begun shipping their latest cigar, the Camacho Select. They call it the best wrapped Cameroon cigar ever made. The cigar was created by Julio Eiroa, the father of Camacho President Christian Eiroa. The cigar was developed as a private project and hasn't gone into regular production. There are only 400 boxes of 20 cigars, four each of five sizes (a Lonsdale, Robusto, Super Robusto, Churchill and Torpedo). The cigar has a Honduran-grown binder and filler and has a medium-to-full body. The Stogie Fresh Journal gave the cigar high marks for its spicy and robust flavor.

Tzoffey's Jewels Auction

Tzoffey's Jewels Auction
Not all the big jewel auctions happen at Sotheby's or Christie's, Tzoffey's Auction House will be holding an auction of precious gems as part of the 32nd World Diamond Congress in Israel next month. The auction has an estimated value of $50 million and includes both jewelry and unset gems. The piece shown here is a brooch set with blue, pink and white diamonds (a total of 41.84 carats) mounted in platinum. This bauble has an estimated value of $5 to $7 million. Other items include a five carat orange diamond and a sapphire and diamond brooch in the shape of a swallow which is set with a briolette sapphire that weighs 43.48 carats. The auction takes place at the Tel Aviv Hilton Hotel on June 28 and is open only to professionals in the jewelry trade.

How Much Would You Pay To Have George Clooney's Hands On You?

How Much Would You Pay To Have George Clooney's Hands On You?
The fun thing about the Get Hands On Campaign of celebrity handprinted T-shirts from James Perse is seeing which celeb handprints are bringing in the most money on Charity Folks. The high-ticket item for the auction which benefits the Revlon/UCLA Women's Cancer Research Program is a shirt from George Clooney. Clooney's pink paw prints are currently trading at a brisk $1,000 easily outpacing the king of tiny T-shirts Simon Cowell who floats in at a distant second of $330 but is still far above Paula Abdul, Randy Johnson and Ryan Seacrest (who was going for $85 last time I checked). Bargain shopping? The T-shirts from actors in the cast of "Scrubs." NBC's Hoda Kotb and comedian Carlos Mencia are bidless thus far but we've still got over a week to save them the shame of making unwanted T-shirts.

If you simply must have Clooney, you can also donate $45 to the Entertainment Industry Foundation and pick up a limited edition version of handprints done by George Clooney, Samuel L. Jackson or Keira Knightley.