AgileBits is a Canadian based company founded by 2 people: Roustem Karimov and Dave Teare. They have a brilliant software called 1Password, compatible with Apple, Android or Windows. It allows us to save our most sensitive data and it is one of the best softwares/Apps in the market for Data safety.
With our Digital life growing more and more, one very important matter comes to our minds almost each day, or even several times a day : “what is my password?” In deed, how many online accounts, credit cards, email addresses, loyalty program numbers and frequent flying client numbers one have today? According to the Guardian newspaper, one person can have around 200 different “sensitive information” like passwords, pin codes, etc… The average person can remember around 50 passwords, phone numbers and pin codes. It is not bad but definitely not enough.
1Password can help you with this and much more. If you are a Mac user, you need this. You can synchronize all your passwords via WIFI with your Macbook, iPhone, iPad,iPod Touch, etc… So that you never waist your time trying to remembering that password.
Some of the features you can find in 1Password:
– Web Browsers perfect integration
– Strong passwords generator
– Automatical Login fill in
– Store your Credit Cards for speed online shopping
– Wifi synchronization via Dropbox
– Compatible with iCloud.
After have tried lots of apps, I am definitely big fan of 1Password. It is simple to use, secured and with a great design. Check here a video about it made by macworld.
This app won several prices on the past 3 years, which shows the quality of the work done.
Leica, the timeless german photo camera brand is launching a beautiful and elegant edition of its D-Lux 5. This time the known model wears a Titanium dress for a “less is more” touch, coherent with the brand.
The existing D-Lux 5 was already a beautiful achievement for a very compact and yet performant camera. Here it gets a beautiful “dress” made on titanium for a subtle and elegant result.
Equipped with the same high-performance technical specifications as the standard Leica D-Lux 5 model, the Leica D-Lux 5 Titanium includes a fast 5.1 – 19.2mm f/2 – 3.3 ASPH. zoom lens with a focal length range from 24 to 90 mm (35 mm equivalent), suitable for a wide variety of situations including wide-angle landscape and macro photography.
The camera’s 1/1.63” CCD image sensor, with a resolution of 10.1 megapixels, is unusually large for a compact model, and is perfectly attuned to the Leica lens together with the electronics and software, producing images with outstandingly natural colour rendition, superb sharpness and high contrast. The exceptionally fast maximum aperture makes it an ideal camera for ‘available light’ photography.
With clearly laid-out menus and straightforward operation of its comprehensive range of features and manual settings, the versatile Leica D-Lux 5 Titanium offers intuitive handling in all photographic situations, from creative image design to spontaneous reportage-style shots, as well as when using the camera’s 1,280 x 720 pixel HD movie recording feature. The camera delivers images in 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 formats as well as 1:1, a particularly interesting format for creative composition.
Furthermore, the 3” LCD screen, with its wide viewing angle and 460,000 pixel resolution, enables accurate framing and composition, as well as high quality, detailed image review. The Leica D-Lux 5 Titanium comes with (as a download) Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 3, professional processing software that allows photographers to develop RAW image files and maintain complete control over the development process applied to their images. The high quality, complementary grey calf leather case is included in the set.
All these features sign these camera on the great tradition of Leica cameras since the origin. The first Leica prototypes were built by Oskar Barnack at Ernst Leitz Optische Werke, Wetzlar, in 1913. Intended as a compact camera for landscape photography, particularly during mountain trips, the Leica was the first practical 35 mm camera, using standard cinema 35 mm film. The Leica transports the film horizontally, extending the frame size to 24×36 mm, with a 2:3 aspect ratio, instead of the 18×24 mm used by cinema cameras which transported the film vertically. The Leica went through several iterations, and in 1923 Barnack convinced his boss, Ernst Leitz II, to make a pre-production series of 31 cameras for testing in the factory and by outside photographers. Although the prototypes received a mixed reception, Ernst Leitz took the decision in 1924 that the camera would be manufactured for sale. The camera was an immediate success when introduced at the 1925 LeipzigSpring Fair as the Leica I (for Leitz camera). The focal plane shutter had a range from 1/20 to 1/500 second, in addition to a Z for Zeit (time) position.
In 1986, the Leitz company changed its name to Leica (LEItz CAmera), due to the strength of the Leica brand. At this time, Leica moved its factory from Wetzlar to the nearby town ofSolms. In 1996 Leica Camera separated from the Leica Group and became a publicly held company.
The Leica is particularly associated with street photography, especially in the mid-to-late 20th century, being used by such noted photographers as Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Leica cameras, lenses, accessories and sales literature are collectibles. There are dozens of Leica books and collector’s guides, notably the 3-volume Leica, an Illustrated History by James L. Lager. Early or rare cameras and accessories can reach very high prices on the market.
So Leica continues to write its legend in order to cross years in a timeless elegance that makes lots of important Brands looking like simple electronic gadgets. Check the Brand official website for more information: www.leica-camera.com.
LA
info sourced at wikipedia.com, leica-camera.com and Official Press file.
All images copyrighted, reproduction without previous authorization strictly forbidden.
In the music industry, you have artists that pass by, others make one big shot and are forever gone and others… become legends. This is the case of Amy Winehouse. After her death last july, a new album is coming in december – Lioness hidden treasures.
The “chick from London” was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocalsand her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse’s 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK. Her 2006 follow-up album, Back to Black, led to six Grammy Award nominations and five wins, tying the then record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, and made Winehouse the first British female to win five Grammys,including three of the “Big Four”: Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Following her tragic death in July, some of the closest producers and musicians who worked with Amy Winehouse, among them Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi,spent time listening to many recordings that Amy had made before, during, and after release of “Frank” and “Back To Black”. It has been said by those who worked with Amy that the artist never sang it or never played a song twice in the same way. Salaamand Mark soon realized they there was a collection of songs that deserved to be heard, a collection of songs that were a faithful testimony of Amy as an artist but more importantly, of their friend Amy.
“Lioness: Hidden Treasures”: The third album from Amy Winehouse will be released December 5th. She is, without a doubt, one of the most talented, original, and appreciated artist to emerge from the popular music world for decades,. The collection of 12 tracks including unreleased songs, alternate versions of existing conventional and two new compositions of Amy, and was compiled by his long-time musical partners Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson in collaboration with the family of Amy ,its management and record label Island Records. “Lioness: Hidden Treasures” is a real tribute to the artist, the talent and the woman, and reminds us of the extraordinary power of Amy as a writer, singer and performer.
The track list:
1 Our Day Will Come
2 Between The Cheats
3 Tears Dry
4 Wake Up Alone
5 Will You Still Love Me
6 Valerie
7 Like Smoke featuring NAS
8 The Girl From Ipanema
9 Halftime
10 Best Friends
11 Body & Soul avec Tony
12 A Song For You
“Sometimes when the lion is dead, the jungle still remembers its presence so that it never dies.” African quote.
Giorgio Armani is launching a new Hotel under the Armani Hotel & Resorts branch. This time the luxury italian house decided to open it in the heart of fashion capital Milano. This is the second Armani hotel in the world, the first was build in Dubai.
Armani Hotels & Resorts was established in 2005 under an agreement between Giorgio Armani S.p.A. and Emaar Properties, with the objective to develop, own and operate an exclusive collection of hotels, resorts and residences in the world’s most important cities and holiday destinations. The first hotel is in Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, developed by Emaar Properties within its flagship project, Downtown Dubai. The Armani Hotel Dubai includes 160 guest rooms and suites, several restaurants and a spa, and covers more than 40,000 square meters. Alongside the hotel, Burj Khalifa offers 144 luxury residential apartments, all designed by Giorgio Armani and fully furnished with a specially designed line of products from the Armani/Casa home furnishings collection. Check the video here:
Back to Milano. Exclusively situated in the Manzoni 31 building, right at the heart of the prestigious Quadrilatero della Moda, Armani Hotel Milano embodies, in all its facets, Giorgio Armani’s personal aesthetic philosophy, which is based on the signature qualities of elegance, sophistication and comfort.
Of course the new one in Milano is a little more modest, even though all luxury is present. They have around 96 rooms and all are elegantly equipped with the italian designer touch.
It was officially opened on the 10th November, this month, and as you can imagine, lot of stars came to the opening evening like, included Giorgio Armani, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Jessica Alba, Olivia Palermo, Lauren Remington-Platt, Isabelle Huppert, Mary Charteris, Tallulah Harlech, Bianca Brandolini d’Adda, Coco Brandolini d’Adda, Roberta Armani, Sara Brajovic, Ginevra Elkann, Mafalda von Hessen and Luis Medina.
The hotel includes a luxury Spa, a Fitness room and a Gym. At the heart of the fashion area, this will probably be the next hotspot during the Milano’s fashion week.
Hotel Armani or Hotel dela Moda?
LA
info sourced at guestofaguest.com and www.armanihotels.com. All images copyrighted and all rights reserved.
It is official, the luxury french department store Le Printemps revealed his Christmas theme. This year, Chanel will thrill you during the Holiday season in France. The inauguration of the Christmas windows is always a great event as it kicks-of the beginning of one of the busiest commercial periods of the year.
Le Printemps in Paris has evolved towards one of the top levels in terms of Luxury and lifestyle in Europe. Sak’s Fifth Avenue in NY and Takashimaya in Tokyo have now a real competitor in the world.
This year, they really placed the level of Christmas very high. They have a global partnership with Chanel for an amazing christmas theme. Not only the luxury french brand has the “commercial windows” but Karl Lagerfeld designed the famous animated windows that thousands of Children and families visit in the animated Haussmann boulevard in winter.
For the PR event, Mr Lagerfeld was there, naturlich, but the biggest surprise is Vanessa Paradis. The french artist is very rare and we hardly see her on such public events. She was beautiful as always and Karl L was as usual, Iconic.
According to Cedric Dauch, Communication manager at Le Printemps, the goal is to position Le Printemps as one of the main high luxury Department stores in Europe. “The partnership with Chanel for this Christmas season is the exciting result of a natural artistic collaboration“.
We can see that Le Printemps is changing the face of Distribution in France. A department store is not anymore a “store”, it is a lifestyle environment in which the customer experience a real luxury and glamorous buying experience. October 2006, PPR sells Le Printemps to the rich italian business man Maurizio Borletti and the Deutsch bank. He is the president of the Rinascente Department stores. At the head of Le Printemps, Mr Borletti places Paolo de Cesare as CEO. According to Mr. de Cesare, his role is to place Le Printemps as THE destination for luxury customers.
Concerning the Communication visuals, all key images were shot by Karl Lagerfeld at his parisian personal photo studio.
The luxury department store also shot a campaign in parallel about the luxury catalog introduced for Christmas and to support this campaign, they created a film.
Merry Chanel christmas and a happy Karl new year then!
LA
info sourced at Le Printemps.com . All images and Brands are copyrighted and all rights reserved. Reproduction without authorization is forbidden.
The Swiss Brand Victorinox is presenting a video about one of their new pocket knives, the one with a USB key called the Victorinox Slim. As the Brand was always motivated by Innovation, Quality, Design and Functionality, Victorinox has a tremendous heritage that you can see on the following video, from the stone to the modern era!
“Evolution is just a normal step in all things” – Darwin.
Also check my latest Victorinox products reviews here:
There are names that we cannot forget. And among all the great fashion designers, definitely we will always remember Jean-Claude Jitrois as the master of Skin. This winter, the iconic Fashion house is launching its first Handbag collection based on their know-how on leather. Jean-Claude Jitrois is our Fashion Designer of the month.
Faithful to the Jitrois aesthetic, the Margot adopts three different luxury guises; deep aqua crocodile, pearl grey python and soft grège leather. With sharp and pure lines reminiscent of the structured style of the 1950s, the Margot bag is crafted entirely in France and stands as a testimony to the unique savoir-faire of the French ateliers. Particular care has been taken in its unique composition with both sides of the outer shell forming an elegant casing, enveloping the interior. The handle, stitched by hand at its base on a leather mount with loops of polished steel, is the finishing touch to this exquisite creation. The choice in such exotic skins as crocodile and python sets the Margot apart in its status of exceptional sophistication.
But do not be fooled by its classical appearances. The Margot’s subtle modernity lies in the precise dimensions of the zipped inner pouch, in which one can carry a tablet or e-reader as if in a made-to-measure case. Jean-Claude Jitrois has succeeded in the most audacious of unions, ingeniously fusing the ultimate symbol of feminine sophistication with that of the hyper-modernity of our age.
To hand, on the wrist or with the removable shoulder strap, the Margot adapts effortlessly from day into night. Much more than an ‘It’ bag, it has the power to seduce both devotees of haute-gamme style and disciples of understated chic alike. A line of belts and bracelets to complement the Margot complete the new range.
“Nothing is deeper than skin” – Paul Valery
Jean-Claude Jitrois was born in 1944 in Narbonne. He grew up in Aix-en-Provence and then follows his father’s assignments, military in Algeria:Oran and Algiers. At eighteen, he left for Paris to study. In 1976, he opened his first shop, Rue Tondutil Escarène in Nice. There he meets artists of the School of Nice as Caesar, Ben, and Niki de Saint Phalle. He will open two other shops on the Riviera, Juan-les-Pins and Saint-Tropez. In 1983 he opened his first store in own name in Paris at 38 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, it is now the flagship store of the house. In 2001, Jean-Claude Jitrois was awarded the Legion of Honor.
We cannot talk about Jitrois without remembering his great obsession: Leather. Thanks to the creative talent of Jean-Claude Jitrois, leather gained its noble status among precious fashion fabrics. The designer tries to find the balance between worldly cocktails and underground parties. His father, airman, wearing a leather jacket. Jean-Claude Jitrois greatly admired him, which led him to construct the garment into a symbol. Its goal is to make it live and breathe in the street.
Check here a video of his latest collection A/W 2011:
The prestigious Swiss House Girard-Perregaux is celebrating its 220 years of watchmaking by creating an exhibition called: A TALE OF INSPIRATION – unveiling 220 years of watchmaking Art.
I have already talked about this brand a few month ago thanks to its launch of the new 1966 Blue Dial Chronograph. With this great anniversary, it is the entire Brand that we can discover in a beautiful worldwide traveling exhibition. It will be the most beautiful and complete set of Girard-Perregaux Timepieces outside Switzerland. Some of the collections came directly from the Brand museum and you can also find some beautiful contemporary Timepieces. From the Museum, you can discover, for example, the ESMERALDA Pocket Timepieces. A beautiful and innovative Timepiece that created a huge buzz during Paris Universal exhibition of 1889.
Or you can also discover the beautiful 1966 TOURBILLON 40,00 mm with:
PINK GOLD CASE
– Antireflective sapphire crystal
– Case-back fastened with 6 screws
– Water resistance: 3 ATM
GP 9610 MECHANICAL SELF-WINDING MOVEMENT
– Calibre: 28.60 mm
– Frequency: 21,600 vibrations/hour (3 Hz)
– Jewels: 31
– Power reserve: minimum 48 hours
– Functions: Tourbillon, hours, minutes, small seconds on the Tourbillon.
Alligator strap with pin buckle.
Limited and numbered edition of 50 pieces
The nomadic exhibition makes a world travel. Check here the different dates:
From September 16th 2011 until November 27th with the parisian “Salon Belles Montres”‘.
Do not hesitate to check this beautiful exhibition and for more information, do not hesitate to explore the Brand official website: http://www.girard-perregaux.ch.
LA
info sourced at the brand website and from Girard-Perregaux PR team. All images copyrighted, no rights of reproduction without further authorization. All rights reserved.
In november a new book about Perfumery will be launched. But this time, it will be a master reference. I remember when I was studying at the Fragrance Institute in France, that there was no books. In deed, there were no reference books like we have in many other disciplines. I always wondered why so? Several people, perfumers and consultants mostly, wrote several books about or around the Fragrance industry. But none are considered as references, in the way I would see a school book.
But things might change hopefully. When I was at school, I had a brilliant teacher for Perfumery history. Her name is Elisabeth De Feydeau and I must say she is one of the most passionate person I know in this industry. She spent all her PHD time in the perfumery archives in Paris and in the south of France. She knows more about the creation of this industry than the ones who built it. Her classes were just amazing and finally she decided to launch a book that we all hope will be THE reference in terms of Perfumery. It is called “LES PARFUMS”, which means FRAGRANCES in french. The launch is programmed in November this year and we all hope it will be translated at least in English. The book will have 3 parts :
– History
The foundations of Perfumery. According to Elisabeth, if you tell the story of Perfumery, you tell the story of humanity. From antiquity to the 18th Century and its encounter with Arts.
– Anthology
Original extracts of exclusive conversations with legendary perfumers such as Jean-Claude Ellena, Serge Lutens or Jacques Polges. Also some interesting texts from the 19th century, so Literature and Perfumery.
– Dictionnary
1001 words from A to Z to describe perfumes. From technical words to proper names directly linked to the fragrance but also some more unusualentries and anecdotes with a link to the world of smells and perfume.
source: Osmoz
So we need to say a big thanks to Ms Elisabeth de Feydeau for this generous work that will definitely be read by all passionate people for Fragrances. We still need a little patience until the launch.
LA
All information sourced on Elisabeth de Feydeau’s blog
In our modern world, one of the most luxury things we might search for is time. Time is money and sometimes we cannot afford loosing time. Or it is just a matter of personal comfort. If you are in Los Angeles and you are looking for a great service-to-the-person, or a Concierge like service, you need to have a look on Purveyors of Time. It is more than a Conciergerie service. It is more a Lifestyle management company. And at Luxury Activist we like that!
Founded by Jeannette Rose Jones in 2007, the current CEO, now there are 2 people more behind this interesting company: Ms Lisa M. Pisani, Director, Client/Vendor Relations and Warren Jones, Vice-President Senior consultant director. All of them are from the Hospitality industry and have occupied key positions.
The different services proposed are grouped in 4 categories: Residential & Family, First Class Entertainment, Travel & Destination management and Business & Corporate. It is a very wide catalog of possibilities. From a Personal Assistant, through special events or Travel bookings, up to business support, Purveyors of Time will assist you in all matters. They also have a special service for Planes, Jets or Helicopter charter. If you want to know more about the different services, please check the company’s official website here.
The trend of Personal services started in most of luxury Hotels, in which the concierge was most of the time a key person in order to help you get basically everything you need during your stay at the hotel. Then, some companies all around the world, started a “conciergerie service”. Even the Vertu mobile phones had a special button on each telephone for that.
Luxury department stores like Sak’s or Harrod’s or even Le Printemps in France, also started their own personal services. After a while, Concierge became a trendy idea. What would make Purveyors of Time an interesting service? The idea is to combine private and professional life. In deed, if you are a busy person, you probably need to manage your both private and professional activities in order to fit everything in a day, week, month or year.
Here is a short video presenting the company.
I had the pleasure to be in contact with Ms Lisa M. Pisani who is the company Director – client & Vendor Relations. I could ask some questions and here is the exclusive interview:
Luxury Activist (LA): Your company, Purveyors of Time, is described as a lifestyle management company. Could you describe in a few words the philosophy of your company? Lisa M. Pisani (LMP): Purveyors of Time’s philosophy is to provide all of our clients with intuitive, unwavering and highly-personalized service on an on-call, as-needed basis.
LA:How many customers does your company have today? Or an average of missions per year if you prefer. LMP: We have approximately 50 clients, most of which we assist on a regular basis. We have hundreds of assignments each year.
LA: Can you describe who is the “typical” customer you have? Which kind of person/company subscribe to your services? LMP: We routinely cater to high-net-worth, successful individuals and families from across the United States as well as overseas. The “typical” Purveyors of Time client is someone who realizes that their time is invaluable and seeks to utilize it in the most efficient manner possible; someone who understands the need and convenience of a personalized lifestyle management service that’s available on call, as-needed. Purveyors of Time is there for our clients at a moment’s notice, meeting virtually every want and desire with flawless precision. That’s what our “typical” client wants and deserves!
LA: What differentiates your company from your competition? LMP: What really differentiates us from the competition is our level of personal attentiveness to our customers. We really tailor our services specifically to each and every client’s needs and requirements. Personal dedication and stellar service on an on-call, as-needed basis is really what Purveyors of Time is all about. We do not require our clients to purchase a Membership, although we do offer them for those who wish to purchase hours in bulk. We offer the utmost in convenience in terms of the utilization of our personal assisting services.
LA: Do you have any celebrities among your customers? Can you give us some names?
LMP: Yes we have a number of high-profile individuals and celebrities, but we are committed to maintaining complete confidentiality when it comes to our clients.
LA: Would you have new services coming soon? Or new projects you might want to share with our readers?
LMP: We are currently working on creating a custom-tailored package of “home care services” for complete estate management. Stay tuned!
So if you are based in Los Angeles and look for a great service-to-the-person, you definitely should contact Purveyors of Time. As they say, “being rich is having money but being wealthy is having time…”
LA
All images copyrighted by their respective owners. Reproductions prohibited. Information sourced at www.purveyorsoftime.com
With our Digital life growing more and more, one very important matter comes to our minds almost each day, or even several times a day : “what is my password?” In deed, how many online accounts, credit cards, email addresses, loyalty program numbers and frequent flying client numbers one have today? According to the Guardian newspaper, one person can have around 200 different “sensitive information” like passwords, pin codes, etc… The average person can remember around 50 passwords, phone numbers and pin codes. It is not bad but definitely not enough.
