Burberry celebrated the opening of their Beijing flagship store with their biggest runway show to date.

On April 13^th, Burberry showcased their Autumn/Winter 2011 collection at the Beijing Television Center, where high fashion met high technology.

A six-model line up paraded across the runway in the form of extremely life-like holograms. The show took the audience through the 4 British seasons, complete with falling snowflakes, and British rock band Keane also performed for the first time ever in China.

To carry on with the event’s British theme, British models Cara Delevingne, Edie Campbell and Jourdan Dunn were amongst those projected on to the stage.

The show featured a juxtaposition of traditional styles with modern technology, where the British brand joined forces with the high-tech nature of Chinese culture.

Burberry won’t stop there with its futuristic approach to fashion, as it plans to kit out all of its Chinese stores with touch-screen displays and Apple iPads. It aims to provide shoppers with a different way of experiencing its full collection.

Highlights from the event can be viewed HERE.

Some of the hologram show can be seen HERE.

For the third year running, Monaco remains the world’s most expensive residential location.

According to The Wealthy Report 2011 by leading property brokers Knight and Frank, and wealth management specialists Citi Private Bank, Monaco boasts the most expensive luxury homes in the world.

The report acts as the global index of luxury home prices, and it estimates that $65,600 per square metre is the average price of a house or apartment in Monaco. The small European ‘microstate’ is in high demand from wealthy buyers in the Principality, and is popular amongst residents with ‘no personal income tax’ levy.

Monaco’s biggest property deal last year was the purchase of La Belle Epoque, a 17,500 square foot penthouse. It was bought by an unnamed Middle Eastern investor for 240 Euros ($340 million).

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Just when you though the Virgin empire couldn’t grow further, it prepares to reach the depths of the ocean.

Sir Richard Branson has built an ever-expanding empire with Virgin, spanning airlines, mobile phones, music, and now water expeditions. Less than 3% of the world’s oceans have been explored, but Branson plans to change this with the latest string to the Virgin bow.

These voyages have been backed by research teams from Virgin as well as teams from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Exploration companies such as Maersk, Poseidon and Helly Hansen have also partnered with the project and agreed to fund parts of the mission.

Two vehicles will be used for the expedition; a submarine and a catamaran. The submarine has been designed to withstand the 1000 atmospheres pressure that will be expected at the very bottom of the ocean, and will also use wings to enable it to fly back to the surface.

While the submarine will do most of the exploring, the catamaran will make a journey of 25,000 miles over 2 years. It will also act as a support vessel and a form of “space station” for the submarine and its pilot.

The submarine will take a one-man journey to the deepest part of each of the Earth’s oceans over the course of 2011 and 2012. The first dive will be to the deepest place on the planet – the bottom of the Marina Trench.

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For some discerning yachtsmen and women, when they leave the port, they want to leave the world behind as well, with just themselves, the waves and their beautiful yacht for company.

Whilst for others, being in contact with the outside world whilst they roam the lonely ocean is favourable.

If you are of the latter inclination, your ears may prick when you hear the name Lantic Systems, developer and manufacturer of integrated entertainment systems for superyachts, to meet all the entertainment and multi-media demands of the modern yachtsman.

For those wanting to take an on-board entertainment system even further by integrating it with a simpler method of navigating a yacht, you will be interested to hear about Suite 2011, new navigation software that incorporates a highly innovative new graphical user interface.

Created by Lantic Entertainment Systems, the Suite 2011 system provides superyacht owners with intuitive, easy to use on-screen menus and a highly innovative graphic design, which, the company claim, makes navigating a whole lot easier.

Content can be accessed by central media servers on board the yacht, as well as via local points, including iPod docks, Blu-ray players and satellite TV.

In just a touch of a button on the control panel, users will have instant access to the internet, will have complete control of local government systems and experience real-time navigation feeds.

To guarantee its on-going compatibility with new entertainment standards, all Lantic navigation systems, including the Suite 2011, can be easily upgraded, as its software is based on a core program supporting plug-ins.

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Just what constitutes such an expensive piece of exercise equipment?

Although treadmills are one of the most popular pieces of cardiovascular exercise equipment on the market, the recent rumour that the Spanish King has spent 14,000 euros on a treadmill for the royal household has naturally sparked criticism, with many believing the money could have been ‘better spent’.

Whilst little information has been divulged about the design and capabilities of the 14,000 euro treadmill, the rumour does make one ponder about what components are required to constitute an expensive treadmill.

When manufacturers design treadmills, its motor, like the engine of a car, is at the heart of a treadmill.

According to Bret Spottke, American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer, the motors on treadmill vary a great deal, Typically motors are designed with a motor range of 1.0 to 4.0 horsepower, and you can usually add another nought to the price tag of those treadmills at the higher end of the horsepower scale, as greater power means the machine can provide a more intense workout with less movement or judder on the belt.

Quality and comfort go hand in hand, and if you are forking out a small fortune on a piece of exercise equipment, you would expect that it has been designed with some luxury comfort features.

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