Google’s Android mobile platform has made some waves since it was announced in 2007. As of May 2010, Android claimed 13% of the market share of smartphones in the US—over half of that claimed by the iOS platform run by Apple’s seemingly ubiquitous iPhone. One of the great advantages Android has over iOS is that it isn’t married to a particular hardware manufacturer, allowing many different companies to try their hands at Android smartphones.

The Chairman by Ulysse Nardin is one example of such a phone. Billed as the “world’s first luxury hybrid smarthpone,” the Chairman includes both a touch screen and a physical number pad. The Ulysse Nardin name is most often associated with luxury watches and that fact shows in the Chairman’s sophisticated design. The volume controls look like watch buttons and the crown between them can actually be wound to generate power for the device. In fact, the phone features a kinetic rotor power system visible through the backplate.

As for its hardware specifications, the Chairman has 32 GB of internal memory, an 8 megapixel camera, a Freescale i.MX processor and a display capable of high definition video playback.

There are five versions of the phone, made using either steel or 18k rose gold in the frames. Only 1846 units of each model will be produced. At a staggering $12,800 to $49,500, it’s the most expensive Android smartphone in the world.

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Carthusia’s Mediterraneo fragrance — a bright and sunny mix of lemon, verbena and green tea — has long been a summer staple of mine. So far, nothing else in the line had really captured my affections, although I’ve been meaning to revisit the florals since I haven’t smelled most of them in quite some time (if you have a favorite, or if you’ve had the chance to try any of the solid perfumes, do tell). Their new 1681, though, was a pleasant surprise.

1681 is named for the year the Carthusian monks of the Certosa di San Giacomo on the island of Capri reportedly began crafting fragrances using local materials…

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Actress Jennifer Aniston will be at Harrod’s in London on Wednesday, 21 July to launch her debut perfume, Lolavie:

Jennifer Aniston’s Debut Fragrance will be sold exclusively in Harrods from Weds 21st July…

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Prada will launch a Eau de Toilette version of Infusion d’Iris in August. The new fragrance for women focuses on the iris flower — or “a memory of iris”, since most iris flowers are not scented — instead of the more traditionally used iris root…

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The forbidden ingredients this time round are so extensive that I am asking myself, to give you an analogy, how could a baker make bread without flour? Substituting some materials with others is an option but it is possible that some fragrances will never see the light of day. This has already happened to me three times.

— Serge Lutens, talking about IFRA regulations, in There’s a bad whiff about this fuss over fragrance at the London Evening Standard. Thanks to Anya for the link!

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Lolita Lempicka will launch Minuit Noir in October. The new fragrance for women is a limited edition flanker to the original Lolita Lempicka scent, now known as Lolita Lempicka Le Premier Parfum…

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Well clients of Palmer Johnson are one opulently happy lot. Apparently they launched the PJ-501 Yacht which is first of three PJ 170 motor yachts, a repeat order for a client. The PJ-501 Motor Yacht is all set to cruise through the Mediterranean soon, alongside the other sports yachts from the company like the one designed by Nuvolari-Lenard in 2004.

Keeping with the sleek looks and aggressive attitude of the PJ Sportyacht series the PJ 170 yacht PJ-501, is a bit longer that the earlier yachts. On the technical side, the yacht spots a first of its kind dual Gyro stabilizers to negate external fins that form beneath the waterline. Another two yachts in the 210’ Sportyachts series called be the 135’ and the 82M PJ World yachts is in the offing.

[Charter World]
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Another auction of rare manuscripts is all set to take place, which will showcase English Literature, History, Children’s Books and Illustrations. And what is the highlight of this one you ask? Well it’s the first Sherlock Holmes adventure by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, titled A Study in Scarlet. One of the two copies of the first printing the book is inscribed by the author and also comes with a handwritten note by him.
While this rare book is estimated to fetch anything between $385,700-617,000, the other memorabilia include a rare deck plan of the Titanic, and a big collection of drawings for Punch by Sir John Tenniel estimated at $69,440-55,000.

[Paul Fraser Collectibles]
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Well who said fashion is all about clothes? Think Bulgari and you will get a Serpenti watch collection, made up Barbie, and stylish bags and briefcases. So Julianne Moore decide to do away with all her clothes while endorsing the brands the new Autumn/Winter 2010 collection with strategically placed handbags of course. And at 49 she decided that going nude is not the most adventurous thing anymore, so she took the help of a few cute lion cubs.
Tagged as the “Eccentric Charisma”, the photo shoot was conducted by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. I hope the cubs didn’t bite anyone at the wrong place!

[Style List]
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If you thought you had trouble finding a parking spot, or you think the parking meter runs too fast, you’re lucky not to be in Manhattan. It has now earned the notorious distinction of being the most expensive parking place in America. This despite the fact that parking is cheaper now as compared to the year that was.

Monthly parking rates for Midtown Manhattan costs $538, while downtown Manhattan would cost you $529, as per a survey of parking rates by real-estate brokerage Colliers International. The third most expensive parking place is Boston at $425 a month. May be that’s why more people in Manhattan are using public transit now!

[WSJ]
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