Britain sent the decommissioned QE2 (Queen Elizabeth 2) to the Gulf as a floating hotel. Now Dubai is to return the favour, building the world’s biggest yacht to be anchored beside the Thames as a floating hotel.

The Aquiva is expected to be the world’s largest pleasure boat.

It will enable hotel guests to obtain a flavour of the mega-yacht lifestyle when it is moored amid what today is a semi-derelict London landscape of warehouses and building sites.

Although Chinese olympics were the most expensive ones ever, the stadium nicknamed the “Bird’s Nest” for its distinctive, sweeping exterior support structure, is not the most expensive one ever built. In fact the stadium “only” cost $500 million to build.

So, what is the most expensive stadium in the world? The title goes to London’s new and improved Wembley Stadium and cost over $1.5 billion to build.

Completed in March 2007, the most expensive stadium was built on the site of the original Wembley stadium, which was also known as the “Home of Football.”

One of the most impressive features of the stadium is its structural design and the Wembley Arch, which spans 1040 feet and provides the structural support of the entire building, thus eliminating the need for pillars obscuring fans’ views.

The stadium is home to the English national men’s football team and can hold 90,000 rowdy spectators (all covered from rain) for any given match. The stadium has hosted not only football but also musicians like George Michael, Madonna, Metallica, Muse and the Foo Fighters.

In 2012, Wembley will also host the Olympic soccer tournament :)

To celebrate the 2008 Summer Olympics being held in Beijing, China. De Vere’s of London have created the Olympic Diamond iPhone 3G.The front steel bezel of these Apple iPhones 3G are inset with 88 diamonds.

This number marks the date of the opening ceremony on 8/8 (8th of August) 2008.
The number 8 is very important in Chinese superstition as the pronunciation of it is the same as “accumulate wealth” and also double 8 stands for double wealth.

The Olympic Diamond iPhone is £4148 (USD$8219). This is the price for setting the 88 diamonds into an iPhone supplied by the customer.

The 88 diamonds can be set in a variety of patterns : Below are a couple of ideas.

On the left, the 88 diamonds are set into the top right hand corner. On the right, the same design is expanded so that the diamonds are spread along the top and side.

There are other iPhone designs and many ways to show off the diamonds on your iPhone !
Other designs include 28 diamonds valued at £1700 ($3376). Those seeking a bit more luxury can get a version that is festooned with168 diamonds that costs £7800 ($15493). It takes between 7-10 days to set the diamonds into the iPhone.

The former inventor of table tennis Jaques of Londonhave teamed up with the men’s luxury goods company Dunhill to develop a table tennis kit fit for champions, just in time for the Olympic Games in China.

The table tennis is crafted of solid wood and savors an all-black cellulose and resin bonded surface for a sublime appearance still meeting the international requirements.

To give the set the Dunhill standard masculine lines it features a solid Heist leather cover which stows the professional bats and balls and come in a bag which is also from the Heist collection.

The table is available exclusively by order from Dunhill. Source

Gucci has just announced the creation of a special collection, 8-8-2008 Limited Edition, using the opportunity to contribute to the Summer Olympics in China, so as to increase its brand awareness in label-conscious Asia.

In total, Gucci has produced 8 accessories, conceived by Gucci’s creative director, Frida Giannini, each inspired by competitive sports. The entire line plays a numbers game, since the Olympics will be held on 8-8-1008. (eight is the lucky number in Chinese culture).

For all eight accessories, the color red permeates the collection. “Not only does red evoke happiness and celebration, two emotions that couldn’t be more appropriate to describe the excitement brought by the international sport games, but it also happens to be a very fashionable color for 2008,” Giannini said.

“A noteworthy product in this collection is the 8-8-2008 I-Gucci watch ($1,415), the company’s first digital timepiece, boasts a black dial, steel frame and a clean digital face with a red and green logo commemorating the year 2008 on the back. The exterior of its red rubber strap is engraved with the Gucci logo, while the interior has been engrossed with Gucci’s iconic GG pattern. The timepiece allows the wearer to select a dedicated Beijing time zone code on the display too (source).”

The “8-8-2008 Limited Edition” collection includes other accessories such as a unique bicycle ($3,420) with bold red double GG leather details, and some collectable items such as a luxurious Mahjong ($3,150) set covered in red La Pelle Guccissima leather, and, to pay homage to China, the country’s iconic panda animal offered as a soft leather teddy bear for $1,050.

Also included in the collection are two pieces of luggage in “La Pelle Guccissima” (a sturdy leather duffle for $2,795 and a $995 soft leather messenger bag with Gucci’s iconic green-and-red web on the shoulder strap) ; sports shoes ($660), for both men and women, articulated in a fresh patchwork of suede, patent leather and gold trim and a $445 necklace inspired by military tags, in sterling silver.

The I-Gucci watch will be offered worldwide but all other accessories of this special collection will be sold exclusively in Hong Kong and mainland China.