Thursday 29 March 2018

The Sexiest Car on Your Street: The Infiniti QX70



Bold and powerful, the Infiniti QX70 certainly turns heads!

Working with a team of highly-skilled technicians, the renowned Japanese brand, Infiniti, has built a worldwide reputation for immaculate mechanics and outstanding sale prices.




Expertly transformed into a treasured piece of automotive pleasure to become one of the definitions of iconic design, the QX70 is Infiniti's original breed of a mid-size luxury SUV with a sporty and fancy look!



Loved as much for its high performance, as for its distinctive design, the QX70 is a natural beauty queen, strong and sturdy, in the times of fake plastic copies!




Not only does it demands respect, this vehicle also commands the road, with its striking design and strong performance.








I had the pleasure to try out the Infiniti QX70, from the Excellence category, for a couple of days, and ventured on a short getaway outside the city, to unleash its power up on smooth and rugged mountain roads...boy, it was the perfect lover!

Tucking our luggage into the back trunk, it felt almost impossible to fill it up, it was just too commodious!


At the heart of the QX70 sits the V6 Engine - 3.7L, pumping 329 of horsepower.

The vehicle has a very smooth and natural 7-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift control, in addition to speed-sensitive power steering assistance and sharp magnesium paddle shifters.


Untamed by no-one, but its driver, this monstrous car incorporates intelligent technologies enhancing one's senses for an unmatched driving experience. 


The driver is treated to a very accommodating cabin, with fancy leather and a few tech toys!





To list a few options:

  • Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection. Now that I have tried it, I doubt I can live without it.
  • Front and rear parking sensors; a must!
  • High resolution touch screen central display with Infiniti Controller.
  • Bluetooth technology for mobile connectivity and audio streaming. I like to listen to my own tunes, and how great it was experiencing it through the delicious 11 speaker system embedded by Bose; what an awesome treat!
  • Keyless entry and illuminated push-button ignition.
  • Multi-functional trip computer with fuel mileage range and outside temperature display.






And the list goes on and on...


Safety and security are Infiniti's top priority, providing 6 Airbags for optimum cabin safety, as well as the Cruise control with steering wheel-mounted switches, amongst others.




The seats are fully automated, heated and absolutely comfortable. I enjoyed a peaceful nap, while my friend jumped into the driver's seat! 
I wasn't very happy to wake up and find someone else getting attached to my new fling and not letting go of it!!!



The exterior is amazingly stylish and the lines and curves align in absolute harmony, demonstrating just how well the design team got it right.




The fierce and daring look is a perfect extension to its powerhouse and meticulous interior.


To know more, please check the below few of the magical features:

  • Automatic On/Off Bi-functional headlights.
  • Adaptive Front Lighting System w/ headlamp washers.
  • Front fog lights.
  • LED tail lights and center high-mounted stop light.
  • Body colour exterior mirrors.
  • Dual heated power-adjustable and folding outside mirrors, with reverse tilt-down Front-door handle courtesy lights.
  • Aluminum roof rails.
  • Power sliding glass sunroof with one-touch open/close, tilt feature and sliding sunshade UV-reducing tinted glass.
  • Integrated rear spoiler.





Elegant, sophisticated and for sure the sexiest car on your street…you wouldn’t look as attractive without it!



A Step in the Right Direction

Tuesday 27 March 2018

MAHEC Restaurant, Dubai's Modern Authentic Hindustani Evolved Cuisine





Located at Le Meridien Dubai, Mahec is a luxury dining restaurant specialized in Modern Authentic Hindustani Evolved Cuisine, hence the name!

With its elegant set up and comfy chairs, it creates a wonderful ambiance!




Serving and using the best quality ingredients, with utmost caution, to ensure offering their guests an extremely enjoyable and exquisite experience!

The traditional Indian cuisine is combined with modernity, giving birth to new delightful and fragrant masterpieces.

Mahec has partnered with the renowned legendary chef, Satish Arora, whose dishes have been well enjoyed by Queen Elizabeth II, Bill Clinton, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Mohammed Ali…to name a few!



We were so lucky to be personally pampered by Chef Arora and allow me to share with you the gems he offered us.

We tried the famous Malai broccoli, in addition to Tiger prawns, Murg Pakoda chicken and the cottage cheese and asparagus cigar as appetizers. Each item was simply flawless, and that Malai broccoli took my taste buds to a whole new level of excitement.




We also tried a variety of mains, from the slow cooked lamb in a rich yogurt sauce, also called Pudina gahi gosht, to the Goan prawn curry cooked in chef Arora’s signature Goan masala..Spectacular!


Have you ever felt a deep craving, so strong that it makes you call your travel agent to get you on the first available flight, just to enjoy that magical dish again...The Ghar ki murgi is one of those dishes, it's the best chicken curry I have ever had, another of chef Arora’s masterpieces!
Don't postpone what you can eat today, until tomorrow!




On to dessert!! We tried the Kulfa Falooda, chef Arora's take on a sundae, complete with rice vermicelli, kulfi icecream and drizzles of rose syrup..The presentation was gorgeous, surpassed only by its lavish taste..It's true art in a plate!



The Indian culture believes in immaculate service, and we witnessed nothing less than perfection at that beautiful piece of India!



Phone number

04 4376051
 - Table booking recommended 

Cuisines

Indian, North Indian, Biryani, Kebab

Average Cost 

AED 420 for two people (approx.) with alcohol


Sunday 25 March 2018

Meet the Nokia 8





Nokia is back, and stronger than ever!

Nokia was one of the first to venture into the mobile phone business and I grew up seeing its devices everywhere…it was my first love! Actually, it was everyone’s first crush!
I have used many of their devices in the past, the N70 and the E71, and I remember how impressive they looked and felt.

2017 witnessed the great comeback of this trusted brand, offering a range of devices from the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and now the Nokia 8, winning the hearts of all genres of users, from the old time faithful ones, since the 90s, to the new and curious on boarders!

People these days are allocating even more of their time to mobile rather than anything or everyone else, so Nokia jumped into the boat to impress and it did!

Their latest release flagship phone, the Nokia 8, is sleek, fast and smart, to say the least, in brief!


I am happy to share with you the following technical specifications as listed on Nokia's website:


Design
Size 151.5mm x 73.7mm x 7.9mm

Colors 
Polished Blue, Tempered Blue, Steel, Polished Copper

Network and connectivity
Network speed LTE Cat. 9, 3CA, 450Mbps DL/50Mbps UL
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (MIMO), BT 5.0, GPS/AGPS+GLONASS+BDS, NFC (sharing) ANT+

Performance
Operating system Android™ Oreo
RAM 4 GB LPPDDR4X
CPU Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 Mobile Platform, Octa core, (4* 2.5GHz Qualcomm® Kryo™ CPU + 4* 1.8GHz Kryo)

Connectivity and sensors
Connectivity Type C, USB3.1 Gen 1 (5Gbps)
Sensors Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, E-compass, Gyroscope, Fingerprint Sensor, Hall sensor, Barometer
SIM slot 1 nano-SIM slot + 1 nano-SIM or 1 MicroSD card slot

Storage
Internal memory 64 GB1 UFS2.1
MicroSD card slot Up to 256 GB

Audio
Connector 3.5mm AHJ headphone jack
3-mics

Display
Size and type 5.3” IPS QHD
Resolution 2560 x 1440
Material Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5, 2.5D Glass
Camera and flash
Primary camera 13 MP (Colour + OIS) + 13 MP (Mono), 1.12um, f/2.0, 76.9˚, PDAF, IR range finder, dual tone flash
Front-facing camera 13 MP PDAF, 1.12um, f/2.0,  78.4˚, display flash

Battery and charging
Battery type 3090mAh2, non-removable

I didn’t want to rush things, so I took my time, exploring this magnificent phone, and now I am ready to share with you how smoothly we lived together, highlighting: Display, Battery life, Camera, Build quality and software.  


Display


Very bright and sharp. Using it outdoors in daylight, the screen is always visible and the text looks super sharp on this QHD resolution display. The colors, tend to be more natural than over-saturated.

I so loved the screen, but it would have been more astounding if it was bigger…Nokia, is there anything up your sleeves for a 6 inch?!

















 


Battery Life


This phone is a champ in this department. At last, I have a phone that does not give up on me, in my hour of need, nor in any hour…the battery’s long life allows it to run for long hours.

Who needs those chargers and cables when you can’t find them? I surely don’t when am with my new Nokia; charge it once and juice lasts you all day long, and more!

The Nokia 8 chargers very quickly thanks to "Quick Charge 3.0" and comes with USB Type C

My bed calls while I am still left with around 25% battery remaining, which is amazing, considering the fact that I am a heavy internet user.

The extended battery life is one of the best characteristics in this device…I fall asleep a happy man!



Camera


If your phone has just one camera on the back of it, then I am sorry to say that it’s so 2016!!!

The Nokia 8 features a dual-sensor 13 megapixel rear shooter that can capture ‘bokeh’ images with superb blurred background.


The “Carl Zeiss” optics are there too; just like the old days, and if you’re familiar with the Zeiss name in the photography industry, then you should know that having their name on a camera or lens, means that the product has undergone heavy testing and fine tuning to ensure optimal image quality. The result is vibrant, sharp and contrasty images.

Check the following sample images:

Day Shot


Night Shot


Notice the "Bokeh" or Background blur



























Video on the Nokia 8 is excellent. With the ability to capture videos at 4k resolution, and the availability of optical image stabilization with great surround audio capture, the outcome is nothing short from impressive. You also have the option to further stabilize the captured video from within the gallery app to the point where the video has no shakiness what so ever!! Check out the below video taken during a bumpy ride in the mountains!





In addition, you have the ability to broadcast live video streaming to Facebook Live and YouTube Live with a single touch..what a feature!

The front facing camera is amongst the best I have ever seen. I assure you, that you will not need to flip your phone and use the rear facing cameras to take selfies.. I swear, it is awesome!

A new remarkable feature, introduced first and only by Nokia, is the “Bothie”! It allows you to capture images with the front and rear facing cameras, simultaneously.
Imagine being able to capture your mouthwatering cheese burger and your facial expressions when it is in-front of you..at the same time 🙂!



Build Quality


The phone is well built, using metal and glass, and aligns brilliantly with Nokia’s legacy of sturdy phones. I went for the shiny blue, called Polished Blue, by Nokia…it’s gorgeous!

The overall look of the phone is very clean, the front of the phone is flaunted by the display and a finger print scanner located beneath it that works as should, yet, I would have preferred to move it to a different location, in favor of smaller bezels.





























Though the phone is not water-proof, it can still withstand the casual splashes... not that I have the guts to dip it in water, even if it was tolerant…I love my baby too much!


The phone comes with 64GB Build-in Storage and an additional slot for either MicroSD card or a second SIM

Software


Hello Android, you’re here and I love you.

Nokia 8 runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box

The Nokia 8 has the latest version of Android installed – Android 8, aka Oreo, at the time of this review. Since I got the phone, around a month ago, I have already received an OTA update to the latest software, a positive indication that consistent update cycles will be followed.

With no additional skins on top of Android, the phone provides an almost pure Android experience, thus, it is buttery smooth, no lag, no hiccups, no nothing going bad. There’s only speed, speed and much more speed…I wake up a happy man!

  

Verdict


Nokia is here, and definitely on track.

I have to admit, with all the brands and options in the market, it is hard to compete these days. But with long years of manufacturing experience they possess, Nokia have a huge chance to be back on the scene as one of the big players in the mobile industry.

The Nokia 8 is a good start, with a great build, good cameras, excellent battery life, and these are exactly the basics that most users require. I expect the following generation to incorporate more features like water-proofing, wireless charging, smaller bezels and bigger displays, but for now, all I can say is welcome back Nokia, welcome back…we had a wonderful well spent honeymoon!