Mmmm…..tallscreen.

Is bigger always better? In this case, I would say yes. At least in terms of sheer awesomeness. What you’re looking at here is a future 33-story LED screen on a building in Dubai. You know, the place where the mega-rich go on vacation and they have nothing better to do than create their own islands in the shape of palm trees?

This screen is so large that you can see ads on it from 1.5 km away. How’s that for getting your message across to the masses. All I can think about is a massive game of Tetris, where each block is the size of a small office building.

Then when I’m done with than, how bout some Arkanoid and then finish the day off with a quick game of Raiden Fighters. Oh the possibilites…. How much do to you think it would cost for me to rent that for a few hours? Do you take Amex?

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Dubai City Tower: 2.5 km high!

You’ve read about 1 km high skyscraper planned for Dubai (already approved) - link - but all this pales in comparison to this gargantuan project (click to enlarge image):

Dubai City Tower is planned for the Jumeirah City project… even includes a vertical bullet train: one-and-a-half mile tall, 125 mph elevator.

Read more about proposed outrageous structures and most fantastic properties on this page.

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World’s biggest plasma unveiled in dubai

RECORD HOLDER: Panasonic has unveiled its 150-inch plasma screen at Gitex. (Supplied)

Panasonic unveiled the world’s largest plasma screen on Sunday at the Gitex technology exhibition, the first time the 150-inch has been displayed in the Middle East.

The Japanese electronics manufacturer said the screen size is the equivalent to nine 50-inch screens - 46 percent larger than its nearest rival.

“Our 150-inch plasma screen is definitely the main attraction at Gitex and the invocations which Panasonic has incorporated into this screen are only the tip of the iceberg of plasma’s potential,” Yasuo Yamasaki, Panasonic Marketing Middle East system solutions general manager, said in a statement.

Panasonic said the screen has an effective viewing area of 3.31 metres in width and 1.87 metres in height.

The Dubai Aquarium at the new Dubai Mall is set to open to the public on August 28, coinciding with the opening of the mall.

The aquarium will showcase one of the most diverse collections of marine life worldwide, according to mall officials. With one of the largest tanks in the world at 51 metres by 20 metres by 11 metres, the aquarium will feature the world’s largest viewing panel, which will be 32.8 metres wide and 8.3 metres high.

The facility, built by Oceanis Australia Group, has a capacity to hold 10 million litres of water and will be completely illuminated. The aquarium is built in the centre of the mall and is flanked by two acrylic tunnels that offer views of the diverse marine life within it.

Special acrylic has also been used to build the world’s largest indoor marine mammal pavilion at the mall. Though glass is traditionally used for aquaria, acrylic has proven to be stronger and lighter, with acrylic-soluble cement used to fuse the material together, allowing for the formation of unusual shapes.

“Glass is not used in the building of modern aquariums. An acrylic plastic is bonded together to create the windows in the mall’s aquarium and the Discovery Centre. Acrylic is extremely strong and can be manipulated into a variety of shapes such as the unique curved acrylic tunnel,” said Yousif Al Ali, general manager, The Dubai Mall. “The 270-degree acrylic walkthrough tunnel makes for incredible close-encounter experiences with some of the most fascinating underwater animals. The special ‘lunar-cyclic’ lighting system will change the ambience of the tank depending on the time of day.”

The project was designed by CD+M Lighting Design Group, a US-based multi-disciplinary lighting and controls design firm. Meanwhile, following the completion of the aquarium’s construction work, the first batch of 30 Sand Tiger sharks were delivered last week.

With almost all construction work at the mall complete, the stage is set for the official opening of the mall in August. Construction started in late 2004 and was carried out by Dutco Balfour Beatty-Al Ghandi & Consolidated Contractors International Company. The architectural design of the mall was done by DP Architects PTE Ltd. Singapore-based Meinhardt were the civil and structural engineers.

When it formally opens its doors, the 12.1-million-square-foot Dubai Mall will be the biggest in the world in terms of total size. It will include the region’s first SEGA indoor theme park covering 76,000 sq ft, the world’s largest indoor gold souk with 220 retailers, an Olympic-size ice rink, and The Grove, an indoor-outdoor streetscape with fully retractable roof.

However, not all facilities will be open by August 28.

KidZone, SEGA indoor theme park and the 22-screen Cineplex will only be ready by the end of the year.

“These centres require a dust-free environment and that is the reason we are planning to open them by the end of the year,” said a senior official at Emaar.

The numbers

30: The number of Sand Tiger sharks delivered recently for Dubai Aquarium

220: The number of retailers in the gold souk at The Dubai Mall

Source: Retail Dubai

We quickly threw on clothes and gathered water and cameras and were about to walk out the door when Amber woke up. We told her what was going on in what must have been a huge run on sentence. She responded with, “can you give me two minutes”. So within 20 minutes I had gone from napping and catching up on things this afternoon to going to see the pyramids and Transformers 2. We got down to Giza around 2:30 pm and headed into the main gate. We had actually arrived before Theresa because she had taken the metro. We walked around and took the real touristy photos, but I was just in shock and awe that I was looking at the Spnix and the pyramids.

So we finally met up with Theresa who then led us in the direction of the set. We wanted to get there quickly and it was on the other side of where we were, so we ended up getting on a rickshaw. The sad part was that the man kept whipping the horse. We had five people on the cart and we were going uphill so the horse was actually slipping on the road. We shuddered with every crack of the whip, but finally we went downhill a bit and the horse seemed to do better. We were dropped off close to one of the smaller pyramids and began trying to look nonchalant. Theresa left us at the rickshaw and walked up to meet her friend on the set. Jessy, Amber and I tried to appear like tourists who just happened to stumble across the set of Transformers 2. We weren’t the only ones. There weren’t a lot of other spectators but there were quite a few Egyptians standing around.

We noticed a lot of people had badges…which we did not. So we just tried to play it cool and we took a seat on some of the nearby rocks. We were able to sit and watch as they set up the shot. Then all the sudden the set was a flurry of excitement as the director, Michael Bay, walked up. They were getting everything ready for a scene with actor John Turturro (Agent Simmons). We actually got to see them film a scene with John climbing up the side of the pyramid! It was amazing. I can’t imagine how tired he must have been by the third take. Those “steps” or blocks is more like it are huge. We kept holding out that we would see Shia, but as the scene was wrapping up we heard them talking about moving locations.

We decided to go ahead and start walking back. The girls had to be back in Heliopolis for youth group by 6:15 pm. (Giza is clear across town, further than Mohandeseen is). As we were walking a van drove by and offered us a ride. They said they had to clear the road because they were filming a scene there. So we hopped in and then got out a few minutes later. They already had the camera set up and were adjusting the shot. We decided to wait and see what this next scene was. Everyone seemed really tense because they had to deal with stopping traffic and the sun setting. We stood behind the camera area and prepared to be kicked out at any moment. At this point we really were the only ones watching. Michael Bay came over and immediately took charge. They had a Bedouin guy on a camel in the foreground with the pyramids in the background. Then the cars were cued. Yep, the cars. We got to see three of the suped up cars zoom by us…three times! It was amazing! We actually tried to leave after the first shot but then realized we were trapped because we couldn’t walk down the road due to the filming. So we stayed to watch the full scene.

Then the girls really had to head out, but I decided to stick around and move with them (more like follow them) to the next location. I tried to act as lost or oblivious as possible to the fact that I was literally walking onto the Transformers 2 set without a badge. I was shocked to find that no one stopped me and I proceeded to walk literally up to all the huge trailers with equipment. I saw that they were preparing to do a scene on the roof of a building adjacent to the Great Pyramid. I also looked over and saw Theresa. I tried not to make eye contact, I didn’t want her to get in trouble for telling me about the shoot. I was just so excited to watch everything! I got to see Shia, Megan Fox, and John from far away up on the roof, but I can’t wait to watch the movie and see those three scenes!

Theresa eventually came over and told me how her day had been. She introduced me to her friend, Robert, who was the still photographer on the movie. He thought it was interesting that we were friends and I just so happened to be at the pyramids that day…but he said he was completely fine with me being there. Then she introduced me to a couple other people working on the set. One guy recognized me from watching the other scenes. I was a bit embarrassed, but no one told me to leave and everyone was really nice. I even got to go with Theresa to one of the drink cars and get an Orangina. It was amazing to be there and watch the sunset over the pyramids and then have it slowly fade into night time.

I was surprised they kept filming without the light, but they rigged up powerful lights to solve the problem. At about 6:15 pm I decided to go ahead and head out. I didn’t want to impose on Theresa and her friends, so I sad good bye and headed towards the gate. As I walked out the guards asked if I was with the movie, to which I told them no. Then they asked if I was a tourist, and I said yes, which shocked them. They told me that the pyramids closed at 4 pm. I apologized profusely and explained that I didn’t know and I kept seeing people there. Hahaha…so I guess most tourists don’t get to see the sunset near the pyramids!

Shot of John Turturro climbing the pyramid

I found the main road and had to haggle with three taxis before I got one that would give me a decent price to the metro. I still can’t believe that I saw the pyramids today and Transformers 2! Anytime I see that movie and I see the scenes from the pyramids, I’ll remember that that was my first time seeing them! And I was just off screen!

This piece was taken word for word from a blog

Link: http://arhoderick.wordpress.com/2008/10/17/pyramids-and-transformers/#comment-129

Women’s shoe designer Christian Louboutin may soon open shop in Dubai, according to the Khaleej Times. The designer’s signature red-soled sky-high stilettos seem to fit right into the architectural and style-centered city. The designer says he has been scouting out possible locations in Dubai to appease his following there.

If he doesn’t find suitable real estate soon, those in need of a boost might head to christianlouboutin.com, which is set to launch any day now. You can find the pair at right for $1,085 at Bergdorf Goodman.

Spice Girl Melanie Brown is so in love with her hubby, Stephen Belafonte, that she is renewing her vows at a grand celebration in Egypt later this year.

In fact, a source has revealed that the Scary Spice and her producer husband have sent out “an 11-page invite” to friends.

“It was very ornate and detailed,” The New York Post quoted the source, as saying.

However, the source was quite terrified to the Cleopatra land, as tourists keep being kidnapped in the country.

Those who are invited for the extravagant celebrations include, Victoria and David Beckham, Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell and the other Spice Girls.

The source said that the last page of the invite says: “Everyone has to sign an agreement to be photographed and videotaped. Mel is going to be selling the pictures to a magazine for as high a price as she can get.”

Brown and Belafonte tied the knot in June 2007, shortly after she gave birth to ex-boyfriend Eddie Murphy’s love child.

Meanwhile, a rep for Brown didn’t return e-mails to comment on the issue.  (ANI)

SYDNEY — Cape Breton University’s enrolment figures are among the best in the region, with the highest increase in full-time undergraduate students this academic year.
CBU’s one-year full-time undergraduate growth of 7.5 per cent, reported to the the Atlantic Association of Universities, is larger than that of any other post-secondary school in Atlantic Canada and can be greatly attributed to their campus in Cairo, Egypt.
Vice-president of development Keith Brown said there are 3,558 students studying at the university, both at the Sydney campus and abroad.
There has been a 48.1 per cent increase of international students. Thirteen per cent of that increase is found at the Sydney campus, where there are approximately 318 international students in total.
The greater increase is within the CBU fourth-year studies available at Canadian International College, Cairo.
“The largest portion of the increase in international students, or overall students, has come through the Cairo campus. The program is in Egypt, but CIC Cairo is attracting students from 22 countries in the Middle East and in North Africa. So you’re not only attracting students from Egypt, you’re attracting them from the entire region,” said Brown.
There are approximately 1,600 students at the campus in Cairo, of which 450 are Cape Breton University students. In addition, 50 students from Egypt have transferred to Sydney to finish their degree.
Egyptians are now the second-largest source of international students at CBU, when only a few years ago there was a handful of those students.
The largest source of international students at the Sydney campus continue to come from China, though there are students from more than 40 countries in the world and 10 provinces.
Brown said there is a slight increase in new student registrations this year. In addition, CBU also recorded a significant jump in graduate students with an increase of 13.1 per cent, third best among Atlantic universities.
CBU has continued to be the Atlantic leader in aboriginal programming and services, with an increase of 22.6 per cent in aboriginal students for the 2008-2009 school year.
Students enrolment from Cape Breton remains the most important market for the university — about 65 per cent of the student body is from Cape Breton Island, said Brown.
The second greatest source of domestic students comes from Ontario, another area of growth.

source: Cape Breton Post

Swanke Hayden Connell Architects (SHCA) has been appointed by Beltone Financial to design its new HQ in the 6 October Smart Village in Cairo.The project, SHCA’s first in Egypt, will see the firm not only providing the architectural design for the 14,490 sq m, four-storey base building but also the interior design. In addition SHCA is supplying workplace consultancy services in order to benchmark Beltone against other international financial organisations with respect to space standards and flexible office space.

Nick Birchall, Principal at SHCA said: “This is a tremendously exciting project to be involved with; the 6 October Smart Village is effectively creating a whole new business district for Egypt’s high-tech and financial institutions.”

Speaking on the design, Birchall commented: “Our design brief called for a clear and strong identity that would distinguish the building from the surrounding developments. The architecture had to provide a light and spacious environment with good visual and spatial connectivity while also representing the young, creative and confident business culture of the client.

“In answering the brief,” Birchall continued, “we included a 65 ft high glass atrium, which provides an airy, bright focal point for the building. We specified that the glazing to the façade glass is a high performance blue solar glass with a white baked enamel painted finish on the external surface creating a distinctive ‘bar code’ pattern which will give the building a unique identity within the overall master plan.”

source: up to date design