Elite Traveler January-February 2015

elite traveler JAN/FEB 2015 ISSUE 1 57

The Vertu Aster takes luxury to a new level

A VERY ENGLISH VERTU

The luxurious Vertu Aster mobile phone is more English than the English. The London Symphony Orchestra supplies the ringtones, screensavers are from the National Gallery and the craftsmanship is more akin to a British sports car. But all this can’t hide some serious tech. Built on Android’s KitKat platform with a Snapdragon quad-core processor, the Aster’s 13-megapixel camera is courtesy of Haselblad, it has cutting-edge noise cancellation, virtual surround reproduction and high-quality Bluetooth streaming. From $6,500, vertu.com

AN ICON REBORN

Following a six-year hiatus, Panasonic has seen sense and resurrected its vaunted Technics marque. Gone are the turntables beloved of superstar DJs the world over. The focus returns to the high-end hi-fi separates that put this brand on the map in 1965. There are two niche collections at launch: the Reference Class R1 Series and Premium Class C700 Series, each comprising an amplifier, network player and speakers of superlative sound and build quality. From $4,985, technics.com

Chill factor vs. wind chill factor.

With an average temperature of 76 degrees, plus beaches, diving, snorkeling, kayaking, fishing and dolphin encounters, and a convenient airport in the middle of it all, Marathon is a great alternative to where you are now. fla-keys.com/marathon 1.800.262.7284

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