He may have dropped down the order in the latest DJ Mag rankings but many still regard him as the worlds best and who's to argue with them. He is one of the biggest names in electronic music and his album Armarda Records is one of the biggest in the industry, his show A State Of Trance recieves millions of listens weekly and his most recent world wide tour "Armin Only Intense" has been selling out in virtually every country. The South African leg was just a few weeks ago and everyone whom attended the show only had great things to say about it. Armin is a pioneer in this genre and he knows what his audience wants and he delivers it every time. Here is one of his latest offerings to get you into a good mood for the week ahead!
Whether we like it or not, technology has taken over our lives, more often than not we will revert to our phones or computers for something or the other. Mobile devices have come along way from just making phone calls, with a host of social applications and high resolution camera's, a phone isn't merely a phone now a days, people want to share their moments, keep in contact and browse the internet on the go but data prices in SA have been steep, although there have been decreases in the pricing, it really isn't on par with the rest of the world.
Hence a trip to a coffee shop or restaurant now won't only be decided upon if the coffee or food is good but if they offer free WiFi. On average, coffee shops offer 20mb per person which is hardly enough to update your Facebook status, instagram your food, post a selfie of you and your bestie to twitter and check in on Foursquare. Fear not though, MWEB have come to the rescue by introducing "WiFi High Street", in a first, MWEB have chosen streets around the country that have a big social hub and offered them good quality, high speed, uncapped WiFi! The initiative was launch two weeks back on Durban's iconic Florida Road. Speaking at the launch, MWEB's General Manger, Nathier Kasu said "Florida Road is a great place to demonstrate the possibilities that high-speed WiFi enables. We've created a Wifi zone, rather than a WiFi hotspot, to deliver superior experience to users, wherever they may be on the high street"
What is a WiFi Zone?
WiFi hotspots tend to be a single access points, with limited capacity and scalability as new users join the network, and a poorer overall performance. By contrast, a WiFi zone features multiple access points, meshed together in a single indoor or outdoor environment with more resilient infrastructure and powerful backhaul- with the result being consistent, fast internet access.
I was skeptical about it but since the launch I have visited Florida Road many times and tested it out, even though I am not an MWEB client, obtaining a username and password was dead simple and within seconds I was connected and ready to go. This really is a great initiative from MWEB and with more of these WiFi Zones planned for SA, it can only make things better for us.
This past weekend saw the three guys from BBC's famed series "Top Gear" visit the warm shores of South Africa's east coast for what was supposed to be their 3rd and final appearance in Durban for them and the travelling festival. The setting couldn't have been better with the weather being absolutely stunning, a new revised street track ready for the onslaught of fast cars and burning rubber and Moses Mabhida being the shimmering beauty in the melody of madness.
AMG VIP marquee bar
I was fortunate enough to be invited to spend the weekend from the gang at Mercedes Benz South Africa, to experience with them a weekend of #AMGTopGear. I agreed to it without even knowing what it was about, only after, little by little did details of what an epic time it was going to be filtered in and when I finally got there, I was blown away with what I had experienced. Here's what went down.
Chillin in the marquee
After partying another Friday night into the early hours of Saturday morning, it was a struggle to get up and make the 9am opening time of the festival, let alone find parking and walk all the way to the stadium. Luckily for me Mercedes Benz already had a full proof plan in place for me and other VIP guests to their tent, with a shuttle service from Riverside hotel to the VIP area of the festival.
AMG's ready to go
Once there I was greeted by the members of the Mercedes Benz SA team, offered a drink and some entrees, then I was asked to register for my AMG hot lap, a bit confused and still nursing a hangover I signed this piece of paper and got handed a number and was told to make my way out for a safety briefing. It was there I learned that I was about to go around the street circuit in one of Mercedes Benz AMG's driven by a member from their Advanced Driving academy! The cars varied from the smallest, A45 AMG Edition 1 to the biggest ML63 AMG, the one I got to go in was the smallest and most agile from the bunch, the A45 AMG Edition 1. I was told that the street circuit was made for it as well, so I was even more excited with the my choice!
Safety briefing
All strapped up and we were ready to go, like clock work at 12pm sharp the gates to the track opened for us and we made our way on to the circuit. This years street track saw the length reduced but made it much faster and more entertaining for the fans, after a short warm up the drivers got the go ahead to put the pedal to the metal and open the valves on the car.
A45 AMG Edition 1
Almost like a roller coaster the sheer acceleration and power had us firmly into our seats, that was only until the first turn where we then got flung from side to side as we made our way through the track. With the air filled of burning rubber and the tones of high revving engines, this was one of the best experiences of my life! In what felt like both a life time and a flash, our 4 laps were complete and we had to make our way back to the pits. Words failed to do justice for what I had experience and the only thing I could manage was this massive grin on my face.
Next up was the show, having seen the show the past three years I sort of knew what to expect but this time round there was a difference. I had VIP pass which meant mingling in a suite in stead of an ordinary stand ticket. Being ushered around Moses Mabhida like royalty to the Mercedes Benz suite was an experience in itself. There we were greeted to an open bar to quench our thirsts and 3 course buffet lunch! If this isn't luxury and service then I don't know what is!
View from the suite
The suite was located practically on centre stage, so the view was unmatched. The show itself lived up to expectation, it was entertaining and there was plenty of car candy to be seen, none more so than the SLS Black Series that made its entrance during the "Car Porn" segment. Hearing that deep growl of the monster V8 echo around Moses Mabhida as it made it way down the straight made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up!
Spot the SLS Black Series
The expo zone of the festival is always one to draw the crowd, most manufacturers take advantage of this by displaying their best products at their tents and one to look out for is always Mercedes Benz AMG. Last year they debuted their A45 AMG Edition 1 and this year they brought along the grand daddy of luxury sports coupe's in the S63 AMG Coupe.
AMG Marquee
The car left many admiring its fierce design coupled with the luxury interior that befits a palace. It definitely is the right combination of luxury and sports, with its long wheel base there was sure to be plenty of space for its 4 passengers and ample power to carry it along with them. Other cars at the AMG marquee included the normal SLS, SL63 AMG, A45 AMG, C63 AMG 507 Edition, CLA 45 AMG and the E63 AMG. All of them stars in their own right and got the deserved attention by the people visiting.
S63 AMG Coupe
The AMG Demo theatre was another highlight from the German auto maker, with audiences getting to see and experience the power of the various cars as well as safety features and measures the cars does to make sure its passengers are safe at all times. Again the demonstrations were done by members of the AMG Advanced Driving Academy and left the crowds in awe and also educated on the cars on display.
AMG Advanced Driving Academy
Before I knew it, the sun was setting on my Top Gear weekend and it was time to head back home, with one final stop at the AMG VIP tent to say our goodbyes, it was off to the shuttles which again transported us back to the Riverside Hotel to collect my car and drive back home with the memories of a fantastic time at Top Gear 2014.
Sunset over Moses
Just a quick thanks to Mercedes Benz South Africa and the team at iProspect (Janine & Carla) for making all this possible!
It's Monday and most of us are still coming to grips with the reality that the weekend is over but lets not stop the party. Dutch DJ legend Tiesto last week just released his latest album "A Town Called Paradise" which features a number of hits and collaborations with some of the best in the business. The sales have already been shooting it up the charts and today we celebrate the album launch by featuring one of the songs from it. Many of the songs from the album are quite popular and can be heard on many radio stations but we decided to feature something different, the track features DJ duo Dzeko and Torres and is a banger of note, put it loud and enjoy!
After months of waiting, the weekend of Top Gear Festival is finally here! This is just to recap what you can expect this weekend, so you can make notes and make you don't miss out on any of the action!
To start off with, there is a brand new and improved street circuit that is going to provide the fans with a faster and more exhilarating experience, be sure to catch all the action that's going down there by visiting the website to see the times for the various events taking place on the circuit.
Mercedes Benz will have a Demo Theater showcasing their AMG Master Class Driving Performance. They will have the world's most powerful 4 cylinder engines, pushing the limits with the A45 AMG and CLA45 AMG, driven by their professional drivers. This is what the guys from Mercedes Benz had to say:
“The focus of Mercedes-AMG on "driving performance" will be one of the main highlights at the 2014 TopGear Festival.
Experience the high performance technology of this iconic brand for yourself at the AMG Marquee.
Don’t miss the exhilarating S63 AMG Coupe - making its South African debut at the Festival.
Delivering a thrilling 430kw and 900nm of power this dynamic V8 is the epitome of "driving performance" in the luxury segment.
Also for the first time in 2014, Mercedes-AMG will demonstrate the power and agility of the fastest 4-cylinder production engines in the world, as professional race drivers take the A45AMG and CLA45AMG through their paces in the AMG Demo Theatre.”
Also don't forget about the big reveal from Merc of their beast S63 Coupe which will be making its SA debut at the show! Judging from the pictures its sure to be a show stopper.
For more info, check out our last post on the show highlights and look to the sky as their might be a Lotus F1 car falling from the skies!
It's the final year that the BBC's most watched series brings its live show to the shores of KZN and according to the organises, it is going to be the biggest and best one yet. Tens of thosands of fans are expected to make their way down to Durban's iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium to witness what is on offer this year.
There is a revised street track with added striaghts to make the racing more exciting with more grand stand seating. The action zone is filled with events for the entire day, there's a demo strip where the manufacturers will be showcasing some of their products. Motoring in motion will offer visitors the chance to test drive some of the new models from Mercedes Benz, Infiniti and Ford.The motoring expo is always a hit with the various exbhitors always drawing a crowd.
Though the main reason for people visiting would be to see the legendary trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, not forgetting the "tame racing driver" only known as "the Stig". They've come a long way since the series first aired in 2002, they've travelled the world and test driven some of the most exotic cars in the most breath taking locations and of course done some utterly stupid things in between.
Fans can expect to see some of that stupidity and creativity at the show as the trio attempt to build an electric car and perform challenges set to them by the Top Gear men in white coats. Local Afrikaans rapper Jack Parrow will be making an appearance during the show, no one knows why yet, some say it's to perform a track especially written for the festival but Richard Hammond is hoping it doesn't involve them rapping! They wil also be screening a short video which could be the prequel to the upcoming season 22 of the series and South African fans will be the first to see it!
Other stuff one can see in the show will be the ever popular Top Gear Stunt driving team who wow the crowds every year with some of the most insnane driving skills seen but the biggest news is that the Stig has accquired an F1 car from the Lotus F1 team! Theres CCTV footage of him breaking into the teams headquarters and redirecting the shipping to Durban for the show! Want to know what he has planned with the car? Well you better head down on either the Saturday or Sunday to find out because its sure to be epic, rumour has it, he may bungee jump with the car!
Tickets from as little as R260 and they're selling out fast, so don't miss out on your last chance to see the greatest live festival ...in the world in Durban!
Audien, not the most popular name in the EDM world but the American DJ has been doing his thing and wowing crowds with his mellow and uplifting beats for a good few years now. Signed onto Armin van Buuren's Amarda label, his played at the ASOT events and has worked with many other DJ's on the label, most notably Arty where he remixed his track "together we are", and his remix of Ummet Ozcan's and Nervo's track was featured a few weeks back. Today he's joined by the guy who's vocals could be found on most electronic dance songs today, Matthew Koma.
The Football World Cup kicked off last night in Brazil and along with great sporting action we can look forward to some beautiful sights in the crowd as the South America's are home to some of the worlds most beautiful woman but coming back to our continent, we also have our fair share of stunning ladies that would get heads turning, jaws dropping and tongues wagging. Today's featured model is from the green coasts of KZN. not only has she's been modelling for a good few years, shes also a qualified MUA, has a voice of an angel and wants to cook me a three course meal! How can you not love her?
Malca Louw
Bio
My name is Malca Louw, I am a young, adventurous and easily inspired 20 year old currently studying my 3rd year of a Corporate Communications Degree. I have a strong passion for photographic modelling as I believe it is a form of acting and that every photo tells a story.
I have been modelling for many years and I really hope to pursue it as a career. However, apart from my passion for modelling, I absolutely love to sing (and NO... not just i the shower!). I toured Europe when I was younger to sing in the most beautiful of cathedrals and I am certain I left my heart there- which is why I am adamant to return and fetch it one day. I am also very interested in all the girly stuff ;) like make up and aesthetics, which is why I am now also a a qualified Make up artist.
1. Hot girls and hot cars go hand in hand, what ride would you like to see yourself in?
The Bentley Continental... No doubt about it... unless a BatMobile is up for grabs ;)
2. What sandwich are you most likely to make for me? and will it be toasted or plain?
A sandwich? Really? Honey... don't degrade my cooking like that! I'll whip you up a 3 course meal, Masterchef style ;)
3. What type of music gets your booty shaking?
Who needs music? I'm ALWAYS dancing! :) but if I HAD to choose- probably 80's and 90's hits! You don't get any better.
4. Dream cover shoot?
Vogue, need I say more?
5. If given a choice, full time model or full time executive, what would you choose?
Both... I'm a pretty good multi tasker ;) okay but on a serious note... Full time executive... Modelling is fantastic and I would love to pursue it full time, however, it has a shelf life and I believe I have a lot to offer in the corporate world, as well as well as in the modelling industry.
6. Everyone loves popcorn (well I think they do) what is your topping/ sprinkle of choice?
Salt and Vinegar WITH Astros!!! It is out of this world!
7. Growing up you must have had someone you aspired to be, so who is your role model?
Candice Swanepoel. A girl from my own home town who pursued modelling and is now a Victoria Secret Angel. She has worked so hard and made such an amazing career in the industry. I really hope to be in her shoes one day.
8. Obviously being a female you would love fashion, favourite label/ designer?
I do... however, I believe fashion is only temporary, STYLE, on the other hand is FOREVER.
9. Anyone holding that hand yet? or is it available?
It's unavailable, I'm happy to say I am currently dating an incredible man who has been by my side through every step of the way..
10. Which city is your dream party destination?
Indonesia, Bali as well as Italy, Rome...Cities of love and culture. There's no better.
This years Top Gear festival is already mooted to be the biggest and best Festival so far, visitors can expect a bumper show on the track and in the stadium and the action doesn't stop there! The Expo Zone will be home to a host of manufacturers in the industry, one of them being Mercedes Benz, their highlight will be the AMG stand and the focus of it being "driving performance".
Mercedes Benz AMG needs no introduction to the South African market with them being pretty popular amongst most buyers and fans. Which is why they will be in for a treat when they visit the stand during the Festival as the all new S63 AMG Coupe will be making it's debut on South African soil there. The S Class Coupe takes over from the CL Class as the companies flagship long base luxury coupe. With it's elegant yet sporty styling this new vehicle from the German manufacturer will have heads turning, add to that the aggressive AMG kit which accompanies the S63 Coupe and you'll have tounges wagging too!
At the heart of the beast you will find a 5.5 litre, V8 twin-turbo pushing out 430Kw, 585bhp and 900Nm of torque! It propels the car from 0-100kph in less than 4 seconds with the help of a 7 speed automatic "speedshift" gear box and the grunt from the massive four pipe configuration will send shivers down your spine! This car is the epitome of AMG's "driving performance".
Other things to look out for at the AMG stand is a demonstration of power and agility of the fastest 4-cylinder production engines in the world. As professional race drivers will be taking the A45 and CLA45 through their paces in the AMG Demo Theatre.
You can follow the happenings at the AMG stand on twitter @MercedesBenz_SA or the hash tag #AMGTopGear, I'll also be there during the course of the weekend giving live updates on twitter from the Festival.
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