Idealog
- Business Magazine of the Year MPA Awards 2007, 2008 & 2009 Business Website of the Year MPA Awards 2009
Beautiful words
Welcome to Idealog Weekly, the free email newsletter for New Zealand commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone rich with ideas.
Beautiful words
We don’t know if they’re reading our writing in New York, but they’re definitely thinking it looks real pretty. The New York Type Designers’ Club recently picked National, created by Wellington typographer Kris Sowersby, as one of the winners of its annual awards. Sowersby is having a huge year, co-creating a serif version of the iconic FF Meta, and releasing a new editorial face with the promising name Newzald. Makes sense, then, that he’s also our Emerging Talent in the current Idealog.
Lots more switched-on gardeners
Let’s give this one the benefit of the doubt. A new apartment building is being erected in Wuhan, China, with a hydroponic garden attached to every apartment. The hydroponic systems are officially designed to provide a handy renewable food source for the occupants—sure to come in handy for those extra hungry ones. Mmmmm carrots. Dipped in peanut butter.
Every bit helps
Taiwanese computer maker Asus has swapped plastic for bamboo to make a laptop it reckons is “both aesthetically pleasing and good for the environment”. Meanwhile a panda is reported to have said: “I’ve started eating plastic. It doesn’t taste good but there seems to be a lot more of it about than that stuff I used to eat so, you know, just doing my bit for sustainability.”
Robocommander
You know war games have got out of hand when they obtain Literal Meaning Status. The US Army has unveiled a robot soldier prototype due to hit enemy ground by 2014. How will it be controlled? With an Xbox 360 controller, of course. Solves their recruitment problems I guess—just give the control to the nearest three-year-old and get back to designing a robot nurse to clean up the mess. Oh that’s right, we’ve already done that too.
The men on Mars
Are you antisocial and apathetic? You are? Great, you’ll go far—to Mars even. Nasa is preparing for the day when we send astronauts far, far away—which means anticipating any problems they may have when they get there. They’ve decided ideal astronauts should be introverted enough to perform well without a lot of social interaction and mellow enough to adapt to shifting goals and contingencies. But being personality-less may not be enough—you may have to be toothless too. Without dentists or doctors to fix inflamed cavities and busted appendixes, NASA’s asking: “Does that mean we should remove all astronauts’ teeth before they go? Should all nonessential body parts be removed? Those are questions that should be asked.” Thank God for friends and opinions.
Back to the future
Then again there may come a day when even the most popular and bolshy among us will have to give up their molars in order to save their butts. Here’s a very interesting look at the future and it’s probable return to the past—once the Earth shakes off those pesky human mites.
Twisted minds
Described as a ‘modern-day da Vinci’, on account of his inventor/performance maestro/tamer/transformer Census entry, Johann le Guillerm is bound to put on quite a show in Cirque Ici. “Rope, iron, wood—le Guillerm enters into a physical and mental dialogue with matter that will leave you dizzy with wonder.” Woah. Spinning out already. Cirque Ici Wellington, 22 February 2008–16 March 2008.
The Rainbow Warrior is home for a visit, so pop in for a catch-up—being a friendly old boat, she won’t even charge you for the pleasure. The Warrior will be berthed in Auckland from Friday till Sunday, then you can catch her in Christchurch in Easter before she heads to Dunedin and Wellington. Aw, still uniting New Zealand after all these years.
Freaky Friday
“Rich with ideas every Thursday”. Yeah right. Most Idealog Weeklies are despatched on a Friday … and it seems readers like it that way. So here’s a quick bit of retroactive legislation: Idealog Weekly is now sent out on Friday. As always.
Quote of the week
“Without deadlines nothing would ever get done. And you just know that it’s worth it—if you’re doing to put that amount of time into it, it’s going to have to be worth the result.”
—Kris Sowersby sweats the details
More at Idealog online
Read more on our website: web exclusives, opinion, Idealog IP, the Idealog blogs and the Idealog podcast. See you at idealog.co.nz.
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{Goodnight, I'm off to work} Previous
Next {The customer is always tight}
Previously in Idealog Weekly …
October 30, 2009: Man of the moment
October 23, 2009: By the numbers
October 16, 2009: Pavlova principles
October 9, 2009: The secret of the songbook
October 2, 2009: Free and easy
September 25, 2009: What the world wants
September 18, 2009: A slice of the pie
September 11, 2009: Walking man
September 6, 2009: A calmer kind of business
August 28, 2009: We have issues
August 21, 2009: Mincing about in waistcoats
August 14, 2009: Wired on pop culture
August 7, 2009: Trust is not a commodity
July 31, 2009: Fuzzy logic
July 24, 2009: Game of life
July 17, 2009: Grape expectations
July 10, 2009: Blade runners
July 3, 2009: Free: another word for nothing left to lose
June 26, 2009: Poorly pleased
June 19, 2009: The giver
June 12, 2009: Buggy on down
June 5, 2009: Brand Cambo
May 29, 2009: When the going gets tough, go proactive
May 22, 2009: Bayerische Wasserstoffmotorenwerke
May 15, 2009: Rugger blogger
May 8, 2009: Get on our cloud
May 1, 2009: Easy Tiger
April 24, 2009: Tiki tacky
April 17, 2009: The not-so-great indoors
April 3, 2009: A site for sore eyes
March 27, 2009: Dual control
March 20, 2009: Worth their Alt
March 13, 2009: Biofuels or bio-fools?
March 6, 2009: It's electrifying
February 27, 2009: Experience-rich and theory-poor
February 20, 2009: It's a hundred-and-fourteen-pager
February 13, 2009: Own your mistakes
February 5, 2009: Rules—made to be broken
January 30, 2009: Money: that's what I want
December 5, 2008: Framed by the thousands
November 28, 2008: Spank-branding novelty next week
November 21, 2008: In the Loop
November 14, 2008: Your good health
November 7, 2008: Misfits of science
October 31, 2008: No absence of colour
October 24, 2008: Plain-speaking Peri
October 17, 2008: Rebels with a cause
October 10, 2008: Seoulipsism
October 3, 2008: Fall seven times and stand up eight
September 26, 2008: Don't label us
September 19, 2008: Bloody Graham
September 19, 2008: Dream proposition
September 5, 2008: Taxi!!!
August 29, 2008: Up-Skilling on Idealog TV
August 22, 2008: 144 pages of pure pleasure, plus politics
August 15, 2008: Wash down that Lovemark with a Steinie
August 8, 2008: Strange journey
August 1, 2008: SMElly and happy
July 25, 2008: What a dive
July 18, 2008: Softly and woolly does it
July 11, 2008: The saviour from Timaru
July 4, 2008: Last laugh
June 27, 2008: King Kev
June 20, 2008: Slow ART
June 13, 2008: Killing two birds with methane
June 6, 2008: A combine harvester
May 30, 2008: Gold paint
May 23, 2008: Rock, out
May 16, 2008: Goodwill hunting
May 9, 2008: No wine jokes please
May 2, 2008: Who's bad?
April 24, 2008: Succession success
April 18, 2008: Out now or thereabouts
April 11, 2008: Paint by numbers
April 4, 2008: Reincarnated good
March 28, 2008: Making it
March 20, 2008: Knock three times
March 14, 2008: The customer is always tight
March 7, 2008: Beautiful words
February 28, 2008: Goodnight, I'm off to work
February 22, 2008: The art issue
February 15, 2008: Straight to the top
February 8, 2008: H for hot
December 13, 2007: Nothing in common? Perfect
December 6, 2007: Who needs a beer?
November 30, 2007: Dirty secret goes public
November 23, 2007: Don't speak
November 16, 2007: Worthy work (and free beer)
November 2, 2007: East meets best
October 25, 2007: Raid the fridge
October 19, 2007: Looking good
October 13, 2007: Can't miss it
October 5, 2007: Fresh meat delivery
September 28, 2007: If the walls had eyes
September 21, 2007: Phoenix rising
September 15, 2007: Can we fix it? Yes we can
September 6, 2007: Feats of social engineering
August 31, 2007: Doesn't bite
August 24, 2007: Telling us where to go
August 16, 2007: Tomorrow time
August 10, 2007: Going West
August 3, 2007: How to ... be your business
July 27, 2007: Freaky food
July 20, 2007: Meet the neighbours
July 12, 2007: Free Hollie
July 6, 2007: Green queen
June 29, 2007: The truth about youth
June 21, 2007: Walk this way
June 14, 2007: Times ten
June 7, 2007: The ape woman needs a label
June 1, 2007: Impossible is something
May 25, 2007: Yeah, we're still here
May 11, 2007: Trophy time
May 3, 2007: Friends with the band
April 23, 2007: Why worry?
April 19, 2007: Done by the big jobs
April 12, 2007: A rockin' good read
April 5, 2007: No fear
March 29, 2007: Out to pasture
March 22, 2007: Hip-hop and The Human Touch
March 15, 2007: Crazy Frog and Billy T
March 10, 2007: The Benadryl edition
March 1, 2007: We can be Xero
February 22, 2007: Back on board
December 15, 2006: Free beer
December 8, 2006: December 8, 2006
December 1, 2006: December 1, 2006
November 24, 2006: November 24, 2006
November 16, 2006: November 16, 2006
November 9, 2006: November 9, 2006
November 3, 2006: November 3, 2006
October 26, 2006: October 26, 2006
October 19, 2006: October 19, 2006
October 12, 2006: October 12, 2006
October 6, 2006: October 6, 2006
September 28, 2006: September 28, 2006
September 21, 2006: September 21, 2006
September 14, 2006: September 14, 2006
September 7, 2006: September 7, 2006
August 31, 2006: August 31, 2006
August 24, 2006: August 24, 2006
August 17, 2006: August 17, 2006
August 11, 2006: August 11, 2006
August 3, 2006: August 3, 2006
July 27, 2006: July 27, 2006
July 21, 2006: July 21, 2006
July 13, 2006: July 13, 2006
July 6, 2006: July 6, 2006
June 29, 2006: June 29, 2006
June 22, 2006: June 22, 2006
June 15, 2006: June 15, 2006
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Audi designer Wolfgang Egger brings the A5 Sportback to life right in front of our eyes. It’s all about three lines, apparently, but those three lines have been obsessed over. Enjoy the autospeak: the rear comes complete with both accent and elbow.
Latest issue: Under the sea
Tweeted
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Overheard
- Mark on Bigger, faster, more productive:
Fantastic! Finally some vision in establishing a key infrastructure to support New Zealand's future prosperity and commercial competitiveness. Good work Rod, Sam and Steve - your country thanks you for your patriotism! … - Margaret Holmes on NZ Institute thumbs down Key's agenda:
Unfortunately it is not just red tape - it is also the laid back kiwi attitude, compounded by educators who think achieving national standards is a bad thing. - Tim Marshall on Smile, you’re in New Zealistan:
The target of higher GDP per capita is all wrong. Aiming for it encourages more production and consumption, often at the expense of quality of life. We need to construct a Genuine Progress Index (GPI) to guide policy. Fr … - Peter McL on New note:
"You got caught up in events at EMI.." and yet shes STILL with EMI - their local branch is distributing her new album. Wonder why?
I blogged some more of Hollies comments on the details behind the fallout … - Phil Wollerman on Smile, you’re in New Zealistan:
Brilliant, insightful article, VH.
This situation has principally arisen because - simplistically - the world no longer wants what we are intrinsically advantaged in supplying.
And yeah, it doesn't look like our co … - Anon on Smile, you’re in New Zealistan:
The answer lies in a) increasing the returns to capital and b) decreasing the cost of capital. To do a) we need to reduce corporate and income taxes and replace them with land, resource, pollution and infrastructure char …
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