It’s time to take a bit of a break from the serious and look at the future a little. Now these guys get what I want (not a massive surprise that its ex Apple engineer Tony Fadell). I want my house to be a ‘living’ space, one that is constantly changing and updating based on my needs. Its constantly evolving temperatures, TV recordings, music downloads and the list goes on and on!

I suppose these guys did this to save some costs for the average user but for me I would pay a premium for this thing, this NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT!

Why?

Let me tell you very simply how it works. It asks you a few questions on startup (things like do you like a ball tingling 25 degrees or more of a polar munching on your leg 8 degrees), it goes online to get the days temp updates so it can adjust itself to the needs of that specific moment and it can be controlled remotely so if you want your girlfriend to get home and have to strip down to lingerie due to your heat setting, you can!

Its simple to install . . .

And it just looks sensationally sexy!

To the team at NEST thank you for finally starting to push the world in the right direction!

Here’s a video of how this little superstar works!

When I think of Champagne I find the best way to describe it is not my own but rather great words from Madame Bollinger which goes like this . . .

So as you can imagine when the festive season rolls around I get more than a little excited, mostly because it is an excuse to be sipping on the stuff by lunchtime most days but also because this is the time of  year all the great houses bring out their gifting ranges!

Now while I truly believe no one can complete with Veuve in this regard as you can see by their past brilliance . . .

However this year Moet is the one who kicks us off introducing THE GIFT, it shines, it sparkles and it’s insulated. I don’t think it really does anything else other than make it harder to get to the divine nectar inside but never-the-less it does add some sort of respectability to arriving at someone’s door with it in arm!

There’s the gift . . . but there have been some other good creations!

This is the ICE IMPERIAL and this is the JEWEL JEROBOAM!

I love competitions like the Electrolux Design Competition because they give those who have incredible talent the ability to show the world a little portal to the future, without which the funds they need would be missing and so they’d sadly be doomed to menial jobs, probably forever.

Now most of these, like concept cars, will never see the light of day, BUT they have given us an inkling of what’s possible. They have given us a small taste of perfection or rather ‘perfection in progress’.

Things like the blue tooth controlled ‘tap vacuum’. The brilliance is not only in the design of this sexy little pet of the future but in the simplicity of its usage. Just have a look at it.

Now I kinda get the fact that you won’t be wearing the Bluetooth earpiece on your shoes much and therefor it will take more energy to go fetch the stupid little thing and come back and tap the floor than to go fetch the vacuum in the first place, however there’s no disputing which is infinitely cooler!

Then there’s the portable convection plate. Now this is a very new age little thing and you see you can now take your iPhone which doubles as the Bluetooth control of this thing and fry a scrambled egg while having a picnic.

You can reheat last night’s soup at the table and even boil an egg at the football if you want. The problem here is that anything you want to do in any of these settings doesn’t exactly fit this portable stove (let’s call it what it is). You want to picnic with cold snacks, you want to braai (or BBQ for the offshore folks) rather than pan fry and you certainly don’t want to do anything with this thing at the football other than perhaps burn an oppositions face with it!

Next there’s the portable microwave. Now I think this is the coolest of all the gadget inventions, the only problem is I think this thing is so far from actual invention that you may as well be designing the portal that takes you to Thors home planet (sorry I’m currently watching it on the plane).

 Second to last there is the, what I think, is absolutely superb portable, foldable and curlable heating and cooling pad. This can be used to heat up a stew when wrapped around a pot or cool a bottle of wine if we do the same.

It can be used as a heating plate for pretty much anything.

And it can be controlled by some seriously slick little buttons on its side. This is why this must have come in as a VERY close runner up.

And finally the winner of it all is the very cool looking but rather boring appliance with the functionality of JIK. This racy little beast removes stains. Yes it removed stains, which proves once again how much spending power the housewife or househusband commands.

Sure it looks cute and I suppose if it works it will be brilliant for those who do washing, but really, this is what we gave the award to . . .

Next year why doesn’t someone just design an automated ironing board and save everyone the trouble of entering!

For all the videos of these design – GO HERE

Before I start convincing you this is a good idea (and not you drooling idiots with an empty bag on Lays on your chest, you’re already nodding like Goofy) can we just remember this . . .

Now that you have your mind right – here goes.

I’m not going to try convince you that MJ is good (afore mentioned idiots now have a very confused look on their face). It’s a drug. Is it the least addictive, most tested and least damaging drug – no question. Not opinion, its scientific fact.

Now in a world where we freely smoke and binge drink (well I do along with most of my friends) – let alone stuff our kids so full of crap that their little legs can barely carry their fat asses, surely we look at the economic benefits of things before we look at the health benefits?

Now if you ever have to spend a few days in a place like Welkom (as I currently am) you will understand the sad realization I came to today, (no not that you need marijuana to survive here) the government cannot take care of us. I mean they just literally do not have enough money to maintain places like this and with mining giants pulling in, raping the environment and the people and then leaving them derelict, almost, there really isn’t much hope.

So given these problems surely the economic benefit of legalizing MJ is unavoidable? One can barely begin to comprehend the amount of taxable income that is wasted by having people peddle the stuff on street corners, the amount of employment opportunity there is if we merely make this another staple farmed like maize and let’s not forget the benefit of being able to limit the abuse of the substance.

The list of pros really is irrefutable so let’s get onto the negatives. Would legalizing it lead to abuse? Well I can’t imagine more so than the current abuse and if we can limit the purchasing of it legally then I see the potential of decrease rather than the opposite. Will more kids be inclined to try it if it’s legal? Well that why there are PARENTS who seem to neglect most of their responsibility but I guess if you can stop your kids from smoking or drinking until they are old enough to make an informed decision then why should this be any different.

The fact is as much as I go through this argument in my head the pros so far out way the cons that it seems like we are sitting on a vat filled with billions of Rands, waiting to be put to good use, and all we have to do is open the tap . . just imagine!

This is truly the coolest office or home accessory I’ve seen in a long time!

I’m a big fan of the ultra-modern sexy fish tank, the only problem is fish are relatively boring unless you import half the tropical world into your tank, and second they die quick (well in my house they do).

So when I saw this little collection of goods I thought, cool look, but I’m bored of fish thanks . . .

Until I saw what goes inside it!

Water is pulled through a layer of rock on the bottom, and is channeled up one side of the acrylic cylindrical aquarium (along with diffused air supplied by a pump) to the surface. From there, it goes back down the other side, and is once again sucked down through the rocks. This creates a circular flow, which is said to keep the jellyfish centered in the middle.

The rock is actually what’s known as living rock, meaning that it has been “seeded” with live nitrifying bacteria. These serve to break down and neutralize the jellyfish waste. Weekly partial water changes are still necessary, however.

The creatures themselves are non-harmful-to-humans moon jellyfish, which can be purchased for US$39 each from the company. They will be overnight shipped from the company’s breeding facility, but are only available to residents of the continental U.S. The 7-gallon (26.5 L) tank is reportedly able to support up to five of the critters, which eat frozen plankton that is also available from Jellyfish Art.

Light is provided by a built-in LED lamp, the color of which can be changed using a remote control.

Brief via HERE but for the WEBSITE and all the sexy Jelly-accessories GO HERE TO JELLYFISHART.COM and for all the FAQs go HERE

 If you are skeptical just watch the video and then go check out the thousands on YOUTUBE! 

I found two superb new innovations via the brilliant TOXEL and the always epic BORED PANDA . . .

The first is the perfect solution for chilling anywhere. Lets be honest earphones suck! Well at least when you compare earphones to speakers they do.

Now when you are lying on the beach and get sweaty, sandy or salty and then you have to smoosh those earphones buds back into your ears it pushes me over the edge!  These brilliant human beings have combined towel, ipod and bag into one – genius, just genius!

Check it . . .

The second is even more brilliant in design but I’m pretty sure it aint gonna sell much.

The reason being is if you battle to wake up in the morning this ingenious machine starts shredding your cash!

Now there are two kinds of people who are going to buy this. The first are those who are dead serious about waking up but after their first hundred gets shredded will trash the thing and the second are those who will have the best intentions in the world but will never ever get close to putting cash into the shredder.

Me, I hit the snooze button so many times I’d be bankrupt and on the streets after a week of this thing!

Feiyue. That’s who. The guys and girls over at Feiyue sent us a pair of sneakers and I must say they’re very cool. Thanks dudes!

You may not be familiar with the brand but I’m pretty sure you’ll start seeing a lot of them around.

Here’s their story.

Feiyue’s journey began in 1920s Shanghai, where the lightweight plimsoll was popular among millions of everyday countrymen and politicians alike. Slowed production then saw the sneaker get forgotten for decades, kept only in the consciousnesses of martial artists and sneaker aficionados.

One such sneakerhead was Frenchman and seven-year Asian expat Patrice. In 2005 he, along with fellow globetrotting friends Nicolas and Clement, saw an opportunity to revive the brand and breathe into it a unique urban style.

The team started by re-working the entire production process, to raise the quality standard and comfort level whilst retaining the sneaker’s vintage and authentic charm. A new logo and identity led to the birth of a brand new Feiyue in 2006, marking the launch of the first collection.

A series of smart collaborations with renowned artists and luxury fashion house Celine, led to Feiyue exploding in France and becoming the shoe of choice amongst hipsters in Europe, North America, New Zealand and Australia. Becoming the first brand with such deep Chinese origins to break through in the Western fashion industry, the sneaker that transcends generations has been discovered by celebrities including Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom.

The trio attribute much of this success not to in-depth analysis, but to instinct and authentic experiences. Their travels as young adults – as well as their very different occupational backgrounds in food and beverage, event production and executive work in the petrol and automotive industries – saw them amass a wide range of cultural influences and an appreciation for Feiyue’s heritage.

Feiyue’s collaborations with artists and creative communities is a core component of the brand becoming ‘an inspired citizen of the world’. Each season sees the launch of new designs and styles, such as the 10N 28E, which is named after the geographic coordinates of Shanghai and looks back at the ‘90s classic sneakers.

It is with this same spirit that Feiyue is re-entering Asia, so watch this space for forthcoming collaborations. Those who are into big come-backs will fall in love with Feiyue’s retro yet very contemporary style, and like others around the world with Feiyue at their feet, you’ll be “Flying Forward” (translation of the brand name).

Rad.

Check out more on their site and Facebook page.

I wrote last week about great brand fails and just how enjoyable i find them!

The reason I do is not because I like seeing wasted money or the decrease in brand equity but rather because far too often the brand owner actually forgets that its ultimately about the consumer and the consumers relationship with the brand and when the brand owner starts to mess with that it spells trouble – well most of the time!

So yes it is a little late because this logo has now been plastered up and down pretty much the entire blogging world but I find when it comes to judgement of something as difficult as evolving one of the worlds most seen and enjoyed logos, there should be a slight pause before criticizing!

Initially i thought this was going to be added to the numbers of epic brand fails like the newest Pepsi logo (which i actually really like coincidentally) and the re-branding of Animal planet – but the more i looked at the new logo and especially on the product itself, which really is the consumers most regular point of contact with the branding itself, I began to appreciate that this maybe wasn’t another failed logo change but rather an evolution that all brands go through from era to era!

Coca Cola has changed their logo 10s of times – payoff lines as well and none of those could be considered a flop (well the blue coke story was but that was packaging not logo) In fact if you look at the chain below you can probably identify good memories with each logo as far back as you can remember drinking coke!

This really goes for any great brand evolution if you are a loyalist – if you look at BMWs for example. If you have driven through the branding I’m sure each one will bring a smile to your face from your first beat up old 3 series to your brand new 7 series, years later, dripping with every accessory you dreamt of on the first one! Same could be said for VW, although the market maybe is slightly different (first hippie road trip to latest family holiday)

That’s the beautiful thing about evolving a brand, you grow up with your market. Your branding and their experience are intertwined and that’s exactly how a good brand owner should see it. I believe that’s how Starbucks have because the most important part of brand for me is, can I see myself doing it, driving it, drinking it and feel good or cool or happy or whatever the brand is trying to convey?

To judge this Starbucks logo I had to go back to my first Starbucks when I was 17 years old and working in NYC. I had dreamt of doing two things, the one was eating Chinese takeout out of little white boxes and the other was to drink Starbucks and have a Marlboro on Lexington Ave. I remember the logo clear as day burnt into my skull because it had become an icon of overseas travel and I wanted to represent that! The question is can I see myself holding the new one and feel the same? Well plainly I think it’d make me feel like I’ve moved on, I’ve grown up and I’m slightly more sophisticated than standing there with the old logo as a kid.

SO YES I’m a consumer (a big one when I can be) of Starbucks and I want the new logo!

While there have been and will be many critics of it if you look at it in sequence with the older versions you start to realise it is time to move on. Its time to get a bit more sophisticated and this is Starbucks way of doing it and as the consumer I want new experiences with it!

Ive always loved flavoured milk – im not sure where it started or when – probably the fact that my parents would never let me drink it only made the craving grow (i am a pretty good negotiator and so their compromise was low fat milk and stir in flavour – that sucked but i figured it was a moral victory at 5 years old to get them to give me anything without throwing a tantrum)

I remember even through our varsity years there was one point where even the brand of flavoured milk came up for debate (granted varsity years meant occasional illicit substances – dont worry mom i stuck to what you told me – no pills or powder but if it grows in the grounds it probably wont kill you) and i can always remember Steri Stumpie seemed to win out – it may have been that it was just fun to say in that condition but either way the brand has stuck for years with me and now they are about to take it to the next level . . . .

If you want to see whats coming just ‘click the pic’ as we always say!

If you are like us though and you cant wait that long to get a little milk flav loving then we suggest the following – there is a company that somehow managed to take two fantastic cravings and turn it into ADULT CHOCOLATE MILK (ummm thats alcohol and choc milk)

So if you are like us and have to premix your alcoholic milk every morning – no more – the beautiful people from ADULT BEVERAGE CO. (check them out to see what other childhood favs have gone alco) you dont have to any more!

The packaging alone makes me wanna whip it out at the office during lunch and ‘smash it in my face’ . Unfortunately only distributed in the USA for now but we feel with the massive amount of scope for this product it will be all over soon – i mean there is seriously no shortage of nostalgic alcoholics globally!

Im not sure why but seldom is there a more satisfying noise than hearing ice rattle around in a heavy set tumbler filled with Johnnie Walker – regardless of colour!

Now alot of people have many opinions on whiskey but one thing is absolutely for sure – for the amount of bottles of the stuff they producemeshed with the afford-ability of buying case loads of it Johnnie Black has got to be one of the best whiskeys on the market – in fact id go as far as to say IN ITS CLASS it is the best (certainly my favorite but thats cause of the brilliant branding)

Now the boys and girls at Diageo have launched DOUBLE BLACK and it just oozes pure decadence and pleasure plus the bottle somehow adds a slight hint of elegance to an otherwise superb brand – heres the low down . . .

Spirits giant Diageo says it will launch its Johnnie Walker Double Black beyond the travel retail channel next year, broadening the Johnnie Walker lineup for consumers worldwide.

Double Black, which has extra smoky flavor than Johnnie Walker Black, was launched last January in six airport duty-free channels. It was well received, and was then made available globally in travel retail.

The whisky was created by taking Black as a blueprint and adding heavily peated malts and aging some of the whisky in deeply charred oak casks. There is no age statement.

The above is from LUXIST which is a BRILLIANT SITE for the decadent ones among us!

Now if you are not a Johnnie drinker currently then for some reason you havent been watching their ad campaigns – simple brillaince that inspires me daily from their weird and wonderful billboard placement to their brilliant TV and print ads – these guys have done such a good job on branding that im not sure anymore if i drink so much of it because i love the taste or if its because i love myself so much while im drinking it (as a self confessed narcissist its probably the latter) in any event watch the below advert and tell me this isnt one of the coolest brands in the world . . . KEEP WALKING!

This is truly classic and to be completely truthful i really dont agree but once you listen to it you do kinda feel like a moron if you bought an iPhone! But lets be completely fair if you are looking at buying a small SUV and you choose a Q5 but the KIA has the same if not better features / styling etc – do you feel like an idiot? HELL NO because you wouldnt drive a KIA – same rules apply here!

WE love VEUVE CLICQUOT (they have a stellar website!) - we love the taste we love the brand and most of all we love the accessories (could be cause we are gadget freaks but nevertheless gadget freaks with good taste!)

So if you are not aware – Veuve designed a brilliant thing called an ice jacket . . .

This little sexy accessory allows the magical liquid to stay cold for longer when bought and also can be put in the freezer to keep new bottles cold – it is just one of many brilliant ideas from the men and women at Veuve!

Now we at STM along with Champagne seem to have become fairly big connoisseur of beer as well and while our heart remains with Mitchells our brand icon has moved to the glory of Heineken! Much like Veuve they are certainly the coolest beer brand – cool bottle – great history – sponsor the champions league – all the right ingredients to make a stellar product YET NO FUN ACCESSORIES HERE?

Come on guys help the ZA market out?

I received a notification to collect a parcel from our very slow friends at the post office so went over thinking it was most likely a speeding fine. I entered the dimly lit, muggy room with that special kind of excitement that comes in the form of registered mail and rushed back to the car to open the compact parcel. Inside I found one of these…

It’s called the Dusk and is made by a company called Ila Security.

They tell us:

Our mission is to empower women through a stylish range of security products. We have come up with the genius idea of combining simple yet effective safety devices with fashion in order to make women want to carry them around with them, therefore increasing their safety when they’re out and about. So often women put themselves in unnecessary amounts of danger without realising it. With our fashionable ranges of devices, women will carry our products, not only in order to help increase their security but because the products look good and thanks to our fantastic team of designers, they also double up and have extra features such as working as a bag charm, or a compact mirror.

I tried it out and I’m sure the neighbours (perhaps the whole suburb actually) think something dodgy is going down at my place. 130dB of screeching woman can do that.

If you’re a little nervous and want another voice louder than your own, the good news is that they’re available, or soon to be, at Busby House, Foschini and Woolworths.

FOR MORE INFO GO – MITCHELLS BREWERY or contact the guys here lliam@mitchellsbrewery.com

Im a bit torn here – maybe its just been a very long angry day but surely encouraging kids to put guns into their mouths is a little excessive? I mean sure it looks cool and there will be thousands of ‘look mom’ panic attacks but really have we completely lost our shit?

Gun shaped ice lolly’s - im not sure what the hell is next!!

This chick is enjoying this WAAAAAAY too much!!!