This new ‘living’ fungi coffin is revolutionising our graveyards
A Netherlands start-up has created a nifty new coffin called the ‘Living Cocoon’ that completely disintegrates within weeks, turning graveyards into brand new ecosystems. You may be the most sustainable person in the world during your living years, but what about when you’re dead? Being an environmentally responsible individual doesn’t only...
Current in Offbeat
The unlikely rebirth of the drive-in cinema
Drive-in cinemas were widely associated with cheesy retro romcoms from a bygone era but now, thanks to coronavirus, they’re back like never before. You may have noticed that drive-in cinemas have starting popping up across the world over the last few months. 2020 has seen our idea of ‘normal’ flipped upside...
The AI smart glasses with anti-distraction alarms
AI smart glasses are every procrastinators dream – who needs willpower or organisational skills when you’ve got the latest gadgets? As part of a generational cohort habitually known as digital natives, it seems unfair that we have to focus on work orientated tasks for sustained periods of time… unfortunately, that’s...
Musk backs dating project to bring Tesla owners together
Tesla owners looking for love may not be riding solo for much longer Tesla-philes rejoice, equally self-righteous singles are waiting in the wings for your courtship. You can’t spell love with EV, after all. Serial entrepreneur Elon Musk has reportedly given the green light to Tesla senior Ajitpal Grewal to begin...
Luxury fashion is using Animal Crossing to appeal to Gen Z
Acknowledging that fashion has become an integral part of the Animal Crossing experience, brands are taking this opportunity to tap into a younger market. Gen Z is well on its way to making up a whopping 60% of the entire luxury market by 2026. In light of this, high-end fashion...
How Burning Man is going virtual in 2020
Burning Man organisers are trying to create a digitally accessible event while remaining true to its anti-corporate routes. It’s a tough balancing act. If you’ve never been to Burning Man, the annual festival that takes place in the deep Nevada desert, you probably associate it with intense dance music...
Club Quarantäne offers virtual Berlin club nights during lockdown
The website lets clubbers queue up, visit bathrooms, and even get turned away by bouncers, all to raise money for charity. Are you missing the sticky and cramped dance floors of nightclubs? Craving the heavy bass beats of an underground DJ? While I can’t promise you’ll be able to do the real thing outside anytime soon, a team of European promoters and creators have banded together to launch ‘Club...
The ‘Karen’ meme set to become a horror movie
From phone screens to the big screen. Is there a more terrifying villain in modern times than Karen? One of 2020’s real life boogeymen, ‘Karen’ has become a pseudonym for the privileged, pedantic (and often bob donning) busybody that preaches anti progressive views online and generally just litters comment sections with cringe inducing complaints. When offline, the archetypal Karen can be found roaming restaurants and stores with a chip on her...
How the Big Mac Index helps to value currency
Economics can be a tricky thing to get your head around, but comparing prices of Big Mac’s around the world can help. This week, The Economist published its yearly Big Mac Index, which compares prices of McDonald’s favourite burger between countries and values their currencies accordingly. The report suggests that New Zealand’s currency is weaker than it should be and that China’s GDP is bigger than the World Bank...
Get the lockdown look: face masks the next big thing in fashion
Now an essential part of everyone's daily wardrobe, face masks are being embraced by fashion as a lucrative new product category with huge potential. Amongst 2020’s unexpected twists and turns is the mainstreaming of face masks which, both fashionable and functional, are taking the apparel industry by storm. Currently a wardrobe staple, designers and high street retailers alike are beginning to realise the potential of tapping into the lucrative market,...
