Back to business

The silly season is well and truly over and it’s time to get back to business with the first Weekly for 2010. Catch up with all the stories we’ve published online, like this one about a Kiwi company shunning cartoonish video games to focus on the fastest-growing demographic in gaming—women. And in a surprise twist, military personnel looking for programmes to train soldiers have even expressed interest in their work. Amanda Cropp talks to the Areograph team about graphics, technology and why a “sleepy little town” like Dunedin was the ideal place to set up shop.

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Forward thinking

The bright lights of London haven’t dimmed designer Katie Taylor’s creative spark, despite the economic climate. In fact, she welcomes a challenge—her continent-spanning career is testament to that. From her early days as a gymnast, to art school in Switzerland, she tells Sam Eichblatt how sheer grit and tenacity have seen her through.

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Interactive building

This building in Tachiwaka, Japan, is a standalone user experience. Snap a photo of the exterior on your cellphone and be directed to its website; stream live tweets from inside; point a camera towards it and bring up an augmented reality layer displaying information on the stores inside and the sales they’re having.

Bike in the sky

Bulgarian architect (and presumably keen cyclist) Martin Angelov came up with a concept to get bikes off the roads, and, well, into the air. Check out more of his project here. Nice idea, although we’re not entirely convinced.

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School for change

Just what is a social entrepreneur, and how can we enable them to thrive? Come along to the Supporting Social Entrepreneurs: What Works forum on February 9 in Auckland and discuss these issues and more with Charlotte Young and Steve Lawrence of the International School for Social Entrepreneurs.  (It’s run by the forward-thinking Centre for Social Innovation, which was also behind the innovation camp held in Wellington last year.)

It’s also an opportunity to connect with other likeminded leaders and share your thoughts on a potential New Zealand school, which would train and support changemakers working at the community and government levels. Book your place now by emailing samara.strachan@nzcsi.org.

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Reduce, reuse, recycle

Living room looking a bit bare? Why not furnish it for free? Take inspiration from LA designer Ramon Coronado, who turns everyday objects into something entirely new and different. Case in point: plastic trolleys into chairs, tables and swings … frugal and eco-friendly.

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You're never too old for Lego

Here’s a cleverly disguised ad for Lego that you ’t mind watching. Whimsical but not manipulative, it speaks right to the inner child in all of us.

Quote of the week

“ Choosing an investor is like hiring an employee you can never fire. You have to be very, very careful.”

— Twitter founder Biz Stone is treading carefully.