A job well done

After the bright lights of Hollywood and glory at the Academy Awards, Oscar-winning art director Kim Sinclair is back to his day job. His next project: none other than production on the Jackson–Spielberg adaption of The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. In our latest issue, he talks to Peter Griffin about joining the hallowed ranks of Academy members and shares first-hand insights on working with iconic Kiwi director Geoff Murphy and notorious perfectionist James Cameron.

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Tribute to a legend

Media commentator and Idealog contributor Paul Reynolds died suddenly of leukaemia on May 24. To those who saw him just last week at Social Media Junction, the news came as a shock. He taught us much about the wonders of the digital world and his generous contributions to many areas of society and business in New Zealand are his legacy. Rest in peace, Paul.

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Hidden treasures

The Museum of London is pioneering geo-tagging with the launch of a free iPhone app designed to bring its extensive collections to life. Developed in conjunction with a creative agency, StreetMuseum makes use of Google Maps to guide users to various sites around the city. They can then pull up information about the location and augment the real thing by pulling up historic images stored by the museum to overlay what the iPhone’s camera perceives.

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Point and shoot

Polaroid is set to re-release a bunch of its instant cameras and film in coming months, but first, it’s launching a brand new digital model in New Zealand. The Polaroid Two comes with a built-in printer—it can snap a 5-megapixel image and immediately print out a 2x3 photo complete with adhesive back. And with a RRP of $379.00, it won’t break the bank.

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A lick of paint

Shot over four weeks in Brazil, France, London and India, this video for Dulux’s Let’s Colour project features hundreds of locals rolling up their sleeves to paint streets, houses, schools and squares. The company’s on a mission to inject an infusion of colour into drab spaces all over the world—a worthy cause, we say. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV4IoCgi2QA

You gotta be in to win

Hey, kids and other marketing types! The TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards are hungry for more entries. We’re seeking the best marketers and best marketing stories from the last year. To be in to win fame, money, and more money, enter online—there are only three weeks left to get in before the deadline.

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How to save a life

There’s a name for the kind of person who details their every move on Facebook and Twitter: oversharer. But what if those regular status updates could save a life? The Buddy Radio, invented by UK-based innovators Sidekick Studios, is undergoing a 12-month trial with the National Health Service. Basically, it lets patients with mental and physical illnesses broadcast their mood to friends, family and care workers, while helping their caregivers figure out when they may need to step in.

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Rolling start

If you’ve ever wanted to live in a rolling house that’s compact and even has space on the outside for advertising, this experimental capsule should do the trick. It’s split into three sections dedicated to different functional needs: a bed and table in one, an exercise area in another, and a kitchen with a sink—there’s no mention of bathroom facilities, however.

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Language barrier

It’s difficult to detect nuances in tone through electronic communication, especially when you’re not human. Computers process commands on face value, while people have a whole range of verbal tools at their command. Now, however, all that could be about to change with the news that an Israeli research team has developed a machine algorithm which can recognise sarcasm with more than three-quarters accuracy.

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Pixel perfect

According to this documentary on the heyday of the mighty dot, the pixel may have been created by programmers without any “real art background”. But believe it or not, there are artists and designers who see creative merit in the humble pixel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mqAZ06dwKU

Public transport gets personal

What’s retirement for? Some people like to fish. Some like to travel, others volunteer their time. Leonid Murlyanchik spends his days doing a heck of a lot of digging. Apparently he decided he needed a) a hobby, and b) better transportation, so he built his own concrete mixer and began tunnelling his own subway system. An apt reminder that sometimes you just need to get on with the job.

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Quote of the week

“Sci-fi is satisfying in that, along with ‘period porn’, the audience at least recognises that the art department have been to some trouble.”

— Kim Sinclair on one of the most underappreciated roles in filmmaking.