128 pages of pure gold

There’s nothing quite like the smell or sheen of a brand new magazine, but while our latest issue—the second to last for 2010—is a pleasure to handle, its aesthetic values are far from the main selling point. Nope, all 128 pages have earned their place, and we’re sure you’ll agree once you see what’s in it. 

For starters, whet your appetite with an interview with “recovering entrepreneur” and angel investor Bill Payne. Next, perhaps check out our stories on a revolutionary range of performance fightwear, a Kiwi t-shirt range with a cult following and the Waipara winemakers reclaiming their land and livelihood. 

In our cover story, we catch up with Derek and Geoff Handley, creators of high-tech business The Hyperfactory that they recently sold for megabucks. Mitchell Hall asks what they’ve learned about entrepreneurship and dreaming big—and why New Zealand needs more like them. They reckon Kiwis have plenty to offer but we’re limiting ourselves by failing to look beyond our shores; we really need to start thinking on a much bigger scale. 

And on that note, flip to page 57 and you’ll find Going Global, our handy guide to exporting your ideas. Complete with colourful case studies, it’s a practical series packed with insider insights.

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Something to savour

Here’s a question to ponder. What is NZ’s favourite premium blended whisky? If your answer was Chivas Regal, you’d be right. Founded in 1909, the world’s first authentic luxury Scotch whisky is steeped in heritage and renowned for its smooth, honeyed taste—the perfect way to celebrate Father’s Day.

Chivas Regal and Idealog have two gift packs, each containing a bottle of Chivas Regal 12 Year Old plus a set of matching designer cufflinks, to give to two lucky readers over 18. To enter, email editor@idealog.co.nz with ‘Chivas Regal’ in the subject line by Tuesday 31 August and tell us about the worst Father’s Day present you’ve ever given your long-suffering dad.

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Sleepover with a twist

Homelessness isn’t a problem that’s going to go away by itself, and with that in mind, the Lifewise Big Sleepout is looking for business leaders to step up, swap creature comforts for cold concrete and experience the reality facing Auckland’s rough sleepers. You’ll find sponsorship to spend one night toughing it out in a CBD carpark with the ultimate goal of making $50,000 for services for our city’s homeless. And you’ll come away after mixing with other influential leaders knowing you’ve made a difference in someone’s life.

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And the winner is …

Remember that iPad you all wanted to win? Well you didn’t, but this woman did. Congrats to art director Jessica Neale, the lucky recipient this time around. Know what else you didn’t win? The CreativeTech prize pack. That went to Mark Russell. Better luck next time, eh? Maybe you’ll nab that whisky …

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Finally, it's the future

Glenn Martin, self-professed inventor of the world’s first practical jetpack, will be delivering a free public presentation at venues around the country as part of the annual series of Pickering lectures. After its unveiling at the 2008 Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture in Wisconsin, the Martin Jetpack quickly made front page news around the globe. At last we’ll see it in action, and some of us could even own one: the company says you’ll be able to order one later this year at a cost of around NZ$70,000. Imagine popping out to the dairy in that! More sensibly, they’ll also be sold to emergency organisations, providing a quick way of getting relief to disaster-hit zones. You’ll be able to hear more about the whole story and how the invention came to fruition from September 6.

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A matter of sheer scale

Think you’ve seen stop motion done well before? This video is the result of four months of hard work and a ton of handmade creations. No digital effects here. Instead, approximately 5,000 photos were used in the making of this five-minute saga.

Super sparks

Thirteen teams of aspiring entrepreneurs are now a step closer to transforming their business ideas into reality. They are, of course, the qualifiers for the 2010 Spark $100k Challenge, who were picked from a total of 65 entries and announced last week. Submissions ranged from medical devices and weight-reducing alloys to ventures that seek to bring about social change, such as improving the diets of school children. Now they’ll compete for prizes valued at over $50,000, including incubation at The Icehouse. The grand winners will be announced in October.

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A year of it

Sure, 2010 is more than halfway through, but this could still be Your Big Year. A worldwide competition that’s part of the UK’s Global Entrepreneurship Week in November, Your Big Year’s extremely lucky winner will embark on a 12-month, all-expenses-paid tour of the world, meeting celebrities and entrepreneurs, learning new skills and rolling up their sleeves for some volunteer work.

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Lindauer lives again

Art isn’t—and should never be—just for the elite. The Auckland Art Gallery has put a lot of time and effort into making works by renowned artist Gottfried Lindauer accessible to all, and this interactive website is the finished result. Featuring over 60 historic Maori portraits, letters, interviews and more, as well as a translated, digitised Visitor’s Book (with comments from as early as 1901), it’s just like a virtual gallery experience. Thanks to the latest technology, you can zoom into each canvas and post comments online.

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Pretty as a painting

For a dose of art in the flesh, Auckland’s Satellite gallery will be hosting Small Studies, an exhibition of works by Clare Purser and Robyn Gibson from September 7. Purser finds inspiration in the letters and postcards sent home in colonial times. Painted onto salvaged native wood panels, her postcard-like paintings offer glimpses of a raw and primal landscape. Meanwhile, Gibson’s oil portraits are designed to catch the viewer off guard. The solo subjects are positioned awkwardly within the canvas, as though their peculiar physicality represents the metaphysical constraints placed on them.

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Putting on a show

Imagine music and video playing a game together. And telling stories at the same time. That’s what a performance by audio-visual collective Origamibiro delivers, described by the Dublin Fringe Festival as “undoubtedly the most original offering of the fringe calendar”.  Together, musicians and producers Tom Hill and Andy Tytherleigh and video artist The Joy of Box make use of found objects, real instruments and other contraptions to create a rich, multidimensional show.

Quote of the week

The internet’s not the internet anymore. The internet’s actually the whole world.

— Nicolas Roope on the changing media landscape.

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