Dark arts

Sometimes you need to reinvent yourself to stay fresh—or stay alive. Smart, sharp and a little bit dark, Illicit, the K Road icon and fashion label with more than a decade behind it, has its share of troubles. From the suicide of co-founder Martin Emond, to the pillaging of its work from rock stars and backstreet rip-off artists, to the failure of its US partners, it’s been far from an easy ride. But as Florence Noble reports in our latest issue, American is beckoning once again. What does Illicit have up its sleeve this time?

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The write cause

Listen up, writers: The New Zealand Society of Authors wants you for a read-in on March 25 at a library near you. It’s calling for 55 authors to read from their own work at any branch within the Auckland Super City; all funds raised on the night will go to the Red Cross Canterbury appeal. Your presence will be required from 6pm. Email Maggie Tarver or click here for more info.

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Give a little, get more back

Kiwi developers have also united to help Cantabrians with the launch of App Appeal. There are 38 apps on the site and until March 5, all proceeds from their sales will go directly to the Red Cross. From games to news to personal finance, there’s plenty of range on offer. Get in while you can, we reckon.

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User knows best

Hey, kids: What designers have the most complex and beautiful job of all? Why, that would be the noble UX designer, so often underappreciated. With sparkles, stripes and all manner of cutesy cartoon characters, this video pays tribute to the tireless task of crafting good user experiences.

Lest we forget

Since last Tuesday’s earthquake, there’s been a constant flow of support from New Zealanders for Christchurch. Ideas on how to best rebuild/pay homage to Christchurch are coming thick and fast; one suggestion involves the potential rebuild of the iconic Christchurch Cathedral. Local Cassy Bean has come up with the idea of imprinting each masonry stone with the name of a victim.

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From BigDogs to even bigger cats

Boston Dynamics, the company behind the BigDog robot, is working on two new projects: an agile humanoid robot called Atlas and a fast-running Cheetah . Atlas, built with two legs and two arms, will walk, turn and climb like a human. Meanwhile, the four-legged Cheetah will sprint faster than a human and the goal for the first model is to reach speeds of 30-50km/h (the company says it could eventually go as fast as the real thing, ie, 100+ km/h). But why? President Mark Raibert says “they’re not so focused on what the ultimate use will be,” but possible functions include emergency and military response.

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Model cover

How can you use design to get attention? Graphic designer David Carson, the  man referred to as “the father of grunge”,  is headed our way at the end of the month to show you exactly how. Better yet, you could soak up Carson’s design wisdom for yourself by winning a double pass to the event. Just click here to share a magazine cover design you think kicks ass, and why (brownie points if you include a link to the design in question).

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Bulli for you

Whoa. Volkswagen has reimagined the Microbus as an electric vehicle. Unveiled at the Geneva auto show, the Bulli is slightly smaller than the Golf, with sunroof, bench seats, four doors and an iPad dock. But does it have the charm of the original?

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A bit of mindless entertainment

The Oscars are done and dusted, but if you wanted to prolong the fun and games, you could always check out these Lego renditions of the Best Picture nominees. (Also, were there this many contenders last time around?)

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A new take on time

Check out this new clock prototype by Stockholm-based company, Humans Since 1982. As timepieces go, it’s definitely a fresh interpretation; in fact, it’s currently on display at London’s Saatchi Gallery.

Quote of the week

“There is significant self-made wealth in New Zealand—but people hang onto it, keep it for their kids or a rainy day.”

 - John Gow on the importance of giving back