Daily nuggets of inspiration from the good folk
at Elmwood.
Want these delivered to your inbox?
Poke us back.
The Department of Health has announced that people can download a mobile phone application to keep track of their festive drinking. Public health minister Gillian Merron launched the ‘alcohol tracker’, which is available from iTunes and www.nhs.uk.
It allows drinkers to input how much they are consuming and view graphs of whether they’re sticking to recommended units: three to four a day for a man, and two to three for a woman. The application also helps people work out how many alcoholic units there are in a drink and get personalised feedback on their habits.
Ms Merron said, ‘It’s all too easy to lose track of how much you drink. So as the festive parties start to build up, this innovative tool will help people keep tabs on their drinking – wherever they are.
‘Sticking within the NHS-recommended limits means you reduce the risk of serious conditions such as mouth cancer and strokes.’
Chris Sorek, chief executive of Drinkaware, said, ‘Trying to stick within the daily unit guidelines will help people avoid the January slump and the long term health implications associated with drinking too much alcohol.’
People with a standard mobile can access a units calculator by texting the word UNIT to 64746.
Ref. http://itn.co.uk/b968a21944f10d281d8a908d12f40443.html
Food & drinkGovernmentTechnology
+ Add comment – add yours
Launched earlier this year at the 2009 London Design Week, Tom Dixon‘s latest collection finally hits retailers in January 2010. As one of the leading ambassadors for British design, Dixon continues to explore sustainability issues with his Utility collection, adding extra emphasis on well-crafted construction. Acknowledging that just creating products from biodegradable materials—such as his Eco Ware collection—is simply not enough, the Utility collection concentrates on the notions of longevity, substance and materials deployed through robust, honest design.
Ref. http://www.coolhunting.com/archives/2009/12/tom_dixon.php
+ Add comment – add yours
As part of an interesting collaboration project, Malibu rum bottles got a re-design by three different magazines. Vice Magazine went with a drippy beach scene, Clark took a minimalist approach with a stark white bottle with a stencil and spray paint set and Shoes Up packaged their sneaker-inspired bottle inside a shoe box.
+ Add comment – add yours
Parents at work often feel entitled to leave work early now and then to accommodate their kids’ needs. Much to the disgruntlement of their childless coworkers. Aiming to bring the same benefits to the employees left behind is The Office Kid, a New York company that provides an all-purpose work excuse in the form of a fictitious ‘child’.
For just $19.95, childless workers can get their very own ‘kid in a kit’, including a framed picture of a child, original kiddie artwork for cubicle display and a welcome letter with suggested starter excuses. Customers can choose the gender and ethnicity of their child, and optional extras include sports team photos and doctor’s notes on ‘official’ stationery. The Office Kid explains: “No muss, no fuss, just a seemingly tangible excuse to hit the road early for nine holes, sporting events or a ticket to do absolutely nothing.”
Ethical questions notwithstanding, there’s no doubt The Office Kid provides an innovative solution to a perceived inequity that’s long been part of the office world.
Ref. http://www.springwise.com/life_hacks/officekid/
FamilyKidsOfficeProfessional services
+ Add comment – add yours
It’s that time of year again when hundreds of thousands of children will be tracking Santa’s progress across the world, courtesy of NORAD (North American Air Defence Command). The tradition began in 1955 when calls to a misprinted telephone number in an advertisement for a Colorado store, from children invited to call Santa’s hotline, came through to Col. Harry Shoup, NORAD’s Director of Operations. (Thanks, Head Elf Claire)
ChristmasEventSocial networking
