EuroTalk

Kinnarps Australia and CSM Storage and Filing Solutions are giving away a zippy Swedish bike from Skeppshult to celebrate their Saturday in Design partnership.

WHAT: Kinnarps Australia and CSM Storage and Filing Solutions have joined forces for Saturday In Design (SiD) to unveil their exciting new ranges of sustainable office products.

For many years, both Kinnarps Australia and CSM Storage and Filing Solutions have reduced their costs and greenhouse gas emissions through an ongoing commitment to environmentally sound practices in all areas of businesses.

Kinnarps Australia and CSM Storage and Filing Solutions are calling on all Australian offices to consider how they can reduce their ecological footprint.

There are many ways individual offices can change their behaviour to become more cost effective and sustainable such as switching to energy efficient light bulbs, printing paper on both sides and switching off your computer at night.

To celebrate the SiD Think Green & Save theme, Kinnarps Australia and CSM Storage and Filing Solutions want to hear your innovative and cost effective ideas on how to make an office greener!

Simply submit your entry by emailing your ideas to info@mycarpediem.com.au and address your email ‘Think green and Save Ideas’ by Saturday 1 August 2009, or submit your idea in person at SiD.

The most innovative idea, as judged by Kinnarps Australia and CSM Storage and Filing Solutions, will receive a fun and zippy designer bicycle from Sweden’s Skeppshult.

The bike will be present during SiD so make sure you pop by our showroom to test drive what could be your new bike! 

WHEN: Saturday 1 August 2009
WHERE: Level 1, 16 Foster Street, Surry Hills, Australia

July 23rd, 2009
Categories: Competition, Design, Environmentally Friendly, Sweden . Author: admin . Comments: No Comments

This week, thousands of people from across the globe will arrive in the Danish capital Copenhagen to take part in the most important international event for homosexual, bi-sexual and transgender men and women – World Outgames 2009. On the agenda is in one of the largest and most important conferences on homosexual rights the world has ever seen.

Nearly 100 nations will be represented, and up to 200,000 participants, tourists and Copenhageners are expected to take part in World Outgames 2009 from July 25 – August 2. Apart from focusing on human rights for nine days, a large number of theme festivals and an extensive cultural and sports program will make Copenhagen the place to be.

“By hosting World Outgames, Denmark will send a signal to the rest of the world that it should maintain focus on the right to love whomsoever one wishes, irrespective of gender and sexuality. From Northern Europe to South America, in Eastern Europe and the Far East, there are human rights battles to be fought – particularly for homosexuals. We hope that World Outgames and the thousands of people from around 100 different countries will be able to spread the message to the world,” says Uffe Elbæk, director in World Outgames 2009.

The heart of World Outgames is a major international human rights conference being held in close cooperation with Amnesty International and IBM focusing on the necessity that all people, irrespective of gender and sexuality should have equal rights.

“It is important for Copenhagen that issues concerning homosexual rights and tolerance can be discussed without prejudice. World Outgames enables us to pay tribute to the diversity and openness that is such an innate part of the city. We are greatly looking forward to welcoming participants and spectators,” says Lars Bernhard Jørgensen, CEO in Wonderful Copenhagen.

A great variety of cultural activities will take place in Copenhagen during the event. Cities such as Melbourne, Tel Aviv, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Antwerp will contribute with music, entertainment, dance and much more. Sporting events throughout the city will include some 30 disciplines – such as ice hockey, beach volleyball and triathlon in Copenhagen’s harbor area. Apart from the cultural program and the sport events, the city will be awash with a large number of and free activities.

Also, a gay cruise with 2,600 passengers will be docking at Copenhagen during World Outgames, and a mass blessing has been arranged at Copenhagen Cathedral offering gay couples special recognition by the Church to commemorate the 20th anniversary of legally recognized same-sex civil unions in Denmark.

Facts and additional information about homosexual rights in Denmark: www.visitcopenhagen.com/factsheetWOG

Read more about World Outgames: www.copenhagen2009.org/

Official program: www.copenhagen2009.org/program

July 23rd, 2009
Categories: Copenhagen, Culture, Denmark, Sport . Author: admin . Comments: No Comments

Unveiled to the world for the first time at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March, the Italian open top car will hit the Australian market next year.

In Italy, the public has been able to take the new Fiat 500 C for a test drive from this week, exactly 2 years after the launch of the new model which was voted Europe’s 2008 “Car of the Year”.

Testament to its success, the Fiat 500 has won 30 awards around the globe and attracted more 11 million internet users to its website.

While waiting for our turn to check out the new model here in Australia, Carpe Diem’s team has been pouring over the cabriolet model of Fiat’s chic Bambino which plays homage to the convertible version of the original Fiat 500, launched in 1957.

The new Fiat 500 C boasts an electric sliding roof, generous luggage space for all that shopping and easier access to the boot, even when the top will be fully open.

Better still, we’ll be able to customise it with over 100 accessories created especially for the 500 C and we’ll have two more choices in the colour schemes, not to mention the myriad other options available.

Fiat has also proved its commitment to ecology and sustainable mobility with the innovative “start and stop” system that ensures the engine is only running when it needs to be.

We’ll be paying attention to the results of “500 C hands up” competition for which, in collaboration with men’s fashion magazine l’UOMO Vogue, Fiat created a game in which people can send a photo of their moments of “explosive joy”. The best picture will be published in the magazine in the September issue.

Hopefully, the winning photo will be a blend of retro and modern style, like this iconic car, currently one of the best models in the city-car segment.

July 13th, 2009
Categories: Competition, Italy, Motoring . Author: admin . Comments: No Comments

Always on the search for original and unconventional ideas, we have found a real gem that was exhibited at this year’s International Design Festival in Berlin.

So, we present to you, pink table soccer - but instead of the traditional male soccer players we have the iconic Barbie doll!

What does it mean? What message does this young French designer want to convey by bringing together the typical male world and the symbol of ideal femininity?

Perhaps she wishes to stimulate thought about different mentalities and the pre-digested ideas we commonly face? What do you think?

If nothing else this product, created in partnership with the Mattel Brands Consumer Products and Babyfoot Bonzini, seems a good way to get boys to play with Barbies!

http://chloeruchon.jimdo.com/

July 8th, 2009
Categories: Design, France, Toys . Author: admin . Comments: No Comments

The 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee wrapped up in Seville this week and, as always, made a number of important decisions regarding our international legacy to and preservation of important world sites.  

This year a total of 27 new sites were up for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List and 13 have been added to the list. This brings the number of natural and cultural sites to 890.

The new additions include The Dolomites (Italy), Stoclet House (Belgium) and The Tower of Hercules (Spain). They have been selected for having outstanding universal value.

UNESCO World Heritage sites are elected by a general assembly of 21 countries serving four year terms and must be of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity.

Italy has the most listed World Heritage sites with iconic locations such as the historic centre of Rome and the Venice canals, while 21 per cent of the sites are located in Asia-Pacific. Australia has 17 sites on the list, including the Sydney Opera House, in Carpe Diem’s home city, which has been on the list since 2007.

Speaking on behalf of the World Heritage Committee’s host nation, Spain’s Culture Minister Angeles Gonzalez-Sinde Reig said the most important work of the Committee today is “to revive and raise the flame of culture in the face of crises and uncertainties.”

The 33rd meeting of the Committee has afforded list-status to three news sites deemed to be in need of protection:

• Los Katios National Park in Colombia as part of an international mobilisation against deforestation
• The historical monuments of Mtskheta in Georgia
• The northern hemisphere’s largest barrier reef, Belize, because of mangrove cuttings and excessive development in the area.

María Jesús San Segundo, the Ambassador and permanent delegate of Spain to UNESCO, highlighted that threatened areas must find local strategies for sustainable development.

For more on UNESCO World Heritage Sites visit their website:
http://whc.unesco.org/

July 2nd, 2009
Categories: Australia, Belgium, Culture, Italy, Nature, Spain, UNESCO . Author: admin . Comments: 1 Comment

Until Sunday 23 August, the Art Gallery of NSW will be showing a new exhibition called “Intensely Dutch.” Inspired by post-WWII experiences in the Netherlands, the exhibition brims with the new sense of renewal and optimism inspired in a population previously overshadowed by censorship.

The exhibition includes works from some Dutch heavyweights of the post-war art scene, such as Karel Appel, Jaap Wagemaker and Bram Bogart. Visitors will also find works from Dutch artists associated with the CoBrA and art informel movements.

To help appreciate the art on another level, visitors can participate in a workshop, an exhibition forum, celebrity talk, exhibition talk, guided tour or film program.

Admission to the exhibition is free, however some activities may include a participation fee.

For more on the “Intensely Dutch” exhibition visit the Art Gallery of NSW website: http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/current/intensely_dutch

July 1st, 2009
Categories: Art, Dutch, Netherlands . Author: admin . Comments: No Comments

Literally talking around the water cooler this morning, the Carpe Diem team discussed the weather. Yes the weather. It’s only June so we shivered at the thought of the peak of winter. As we pondered pessimistically about the cold, our Danish resident here at Carpe Diem, reminded us all that winter has its perks as long as you know how to do winter like the Europeans. One such perk is mulled wine.

Mulled wine is a European staple during Christmas time, because it warms the chilly European December.  But seeing as the seasons are back to front down under, it seems like the perfect time for us to give the concoction a go.

According to our Danish resident, there are different kinds of mulled wine throughout Europe but in Denmark it is known as Gløgg. It is usually made by heating red wine and port or other spirits, and infusing it with different flavours like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, star anise, fruit peels and nuts. Some also add sugar, honey or syrup.

Sound like your cup of tea? Or cup of wine rather? Why not look up some mulled wine recipes like us and shoo away your winter woes.

For a simple recipe try http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/2386/mulled+red+wine.

Let us know if it tastes just as good as it sounds!

June 25th, 2009
Categories: Denmark, Wine . Author: admin . Comments: No Comments

2UE, the Scandinavian Tourist Board, Scandinavian Airlines and MyPlanet, the Scandinavian travel experts are giving away a fantastic holiday for two people to experience the land famous for the midnight sun, Vikings, fjords, classic design culture and bustling modern city life.

Simply listen to Mike and Sandy during breakfast and John Stanley during the Drive show between June 29-July 3 for your chance to win! There are also heaps of other prizes to be won throughout the week.

For more visit www.2ue.com.au

June 24th, 2009
Categories: Competition, Denmark, Norway, Scandinavia, Sweden . Author: admin . Comments: No Comments

As a lover of all things old school and a sucker for bright colours, Carpe Diem was more than excited to hear about Lego’s collaboration with Digital Blue to make Lego inspired MP3 players, cameras, alarm clocks, walkie talkies and boom boxes. 

In an era of super gadgets like mobile phones which can do everything for you except brush your teeth, it is refreshing to be reminded about the simple toys of yesteryear. But of course, after 70 years of entertaining children, it is no surprise Lego wants to move on from its humble beginnings in a small carpenter’s workshop in Denmark to reach today’s more tech-savvy market.

The range is targeted at a young audience, but perhaps that should be extended to the young at heart as well. After all, who really outgrows the uncomplicated joy of the humble Lego brick, when those bumps and indents are just begging to be interlocked, disassembled and assembled all over again?!

Perhaps what makes it so appealing to young and old is the name itself, which is the Danish abbreviation of two words “leg godt”, meaning “play well”. This is a motto to live by whatever age you are.

Unfortunately though, nostalgia seekers will be disappointed to know that these Lego creations will not be detachable like the classic Lego we all remember, BUT you can attach your Lego camera to a Lego robot, link up to a computer and communicate anywhere in the world via the Internet. So perhaps we should let this little glitch slide.

The Lego range is set for a September 2009 release with prices from $US 20-60.

For a sneak peek visit:
http://digiblue.com/lego/

Or for more info on the camera robot check out:
http://www.lego.com/eng/education/mindstorms/home.asp?pagename=camera

Play well everyone!

June 24th, 2009
Categories: Denmark, Technology, Toys . Author: admin . Comments: 1 Comment

Interesting stimulus initiative from the French Government in support of the ailing newspaper industry.

The French government is to give all 18 to 24-year-olds a free newspaper once a week for a year as part of 600 million euro aid package for the press. The concept was originally outlined in January, when the government announced its plan to offer French teenagers a year-long subscription to the newspaper of their choice, commencing on the  day of their 18th birthday. The extension of the age range was  announced yesterday at the Ministry of Culture meeting of the États généraux de la presse.

The idea has proven to be a particularly controversial component of the government’s package of financing and reform formulated to restore the health of the French printed press.  The Sarkozy administration has dedicated an exceptional 200 million euros a year, for a 3-year period, to aid the printed press. The Culture Ministry announced during the meeting that more than half of this year’s budget had already been designated.

Christine Albanel, Minister of Culture and Communication, explained the future benefits that the enlargement of the subscription project would have on the news industry in terms of tapping into a fresh market: “the newspaper unions are expecting 200,000 subscriptions, from a pool of 750,000 young potential readers”.

The government is investing heavily in the cause of the French newspaper industry.  The subscription project will cost the state 5 million euros a year. Moreover, to help the press adapt to the digital age, the government has dedicated a further budget of 20 million euros to this specific need. It is hoped that the announcement of further tax cuts for agents buying shares in titles and donating to press bodies will  encourage outside investment.

Yet according to Le Figaro, the hardest issue remains to be resolved. The government needs to negotiate a “new social contract” between trade unions and editors. This agreement is necessary if printing costs, a considerable financial drain on publishers, are to be reduced.

The free subscription project was one of ten recommendations to the French government made by a sub-committee commissioned to investigate the deficiencies in youth readership. The idea had already been trialled by Ouest-France and 41 regional newspapers.  The project was launched in 2006 and offered 18 to 24-year-olds a free subscription to a daily newspaper once a week.

According to Jeanne-Emmanuelle Hutin of Ouest-France and deputy head of the French presidential youth press commission, Ouest-France was one of the regional newspapers that reported a clear ‘positive’ results from the subscription projects with a 15 percent renewal rate. However, Hutin suggested that the factors encouraging subscribers to continue reading the publication had a lot to do with the specific efforts made by the titles to appeal to this audience. She emphasised that the government also strongly supported use of newspapers in schools to assure an early habit of newspaper reading and general innovation by newspapers to do a better job of attracting a generation that is clearly digital.

Aralynn McMane, director of young readership development at the World Association of Newspapers, thinks the extension is an improvement: “What international research tells us is that newspapers must make special new efforts at the moment a young person leaves home. That said, if youth material is simply an add-on instead of an ingrained attitude throughout the company and product, it’s not going to work.”

I wonder if something similar would work here in Australia, especially considering the fact that an amazing 90 per cent of journalism students don’t read newspapers.

June 23rd, 2009
Categories: France, Media . Author: admin . Comments: No Comments