man working at beach
Life hacks

It’s natural to have a post-holiday slump heading back to work, but here are some signs it’s probably time to look for a new job

- January 13, 2023 3 MIN READ

If you’ve found yourself feeling a bit flat after returning to work (or outright hating your job) this year, you’re not alone. #BackToWork is trending for Australia on Tik Tok, with plenty of users lamenting the return to the office. A growing body of research also shows this feeling is pretty common. But while there’s… Read more »

Blake Vanderfield-Kramer and Steve Pillemer
Food and drink

Hemp, quandong and Kakadu plum – Australian distilling startup Feels Botanical gives new life to French eau de vie spirits

- January 5, 2023 3 MIN READ

French for ‘water of life’, eau de vie is the latest spirit to take Aussie palates by storm. A favourite amongst European drinkers, eau de vie has a rich history in French and German drinking culture, valued for its rich, velvety mouth feel and complex flavours. Local distiller, Feels Botanical have now brought its take… Read more »

Food and drink

Non-alcoholic brand Lyre’s goes AR to get your spirits up

- October 14, 2022 2 MIN READ

Non-alcoholic drinks startup Lyre’s has enlisted augmented reality (AR) to educate people about its products and party like the “social animals” that are its brand mascots. ‘Social Animals’ have been created to match each character featured on the alcohol-free spirits bottle, with the AR animating them to tell the story in the virtual Lyre’s Impossible… Read more »

On phone in bed
Life hacks

Science says doomscrolling is bad for your health, so here are 4 tips to help you stop it

- September 9, 2022 3 MIN READ

Doomscrolling can be a normal reaction to living through uncertain times. It’s natural to want to understand dramatic events unfolding around you and to seek out information when you’re afraid. But becoming absorbed in bad news for too long can be detrimental. A newly published study has found that people with high levels of problematic… Read more »

Gadgets

Apple kills off passwords and releases iPhone 14, as AirPods hit $400

- September 8, 2022 3 MIN READ

Apple’s latest hardware refresh event incorporated the usual accoutrements – including a rugged smart watch, updated earbuds and next-generation iPhones – but for many users it is the release of iOS 16, and its passwordless logins, that promises to be the game-changer. Demonstrated at the company’s WorldWide Developers Conference in June, the new Passkeys are… Read more »

After Hours

Melbourne meal startup South Yarra Deli goes national

- August 17, 2022 2 MIN READ

The hospitality sector was among the hardest hit during the pandemic lockdowns, leading multiple restaurants to turn to takeaway and other options to survive. And while many have now refocused on getting diners back in their front doors, a Covid pivot to eat-and-serve meals by the team behind the Botanical Hotel in Melbourne’s South Yarra… Read more »

Marketing, snake oil, salesman
Food and drink

A professor of chemistry explains why ‘structured water’ is complete and utter BS

- August 5, 2022 4 MIN READ

Is there a “fourth phase of water”? From time to time you might see people talking up the health benefits of so-called hexagonal water, or structured water, or exclusion-zone (EZ) water. A few weeks ago Kourtney Kardashian’s Poosh website was spruiking a US$2,500 “structured water filter”. Last weekend even Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald got in… Read more »

Carl Hartmann
After Hours

Alexa, I’m drinking: keep me sober

- May 30, 2022 2 MIN READ

Australian startup and no alcohol spirits brand Lyre’s has toasted a tech partnership with Amazon Alexa to keep the cocktails flowing, but your mind clear. By saying “Alexa, open make it a Lyre’s”, people can follow Alexa’s prompts to make their favourite cocktail, sans booze, at their own pace. The Amazon platform will even play… Read more »

After Hours

Shopping app Her Black Book launches cashback in time for Australian Fashion Week

- May 6, 2022 2 MIN READ

Premium shopping app Her Black Book has added cashback rewards to its platform ahead of Australian Fashion Week, which kicks off on Monday.  Her Black Book is the brainchild of Sali Sasi and Julie Stevanj, the sisters behind Stylerunner. The pair announced their latest entrepreneurial venture last October, and in February, raised $1.6 million in Seed… Read more »

After Hours

Plastics waste reduction startup Zero Co moves into body products

- May 2, 2022 2 MIN READ

Byron Bay plastics reduction startup Zero Co has turned its attention to what’s under the kitchen sink to what’s in the bathroom vanity, launching the world’s first refillable and single-use plastic (SUP)-free shampoo, conditioner, lotion and other body products. Zero Co founder Mike Smith said the beauty industry is a significant contributor to Australia’s plastic… Read more »

After Hours

A uni student has come up with an app to make it easier to travel in the covid era

- January 12, 2021 1 MIN READ

As people hope to travel again in 2021, a healtchare worker  has come up with a tech solution to help navigate the covid-safe demands of airlines. Erika Harman, a dietician studying for her Masters in Healthcare Innovations at Bond University, developed the app VaxVisa to carry verifiable digital certificates for vaccination and laboratory test results. She… Read more »