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Don't build houses when you can grow them… out of meat!

In this typically thought provoking TED talk, architect and ecologist Mitchell Joachim shares some of his recent experiments 'growing' houses out of trees and... meat! Imagine using animal fat for insulation and "sphincter muscles for doors and windows".

Old Spice adopts new approach to FMCG marketing

If you haven't already watched the commercial below, you're about to see what is already being described as one of the best brand re-launches of all time. It deservedly won the Film grand prix at the Cannes Lions and is now being praised, far and wide, for the way its creators Wieden + Kennedy have extended the reach of the campaign to embrace social media.

Startup School scrapes attendee tweets to create eBook

What I personally found so interesting about this item of digital media is that it was created by the crowd and assembled by attendees (or one particularly passionate attendee in particular). And, despite having not attended the event, I suspect that it is more helpful than most of the glossy 'take homes' I find shoved in most 'goodie-bags' post most conferences.

Strive for your impossible dreams like a mustacheod, Honda-driving hero

Building on the success of its2006 'Impossible Dream' campaign, Honda has released a new extended version for 2010 to air across 28 nations. The ad still features the original and distinctly 'Village People-esque' hero as he strives from one impossible dream (honda product) to the next, but is 20-odd seconds longer and flows a lot more smoothly. More importantly it features a greater number of Honda's technological achievements including the HondaJet, the CR-Z Hybrid Coupe, the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity and the humanoid robot ASIMO.

Does brokepacker.com deserve to be our website-of-the-week?

According to the brokepacker.com founder Kevin Lippy, backpackers are only interested in three things: "Beer, sex and cheap deals." And he should know. Last month, we quoted another of Kevin's 'off-the-cuff' remarks as a Tequila Shot when he described his recent achievement moving into a youth hostel as a form of career advancement. (Of course, his goal was to gain a better understanding of his audience.)

Are you an 'ideas man'. I hope it's a common affliction.

I know myself well enough now to succumb to the rush of a new concept 'that has never been done before', before heading back to the here-and-now. I figure that this sort of activity, although no help to my current workload, is good for keeping my mind active, rather than feeling guilty about never being able to put these ideas into action.

Are you an ‘ideas man’. I hope it’s a common affliction.

I know myself well enough now to succumb to the rush of a new concept 'that has never been done before', before heading back to the here-and-now. I figure that this sort of activity, although no help to my current workload, is good for keeping my mind active, rather than feeling guilty about never being able to put these ideas into action.

A tribute to Lego (and some awesome stop motion)

We love Lego. And we have no doubt that you do too. This Friday, we've assembled three of our favourite Lego-related videos, from the educational (MIT’s Eric von Hippel: Open Innovation) to the inspiringly creative (My Desk is 8-Bit by Alex Varanese) to the mind-blowingly, bodaciously awesome (Pixels by Patrick Jean). Happy Friday Anthillians!

Get your ad banned if you want it to pop (like a polar bear's...

The 'interwebs' are filled with commercials proudly and boldy described as 'banned'. There is almost no better link bait (he writes shamelessly aware of this very post's title). We all know this intuitively. But now digital technology can not only be used to provide proof. It can be used to create a commercial justification.

Get your ad banned if you want it to pop (like a polar bear’s...

The 'interwebs' are filled with commercials proudly and boldy described as 'banned'. There is almost no better link bait (he writes shamelessly aware of this very post's title). We all know this intuitively. But now digital technology can not only be used to provide proof. It can be used to create a commercial justification.

Australian crowdsourcing outfit 99Designs picks up Webby and celebrates with song

99Designs' achievements have scored it the Best Web Service & Application gong in the Webby People’s Voice Awards, beating international crowdsourcing heavy-weights Dropbox and Tumblr. When entering, 99Design founder Mark Harbottle promised his Twitter followers that should his company win an award he would thank fans of the company in song. The following clip is the fulfilment of that promise.

Tania de Jong talks about how her grandmother patented the foldable umbrella (then lost...

Two remarkable things happened at the launch of Creative Innovation 2010. Firstly, a senior representative from a leading Australian bank told an endearing story about her early successes outside the banking sector. (It's a rare thing to be won over by a representative from the Australian banking sector.) Secondly, conference organiser Tania de Jong, surprised the crowd with a story about her grandmother's inventiveness... before bursting into song.

Rad BMX eBay listing reveals the power of a pithy sales pitch

If you've ever doubted the capacity of savvy marketing to transform an average product into the must-have slice of cool, check out this brilliant eBay campaign from early 2009.

Impressive Aquascript ambient advertising wows Parisian pedestrians

NGO Solidarités International and creative agency BDDP Unlimited marked the occasion of World Water Day with this innovative ambient display in the heart of Paris. These Aquascript water messages, designed to build awareness of the dangers of unclean drinking water globally, turned heads for a full week in the City of Light.

The most intelligent uses of Twitter accounts from around the world, in one place

Clever Accounts (@CleverAccounts) tweets about interesting and intelligent uses of Twitter from around the web. The feed is taken from Clever Accounts' Posterous blog, which carries the apt tagline: Twitterers that make you say, "Now I get it!"

A serene pod office for your back yard

It might look like something out of Lord of the Rings, but the UK-designed Archipod contains all the modern comforts of a compact office, transplanted into the sanctuary of your back yard.

The iPad? Meh. The future of tech is touching yourself.

What comes after the iPad touch screen interface? Will we all soon be starring in our own private Minority Report? Enter "skinput": -- bio-acoustic sensing technology that allows the human body itself to be used as an input device. According to Carnegie Mellon University researcher Chris Harrison, different body locations give off "acoustically distinct" sound waves when touched, opening up a world of possibility for touching feely techies.

This should hang on every entrepreneur’s wall

From the wonderfully verdant mind of entrepreneurial illustrator Hugh MacLeod, author of Ignore Everybody (listed among Amazon's Top 10 Editor's Picks for Best Business Books 2009), comes this print worthy of hanging on any entrepreneur's wall.

This should hang on every entrepreneur's wall

From the wonderfully verdant mind of entrepreneurial illustrator Hugh MacLeod, author of Ignore Everybody (listed among Amazon's Top 10 Editor's Picks for Best Business Books 2009), comes this print worthy of hanging on any entrepreneur's wall.

Rock meets engineering to create a bodaciously viral clip (and inspire the mad inventor...

Sure, it's a film-clip for a rock band (hardly business related). But it, nonetheless, showcases a feat of extreme commercial creativity likely to inspire the mad inventor in all of us.
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New Zealand’s Xero eyes US IPO, further disruption as subscribers increase...

Xero recently held its annual meeting in Wellington, during which the company revealed some interesting details about its future. As has been widely suspected, the...

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