Our current orbit around the sun is nearly complete, and there’s plenty we want for the year ahead. We want to be more successful at work. We want to be more well-groomed and better dressed. We want to be healthier. We want to wield money more carefully. We want to travel more and stress less. We want stronger relationships and more sleep. We want our homes to be more stylish. We want to be more organised.In other words, we want to get our shit together, and we suspect you do too.The remaining days of 2016 will be spent arming ourselves with apps, gadgets, and accessories that will support us in kicking ass in 2017. High on that list is a calendar, because though our lives may be increasingly digital, crossing something off a to-do list or slashing an X through a completed day remain some of life’s greatest and simplest pleasures.RELATED: Alternative Advent Calendars For Grown-Ass Men With Good TasteBut an average calendar won’t do. We want something modern and masculine, with style for days and just the right amount of unique flair. We’re not boring; why should our calendars be?Above we’ve gathered 29 handsome options that will make staying on track in 2017 an easy and chic affair. Go forth and conquer.

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Well, Westworld fans, we have good news and bad news.First, the good news: there’s a very real chance sex robots will be a real thing in the future, so you can live out all your filthiest and most disturbing fantasies with a partner who won’t need therapy afterwards. Congratulations, you perv.But then the bad news: experts are extremely concerned that said sex robots could be the end of humanity – which, as boner killers go, is a pretty damn big one.At the Second International Congress on Love and Sex with Robots (which is ridiculous both because it exists and because it’s in its second year), Swiss researcher Oliver Bendel warned of two ways these frisky robo-buddies could pose a danger to the continued existence of the human race.The first issue is their stamina. Human sexuality has certain “physical limits” Bendel said, but robots could possibily be tireless shagging machines. A robot could “over-exert” a human lover, relentlessly doing the mechanical nasty until the human hits the point of exhaustion (or worse).The second issue, though not potentially fatal to an individual human, could make sex robots dangerous to humanity as a whole. As carefully designed, purpose-driven machines, they could be so good at screwing that we never want to have sex with other humans again. The species might die out because everyone is too busy nailing robots to nail each other.There are also a bunch of moral and ethical questions about the use of sex robots – like whether they will be able to “entice” users or have the capability of “refusal” in “extreme” circumstances – all of which will have to be answered at some point in the very strange, very horny future we’re headed for.Episode idea for the next season of Black Mirror, perhaps?

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Talk to any horology fiend and they’ll often utter watchmakers which boast a heritage spanning more than a century long. Speak to any HYT enthusiast and they’ll tell you how their piece has been redefining the conventions of watchmaking since…2012.

“The biggest inventions in watchmaking are more than one hundred years old. I think we have a responsibility to create something that is contemporary, to talk to people who live in 2016 and beyond.”

It’s no secret that HYT have entered a well established empire in the men’s luxury space but it’s the way they’re approaching the game in Swiss watchmaking circles that’s making people realise that this could be the next great chapter in horology.

And it’s in this exact position where the young brand wants to be, according to CEO Grégory Dourde.

“The biggest inventions in watchmaking are more than one hundred years old and I think we have a responsibility to create something that is contemporary, to talk to people who live in 2016 and beyond”.

And with that statement, HYT last week marked its long-awaited debut on Australian shores, bringing with it the chance for locals to sample the epitome of a pioneering timepiece made for modern times.

Currently the local HYT portfolio includes five timepieces: the H1, H2, H3, H4 and highly sought after Skull which makes up a grand total of 40 references.

Those who have never heard of the HYT name are probably wondering what the big deal is. Take a closer look at HYT watches and there’ll be a notable absence of any hands. In its place is a fluorescent fluid tube which pushes specially engineered liquid around the dial to indicate the time.

Reading the time, is in essence needs to be re-learnt, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – even for die-hard fans of traditional hands and the familiar ticking of a mechanical watch.

It all looks good on paper but at the end of the day HYT are going up against the grain of watchmaking, a deep-rooted tradition which spans up to two centuries long.

When it comes to reaching a new market, we posed the difficult question to Grégory Dourde: How can HYT entice a traditional watch buyer to appreciate such an advanced and technologically-forward piece of timekeeping?

“It is a very good question,” says Dourde. “I will start with a small anecdote. We have an important collector with 50 or 60 watches in his collection.”

“He loves HYT and already has two, but normally he buys Patek Philippe, Bruguet..the classic ones. When I look at this customer, I would say that kind of collector will never be interested in HYT because that’s a very classic collection he has.”

Things however pan out differently when people realise the scope and significance behind what HYT are doing.

“We took him for a manufacturer visit and suddenly he discovered the universe of HYT. He said, ‘You know guys, I understand now…I come here and it’s my kind of NASA. I am projected in the picture. You guys are writing the pages in watchmaking history.'”

And this is the underlying key of HYT’s rapid rise to the top which saw them take out the Best Innovative Watch 2012 at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Their customers become a part of the watchmaking story and a pioneer themselves.

Since HYT’s approach to watchmaking is to look towards implementing technology rather than holding onto the past to spruik the ‘vintage’ tag, it needs to move fast in order to stay at the forefront of innovation.

“If you look at Silicon Valley disruptors, they don’t wear watches,” explains Dourde.

“This is a big risk for Swiss watches. Traditional watchmaking simply isn’t talking to them. Will they find a traditional mechanical movement exciting? I’m not sure, but we have to reinvent.”

“The future will not be based on the past. It’s a vision we shape, not because it worked the last 30 years. For us, I cannot have a vision beyond five years because things change so fast.”

Something based on the present is something Dourde can promise for now without turning a blind eye to the foundations the company was built on.

“I’m convinced our ambition is not to kill or re-interpret the past, but to be able to appeal to the new generation – young people or people who have the mind to be contemporary. Time flows like HYT watches.”

Welcome to the future of timekeeping, made for humans of today.

The post HYT Is Defining The Future Of Watchmaking appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Leopards and rhinos and lions, oh my!The leisure safari has been in vogue since affluent travellers of the Roaring Twenties took to Africa to see (and shoot) the continent’s extraordinary wildlife. Today most of us prefer to shoot with cameras, but the wildlife that awaits is no less remarkable.Holidaymakers used to the luxe life may rest assured that there’s no need to sacrifice an ounce of comfort for this incredible experience. A growing faction of upscale safaris cater to the well-heeled crowd with ultra-private accommodations, gourmet food, helipads, butlers, and what is perhaps the most important amenity of all: air conditioning.These eight luxurious safaris are leading the pack.

Segera Retreat | Kenya

Segera Retreat blends experiences for a well-rounded and immersive encounter with the wonders of Kenya. The property, located in the heart of the Laikipia Plateau on an idyllic 60,000-acre wildlife sanctuary, includes six beautifully designed villas, spa facilities, a gym, and several dining options. Segera Retreat boasts an impressive collection of African art, courtesy of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, and the iconic yellow biplane from the film Out of Africa, which once again soars over Kenya’s scenic landscapes.

Lion Sands Game Reserve | South Africa

Lion Sands Game Reserve is the only private reserve to have a foot in both Kruger National Park (the largest game reserve in South Africa) and the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. Guests are allowed the rare treat of going off road to follow in the footsteps of any creatures that catch their eyes. Five accommodation options are available. The most luxurious is the spacious Ivory Lodge Villa, which comes with a private pool, fire deck, gym, and spa treatment room. Alternatively, if you’re feeling especially romantic or adventurous, Lion Sands has four treehouses for guests who would rather sleep under the stars.

andBeyond Serengeti Under Canvas | Tanzania

The roving campsite of andBeyond Serengeti Under Canvas puts guests right in the middle of the action. Only the walls of your tent separate you from the herds of the Great Migration, providing the ultimate perch for watching the famed animal spectacle. Don’t balk at the word “tent” – these opulent canvas creations are nothing like the ones you remember from sleepover camp. AndBeyond’s swanky glamping experience comes with chandeliers, silverware, crystal, ensuite toilets, fluffy duvets, and a private butler service.

Mahali Mzuri | Kenya

If it comes from Sir Richard Branson, you know it’s swish. Mahali Mzuri is the man’s grand safari camp located in the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy in Kenya’s Maasai Mara ecosystem. The prime location gives guests a front row seat to the Great Migration as well as year-round game, including lions, wildebeest, elephants, and cheetahs. The 12 futuristically designed “tents” accommodate no more than 24 guests in the camp at any given time, guaranteeing peace, quiet, and attentive customer service for all. Mahali Mzuri means ‘beautiful place’ in Swahili, and it certainly lives up to its name.

Royal Malewane | South Africa

What do Bono, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen have in common? They’ve all stayed at the magnificent Royal Malewane in Greater Kruger National Park. The retreat’s upmarket experience is renowned the world over thanks to superlative Big Five game viewing, state-of-the-art vehicles, lavish lodges, and a staff that includes some of the continent’s top butlers, guides, and trackers. A maximum of 20 guests are pampered with air-conditioned suites, infinity pools, an award-winning spa, and nightly feasts under the African stars. The royal treatment indeed.

Mombo & Little Mombo Safari Camps | Botswana

Hidden in the lush emerald depths of Africa’s Eden, the Okavango Delta, are twin safari camps that take wildlife spotting to new heights of luxury. Mombo and Little Mombo are located at the top of one of Botswana’s most beautiful islands, connected by raised walkways that allow game to wander freely through the camps while guests watch safely from above. Mombo is the larger of the two with nine tents styled with a charming mix of modern and colonial influences. The more romantic Little Mombo is built under a shady canopy and has only three tented guest rooms and a private pool.

Singita Grumeti Reserve | Tanzania

Singita knows a thing or two about plush African accommodations. The brand owns more than a dozen lodges in Tanzania, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. It’s nearly impossible to choose a favourite, so instead we’re nominating the entire crop in Singita Grumeti, a reserve adjacent to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. From the palatial Sasakwa Lodge, to Sabora Tented Camp, to Faru Faru Lodge (pictured above), and more, each location has something alluring to offer. The resort also features a spa, a yoga centre, and tennis courts.

Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp | Kenya

Anything borrowing its elegance from the glamorous Jazz Age has a place amongst Africa’s most luxurious safaris on lock. Cottar’s Safari Service has shown guests the finer things in life since 1919. Today the business is still owned by the Cottar family and still going strong, now divided into Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp and Cottar’s Bush Villa. The award-winning camp has its own 6,000-acre private conservancy with easy access for day and night game drives, as well as cultural interactions with the Maasai community. Stay in the 1920s Safari Camp for an indulgent dose of vintage style.

The post Step Inside The Most Extravagant Safari Experiences In Africa appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

 

It would appear that Facebook head honcho Mark Zuckerberg has been watching too many Ironman movies and not enough Terminator ones – you know, the ones where the machines obliterate the human race.

For his latest achievement of epic technological proportions, Zuckerberg has debuted ‘Jarvis’, a personal home assistant which can do anything from greeting you to telling you about your meetings and the weather. The creepy thing is that it can also interact with your family and response like a real human in different languages.

Jarvis can even hook up to your home security system to determine who’s at the door before letting them in. Impressed? Not so fast. Zuckerberg has given ‘Jarvis’ the voice veteran actor and all-round cool voice guy Morgan Freeman.

It’s not all fun and games though. Jarvis can also help with looking after kids too as proven by Mark’s choice in song request. The program is currently in development and Zuckerberg is asking for the world to help. Watch the clip above to find out more.

The post Mark Zuckerberg Debuts Personal AI Assistant With Morgan Freeman's Voice appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Hold onto your pants, Apple fanboys. A source coming from the Korea Herald has revealed that the next generation iPhone, dubbed ‘iPhone 8’, will feature an edgeless curved screen.

This is a major step away from the conventional iPhone design which has remained relatively similar over the past few iterations, bar a few updated features and removed ports.

The source from the Korean press may seem questionable at first but credibility is added since it’s known that Apple will be acquiring these new curved screens from Korean tech giant, Samsung – their biggest competitor to date.

RELATED: This Calculator Shows How Rich You’d Be If You Invested In Apple Stock

The news post stated via a reliable source that, “the OLED version of the new iPhone will all be curved as Apple ordered all plastic OLED – not glass – from Samsung Display. Samsung is capable of supplying a little less than 100 million units of curved OLED displays to Apple.”

This is akin to the curved screen as seen on the Galaxy S7 Edge which feature curved edges on the sides of the phone but not top and bottom. Apple will be looking to have all four sides of their phone with curved edges.

The Korea Herald added that Apple is working on “sensing technology” which will detect contact on the sides of the phone as well as the front.

Until then, the wait for the next radical handset continues when the Cupertino company celebrates the 10th anniversary of iPhone in 2017.

[via Forbes]

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By day, the silhouettes of Spanish art collective Reskate are deceptively simple. Only after sundown do they reveal their true splendour: hidden inside each work is a more detailed image that only appears in the dark.

Maria Lopez and Javier de Riba are the creative duo behind the glow-in-the-dark street art. Both are graphic designers and illustrators who dabble in murals and installations. Their unique glowing pieces are achieved using phosphorescent paint made from ingredients like silver-activated zinc sulfide and doped strontium aluminate, which combined to create a pale green/blue shade that appears illuminated.

A hint of the skeleton that lies within can be glimpsed during daylight, but the murals only reveal their full hypnotising effect after dark. Reskate use the format to offer social commentary. A piece in the Spanish city of Zaragoza is merely a loaf of bread on the surface. At night, however, a glowing knife appears within the dough. The image was created for Action Against Hunger as a reminder that current generations have the means to end world hunger, but have yet to do so.

Another of Reskate’s glow-in-the-dark street art creations is a planet in daylight and transforms into an undersea diving helmet at night. According to the artists, the piece represents how the obsessive space race between the USSR and the USA caused scientific advances relating deep-sea exploration to slow.

Watch Reskate in action below and take a look at some of their work, both indoors and out, in the gallery above.

The post These Street Art Murals Reveal A Glowing Surprise At Night appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

From early days Bond to Schwarzenegger at his prime, there’s no denying that cigars have played a significant role in the modern gentlemen’s bible.

Cigars are a lot like alcohol in that their makers range in size, scale and quality. The quality of cigars varies from the cheap, vanilla flavoured sticks of depression commonly smoked by tradies at the races, all the way to the rarest, most exclusive cigars found at boutique tobacconists.

Much like alcohol, a host of small, artisanal companies are also entering the cigar trade. Before choosing one to enjoy though, it’s important to take into account a few things and understand how to smoke cigars properly.

How Quality Cigars Are Made

It’s fair to say that at face value, cigars are relatively simple things. Dried tobacco is shredded loosely, folded and rolled in a larger leaf. Once you start to peel back the layers (literally and figuratively) of a good Cigar though, a great deal of complexity is unveiled.

Things like the way the tobacco is folded to allow the smoke to come into your mouth, as well as the type of filler tobacco used, all have a key roll (that’s two puns thus far – winning) in just how much enjoyment you get out of your cigar.

As you can see in the video below, that’s what separates the master cigar makers from mass market junk.

Cheaper cigars are often machine made and rolled using chopped tobacco as filler, similar to what you’d get in a cigarette.

The art of hand-making Cigars hasn’t been lost though and regardless of the country a cigar comes from, hand-rolled cigars will invariably be of a higher quality.

Size & Shape

Keep your pants on, tiger. As you’ve seen hanging out of the mouths of famous world leaders from Castro to Churchill, cigars come in a huge range of different looks.

Standard shaped cigars, with 1 rounded end and one cut-off end, are known as Parejos, while the fancy, funny shaped cigars made famous by the likes of Castro are known as Figurados.

Cigars are measured both in length (anywhere from 3 to 9 inches long), and in widths by 64ths of an inch, which is commonly referred to as ring gauge.

Ring gauge ranges from about 20 (think a Cigarillo sort of size) to huge 60 gauge whoppers. The size by which all cigars are compared against is known as the ‘Corona’, which measures 5-5.5 inches long and has a ring gauge of 40 to 42.

Thicker, longer cigars generally burn slower, at a cooler temperature. This produces a milder flavour and a more easy smoking experience, plus a cigar that lasts longer. The thinner the cigar, the stronger and hotter it will burn, meaning you get a harsher, more intense flavour.

What’s In A Leaf

Cigars have 3 distinct layers: the filler, the binder and the wrapper, all of which contribute to a cigar’s flavour and burning characteristics.

Despite being overlooked by many first-time cigar smokers, the wrapper has a massive impact on how a Cigar smokes, even to the extent where it makes up most of the defining characteristics when describing it’s taste and feel.

Looking at the wrapper’s colour is a great way of getting to know the characteristics of any cigar, and they range from a light, greenish brown (Candela) to a dark, almost black brown (oscura).

The lighter the wrapper, the younger the tobacco leaf was when it was picked from the plant. This produces a lighter, smoother flavour, while darker wrappers have a richer, more intense taste.

While most would think it’s the other way round, the filler acts more to add layers of complexity to a cigar’s flavour than it does to influence its strength or richness.

Folded and wrapped lengthways down the cigar to create air passages, the filler is generally made up of a blend of different leaves.

The thicker the cigar, the more leaves you can blend, allowing for more complex flavours than their thinner counterparts.

This allows cigar makers to add far more depth of flavour to their cigars, and striking a balance between rolling the cigar too tight (less air flow means a weaker burn) and too loose (too much air flow means the cigar burns too hot and harshly) is something that makes the best cigars into tokens of true craftsmanship.

The beauty of buying a good cigar is that there are still people around that, much like with Alcohol or just about any luxury vice, are passionate about providing people with the best.

If you don’t know exactly what you want. Go to a good tobacconist and just ask. Places like the Sydney Cigar House and Alexanders in Melbourne will point you in the right direction, and a good deal of online retailers are also bringing quality cigars into the digital age.

How To Smoke The Perfect Cigar

First of all, you want to make sure it’s stored properly until you want to smoke it. Unless you’re smoking it straight out of a pack, cigars need to be stored in a controlled, humid environment, for which many people use a specialised carry case, or Humidor.

This stops the tobacco’s natural oils from drying out and ruining the flavour of your cigar, and helps your cigars last for a few months before they need to be smoked.

Once it comes time to light up, the first step is the cut. Many mass-market cigars are pre-cut, but if not, the easiest way is to use a double-edged guillotine cutter about ¼ inch from the base of the cigar.

Realistically, you can use just about anything that produces a steady flame to light your cigar without affecting the taste, but wooden matches, with their milder flame, can ensure you’re not burning the tobacco leaves before they’ve been smoked. Make sure you’re constantly puffing and rotating your cigar as you light it to ensure an even light.

Before lighting, it’s important to remember a couple of key things. One, Cigars produce ALOT of smoke. A rough estimate is that it’s basically the equivalent of smoking 10 cigarettes, so remember the effect that’ll have not only on your mouth, but the lungs of those around you.

Secondly, you’re in it for the long haul. This is NOT like smoking a cigarette, and if you don’t enjoy the taste of smoking in general, you sure as shit won’t like it once you’re an hour deep into the Churchill your mate bought you. Good cigars can last hours, so plan accordingly.

After that, all that’s really left is to enjoy. Bring the smoke into your mouth, let it sit there, and then blow it out. DO NOT Inhale Cigar smoke.

It doesn’t make you look hard, it just makes you look like a simpleton, even more so when you’ve descended into the mother of all coughing fits.

Savour the flavour, puff and rotate the cigar every 30 seconds or so to make sure it’s burning evenly, and share the love with other like minded individuals.

Also, remember to keep puffing. You don’t want to be the guy asking for a lighter because your cigar’s gone out.

The post Cigar Etiquette: The Lost Art You Had No Idea About appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Feeling generous after paying $50 for your Secret Santa gift instead the agreed $20? That’s cute.

An anonymous wine buyer from Melbourne just dropped over $300,000 on one of the country’s most coveted wine sets – the entire Penfolds Grange collection from Dan Murphy’s in Brighton.

The exorbitant transaction marks the first full vertical sold by the alcohol chain which is made up of 62 bottles of Australia’s most iconic wine.

The bottles are so exclusive that Dan Murphy’s only have them stocked in select stores across Australia in temperature controlled fridges. If you’re after a set for yourself or just want to take a selfie with the fridge (guilty), have a snoop around at Dan Murphy’s in Prahran, Double Bay, Alphington, Bicton and Launceston stores.

FYI – it’s not buy one get one free. They’ve already banned us for asking.

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