Say goodbye to the good old days of 140 characters. Twitter has announced that their character count will now be independent of popular attachments such as GIFs, videos, images, polls and more.

This means that attaching such files will no longer affect the word limit, allowing more room for user’s to express their views and opinions to the online world. The news did come about earlier but today that was made official with the Silicon Valley tech giant announcing the rollout to begin on September 19.

RELATED: Annoying Social Media Habits Men Need To Cease Now

As well as this major update, Twitter will also adjust for the user name handle typed in at the beginning of a tweet, ensuring that it’s isn’t included in the word count.

“This is the most notable change we’ve made in recent times around conversation in particular, and around giving people the full expressiveness of the 140 characters,” said Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.

The post Twitter Has Set An Official Date For Longer Tweets appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Melbourne is easily one of the finer places to stay indoors. It’s not because there’s nothing to do around town but with a cool residence like this to unwind in, who would want to leave?

Built on 244 square metres of land, the stunning home was penned by the good people at Workroom who took full advantage of the scope for a clean architectural landscape which balances external minimalism with a fine bit of pizzazz on the inside.

Grey is the main theme here with a reliance on varying textures and finishings to give the home the overall depth it deserves. This comes in the form of exposed concrete walls, suede couches, dark wood tables and dining chairs and no shortage of hanging lights littered throughout the space.

Heading upstairs will reveal a beautifully furnished walk-in wardrobe with floor to ceiling mirrors. What helps the home offset some of the tonal grey is the abundance of natural light flowing in via large floor to ceiling walls strategically placed across both levels of the home.

And then we step outside into a privately enclosed garden complete with sun deck and a luxurious swimming pool.

The post Fifty Shades Of Grey Graces This Sleek Melbourne Residence appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The following article has been sponsored by Piaget

Watches from Piaget have always been associated with timeless elegance combined with the most enduring watchmaking techniques from the past.

“The ‘S’ stands for Steel, Style and Signature of the brand as it re-interprets the meaning of casual elegance for Piaget.”

The manufacture hailing from La Côte-aux-Fées in the mountains of Switzerland has undoubtedly made its mark in the world of horology, most notably with its record-breaking thin watches which set the benchmark for timepieces worn in a formal setting.

The brand’s thin repertoire is impressive to say the least, holding records for the thinnest automatic movement, thinnest mechanical watch and thinnest hand-wound flyback chronograph movement just to name a few.

For Piaget, the Polo collection has been one of its sportier designs which originated back in 1979. In 2016, we witnessed first hand at the star-studded New York launch how the collection has been revitalised for a new generation in the Piaget Polo S.

Behind A Signature Design

The Piaget Polo S represents a new direction for the brand, being the only watch from the brand to be executed in steel, and only in steel.

The “S” stands for Steel, Style and Signature of the brand as it re-interprets the meaning of casual elegance for Piaget. The first thing that is noticeable about the watch is it’s “shape within a shape” case design – a round 42mm stainless steel case with a cushion-shaped dial, featuring a horizontal guilloche pattern, baton markers and sword-shaped hands.

The dial is unmistakably sporty and utilitarian, with the markers and hands filled with SuperLuminova and the date situated at 6 o’clock.

The case is a marvel of brushed and polished finishes, with horizontal brushing along the bezel and a polished case. This contrast in finishes continues down to the bracelet which is hand assembled with horizontal brushing on the middle links and polishing on the outer links. The result is watch which exudes a feel of sporting chic that is also supremely versatile in its execution.

The Piaget Polo S collection comprises of five models, three watches featuring Hours, Minutes, Seconds and Date, and another two with a Chronograph and Date.

The time-only watch is available with dials in a silvered, blue or slate grey dial, whilst the chronograph is available with a blue or a silvered dial.

Precision In A Movement

The time-only watch houses the 1110P movement, and the chronograph model is equipped with the 1160P movement, both developed and assembled by the manufacture at La Côte-aux-Fées which is the very birthplace of the brand’s movements.

The Piaget Polo S continues the tradition of fine watchmaking and the movements housed within the collections are further evidence of the brand’s rich watchmaking pedigree.

Final Thoughts

The latest watches really lend themselves to versatility, with their sporty, yet elegant styling able to transcend dress codes and dress styles with ease.

As ambassador Ryan Reynolds said about the Polo S: “One of the things I have in common…is the idea (of relaxed luxury) that what you wear with a tuxedo, you can also wear with casual clothes”.

And the man is not wrong. We certainly agree that the Piaget Polo S is a watch that can be worn in nearly, if not, on all occasions.

If there is one watch from 2016 that you can take with you anywhere and anytime, it’s the Piaget Polo S. Strong contenders for an everyday timepiece has always been about chic styling and high watchmaking, timeless qualities which the Piaget Polo S collection possesses.

The post On The Wrist: Road Testing The Piaget Polo S appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

One can never be too careful when testing out top secret machinery in public.

McLaren found this out last week when their long-awaited 650S replacement, codenamed ‘P14’, was snapped undergoing some testing in Spain.

It’s a rare sight for tight-lipped supercar makers to just drive their cars around without the obligatory camouflage but that’s exactly what McLaren did, allowing keen spotters to snap it in all of its unclouded glory.

The P14 was originally set to be unveiled at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show next March, a move which saw McLaren taking on a new design aesthetic after criticism of all their cars looking the same.

The newest car to the British family features headlights which sit within integrated air intakes and a side profile inspired by the original McLaren P1. Swinging to the back of the car will reveal a centrally mounted dual exhaust that’s reminiscent of the sold-out 675LT’s.

At this stage there are no interior or engine bay images but that’s okay because details of the P14 reveal that it will be powered by an upgraded version of the same 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 as found across all McLaren vehicles. In other words, expect the P14 to surpass the 650S’ 641hp and 678Nm of torque.

On the chassis front McLaren’s tried and tested MonoCell carbon tub will also receive some updates to ensure it has an edge over its smaller brethren in the 540C.

Performance figures currently strand at 0-100km/h in 3 seconds with a top speed of 333km/h.

The post Sinister McLaren P14 Spotted Ahead Of Official Debut appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Our love of travel photography is well documented. From the pros at NatGeo to the wanderlust-worthy snaps that light up our Instagram feeds, few things instill a deeper appreciation for our planet than an awe-inspiring image.

Now imagine those images come from space. The awe-factor is instantly cranked up to eleven. And as for the wanderlust, well… some of us are (im)patiently awaiting the arrival of commercial space flight.

The good news is, while Elon and Sir Richard get to work on that, we can still enjoy the interstellar view without leaving Earth’s surface. Several astronauts aboard the International Space Station have captured incredible photos of the planet’s major cities from space and they’re – can we say “awe-inspiring” again without sounding corny?

Tim Peake, Chris Hadfield, and Scott Kelly are amongst the astro-photographers who have gifted us these dazzling views. Their snapshots capture the likes of London, Paris, Shanghai, Bangkok, and New York City as sparkling spiderwebs spreading through darkness. Something about seeing evidence of human civilisation’s triumph is extremely powerful.

The post Incredible Photos Capture The World's Biggest Cities From Space appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Traditional design wisdom says dark walls make a space seem smaller. We’ve never been believers in following rules just because they’re rules, but even we can admit that blue can shrink a room when wielded incorrectly.

Do it right, however, and your home won’t look like it was zapped by the laser beam from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Because no man should be taking style cues from Rick Moranis.

Blue can be used to create a clean and serene space. The shade is cool and soothing, evoking a sense of peace that’s perfect for work, meditation, reading, or relaxation. Some say blue can lower blood pressure and heart rate, or even reduce appetite (so if you’re trying to lose weight, it might be the perfect paint for your kitchen cabinets).

Another perk? Blue is a versatile colour. The palette ranges from subtle blue-grey, to sweet pastels, to dramatic navy, to electric cobalt, to the infamous Tiffany box robin’s egg shade. A blue space could be classic, modern, theatrical, nautical, minimal, plush, or… well, just about anything else you can dream up.

The post 41 Examples Of Eye-Popping Blue Interior Design appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

This story was originally published on Gizmodo

When your friend gets tipsy and starts rambling about how tequila turns her into a savage party monster, and then your other friend vehemently calls bullshit, calmly put your hands up and say this: “Friends. Please. I got this.” And then explain to them what I’m about to explain to you.

First off: alcohol is alcohol — which is to say that the alcohol in wine is the same as the alcohol in beer is the same as the alcohol in the unholy red-cup concoction at a dorm room game of King’s Cup. That alcohol is ethyl alcohol, aka ethanol, and it will get you drunk.

The fact that liquor tends to contain higher concentrations of ethanol than wine, and wine higher concentrations than beer, means that the same volume of different alcoholic beverages will get you more/less drunk, ergo the “standard drink” rule, as defined by the National Institutes of Health:

“In the United States, a “standard” drink is any drink that contains about 0.6 fluid ounces or 14 grams of “pure” alcohol. Although the drinks below are different sizes, each contains approximately the same amount of alcohol and counts as a single standard drink.”

The standard drink model suggests that when it comes to behavioural effects, the only difference between a can of beer and a shot of whiskey is the mode of delivery. Ounce-for-ounce, an 80-proof shot of MaCallan’s is a much more efficient ethanol-delivery system than a can of Bud Light.

If you down a few shots of the former really quickly, you’ll experience a rapid spike in your blood alcohol level, and, presumably, a rapid drop in your inhibition, sense of propriety, and so-forth. But any perceived difference between the drunk you feel from the liquor and the drunk you feel from beer has to do with the rate at which you consumed the ethanol, not the beverage via which you consumed it.

But what about hard alcohols that are comparable in ethanol concentration, and therefore equally efficient at getting you drunk? According to the Alcohol Is Alcohol argument, 80-proof tequila should have the same effect on you as 80-proof vodka, rum, gin or whiskey. Yet we all know someone who insists that tequila makes them wild, that whiskey makes them angry, or that gin makes them sad. Why is that?

One possible explanation: mixers. Lots of people shoot tequila straight, whereas rum is commonly taken in tandem with something else — cola, for example. If you’re combining gin with tonic, or vodka with something super-caffeinated like Red Bull, who’s to say the drunk you’re experiencing is due to the alcohol, and not because of what you’re drinking with it?

Another explanation: congeners. Congeners are byproducts of the fermentation and distillation process, and include chemicals like acetone, acetaldehyde, and esters — not to mention forms of alcohol other than ethanol.

Different alcoholic beverages contain different types and quantities of congeners, so even though 80-proof vodka, rum and gin all contain the same amount of ethanol, their congener content can vary considerably.

This variation contributes mainly to tan alcohol’s colours and flavours, but may or may not also have an effect on the “flavour” of drunkenness it imparts – the lacklustre (but still technically valid) justification being that different chemicals affect everyone differently, in ways we may not fully understand.

* Take coffee, for example: we know it makes you have to poop, but we really aren’t clear on why that is.

All of the above being said, despite the fact that there are no scientific studies (to my knowledge) that examine the behavioural effects that different alcoholic beverages may or may not have, the most common explanation for the differential effects of booze is that it’s all in your head, and that your experience with a given alcohol is dictated largely by the social situations in which you choose to consume it:

“A lot of this is folk memories and cultural hangovers,” says pharmacologist Paul Clayton, former Senior Scientific Advisor to the UK government’s Committee on the Safety of Medicines, in an interview with The Guardian.

He continues:

“A lot of it depends on what mood you were in when you started drinking and the social contex. The idea that gin makes you unhappy probably comes from its nickname “mother’s ruin” – the idea that it makes women depressed, which is a cultural idea. But fundamentally, alcohol is alcohol whichever way you slice it.”

The psychosocial explanation for alcohol’s differential behavioural outcomes closely resembles the results of studies on alcohol expectancy effects, which examine not only the way people behave when they have ingested alcohol, but how they behave when they think they have ingested alcohol.

Consider for example that even when test subjects are given a standardised dose of ethanol, and attain the same blood alcohol level as other study participants, their reactions tend to vary dramatically. Some act utterly sloshed, while others barely bat an eye.

According to a 2006 review paper on alcohol expectancy effects, there’s evidence that this variability may stem from differences among test subjects in the how they expect to be affected by the alcohol they’re consuming:

Studies of alcohol effects on motor and cognitive functioning have shown the individual differences in responses to alcohol are related to the specific types of effects that drinkers expect.

In general, those who expect the least impairment are least impaired and those who expect the most impairment are most impaired under the drug. Moreover, this same relationship is observed in response to placebo.

In the end, our expectations can have tremendous sway over the perceived effects of an alcoholic beverage (or non-alcoholic, for that matter).

In this light, the question of whether mixers or congeners affect our experiences with different alcohols seems almost inconsequential; if you whole-heartedly believe that a tequila shot is your one-way ticket to Bedlamtown, there’s probably not a whole lot that can be said to convince you – or your body – otherwise.

*Certain congeners are also thought to cause more unpleasant hangovers, though experiments with animal models have shown that fusel oil — a congener found in whiskey — may actually alleviate the after-effects of heavy drinking, contrary to common belief.

Still…are the congeners in whisky different enough from those in tequila for the first drink to make you belligerent and the second to put you on the express train to fiestaville? Mehhhhhh…

Gizmodo explores the smart design, breakthrough science and awe-inspiring tech shaping your future.

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The post Do Different Kinds Of Alcohol Get You Different Kinds Of Drunk? appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Nissan Australia have brought a brand new monster to our shores.

Japan’s infamous supercar slayer (and a supercar in its own right) known as the 2017 R35 GT-R made its official debut on Philip Island last week and this lucky pundit was given the all clear to give Godzilla a steer.

This wasn’t any average car launch though. Forming the contingency of local Nissan racing talents were Michael Caruso of Australia’s Supercars series as well as fellow Aussie Matt Simmons, who last year took out the world’s GT Academy program for a seat racing in the top tier Blancpain GT series.

“Philip Island was the perfect place to test the GT-R with its high speed corners and massive straight which easily had us at 250km/h before the first bend.”

Heading the launch was the most recently crowned Godfather of the Nissan GT-R program, Hiroshi Tamura. Tamura-san is a man highly regarded in the world’s motoring circles. Besides being a passionate owner of a GT-R himself, he’s also the one charged with making the current generation GT-R faster through every new iteration. Tough job right?

On this very special trip, we had the opportunity to sit down with the chief product specialist for the Nissan GT-R and the Nismo motorsport division to further understand the 2017 GT-R and what it means for local sportscar customers and fans alike.

Poise, Power & Precision

The GT-R has grown up. But not in the dull and boring way most would assume. Three simple words come to mind when driving the new GT-R and that’s poise, power and precision. Today Nissan want you to add another word to that list – prestige.

Not normally known for it’s luxurious trim (it was after all designed to go fast without compromise), the new GT-R is giving luxury sportscar buyers the option to drive a car that is just as brutally fast as its predecessors but with the added benefit of daily drivability and refinement.

To achieve this Nissan had to split the GT-R into three variants: Premium, Premium Edition with luxury trim and the balls-out Track Edition  developed by Nismo. During the presentation Tamura-san outlined all of the drastic changes the 2017 car needed in order for it to go fast without sacrificing the growing demands of luxury sportscar buyers.

Here’s what’s new.

Engine: More power has been squeezed out of Nissan’s proven 3.8-litre twin turbo V6 which now sees 560hp, up from the 2015 model’s 535hp. The engineers at Nissan pulled this off by increasing boost pressure and a new ignition timing system which controls firing at individual cylinders – a feature only reserved for the 2015 Nismo GT-R.

Exterior: The body had to receive a minor overhaul and not just for aesthetic reasons. Due to the increase in power, aerodynamics of the big GT-R had to be revised in order to gain the most out of the car. The most notable difference in the 2017 model is the front fascia which now sees a more functional and upmarket design.

The front bumper is more contoured and the air intake is now 20% larger to help the engine suck in more air. To help keep the car cool, a new V-motion grille set in matte silver has been added to scoop up air without increasing drag. This combination helps the car remain stable at speeds of over 200km/h. These aerodynamic aids also filter through to the side skirts, C-pillars and rear quarters which are designed to slice through the air with minimal turbulence.

Interior: It’s a bit of a chuckle when you glance around and notice a fully loaded Bose audio system in a car like this. Not because it doesn’t deserve one, but for the fact that this was a car originally conceived to destroy its competition without compromise. Well times have changed and so has Nissan.

The Premium Edition with luxury trim will get you plush Nappa leather across the dash, seats, door trims, steering wheel and more. The centre telemetry screen which remains a signature feature of the GT-R name is also back to display details like boost pressure, oil and water temps and other stuff you probably don’t need to know. The number of switches have similarly been dialled down from 27 to just 11 in order to give the cockpit a more refined look

Stepping inside the GT-R is like stepping into an advanced research lab lined with leather and carbon fibre. It’s an oxymoron in the coolest way. It lacks the pizzaz of a European sportscar, but it’s not your typical Japanese interior either. The car straddles a fine line between the two and that’s what makes this new version a step above its predecessors.

Driving Impressions

The Nissan guys were nice enough to let us take their latest crop of cars both on public roads and on the track. Here’s how it went down.

Track: On the track the GT-R is rather deceiving. For starters, it moves insanely quick through corners for something which weighs well over 1,500kg. You do feel it in the quick shifting corners but all of the car’s trick computers and AWD system helps to counter these unwanted effects which would normally send a normal car into a tyre wall. Philip Island was the perfect place to test the GT-R with its high speed corners and massive straight which easily had us at 250km/h before the first bend.

For track duties we’d recommend forking out the extra dough for the track variant. The car was much more focused and planted, relying on lighter carbon body panels, special adhesive body bonding for added rigidity, stiffer front and rear suspension, lighter wheels and wider front arches for fatter tyres to go fast. If you’re a hardcore GT-R fan who doesn’t care much for ride comfort then this is your steed.

Moving to the two Premium editions brought upon noticeable differences. Things were a lot less frantic – still fast but it just didn’t feel like it. A lot of that probably has to do with the fact that Nissan have installed an Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system which reduces unwanted low-frequency sounds going into the cabin. It’s that whole refinement thing we were talking about earlier. The car floated a bit more through the corners when compared to the Track edition.

Public Roads: The Premium spec GT-R performed just as any normal car would on public roads. It was comfortable. Yes,I went there. With speed limits in place and minimal corners to hug, I almost fell asleep in the docile GT-R whilst my driving partner took steering duties. It could be the fact that he was from Adelaide, but it’s more likely the GT-R’s new refinement program which seeked increased comfort levels and less cabin noise. On the occasional throttle the car did pick up speed rapidly but it wasn’t the neck-snapping type. Still, the car can do 0-100km/h at around the three-second mark if that’s what you’re after.

Would We Buy One?

Yes, but only the Track one. It all comes down to personal preference and I’ve long driven a personal car that feels more like a go-kart than a respectable mode of transport on Sydney’s dodgy roads.

The GT-R Track Edition is for those who want to go fast on the weekend track days and then feel that same sensation on the way home with some compromise on ride comfort. No leather? No worries.

If you’re not willing to fork out the extra $32,000 for that level of extremity, we’d totally understand too. The GT-R Premium has achieved what it originally set out to do and that’s offering a more grown up car without necessarily going slower.

The post Driving The 'Epic' 2017 Nissan GT-R appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The accent wall is a familiar concept, but creative minds continually find fresh ways to update the trend.It’s not just about making a loud design statement. A feature wall can be used to break up a large space, emphasise an interesting architectural feature, or incorporate a dramatic colour without going full Willy Wonka. Choose the wall in question carefully. Accent walls work best when there’s a logical reason why that wall deserves special treatment over other walls in the room.The simplest way to create a feature wall is to throw on a coat of eye-catching colour. According to colour theory, warm hues – reds, oranges, yellows – pull a wall towards the eye. Cool tones – blues, greens, purples – push walls away from the eyes. Use the former to make long, narrow rooms feel more balanced in size. Use the latter to make skinny rooms seem wider and short rooms seem longer.For an even more striking statement, integrate multiple colours or a design. A striped wall, even in plain black and white, is extremely compelling. A geometric pattern is even more eye-catching (but not for the faint of heart). If intricate painting isn’t your style, wallpaper is an easy way to achieve an impressive accent wall.Sometimes it isn’t about colour or pattern at all. A well-placed art collection is equally effective as a highlighter, or try using textures and materials to transform a space. A wall in a single, neutral colour instantly becomes interesting when 3D shapes turn it into a tactile experience. And wood? Let’s just say you don’t have to be roughing it in a cabin for a wood wall to look incredible.Check out the above gallery of accent wall ideas to inspire your next interior design project.

The post 40 Creative Accent Wall Ideas & Inspirations appeared first on DMARGE Australia.