We’re guessing that beachside holiday you’ve been thinking about is sounding pretty appealing right now considering the wild weather Australia has been experiencing lately, and it’s about to sound even better with new scientific research showing that an oceanside escape could seriously improve your mental health.

The study, conducted by Michigan State University, revealed that living in a location where you have the chance to see a lot of blue spaces, like a body of water, leads to lower levels of “psychological distress.”

The research focused on the city of Wellington in New Zealand and looked at the correlation between whether or not people could see the ocean, and the country’s health records. Of course they also took into account other factors like age, sex and wealth but still found that living by the sea improved people’s mental health.

Apparently, it’s all because the brain can process natural backdrops better. “[That] reduces sensory stimuli and promotes mental relaxation,” the study’s co-author Amber Pearson told Lonely Planet. “Surely mental relaxation is part of the purpose of travel and holidays.”

Before you start holding a shell to your ear in hopes of enlightenment, Pearson acknowledged that more research needs to be done to see if other senses come into play (like hearing the sound of waves) when it comes to the healing effects of living seaside.

[via Travel + Leisure]

The post The Scientific Reason You Need To Take A Beachside Holiday appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Located deep in the Czech Republic’s city of Prague is Loft Hřebenky by Formafatal.

The space is 85-square metres of a complicated floor plan consisting of 44 pieces of individually designed furniture to fit into the home’s unconventional layout. Complementing this unique look are also original pieces from the 1950s.

Raw concrete adorns the walls whilst a large terrace connected to the main living area draws natural light into the space. Further industrial touches such as steel wire framing was bent and used as a mounting frame. Paired with Earthy tones, grey and black, the home forms a masculine space which retains some of its warmth.

The post Modern Industrial Loft In Prague Adds 1950s Charm appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Over the weekend the world was rocked with the sad news that three-time heavyweight champion Muhammad “The Greatest” Ali’s has passed away at age 74.

Ali died late last Friday at a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona after being admitted due to a respiratory problem. The sportsman had become increasingly frail since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984 and in recent years had limited his public appearances.

Muhammad Ali was widely regarded as one of the greatest and most significant sporting figures in history and is perhaps most remembered for beating the fearsome Sonny Liston to become champion, the Fight of the Century and the Thrilla in Manilla against Joe Frazier and the Rumble in the Jungle in 1964 when, at age 32, he beat George Foreman in Kinshasa to regain back his title.

The boxing legend was also a proud Muslim, fierce advocate for civil rights, railed against the Vietnam War and had a penchant for sharing some pretty impressive life advice. Here are 10 of Muhammad Ali’s most memorable and significant quotes, starting with a classic…

“Float like a butterfly sting like a bee – his hands can’t hit what his eyes can

“I’m not the greatest. I’m the double greatest. Not only do I knock ’em out, I pick the round. I’m the boldest, the prettiest, the most superior, most scientific, most skillfullest fighter in the ring today.”

“It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.”

“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”

“What I suffered physically was worth what I’ve accomplished in my life. A man who is not courageous enough to take risks will never accomplish anything in life.”

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”

“Don’t count the days; make the days count”

“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”

The post 10 Of The Greatest Quotes From Muhammad Ali appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Summer is fun. And, with spring well underway, it’s almost sun, sand and (for some of you) surf time. But, there’s another ‘s’ word that needs our warm weather attention: skin. A good, protective and moisturising sunscreen is a skin essential. But that’s only part one of your summer grooming routine.

At dusk, after your skin’s taken a baking, the post-sun skin care products (along with the chilled drinks and seafood) need to come out.  “On holiday or at the beach, it’s important you invest in products that will help repair and soothe sun-affected areas,” says Louise, skin consultant from AdoreBeauty.com. “The sun can also cause pigmentation and ageing. So, as well as in the short, you should be thinking long term, and apply anti-ageing products, which can prevent any damage caused from sun exposure.”

From quick-fix treatments to long term skin care applications, here are six essential after skin products for men.

#1 Aesop Petitgrain Reviving Body Gel

Enhanced with aloe vera and panthenol to soften and soothe, as well as grapefruit, lemon and petitgrain — an essential oil with distilled from the leaves and bark of the orange tree  to cool, this gel is an ideal after-sun remedy, that’s relatively light on the skin compared to creamier varieties.

Calming to UV-ravaged skin — the gel is easily spread on large skin areas — with a unisex citrus scent that won’t leave you feeling fumigated. Keep it chilled in the refrigerator for extra soothing on that sunburn. And, in winter, the gel is the perfect hydration boost to dry skin.

 #2 Sisley After-Sun Care Tan Extender

The French are aesthetes. And are incredibly functional as they endeavour to make things look good. Sisley’s After-Sun Care Tan Extender immediately soothes and heals the skin while extending your tan. It works via shea butter, stevia leaf extracts and plant glycerin providing comfort to sunburned skin.

The aesthetic part comes in low-dosage self tanning ingredients (DHA and Erythrulose), which naturally improves your tan. So, you’ve not been burned for nothing.

#3 Jane Iredale H/E Lip Balm

After-sun care extends beyond your body. Even lips feel the heat. Enter the H/E lip balm: a lip stick for men that’s naturally hydrating and smoothes cracked lips, without obvious shine (no one will know you’re wearing it). It’s compact enough to carry around and packs a SPF 15+ punch, making it ideal for harsh conditions including the snow, come winter. And, it will prevent your smackers from even more sun damage. Pucker up.

#4 Clinique After Sun Rescue With Aloe

Taking you back to your childhood Banana Boat aloe gel days, Clinique’s After Sun Rescue is an ultra-moisturising balm with that all-important soothing aloe Provides a post-sun ‘repair’ to help prevent sun exposure from visually damaging your skin. Plus, it’s oil-free and is suitable for the face and body.

Use this to stop peeling. And, because it’s non-acnegenic, it’s a must-have if your skin has pimples or you are prone to oily skin.

#5 Asap Advance Eye Complex

Dry skin is a one-way ticket to Wrinkles-ville. Asap Advance Eye Complex revitalises and repairs eyes with it’s unique formulation: CoEnzyme Q10 (fuels cells to grow), vitamin A, arnica (medicinal flower used to treat irritated skin) and white tea to hydrate and nourish the skin.

Cutting to the chase, these ingredients also act to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles. And, perfect for after-sun care, it boasts an anti-irritant formula, making it suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin that’s been sun-ravaged.

#6 Thalgo Sun Repair Cream Mask

Gone and (stupidly) burned yourself to a lobster crisp? The Thalgo Sun Repair Cream-Mask for the face, neck, shoulders, back and chest is your after-sun saviour treatment for summer. It soothes areas that are sensitive to the sun, intensely and deeply, and saves your skin to prolong your tan. Apply a thin layer as a moisturising cream or a thick layer as a soothing face mask.

Environmentalist will also like the fact it’s paraben free, is mineral oil free, propylene glycol free, contains no GMO and contains no animal by-products. Light and easy, but oh so creamy.

#7 Triumph & Disaster Ritual Face Cleanser

“Less is more. Especially when it comes to your face.” Simple words scribed on the package of the Triumph & Disaster Ritual Face Cleanser. After a day at the beach, you’re going to want to wash you face. But not with a cheap commercial soap, which is harsh and dries out the skin, says Dion Nash, Triumph & Disaster founder.

“The formula is to keep your skin clean with a gentle natural cleanser to dissolve unwanted surface oil that has been spoiled with sunlight and grime,” says Nash.

Light, refreshing and peppermint-scented the cleanser is formulated to clean without drying or irritation, leaving skin feeling fresh and bright. Intended for daily use and perfect for even the most sensitive skin types, just lather, rinse and repeat. Until your skin is healthy again.

The post The After Sun Skin Products You Need This Summer appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Even when the chemistry is clear and the sexual tension is simmering, it’s can be quite the romantic tug of war when it comes to who is going to make the first move.Whether you’re deliberating that first kiss, first date or first dance, the anxiety, over-analysis, and fear of rejection can be a real killjoy. There are, however, plenty of reasons why taking the bull by its horns and making that first move is a good idea. Here’s why.

#1 She Could Be Waiting For You

We know you’re not a mindreader and often women can give off some pretty mixed signals when it comes to what they want, but there is a high chance you haven’t gotten from point A to point B with your dream girl because she is simply waiting for you to make the first move.Remember what you learnt about ‘body language’ when you were half asleep in your career counselling classes at high school? It’s pretty darn important when it comes to figuring out what someone wants, and if she is waiting for you to make the first move, she’s most likely giving off a vibe in her body language, whether it be eye contact, physical touch or even just a smile.

#2 You Will Appear Confident

There’s no doubt that confidence = sexy and by taking the plunge and making the first move with the lady in your life, you will seem like the bold, determined man that you’ve always wanted to be.Making the first move is also likely to put you up a couple of places in the ‘men who have their shit together‘ checklist in her mind because you took a risk without fearing rejection or failure, and that my friend, is a pretty admirable quality.

#3 Life Is Too Short

Ever heard of YOLO? Well, it’s a term coined by Drake and it’s time you get familiar with it. Sure, the prospect of inviting the girl you’ve been tuning on a date, or leaning in for that first kiss is bloody daunting, but by doing nothing what have you achieved?Adopting the ‘You Only Live Once’ mentality means that even if your first move is a major fail, you can look back and know you at least tried. If she’s not interested, she’s probably not right for you. Simple as that, really.

#4 You’ll Feel Great

There’s a certain adrenalin rush that comes with jumping into the unknown. Imagine finally building up the courage to make that first move and how elated you will feel when she accepts the kiss, date or dance you’ve been hoping for.Making that first move (and not being met with resistance) is also a massive boost to your self-esteem, but before you start getting cocky, remember making that move is a definite two-way street and she should feel comfortable reciprocating.

#5 You Can Establish A Connection…Or Lack Thereof

Wanna know why else making the first move might be a good idea? If it doesn’t work out, you’ll know very early on that she’s probably not interested or a good match for you.Leaning in for a kiss and being met with an awkward hug, although a little soul-destroying, will remove the big question mark of “is she into me?”Did you know that evolutionary psychologists at the State University of New York at Albany found that 59% of men and 66% of women say they’ve ended a budding relationship because a kiss didn’t go well? Best to cut your losses early on if it’s not going to work.

#6 She Might Lose Interest If You Don’t

There are some ladies out there in the world that will legitimately see you not making a move as you not being interested in them. Whilst your lack of ballsy behaviour could be due to a lack of confidence or not wanting to appear a fool, she might not see it that way.Of course, we can’t speak for all women but in many minds the less you do the more likely she will pull away and lose interest. If she’s gone so far to hold up her end of the bargain and make her interest known, jump on the opportunity and make that first move, otherwise you might not get another chance.

The post Why Making The First Move Is A Good Idea appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

How much did you drink this weekend? How did it make you feel? According to new research into the link between alcohol and wellbeing, a bit of booze does what you’ve secretly always suspected: makes you happier.

Ben Baumberg Geiger and George MacKerron conducted two experiments. One looked at the relationship between alcohol and long-term happiness. The other examined “moment-to-moment changes in happiness and drinking.” Geiger and MacKerron collected data using both a traditional cohort study and an iPhone-based app.

In the latter, participants used the “Mappiness” app to log more than two million responses at random moments during the day, indicating what they were doing, with whom, and how happy they were. This proved to be where booze is at its best.

Compared to themselves at other moments, people were four points happier on a zero to 100 scale when drinking. Consuming alcohol “had the greatest impact when it came alongside otherwise unenjoyable activities (traveling/commuting, waiting),” explains the study, “and only increased the happiness of already enjoyable activities by smaller amounts (socializing, making love).”

But here’s the catch. While drinking does boost mood in the moment, the feeling doesn’t last. Only a little of that during-drinking happiness spilled over into times when participants were teetotal.

The second half of the drinking study tracked 25,000 people born in 1970 at the ages of 30, 34, and 42, and looked at whether they were more satisfied with life overall at times when they drank more or drank less. No connection was found between drinking and happiness over a period of time, except when drinking became a problem. Unsurprisingly, alcohol abuse was linked to reduced feelings of wellbeing.

The post Science Confirms Drinking Makes You Happy (But Only Temporarily) appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

How do you capture the unique and varied corners of the world’s sixth-largest country? With a mix of desert, mountains, rainforest, wetland, grassland, and thousands of kilometres of coastline, Australia’s photogenic geography is prime subject matter for the right lens.

Sydney native Gabriel Scanu offers a striking overview of it all on his Instagram. Using drones, he shoots the country from a high vantage point that offers a unique perspective on both its immense scale and singular details.

Speaking to Wired, Scanu says: “The thing I love most about drone photography is the fact that you can capture scenes from a perspective that they are never usually viewed from. For me that’s a really interesting concept and it allows you to view landscapes in a different light.”

The post Take Flight With Gabriel Scanu’s Sweeping Drone Aerials Over Australia appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The neon “dream” sign hanging on the wall says everything: this industrial Prague loft is a sophisticated, stylish dream home for the modern man.

Designed by Formafatal, Loft Hřebenky was crafted from the ground up. A complicated floor plan called for extra creativity. The architect designed 44 pieces of furniture to fit within the unconventional layout. Additional pieces were added to complete the look, most of which were from the 1950s.

The loft clocks in at 85 square metres (approx. 915 square feet). A large terrace off the main living area adds additional square footage and allows light to flood the space. The owner gave Formafatal full control over the redesign, which became a refined blend of modern elegance and the building’s original industrial character.

The post Industrial Paradise Prague Loft By Formafatal appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

This story was originally published on Gizmodo

What does your dream home look like? It is a log cabin in the mountains? A sleek design on an ocean cliffside?

Whatever the overall look, if you’re hoping to integrate smart features that will control the entertainment, lighting and heating systems in your home, maximise energy efficiency or simply have that futuristic edge, here’s some inspiration from around the globe.

#1 The Heliotrope

Nestled among the trees in Freiburg, Germany is the revolutionary energy efficient Heliotrope.

Hailed as the first house in the world to generate more power than it uses (by its German architect, Rolf Disch, at least) the Heliotrope’s energy entirely renewable, emissions free and CO2 neutral. It literally rotates to make the most of the sun’s light and heat, has a 6.6kw dual-axis solar PV tracking panel, a geothermal heat exchanger, a combined heat and power unit and solar-thermal balcony railings for both heat and hot water.

There’s also a grey-water cleansing system and a natural compost system for food waste. The house has won a bunch of innovation and environmental awards, and is slated to be turned into a hotel sometime in the future.

#2 Harbour Hide

Got a spare $6 million? In the United Kingdom’s Dorset is the Harbour Hide, a staggered, round beach house filled with high-tech amenities.

Android tablets in every room let you set the desired ambiance, mood, lighting, and temperature for each part of the home. The system also runs the extensive audio-visual entertainment setup, curtains and blinds, and, most impressively, it controls the electronic photochromic glass which can darken or lighten as the sunlight warrants. There is also a hidden, heated swimming pool (with an endless-lap jet stream current feature) with tablet-controlled hatch and temperature.

#3 Maximum Security Mansion

This Evergreen, Colorado log cabin may look like a typical mountain retreat, but it hides many hi-tech secrets.

Popularly known as the “Maximum Security Mansion”, this 12,000 sqft home is situated in a 32 acre estate and is equipped with a $6 million surveillance and security system that rivals a top secret base. With four bedrooms and seven bathrooms, the home is protected with thermal imaging and night vision cameras that can be viewed from a smartphone, tablet or laptop anywhere on the planet.

#4 Sky Porch

Fancy overlooking the Singapore skyine right next to your fancy supercar? Okay. At the Hamilton Scott you can.

A a biometrically-controlled glass elevator will deliver and park cars right beside your super fancy living space. Seriously.

#5 The Gate’s Mansion

When guests at the Gate’s home, they’re given a pin that interacts with sensors located all over the house. Guests enter their temperature and lighting preferences so that the settings change as they move throughout the home. Speakers hidden behind wallpaper allows music to follow you from room to room.

Called “Xanadu 2.0” the home is also built into its surroundings to regulate temperature more efficiently, $US80,000 worth of computer screens are situated display their favourite paintings or photographs, which are stored on storage devices worth $US150,000.

Oh, and the 60-foot pool has its own underwater music system.

#6 The Ecocapsule

If you’re looking for a home that’s a little more portable (and affordable) than the previous options, the Ecocapsule is an interesting addition to your wishlist.

In essence, it’s a compact mobile home designed for extended off-grid living for up to a year for one to two people. Its shape is designed for collecting rainwater and minimising thermal losses, and it is capable of generating 1.35 kW of power, and storing a further 10 kW via battery. It can also connect to the grid, if needed.

The Ecocapsule has up to 4g data connection, full smart home features and sensors, is tablet app controlled, and currently cost $122,000. Oh, plus the $3,000 to ship it to Australia.

#7 The House With The Hydraulic Roof

This home in Tuscany features a unique feature that keeps it cool in Summer and warm in Winter. You can literally lift the roof on and off.

And forget a home planetarium, the roof opening like a butterfly (30 degrees on each side) also gives an incredible view of the stars.

#8 The Yazgan “Light” House

More an art installation than a home, this house in in Ankara, Turkey, highlights what can be done with smart lighting systems. Its vibrant colour scheme it fully customisable, to go from lively and essentially bright orange, to “calm and professional”.

Even the internal glass staircase is fitted with strips that can change to any colour, and everything is app controlled.

#9 The Zero House

The Zero House is a small, prefabricated house that can easily be shipped and quickly erected in eco-sensitive areas. Architects say the photovoltaic panels and solar hot water panels are rated for indefinite use and do not lose efficiency with continuous exposure.

It can be left uninhabited for extended periods of time, going into a self-regulating “hibernate” mode which conserves power. It can also withstand winds of up to 140km/h.

#10 The Tube With A Tree Inside

Okay so this one hasn’t been built — yet. Designed in 2013 by Kazakh architect Aibek Almassov, this home lets you grown a full tree inside your home.

Funding to continue the project has been recently secured by a Russian solar panel manufacturer, so expect to see this become a reality on the near future.

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

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The post 10 Most Futuristic & Smartest Homes From Around The World appeared first on DMARGE Australia.