Just as god-tier beers (think: VB; red label Peroni) should make you feel like a peasant in a field, the best spirits should make you feel like a Russian spy on a London rooftop.

Unfortunately, Australia’s cocktail culture is being held back from these lofty heights by gin and tonic drinkers.

Don’t get me wrong. I get it. I’m as guilty as anyone. I never had gin any other way until last year. Even then – I spent my first few (straight) gin tastings wincing and pretending to enjoy the ‘complex flavours.’

Even now, I’m not a huge fan. Straight gin is not an easy drinker. But out of civic responsibility, I persevere. If the rest of you lot are going to stick to ‘hard seltzers’ and “just a G&T, thanks” then someone has to step up the game.

Where is the glamour?

Before you call me a snob – I’m not saying you shouldn’t drink gin and tonics. But you should expand your horizons – just like someone who doesn’t eat cheese or certain vegetables. Grow up. Try it straight. Make an awesome Negroni. The options are endless.

Otherwise, you’re not a fully actualised drinker.

As Anthony Bourdain once said: “They say that Rasputin used to eat a little arsenic with breakfast every day, building up resistance for the day that an enemy might poison him, and that sounds like good sense to me.”

“Judging from accounts of his death, the Mad Monk wasn’t fazed at all by the stuff; it took repeated beatings, a couple of bullets and a long fall off a bridge into a frozen river to finish the job.”

“Perhaps we, as serious diners, should emulate his example. We are, after all, citizens of the world – a world filled with bacteria, some friendly, some not so friendly.”

“Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock cafes and McDonalds?”

“Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.”

Inspired to order your next gin straight (we assume you already know how to make a Negroni)?

Here’s how to drink gin straight and actually enjoy it.

The most important thing to remember when drinking gin straight is to keep it cool. The next most important thing to do is to garnish it with unique ingredients that are related to the gin itself.

Trish Brew, Fever-Tree Brand Ambassador (who was the Bar Manager at Gin Palace in Melbourne for eight years and the 2018 Time Out Melbourne Bartender of the Year) says: “If you are looking to try your gin on its own, I recommend keeping your gin in the freezer.”

“If you keep your gin in the freezer, the texture of ‘frozen’ gin is silky smooth, the alcohol is dialled back, and the botanicals subdued.”

Joseph Judd, Co-Founder and Head of Marketing at Peddlers Gin co. says: “Gin straight is essentially a classic James Bond martini, so you can’t go too wrong.”

“It also cuts out the sugar from the tonic. The colder the better – on the rocks, or ice cold, a splash of dry vermouth and an olive.”

Ross Lusted, Owner and Head Chef of Crown Sydney’s Woodcut and Hickory Bar likewise relates: “Drinking gin straight is the best way to taste the full array of botanicals.”

His best advice? “It’s best served on ice, with a garnish inspired by the botanicals itself – citrus is always a winner, but look for unique ingredients that might be included in the gin itself like herbs or spices.”

He adds: “Ice is equally important in making a great drink – using filtered water is critical to the process, to eliminate adding any unwanted flavours that can change an exceptional drink.”

“The size of the cube is also important – the smaller the cube, the quicker it melts, diluting the drink and changing the flavour,” Ross tells us.

“At Woodcut we use ice cut into 40mm2 cubes and made with pristine Tasmanian water – the perfect ice for spirits.”

There you have it: that’s how to drink straight gin like you were dropped straight out of Downtown Abbey.

Put that in your glass and sip it.

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The post Gin & Tonic Drinkers Are Killing Australia's Cocktail Culture appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Everyone knows that Sydney property prices are stupidly high.

You'd think that a global pandemic would take some of the heat out the Harbour City's blazingly hot market. Indeed, one of the biggest trends in Australian property has been city slickers trying to escape The Spicy Cough by moving to regional areas – if you're going to work from home, better to have a bigger house out in the sticks.

But property price rises in regional New South Wales and the rest of Australia haven't caused any relief of metropolitan Sydney property prices. Far from it, as recent data relates.

The median Sydney house price has jumped by 8.2% to $1,410,133 in the last quarter, the latest Domain House Price Report reveals. That's a rise of more than $1,200 a day.

Naturally, this depressing data has caught the ire of Redditors on /r/sydney, who are bemoaning the fact that Australia's biggest city is increasingly becoming impossible to own a home in.

"At what point do you turn your back on Sydney? The cost/benefit of living in Melbourne was no longer worth it for me, so I recently cashed in & moved to the sticks. Much happier," a Victorian commenter relates.

[caption id="attachment_297522" align="alignnone" width="920"] Darling Street, Balmain in Sydney's Inner West. Balmain, once a very working-class suburb, now has a median house price of $2,140,000 for houses to $1,137,500 for units (source: realestate.com.au).[/caption]

Two commenters' takes really stand out, and perfectly demonstrate the inanity of the Sydney property market in 2021:

"My dad keeps saying 'I only made 20k a year back then so you should have been able to buy something by now'. My mum keeps insisting that I buy near them so they can help out when I have kids. I told him to do the math..."

"The 2 bedroom apartment he bought was 120k in 1993, in Dee Why. He made 20k and my mum made 20k so really the apartment is 3x their annual salary. Today, that same old apartment is worth 850k. I make 55k, and guess what? it's 15x my salary. A new 2 bedroom apartment in Dee Why is 1.2m, 20x my salary. A house in Dee Why is around 2.5m... 45x my salary."

RELATED: 1993 ‘Average Wage’ Statistic Explains Why You Can’t Afford A House:

"They're gonna have to accept that they'll need to travel to Campbelltown to visit me because that's looking like my only option for a house..."

Makes me sick hearing real estate types talk on ABC Radio about how great house price rises of ≈ 20% are.

Image if the cost of food, water, electricity, education, petrol or insurance premiums (etc) had all gone up 20% over the past year? pic.twitter.com/Ugf4aBmyxC

— Ryan Sheales (@RyanSheales) July 27, 2021

Another Redditor really hits the nail on the head:

"If you going with the narrative from /r/ausfinance that this growth rate is 'logical', 'normal' and 'sustainable' then using a quick compound calculator at a modest rate of 15% per annum, the house price will be x6 in 10 years and x20 in 20 years."

"At that growth rate, unless you [have] already bought a home by now, there is no chance your children buying anything."

"And why invest in anything else? Why start your own business with so many associated risks when there is a 'fail-proof', 'safe' and 'sustainable' [option] like the property market here in Sydney," they sarcastically conclude.

RELATED: Time To Bail? Expert Explains WTF Is Going On With Crypto Right Now

[caption id="attachment_297523" align="alignnone" width="920"] Bidders compete for space at an auction in New Farm, Brisbane. Queensland's biggest city has avoided much of the property madness that's taken hold of Sydney and Melbourne, but that might be set to change. Image: Place Estate Agents[/caption]

That's not to say Sydney's the only city with property price woes. The same Domain report shows that the median Brisbane house price rose by 13% to $678,236, and the median Melbourne house price rose by a whopping 16.2% to $1,022,927.

Instead of buying property, maybe we should just spend our big bucks on a luxury SUV and live in that instead, like this enterprising American is doing with his Porsche...

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The post Sydney Median House Price Hits Another Outlandish High appeared first on DMARGE.

The pandemic has thrown a number of conventions out the window. No longer do you smile at your barista – you attempt to convey your appreciation with your eyes. No longer do you sit on a bus for an hour a day – you waste that time ‘doom scrolling’ on your phone. No longer do you book economy flights – now you just don’t go anywhere…

Sound familiar? If you live in a locked-down part of Australia right now, much of that might ring a bell.

But what about when the pandemic ends?

A recent poll conducted by DMARGE on Instagram suggests some Australians are now more likely to try to fly business class on their first post-COVID international flight.

When we asked our 51k followers: “Are you more likely to try to fly business class on your first post-COVID international flight?”, 64% of respondents said “Yes.”

This comes after many people have, over the last twelve months, shared their experiences flying business class for the first time during the pandemic.

Some did it to reduce their chances of getting COVID-19 on a flight. Others did it due to economy passengers sometimes being booted from flights, due to passenger caps, making business class a safer (if much more expensive) way of getting home.

Industry experts are still open-minded, however, as to whether the business class boom will continue when the pandemic subsides.

Karl Schubert, a spokesperson for Singapore Airlines, told DMARGE, “There is no denying there is pent up desire for travel, but one cannot be certain how this pent up desire will translate into actual ticket sales once borders open.”

“There could be an initial rush for travel, which may subside and then build again as the market gradually returns to normality. Or it may be a case that while many have a strong desire to travel, it will take some time for customers to feel comfortable to book, as such it will be a slow burn.”

“A strong determinant of demand will be where Australians are permitted to travel to freely and what other requirements may be put in place.”

“Similarly, the impact the pandemic has on travel preferences, outside of a greater focus on health and safety, remains to be seen.”

On the other hand, luxury travel hacker and Flight Hacks owner Immanuel Debeer told DMARGE he thinks there will be an increase in business class bookings – potentially making for more ‘business class slammer‘ (a burgeoning business class champagne trend) recruits: “I think a lot of people will be seeking out the pointy end of the plane for a variety of reasons.”

“However, let’s be honest…most will do it just to have more personal space between them and that one potential covid zombie.”

As for whether he will be more likely to fly business class post-pandemic, Immanuel told us it’s a moot point, as he would typically fly at the pointy end anyway.

“The majority of my business and first-class tickets cost far less than what the person down the back… next to the toilet paid for their economy ticket. And the reality is that anyone with time to watch TV can educate themselves to do the same.”

What will business class look like coming out of the pandemic? Schubert told DMARGE a number of small things will have changed for Singapore Airlines: “Over the past 18-months we have had a strong focus on re-designing the entire travel experience to ensure when customers do return to the air, they can do so with confidence.”

“We have invested heavily in digital solutions that have seen inflight menus and magazines removed from the cabin and available on your own personal device.”

He added: “The MyKrisWorld inflight entertainment system, can also be controlled using your personal device, removing the need for customers to touch the inflight entertainment screen or handset. We have introduced KrisShop to our inflight entertainment system, allowing customers to purchase their inflight duty free, prior to or during their flight from their own personal device.”

“In addition to all this, we’ve continued to enhance our SingaporeAir app, allowing customers at select destinations to check-in online, receive a digital boarding pass and receive important updates regarding flight status and other travel information.”

“We have also implemented enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures, both in-flight and post-flight, while changes have also been made to the inflight dining experience to ensure we adhere to COVID-safe restrictions and regulations. Despite these changes, the one thing we haven’t changed is our focus on exceptional customer service.”

Qantas said it was too early to comment on what their business class might look like when international flights resume, but that there could be further news on this in August.

What we know will be different on Qantas, across all classes, is the introduction of a health pass for all passengers.

Immanuel said he imagines business class “will be much of the same when they eventually start the longer routes again, maybe even a cut back here and there for ‘safety’ reasons.”

“On the West to East routes, I flew recently there was a lack of welcome drinks and blankets in the name of our health so let’s see…”

Only time, health restrictions, and ticket sales will tell.

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The post Australians 'More Likely To Fly Business Class' Post Pandemic, Poll Finds appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Sneaker collaborations are big business.It’s become an essential part of the modern sportswear brand business model: make a limited edition model in collaboration with a hot brand or celebrity, create artificial scarcity by deliberately keeping production numbers low, make them deliberately hard to purchase and bam! Watch them all sell out, at full price, in mere minutes – on top of the brand equity and free press you generate.Some collaborations are hotter than others, however. A Kanye West, Virgil Abloh or Travis Scott co-sign is like a license to print money. Then, if you want to go really next-level, make it a three-way collaboration with a cult fashion brand.That’s exactly what Nike’s done with the Travis Scott x Fragment x Nike Air Jordan 1 Highs. Both Scott and Fragment – the imprint of famed Japanese multidisciplinary artist and designer Hiroshi Fujiwara, who’s collaborated with everyone from Maserati to Moncler – have already released collaborative AJ1s individually with Nike, which rank as some of the most hyped, popular models of all time. Bringing the two together on a single pair makes financial sense.Naturally, sneaker fans were keenly awaiting ‘drop day’ – which was spoiled by a rather brazen pair of profiteers in a move that’s emblematic of a growing problem not only within sneaker culture but in modern fashion more broadly.

Apparently, two individuals used raffle ‘bots’ to generate around 55,000 successful raffle entries, which netted them over 100 pairs each. They even headed to Twitter to brag about it, sharing screenshots of the bot’s interface and one even claiming they don’t even listen to Scott’s music.If they truly did manage to secure 100 pairs each, they could be in for a serious payday. The sneakers retail for US$200 but are currently selling for at least US$2,800 on StockX. Even assuming a 12.5% StockX processing fee on each pair, they’d still be looking at a US$225,000 profit each. That’s huge.RELATED: Expert Reveals Which Sneaker Investments Are Outperforming Blue Chip Stocks In 2021Now there’s a good chance that they’re trolling, just to mess with sneakerheads. Of course, even if they weren’t, Travis Scott’s e-commerce team knows all about it now, and could easily just cancel all the botted transactions – they’ve shot themselves in the feet here.But the fact this is even a thing shows how anti-consumer sneaker drops are becoming. Or, at least, even more anti-consumer…

“This event once again highlights a giant problem within the community, where sneakers have become so unattainable from both limited supply from the brands, and extremely unrealistic chances of winning raffles due to automated activity,” House of Heat relates.

“Should obtaining sneakers really require an exceptional knowledge of technology? Should brands and retailers do more to combat botting? Do they even care, considering that exclusivity and aftermarket demand continues to fuel the industry? The pressure is surely mounting – but when exactly that bubble will fully bust remains unseen.”

The problem with botting is that it’s not actually illegal – at least in the US, UK or Australia. While brands do try and combat the practice – Nike’s SNKRS app and Supreme’s habit of wildly changing their shopfront’s URL structures ahead of release stand out as notable examples – there’s an argument to be made that they don’t really care who they’re selling to, as long as they’re selling out.RELATED: Unfortunate Reason The ‘Ugliest Watch Ever Made’ Will Sell Like HotcakesSure, they might dilute some brand equity by frustrating consumers – but in many ways, the insane speculation on the grey or aftermarket actually benefits them as much as it benefits the profiteering botters.The loser, of course, is the average consumer. The one who thinks they have a chance of winning a raffle or getting a pair. The one who can’t afford or justify spending thousands of dollars on a pair of basketball shoes.

Watch the teaser video for Travis Scott & Hiroshi Fujiwara’s sneaker collaboration

This sneaker fiasco speaks to a growing trend within fashion where exclusivity – more than authenticity, design or quality – is the driving force behind what’s popular. Being fashionable is all about your ability to access (or afford) what’s hyped, rather than being about one’s ability to actually style ones’ self.It’s not just sneakers. You can’t just walk into a Rolex or Hermès boutique and walk out with a Submariner or a Birkin bag. Exclusivity is synonymous with luxury. Perhaps it just stings a little more with sneakers as sneakers are supposed to be an affordable, accessible good. Jordans aren’t luxury sneakers; they’re just increasingly priced like they are.RELATED: Canada, China or Colombia? Where To Score Rolex’s Hard To Find ModelsThe profiteering that’s associated with all of this further cheapens modern fashion as a whole, turning shoes and shirts into business opportunities rather than clothing.Thankfully, there will always be a market and respect for a man in a simple, well-tailored suit. Some things withstand trends. But it’s frustrating to see how the definition of fashion and luxury is being artificially manipulated by both bad actors – as well as the brands who often turn a blind eye to their antics.

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The post Travis Scott Sneaker Fiasco Shows How Pointless Sneaker Drops Have Become appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Back to the Future is one of the most iconic 80s films ever, and arguably one of the most iconic car movies ever, too.

Of course, there’s plenty of cool 50s cars on the streets of Hill Valley, California, but it’s the DeLorean DMC-12 time machine – the core plot device – that the movie is so famous for. In the immortal words of Doc Brown, “If you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?”But there’s another very cool car in the film that people forget about: Marty McFly’s tricked out Toyota Hilux. When he arrives back in 1985 after returning from 1955, the protagonist finds that in this improved future, he owns the 4×4 he wistfully admired at the start of the film, with antagonist-turned-valet Biff having buffed it to a mirror shine to boot.Thankfully, you don’t need to go back in time and almost end up making out with your mum (it’s a really weird film when you think about it) to get your hands on a cool Hilux. One absolute legend on the Gold Coast is selling a virtually perfect replica of the film star car – right down to that gleaming duco.

The ute’s a dead ringer for the one in the film: a US-spec smooth side tray; those famous yellow KC lights; a custom, hand made bull bar, roll bar and rear bar, and even the exact wheels and tires as the movie car.The interior is a little different – a very 80s brown instead of the grey of Marty’s car – and unlike Marty’s, it features a rare factory sunroof. It also boasts a 112kW 3RZ-FE engine under the bonnet from a fifth/sixth generation Hilux instead of the 78kW 22R-E it would have originally come with. Interior mods include an aftermarket head unit and a UHF radio – can’t have a Hilux without a UHF.RELATED: Crazy Australian Bastard Turns 70s Mercedes-Benz Sedan Into Fair Dinkum UteIt’s not the only Back to the Future Hilux replica in the country: there’s another one kicking around Western Australia, but that one was imported from the US and is a left-hand drive. That might be more faithful to the film car, but less practical for Australian driving.Speaking of replicas, Toyota USA even made their own homage to the BTFF Hilux back in 2016, using their Tacoma pickup as a base rather than a Hilux. We reckon the 80s Hilux is a much cooler car, however.

Even if you don’t give a toss about the film connection, it’s just an immaculate 80s Hilux with some tasteful mods. That’s valuable in of itself. Of course, it’s also the ultimate film buff car; much cooler than a Jurassic Park Jeep or a Love Bug Beetle.We’d argue it might even be cooler than a DeLorean – it’ll certainly be easier to live with… Hell, it might just be the coolest car in Australia. There, we said it.They’re asking $50,000 for it, which is a bit punchy, but there you have it. You can find it on Carsales. Just don’t go racing any F-150s in it, okay?

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The post ‘Back To The Future’ Toyota Hilux For Sale In Australia appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Australia is often accused of having no national cuisine. A rude, though not baseless, charge.

But…though we might not have Paella, we do have sausage sandwiches – a criminally overlooked dish among foodies and Michelin Guide writers, but loved by the Aussie public.

Though they suffer from the stereotype they were probably cooked up by a hungover volunteer, who may or may not have scratched their derriere in excess of 50 times during their shift, sausage sandwiches are one of the closest things to a national food we have.

Whether at Bunnings or your local sport’s club, they are a Sunday morning institution, up there with France’s “coffee and a cigarette” and Spain’s “bottom of the pan Paella” (both in terms of culture and carcinogens).

Don’t believe me? Check out the 1,507 Instagram posts containing the ‘bunningssausage’ hashtag, with heartfelt captions like, “Be still my heart” and “Welcome back, I’ve missed you” and “Nothing quite beats a @bunnings Sausage Sizzle!“

 

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Not enough evidence for you? There are 3,737 more Instagram posts with the hashtag ‘bunnings sausage sizzle.’

 

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Oh, and who needs regaetton when you’ve got music videos filmed in a Bunnings carpark for sozzie sizzle Sunday?

 

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A post shared by Matt Hale (@hypnohale)

Much like Spaniards love to debate the merits of each region’s dishes, and how best to cook things (should there be onion in your tortilla or is that treason?), we, too, have sophisticated debates over the best way to dress a Bunnings sausage.

 

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A post shared by Yan | BRUNCH & FOOD BLOG (@brunchisserved)

Where, exactly, the sausage should be placed in relation to the onion, regularly provides Australians with food for thought – as this Instagram post from 2018 attests.

“Serious news from back home – Controversy surrounding the classic Bunnings sausage sizzle – man slipped on a stray onion and now they must serve the sausage above the onion.”

“Should onions be on top or bottom of the snag?”

In response to the post, one user wrote: “Onions on the bottom is criminal.”

That’s before we even get into the whole tomato vs. BBQ sauce debate.

Also, much as many of the dishes sought out by foodies overseas feature the less commonly consumed parts of animals, cheap snags aren’t exactly known for being prime cuts of meat, either.

Before you go calling a Michelin star judging panel and directing them to your local Bunnings, just wait one second though.

Andy Allen – chef, Masterchef judge and c-owner of Three Blue Ducks – tells DMARGE, calling a sausage sizzle ‘Australian tapas’ is a bit of a stretch.

“Haha. As much as I’m the biggest fan of a snag sauso, that’s a pretty long bow. I think for me, tapas is a variety of small plates which to pick at and graze on.”

Executive Sous Chef at Hearth, Danny Feng, however, tells DMARGE an Australian sausage sizzle could, one day, earn a Michelin star – much in the same way street food in places like Singapore have in recent years.

“I think that using fine native ingredients, incorporating unique flavour elements and cooking techniques could be the key to get there.”

Andy adds that ‘Australian tapas’ and Spanish tapas have another thing in common: “hunting down the goods with your nose.”

“The first thing you notice with a Bunning’s sausage sizzle is the smell of a mixture between heavily charred onions melting away on the hotplate and the waft of pork or beef snags, caramelising away. I’m all about it. The same can be said about wandering the streets of Spain, it’s all about following your nose!”

 

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Andy also says that though Australia is not known for having one defined food culture – instead, being full of a rich variety of multicultural culinary offerings – we do actually have a national cuisine “in the form of our Australian Indigenous ingredients.”

“Sure they may not be as popular worldwide as a bowl of spag bol in Italy or the sushi roll in Japan – but they’re unique, delicious and native to our land and that should be celebrated.”

As for his top tips for making a pro-level sausage sandwich? “Condiments, condiments, condiments and condiments!”

Put that fork on it and eat it, food snobs. Who needs San Sebastian or Valencia when you’ve got your local Bunnings?

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The post Australia's Most Iconic Cuisine Could One Day Earn A Michelin Star appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The Qantas Group today confirmed it will introduce a digital health pass for its international flights (on both Qantas and Jetstar), when they resume.

More than just a vaccine passport, it shows airline staff and health officials both your vaccine status and your COVID-19 test results from certified testing labs.

Qantas says the IATA Travel Pass “offers a convenient and secure method for customers to verify COVID test results and vaccination information with border or health officials and airline staff.”

How does it work? The app connects passengers to a certified testing lab. Results can be uploaded to the platform, and customers can show they have a vaccine certificate and/or proof of a negative COVID test result before their flight.

“Importantly, the IATA Travel Pass matches a customer’s health information against a specific flight, checks the entry requirements for the country they are travelling to and provides clearance to travel on that flight, to both the customer and airline,” Qantas announced this morning.

The response on Twitter, so far, appears mostly positive (though some travellers still appear aggrieved over, so they claim, not managing to get onto a repatriation flight).

Shame I’m never flying Qantas again after they left me high and dry!

— A really pissed off pulpo (@chicharronatres) July 29, 2021

I am 100% pro vaccination passport – regardless of airline. Bring it on!

— Ihatenicknames (@ksyd2015) July 29, 2021

The decision follows trials of several digital solutions on Qantas’ international repatriation flights.

It also comes after the Federal Government’s release of its four-phase national COVID-19 response plan earlier this month, which includes validating the vaccination status of Australians returning from overseas.

Many countries Qantas flies to, including the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, have announced requirements of either a proof of vaccine or negative COVID test result to enter without quarantine.

Qantas Group Chief Customer Officer, Stephanie Tully, said of the initiative: “We want to get our international flights back in the air and our people back to work and a digital health pass will be a key part of that.”

“Many Governments are already requiring proof of vaccine or a negative COVID test result for international travel. Even if it wasn’t a government requirement, Qantas has always been a leader in safety and we have a responsibility to our customers and crew.”

“A digital health pass will connect customers with COVID testing facilities, health authorities and airlines, and ultimately enable the opening of more travel bubbles and borders.”

“The IATA Travel Pass will allow travellers to have their COVID test results and vaccine information verified securely, which will be their green light to fly internationally with us.

“We’re working closely with IATA to develop their Travel Pass to make the process as seamless as possible for Qantas and Jetstar customers as international borders start to re-open.”

IATA Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security, Nick Careen, said: “A digital solution to manage and verify health credentials is essential for travel while COVID-19 remains a risk.”

“We are delighted that the Qantas Group has decided to progress plans to use IATA Travel Pass as a convenient and secure method for travellers to verify and share their COVID test results and vaccination information with border or health officials and airline staff.”

“IATA Travel Pass delivers an advantage over other solutions in that the app enables travellers to create a digital ID derived from a government issued document such as a passport. This means that airlines and governments can have full confidence in the test/vaccine results both from a content and identity perspective.”

“Being able to validate the vaccination status of Australians returning from overseas is critical to enable Australia’s four-phase national COVID response plan announced earlier this month.”

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The post Qantas Confirms Rollout Of Long Awaited 'Health Pass' appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Sydney’s latest lockdown feels a bit like Groundhog Day. Days blend into weeks into months, with the challenge of working from home and lack of human contact really doing a number on one’s mental health.

When Sydney went into lockdown over a month ago, I was originally confident that it would only be a fairly temporary measure. But once the first fortnight came and went with no hope on the horizon, I did something I never thought I’d do: I went out and bought a houseplant.

For some context, I’ve always hated gardening with a passion. I’m a bit of a clean freak, so getting dirty and sweaty in the garden never held much appeal. I also get pretty heinous hayfever, with even the slightest puff of pollen enough to have me in a sneezy mess for hours.

But I’ve written about the virtues of buying and keeping houseplants – I’ve even crafted listicles about the best low-maintenance plants for amateur gardeners. Inspired by this latest (and toughest) lockdown, I thought I’d finally put my money where my mouth is and heed my own advice.

In short? I should have listened to myself a long time ago.

While I’ve previously propagated succulents and clivias from offcuts I’ve got for free, I’d never actually spent money on a plant before, other than buying flowers as gifts, which isn’t really the same.

My choice for my first ‘real’ houseplant was a Spathiphyllum floribundum, better known as a peace lily, which along with a surprisingly stylish recycled PET plant pot set me back $15 at Bunnings. This wasn’t a random choice: peace lilies are incredibly tough plants that are perfect for even the least green of thumbs and they don’t emit a strong smell (so it won’t set off my hayfever). They’re also rather pretty. Men can like pretty flowers.

They’ve also been proven by NASA to be one of the most effective plants at cleaning air of pollutants like benzene and formaldehyde, and they emit a substance that suppresses the growth of molds, spores and bacteria. Seeing as it’s cold outside and I can’t have the windows open all day, I figured freshening up the air a bit in my room was probably a good idea, too.

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Anyway, it’s been a little companion of mine during these weeks of working from home in lockdown, and I have to say, it makes a really big difference to your state of mind. When you’re cooped up in your room all day, even just looking at a plant can make you feel more relaxed; more human.

This isn’t just hippie nonsense, either. As this Horti article and this NBC News report both relate, there’s a mountain of evidence to suggest that the human body is hard-wired to react positively to the presence of plants. They can enhance your mood, reduce feelings of boredom and sharpen your focus.

It’s why wood is such a nice, soothing architectural material, too – it generates similar feelings. Human beings are just animals after all. It just clicks with our lizard brains.

The act of caring for houseplants can also be good for one’s mental health, too. I’ve always been somewhat skeptical of ‘mindfulness’, but one of the nice things about taking care of houseplants is that it’s a deliberative, relaxing activity that keeps you accountable and acts as a self-care reminder.

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Again, there’s scientific evidence to back this up, too. A recent University of Technology Sydney study suggests that not only do houseplants reduce tension, anxiety, depression, anger and hostility, but “the simple, mutually giving relationship between a plant and its human caretaker fosters positive feelings of confidence, as you’re responsible for the plant’s wellbeing and keeping it alive,” The Sydney Morning Herald details.

Purifying the air, keeping you sane, making your room look like less of a hovel… Plants are great, hey?

All I can say is that even if it’s not been for very long – and one or two plants do not a ‘plant dad’ make – having the peace lily next to me whilst I’ve been working in lockdown has had an almost immediate positive effect on my mood. And in this tough lockdown, any little boost is worth it.

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The challenge, of course, is to keep this bad boy alive until at least the lockdown lifts (which could be a while, all things considered). It’s not a succulent I can throw in some soil and leave to just vibe for a year.

Wish me luck…

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The post I Became A Reluctant 'Plant Dad' In Lockdown… & It's A Surprisingly Good Move appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Ever tried jump-starting a Tesla? That’s not the set-up for some anti-EV joke, by the way. Teslas – as well as some other electric cars – are totally capable of being jump-started, as well as jump-starting other cars (although Tesla strongly counsels against it).How’s that possible? Well, it’s because Teslas have a standard 12-volt car battery just like any other internal combustion engine vehicle. It’s a somewhat archaic piece of technology in what’s otherwise an incredibly high-tech car, but there you are.But Elon Musk wants to change that. The maverick Tesla CEO and crypto fanboy has revealed a desire to start shipping lithium-ion 12-volt batteries instead of lead-acid batteries in his entry-level Model 3 and Model Ys going forward, a move that could spark a ripple effect throughout the auto industry.Musk explained on Twitter that the move wouldn’t just be good for consumers, but it would be “preferable for Tesla too, as they last so long. Unlike other makers of cars, our goal is not to profit from service. [The] best service is not needing service in the first place.”Shots fired, but big talk considering how hard Tesla make it for customers trying to service their own cars…RELATED: Man’s Nightmare Tesla Story Could Be A Worrying Sign Of Things To Come In The Auto Industry

Tesla’s other, more ‘premium’ models, the Model S and Model X, already use lithium-ion 12-volt batteries. Indeed, the main battery packs of all Tesla cars are lithium-ion. Bringing the tech to its entry-level models, however, is a big move. But what’s the difference between lithium-ion and lead-acid?As powertrain provider Cummins relates, there are three main differences between the two: cost, energy/range, and charging. Lead-acid batteries are significantly cheaper up-front, and are “available in large quantities with little worries relating to security of the supply and in a variety of off the shelf pack sizes”. But lithium-ion batteries are more energy-dense (i.e. they take up less volume for the same capacity), which means they have a longer range, and they’re much quicker to charge.RELATED: Audi Slams The Door On Electric Vehicle Haters With ‘Continent-Spanning’ ExperimentEssentially, lead-acid batteries are a tried-and-true technology, but lithium-ion is a better choice in the long term, especially for Tesla vehicles. As the high-voltage main battery uses lithium-ion chemistry as well, using a low-voltage (i.e. 12-volt starter battery) cell that matches its life cycle and chemistry of the main pack could also reduce the need to replace the 12-volt cell over the main battery’s lifespan, vehicle teardown expert Sandy Munro related during an interview with Musk.If, by backing lithium-ion 12-volt batteries, Tesla can help bring down their price, and/or encourage other auto makers start to back the technology – it could be a game-changer for both EVs and ICE vehicles alike.

Here’s how you can get the most out of your car battery

“Musk is pushing hard for lithium-ion as the future of electric vehicles and clean energy,” Inverse relates.

“Last week, he declared that the technology alone would be enough to transition the world onto sustainable energy… Lead-acid may have made sense in an earlier market, but as Tesla aims to rapidly boost its lithium-ion production, the market is shifting.”

RELATED: China’s ‘People’s Tesla’ Overtakes Elon’s Model 3 As Best Selling Electric CarOne of the biggest bottlenecks when it comes to the adoption of EVs and the move towards renewable energy sources is batteries. ‘Range anxiety’ is one of the key concerns consumers have about EVs, for example, and you need batteries to really take advantage of renewable energy sources like wind and solar.The better and more efficient batteries become, the quicker we’ll see green technologies such as EVs and renewable energy generation take hold. Musk pushing for lithium-ion could spur progress forward – or, at the very least, make it so that cars don’t need to be jump-started as often. Win-win.

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The post Elon Musk’s Radical Tesla Battery Plan Could Change The Future Of Motoring appeared first on DMARGE Australia.