Anyone who’s passingly familiar with the high-end watch business knows that the retail price of many timepieces isn’t always an accurate reflection of the real cost of obtaining them. This is particularly true when it comes to stainless steel luxury sports watches, such as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak or Rolex Submariner.Demand for these pieces is so high and supply so scarce that you can’t simply walk into a boutique and buy one: you need to either sit on a waiting list for years and/or develop a purchasing history with an authorised dealer (AD), or head to the grey market and pay a serious price premium to get your hands on a watch straight away.This situation has only become even direr since the COVID-19 crisis. The watch industry, like many others, has seen huge disruptions to manufacturing and logistics thanks to the virus, further impacting availability… And even further spiking demand. People who aren’t travelling internationally have been spending their savings on material luxuries instead, like watches.In short, it’s one hell of a squeeze. But one recently announced auction stands out as particularly eye-watering, and evidence that the watch market might have officially lost its mind.

Swiss watch auctioneer Antiquorum has raised many eyebrows with Lot #152 of its upcoming Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces in Monaco: a factory-sealed Patek Philippe Nautilus ‘Olive Dial’ (ref. 5711/1A-014) which normally retails for US$34,893 that they estimate will fetch between $60,000 to $180,000 when it goes under the hammer on Wednesday. Although it could go even higher than that.Why do we think it could go higher? Well, there’s already one seller from Dubai on Chrono24 who’s selling one for the princely sum of US$362,380 – that’s over ten times the retail price. And his isn’t as special as this one.RELATED: The One Place You Should Never Buy A Luxury WatchAntiquorum’s is special because it’s still sealed in plastic. Since 2017, Patek has required all its ADs to unpackage and unseal any watch before it leaves their store, in order to combat grey market shenanigans. That this watch is still completely sealed is a real aberration, which undoubtedly raises its value – it’s in proper mint condition.The fact it’s being sold sealed means the AD who originally received this watch would undoubtedly lose their Patek contract if the watch’s serial number ever became public knowledge… But the fact they’d be willing to risk such a lucrative arrangement speaks to the unbelievable heights that this watch, as well as the watch market more broadly, has reached.

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The Nautilus ‘Olive Dial’ was unveiled earlier this year in April during Watches & Wonders 2021, and immediately caused a stir among watch fans. Not only are green dials particularly fashionable right now, but its introduction came fresh off the heels of Patek discontinuing their popular Nautilus ‘Blue Dial’ (ref. 5711/1A-010) – making it the new must-have Patek.RELATED: Australians Are Finally Becoming More Adventurous With Luxury WatchesThey’ve apparently become so popular and hard-to-get that even Thierry Stern, Patek Philippe’s president, has lamented to The Telegraph that “even my sons are asking, ‘can I have one?’… but the answer is no.” If even Patek’s bigwigs can’t secure models, you know things are out of whack. Have we reached ‘peak watch’?Take a closer look at the Patek that everyone is going crazy for below.

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• The Rude Watch Behaviour Too Many Australians Are Guilty Of
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The post This ‘Olive Dial’ Patek Philippe Auction Is Very, Very Silly appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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The following article was produced in partnership with Porsche Cars Australia.

When Porsche unveiled its Mission E concept car back in 2015, it immediately caused a stir. The idea that one of the world’s most pure, focused performance car manufacturers would make an electric vehicle seemed wild; almost unbelievable.

But when the Porsche Taycan first hit Australian shores earlier this year, the dream became a reality. And the reality is very, very exciting indeed. Here it was: Porsche’s very first production electric car. And what a car…

The Porsche Taycan is the newest edition to Porsche’s stable of performance cars: a four-door low-slung speedster that sits somewhere between a 911 and Panamera. It’s immediately recognisable thanks to its dramatic ‘floating’ headlights, low stance, and of course, absence of tailpipe. It’s beautiful, sure, but what’s it like to drive? Glad you asked.

Let’s not mince our words here: the Porsche Taycan is an epoch-defining vehicle. The Taycan isn’t just the world’s first true performance EV, but it’s perhaps the most exciting car to ever come out of Germany since the original 911 back in 1964. It’s just that good.

First and foremost, the Taycan is a performance car – you’d expect nothing less from Porsche. Anyone even passingly familiar with cars knows that the performance case for EVs is just as compelling as the environmental one: the effortless acceleration, hefty torque and impressive stopping power EVs are inherently capable of lend themselves well to performance applications. Hence why Porsche were keen to invest in electric drivetrains.

The Taycan range encompasses seven models, across two main variants: the standard Taycan sedan and the Taycan Cross Turismo crossover, which not only has a shooting brake-esque rear end but boasts a slightly higher ride height, additional body cladding and rugged black trim. The base Taycan is rear-wheel drive, while the three higher model grades – plus all three Cross Turismo models – are all-wheel drive.

Even the base RWD Taycan is impressively fast, but the all-wheel drive sedan models are mind-numbingly quick. At the pointy end, the Taycan Turbo S accelerates from 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds. That means it’s among the fastest vehicles in the world, up there with monsters like the Bugatti Chiron, Lamborghini Huracán Performante or Porsche’s very own 911 GT2 RS.

That’s to say nothing of the classically Porsche, impeccable handling that would embarrass even a Mercedes-AMG GT S that every version of the Taycan is capable of…

But the Taycan is much, much more practical than any of those cars we’ve previously mentioned. It’s got four doors, and can seat four adults without having to break their femurs to get them to fit in the back.

It’s packed with clever features, like its on-the-fly adjustable suspension which can be raised so you can clear bumps around town – and even remembers locations where you do this so you don’t have to stress about it. Oh, and it’s a Porsche, so it’s totally bulletproof. No exotic Italian mechanical gremlins here.

The Taycan Cross Turismo is even more practical – it’s the world’s first electric station wagon. Need we say more? That alone should sell you on it…

The Taycan has all the mod cons you’d expect from a high-end luxury car, acres of sumptuous leather, and a segment-beating infotainment system with three configurable screens that are far more intuitive to use than virtually any other supercar (or Tesla’s) systems.

Needless to say, it’s also much better for the planet than virtually any other car on the road – super or otherwise – as it doesn’t need to gulp down gallons of petrol to get around or beat speed records. With a range of 365 to 437km, it’s capable of laying down long road trips with ease, and with fast charging, the battery pack can be charged from 5% to 80% in as few as 22.5 minutes.

Indeed, the really deceptive thing about the Taycan is despite its supercar looks and performance, it’s really rather lovely to drive. It’s comfortable, polite and surprisingly unfussy. It’s quiet, too – but by no means boring. When you put your foot down, the spaceship-like whirr and mind-numbing speed it generates is addictively fun.

Like all of Porsche’s vehicles, the Taycan also benefits from Porsche’s ground-breaking Exclusive Manufaktur customisation experience, which gives customers virtually free reign over the car’s appearance. From interior accents to customised wheels (you can even option Taycans with the same body-coloured rims the Mission E concept car rocked) – with over 700 additional options available to customers across all model lines, the sky’s the limit.

In many ways, the Taycan is a concept car made real. Often, when vehicles make their way into production from a concept car, they lose much of the spark and flair that made the concept so exciting in the first place. They’re forced to compromise.

The Taycan, however, doesn’t compromise – on anything. It’s a world-class performance car, in the spirit of Porsche’s most famous petrol-powered offerings. It’s luxurious and practical, with segment-leading infotainment and ergonomics. It even looks like a concept car – they stayed remarkably true to the Mission E concept. Oh, and it does this all while being better for the planet than an internal combustion engined-car, meaning you don’t even have to feel guilty about it.

Would it be going too far to say it’s the perfect car? We’re not sure. Looks like you’re just going to have to find out for yourself.

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Discover the Porsche Taycan range at your local Porsche dealership or online here.

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The post Porsche’s Taycan Heralds A New Era For Luxury & Performance Vehicles appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Whether your feet are nailed to the floor à la Australia or whether you are taking baby steps out into the world again à la Europe, we can still all enjoy a little reminiscing.Enter: life in 1980. A simpler time. Jimmy Carter was President, the Rubik’s Cube had just been released, CNN had just launched, and it had only been 14 years since England had won the World Cup.It was also a time where commercial travel was still quite comfortable, as you can see in the photo below, recently posted to Instagram by account @braniffairwaysinc.

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A post shared by Braniff International (@braniffairwaysinc)

“Come aboard this Boeing 727-227 Trijet,” the caption invites followers.“Passengers enjoy the comfortable High and Handsom Cabin while awaiting takeoff from DFW Airport in 1980.”The image is credited to the Braniff Airways Foundation.The photo shows everything which is missing from economy travel in 2021. Namely: comfort. Unfortunately, though, there is a good reason this has disappeared – it’s not profitable to provide it en masse.Comments left by followers reinforce this, and provide an insight into what people miss about this era.“The center seat could fold down,” one wrote. “I miss them,” commented another.

“Seat pitch looks amazing!”

The 1980s ran off the tailwind of the golden age of air travel – the 1950s. This was a time where flying was glamorous (before the 50s it was cold and unpressurised).As Insider reports, “people dressed up, booze was served in fancy glassware, and meals consisted of dishes like roast beef, lobster, and prime rib” in the 1950s.Air travel became more mundane in the 60s and 70s (security screenings become mandatory and the Jumbo Jet was introduced, bringing flight to millions more people). Then came the 80s where, according to Insider, there were some fun arrangements.

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A post shared by Braniff International (@braniffairwaysinc)

“Continental Airlines (now United Airlines)… tested out a ‘Pub’ configuration complete with a bar stocked with alcohol and circular tables surrounded by swivel chairs,” in the 80s, Insider writers.

“Passengers could also make a visit to the cockpit during the flight where children were given a commemorative wing pin to remember the experience.”

And of course, as seen in the Boeing image at the start of this article, economy seats were more spacious.Time moves on, however. And ironically now we’re all just grateful to travel again, in any way or form.

Flight Attendant Reveals Secret To Getting Special Treatment As A Passenger [Watch below]

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The post Classic 1980 Photo Shows What’s Missing From Economy Travel In 2021 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

With The Spicy Cough showing no signs of leaving planet earth anytime soon, many of us are still forced to spend much of our day safely locked up in our homes. But there’s only so much TV we can watch, so much time we can spend playing swing ball in the back yard, and we imagine some household cars have never looked cleaner.

We can comfortably suggest, however, that the new owners of the latest glam-pad to go up for sale in Brighton, Victoria, will be more than happy (or, at least, less perturbed than the rest of us) to have lockdown extended in the state for as long as possible. How so? you may ask. Well, when your home has a resort-style pool, spa and alfresco dining deck included, you’ll be counting down the days until summer.

Oh, and did we forget to mention the fully-fledged underground nightclub?

Yep, as soon as restrictions ease in the state of Victoria, the new owners of 91 William Street will no doubt have an endless guest list of friends and family desperate to be invited over for a boogie in the home’s very own nightclub, complete with fully-stocked bar, dance floor and ample seating for up to 35 people.

It’s one thing to lay claim to having a wine cellar in your home – which this home has by the way, secured by fingerprint-scanner and with room for 1,000 bottles – as a fancy feature, but your own god damn nightclub takes the boujee stakes to dramatic new heights.

As for more conventional home features, you get three ensuite bedrooms on the top floor, accompanied by a “private hotel-like main bedroom” which is “accessible via an elevator,” naturally, and has its own “drop-down TV, estimated to have cost about $30,000.”

And, if the new family moving in have any angsty teenagers in tow, they can send them away to the “separate teenager’s retreat with bathroom and laundry in the glitzy basement.”

Sam Inan, Belle Property St Kilda director – and agent for the home – told realestate.com.au the home is perfect to “escape, work and play all in one place. That’s never been more relevant than in the time and world we live in now.”

Reaching out to close-knit families, he added the current owners are “a really young-at heart family who understood if you had great things at home, (the kids) would stay at home longer.” And what kid would want to move out of a home that has its own private nightclub? Not many, we imagine.

With a guide price between “$9.5m-$10.2m” cheap, it is not, but we’re sure the new owners will be able to start earning some money back by charging for entry.

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The post Ultimate Family Home Complete With Nightclub Goes Up For Sale In Melbourne appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

We’d all like Endless Money. But other than a few rare exceptions – this man who found an ATM glitch and used it to withdraw $1.6 million (and hire a private jet) springs to mind – most of us have to work for a living.But what if we told you there was a way to get free money?As we recently read on investing news and advice website Motley Fool, “If an investor put $10,000 into the ASX share market and it returned 10% per annum over the next two decades then it would turn into just over $73,000 over the next two decades.”

Not bad.It gets better though.“If that same investor put in the $10,000 at the start and then invested $200 every month for the next 20 years, with the ASX share market making returns of 10% per annum, then it turns into $225,000 over 20 years,” Motley Investor says.

“If the investor put in $1,000 a month instead of $200 a month then they’d have $832,650 after that 20 year period.”

The joys of compound interest.Crucial to this, of course, is that you have a diverse portfolio, or have put your money into a reliable ETF, which tracks the market. It’s also crucial – as mentioned – that the market actually goes up. Though there is solid evidence throughout history that this has always (eventually) happened, you shouldn’t do this with money that you might need to pull out quickly, as one can never predict when the next crash will be.

This is why people nearing retirement will have their superannuation funds invested in much lower risk stocks than someone in their 20s – someone in their 20s has 40 or more years for the market to recover from a potential fall.As Josh Gilbert, market analyst at eToro, recently told DMARGE, “The stock market is not a get-rich-quick scheme, so investors should consider adopting a long-term investment mindset.”“Frequently chopping and changing investments means they won’t have a chance to achieve their potential and cuts profits prematurely. Some Australian investment platforms may also charge extra fees for a high volume of trades every month.”eToro declined to comment on the likelihood of $10,000 returning 10% per annum over the next two decades, if invested into the ASX. However, according to Motley Fool, “Over the long-term, the ASX share market has returned around 10% per annum over the decades.”Tight Fist Finance likewise claims: “The benchmark for market returns is the S&P 500. Typically, the S&P 500 has returned an annualized return of 10% since inception.”“Therefore, the typical average return of an ETF is around 10%, but individual ETF performance varies depending on the index they are tracking.”America’s S&P 500 has a history of outperforming Australia’s ASX 200. However, some believe this was due to the various tech booms in recent times (with the biggest winners being American companies), and that the next decade could see the ASX perform a little better, relative to the S&P 500. This is pure speculation, however.To provide a few words of advice (and caution) before you dive on in, DMARGE spoke to Mr Gilbert, to get his thoughts on the questions we should ask ourselves before investing in any company.

Do I understand basic stock market terminology and my chosen investment platform?

Before you start investing, make sure you understand the general lingo and how your preferred investment platform works, Mr Gilbert says.“You don’t want to accidentally lose money because you misunderstood a term, or clicked the wrong buttons. Some platforms, like eToro, allow you to use a virtual portfolio before you start investing real money, so you can learn the ropes with zero risk.”

“Remember, practice makes perfect.”

What are my investment goals and strategy?

“Not having a financial plan can lead to lack of focus and being easily swayed or impulse investing which often doesn’t end well,” Mr Gilbert said.“If you don’t have a plan for how to manage your money, you’ll be more vulnerable to impulse buying, overspending and making other unwise decisions. Even if you are earning a lot, failure to plan will likely ruin your set objectives.”“You should avoid setting goals that are vague, too broad or exaggerated with no timeline,” Mr Gilbert added.“An example plan could include outlining how much capital you want to invest, the time you want to spend in the market, how many companies or assets you want to invest in, and ways you might hedge against risk- such as diversifying your portfolio or setting stop limits.”

Do I really understand what this company does?

Mr Gilbert told DMARGE: “Ensure you have a basic understanding of what the company does before taking the financial plunge and investing in the stock” and “invest in what you know.”

“By investing in your passions and interests, you are more likely to understand how they best operate.”

“For example, if you love tech, you may decide you want to buy stocks in Apple or Microsoft. Or, if fashion is more your thing, you might want to consider ASOS or H&M. But of course, do your homework on them first, instead of going in blind.”

Am I being led by FOMO?

“Are you just simply investing in a stock because everyone else is? Or because the headlines and ‘finfluencers’ have hyped it up as a ‘must have’ for your portfolio?” Mr Gilbert asks.“Instead of investing in a stock because of FOMO (fear of missing out), ensure you’re investing for the right reasons and do your research. Do you actually see potential in this stock? If the answer is no, it’s best to back away.”

Am I investing more than I can afford?

This is a big one. As Mr Gilbert told us, “It’s important to understand your risk appetite and how much you can realistically afford to invest, and worst case, lose.”“It’s a common misconception that you need a lot of money to make investing worthwhile. Thanks to the proliferation of everyday-people-friendly tech platforms, you can invest with as little as USD $50.”

“If you start low but invest regularly, you’ll be surprised how quickly your portfolio will build up.”

“Be mindful of your limits and think about whether you could realistically afford to lose the amount you initially invested in a worst-case-scenario,” he added.“High-risk mindsets amongst inexperienced investors may result in losses, especially during the global pandemic when markets have been extremely volatile.”

What value will this stock add to my portfolio?

“The truth is, you don’t need to invest in stocks because they’ve just listed and are ‘hot,’ Mr Gilbert told DMARGE. “All stocks should meet a need in your portfolio and it should essentially add an exposure that you already don’t have.”

“Try to diversify your portfolio with a range of different stocks from different industries, as well as commodities and cryptoassets to ensure your portfolio is balanced.”

Do I really understand the risks associated with investing in stocks?

Finally, Mr Gilbert left us with one final warning.“You should understand that regardless of market conditions, investing in the stock market can be risky.”“This is why it’s crucial that you’re able to comprehend what you’re investing and don’t invest more than you can afford to lose.”

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The post Turn $10,000 Into $73,000 Without Lifting A Finger, With Expert Investment Advice appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Brand collaborations in the luxury watch world are nothing new – and have resulted in some of the most well-received (and divisive) timepieces in recent memories.You have winning combinations, like Panerai’s classy Luna Rossa collection, Hublot’s on-trend Lapo Elkann team up and of course OMEGA’s long-running collaboration with the James Bond film franchise… But then you’ve also got more controversial ones, like Seiko’s cringe-y Naruto collection or Jacob & Co.’s Supreme collaboration – “the ugliest watch ever made”.Another horological collaboration that’s plainly fallen into the latter category is TAG Heuer’s latest experiment: a Super Mario limited edition of their Connected smartwatch, which retails for AU$3,100.This collaboration between the 161-year-old Swiss watch manufacturer and Nintendo, Japan’s video gaming juggernaut, sees the Connected receive a unique bezel with Mario-inspired indices at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock; a bright red strap with a Mario logo buckle; and most crucially, unique animated visuals of the famous fictional plumber that accompany time-telling as well as fitness goals, such as progress towards your step count.It’s often said that smartwatches and other wearables work on a system of ‘gamification’: turning hitting fitness goals into a rewards system much like a video game, using that rush of dopamine we get when we hit a goal to motivate people to continue working out.This collaboration is a very literal interpretation of that concept.

Indeed, that’s something that TAG Heuer directly addressed in their launch announcement – even going as far to say that the Mario animations are “inspired by the famous ‘easter egg’ concept that all gamers know very well, which consists of hiding features and surprises as a bonus in video games.” Clever.So what’s the problem? Well, if you look on TAG Heuer’s social media accounts, there’s nothing but praise for the collaboration – but many watch aficionados and publications have been quick to tear TAG’s Italian time-teller to pieces.One only has to take a quick look at the comments section below Hodinkee’s Instagram post about the collaboration or head to well-known watch satirist @horological_dicktionary’s profile to see where most enthusiasts’ sentiments lie. A choice comment: “April 1st was a few months ago.”Gizmodo has called it “ugly” and for “rich people with no ounce of tech-savvy”. The Truth About Watches was even less restrained in its criticism of the watch, calling it “a brand-defiling joke that makes the Audemars Piguet Black Panther Marvel watch seem positively demure.”RELATED: LeBron James Spotted Wearing Most Controversial Watch Of 2021Say what you really feel, why don’t you.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth (at least for TAG Heuer and Nintendo’s naysayers): all 2,000 examples of the watch have already sold out after being on the market for less than a week. A vocal minority of watch fans might not like the collaboration, but those numbers speak for themselves.Regardless of what you think of the watch, you have to at least respect that TAG’s at least trying something different. Few other Swiss luxury watchmakers have been bold enough to even try and make a smartwatch, let alone try something playful like a collaboration with one of modern pop culture’s most loved and iconic characters.RELATED: Luxury Fashion Brands’ Long-Term Watchmaking Investments Pay OffTAG have also confirmed that this watch is but the first in what’s to be an ongoing collaboration between them and Nintendo, so there’s a good chance we might see some more Mario characters – or perhaps some other Nintendo properties – grace one of their dials very soon. A Legend of Zelda watch, perhaps?

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The post TAG Heuer’s Silliest Watch Release May Actually Be Their Smartest appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

For some, there are few greater feelings than family unity. When you can comfortably call your parents or children your best friends, it makes for wholesome times all round. However, usually that involves playing catch with your kids, going for a few Friday night drinks with your parents, or sitting around a board game or the TV at home for family movie night.Style guru David Beckham appears to have taken things one step further, however, by joining his sons Romeo and Cruz in a spot of home hair bleaching. Because, why not?

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A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham)

Taking to Instagram just a few hours ago, Golden Balls – or should we say ‘Peroxide Balls’ – posted a picture of himself with Romeo and Cruz, all sporting different shades of fluorescent hair colourings. David goes for the standard bleached blonde, Romeo gets the ice silver treatment, while Cruz goes neon pink.The image sparked a sense of nostalgia for David, who added the caption:“Sometimes the boys need reminding who did it first in the 90’s, by the look on their faces they are not to [sic] pleased about it #DadDidItFirst.”He is of course referring back to one of his numerous hairstyles he has rocked throughout his career, with blond highlights making an appearance way back in 1997. He ditched the long locks, opted for a buzz cut and peroxide bleached it once again in 2007, shortly after joining Spanish footballing giants Real Madrid.

While we’ve seen Beckham rock various medium-length hairstyles over the years, such as the undercut and the pompadour, he has been favouring a much shorter length of late. We first caught sight of Becks with incredibly short hair in April 2020, as he, much like the rest of the world, resorted to the ‘quarantine cut’ to help prevent any bad hair days during the global lockdown.But with the situation improving – or at least, trying it’s best to revert back to ‘normal’ – David needs to be back to his brilliant stylish best – which he effortlessly displayed in New York in May 2021 – and that includes taking care of his hair.The Instagram post has already garnered thousands of comments, with first-born Brooklyn starting off proceedings with “Looks so cool.”David himself promised his sons “it will be gone in a few weeks” to help alleviate any misery they might be feeling, while Christian Dior creative director Kim Jones added it was a “strong look.”

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A post shared by Phil Foden (@philfoden)

Many likened David’s new look to that of England and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden, who has also been rocking the peroxide blonde look lately. The footballing youngster managed to convince his England team-mates to copy his hairstyle were they to win the Euro 2020 final against Italy, but, we all know how that turned out. We imagine, in this respect, the team were happy to lose.

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The post David Beckham Reminds Modern Footballers Who Is King Of Bleached Blond Hair appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If you ask an Elon Musk fanboy what they think about Tesla’s cars, they’d probably tell you they’re the best thing since sliced bread.And it’s true – Tesla makes some great cars. More than that, the American company has single-handedly changed the popular conception of what an electric car can do or be. They’ve undoubtedly been a positive force for change not only in the auto industry but for sustainability more broadly. They are also great at crash testing their cars [see video below].

But one of the biggest problems with Tesla – leaving aside the electric or self-driving car debates – is that they’re remarkably anti-consumer when it comes to letting customers repair their own vehicles… And are pretty cavalier when it comes to their servicing charges.Rich Rebuilds, a.k.a. Rich Benoit, is a Massachusetts-based car enthusiast who’s made waves in recent years for his outspoken advocacy of customer’s ‘Right To Repair’, shared a worrying story about a Tesla repair that demonstrates Tesla’s cartel-like (well, almost…) behaviour.The car’s owner relates how after driving over some debris in his brand new Model 3, he damaged a small part of the car’s cooling system, which prevented the car from running entirely. After taking his vehicle to a Tesla service centre, he was quoted $16,000 after being told that the entire battery would need replacing. To add insult to injury, his insurance refused to cover the cost, too.Instead, he reached out to Benoit, who was able to fix the small part “using a brass fitting like you’d find at any home improvement store” for only $700 – 23 times less than Tesla’s estimate and a price based almost entirely on labour and diagnostic costs. Watch Benoit’s full video on the dilemma below.While this example is a rather out-there one, it demonstrates how much money you can save if you choose to work on a car yourself (or choose third-party mechanics instead of getting your car serviced at a dealership). More to the point, it highlights a growing concern as more and more auto makers are electrifying their model ranges.Because EVs are so heavily reliant on software updates – and because EV technology is so nascent, few mechanics have the expertise to repair them – car brands really have consumers at their mercy. Of course, even modern internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are heavily reliant on proprietary software updates and specialised servicing, but the problem is multiplied when it comes to EVs.The concern is that cars will become like iPhones, where it’s possible for a company to just stop offering software updates or servicing for them after a few years, making your five-figure-plus investment useless. People already call Tesla the Apple of the car world but there’s more than just a little truth to that comparison.RELATED: China’s ‘People’s Tesla’ Overtakes Elon’s Model 3 As Best Selling Electric Car

Last year, Apple was forced to pay out over US$113 million to settle consumer fraud lawsuits over allegations that it secretly slowed down old iPhones with clandestine software updates, a controversy that became known as ‘Batterygate’, NPR reported.It’s not just cars where this behaviour from brands is a concern. Farm machinery brand John Deere has long been accused of monopolistic behaviour for the strict and expensive control it exercises over software updates for its tractors and the like, Bloomberg relates.As more and more car brands join the EV revolution, the hope is that Tesla will be forced to become more competitive and consumer-friendly in order to maintain their status as the market’s leading EV maker.RELATED: Australia In The Dark Ages While Germans Get Free Electric CarsOf course, the worst-case scenario is that this sort of thing just becomes the new normal… Ultimately, it’s up to us as consumers to demand more from tech and vehicle manufacturers.

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The post Man’s Nightmare Tesla Story Could Be A Worrying Sign Of Things To Come In The Auto Industry appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Australian travel tragics in 2021 are like a genie in a bottle.

But once our vaccine rates catch up to countries like the United States’ – and once borders open – travel operators reckon we will see the release of huge pent up demand. Though there is no definite date for this, with no clear plan for exactly what it will take to open the borders as of yet from the government, borders have been tipped by experts to open at some point in (probably well into) 2022.

Demographics Group executive director Bernard Salt told the ABC recently he imagined “the websites for the airlines will be swamped immediately” when Australia’s travel ban lifts, whenever that may be.

Chief Customer Officer at Luxury Escapes, Jason Shugg, likewise told DMARGE when asked if Luxury Escapes was predicting a travel boom when borders open, “Yes definitely, we are seeing so much pent up demand.”

“A recent Luxury Escapes survey revealed that overseas travel is the number one reason Australians want to get vaccinated, with another 87% of Australians saying they plan to travel internationally when they are fully vaccinated.”

“Australians are a nation of travellers and despite the consistent disruptions brought about by the pandemic, our data consistently shows that we remain as hungry as ever to explore the world.”

Brett Mitchell, Managing Director of Intrepid Travel, the largest adventure travel company in the world, told DMARGE Intrepid Travel was “excited to get Australian travellers exploring and supporting local communities across the world post-pandemic” but that there are still a lot of things that need to happen first.

“Tourism is a vital source of income for many economies and communities, but we do need to ensure that travel reopens safely and that vaccines are available to many more people globally.”

“In the meantime, we encourage all Australians who are eligible to get vaccinated, and urge the Australian government to open up discussion for allowing freedom of movement for people who are fully vaccinated.”

 

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“As all businesses,” Mr Mitchell added, “We hope to see borders opening up safely next year. However, we know that more Australians need to get vaccinated first and we also need to see more vaccines in other countries around the world, to ensure tourism can reopen safely in other communities, too.”

“What we’re seeing in the US shows that there is definitely pent up demand for travel, but the lack of leadership here has really diminished Australia’s confidence when it comes to travel.”

“We hope that a clear roadmap will help give travellers more peace of mind when it comes to booking future trips.”

When it comes to how travel operators worldwide should brace for this Australian border opening boom – whether it occurs in 2022 (fingers crossed) or 2030 (imagine that) – Mr Shugg told DMARGE, for its part, Luxury Escapes would be preparing for it by being agile, communicating consistently with partners around the world and launching enticing travel initiatives.

“Like other travel companies, this past year has forced us to be agile. When the pandemic hit, we worked hard with our suppliers in cruise, tours, flights and accommodation to extend travel dates and validity periods for years in advance. Once we got through the first wave of helping tens of thousands of customers change their bookings due to border closures and lockdowns, we got to work on making Luxury Escapes even better and developing new products.”

“We created new products to sit alongside our classic Limited Time Exclusive deals, by introducing thousands of new hotels available all year round with our Lux Premium Collection and Lux Partner Properties. Added to this is a new search feature making it even easier to find a tailor-made deal for you. We also quickly switched to a Buy Now Book Later model which allows our members to book a Luxury Escape, without having to commit to a date.”

“Generally we have found that people still want something to look forward to.”

“We recently announced a $200 million vaccine incentive where we are giving away $200 vouchers to members who have started their vaccination program towards international travel. To coincide with this announcement, we launched some incredible international deals available for travel in 2023 and beyond.”

“We launched this incentive to encourage more Australians to get vaccinated and get us closer to opening our borders and travel internationally again. We are in consistent communication with hotel partners across the world so that when the time comes, we will be ready with a selection of luxury escape options for Australians to choose from.”

 

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So: Europeans probably have a year to enjoy their pebbled beaches and cobblestoned streets free of pissing and vomiting Australians? Yes and no. As Mr Shugg told DMARGE, this stereotype of Australians as liabilities is “well past its use by date.” In fact, an influx of post-pandemic Australian travellers flitting the globe is something to welcome.

“What we know is that Austalians travel for a multitude of reasons. In our Travel Trends report for 2021, released in December last year the top three interests when travelling were food (51%), local culture (44%) and winery, distilleries & breweries (31%).”

“While Aussies are known to enjoy our beer and we are home to some of the world’s most well known wine regions, we are also one of the most cultured travelling nations on the planet. We are more driven by a thirst for adventure and exploration than for drunken antics.”

 

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What will the demographic of Australian travellers look like when the borders open? On this, Mr Shugg said: “It will take a bit of time, but I believe we will return to the level of international travel we saw pre-covid.”

“Our data shows that Aussies are keen to get back into it as soon as possible. I anticipate it will go in phases; most likely the braver among us such as younger generations who had to delay gap year backpacking plans [will go first], followed by working professionals who will need to start travelling for work again and then eventually confidence levels will grow and more of the population will (hopefully) be travelling than ever before.”

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The post Tourism Operators Preparing For Influx Of Australian Travellers In Post COVID-19 Boom appeared first on DMARGE Australia.