Dork Adore » Emma Cossey

Groupon for hippies: Alternative group buying sites

Emma Cossey — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:30:40 +0000

You can’t budge on the web these days for adverts promoting Groupon, Living Social, Keynoir or Wowcher discount deal on spas, restaurants, 4×4 drives and even holidays.

Everyone and your gran has either been tempted by, or purchased one of these deals.

In fact, we know quite a few people suffering from compulsive Groupon disease that sees them buying vouchers for things they’ll never actually do and don’t really want.

But what if you’re an eco-worrier filled with middle class guilt? You’re in luck!

There are a few group-buying sites popping up that take a new spin on the popular business model.

Eco-friendly group-purchasing sites

Zipongo

Zipongo is a Bay Water, USA-based site that promotes deals for healthy foods (rather than the glut of cupcake offers a certain group-buying site prefers). It’s all about natural foods, like cereals and coconut water.

It’s not entirely a surprise to see a scheme like this succeed in San Francisco – a place known for its healthy habits –but it would be great to see it branch out. Whether Londoners feel the urge to bulk purchase quinoa, millet and bulger is moot, however.

Blissmo

Blissmo offers discounts on organic and eco-friendly products, ranging from independent jewellery designs to toxin-free nail products. Recent deals include plant-based iPhone cases, organic homemade dog treats (I wonder how that one did) and a water-powered alarm clock.

Currently only serving the US and Canada.

EthicalDeal

EthicalDeal helps you discover green things to do in your area. Deals include organic hair cuts, eco-friendly spa stays, discounted yoga clothing and tickets to Make It! Vancouver.

It’s currently only running offers for the US and Canada, but hopefully bleeding heart liberals all over the world will soon be able to acquire raw, vegan and sugar-free confectionary.

[Image: Ethical Deal]

Do you know of any alternative group-buying sites? Let us know in the comments!

A version of this article originally appeared on Jorg & Olif

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Quirky Retailing: QR T-shirt for full frontal geekery

Emma Cossey — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:00:33 +0000

QR codes. Whether you’re addicted to scanning them (in which case we are forced to question your mental well-being) or you’ve already dismissed them as an obsolete technology thanks to augmented reality (you giant technology snob), there’s no doubt that they’re finally having their day.

Scan Me has created a range of t-shirts with customised QR codes. So in theory, you could make a QR code for your Twitter/YouTube/Tumblr page, a video or just a simple message, and wear it for all to scan.

You’ll have to get used to strangers on the street snapping your frontal area on their phone, though. But that shouldn’t be a problem. How else do people make friends these days?

Prices start at £9.95, and they’re available on the ScanMe website.

So the big question is, what would you QR code link to? Let us know in the comments below!

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VHS Tape Notebooks: two obsolete media combined!

Emma Cossey — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:00:02 +0000

When I was little, I had a VHS tape that I used to record all my favourite snippets of programs.

If memory serves me, it was bright pink with “Please keep off, this means you!” scrawled across the top to warn off my family. Rocking the passive aggression note writing from a young age there.

If you’ve ever spent the Sunday Top 40 with your fingers hovering over the record and pause button on your cassette player to cut off the tape before the DJ spoke, you’ll relate to how immensely time-consuming and yet satisfying it was to record the best bits of TOTP and SM:TV (remember Chums?)

Clearly, these were the days before Sky+ and TiVo. And possibly a social life. And thankfully way before the time-suck that is Facebook.

I miss the days of VHS tapes and cassettes, as inconvenient and clunky as they were. While they might not fit into our ultra-busy, always-connected lives, these VHS tape notebooks will (unless, of course, you’ve evolved beyond writing in notebooks and now insist on using your freakishly over-developed typing thumbs to store all your thoughts in your smartphone.)

They’re from Mocha, and they’re just £11.50.

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Three alternative ways to do your shopping in 2012

Emma Cossey — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:00:32 +0000

Supermarkets are soulless places, aren’t they? All those busy aisles of grumpy shoppers who wield their trolley/pram/wheelchairs like a lethal weapon, diving for the last cut-priced cuts of meat and avoiding the zombie-like members of staff.

This is exactly why they stick the wine aisle at the end of the shop, so you’re driven to bulk buying booze just to recover from the experience.

Oh, and food shopping online isn’t much better. Nothing quite like ordering a food shop only for it all to arrive with a use by date for the next day.

Thankfully, supermarkets are no longer our only option. Obviously, there are your friendly local shops that you should definitely support. But there are a few more shopping options you might like to check out too..

The People’s Supermarket
This actually started out as a TV series a year or two ago, but I’ve noticed various versions of the concept springing up all over the place.

These supermarkets are run by communities with members each working a day or two a month. They’re designed to connect urban areas with local farmers. Members of the community decide what stock they want, which the supermarket then orders from local suppliers.

Membership costs vary. The official People’s Supermarket charges £25 a year (which gets you a 10% discount in store). Near me, in Reading, there’s a not-for-profit called True Food Co-Op which does pretty much the same thing and doesn’t charge for membership.

City Farms and Community Gardens

In response to the huge demand for allotments, dwindling garden spaces and an appreciation of the Slow Food way of life, City Farms and Community Gardens are popping up all over the place.

They offer communities the chance to get away from the city and grow some fresh, organic fruit and veg. And they also help empower communities and connect those who may otherwise feel detached. Plus they make the limited green spaces in the cities look beautiful.

Head to Farm Garden to find out where your local city farm or community garden is.

CarrotMob

CarrotMob is a concept that approaches businesses and encourages them to commit to a more eco-friendly way of working. If a business agrees, they have to submit a deal. The agreement might be something along the lines of “If 500 members of CarrotMob turn up and buy something, we’ll commit to spending 50% of the revenue on more eco-friendly machinery”

How Organized Consumer Purchasing Can Change Business from carrotmob on Vimeo.

I love this concept. Boycotting has a negative feel to it, but buycotting? This feels like a positive move where both parties stand to gain.

What alternative ways do you do your food shopping?

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Are eco-friendly cars any fun? Ford Fiesta Econetic

Emma Cossey — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:00:08 +0000

I don’t review cars often. I have a little Peugeot 206 that I drive like a go-kart and it gets me from A to B. It’s nice but…well, lacking in gadgets and not exactly eco-friendly.

While I’m quite content with my little run-around, I’m still keen to keep an eye out for something a little better.

And if it can be eco-friendly as well, all the better!

So with rather excellent timing, the PR people at Ford got in touch with a new car they wanted Dork Adore to try out. In fact, they wanted us to drive it all the way down to eco hotel The Scarlet in Cornwall.

The Ford Fiesta ECOnetic is part of Ford’s eco-friendly range of cars that have “ULTRA LOW CO2 output without sacrificing power and performance.”

So, does eco-friendly mean you scrimp on the fun?

In a word, no.

The Ford Fiesta Econetic is packed full of those gadgets I hanker for, including an eco-mode to help drivers achieve better fuel economy and Auto-Start-Stop which turns off the vehicle when it’s idle (say, at traffic lights).

Sadly our car didn’t have the rear camera that some of the other tester cars had, but the general consensus was that it was a handy tool (especially if you’re a nervous reverse parker).

We did have the Gear Shift Indicator, which lets you know when you need to change up a gear. This works with the ECOnetic system to get the most out of your car: you produce more power, but with less fuel.

There are all sorts of other eco-friendly tools too, but most of them work away with very little input from me.

Final thoughts

If you’ve driven a Ford Fiesta before, the actual driving experience won’t be hugely different. It’s just as good to drive on the country roads as it is to speed up the motorway (and it really can speed). But the gadgets enhance the driving experience, and it would be foolish to not consider an eco-friendly car when your transport needs an upgrade.

Prices start at £15,845.00 on the road for a 3-door Ford Fiesta Titanium Econetic.

PS. What about The Scarlet eco hotel?

Visiting The Scarlet eco-friendly hotel in Cornwall was definitely an added bonus to trying out the Ford Fiesta Econetic. The building itself is beautiful, with outside pools, balconies in all the rooms and scented fires that help you relax straight away.

The bedrooms are slightly odd….I think I’m a little too reserved for a bath tub in the middle of a shared room and a wet room shower that leaves the toilet soaking. That said, the rest of the room was luxurious, proving that being conscientious needn’t mean going basic.

A word of warning though, you’ll get very little wi-fi signal here. You can use the hotel’s, but I think they like to encourage you to disconnect. It goes in with the whole ‘retreat’ atmosphere I guess!

Ford Fiesta ECOnetic official website.

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The Padintosh: When iPad covers go wrong

Emma Cossey — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:55:51 +0000

You’ve just received a beautiful new iPad for Christmas. It’s sleek, ultra-skinny and just the right size for digital tapping on the go.

Ah, the wonders of living in an age where we don’t have to lug around a ton of technology to check our emails!

So why would you ruin it with a giant Macintosh case? For the ironic, retro lulz. Obviously.

The Padintosh is the brainchild of Thumbs Up World. They’ve also bought us the 80s Retro iPhone case, which was presumably designed to ensure that you’re the only person still doing Trigger Happy TV impressions in the 21st century.

While it might be too late to buy this as a Secret Santa for your practical joke-loving IT department, you will be able to buy it from Thumbs Up World from Q2 2012.

Just in time for next Christmas then.

What do you think? Are they taking the mac a bit?

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How to piddle away your time in a club

Emma Cossey — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:00:49 +0000

It’s a running joke that toilet queues are usually three times longer for woman than they are for men. This might all be about to change though if plans go ahead to install “the world’s first ‘hands-free’ video game for urinals” in clubs.

Yup, it’s a game men can control with their willies. Or rather, their pee.

A video screen sits above the urinal, attached to the wall at exactly the point where you’re traditionally meant to fix your gaze (if you want to avoid contravening all kinds of urinal-based etiquette, that is).

Inside the urinal you’ll find the “controls” in the form of stickers offering you “start” “left” and “right” options. Then, you simply wave your human joystick around, aiming for the relevant badges, and play till you run out of juice.

Once you’re all done and dusted (and hands are washed) you can use your mobile phone to post your high score to a live leader board.

Women have a longer wait (typical), but something to ease the boredom of queuing will apparently be on its way shortly.

Check out the video below to see how it works.

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What the Dorks want for Christmas 2011

Emma Cossey — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:00:28 +0000

Want to know what the Dorks want for Christmas this year?

Katie Lee: Dork Editor

Please may I have a Kobo and an E-One laser hair removal gadget? I had both of them in for review this year and they’re the things that have left the biggest hole since they went back. Also, I bought my friend the whole of The Guild to watch and I haven’t actually seen it myself. So I’d like someone to get me that, please.

Emma Cossey: Web dork

I’ve just bought a house, so all I seem to buy at the moment is dull house things. Therefore, I’d love some vouchers to splurge on clothes, Abel & Cole, Amazon and Boots. My other, more extravagant, want is an Apple Macbook Air , because my Dell is destined for that great laptop space in the sky.

Tamsin Worrad: Science dork

I would like:

Babyliss Big Hair style – I’m assured this will end my bad hair days forever. (Emma agrees, amazing hair styler)

Series 3 & 4 of The Big Bang Theory because I am way behind

‘How to live safely in a science fictional universe‘. I feel this could contain important advice

Star Trek Mr Potato Heads: they’re adorable!

Zachary Quinto. I KEEP asking and yet nobody is doing anything about it?

Imogen Hitchcock: Lifestyle Dork

2012 is going to be the year in which I find my inner domestic goddess and I start to do ‘stuff’ around the house. Therefore, dear Santa, I’d like the following in my stocking (please note, industrial size stocking may be required):

A Kitchen Aid mixer in blue willow: it’s so damn pretty!

A sewing machine and a stack load of books on how to use it. I used to do sewing at school but for the life of me, can’t remember where to start. However, I’d rather like to while away the winter months making clothes (or, probably in my case, making hideous monstrosities that I’ll be inordinately proud of)

Some Le Creuset. I’m sure it makes my cooking taste so much better.

I don’t ask for much, do I?

Nick Bryan: Film & TV dork

My big gadget purchase this year was the Kindle, I’d quite like some new books for it, but Santa (yes, alright, my mother) tells me that I am contractually obligated to get something to go under the tree. Still, I’ll finally be reading the Game of Thrones book in some form.

I’ve been meaning to catch up on the Powers graphic novel series by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming now they’ve made a TV pilot, there’s a non-Kindle book for the tree.

I might also get the first two series of Misfits on DVD because I miss Nathan. Yes, I’m a sap.

Now it’s your turn! What’s on your Christmas list?

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Dork Adore Gift Guide: The Music Fan

Emma Cossey — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:30:24 +0000

Depending on your own taste in music, buying for a music fan is either a bit of a self-indulgent shopping dream, or hell on earth. Music fans have very high standards (some people may say snobbish, but y’know…) so it’s a tough challenge.

If you fall into the “hell on earth” category, we’ve put together a few suggestions which might stave off a mid-Comet breakdown.

Top left to right: DIY Guitar Pick Punch, ThinkGeek $24.99, Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones, Amazon £211.85, Red Angry Birds Speaker, Gear4 £49.99

Bottom left to right: Georgia Brown Plectrum Wallet, Firebox £31.99, CD Wall Tiles, Firebox £15.99, Bose SoundDock Portable digital music system, Amazon £199.95

(Ok, so I put the Bose SoundDock in there for me. Heads up family/rich friends)

What will you be getting for the music geek in your life?

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The World’s first erotic alarm clock

Emma Cossey — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 10:04:43 +0000

The alarm clock is a much-abused gadget. We silence it, ignore it and, on really bad mornings, hit it.

Poor alarm clock.

But, things are about to change. An alarm clock has been designed to get you leaping out of bed with a grin on your face. Hell, you might even look forward to being woken up.

What is it? It’s an alarm clock…you keep between your legs. The vibrating time device, named the Little Rooster, will wake you up in the morning with….well, I think you get the picture.

If you fancy adding the Little Rooster to your wish list (with added snorgasm® function apparently), it’ll cost £69.

Would you like to wake up to some good vibrations?

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Dork Adore » Emma Cossey

Groupon for hippies: Alternative group buying sites

Eco-friendly group-purchasing sites

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Quirky Retailing: QR T-shirt for full frontal geekery

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VHS Tape Notebooks: two obsolete media combined!

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Three alternative ways to do your shopping in 2012

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Are eco-friendly cars any fun? Ford Fiesta Econetic

Final thoughts

PS. What about The Scarlet eco hotel?

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The Padintosh: When iPad covers go wrong

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How to piddle away your time in a club

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What the Dorks want for Christmas 2011

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Dork Adore Gift Guide: The Music Fan

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The World’s first erotic alarm clock