Yoli: Frozen Yogurt Craze hits Berlin

At last…  While you lucky folks in the US have been enjoying your Pinkberry and Yogurtland for the last few years, we here in Berlin have been forced to  slum it with regular ice cream…

With the newly opened Yoli, we have our very own frozen yogurt store!  Also, visitors to the upcoming Future Forum will be treated to a sample of the goods…

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Take that, Steve Jobs

The family-oriented minds at Apple may have dissapointed one too many pervy tech geeks with their zero-porn announcement recently judging from this artpiece seen in one of Berlin´s underground stations recently…









(via Cult of Mac)

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“Write the Future” by Nike

When this viral Nike ad debuted a little over a week ago, I resisted posting it because I knew it would be on pretty much every other website on the net, but due to the sheer popularity of it (see stats below) I could  not help myself.

It beat the previous record holder, another Nike ad called “Earl and Tiger” featuring golfer Tiger Woods after his heavily publicized return to the sport.

Ad agency Wieden+Kennedy produced the ad, which was directed by illustrious Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, who is best known for the critically-acclaimed film Babel. Nike VP Trevor Edwards was quoted in Advertising Age saying the ad is “among the best we’ve ever done.”

“Earl and Tiger” reached 6.3 million views in its first week and “Write the Future” achieved 7.8 million. The fact that “Write the Future” beat “Earl and Tiger” is even more impressive considering the fact that the latter hit the web amidst the Tiger Woods scandal. The current count for this new video on YouTube is 11.6 million.

Check out our Kick off the World Cup promotion to save up to 50% off select hotels!

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R.I.P. Dennis Hopper

Over the weekend, we lost a true creative visionary, artist and actor.

“Dennis Hopper, whose portrayals of drug-addled, often deranged misfits in the landmark films “Easy Rider,” “Apocalypse Now” and “Blue Velvet” drew on his early out-of-control experiences as part of a new generation of Hollywood rebel, died at his home in Venice, Calif., on Saturday. He was 74.” – NY Times.

Prostate Cancer was the cause of Hopper’s death, as another legend passes. We’ll always have his films and art which continues to inspire a whole new generation of artists.

(via Hypebeast)

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Bulthaup b2 at Future Forum 2010

As one of the partners for our upcoming Future Forum, Bulthaup needs little introduction among design and interior junkies.  Makers of some of the world´s most beautiful kitchens, we are looking forward to having our very own (at least for a few days) b2 kitchen for demonstrations and presentations.  If you never believed that a cleverly designed kitchen could dramatically enhance your interior, check out this bad boy…

“With the bulthaup b2 kitchen workshop, we are radically rethinking the concept of the kitchen and cooking. All key functions are concentrated in three elements: Kitchen workbench with work area, hob and water point, complemented by two tool cabinets for appliances, crockery, tools and ingredients. A kitchen for pioneers in the art of thinking and living.” (Bulthaup)

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Design Hotels X BMW X Sixt Roadtrips

Looking for a stylish, comfortable and inspiring way to spend a day or two in Germany or Austria?  Look no further than the Design Hotels Roadtrips!  All members of Design Hotels™ have a deep connection to their regions – they know exactly where to find cutting-edge art exhibitions, the latest club or the perfect place for a romantic candlelight dinner. Eleven selected hotels in Austria and Germany have each curated a bespoke roadtrip, taking you off the beaten track. Starting from the hotels, the daylong tours feature highlights of design, culture and cuisine, presenting an eclectic mix of hidden sights, unparalleled landscapes and delicious local specialties.

Of course, that is just part of the deal- while you indulge in the cultural and gastronomical feasts of these itineraries, do so at the wheel of a spanking new BMW with the Connected Drive program.  BMW is the world’s first automobile manufacturer to offer its customers the option of conveniently transferring entire routes into their vehicles with BMW ConnectedDrive. You simply get into the car, pick a pre-defined route via the mobile internet portal BMW Online and the onboard navigation system takes you to the cultural and epicurean highlights of a specific region. In addition the 24/7 onboard concierge service of BMW Assist provides you with all the information you need to make your journey even more comfortable.

Take a look at the Berlin/Lux 11 Roadtrip below…

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LOVE magazine finally has a website…

LOVE magazine, the Conde Nast publication of Katie Grand finally has a home online.  Having gotten by with just a blog for the last few months, the glossy whose recent “Fashion Icons” issue featured a bevvy of buck-naked beauties (including Future Blog favorite, Daria Werbowy), the new site is pretty cool and features a mixed library of content including videos, photo diaries, behind-the-scenes stories and more.

Fall in LOVE here…

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Mykita is Golden

Last night was the Berlin premier of Sex and the City 2 at the awesomely retro Kino International theater.  Of all the stars in the movie however, the brightest one you may not know…  Known simply as Franz, when this player in the movie appeared on screen, cheers erupted throughout the audience even louder than when Carrie herself or Mr. Big showed up.



No, Franz is not some hunky guy who beds Samantha- Franz is the model of sunglasses produced by our good friends Mykita that Carrie wears in the opening scene.  Seen below in their 24k gold versions, Mykita (who organized the premier) cleverly attached a slightly less luxe (but no less cool) version of Franz to beer bottles to democratize the style somewhat.

(Franz)

(Me with paper Franz)

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Calling all Donald Judd fans…

The Donald Judd Foundation has just unveiled their latest incredible project- giving fans of the legendary artist private access to his personal library, virtually.

“Assorted pornography, native plants and the Cold War are among the subjects that fill the library of the artist Donald Judd (1928-1994). But you don’t have to travel to Marfa, Tex., to browse the shelves. Today, Web visitors can click on a floor plan of his two-room library to view the 13,004 volumes arranged exactly as Judd arranged them. The virtual library has been rendered so faithfully that visitors navigate furniture and art designed by Judd and glimpse an artwork by Dan Flavin between the custom bookcases.

“Many people may not know that Judd was an avid reader and that he loved books as objects,” says Barbara Hunt McLanahan, the executive director of the Judd Foundation, which preserves the artist’s homes and studios in New York and Marfa. “We want to provide another tool to create a broader understanding of the artist, and this is a very lovely, simple way to make a portrait of someone.”

Construction of the virtual library required 672 photographs of the interior, along with custom software designed by Ryan Tainter. Even Judd’s notes on how he was going to catalog the arts section (by dates of birth and death) are included. Clicking on a spine calls up the book’s Library of Congress details and a physical description. And while the books cannot be checked out, Tainter’s program links to WorldCat and lists lending institutions near the browser where each book is available for loan.” (via The Moment)

© Judd Foundation

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Vienna- World´s Best Quality of Life…

For the fifth year in a row, Vienna has topped Mercer´s ranking of the cities with highest quality of life in the world.

“Two cities in Switzerland — Zurich and Geneva — rank No. 2 and 3, respectively. Vancouver, Canada; Munich, Germany; and Sydney, Australia; all crack the survey’s top 10. The highest-rated U.S. city, Honolulu, is No. 31.

Listing 221 cities this year, Mercer judged quality of life by evaluating more than 320 cities worldwide, surveying them based on dozens of factors, including crime, personal freedom, traffic and the variety of restaurants and leisure activities. 2010 marked the first year that Mercer factored in “eco-credentials” like air pollution and water availability, finding that the world’s greenest city is Calgary, Canada, followed by Honolulu and Ottawa, Canada. ”

If you have never been to Vienna, or would like to take another visit, check out our beautiful member hotels while enjoying the amazing weinerschnitzel and Sacher Torte!

 Read the full rankings here…

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