Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

Twelve years after accidentally throwing away a hard drive holding 8,000 Bitcoins, now worth nearly €649 million (approx. $1.5 billion NZD), Welsh IT worker James Howells is giving up the hunt. · But his story isn’t over: it’s now the subject of a documentary series. · In 2013, when Bitcoin was still niche, Howells discarded the drive during an office clean-out in Newport, Wales. · As Bitcoin’s value skyrocketed, the device’s worth grew from…

Royal Enfield made a ruckus at the 2023 EICMA trade show with its electric Him-E adventure motorcycle concept. Nearly two years on, we're finally getting a glimpse of what the brand's been cooking up with this recipe, as a test mule has been spied up in the mountains of Ladakh, India. · Motoring media outlet Rushlane spotted the electric bike at a hotel in the rugged northern Indian union territory. Unlike the early concept it previously showed…

Dental implants look the part, but by design they can't replace actual teeth. Now scientists have developed an innovative new implant that "grows" into the gum and fuses with existing nerves to mimic the form and function of a real tooth. What's more, they're easier and gentler to put in place, with no bone drilling required. · Tufts University's School of Dental Medicine and School of Medicine researchers have developed what they call a…

Since World War I, unmanned aircraft have evolved to serve a variety of military uses—from gunnery training to stealth surveillance to targeted killings. · The 1895 invention of the radio transmitter and receiver by Italian engineer Guglielmo Marconi sparked an engineering race for uses of the revolutionary new technology—including radio waves to guide aircraft. · “The dream of pilotless aircraft was already alive in the imagination of…

We all know vegetables are good for us, but they aren’t created equal. While they’re all a source of fibre – something the majority of us should be eating more of – as well as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, these compounds are less concentrated in some varieties. · That said, all vegetables are nutritious, says Rhiannon Lambert, a nutritionist, the founder of the top Harley Street clinic Rhitrition and the author of The Science of…

Cremation accounts for 80 percent of New Zealand deaths, largely due to its lower cost compared to burial. However, Fergus Wheeler, spokesperson for Death Without Debt, said in an interview that the current system forces families to go through a funeral director to obtain a second doctor’s sign-off required for cremation. · Wheeler argues this step could legally be handled directly between medical professionals. “The cloud already exists, it…

The new “Parent Boost Visa” announced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, will offer migrants’ parents an initial five-year stay in New Zealand with one five-year renewal allowed (ten years total). · However, applicants must secure comprehensive health insurance, meet character and medical tests, and show they have either substantial savings or a sponsor earning at least the median wage. · “This is about…

Trade Me, owned by UK private equity firm Apax Partners, is taking a 50% stake in Stuff Digital. · This gives it major influence over NZ’s largest digital newsroom, with a shared board and integrated property content. · Yet unlike Jim Grenon’s 13% NZME stake, there’s been no panic over editorial independence. · Boucher gets a pass, but Grenon was vilified. The difference? One shares the media worldview. The other challenges it. · Where’s the…

The annual National Business Review Rich List dropped this morning like a glossy brochure for extreme wealth concentration. While the NBR frames its yearly celebration of the ultra-wealthy as recognising “wealth creators” who generate jobs and economic activity, a closer reading reveals something far more troubling: a roadmap of oligarchic power in New Zealand, complete with policy wishlists, political connections, and breathtaking displays of…

Michael Forbes was Christopher Luxon’s acting deputy chief press secretary. Before that, he worked for Social Development Minister Louise Upston, a former Minister for Women. Now he’s out of a job – accused of secretly recording sex workers, collecting photos of women at the gym, and filming others getting changed through windows. · The scandal broke when a sex worker spoke publicly to Stuff about realising in July 2024 that Forbes had…