Tag: Leisure

A stroll in the woods can help reduce stress levels; so too words of encouragement from nursery children. Now a Belgian sound designer is lifting people’s moods with the noise of cats purring. Visitors to his website include those without cats of their own who nevertheless enjoy the soothing strain. With the help of a generator, purring can be...

Companies can increase diversity virtually or by honing their online presence. Now, a German company is throwing its weight behind face-to-face contact by bringing diverse employees together over lunch. An algorithm programmed by a diverse team pairs people based on their characteristics. Only, it prioritises those who have least in common. An app provides employees with a suggested meeting...

Towable tiny houses make for a good night’s sleep. Across Germany every day, some 120,000 truck drivers spend their legally stipulated breaks somewhere near the motorway, often in their vehicle. Hotels are expensive and hard to find. Enter a Duesseldorf startup, which is converting shipping containers into sleeping accommodation, complete with shower and WC. Four rooms constitute a unit,...

Oh, to be James Bond. Just once. In ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, Pierce Brosnan drove his car using a cell phone. Now a mobile home manufacturer has launched the concept of a remote-controlled trailer. Equipped with batteries and wheel hub motors, the trailer can be moved around by app. Makes hitching, unhitching and parking a cinch. While travelling, the electric...

Decommissioned wind turbines deserve a playful afterlife. And speaking of wind, a startup from India has started manufacturing flags from paper and cotton waste. The flags are embedded with flower and herb seeds and can be planted after use during celebrations. This alternative to plastic flags should help reduce roadside waste, as well as encourage young people to act...

Paris is known as the city of love and luxury, but its reputation needn’t be restricted to stationary pursuits. A startup from France is building a set of trains that offer the elevated comfort of a boutique hotel. All compartments are private with high quality beds and ensuite facilities. Guests are spoiled with seasonal, handpicked culinary products, available through...

The pleasure we take in achieving our aims can be contagious. A startup from Poland, for instance, is offering an incentive to those who want to effect change in real life. Instead of focusing on ‘likes’, their app aims to foster personal growth and promote eco-friendly living. First, users choose concrete interests. ‘Challenges’ set by creative minds in the...

We know about the benefits of intergenerational living. Renting your flat out to holidaymakers is easy too. Now, a startup from the Netherlands is applying the same principle to sailboats. Using their website, part-time skippers can rent a boat to, say, explore Amsterdam’s canal system or take a romantic cruise along Europe’s coastline. Boat owners, meanwhile, can upload information,...