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US recalls one million strollers after fingertip amputations

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

US authorities Monday announced the recall of some one million baby strollers made by Britain's Maclaren, saying they posed a risk of "fingertip amputation" to young children.

World Architecture Festival award winners

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A holiday home inspired by the design of an origami Klein bottle and the Havaianas shop in Brazil are among the winners at the World Architecture Festival (WAF), held in Barcelona November 4- 6. WAF is the biggest architecture summit for professionals, with this year's theme 'Less Does More' and a focus on "challenges facing architects in the new world economy."

Advertisers face resistance to on-line tracking

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Campaigners are stepping up efforts to curb online tracking of Internet use by firms that deliver adverts tailored to the specific interests of consumers, as polls reveal widespread unease with the practice.

Nokia recalls millions of dangerous chargers

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, issued on Monday a global recall for 14 million faulty chargers made by a subcontractor this year.

Singapore Design Festival introduces public trails

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Themed "Design 2050: Possibilities for Tomorrow," the event -- running November 20-30 -- will for the first time open to the public via citywide Design Trails.

Winter warmer: Need a sophisticated, yet no-fuss bloom to give your frosty garden a colourful lift? Bring on the hellebores...

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

It sometimes feels as though there is very little colour in my garden over the winter, though I currently have a tide of orange growing up the back fence, where some late nasturtiums suddenly decided to germinate in early September. But their tropical colour will be a thing of memory come the first frost. For real midwinter jewels, I will never do better than hellebores, which flower from around Christmas through until March.

Looks good on paper: Trompes l'oeil, tartans, skulls...the return of wallpaper is complete, with subtly outrageous designs to suit all pastes

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

The trends that influence the way we decorate our homes may move at a less frenetic pace than those that influence our clothing but, if anything, that makes them all the more pervasive. While most of us are fairly forgiving of individuals' sartorial eccentricities (it doesn't do to be too slavishly fashionable, after all), when it comes to other people's houses there is often frighteningly little mercy in our condemnation of anything that runs against the grain of collective contemporary taste. An avocado bath suite, for example, dusty fake flowers, or co-ordinated leopard-print soft furnishings are all more or less guaranteed to elicit snooty grimaces.

Weekend Work: Time to plant heathers

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

The hip parade: Anna Pavord is devoting a wild section of her garden to some very fruity numbers

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

The "hippery" happened by accident, rather than design. At the top of the bank there's a largeish area drifting back from a curving path to finish at the eastern edge of the garden. The boundary is a wild one – holly, elder, thorn, hazel – with a view to rough sloping pastures beyond. I never meant to take in as much garden as we have, but once started it was difficult to stop. Common sense finally prevailed and I realised it was sensible to leave this last bit as the handshake between cultivated and wild, a transition between garden and landscape, cared for but not too much.

Nicky, darling: Deborah Ross pins down Nicky Haslam, Britain's busiest social butterfly

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

When I first call Nicky Haslam, the interior designer and fervent man-about-town, to arrange a meeting he says: "Shall we do dinner at The Wolseley?" "Yes, please," I say, "great." He then calls back and says: "I've booked, dinner at nine." "Great," I repeat, even though what I'm actually thinking is: nine? Nine? Heavens to Betsy, who on earth has dinner at nine? Seriously, this is my first thought. This is how old and boring and fusty and stay-at-home and washed-up I am. Heavens to Betsy, I even say "Heavens to Betsy" which no-one in their right mind says anymore. But nine? Who does go to dinner at nine? Only young people, I initially suppose, and Nicky Haslam, who is 70, but works so tirelessly at being young that it would be unspeakably cruel to exclude him.

Google lets users see stored account data

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Google on Thursday opened a window for users to see what records the Internet giant keeps regarding their activities at YouTube, Gmail, Reader and other accounts.

Have a bauble this Christmas

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:37:48 GMT

Today is a momentous day for baubles. The world's most expensive bauble, worth a cool £83,000 and peppered with 1,500 diamonds, will be unveiled this evening. The glittering sphere, which was made in a Hampshire village, is a sparkling indicator of how baubles have evolved over the years. Not so long ago, families chose to string up apples and nuts on their Christmas tree branches but the bestsellers of today show how times have changed.

Five buyers chasing every property

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:56:01 GMT

There are five potential buyers chasing every property on the market as demand continues to outstrip supply, research showed today.

Weekly design calendar: Toronto exhibits Japanese architecture

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

During the week of November 7, the Toronto Design Exchange is hosting a large retrospective called Parallel Nippon, and the Index design fair kicks off in Dubai. Coming up within the next four weeks: the Singapore Design festival, Interior Lifestyle in Tokyo, and the opening of the world's tallest building.

EU agrees on Internet, telecoms user rights

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The European parliament and EU nations have agreed new rules to improve the rights to European mobile phone and Internet users, and offer more protection against illegal Internet porn and copyright abuse.

Olympic condoms (and some torches) offered to highest bidders

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There was apparently not quite as much fun and games being played as expected by organizers at last year's Beijing Olympics with news breaking that a stash of 5,000 leftover "Olympic condoms'' will be placed up for auction.

Hot 'how to' video tutorials: Christmas on a budget

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This week's selection of 'How to' videos shows you how to celebrate Christmas on a budget without breaking the bank. How to: celebrate Christmas on a budget, have fun avoiding debt this Christmas, deck the halls on a budget, make a budget Christmas shopping list, and recycle last year's Christmas cards.

Technology not causing social isolation: Pew study

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Contrary to popular belief, technology is not leading to social isolation and Americans who use the Internet and mobile phones have larger and more diverse social networks, according to a new study.

Mobile phone inventor wants devices to go back to basics

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The inventor of the mobile phone said Wednesday the devices have become too complex, with a range of features from cameras to music, since he made the first-ever wireless call over three decades ago.

More homes sliding below £1m price mark

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:56:02 GMT

The number of homes worth more than £1m has fallen by a third during the past two years, research showed today.

Private Viewing: Pick of the property market

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:06 GMT

Digital Forming: Off-the-shelf homeware

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

How often have you nearly bought something for your house or flat but held back because it's just slightly the wrong colour, or too big for the space? Or would you have had it if it was slightly more rounded? Well, now, thanks to a revolutionary new technology, you can redesign it yourself.

Selling houses: Time to import new ideas?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Should we change the way we buy and sell houses in this country? Some, including the top estate agents' and surveyors' trade bodies in the country, think the recession and ongoing housing slump present an opportunity to rethink the process.

Japanese architecture on display in Toronto

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Toronto Design Exchange has curated a new exhibition called Parallel Nippon, showcasing the best in contemporary Japanese architecture.

New Japan service renders pets eternal

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The boom in the pet business in Japan in the 1990s is having an inevitable impact today as the puppies and kittens of then reach the end of their lives.