Watches and clocks are not the only way to tell the time; nature supplies us with many other options. We can track the sun’s path across the sky during the day or the changing pattern of the stars in the night sky. We can even see the changing seasons of each year by observing whether […]
The Marvel Cinematic Universe, based on the comic book universe of the same name by the great visionary Stan Lee in 1961, has risen to become one of Hollywood’s biggest powerhouses over the past decade. According to online reports, it has global box office revenue for the most successful films of all time, so it’s […]
White birch has long been an integral part of Japanese culture and tradition with its brilliant, satin-like texture making it the ideal material for making furniture and flooring in the home. This regularly patterned wood creates not only beautiful veneers, but is also so strong it has been used to create aircraft propellers in the […]
The founder of Prestige Surfaces, Matt Nash, has found business success in the sealing and cleaning of stone and concrete surfaces, but the entrepreneurial bug has been a part of his DNA far before he saw potential in the hard stuff. We talk to Matt about how to find success in any industry and how […]
After a year of being in and out of lockdowns, I’ve been considering the sweet middleground of social gatherings, or in particular, chillout house parties that don’t involve pub crawling or going out much. In these instances home entertainment is king, but rather than killing the vibe with a movie, or a painfully forced drinking […]
Watching the America’s Cup yachts racing out on the Hauraki Gulf at the moment, you can’t help but wonder what the old sailors from earlier decades would make of these huge boats up on foils flying around in the air at 40+ knots. Their ceramic tobacco pipes would probably tumble from their mouths in amazement […]
How do you win the America’s Cup? You innovate, innovate, innovate of course. Standing still with the same ideas and tech that won it for you before hasn’t won it again – at least certainly not in the last fifty years. But still, the America’s Cup is a yacht race, right? So, surely technology must […]
Competing in the America’s Cup means coming up with innovative new designs that will give your boat an edge over the competition. But the problem with developing something completely new is that it is untested, so you don’t know if it’s operating at optimal levels or not. You can only learn that through trial and […]
You will notice as you go through this issue that we have gone heavy on the America’s Cup, and while the actual on-the-water racing might be the thing that gets all of the coverage and yields all of tickertape activity at the end of it all, there is so much that goes on behind the […]
In the weeks of making this issue of M2, Dua Lipa’s ‘levitating’ has played roughly 1 million times on the office radio. Even if we lived in the 21st century and were pumping tunes via Spotify, chances are she would have slipped into our playlists. Dua’s ‘Future Nostalgia’ Album was the fifth most streamed on […]
It is universally-acknowledged that when a singular pebble is dropped into water, it will have far-reaching ripple-effects. That means, in Layman’s terms, that small actions can have large, positive impacts. British firm, Zaha Hadid Architects, hope to make a big impact and have recently revealed developing plans on a new pebble-shaped science and technology museum […]
For this issue, I read 3 great novels, by whom I would call the gentlemen of action fiction authors. The Call of the Raven By Wilbur Smith I really admire Smith’s unique writing style that transports you back to a time of a different world. It takes a few pages to get into the flow, […]
Since the first film released in 1977, Star Wars has very rightly positioned itself at the precipice of popular-culture. Every Tom, Dick and Harry knows of the deep, raspy voice of James Earl Jones’ ‘no, I am your father’…or the wise Jedi knights and their multicoloured saber swords. Whatever the reference, Star Wars is well-known […]
Coming 2 America 32 years after the original comedy classic, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall reprise their roles in Coming 2 America as fish out of water African royalty attempting to get by in the 3rd world country known as the United States of America. Eddie’s character, Prince Akeem is no longer as footloose as […]
Movies are one night stands. They can suck, but fortunately the damage is contained to a single ill-fated evening. Shows on the other hand are long term relationships, and thus have the potential to be much more devastating. We took a look at a couple of the pitfalls you might run into while committing to […]
Ryan Newton Occupation: General Manager at Culture – The Social-Led Agency Age: 34 What’s your morning routine? I’m a morning person, so I’m up at 5am and on my laptop. I clear the emails and knock out a few big tasks, then it’s straight into getting my one year old ready at 6.45am. What are […]
Te Aranga O Otene Hopa Occupation: Kapa Haka Tutor/Performer, Māori Cultural Lead TupuToa, Future Director Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei Whai Rawa Age: 34 What are the top three things on your bucket list? 1. Visit Gallipoli and see where our soldiers were all those years ago and pay my respects there. 2.Climb Machu Picchu and […]
Doron Whaite Occupation: General Manager of QT Auckland Age: 35 What’s your morning routine? I’ve trained myself to wake up early! This is made possible by a soul-restoring coffee as I trot down to the gym. Following the gym is my favourite part of the morning – breakfast! It’s usually scrambled eggs, avocado and smoked […]
The Trbovlje Power Station in Slovenia was shuttered after 100 years of operation in 2014 and now sits dormant. Its chimney towers 360m into the air, enough to clear the valley peaks so its emissions could be cleared away in any weather condition. This requirement was the vital ingredient in creating the tallest flue-gas stack […]
Zirk van den Berg is one of those writers that has the power of the village and the writer all in one. He has a lot of accolades and awards under his belt, alright. Moving from Mowbray, South Africa to Auckland in 1998, with already two acclaimed published books under his belt, Zirk van den […]
‘Hey, forget the Warriors! Switch channels, the America’s Cup is on!’ How often have you heard that refrain? Surprisingly often if you frequent the kinds of bars I do – and especially at the moment while the Cup is on. Now, while being able to forget the Warriors would ease a huge burden of pain […]
While the America’s Cup is a test of sailing skill, strategy and teamwork played out on the water and counted by milliseconds, it is also a test of technology, design, innovation and engineering played out over years of development. One of those at the front line of this race for innovation is Emirates Team New […]
We’re coming out of the sweltering summer months and arriving into the cooler seasons. That means it’s time to start rethinking our wardrobe. Z Zegna has once again brought a Fall/Winter 2021 collection that breaks down the boundaries between practical technicality, sophisticated leisurewear and romantic elegance. This season cardigans bring out an elongated silhouette and […]
Back 1980 Carlo Crocco threw a very shiny spanner into the works for the world of horology when he launched what has now become the much coveted and iconic Hublot watchmaking company. It immediately started out as it meant to go on, with its first launch pairing gold with rubber and embracing the distinctive shape […]
When I was a mere child, I remember wishing for superhuman powers. Strength and agility on an exceptional level, the ability to breathe whilst swimming and the ability to fly. The multinational German company, BMW recently sent air sports pioneer Peter Salzmann free falling at speeds of up to 299km/h in their newly developed electric […]
Let’s just get this out of the way; if you’re trying to sell us on a car with a kickass name like Lexus LF-Z Electrified, you better be able to match it with a kickass product. Well, after getting a look at some of these images, it seems like Lexus might’ve come through with the […]
Specsavers has become a central pillar in the optometry circuit in this country and over the ditch. Every design is uniquely hand-picked and designed to show the highest standard. Recently, Specsavers have unveiled its latest collaboration with Australian clothing designer, Deus Ex Machina. Deus Ex Machina has a foot-in-the-door when it comes to motorbike riding, […]
Over the years, researchers have pondered the impact of someone’s name over their actions and life choices. Along the way, researchers have found that names can influence choice of profession, where we live, whom we marry and what we earn. Our names can even determine how we donate money and to whom. To connect the […]
One of New Zealand’s top hair stylists, Tane Tomoana tends to the hair of the Prime Minister for the occasional international magazine shoot, is the lead creative at Dry & Tea New Zealand and Australia, and is a mentor for TVNZ’s Glow Up. We talk to Tane about his journey to international recognition, the importance […]
Combining a focus on luxury, performance and breakthrough engineering with the build quality and reliability that comes from connection to the world’s largest car brand has really given Lexus a leg up on its European counterparts over the years. but more and more, the brand is also tapping into the elements of their DNA and […]
When the effects CoVid-19 began to take effect at the start of 2020, I, like so many people and organisations in NZ, was hugely concerned about the impacts on Movember, our ability to fundraise and continue to invest in programmes that focus on helping men live happier, healthier and longer lives. We were in a […]
Ah Ferrari. It’s almost the default brand that comes to mind when you hear the term ‘sports car’. That hasn’t happened by accident; it’s the product of 81 year track record in designing some of the most desirable luxury cars ever made. It makes sense then that they’ve drawn from that history in designing their […]
“Hey, you can’t park here!”; “Oi, you need to wear a mask to get in this supermarket!”; ‘What are you wearing a collared shirt for? This is a coders’ convention! Take it off at once!” We all hate being told what to do, but the sad truth is; sometimes a voice barking in your ear […]
Under Armour has been in the business of making athletes better for 25 years now, and they’re just getting started. In 2020 they supported athletes to push themselves to their physical limits, and now in 2021 with the introduction of their Under Armour Performance Academy they’re attempting to go Under the Armour to help grow […]
A World First To Up Your Collagen Intake! The newest offering in water – Collagen Refresh. A pure collagen ready-to-drink water for health, beauty + hydration! Replenishing your collagen stores with a premium pure collagen supplement, supports the whole body from the inside out. Leaving you feeling good, with a radiant glow. A natural way […]
In a surprise announcement earlier this year, Jeff Bezos is stepping down from his chief executive position to make way for Andy Jassy, who’s been part of Amazon since 1997, when it was nothing but a humble online bookseller. Jassy was brought on to expand its range to CDs. Fortunately, that wasn’t the only innovation […]
Jack Ma famously said the wrong things recently, let’s celebrate some of the better things. “It doesn’t matter if I failed. At least I passed the concept on to others. Even if I don’t succeed, someone will succeed.” “It doesn’t matter how wealthy or powerful you are, if you can’t enjoy the sunshine, you can’t […]
It’s common knowledge that you never bet against Film maker and rolex ambassador James Cameron. He’s a wizard of spinning gold out of concepts that appear to have very little in the way of value. “Hope is not a strategy. Luck is not a factor. Fear is not an option.” Bring him anything and he […]
Since starting out with a few friends and family clients in 2007, boutique fund management company Pie Funds now works with over 2,000 clients and has generated over $640 million of wealth for them along the way. Core to this has been the simple philosophy of outperforming the markets by investing in growth companies and […]
You’ve no doubt been hearing a ton of celebratory remarks around how glad people are that they can leave 2020 behind, and move on to brighter things in 2021. 2020 was a tough year for people everywhere around the globe, however there is one aspect in which the past year excelled: as a learning experience. […]
Q. Where is the best place to hide a dead body? A. Page 2 of Google Now more than ever, digital has become the primary marketing tactic for New Zealand businesses. There has been a huge jump in digital adoption and engagement. At Pure SEO our customers have benefitted hugely from the shift to online […]
Every January I do a stone carving symposium and I am always amazed by the similarities between creating a sculpture and my business/life. Most of the artists that attend, come back year after year, but there are always a handful of new people all of whom I learn something new from. I have listed 10 […]
Good news! The 47th Yalumba Signatory has finally been announced as part of the release of Yalumba’s 2016 The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz due in March. This time it is Head of Winemaking, Louisa Rose, who takes the honours as the representative of the Australian family-owned winery for the year. Becoming The Signatory at […]
Over the holidays, I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Oculus Quest 2, which is the perfect way to pacify teenage nephews and terrifying toddler nieces. The Facebook produced VR headset currently stands as the best in class for standalone VR use. It’s almost shockingly easy to pick up and play compared […]
As COVID-19 and the state of the world made it difficult to have the expo at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, the CES 2021 went digital, streaming across the world and totalling the turn-out to a reported 80,746 industry attendees. With 100-plus hours of conference programming, the keynote views got to over a staggering three […]
After Cyberpunk’s trashfire of a release, I feel like I need to do a PSA about never pre-ordering anything. Just buy it day of release if you have to! Anyway, here are the 2021 game releases you should look forward to playing this year. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Releasing simultaneously on PC and Xbox Series, X S.T.A.L.K.E.R. […]
M2 is primarily about success. Nothing says success more than consumers giving you most of their income for a product that only exists in their heads. No, I’m not talking about unfulfilled IndieGoGo campaigns. I’m talking about a good old fashioned cult or conspiracy theory. As a wise man once said, “You don’t get rich […]
The Global Lexus Design Awards have showcased creativity, innovation and mad design skills since its starting in 2013. In this year’s nominee list, we are able to hold up the Kiwi flag with pride as two AUT students, Jessica Vea and Gayle Lee, have made the spot. Their concept creation, called Heartfelt, is a unique […]
The Hillary Trail has become a mainstay of North Island tramping, and especially an alluring option for Aucklanders looking for a return to nature without having to stray too far from home. Typically a four day hike, it has since been butchered by the closure of sections of the Waitakere Ranges to protect from the […]
The Montblanc fragrance range, Legend, has become a timeless classic fragrance for men since it was first launched in 2011. This unforgettable fresh take on the famous Fougère Accord, matched with its accompanying timeless photographic campaign featuring Simon Clark just went off. Almost overnight it seemed that everyone was wearing it – and why not? […]
Don’t you just love it when you get something completely right? When you put together a pitch document and everyone immediately understands what you are intending to do – and even better, they love the idea as well! Then everyone troops off to the pub to celebrate the birth of something potentially very exciting – […]
Can you believe it? Seiko are 140 years old! Not many companies survive that length of time so Seiko naturally enough have taken the opportunity to celebrate a rare milestone in style – by bringing out three beautiful new timepiece ranges to mark the occasion. Taking their cues from company founder Kintaro Hattori, Seiko have […]
On Wednesday 24 February 2021, 60 guests were invited to celebrate the launch of the new Rolls-Royce Ghost at the American Magic Pavilion in Viaduct Harbour, Auckland. Sponsored by M2, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Auckland, Champagne Bollinger, The Hour Glass, Hublot and Taylor’s Port, guests were served Champagne Bollinger on arrival, hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening […]
Say the syllable ‘rum’ and a Pavlovian urge to celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day early comes into play. But it’s not just Hollywood movies and crazy Aunt Ginny’s somewhat disturbing bedtime tales that have programmed your mind here – rum really is the tipple of pirates and of sailing in general, and always […]
We’ve got this 21st century all wrong! You catch a bus, go to a café or drop by someone’s lounge and before long you’ll see somebody – if not absolutely everybody! – pull out their phone and start peering into this tiny screen. They’ll be updating their social posts, reading the news, playing a game […]
Starting with security camera footage of two men breaking into a gallery hosting Oslo-based artist Barbora Kysilkova’s work The Painter & The Thief is a tense, joyous, uplifting ride that has all those key words you’d expect in a doco that’s going to end up having it’s posters covered in awards. It’s a pacy documentary that […]
A video projector is truly one of life’s great social pleasures. I used to have one back in my flatting days which proved ideal for All Black tests and multi-player video game sessions. We had an L-shaped lounge so I’d hang one of my mangy (washed!) old bed sheets up at the junction as a […]
My nephew was born the same day the Two Towers came out in theatres. It was a great day. I was hyped to see Legolas skate down a set of stairs on a shield while taking out a couple Uruk hai. Last week I celebrated that same nephew’s 18th birthday. Time has been pretty good […]
On the surface; we all love symmetry – pretty faces, sunflowers, social justice and bell distribution graphs. And anything that doesn’t conform to a mirror image of itself gets called ‘imperfect’. Yet, if you look at just about anything for longer than a couple of seconds, you’ll quickly see imperfection is actually more common than […]
Fear not, New Zealand, it appears the long, painful wait for the quarantine trans-Tasman bubble might finally be over soon. Undoubtedly, many a holiday will be being planned over the next few weeks and the Australian major cities will likely be flooded with Kiwis finally blowing off 12 months worth of pent up sight-seeing steam. […]
Stop the world I want to get off! I’ve had enough of COVID, Trump, anti-landlord legislation, Trump, ultra woke sensibilities and Trump – honestly how much PR does the guy need? I’m outta here, I’m getting off this planet and leaving all this BS behind… Although, I’d STILL like to watch the rest of the […]
M2’s March/April issue is out now and covers the latest in tech, business, cars, entertainment, fashion and more. Here are eight important lessons to take away from the issue, with words of wisdom from successful figures in a range of different disciplines. 1. Use all of your resources; a great ideas appear from anywhere “It […]
After jumping into a new year, we decided to treat a couple of our guys to the full BarberShopCo experience. The team there set us up nicely with fresh cuts back after the first couple of lockdowns and the results were fantastic. So we thought, a new year is just as special as a lockdown […]
It’s a new season and that means it’s time to start rethinking your style. Since we’re now in Summer, we decided to head back to BarberShopCo. and get the lads a new cut. Once again, we left it in the barbers capable hands to pick the look. But just so you don’t have to wander […]
After the first lockdowns we sent our unkempt gentlemen for a spruce up at BarberShopCo with some classic hairstyles. It was such a great time we decided to do round two for a post-Christmas break clean up with a couple more of the team. The pros at BarberShopCo were happy to oblige us and we […]
New year, new you. Don’t bother with resolutions, just get a new haircut. It’ll make you feel better than breaking promises to yourself and you’ll look good to everyone else. M2 took some of the team down to BarberShopCo for a new look as we head full steam through summer. We left the styling and […]
We’re now well into the Summer months so M2 took some of the crew down to BarberShopCo with a photographer to spruce themselves up with a fresh hairstyle. We left the men in the capable hands of the BarberShopCo team to pick the looks. The last look the team at BarberShopCo highlighted was the pompadour, […]
It’s the start of 2021, you know what that means. No, not the end of a pandemic, that’s not how that sort of thing works. It also means a fresh start style-wise, and since we’re lucky enough in New Zealand to actually be able to mingle, we sent a few associates down to BarberShopCo to […]
After a much deserved Summer break, M2 took the lads to BarberShopCo to sort them out with some fresh cuts. We left Stephen in the able hands of Emily, who opted to give Stephen a V Fade with Pompadour. In laymen’s terms, this equates to a medium skin fade on the sides which tapers into […]
It’s Summer. You know what that means right? Business up front and party at the back. We took the crew to BarberShopCo again for some fresh new looks and left them in the capable hands of the professional barbers there, who picked out the looks. We sent a photographer along as well to capture the […]
As winter slowly creeps up on us and the cold, grey afternoons begin to become the norm, I think we could all use an injection of colour in our lives. Luckily, the folks at Apple have come through at just the right time with a redesign of one of their staple products, the iMac computer. […]
Fifty is always a milestone worth celebrating. A batsman waves his bat politely to the crowd after notching his fiftieth run, a couple throws a big soirée to celebrate fifty years of (mostly) happy marriage, 12 year old me celebrates after opening the Christmas card from Nana and seeing a magical violet $50 note slide […]
With the endless glut news segments, press conferences and brutal social media comment wars related to the current state of the pandemic, it’s easy to forget that there are still other problems, like climate change, still going on in the world. Fortunately, while we’re over here getting into our yet another argument with our skeptic […]
It’s the sport that epitomises high culture, grace and class. No, I’m not talking about pub darts, I am of course talking about the wonderful sport of polo, which was the talk of the town last weekend in Auckland as the Lexus Urban Polo rolled in and drew a fantastic local crowd of classy folk […]
Our new issue goes beyond just cool gadgets and fast cars and highlights a diverse group of Kiwi innovators from a range of different backgrounds giving us their stories, expertise and advice. Here’s five of these innovators that make an appearance and are more than worth your while. Rob Dunne (Movember Foundation NZ) Movember has […]
Before I go any further, no, these Jockey undies aren’t a new level of the surveillance state monitoring your every move. Jacinda doesn’t get a manila folder every month telling her exactly how many days in a row you wore the same pair of undies. This underwear developed by Jockey is made specifically with saving […]
On a sunny Saturday, on the 13th of February in Motueka, Steve Gregor and Brent Findlay successfully completed 120 skydives each simultaneously in a single day, smashing a 22-year-old NZ record in the process. This gruelling day was not only to rewrite the record books but to also raise money for the Mental Health […]
Way back in 1985, Rocky 4 brought Hugo Boss to the big screen. Not once, but thrice in one of the most iconic scenes of the series. Sylvester Stallone sported a white hoodie, emblazoned with the iconic fashion house’s logo. He’s backed up by Paulie and Tony Duke who wear red and blue versions of […]
Since its starting in 1960, the Halberg Awards have been a shining beacon for New Zealand’s sporting elite. Named after Olympic champion Sir Murray Halberg, the pre-eminent event highlights sporting at its greatest. On Wednesday 24 March, in a star-studded event in Auckland, the Supreme winners from the past decade (2010 to 2019) were announced. […]
New Zealand’s gaming sector has become our fastest growing creative industry and digital exporter in recent years. Our interactive media sector earned $323.9 million in the year to 1 April 2020, an increase of $121 million in one year alone. But all this might be about to end with Australia seeing the potential and offering […]
I’m not a massive fan of gambling so don’t consider any of this a recommendation, but the venerable game publisher Atari has teamed up with the Ethereum-based gaming company, Decentral Games, to bring nostalgia to the blockchain with cryptocurrency. Playing the themed games will net lucky players $DG by playing with MANA, DAI and the […]
