Jihee Junn 
Allbirds has a brand new product and investor – one from Brazil, the other from Hollywood. First, they came for our sheep. Then they came for our trees (but not before coming for our children). And now, they’ve come for our sweet, sweet sugar. I’m talking about Allbirds here, the San Francisco-based Kiwi footwear company … Read more
Dunedin-based company Runaway Play has created a new mobile game that lets you dive head first into the cat cafe phenomena. The verdict? Chill, but addictive (and very, very cute). Two decades ago, the first ever cat cafe that we know of opened in Taiwan before quickly spreading in popularity throughout large parts of Japan. … Read more
Global consumer campaign One Big Switch has arrived on Kiwi shores, hoping to harness the power of the collective to unlock special group discounted energy offers and drive competition in New Zealand’s electricity industry. Jihee Junn talks to the man spearheading its arrival, Saveawatt CEO Tim Rudkin. Turns out, ovens and stoves aren’t just for … Read more
Jihee Junn heads along to the newly opened Tesla showroom on Auckland’s Karangahape Road. It’s a hard life being a billionaire. Just ask tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who’s been vilified over the past few days for his (unprompted) involvement in the recent Thai cave rescue mission. First, they rejected his offer to use his custom-built … Read more
Almost 30% of organic waste goes straight to landfill, sparking two leading businesses in the composting sector – Innocent Packaging and We Compost – to team up and launch The Full Package, the first citywide compost collection of its kind in New Zealand. On December 31, 2017, China decided that enough was enough. Sick of … Read more
A group of 60 CEOs from companies including Air New Zealand, Spark, Fonterra and Vector have formed the Climate Leaders Coalition, with the purpose of reducing the country’s emissions. But what does this actually mean? Jihee Junn talks to the coalition convenor, Z Energy CEO Mike Bennetts In 2016, New Zealand ratified the landmark Paris … Read more
ANZ’s latest recruit is a virtual assistant designed by hi-tech New Zealand company Soul Machines. Intrigued, Jihee Junn decided to give her a whirl, chatting about film, literature, and “closing the pod bay doors”. First she was Rachel, then she was Sophie, and now, dressed in a light blue shirt and thick-framed glasses, she’s Jamie … Read more
Hundreds of New Zealand’s wealthiest investors gathered for the 2018 Flux Demo Day last week for a night of wining, dining, and million-dollar business investments. Jihee Junn went along to watch this year’s plucky startups pitch it out. “The first rule of investing is: don’t leave the table when the food’s being served!” a jolly … Read more
Squawk Squad is the social enterprise using modern technology to not only make predator traps more effective but keep its wider community of donors connected with its work. Every year, a massive 25 million native birds are said to be killed by pests, leaving many of our most beloved species – the takahē, kākāpō, and … Read more
In part two of The Spinoff’s great recall list, we look at various items targeted towards parents and children, such as toys, strollers, cots, carriers, rattles, bottles, and kids pyjamas. Below is a selection of recalled items we think are most relevant to consumers (part one looked at a selection of common household items). Of … Read more
From kettles and candles to laptops and lamps, hundreds of common household items have been recalled over the last few years. But chances are, you never even knew about it. In part one of The Spinoff’s great recall list, we look at various items in the heating, small appliance, electronics and homeware categories. Earlier this … Read more
Praised for its ability to deal with “human anxiety in times of great distress”, the winners of the Most Innovative Hi-Tech Service award for 2018 is using technology and engineering to help businesses make informed decisions after an earthquake hits (and it only takes two minutes). From Kaikoura to Canterbury, New Zealand has had its … Read more
With up to 80% of faulty indoor electric heaters potentially still in use, is the recall system in need of a major shake-up? UPDATE: As of June 2019, two more heaters have been recalled. An open flue space heater and an open flued gas log fireplace, both for producing potentially high levels of carbon monoxide. … Read more
Hosted by Jake Millar and the multi-millionaire Mowbray siblings, New Zealand’s new, young entrepreneurial elite gathered at the famed Dotcom/Toy Mansion for a night of tuxedos, evening gowns, and abundant champagne. Jihee Junn reluctantly went along. The first thing you see are the lights in the sky – two white beams dancing in the pitch … Read more
Chicken without the bird, milk without the cow: meet the five Kiwi startups catapulting vegan alternatives into the mouths of mainstream consumers. Eggs Benedict, mac ‘n’ cheese, and spaghetti bolognese. I’m not just listing random foods – they’re a selection of meals over the past year that I’ve tried in a 100% vegan state. And … Read more
Phil Goff’s 10-year ‘build it’ budget finally got the green light on Thursday, with one of the provisions being that the infamous ‘bed tax’ is now set to be extended to homes listed on sites like Airbnb. What does this mean for hosts? And are other regions set to follow? (PLUS, other things you should … Read more
The winners of this year’s Hi-Tech Awards showcased how New Zealand isn’t just good in tech, but good for tech as well, with gender diversity and cultural inclusion taking centre stage more than ever before. Whether it’s tall poppy syndrome or just genuine humility, New Zealanders are pretty terrible when it comes to shouting about … Read more
More than 20 people have been in touch with The Spinoff accusing Dommy Topia of fraudulent behaviour. And now it’s been revealed that Topia has been known to police for years. Dominic (Dommy) Topia – the man who’s been accused of swindling thousands of dollars from dozens of individuals around New Zealand – has been … Read more
After an impressive Kickstarter campaign last year, makeup brand and social enterprise Indigo & Iris have returned with the launch of its much anticipated online store last week. Jihee Junn talks to Indigo & Iris CEO Hannah Duder about its Levitate mascara, how it’s helping to end avoidable blindness in the Pacific, and the challenges of being a … Read more
After touring the world and releasing an album with Kurt Vile last year, Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett is back with her second solo release, trading wry and acerbic for something a little more earnest. Courtney Barnett wants you to tell her how you really feel – so much so that she’s dedicated her entire website … Read more
Hawke’s Bay juice makers The Apple Press say they don’t care about looks, just “good taste and low-waste”. Jihee Junn talks to co-founder Ross Beaton about how his innovative juice company came about. ‘You eat with your eyes first’ is how the old adage goes, with science proving over the years that visual stimuli really … Read more
Commute Week: When Julian Ostling moved to Warkworth six years ago, he was surprised to find there was no way to bus into the city. Fast-forward to today and Ostling’s private bus company – the Mahu City Express – runs from Warkworth to the CBD six times a day, five days a week. Theoretically, getting … Read more
Almost 20 more people have been in touch with The Spinoff to relay their experiences with Dommy Topia, whose actions were first brought to light via Instagram this week. And it’s clear Topia’s been pulling the same tricks for years. Dozens of people have come forward accusing Dominic (Dommy) Topia of scamming them out of … Read more
A video series featuring interviews with young female bloggers, business owners and creatives has been accused of being an elaborate scam by numerous Instagram users, who say its creator used stories of terminal illness and family death to emotionally manipulate interviewees into handing over cash. Scroll down for updates from former NZ Bachelors Art Green … Read more
In today’s Cheat Sheet, we take a look at the so-called ‘Amazon tax’ and what it means for local retailers and consumers. So what’s the government taxing now? The government has announced that low-value goods bought online from overseas will now be subject to a goods and services tax (GST) of 15%. Low-value goods include … Read more
From transport, medicine, retail and travel, this year’s crop of nominees for Kiwibank’s Most Innovative Hi-Tech Service Award are being recognised for shaking up some of New Zealand’s most vital industries. With the winner to be announced on May 25 as part of this year’s Hi-Tech Awards, Jihee Junn takes a look at the talented … Read more
In less than 20 years, e-commerce giant Alibaba has revolutionised how people buy, pay, sell and market products in the world’s most populous nation. Jihee Junn travelled to its headquarters in China to see Alibaba’s complex ecosystem in action and find out how New Zealand companies are using it to leverage their entry into the … Read more
On Friday, fans of The Killers turned out for a packed show at Spark Arena – the band’s first in New Zealand since 2009. Jihee Junn sat down with drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr before the show. When Hot Fuss came out in 2004, I was instantly in love. I loved the sparkly synth rock, the … Read more
BizDojo was founded on the premise of building and supporting a coworking community for startups. But with the collapse of its Auckland branch last year, former staff have accused the company of bullying, evasiveness and unpaid redundancy, forcing one employee to take BizDojo to court. This is the story of how one worker fought back … Read more