The 2020 kitchen – countertops that cook food, find recipes, send text messages

The best features of the 2014 International CES (consumer electronics show) give us a glimpse into what our homes, transportation and lifestyles may look like in the future. As a technologically-centered population, tech advancements not only revolve around our lifestyle needs, but they also change and shape the way we live. The Whirlpool Interactive Cooktop is one of the concepts that caused a stir at this year's show. I mean, what cooktop would be complete without Facebook capabilities, playing music through Spotify, and being able to find and display recipes from Pinterest?

Be wary of all driving mistakes – not just your own.

The summer holidays are a hazardous time on the open roads of New Zealand. It's often during this period that we are bombarded with gruesome advertising campaigns. You know the ones – ads that make it all too clear that the faster you go, the bigger the mess. However, many of us deny this truth, or simply believe it won't happen to us… we reckon we're all pretty good drivers, and that even when we speed, we're still in control. The New Zealand Transport Agency has cottoned on to this notion and changed it's messaging accordingly. This season their advertising asks drivers to slow down because of the mistakes that other drivers make. The ensuing campaign really hammers home the dangers of speeding and how someone else's simple mistake can cost lives.

Ice Truck Proves Battery's Reliability

Claiming that a car battery is able to start a car in temperatures as low as -40°C is one thing. Proving that it works by creating (and running) a car made almost entirely out of -40°C ice is another. This winter advertising campaign for Canadian Tire's chill-resistant battery hits the nail on the head in displaying the key property of the product while grabbing attention. "It's really difficult to make a car battery interesting," said chief officer of Canadian Tire's retail unit. "And it's even more difficult to explain to people why new battery technology is important to them." Well buddy, a picture paints a thousand words, and you've done just that.

Burger King culls disloyal Facebook fans... using McDonald's burgers

Want to find out who your true Facebook fans are? Well, here's one way to do it. Burger King Norway recently ran a seemingly backwards campaign entitled the 'Whopper Sellout'. They offered people the opportunity to be a true Burger King fan on Facebook, or 'sellout' and receive a McDonald's burger. Those who favoured the competitor freebies were subsequently banned from the Burger King Facebook page... for all eternity.