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How Stuart Karten and Starkey Re-Invented the Hearing Aid
23 December 2009 1:49 PM, PST
The device solves multiple hassles, with a touch-sensitive control pad and a design that hides on the ear.
A year and a half ago, when Starkey approached Stuart Karten about redesigning their hearing aids, they had a fairly serious, albeit superficial problem: Given that almost all their competitors are based in Copenhagen, and the designers are all Danish, their devices are all surprisingly good looking. Starkey's? Not so much, and they wanted to finally be able to compete on looks. "They wanted something invisible on the ear, but beautiful in the hand," says Karten. But his firm gave them more: A hearing aid firmly rooted in cutting-edge interface design.
The S series, which finally debuted in October, is dead simple. Towards the back of the device, there's a "landing strip" of rubber, which allows the wearer to adjust the volume by sliding their finger along its length. Tapping the landing »
- Cliff Kuang
The Graphic Designer Who Revolutionized the Way We Market Music
23 December 2009 1:45 PM, PST
In 1939, Columbia Records hired a young graphic designer, Alex Steinweiss, to create marketing materials for its burgeoning popular recording department. At the age of 23, he proposed to his bosses that instead of the basic brown paper covers that record albums were sold in, Columbia should use some of his art to interpret the music instead. Steinweiss had talent as well as business acumen: within months Columbia saw its record sales increase by over 800%. The rest is contemporary music history.
For the next 15 years, Steinweiss was the sole designer for all Columbia's records and later also worked for Decca, a legendary label known as much for its musicians as its artwork. He estimates he designed about 2500 albums. Taschen has recently released the massive retrospective of his work, Alex Steinweiss, The Inventor of the Modern Album Cover, which, appropriately, evokes the size and format of a bound LP book (and at 422 pages, »
- Alissa Walker
Guilty by Association: The Colors of Christmas (and Other Holidays)
23 December 2009 1:26 PM, PST
Banished to the fringes of the spectrum are innocent color combinations that are doomed forever to be associated with holidays. This time of year the world is awash in red and green signaling the spirit of Christmas, good will toward men and mass hysteria at the mall.
When it comes to design and branding, red and green are categorically rejected by clients unless the company is a global pizza conglomerate.
Present these colors with deep strategic rationale and conviction and a CEO's reaction remains swift and direct: "Too Christmasy." At times I've tried some presentation sleight-of-hand by introducing these colors as "wine and pine." No good. The association with a poinsettia plant and industrious elves is so strong that red and green get their due for only weeks a year.
Red and green are not alone in their plight. With the help of Autodesk's Sketchbook Mobile on my iPhone, I've »
- Ken Carbone
Gadget Flops of the Decade: 10 Devices That Didn't Survive the Aughties
23 December 2009 1:07 PM, PST
There were plenty of game-changing, must-have gadgets that sold like hotcakes during the aughties--iPhone, Nintendo Wii, HDTVs. But for every runaway success, there were several duds. Some of these flops deserved to fail--they were just too expensive or badly designed. But other innovations were sadly ahead of their time and died the painful death of bad marketing, management or interface. The jury is still out on some aughties-era flops, like Apple TV, but most of these devices R.I.P. for good reason. Here’s a quick look at some of the past decade’s more notable gadget losers. - Tom Samiljan
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Gigantic Prophylactic Serves as a Good Opportunity to Talk About S-e-x
23 December 2009 12:45 PM, PST
Raise your hand if you are promiscuous. Come on, don't be shy ... you're in the company of friends here. Having a hunger for casual sexual relationships is nothing to be ashamed of. That is of course assuming that it's consensual, you're not in a committed relationship and you're taking the proper safety measures. And, by proper safety measures, I'm talking specifically about prophylactics.
So why in the world am I writing about casual sex and condoms? Simple. As a father of three Idea Heroes in the making, it's troublesome to me that there is a lack of marketing around the topic of safe sex. I mean, sexual innuendos are presented to children through media on a continual basis. I believe, as many others do, that it's the parents job to educate their children on this subject, however, it doesn't hurt if they are prompted to ask some questions. Right?
The »
- Dana Severson
Why Does Facebook Want to Suck the Fun Out of Unfriending?
23 December 2009 12:25 PM, PST
As Facebook roars past the 350 million usermark, it's become so ubiquitous that literally everybody I know has a profile. And even though I've accepted precisely 1,252 of their friend requests over the years--not that I'm counting or anything--here's the truth: We're entering a new year, a new decade, and I'm ready to purge.
So imagine my excitement when I stumbled across Seppukoo, a site that helps you deactivate your Facebook profile, then creates a tongue-in-cheek memorial page and sends it to all of your Facebook friends. "You are more than your virtual identity," the homepage professes. "Pass away and leave your ID behind."
Too bad Facebook didn't get the joke. On Dec. 16, its lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to Les Liens Invisibles, the makers of Seppukoo, alleging that they were using the service to send spam and access other accounts without permission. In response, Les Liens posted a statement on Seppukoo, »
- Dan Macsai
Google Nexus One Hands On
23 December 2009 12:13 PM, PST
Thanks to a clandestine meeting with a source, I got a chance to play with and try out the Nexus One. It's basically, from my time with it, Google's Droid killer. It's thin, it's fast, it's better in every way.
My source was very firm about no photography, and I didn't want to jeopardize anything on my source's end, so there are no photos, hence these photos are ones we've already shown you. But, based on all the leaked shots this week, plus the very pretty and very clear one last week from Boy Genius, everyone knows what the phone looks like already. Hell, there's even a complete Ui walkthrough today that's on YouTube. So I'm going to focus on the experience, and how it compares to the Droid and the iPhone 3Gs.
How it feels
The Nexus One is slightly thinner than the iPhone 3Gs, and slightly lighter. No hard specs were thrown around, »
- Gizmodo Staff
Inevitable: Augmented Reality First-Person Shooting Game Hits the iPhone
23 December 2009 12:11 PM, PST
Remember all the way back to Doom and Wolfenstein, and the thrill of blowing away bad guys on a computer as if you were in their virtual world? Well, it's the 21st Century now, and you can do it all in Augmented Reality.
With a certain kind of inevitability, software house Shadowforce has translated the first-person shooter genre into a through-the-camera-lens augmented reality app that works on the iPhone. It works with one to four players, uses the iPhone's camera to view the real world and is smart enough to work out when you've "shot" an enemy successfully (the phone vibrates when you make a kill). This is no "shoot the bad guy made of pixels" game, you see. And it's called Gunman.
Cue the countdown to a some kind of law suit in 3...2...1...
Shadowforce is calling it the first first-person Ar shooter for the phone that does all the »
- Kit Eaton
These Adidas Star Wars Kicks Are Kinda Genius
23 December 2009 10:30 AM, PST
The full line is actually pretty subtle. Stylish, even.
A month ago, we wrote about the new Star Wars--themed shoe line Adidas was creating for 2010. At the time, only teaser shots were available. But the full deets are out, and the results, against all expectations, are kind of awesome.
What's particularly clever is how very subtle the Star Wars references are. Spotting these on the street, you'd never know they were themed cross-branding. But if someone told you what the visual inspiration was, you'd say "Ah-ha!"
Yoda's shoes have that rugged, handmade look that's oh so popular in the forbidding swamps of Dagobah:
The X-wing shoes look exactly like what you'd be wearing to pilot one: Comfy, light, and a little bit weathered from running around the cargo hold screaming about the Empire:
The At-at shoes pick up lots of clever details from their inspiration--like the upraised, rounded joints and the ribbed tongue, »
- Cliff Kuang
Pre-2010 Apple Rumor Round-Up
23 December 2009 10:18 AM, PST
It's been awhile since Apple's launched a product, so you'd maybe think the rumor mill is silent. Think again, fanboy. At the end of 2009, a number of rumors are popping up that point to an exciting 2010 for Steve Jobs and co.
First up is chatter about the next-gen iPhone. Apple, of course, has a long design-test-development phase before the release of new products, so it's no surprise to learn that the next-gen iPhone, in some version, is probably already a useable piece of hardware.
But it looks like Apple's making some serious tests of the prototypes, as several times now a device claiming to be "iPhone 4.0" has popped up in the logs of different Web services. The implication is that both the hardware and software are in existence, and Apple engineers are trying out the device to make sure it's fit. This sounds early, since the iPhone version 3--the 3G S--is only six months old, »
- Kit Eaton
The Next Big Step in Running Shoes?
23 December 2009 10:14 AM, PST
The On Running Shoe is meant to combat the problems created by over-soft shoes that make your support muscles degrade.
Running shoes now feature all manner of crazy shock-absorption systems. But the industry's dirty little secret: All that padding might not be good for you. A new shoe being released in February attempts to solve that problem, and has just won an Ispo Brand New award, a German laurel that recognizes the year's most innovative sports products.
According to the inventors of the On Running Shoe, the problem with modern running shoes is that when you hit the ground on a big cushy sole, you don't have a solid surface to push off from with your next step. As a result, some of your support muscles atrophy, due to lack of use--and that leaves you prone to injury.
The On, by contrast, has a sole that collapses on impact, offering cushioning. »
- Cliff Kuang
Infographic of the Day: Create Your Very Own Webtrends Map
23 December 2009 10:12 AM, PST
A web-app allows you to create your own version of the famous diagram of the year's best web-trends.
We all know and love the Web Trends Map--Information Architects' sprawling diagram of the year's hottest Internet properties, based on the maps of the Tokyo subway system.
But now, there's more: At WebTrendMap.com, you can create your very own:
The Web-based app has a drag-and-drop map editor, and archives your visited links. Cross reference the two, and you can chart the sites you visit, and, if you're diligent, how exactly they all relate to each other.
The only downside: You've got to buy the poster ($49) before getting access to the map.
Dear Ia: Why not create a seperate, cheaper registration, just for the Web app?
[View more Infographics of the Day]
Read more Tech News on our Technology Channel
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- Cliff Kuang
Nexus One Spills Its Guts: It's Fast, but Only if You Have an Invitation?
23 December 2009 10:09 AM, PST
Engadget secured themselves a neat exclusive for Christmas: The full run-down on the specifications of the Googlephone, a.k.a. the Nexus One. It confirms a few rumored details, and reveals the phone is fast. If a bit chunky.
According to Engadget's tipster inside Google, the phone may be on sale from January 5...but there's a twist: It could be an invite-only launch, with a store-based "proper" launch on T-Mobile later. That odd choice echoes Google's stance on releasing new technology to the World, all the while spinning up the hype PR machine. But since details are sparse we'll wait to pass judgment until we learn more.
Where the data isn't sparse is on the device's internals. The leak includes a fully detailed list of the phone's spec and hardware components, and it's impressive (even if some data is labeled as "to come"). The rumors of a 1GHz processor look to be right, »
- Kit Eaton
Microsoft's Lost Court Case: Change "Word" or Stop Selling It [Updated]
23 December 2009 9:38 AM, PST
Boom! This is a broadside attack fired right into Microsoft's exposed flank: It's just lost a court case against Canadian firm i4i over patents. The penalty is a $290 million fine, and an order to fix Ms Word's code, or stop selling it.
Back in August Microsoft was determined to be in violation of Xml-customization patents owned by i4i, and also, thanks to the dominance of the word processor in the workplace, of capturing 80% of the Xml add-on market, which caused disruption to i4i's normal business. That was a district court decision, and Microsoft appealed. It's that appeal which has just been denied by the U.S. Court of Appeals. (Xml, for those not in the know, is a digital language for encoding the format of word-processed documents.)
The penalty is a fine of nearly a third of a billion dollars, which is significant enough to slightly dent Ms's bottom line. »
- Kit Eaton
How the Olpc Version 3 Predicts the Future of PCs
23 December 2009 9:11 AM, PST
One can easily argue that Nicholas Negroponte's Olpc Xo computer predicted the entire netbook phenomenon. Now the company's revealed its vision for the Olpc XO3 in 2012--Is it similarly visionary? You betcha.
Designed by Yves Behar, the XO3 is a totally different 21st-Century beast compared to the classic notebook design of the original Xo: It's a super-skinny plastic tablet/slate PC. Suited for its intended use out of the normal comfort zone for PCs, the screen is actually plastic, so it's resilient and slightly flexible. It's also a multitouch device, laden with sensors so it can transform into book-reading or Web-surfing mode. And, just like the original machine it's got a dual-mode screen that works both in daylight or as a self-illuminated LCD (no surprises that the Olpc team has links with PixelQI).
But that 8.5 by 11-inch screen makes this device far from being a curio destined to transform the education of kids in far-flung, »
- Kit Eaton
Ask Dan Heath: Patience Is The Virtue
23 December 2009 8:25 AM, PST
Dear Dan,
After 15 years of marketing for Fortune 500 companies, we're going to publish Diamond's Dog Dish®, a series of free postcards delivered to dog-lovers' inboxes bringing them a daily dose of "creature culture" with the goal to inspire, connect, educate, and entertain readers with interesting new pet product trends, pet-friendly destinations and activities, animal health, welfare, and everything in between. It will be uniquely written in the whimsical voice of the company's adopted spokesdog, Diamond.
How can I get the subscription list growing like a Great Dane and have a PR campaign that sparkles like a diamond? It's the chicken and egg story. Help!
- Fur Majesty
Dear Fur Majesty, I don't think you've got a chicken and egg story, I think you've got a horse and cart story. And you're putting the cart out front.
Here's what I mean: You shouldn't be worrying about a "PR campaign" right now. »
- Dan Heath
Women Will Be Greener Than Men in 2010
23 December 2009 8:10 AM, PST
Americans are pledging to lead greener lives in 2010, according to a recent study by Tiller, LLC. Of the 1,000 adults polled, 53% said they would make a green New Year's resolution--and women are leading the way.
Women are more likely than men to experience "green guilt," as the poll calls it--41% versus just 27% of men. As a result, women are more focused on following through with their green resolutions (52% will "very likely" adopt green habits in 2010, as opposed to 33% of men).
How will Americans personally do their part? Recycling more, reducing household energy consumption, and buying from environmentally responsible companies top the list of ways to improve habits. However, many polled already claim to be leading greener lives. In the past year, 76% say they've cut back on energy use, and 50% even declined purchasing products with packaging that may harm the environment.
According to a 2009 report by the United Nations Population Fund, women »
- Stephanie Schomer
Online TV Wars: The Hulu Music vs Comcast On Demand Edition
23 December 2009 8:06 AM, PST
The battle for supremacy in Web-based TV transmission is rapidly heating up: Comcast launched an on-demand Web-streaming video service today, just as its pseudo rival Hulu has signed a deal with Warner Music Group to bring more music vids to its service.
Comcast's system is dubbed Fancast Xfinity TV, and it's a new element in the Fancast service (as the name suggests). About 30 cable networks are already signed up to fire over 2,000 hours of video over the Net through Comcast's Internet pipes to Comcast customers--and that's the limit for the service for the time being. Eventually Xfinity will also be served to mobile devices, but the priority is to get the desktop version working first.
The show line-up will certainly help with that: The Sopranos, The Colbert Report, and Glee are bumping shoulders with movies like Wall-e. The ability to have all this on demand is a serious challenge to »
- Kit Eaton
Undead Tech: The Hooked-Up Luxury Car
23 December 2009 8:03 AM, PST
In the run-up to the Detroit Auto Show, there have been a lot of new hoopties sneak-peeked by luxury car companies, but perhaps none as truly hooked up as the new Audi A8. The A8 is arguably this year's torch-bearer for slick-but-attainable luxury cars: It rolls on an eight-speed gearbox, streams Google Earth maps into its nav system and even does 3-D terrain mapping.
Sure, I already talked about cars once in this Undead Tech series, but this is different. Computerized cars like the ones in that post are practical: the new Chevy Volt lets you pick when it charges the battery, for example, and new Fords let you set different privileges for different keys. Cars like the A8 (and competitors like the BMW 7-series) don't have to pay homage to practicality: they just do the most advanced stuff their engineers can think of, because, well, they can. And because it's badass. »
- Chris Dannen
This Holiday, Help Fight the Dangers of Wrap Rage
23 December 2009 7:55 AM, PST
'Tis the season for shopping, gift-giving and another less-fortunate holiday tradition: Wrap rage. This is the common name associated with heightened levels of frustration, anger, and potential injury resulting from one's inability to open a package.
While this phenomenon exists all year round, it is brought to a more pronounced level of frenzy during the holiday season. I know this year I will be "raging" as well, as I help my newly adopted seven-year-old open her impenetrably-packaged Christmas toys, complete with an array of endless and unnecessary twist-ties. As a packaging designer, I refuse to go through one more holiday season without applying my design thinking to solving what has become a very widespread problem. More than a ranting, this is a call to action for designers, engineers, brand owners and retailers to focus our collective abilities towards eliminating this phenomenon so we can enjoy our purchases free from irritation and injury. »
- Peter Clarke
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