There has been a long wait to see what Cases i Associats will do in their redesign of the Daily Mirror, and finally we begin to see it. At first glance one might be forgiven for thinking nothing's changed, but the brief, as I've been told was never to radically change the style of the paper.
Turning a few pages and looking more closely, it is clear that there are a lot of changes in the detail and typography. An attractive tailed sans font has been introduced for headlines, and the folios have had a rethink. The folio strap is usd for links as well.
Sport has the biggest transformation, which makes it feel bright and exciting but at the same time far more structured.
I will add to this with some pictures when I have the time, but for now, congratulations to Chico, Jennifer, Toni and anyone else on an excellent job. Case without looking like Cases, and the Mirror looking like the Mirror but brought up to date.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Friday, March 07, 2008
The word Apple starts with app
At a glance Apple's March 6 event yesterday seemed a bit techy, lowkey and it probably won't get a mention in much of the press, but I'm quietly excited about Apple's launch of the tools to build applications for the iPhone . . . but not only that, also a store for buying applications - directly onto your iPhone. The iPhone is a fantastic little package, and runs a great platform (iPhone OSX), now there are great tools for making applications, and a great way of distributing, and for the user getting your apps . . I think Jason from 37 signals could have a point, they have all the ingredients for dominating the coming period of mobile computing - including an allilance with microsoft. And as long as Apple manages to build up the range of apps and sales during this the down part of the economic cycle, they could shoot out the other end like a rocket!
What we saw today was the beginning of two-decades of mobile domination by Apple. What Microsoft and Windows was to the desktop, Apple and Touch will be to mobile
Signal vs. Noise (by 37signals)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tragedy on the final holiday
That man, who's world was falling apart and he flipped, threw his son and daughter and himself off the balcony. He was just a man. Its
frightening what people can do. How isolated we can feel, and that
there is no-one to turn to. What an awful fact to live with. For the
mother and for him. Its awful.
But its also a tragedy that there will be little attempt to understand
the pressures that lead to something like this happening, how
alienated we are. Such fear of reflecting.
frightening what people can do. How isolated we can feel, and that
there is no-one to turn to. What an awful fact to live with. For the
mother and for him. Its awful.
But its also a tragedy that there will be little attempt to understand
the pressures that lead to something like this happening, how
alienated we are. Such fear of reflecting.
Rossellini's Green porno
My good friend Isabella Rossellini (that's a lie for starters, I heard her speak at the BFI, and spoke to her briefly when she signed a copy of her book for me) is bringing out eight short films for Mobile phones, called "Green Porno". Wired spoke to the director, Jody Shapiro, who says that the name Green Porno is designed to get more traffic. The Wired article is interesting, but if you want to see a bit of what it looks like, der Spiegel has a few stills from the film. She has some interesting insights into the intimacy of mobile devices, and film-making in the BBC clip above.
There will be more artists making work for this small canvas, and I think this is a very exciting landmark!
So a beautiful crazy sexy fly played by Isabella? . . .
In each episode, Rossellini assumes the role of the male insect. "Seeing Isabella Rossellini mount a housefly from behind while smiling at the camera," Shapiro remarked, "I can't imagine many people would have ever thought they’d see that."
From Wired
Monday, February 11, 2008
Is Woz welcoming Microsoft into Danger?
It looks like Danger - which I'm sure I remember being associated with the other Apple founder called Steve: Wozniak - is being snapped up by Microsoft. It would have a touch of irony if Microsoft were to bring out a phone to compete with Apples iPhone, and if a company which his old pal helped get going played a key role in it's development.
Danger developed the phone / pda called the Sidekick, which TMobile sells here in the UK.
It is a very small world this silicon alley
Danger developed the phone / pda called the Sidekick, which TMobile sells here in the UK.
It is a very small world this silicon alley
Monday, January 14, 2008
What's in the air from Apple?
Macworld 2008 starts tomorrow today, and Tuesday Steve Jobs will present his keynote speech. It has been reported that banners proclaiming There's something In the air have been unfurled at the conference centre, and there's been much speculation that the something is a thin laptop . . and we know who knows - he'll tell us on Tuesday.
But it just struck me, I read a piece on I, Cringely some time ago, claiming that apple would get into the business of streamed films, and then there was a court case with Burst.com about this technology. Apple settled with Burst recently, so is the something in the air . . to do with Apple TV, and maybe streamed rental films? And perhaps another thing too, a lightweight fantastic laptop (sans dvd drive) to watch them on when you're not in front of your big TV?
Whatever there is, I'm also looking forward to more iphone goodness, an update to the OS, and more software to come. Bring it on!
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Living with a video nano
When video first made an appearance on the ipod I could see how some might want to watch videos on them, but not me.
So when Steve jobs launched the video nano a few weeks ago, saying "It's amazing, we have packed in as many pixels as on a larger ipod, but into a smaller screen". I thought: So what, It's is still a small screen. I'm sure many people will love it, but still mainly for listening to music. And this was pretty much the attitude I had when I opened the box on my black, 8GB iPod nano.
It is very small, and feels like a skimming stone. It has enough weight to not feel like a toy, and to remind you of the solid materials it is made from. It exhudes quality. There is something very satisfying about the meeting of two very different materials where the glass and aluminium run flush to each other. Jonathan Ive and his team have once again made a device which feels right and natural, as if it has arrived at that shape effortlessly.
Turning it on
Turning it on you get a hint of how great the screen is. Everything has a sharpness and smoothness which is difficult to describe (but more of that later). I am not wholly converted to the new interface. Text is sharp and clear, and in the familiar iPod style of sliding menus. The screen is vertically split in two, which gives the sense of a desktop with a floating window. However I have never been a great fan of images slowly floating by - and that is what you see next to the menu window: a random image from your music, videos or podcasts.
The interface works well, though I have not had a chance to use coverflow (where you scroll through your album covers to make your selection). When I've tried it in the Apple store it has seemed a little sluggish, but here has just been an update posted for the ipod nano, so I am sure that will iron it out.
Now showing on the little screen
I was dying to try some video so I bought an episode of Lost and a couple of tv shows for my 3 year old, Luca. The iTunes store does not sell full lenth features for the UK yet, but I'm sure there will be changes and more TV content available before Christmas.
The first video I watched turned out to be a pop video by one of my favourite artists Kanye West. I was amazed! Steves comments about the amount of pixels was dead right - there is so much detail packed into that small space that it is a pleasure to watch. Milions of people happily watch fairly low resolution video on YouTube every day, because it is the content they are interested in and that is compensation enough. With this ipod the small size, great content and great resolution combine so you can watch video on a small screen without sacrifice. In fact colleagues and friends I have shown it too have been so impressed (and most of these are technology skeptics) that they asked the price and stared mulling over a pre-christmas purchase right away!
This little 2.5 inch screen is full of subtlety, minute detail, and the delivery of motion is smooth and has no blurring. It is great for animation, as well as for live action. It turns out the epidsode of Lost I bought was a pivotal episode which i missed when it was on Channel 4, where two characters discover a video tape which shows them that they are in a old psychological experiment - so I watched it with a critical eye and genuine viewer interest.
And there is one more thing... I am writing this review in Northern Ireland where we are visiting family. We flew, and have done a fair bit of driving since getting here. Luca has sat in his child seat in the back totally absorbed in watching Dora the Explorer or American Dragon - occasionally calling me to help get the earbuds (not really made for little ears) back in. The size and weight and limited controls are perfect for him, he can see it clearly and loves it. it's more convenient than a back seat DVD which are farly commonly seen now, and the battery life is excellent, so it can be used in various ways for days without a charge being required.
A few weeks before the new nano hit the market, there were photos leaked on the web - and screams of pain from some about the proportions, how it was badly designed etc. There is an old saying: seeing is believing, and I think that from every detail of materials, design decisions about space shape and size, and finally the screen and software this device proves that truism.
So when Steve jobs launched the video nano a few weeks ago, saying "It's amazing, we have packed in as many pixels as on a larger ipod, but into a smaller screen". I thought: So what, It's is still a small screen. I'm sure many people will love it, but still mainly for listening to music. And this was pretty much the attitude I had when I opened the box on my black, 8GB iPod nano.
It is very small, and feels like a skimming stone. It has enough weight to not feel like a toy, and to remind you of the solid materials it is made from. It exhudes quality. There is something very satisfying about the meeting of two very different materials where the glass and aluminium run flush to each other. Jonathan Ive and his team have once again made a device which feels right and natural, as if it has arrived at that shape effortlessly.
Turning it on
Turning it on you get a hint of how great the screen is. Everything has a sharpness and smoothness which is difficult to describe (but more of that later). I am not wholly converted to the new interface. Text is sharp and clear, and in the familiar iPod style of sliding menus. The screen is vertically split in two, which gives the sense of a desktop with a floating window. However I have never been a great fan of images slowly floating by - and that is what you see next to the menu window: a random image from your music, videos or podcasts.
The interface works well, though I have not had a chance to use coverflow (where you scroll through your album covers to make your selection). When I've tried it in the Apple store it has seemed a little sluggish, but here has just been an update posted for the ipod nano, so I am sure that will iron it out.
Now showing on the little screen
I was dying to try some video so I bought an episode of Lost and a couple of tv shows for my 3 year old, Luca. The iTunes store does not sell full lenth features for the UK yet, but I'm sure there will be changes and more TV content available before Christmas.
The first video I watched turned out to be a pop video by one of my favourite artists Kanye West. I was amazed! Steves comments about the amount of pixels was dead right - there is so much detail packed into that small space that it is a pleasure to watch. Milions of people happily watch fairly low resolution video on YouTube every day, because it is the content they are interested in and that is compensation enough. With this ipod the small size, great content and great resolution combine so you can watch video on a small screen without sacrifice. In fact colleagues and friends I have shown it too have been so impressed (and most of these are technology skeptics) that they asked the price and stared mulling over a pre-christmas purchase right away!
This little 2.5 inch screen is full of subtlety, minute detail, and the delivery of motion is smooth and has no blurring. It is great for animation, as well as for live action. It turns out the epidsode of Lost I bought was a pivotal episode which i missed when it was on Channel 4, where two characters discover a video tape which shows them that they are in a old psychological experiment - so I watched it with a critical eye and genuine viewer interest.
And there is one more thing... I am writing this review in Northern Ireland where we are visiting family. We flew, and have done a fair bit of driving since getting here. Luca has sat in his child seat in the back totally absorbed in watching Dora the Explorer or American Dragon - occasionally calling me to help get the earbuds (not really made for little ears) back in. The size and weight and limited controls are perfect for him, he can see it clearly and loves it. it's more convenient than a back seat DVD which are farly commonly seen now, and the battery life is excellent, so it can be used in various ways for days without a charge being required.
A few weeks before the new nano hit the market, there were photos leaked on the web - and screams of pain from some about the proportions, how it was badly designed etc. There is an old saying: seeing is believing, and I think that from every detail of materials, design decisions about space shape and size, and finally the screen and software this device proves that truism.
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