design & mobile

The approval, reached Sunday, clears the way for Yahoo to...

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:04:12 +1200

The approval, reached Sunday, clears the way for Yahoo to complete a monster $1.1 billion deal to acquire Tumblr, the New York-based blogging/creative platform.

The deal, which could close as soon as Monday, gives Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer the narrative shifting, transformative move she’s been looking for, and should go a long way toward revitalizing Yahoo’s somewhat moribund brand. (via Yahoo Board Approves $1 Billion Tumblr Purchase | Adweek)

Retail Blog by Vend: It's business time. Vend raises $8 million.

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:02:02 +1200

Retail Blog by Vend: It's business time. Vend raises $8 million.:

vendhq:

Three piece suits. Espresso coffee from fancy cups. Charts going up. The not-so-subtle placement of a frequent flyer card in the waistcoat pocket.

It can only mean one thing. Yes, it’s business time.

Here’s why.

Today we are pleased to announce that Vend has secured a further $8 million of…

Nice work guys.

‘Plastic Beach’ by Gorillaz is my new jam.

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:37:32 +1200

‘Plastic Beach’ by Gorillaz is my new jam.

chriskurdziel: How do users hold their mobile devices? This...

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:52:51 +1200

Time spent holding the phone each way (including listening to music and talking on the phone).

chriskurdziel:

How do users hold their mobile devices? This article over at UX matters has some really interesting findings but still leaves a lot of questions unanswered. By the time we completely understand how people hold mobile devices, we’ll probably have moved on to devices we don’t have to hold.

The data from this study is public so you can play with it in a Google Doc or Excel. Pretty neat.

Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) Space Systems Dream...

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:24:10 +1200

Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) Space Systems Dream Chaser flight vehicle arrived at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., Wednesday to begin tests of its flight and runway landing systems. (via NASA - SNC Dream Chaser Testing Begins at NASA’s Dryden, Langley)

(via Amusing ‘Lord of the Rings’ Walking Directions From the...

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:35:23 +1200

(via Amusing ‘Lord of the Rings’ Walking Directions From the Shire to Mordor in Google Maps)

CFM International, the world’s largest manufacturer of...

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:27:14 +1200

CFM International, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial airline engines, is using some 3D-printed components to help improve the fuel efficiency of its new line of jet engines by 15 percent. (via 3D-printed jet engine parts help increase fuel efficiency by 15 percent | The Verge)

sunfoundation: 53 years of nuclear tests as electronic music...

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:10:07 +1200

sunfoundation:

53 years of nuclear tests as electronic music

I’ve seen this video described as a musical depiction of all the nuclear bombs ever detonated. But that sort of makes it sound like you’re about to get a particularly bombastic version of the 1812 Overture. Instead, “1945-1998” by Isao Hashimoto is more like an infographic with sound effects — or, possibly, a mash-up of the games Simon and Global Thermonuclear War.

A taxpayer-funded video game aimed at educating young New...

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:22:11 +1200

A taxpayer-funded video game aimed at educating young New Zealanders interested in a career in music management has “fallen completely flat”, according to some in the industry. (via Taxpayer-funded video game ‘falls flat’ - Story - Entertainment - 3 News)

Probably the most embarrassing game I have ever seen, reminds me of a very poor cousin to the old living books grandma and me games from the 90’s.

Cannot believe NZ on Air wasted $280,000 of our $ on this!!

For around half a century we’ve been trying to boldly go where...

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:51:33 +1200

For around half a century we’ve been trying to boldly go where no man has gone before. How successful have we been? (via BBC - Future - Science & Environment - Spacial awareness: Ultimate guide to exploring space)

colchrishadfield: With deference to the genius of David Bowie,...

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:28:07 +1200

colchrishadfield:

With deference to the genius of David Bowie, here’s Space Oddity, recorded on Station. A last glimpse of the World.

Huge thanks in the making of the video to the talented trio of Emm Gryner, Joe Corcoran and Andrew Tidby, plus Evan Hadfield and all at the CSA.

‘All I Want’ by LCD SoundsystemPerfect start to a beautifully...

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:44:34 +1200

‘All I Want’ by LCD Soundsystem
Perfect start to a beautifully sunny autumn day

While exuding an undeniable retro charm that was a fit for the...

Fri, 10 May 2013 09:51:15 +1200

While exuding an undeniable retro charm that was a fit for the early days of Instagram, the Billabong font it employed made for a rather chaotic and amateurish logotype — the wacky capital I, uneven letter spacing and inconsistent x-height just didn’t add up to best represent a service valued at a billion dollars. On the other hand, sucking all the life out of it and going with a boring sans serif face, as we’ve seen recently in such redesigns as that for Spotify, would have been to toss precious brand equity out the window. Designer Mackey Saturday came up with what seems to me to be a successful approach in designing a new logotype by hand that kept the spirit of the original one intact, while weeding out its arbitrary clunkiness. (via Instagram Refreshes its Logo | StockLogos.com)

in 1976, the Star Wars production crew built Tatooine in the...

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:38:05 +1200

in 1976, the Star Wars production crew built Tatooine in the Tunisian desert, only to abandon the set after filming. Nearly four decades later, photographer Rä di Martino has photographed its decay. (via What Luke Skywalker’s Home Looks Like Today)

Rethinking My Apps and Home Screen

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:55:25 +1200

Rethinking My Apps and Home Screen:

minimalmac:

This is a good example of one method to really think hard about the apps you are using, ones you could be using better, and ones you really don’t need to use at all.

Good read, and got me thinking.

Have now freed up 3gb off my iPhone. Dumping my ‘nice to have’ apple alternatives like Tempo and Mailbox, but have kept Forecast as I love the 7 day satellite animation.

Culled a number of games that were there for the kids, but they dont seem to play them anyway - of course I had to keep Minecraft PE for them tho!

Adobe enters the hardware game with the Project Mighty stylus...

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:11:08 +1200

Adobe enters the hardware game with the Project Mighty stylus and Napoleon ruler.

subtilitas: Frank Lloyd Wright(ish) - Massaro house, Petre...

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:44:49 +1200

subtilitas:

Frank Lloyd Wright(ish) - Massaro house, Petre Island NY 1950-2004. Via.

Sky over Auckland after the 3 day thunderstorm.

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:16:19 +1200

Sky over Auckland after the 3 day thunderstorm.

These images of Earth were reconstructed from photos taken by...

Mon, 06 May 2013 16:16:25 +1200

These images of Earth were reconstructed from photos taken by three smartphones in orbit, or “PhoneSats.” The trio of PhoneSats launched on April 21, 2013, aboard the Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and ended a successful mission on April 27. The ultimate goal of the PhoneSat mission was to determine whether a consumer-grade smartphone can be used as the main flight avionics for a satellite in space. (via NASA - Smartphone Photos From Orbit)

‘Orgo’ by Savoy is my new jam.

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:03:05 +1200

‘Orgo’ by Savoy is my new jam.