Posts Tagged ‘HERE’

Tech Weekly: Martha Lane Fox on digital inclusion, Arduino explained

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Bobbie Johnson's your guide this week as we hobnob with Britain's digital inclusion champion, Martha Lane Fox. After co-founding Lastminute.com in 1998 she went on to become one of the most high-profile figures of the dotcom boom. After stepping down from her day-to-day role with the company in 2003, these days she juggles work with her chain of karoake bars and a charitable foundation, as well as a role as an adviser to the British government. In that advisory role she has responsibility for Digital Inclusion strategy – which is examining how technology can help people who are currently in the poorest parts of society. The taskforce she leads issued its first report this week looking into the benefits of inclusion, and Charles Arthur met Martha to find out more.

Kevin Anderson also catches up with the hackers and modders of Tinker.it! to find out why everyone loves Arduino – the electronics boards that allow you to create your own electronic devices.

Not only that, but in the wake of BBC drama Micro Men, we'll also hear Vic Keegan's thoughts on what went wrong with Britain's computer industry after its 1980s boom. There's also a look at this week's news headlines and we hear what you've got to say about last week's show.

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Gran Turismo 5: Kazunori Yamauchi Talks About Starting From Scratch

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
There's a startling reason why it took so long for Polyphony to work on GT5 and it has a little something to do with them having to start from scratch with the latest Gran Turismo. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Digital Illustration Case Study by Chis Haines

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009


The Australian digital illustrator Chirstopher Haines strikes again with a new piece called Zen. Somewhere between photo illustration and 3d with an amazing final look. Check out how it was done step by step on this case study full of images to inspire your next creation.

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For more from Chris visit his behance and his website.

Case Study

Final

Details

About the author

User picture

Hi! I'm Paulo Canabarro and I'm here to post some really cool stuff for you, if you have any ideas or any requests please get @ me - paul0v2@abduzeedo.com you can also Follow me on twitter!

Sponsored Links:

Media Militia - Free Design Resources



Buy Abduzeedo T-shirts

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Designer Book Shelf #4

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009


This week on Designers Book Shelf I got a lot of reading suggestions for you. Every week I will be posting new suggestions of books for designers and everyone that loves design and art in general. Check out what I have for you this week and stay tuned for more next week.

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If you interested in sending your book suggestions, leave a comment or email abduzeedo@gmail.com with the subject Designers Book Shelf

An Illustrated Life

Drawing Inspiration from the Private Sketchbooks of Artists, Illustrators and Designers

by Danny Gregory(Author)

Price: $13.59

Book Description

An Illustrated Life offers a sneak peak into the wildly creative imaginations of top illustrators, designers and artists from around the world through the pages of their personal visual journals. Popular visual journalist and author Danny Gregory reveals how and why keeping a consistent, visual journal leads to a more fulfilling creative life. Designers and artists working in all mediums will find creative inspiration from these insightful interviews and stunning examples.

Customer Review

(amazon)
Danny Gregory has done it again. He's nurturing and encouraging people from around the world to draw the little treasures of their lives. This book is a celebration of that special part of us that needs to draw, record, interpret, and play! When I got my copy, I was drawn like a magnet into the pages. This is a book that can be read and savored for a long, long time. There is so much, and it is all so rich. I carry it around with me throughout my day. Just looking at the beautiful cover makes me smile in anticipation.

The 50 artists have very different styles and approaches, which I found broadening. It is so much fun to read about their approaches, supplies, and ideas. I have taken a magnifying glass to some of the images already, so I can marvel at the smallest of details. I have found myself hoping that Danny Gregory will create a sequel - or - hopefully, a series of these books. An engrossing read. Buy it...you will love it. While you're at it, buy a moleskin or other journal because you won't be able to stop drawing!

Internet Famous

A Practical Guide to Becoming an Online Celebrity

by Cameron Chapman (Author)

Price: $5.99

Book Description

Internet Famous is the complete guide to making your name known online. With chapters covering everything from the basics of what Internet famous is to the different types of social media to creating your own plan to gain online fame, Internet Famous has all the information you need to become an online celebrity. Whether you want to be famous to help sell a product or service, to promote a cause, or just because you want people to know who you are, this book will give you all the tools you need to make it happen.

Layers

The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature

by Matt Kloskowski (Author)

Price: $29.69

Book Description

When Photoshop guru Matt Kloskowski was asked why he wrote this book, he replied, “It’s simple: I wanted to write the Photoshop book that I wished was around when I was learning Photoshop”. You’ve always known that layers were the key to understanding Photoshop, and now you have a resource to show you exactly how. With Matt’s clear, easy-to-follow, and concise writing style you’ll learn about:

* Working with and managing multiple layers
* Building multiple layered images
* Blending layers together
* Exactly which of the 25+ Blend Modes you need to worry about (there’s just a few)
* Layer Masking and just how easy it is.
* Using layers to enhance and retouch your photos
* All of the tips and tricks that make using layers a breeze.

If you want to finally understand layers in Photoshop, this book is the one you’ve been waiting for.

Customer Review

(amazon)
I'm one of those Photoshop users who knows too much to want to read a book mainly for beginners, not because of ego considerations but because I would be bored and skip around. But there are also huge gaps in my haphazard Photoshop education. This book gives absolute beginners what they need without slowing down the more experienced user. It's long enough to cover what it aims out to cover without being so long that you look at it and say, someday I'm going to go through that book but not today.

I was attracted to this book because of who wrote it (I watch Matt's Killer Photoshop and Lightroom tips all the time), the topic, which of course is central to knowing Photoshop, and because of the great cover. I'm a small press publisher and believe me, covers matter. Many good books languish because they don't appeal initially to the eye. And a Photoshop book should have a good design. It's also well-edited, a welcome plus in today's publishing world.

Anyway, what's between the covers is just as delightful. I think the word I would use to best describe this book is methodical but not in a boring way. It's comprehensive, but the way it's laid out never overwhelms you. I know that when I go through this book a couple of times, I'm going to be flipping my way through layers like a maniac but a maniac who knows what she's doing and knows what layers can do for her.

And, I LOVE the last page of each chapter, the "How do I...." question and answers. It gives me one place to go to immediately find all those absolutely essential shortcuts and critical pieces of knowledge without which one wouldn't really be able to say they had a good basic understanding of layers.

Matt even has two companion videos on the book's web site and you can download all the images used in the tutorials there as well.

I may not be an expert in Photoshop (yet) but I do consider myself an expert on Photoshop books and this one is well worth the very reasonable price. Have fun playing with it; I am!

Art of the Modern Movie Poster:

International Postwar Style and Design

by Judith Salavetz (Author), Spencer Drate (Author), Sam Sarowitz (Author), Dave Kehr (Author)

Price: $47.25

Book Description

Critically authoritative visually stunning and physically massive Art of the Modern Movie Poster is the first and last word on post-WWII film poster design. Showcasing fascinating examples from 15 nations this collection of more than 1 500 exemplary designs is a must-have for film buffs design and poster aficionados alike. The posters are organized by country of origin offering an intriguing glimpse into each region's unique visual sensibility and sometimes unexpected takes on familiar films. Gathered from the renowned collection of the Posteritati Gallery in New Yorkóone of the largest holdings of international film posters in the worldóthis volume is the definitive survey of both film and popular graphic art in the modern era.

Customer Review

(amazon)
Huge book that tries to cram in every movie poster ever made.
This book is about the "art" of the movie poster. If you are looking
for a great film with bad poster art, it probably will not be in here.
This book is more than a book on movie posters, but a great book on graphic design! Anyone going into advertising or graphic design has to have this book! The only problem I have with the book is it's lack of coverage given to American and Independent film posters. I think there is way to much coverage given to foreign movie posters. Having said this, you will find that the foreign poster art really is amazing and gives the film a whole diffrent "feel" than the Americian poster art that we are used to. All in all, you will find poster designs for movies that you have never seen before. Last, but not least, the book is an excellent refrence/shopping guide to the wonderful world of movie posters.

About the author

User picture

Hi! I'm Paulo Canabarro and I'm here to post some really cool stuff for you, if you have any ideas or any requests please get @ me - paul0v2@abduzeedo.com you can also Follow me on twitter!

Sponsored Links:

Media Militia - Free Design Resources



Buy Abduzeedo T-shirts

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start ‘em early with the left 4 dead mobile

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

This is how you raise the bitchin’-ist child ever to toddle across a living room floor: give ‘em zombies from their first days in the cradle. Come the apocalypse, the kid that slumbers under a Left 4 Dead mobile is gonna be one prepared little zombie hunter. It’s either that, or completely immune to the horror of zombies for his or her entire life. I’d say that either way, that’s a win.

tb-left4deadmobile

I’m not even gonna lie: I am sick with jealousy that I did not think of this when my son was smaller, and distraught that he is now too old for mobiles. On the other hand, I sort of just want it for me.

On the other, other hand, I’m sure it’s not healthy for a baby if the parents are constantly yelling “Boomer!”

tb-l4dmobile2

The mobile is light and simple, with wonderful detail on the silhouettes, but for $30 (USD), quality is expected. And don’t think Etsy marketeer SaltyandSweet is limiting these creations to Left 4 Dead. Oh no, there are other zombie mobiles, too, and other games like Team Fortress are represented. But perhaps the most hilarious? Pirates vs. ninjas.

tb-piratemobile

Brilliant.

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taking steampunk hilariously far: the steampunk urinal

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

There are fancy toilets and then something beyond that, something reserved for the truly epic, the gold-plated, the toilets that come equipped with a cupholder… toilets like this one. Or urinals, rather. Or, uh, devices in the water closet. Whatever, it’s a steampunk urinal. Gaze upon it in awe (or abject confusion).

steampunk_urinal

I can’t help but think that this is where you go after the steampunk cake and a nice cup of tea. But of course, you can take your tea with you and urinate like a gentleman, thanks to the cupholder.

And just in case you needed to see this in video form, thankfully, the creator filmed the hot flushing action, just for you.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The tank is oak. That just seemed worth pointing out. And there’s a friendly laser guide so you’ll never miss… provided you’re watching every moment of the deed.

[via NerdSalad]

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wikireader: the world’s most semi-trusted encyclopedia at your fingertips

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Don’t you just love Wikipedia? Whether you’re a high school student writing a paper on some obscure old or dead person, a tech blogger who knows nothing about tech, or a lowly prankster who wants people to think, even for just 50 seconds, that the name “Microsoft” is really a description of someone’s primary sexual characteristic, the crowd-sourced encyclopedia has something for everyone. Now you can take (English) Wikipedia with you, thanks to the Wikireader. Unfortunately for pranksters it’s not possible to edit Wiki articles on the Wikireader. It’s not called Wikireaderandeditor, is it?

wikireader-1

The Wikireader’s interface, as you can see, was made to be as simple as possible. There’s a search button, which I assume brings up the on-screen keyboard when pressed; there’s also a history button which gives you a list of entries you’ve browsed, and a random button, for nerds who can’t think of anything better to do with their time. I’m sure my right index finger and the random button will be friends in no time at all.

wikireader-2

The simple interface,  predictive text input plus the fact that it doesn’t need an Internet connection makes this a must-have gadget for me. I think the device could use a bigger screen, but yeah I’m sold. WANT. Openmoko also claims that the device can last a year on just 2 AAA batteries. Actually that’s not hard to believe, considering it’ll only display text in black & white.

wikireader-3

You can get a Wikireader for $100 (USD) at the product’s website; a memory card containing with “over 3 million” English Wikipedia entries is included with each purchase. There are two planned update schemes: you can either download updates for free, or for an annual fee of $29, have the updates delivered to you in the form of microSD cards. While the Wikireader does have a Wikipedia entry, you’ll learn more if you check out it’s website instead.

[via gadgetizer]

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15 pixel video games

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Are you an avid gamer? Think you can still recognize a video game even if their graphics have been reduced to their primary color schemes? Want to see something so stupid it’s fun? If you said yes to all three questions, here’s one more question: what game is this?

15-pixel-street-fighter

Here’s the answer:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I swear when I saw that video I was insanely irritated; I couldn’t believe I spent 23 seconds of my life watching it. Then I watched it again. And again. I found myself shaking my head and smiling, then having mini-bursts of laughter. Stupid video. YouTube user gamecitynottingham (who’s promoting the UK-based GameCity Squared, which I think is kind of like a video game version of the TED Talks) reduced a couple more games to 15 pixels:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I haven’t played that yet so it just looked like a pink snake to me. Here’s the last one:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Can you believe that that was Parappa? Would you have recognized any of the games without the sound? That’s the fail right there. Stupid videos. Yeah let’s watch them again.

[via Level Select]

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dyson fan multiplies air, costs

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Unless the blades of your electric fan are quite dirty – mine are, need to clean them – I don’t think you’ll feel that the air coming from the fan is “choppy”. You’ll still feel that steady stream of air right? Dyson disagrees, so it invented a bladeless fan that uses technology found in turbochargers and jet engines to amplify the air that it sucks in. The result is a solid cylinder of breeze in your face. Or wherever the fan is aimed at.

dyson-air-multiplier-1

A motor at the bottom of the fan sucks in a tiny bit of air, which is then sent to the inside of the circle up top. The circle’s cross-section is shaped like an airfoil, and that plus a couple of forces that I barely understand but have a lot of respect for makes the air coming out of the edge of the circle get supplemented by the air behind and around the fan.

dyson-air-multiplier-4

Clearly “Air x 15″ is a good thing. No word when the fans will be available, but both the 10″ and 12″ models of the fan are already listed at Dyson’s online shop. The 10″ version will sell for $300 (USD), while the 12″ version will sell for $330. Unless these things are energy efficient, I don’t see why people with space to spare would buy an air multiplier over an air conditioner, which doesn’t have fancy jet technology but can cool the air in a whole room. Just saying. But if you’re interested, check out Dyson’s website for more details and videos of the fan.

[via likecool]

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@font-face Is Cool… But Does It Scale?

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Steve Souders

Our favorite ex-Yahoo at-Google web performance fast-driving all-around guru Steve Souders took a look at @font-face performance recently:

There have been a number of great posts about @font-face performance issues:

* Paul Irish: Fighting the @font-face FOUT
* Stoyan Stefanov: Gzip your @font-face files
* Zoltan Hawryluk (again): More @font-face fun

This blog post summarizes Paul, Stoyan, and Zoltan’s findings plus some very important discoveries of my own.

Among these discoveries is:

* IE doesn’t render anything in the page until the font file is done downloading.
* In all major browsers, ...no files were blocked [by font downloads].
* Busy indicators... are triggered [differently in each] browser

Steve also found that IE and Chrome didn't time out in their attempts to download a font, meaning in the case of the former that the page never displays while waiting for the font, and in the latter that the text doesn't display.

Steve's conclusions are interesting:

* Only use @font-face is you’re absolutely certain you need it.
* If you have multiple font files, consider sharding them across multiple domains.
* Don’t include unused @font-face declarations - IE will download them whether they’re used or not.
* Gzip the font files and give them a future Expires header.
* Consider lazy loading the font files, at least in IE.

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