1. 21 May 2013



    The only thing you'll need to read about the Tumblr / Yahoo deal

    From Marco Armen, co-founder of Tumblr:

    Tumblr is David, and David is Tumblr.

    A great read.

     

  2. 17 May 2013



    Billion Dollar-o-Gram 2013 - Information Is Beautiful

    Information is Beautiful just posted the new version of their famous Billion Dollar-o-gram, now powered by their interactive data visualization software Vizsweet.

    Go check it out now, it’s mind blowing as usual.

     

  3. 16 May 2013



    Cards ! Cards everywhere !

    For a company known for neither product design nor product focus, the importance of cards cannot be overstated: They are nothing less than a multiplatform panacea.

    It started with Google Now. Then came the first tablet version of Google Plus (still in my opinion on of the most beautifully designed iPad app by the way). Then Glass. And since yesterday, they are all over the place (music, maps, browser G+…).

    Google placed its bet on cards to display information whatever your environment is, desktop or mobile (and that is including Glass), which are working together more seamlessly every day. And I think this does a terrific job:

    • design wise, cards are a key component of Google’s new visual guidelines, which have now closed the gap with the competition in almost every way (except for stock Android which remains nothing less than ugly compare to iOS)
    • they are very good at conveying information, especially on mobile where they give your eye everything it needs to see quickly and effortlessly.

    Too bad Reader is going away, I would have loved to see their take on this one.

     

  4. 15 May 2013



    Google I/O first keynote is over…

    and wow, 3h30 of product announcements, demoes, and a Larry Page on-stage for a surreal talk about computers & web future, plus a Q&A session…that was brutal.

    you can watch it now there, and go right now check out the stunning new Google Music interface (the All Access streaming service that Google just announced for a sweet 9,99$ a month is US-only for now) and request your invite to test out the new Maps interface at maps.google.com/preview.

    no mention of Glass today, but there is 2 days left so stay tuned.

     

  5. 15 May 2013



    Google I/O 2013 is starting...

    Funky vibe in the room with moody blue and purple lights gently pulsing, electro music on the speakers. You could dance in here, if it wasn’t a conference center full of nerds wearing Google Glass at 830AM.

    For any major tech event, whether hosted by Google, Apple or any other major player in the industry, I usually find that The Verge liveblogs are the best.

     

  6. 15 May 2013


    This 3 minutes video from Playground offers a glimpse of what could be the future of Google Glass, or any other future head-mounted display rival, once the developers will have taken the technology we see today to its full potential.

    All the possible features that you’ll see in the video could be genuinely improving your day-to-day life. One of the most frequent criticism we hear about Glass is that it will come in the way of your social interactions and wearing them would make you a rude person. Interestingly enough, except for the sport scene at 2:25, none of this applies to any of the situations featured in the video.

     

  7. 14 May 2013



    Google I/O, the annual developer conference hosted by Google, is approaching, and you can expect starting tomorrow some serious #trending with everything Google is expected to unveil. You can find all the rumors that have been widely spread and discussed so far listed here.

    I have a few personal favorites that I’m really looking forward to:

    • Unified messaging service: for too long now have Google talk, Google messenger, Google voice cohabited on the Android platform. Google is expected to unify all of those under the Hangout label. It’s not clear however if we’ll see an iMessage-like service that could merge that with regular SMS. I’d also like to see an iOS native version with push notifications that’ll allow me to chat with my contacts on iOS as easily as I can with those on Android.
    • Gaming center: very similar to iOS own game center, this service would host all your Android (and Chrome?) based gaming activity, with score, progress and achievement syncing. It pains me that my gaming data is the only thing that I still can’t easily store somewhere in the cloud, so hopefully this is soon. to be over.
    • Push notification are clearly making their way onto the browser, paving the road for a Chrome version of Google Now. The more I use Now the smarter it becomes, so win-win!

    Anyway, let’s round that up on Friday.

     

  8. 14 May 2013



    Kering (former PPR) new identity

    The 18th of June, PPR will become Kering. Although not as iconic as LVMH, PPR is the parent company of one unique set of famous luxury brands, and this complete change of identity is something extremely serious and with a lot of implications, not the least of it being the new visual identity of the company.

    Here is Armin’s (from the excellent blog Brand New) take on PPR’s new look.

     

  9. 7 May 2013



    “I’ve lost all my contacts, please PM ur number”

    I’ve read that on Facebook way too many times, and it’s increasingly pissing me off. 

    Today, it is just not OK anymore to have something as important as a contact list sitting on a standalone device, and not keeping it in sync with one of the millions services that are available out there. Some of your friends won’t mind the occasional FB status like the one titling this post (I sure as hell will), but what do you do once you’ve lost all your work-related contacts?

    So I hope this will come as obvious for you, reader, but if we assume your phone remains the main input device for any new contact:

    • it’s an iPhone, use iCloud
    • it’s an Android, use Google Contacts
    • it’s a Blackberry: I don’t know, I’ve never used one, but you are one Google search away from your solution
    • it’s a Windows Phone, use Outlook contacts
    • it’s still a feature phone, put them on your SIM card and your carrier will keep them in sync

    And if you don’t know how to do any of this, please have me know and I promise it’ll be my pleasure to guide you through it. Teach a man how to fish…

     

  10. 7 May 2013



    Introducing the YouTube Trends Map

    Are teens in the South watching the same videos as middle-aged folks in New England? Now with the YouTube Trends Map (YouTube.com/TrendsMap), you can see today’s most popular videos in major markets across the U.S. You can also see what’s popular with women or men, as well as by different age groups.

    I’ve played with it, and find it both useful and very well thought-out.

    I cannot wait for this to be available worldwide,