iTypewriter

Longing for the nostalgic clickity clack sound of typing keys on a typewriter? The concept of the iTypewriter accessory by industrial designer Austin Yang, tries to mix the clunkiness and noise of a retro-style typewriter with the new technology and sleek design of Apple’s iPad tablet.

The designer explains the concept for the iTypewriter prototype in his own words:

“It is a typewriter for the ipad. Users can enjoy the old feeling of typing and also the lastest technology…People could be able to recollect old experience and memory by familiar appearance and haptic feedback. Instead of stroking on the screen with no feedback…User can experience the physical strength transfer from the keypad and the movement of each key.”

—Austin Yang, on the iTypewriter

(discovered via mashable, hear the slow typing via youtube)

Sir James introduces the new Dyson Hot fan heater with “air multiplier technology”

As Steve Jobs officially resigns as Apple’s CEO, I’m less interested in reading about the succession plan for Apple and the percentage the company’s stock is dropping only hours after reading his letter.

To remember just how much innovation Steve Jobs contributed to the world of technology and design, the Wall Street Journal has pulled together images in their feature Personal Media Pioneer: Steve Jobs. Gizmodo highlights The Life of Steve Jobs—So Far with old photographs, ads, and a lengthly timeline. In 1986, “Jobs buys Pixar out of Lucasfilm’s computer graphics group for a discounted price of $10m—$5m of which will be used for operations—so that Lucas could finance his divorce without selling Star Wars stock.”

In the 1970s, Jobs also worked at Atari as a technician. PodTech has an interesting podcast with Atari’s co-founder about the experience of working with Steve Jobs.

(above photo c. early 1980s)

“Another Frigidaire Space Age Advance” ad from Life magazine c. 1966
(discovered via Wishbook)

the BookBook Case for your MacBook, by TwelveSouth
(discovered via Gizmodo)

“If print is dead then this is a very long goodbye”
(via the johnson banks thought for the week)

“The Decade in Design: Ten years of Apple starchitects, and design for change”
(via GOOD)

“21 Things That Became Obsolete This Decade”
(via nytimesbits on twitter, via the business insider,
photograph of phonebook via Wallula Junction)

“How 3.6 Zettabytes of Data Get Consumed”
(discovered via Gizmodo)

Pentagram’s UI Design & Identity for the Litl, ”an innovative new web computer, or webbook, that marries the communication functions of a laptop and TV…”
—via Pentagram

“Electronic Manhole Cover” designed by Cheolyeon Jo & Youngsun Lee
(discovered via ubergizmo)

“Apple Tablet Will Restore Comic Books To Former Glory…” via Gizmodo

“Creative Review magazine is the first magazine anywhere to trial a new packaging material called harmless-dissolve which was created in the UK by Cyberpac…”
—CR’s incredible dissolving bag (via Creative Review)

I’ll need to see this in person. But till then CR blog has photos of the process and step-by-step instructions to dissolve the bag.

redesignrelated:

The Technorati.com redesign aims to regain authority:

(before - 2008)

(after - Oct. 2009)

Technorati.com announced the launch of its new redesign on Oct. 14, 2009, quoting comScore for their raking as the fifth largest social media property.

There’s no lack of the color green on the site for their launch, with the content and advertisement reflecting the use of the color on the site. We can’t help but think that this was intentional, and, if so, we find it clever. Either way, there’s no denying their generous use of the color.

In addition to search upgrades and new, original content from bloggers, the Top 100 got a nice update adding “topical authority,” where blogs are ranked within their respective categories.

via cnet

“One Hour Design Challenge: The Future of Digital Reading”
(discovered Core77)