design

What makes a great font for a smartphone? Aside from legibility, is it its simplicity, its brand recognition, or the way it influences people's feelings toward the product? From neutral and casual, to just plain wrong, we sit down with Steve Matteson, typeface designer extraordinaire, to get the lowdown on the typefaces featured in Windows Phone, Android, and iOS devices.

Segoe (UI) for Windows Phone: The beauty in neutrality Before Matteson, current creative director at Monotype Imaging, designed the typefaces featured on Android and Windows Phone devices, he created the aggressive lettering for Microsoft's Xbox (which was aimed … Read more

After reviewing the bold but polarizing Razer Blade gaming laptop, we were inspired to discuss whether Razer's gamble made sense for a laptop debut, or whether Razer should have pursued a more conventional approach with its first system. We go a few rounds, in which we discuss the Blade's ultrathin form, the second-screen Switchblade user interface, and the value of design versus performance.… Read more

No one outside the font world will recognize Steve Matteson. No one on the street will ever stop him and ask for an autograph, despite the fact that his designs are seen by millions of people around the world.

If you ever used Windows Vista, read off a Barnes & Noble Nook, or played a game on an Xbox, Matteson's work has already reached your eyes. Open a Word document in your computer and pull down the font menu. He is there -- nestled in Andale Mono, Cambria, and Curlz.

But it is his contributions to two mobile phone … Read more

As I wrote back in February, Waterfield Designs, which is known for its laptop and tablet cases, has made a surprise early entry into the Sony PS Vita market with a trio of case options.

Two of the models, the minimalist Vita Suede ($12 or $15 with stretch pocket) and the PS Vita Gear Pouch Pro ($45) became available shortly after the Vita launched.

Meanwhile, the PS Vita Case ($49), which has a leather flap and is the best of the bunch, has now shipped -- but the first batch is gone. … Read more

Has it ever taken too long to get your images from the "official" photographer at an event? Well, that wait could be over if the Apollon comes to fruition.

Created by Dutch product designer Gordon Tiemstra as a school master's project, the Apollon lets multiple users with the same camera capture and share images. For example, Apollon camera users can sync their cameras and the day's images would be recorded in all Apollon cameras that are connected in some sort of wireless network.

The cameras can also be used in concert to capture panoramas that can then be stitched together with special software. From the looks of it, the shooter is equipped with its own remote, too. … Read more

It looks like Adobe Systems has some more convincing to do when it comes to the Creative Cloud, the company's subscription for software and online services due to arrive later this year.

A survey of creative professionals by analyst firm Jefferies & Co. and CNET showed that people have concerns about the Creative Cloud and its price of $600 per year for individuals and $840 per year for corporate users.

Specifically, 41 percent said that they had a negative view of the Creative Cloud compared to 32 percent who expressed a positive view. Beyond that, 62 percent of respondents … Read more

If Jell-O could sing, what sort of a delicious opera might come about?

Working with technology that's used in touch screens, two French design students have created a toy that playfully answers that question.

With "Noisy Jelly," kids (or abnormally sound-obsessed adults) mix up some gelatin, add a little "musical coloring," pour it in a mold, place the resulting forms on a special board, and then "play" the jelly with their fingertips (as you'll see in the video below).… Read more

Ever wonder how many years of your life you've spent learning new software (or wasted having to relearn supposedly improved programs)? Yeah, it's a grim thought, and one that Canadian sculptor Maskull Lasserre may well have had in mind when he conceived his piece "Incarnate (Three Degrees of Certainty II)."

For the work, Lasserre clamped together a collection of old computer manuals and used a hand grinder and a rotary tool to carve a frighteningly realistic skull from their pages.… Read more

TED, the esteemed nonprofit organization and popular video-driven Web site, has brought its TED Talks to Android devices. With the official TED app, you can now browse and watch more than 1,000 TED Talks from the organization's popular TED Conferences while on the go.

If you're not familiar with TED, it's a nonprofit organization devoted to "Ideas Worth Spreading." While it may sound a bit hokey, TED produces annual conferences featuring some of the most brilliant speakers from around the world. These speakers often cover topics like technology, entertainment, design, science, and social justice. … Read more