Radar – What ZJ Likes on The Internet
A Venn Diagram clock! Just when I thought that clocks were totally obsolete because everyone’s already on their hand-held digital thing that has a constant meter of time/their BMI/the weather/their sign’s chances of love, this thing comes around! Let’s hope it doesn’t tick loud. Read more on Fast Company.
Gizmodo has an essay called “Facebook is AOLifying the Internet – And that Sucks” today, capped off with this illustration that toes the line between awesome sketch skills/meh design (kind of like Sam Spratt’s portfolio). Despite making the faux pas extraordinaire of calling Facebook statuses (stati?) rip-offs of Twitter (it’s actually the other way around, snort, snort), the essay draws an interesting comparison between the two services.
“News like Warner Bros’ decision to rent movies—starting with The Dark Knight—directly through Facebook. News like Rovio putting Angry Birds onto perhaps the only platform other than my dead grandfather’s typewriter that doesn’t yet support it—yup, Facebook. … Facebook is reaching its tendrils into every single thing we like about the internet, far, far beyond the actual reasons we rolled up to Zuckerberg’s site in the first place.”
Despite bringing up something that we all should have thought of but didn’t, I’m still wary of this comparison. The biggest difference between the two services is that Facebook is free and AOL wasn’t. So when no one needed AOL for dial-up, the $10/month or however much just wasn’t worth it to access the webspace aesthetic that AOL had created.
Wired reports on the new iOS update, which is going to be, uh faster. I feel like current releases from Apple, other than the iPad 2, are decidedly “pro” rather than “consumer.” I read about them and think, “Ah yes, uh, processor! Graphic speed?” This article literally ends in a chart of numbers. (Not that I don’t love Wired magazine and everything it does.)
It’s a big win for the whole world when affordable store brands have well-designed packaging. I love this redesign of Euro Shopper, by SEK Design. Read more about it on The Dieline.
Speaking of grocery store product design, every time I see Seagram’s Ginger Ale, I think “why?”
Answers welcome.
The Colophon Foundry lets you try out their fonts in different colors and sizes before buying them. It’s pretty fun to play with. (via FormFiftyFive).
Have a good day on The Internet!