Design:
- As screens proliferate in our lives and variegate from watch sized to wall sized, designers have the difficult task of making visual content that can maintain original intent and integrity across the spectrum. Beta Boston gives a glimpse at the app icon crafting process in particular.
- Users are getting fed up with overly noisy experiences of technology. One of our designers writes about designing for a quieter user experience.
- What kind of design problems are hardware-focused VCs hoping to see startups take on? Chris Quintero from Bolt VC gives their perspective on the missing market sectors they want to see better served.
(Dis)trusting Technology:
- The Wall Street Journal covered piracy concerns around 3D printing and the money-making making machine that is Hollywood merchandising. We think the relatively high cost per part with current 3D printing tech means the threat is overblown, but in the longer term companies will need to think about how to engage their customers through more creative means than selling plastic souvenirs.
- Wired magazine revealed some scary security shortcomings of GM vehicles, amassive recall is now underway.
- The anonymous adultery website Ashley Madison is no longer anonymous after a huge hack scooped up all its users data. The normal PR recovery process of mailing notifications (and providing months to years of free credit monitoring) typically deployed by hacked corporations are off the table- as they would only exacerbate their problems.
Bias and Brains:
- Why do tech companies designing products and services for the world think that mostly white, mostly male teams are going to be able to do it when that's so far from the global reality? WBUR gets some personal stories of Silicon Valley's ongoing diversity problem.
- Multitasking is really, really bad for our brains. On Point also covered multitasking this week, in relation to how it undermines our long term brain health.