Around the Web
WhatTheyThink's weekly miscellany
Around the Web: Of Books and Bots
New book “Empire of Ink” is a look at the history and mythology of the American newspaper. A hacked smart lightbulb provides access to banned books. A digital archive reassembles Leonardo da Vinci’s long-cut-apart notebooks. Michelangelo’s secret underground hiding place—complete with the artist’s graffiti. Marie Antoinette may have been history’s first influencer. A worn copy of a 1912 pulp magazine featuring Tarzan sold at auction for $58,560. New book, “The Graphene Handbook - Making Sense of Graphene at Its Inflection Point.” Visa is integrating its payment network into ChatGPT, which should be fun. A humanoid robot plans to climb Everest. A designer who specializes in chairs without legs. Did a flying monk see Halley’s Comet…twice? The British geologist whose goal was to eat as many different animals as he possibly could. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Food and Feynman
A book designer who specializes in spine design. The Chinese postal service is using humanoid robots to sort packages. An amusingly overproduced Day Display. Allen Ginsberg’s spoken-word poetry recitation album is being reissued. The winners of this year’s World Food Photography Awards. A retired geneticist launched the online Museum of Plugs & Sockets. A viral warning about a new gas station scam is actually a hoax. What is the world’s longest domestic flight? Aw, et tu, graphene: Skeleton Technologies launches graphene-based GrapheneUPS for AI data centers. What is the quietest spot in the U.S.? Researchers finally cracked Richard Feynman’s “Restaurant Problem.” Malaysia’s kek lapis Sarawak is perhaps the world’s most complex cake. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Type and Tuna
Cheezy Snack is a cool retro typeface. The art and artistry of gyotaku, or fish printing. Don’t tell Prince: purple doesn’t exist. Next week’s NYC Zig Zag Festival is designed to be a “visual bridge between Italy and the United States.” A supposedly independent, locally owned news publication was actually all AI-generated. Some once-essential analog technologies that have been replaced by digital alternatives. Periodic Table D120 is a 120-sided die that contains all the known elements of the periodic table. A graphene-based cooling headband. Amazon’s AI shopping tool lets you search for items that don’t exist, for some reason. A unique folding chair design. Tips for how to win a tuna-throwing contest. Engineered algae could help solve our microplastics problem. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Water and Winners
A sign-writer created the visual style of music festivals. The “2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year” winners. AI appears to be catching on among the Amish. Sony has upgraded its wearable air conditioner. How to easily reuse produce bags. A complex digital water clock. A Nobel Prize–winning technology is able to extract water from dry air. Yes, it is possible to be allergic to water. Laser-induced graphene on Kevlar enables multifunctional structural composites. The “most desired” place in each of the 50 states. “The rise in plastic surgeons asked to create ‘AI face.’” K-pop band BTS has teamed with Oreo to release limited edition OREO x BTS Cookies. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Cook and Coke
A new film pays tribute to Roger Cook, designer of the standard Department of Transportation sign symbols. Dory Sign is a 5.2-in. E Ink display designed for small signage applications. Four men were convicted of smuggling cocaine in Xerox printers. An online gallery of phone booth photographs. Converting a hamster wheel into a phone charger. Putting AI in charge of a radio station. May 25 is Towel Day! Researchers develop ultra-sensitive graphene aerogel pressure sensor for flexible e-skin and wearables. How to tune rubber chickens. Could rice be the new graphene? “Vape sommeliers: the next frontier in fine dining?” Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Monks and Media
In Japan, a colored ink shortage has led a major snack company to decolorize its chip bags. The worst counterfeiter in the country was the most successful. Can an AI agent run a coffee shop? Digg (remember that?) is back—as an AI news aggregator. We all know “the house number font”—but where did it comes from? The world’s first ordained robot monk. “RIP social media.” GMG’s (not GMG Color) graphene coating boosts air conditioning performance. A chessboard that administers an electric shock to players who make bad moves. The American Oil Company’s (AMOCO) 1958 map of space depicted some of the unsolved space mysteries of the day—and some remain unsolved. “Scientists Think the Fifth Dimension May Exist.” An ice cream spoon automatically turns your cellphone to silent mode. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Balance and Bacteria
Correcting us about the Pentel 8 color pencil. An artist who transforms discarded cartons into “collagraphs.” Ask.com (né Ask Jeeves) has been shut down. Some “wearables” from 100 years ago. An electric vehicle available for under $100—but you have to be under five years old. Personalize the planet with NASA’s “Your Name in Landsat.” “Talkie” is a large-language model (LLM) that has been trained solely on text sources from before 1930. When in Amsterdam, be sure to visit Micropia, a zoo that collects bacteria and microbes. Plaid Technologies provides update on graphene coating initiative for drone systems. A meter-long robotic tail to help people keep their balance. Previewing “Project Hail Mary.” Would you eat a “perpetual stew”? Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: of Typography and Tornados
Typography as a conveyor of culture. Independent bookstores are making a comeback. A children’s book about city planning. Remembering the telephone memo pad. Why were there drawings of armed rabbits in Medieval manuscripts? The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is impacting the helium market. Positive results from trial production of graphene-enhanced roof tiles. An alternative to the traditional beach umbrella: a giant windsock. In the early 20th century, weather forecasters were forbidden from mentioning tornados. Tokyo’s Haneda Airport is implementing humanoid robots as baggage handlers and cargo loaders. AllBirds has decided to pivot from being a shoe manufacturer to an AI firm, because of course it did. AI food videos featuring animated, creepy talking foods. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Pencils and Prego
The Creators Coalition on Artificial Intelligence (CCAI) is a new organization established to define the ethical and artistic boundaries of AI in the entertainment industry. Why are pencils yellow? Japan’s Pentel has just come out with an eight-color mechanical pencil. The exact location of Shakespeare’s London property has been found. A special beanie can allow us to type by mind. A visual illusion called neon color spreading, in which the brain makes up color where none really exists. A $5 Bluetooth tracker gave away a warship’s whereabouts. A clock that “sorts the 43,200 times of day alphabetically.” Mark Twain had a longstanding rivalry with the Postal System. Patient recruitment completed for first-in-human study evaluating its graphene cortical interface. Meet the winner of the recent Beijing robot half-marathon. Prego, the pasta sauce company, is getting into hardware with a device that sits on your table and records dinner conversations. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Books and Beer
You can now buy physical books via Spotify. Swedish schools are reintroducing printed books. Dickens is a new tough typeface for these hard times. In the early 17th century, alphabet cookies were all the rage. Did you know the @ sign dates from the 1500s? A 1962 Japanese law effectively stopped deceptive advertising and packaging. Archaeologists recently unearthed 12,000-year-old dice. Doubling the energy density of a six-minute charging graphene aluminum-ion battery. Steampunk meets haute cuisine in a weird performance art/culinary event in France. A “garage door opener as a service,” because we are truly living in a dystopian hell. An experimental “vaccine beer” uses beer to deliver antigens that target polyomaviruses. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Clocks and Crayons
Our own Cary Sherburne talks with Terrance Barkan, Executive Director of the Advanced Carbons Council (né the Graphene Council). A short story written without using the letter I. Wite Out may have been invented 3,300 years ago. Beulah Louise Henry, aka “Lady Edison,” has 49 patents and more than 100 inventions. An overdesigned clock that makes it difficult to determine what time it is. Melting down 300 different-colored crayons and forming them into one, giant, mutant crayon. Remembering forgotten sites from the dawn of social media. Jenny’s famous phone number—876-5309—is now a cancer support hotline. Scientists at CERN have discovered a new fundamental particle of matter. Cloning a mouse one too many times. The horrifying “features as a service” model continues to tempt automakers. Is beer good for lawns? Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Elements, Eggs, and Escalators
March 10, 2026, was the 150th anniversary of the invention of the telephone. Using skull vibrations as passwords. When in Las Vegas, check out the Neon Museum. An office desk with built-in cat compartments. AI-integrated smart glasses for people with dementia that projects visual prompts onto the lenses. How did the elements get their names? Do sick addition with a high-end luxury calculator. Graphene-coated aluminum foil. An unlikely ally in the fight against climate change: beavers. Who knew that “ant trafficking” was a thing? When in China, take the world’s longest escalator—or, potentially, flight of stairs. The world’s largest Cadbury Mini Egg. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Books and Binding
A postmark no longer indicates the date a piece of mail was deposited with the USPS. What is “treasure binding? A publisher pulls a horror novel after it was found it was written with AI. The author of a book on grief, written after the death of her husband, turns out to have murdered him. A wall-mounted bookshelf with an integrated, adjustable bookend. Cryptic billboards are going up around the Bay Area. Aquarium staff name rescued sea turtles after fonts. A new spray-on powder that immediately seals wounds. The Wall-Lift allows a single person to raise a stud wall all by him- or herself. The plan to launch massive mirror satellites to reflect sunlight onto darkened portions of the Earth. An opera based on Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations.” Kraft’s PowerMac and cheese. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Games and Gears
In 2025, a designer created a new typeface every month. A box that can be assembled and sealed without adhesives or tape. The graphic design of Parker Brothers board games of the 1970s. Press-on acrylic fingernails that change color when an electric charge is applied. A robot worker in a California restaurant went nuts. Researchers at Cornell University have developed a Corporate [BS] Receptivity Scale. How different foods reflected on Shakespearean characters. Two words: liquid gears. Graphene enables biosensing of depression. How familiar are you with the floppy disk music scene? The number one nut in America. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Spam, Signs, and Studs
Get out your eggs: next week is the vernal equinox. Thousands of authors are publishing an “empty book” to protest AI firms using their work without permission. An AI-generated video purporting to explain Spam ended up creating spam about Spam. Reading can have positive effects on your nervous system. A new collection of 19th- and early 20th-century typeforms that inspired the work of Parisian sign painters. The color of a concert hall can affect how we perceive and enjoy a musical performance. A robotic appendage for humans based on the design of a centaur lets people become their own pack animals. A winter tire with retractable studs that automatically adjust to changes in temperature and surface pressure. A 3D animation of what Pompeii would have looked like before the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Graphene-liquid metal sensors unlock 3D force detection for robots. United can now eject or ban passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content. Good! “Food grammar,” or how cuisine obeys grammatical rules that vary from country to country. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Mark and Mermaids
Mark Michelson has been inducted into the Printing Industry Hall of Fame. A new traveling exhibition of 300 typefaces created by students from around the world. The smallest QR code ever created is only 1.98-square-micrometers. Saint Rita’s Amazing Traveling Bookstore and Textual Apothecary is an itinerant bookseller. The Pope discourages AI-generated sermons. Liquid Death and Spotify have created the “Endless Playlist Urn.” How heavy was the first ever 1 GB hard drive? Graphene fibers mimicking polar bear fur enable improved thermal management and wearable electronics. Do yourself a mischief with a pair of powered skis. Get in on the latest travel trend: mermaiding. (Mermaiding?) A daredevil, a parachute, and Devil’s Tower: what could possibly go wrong? New research has found that air fryers are safer for indoor use than other cooking methods. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Flongs and Furniture
“Flong Time, No See: Forgotten Stories of Printing and Labor” is a collection of essays about printing history. Recognizing the inventors of the cardboard stencil. How to write a cat font alphabet. Turning unusable, unrecyclable printed money into furniture. 3D-printed batteries could revolutionize product design. Know why you hate QR code menus? Because you *really* want AR menus. One of Thomas Edison’s least successful inventions was a “spirit phone.” A new process produces graphene from waste peanut shells. Egads, kids are bringing back archaic expressions. A man accidentally gains control of 7,000 robot vacuum cleaners. One small business owner is taking on so-called food influencers. Call the cardiologist: Dunkin’ is test-marketing new, 48-ounce Beverage Buckets. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany—bet on your enjoyment of this feature at Kalshi! Read More
Around the Web: Of Bulbs and Bubble Wrap
Ringing in the Year of the Horse. “Why should I bother to read something someone else couldn’t be bothered to write?” A romance author used AI to produce more than 200 romance novels, each one no doubt a classic. IBM will triple entry-level hiring for roles “we’re being told AI can do.” An artist is transforming a wheatfield into a giant photographic image. Weird inventions from 1940s science magazines. Thomas Edison’s 1879 light bulb has been turned into a mini graphene reactor. Waymo is paying gig workers from DoorDash to close the doors of its robotaxis. Bubble Wrap as inexpensive window insulation. MTV Rewind is an archive of the channel’s music video shows. Young men are turning to dog food for meal inspiration, for some reason. A french fry box with a built-in ketchup pocket. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Clouds and Cobwebs
Victorian valentines featured elaborate, mechanical paper cobwebs. This year, why not send Lego roses? The mass market paperback looks like it’s being phased out. Who coined the term “cloud computing” and when? Archaeologists uncovered evidence of an ancient culture thought mathematically—before numbers were invented. Happy 100th birthday, Schrödinger wave equation! What happened to the Mona Lisa’s eyebrows? Waymo’s Autopilot is just a bunch of guys in the Philippines. Japan’s office chair racing competition is as awesome as it sounds. A new approach to plastic surgery: “corpse fat injections.” A new option for a waffle maker. The Wild Cherry Pepsi SPF 30 Tinted Lip Gel. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s Friday the 13th miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Bowls, Binders, and Bricks
During Sunday’s Super Bowl, the NFL is testing a new system for giving vision-impaired fans the ability to “feel” the game. Dial-a-Poem is back! The American Sign Museum in Cincinnati is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a lavish book. Celebrating the New Deal’s post office mural project. Creating fabric fibers that are themselves computing circuits. “This page intentionally left blank” has been around for 500 years. The Zerowriter Ink is an E Ink-based electronic typewriter with an electrophoretic screen, a physical keyboard, and nothing else. Putting data centers in space is a bad idea. “Alaska Art Student Arrested for Eating Another Student’s AI-Generated Art in Protest.” Giant binder clips as fashion accessories. Lego and Crocs have introduced the Brick Clog, for reasons passing understanding. Uber Eats lets you create your own Super Bowl commercial. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Books and Batteries
Make your next vacation destination a “book town.” A unique piece of furniture that is functional and serves as a love letter to books. A company that restores vintage posters. A gallery of lettering found on pencils. An elaborate Lego typewriter (another one). The Doomsday Clock has now been set to 85 seconds to midnight. A faster-charging, safer alternative to Li-ion batteries. An autonomous robotic snowblower. Japanese researchers are developing an “ocean-safe” plastic. The dangers of the forever chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.” An artist created an animated interpretation of Genesis’ classic 1974 concept album “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” Coming this May: the Second Annual Wienie 500! Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Batteries and Books
A fully cellulose-based paper battery. 3D printing polymer microstructures inside a human cell. An Italian design agency on how to use AI responsibly. Analyzing stains on Renaissance manuscripts to see what folk medicine practitioners were experimenting with. The “Penguin Donkey” was an unsuccessful book storage unit designed in 1939. Researchers develop 3D graphene-derived blocks for improved conductive inks. On August 12, 2026, will the Earth will lose gravity for seven seconds? Custom print your own retro Blockbuster VHS inserts. A musical road in Hungary that plays a song when a car drives at the posted speed limit. Highlights from the 35th Annual Housekeeping Olympics. When did pie-throwing become a staple of slapstick comedies? “The most popular Super Bowl snacks across the US, according to Instacart.” Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Beaks and Bortles
Are mobile phones with physical keypads are starting to make something of a comeback? The haptic Momentum Calendar is “a physical manifestation of time.” Iceland’s rich graphic design tradition. A drone-based flying umbrella that automatically follows you. When in Burlington, Vt., visit the world’s tallest filing cabinet. We want these: new glasses can change their prescription on the fly depending on what you’re looking at. New 3D graphene nanomaterial for batteries. The 2020 pandemic lockdowns had an impact on birds’ beak size. An astrophotographer travels across the US to photograph the Milky Way at every level of light pollution. A startup is looking to build the first hotel on the Moon. A sushi roll that functions as a handheld snack à la push pop candy. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Frogs and Food
As of January 1, artistic and literary works created in 1930 have now entered the public domain—have at them. Print magazine’s Print Type Report 2026. A new study suggests how the enigmatic Voynich manuscript may have been created. A New Zealand public art project involving official-looking but tongue-in-cheek signage. What color is the universe? LEGO introduces a “Smart Brick.” New thermal paper coatings made from plant-based sources and not BPA. Some weird products from this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). An AI-generated police report said that an officer had been turned into a frog. Fender Audio to introduce graphene-enhanced headphones at CES. Ten celestial events taking place in 2026. Food & Wine’s “most-liked grocery stories from 2025” is an interesting benchmark of what was on the minds of foodies last year. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Slop and Sweaters
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year is “slop.” A design project that uses LEGO to create letterforms. A 3D-printed, working computer-controlled typewriter. Recalling Al Jaffee’s classic Mad magazine feature “If Kids Designed Their Own Xmas Toys.” How close we came to having a “space billboard” in Earth’s orbit. The Hawking Index aims to quantify the extent to which people don’t finish reading the books they buy. Syracuse’s snowplow-naming contest. When in Cleveland, Ohio, visit “A Christmas Story” House and Museum. Oh, Cary: Registration is now open for Graphene-Connect 2026! Confusing “elves” and “Elvis” leads to an amusing grade-school Christmas pageant. Microsoft’s “Artifact Holiday Sweater” is perfect for your next ugly sweater party. Try these <$5 stocking stuffers from Trader Joe’s. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Scaffolds and Supercapacitors
Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2026 is…white. A non-profit NYC group turns construction scaffolding into public art spaces. Performers personify the letters and characters of a Korean computer keyboard. Dude, a 3D-printed surfboard using a biodegradable plant material. A series of memo books designed to resemble the WWII Armed Services Editions. A new typeface that renders type unintelligible for “greeking” purposes. An inflatable alternative to Bubble Wrap for shipping art. A new graphene material increases the power and capacity of supercapacitors. A glue strong enough to tow a car—made from used cooking oil. Rankin/Bass animated special are synonymous with Christmas. When in Hamilton, Ohio, visit the Hollow Earth Monument. Cheez-It-encrusted turkey legs, for some reason. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Pens and Pizza
The Oxford University Press’s Word of the Year for 2025 is “rage bait.” A 14-year-old student modifies a traditional origami fold such that it could support more than 9,000 times its weight. Researchers have successfully developed a method to create “ultrablack” fabric. A litho print that features the names of prominent film directors orbiting in their own solar system. Why smart brands are returning to print. A history of the tarot deck. A spherical pen designed to resemble writing with rocks. A horrific Christmas mural created using AI. A new coating advances graphene-based brain interfaces. “Man charged with theft after allegedly swallowing Fabergé egg.” When in Tuscaloosa, visit the Hodges Meteorite. Pizza Hut lets you dress like a pizza box. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Cords and Kitsch
Personalized typography from design studio Rosetta. A new book celebrates the golden age of the “zine.” Using to E. coli to create sustainable, colored fabric fibers. An AI notetaker was really just two guys sitting in on meetings. An extremely durable charging cable was a Kickstarter hit. A compilation of some of the most kitschy items from the 20th century. The winner of this year’s World Cheese Awards. Yikes: in less than two decades, the Earth has tilted on its axis 31.5 inches. When in Paris, visit Foucault’s pendulum. A graphene lubricant achieves 13.8% fuel saving in an Australian charity rally. Train stations being reimagined as luxury hotels. Heinz introduces Leftover Gravy…in a squeeze bottle. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Clips and Cats
A new typeface inspired by Berlin’s wayfinding signage. In Victorian England, cat cartoons were all the rage—specifically, those of illustrator Louis Wain. An impressive paper clip collection has finally found a new home. An anti-package-theft mailbox. At Cambridge University, a project is underway to rescue valuable material from old, outdated media like floppy disks. For reasons passing understanding, someone decided to have AI recreate an episode of “Friends.” A sub-reddit worth checking out is “Funny Signs.” AI-powered robot dinosaurs because why not. A round-up of some of the most notable “non-water floods” in history. Graphene heat-transfer fluid. The James Webb Space Telescope finds a new moon of Uranus. Host Thanksgiving in something approaching style with the Butterball Turkey Pants. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Bandages, Beads, and Blood
How a rogue comma upended 19th-century tariff policy. Print magazine’s Steven Heller is bemused by a presumptuous bit of wayfinding signage. A look at “ghost words” that made their way into the English language due to typos, misspellings, or bad handwriting. Who invented the Band-Aid and how did it become a household word? Pig-faced women were all the rage in Regency-era London. With the Slopstore, AI continues to immeasurably improve our lives in every way. New nanobot “smart dust” is a boon to spying. A system for charging an e-bike through the kickstand. Graphene-based coatings for the HVAC market. The James Webb Space Telescope has found mysterious “dark beads” in Saturn’s atmosphere. A new fossil discovery shows that leeches didn’t always suck blood. Care for a toothpaste-flavored smoothie? Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Scares and Supermoons
Teal pumpkins raise awareness of food allergies and safe trick-or-treating. Scary movies can actually help soothe anxiety. A disturbing photo gallery of vintage Halloween costumes from the 1950s. A dystopian AI billboard. More than 200 years after Mary Shelley’s novel was written, why does Frankenstein endure? How well do you know the works of Stephen King? Why are there so many female ghosts? A man discovered that his smart vacuum cleaner was broadcasting a detailed map of his home. A graphene coating for aircraft stealth applications. Be sure to check out next week’s Beaver Supermoon. The world’s deadliest foods. TikTok’s “creepy cooking” videos. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of the Web and Witches
Part 3 of Ars Technica’s excellent “History of the Internet” series. The Typographer app aims to help designers test real fonts in real-world use cases. Google Japan’s annual wacky keyboard design challenge evokes a time when the rotary phone was king. Fascinating facts about maps. When in San José, try to solve the “the San José Semaphore” code. Scientists created viruses with AI-designed DNA that can target and kill specific bacteria. A new form of ice—ice XXI—can *gulp* be a solid at room temperature. A multifunctional electronic skin (e-skin) system based on a laser-induced graphene (LIG) composite platform. The role a person plays in school Nativity pageants has been correlated with their later success in life. Two “flying cars” collided during an air show rehearsal in China. In Salem, Mass., some consternation over how the 17th-century execution of innocent women has now become kitschy fun. Preserving family recipes…on gravestones. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Tapeworms and Tallow
An AI ad campaign in NYC may go down as one of the most extensive sign defacements in history. Not one, but two Amazon drones collided with a construction crane in Arizona. An unlikely 21st century caper: an international rare books heist. The Equal Earth Map attempts to accurately represent the relative sizes of the Earth’s landmasses. A futureproof electric outlet concept. Eliminate plastic waste with a hydrogen-powered plasma torch—yes, please! In 1955, Orson Welles looked back at his 1938 “War of the Words” broadcast. Email a Melbourne tree. And perhaps ask it, can plants do math? Try the Victorian tapeworm diet. The Gaia Space Telescope’s 3D star map. What are you going to be cooking and—ostensibly—eating in 2026? (We hope you like beef tallow.) Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Books and Bodegas
Merriam-Webster is releasing a new edition—the Twelfth—of its Collegiate dictionary. AOL is discontinuing its dial-up service (which still exists?). A walking 3D printer robot that builds walls. Turning discarded solo cups into textiles. What is the oldest letter in the Latin alphabet? “Inflation” in a different sense than we’re used to: inflatables, a growing marketing medium. Who was the first person to ever appear on television? A Beijing bodega staffed by a humanoid robot. Put your humanity to the test with a new online game called I’m Not a Robot. Graphene-based batteries to power next-gen drones. In one public restroom, watch an ad to get toilet paper. Would you pay $38 for a jar of Pamela Anderson-branded pickles? Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Cardboard, Cameras, and Carousels
A recession indicator with which we are unfamiliar: the cardboard box index. When was the first graphic T-shirt ever produced? We’ve all heard of novelizations of movies, but what about book coverizations? “Will you pay a premium for Montblanc's e-ink notebook?” The winners of this year’s Ig Nobel Prizes. Kodak has introduced the Charmera, a mini digital keychain camera. Samsung is unleashing refrigerators with video screens that play ads. A line of mirrors inspired by…baggage retrieval carousels? “Breakthrough for Organ Transplants May Be Realized by Turning Organs into Glass.” The James Webb Space Telescope found “strange dark beads” in Saturn’s atmosphere. In the late 19th-century/early 20th-century, watching train wrecks was the height of popular entertainment. Lost shopping carts have a very high carbon footprint. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Games, Graphene, and God
Strongbow hard cider is integrating NaviLens codes into its packaging to help the visually impaired. A contender for the world’s most boring book. “A powered boxcutter that slices through even dual-layered cardboard with little effort.” Cologne and perfume designed for old computer gaming nostalgia, somehow. When in Manchester, N.H., visit the monument to Ralph Henry Baer, inventor of the video game. Media outlets unquestioningly repeat fake news about a “pregnancy robot.” Graphene defies the laws of physics! Terrific, now AI thinks it’s God. NYC rats have a distinct “language” and adapt their vocalizations as ambient conditions change. The fastest 100-meter sprint…over LEGO bricks…while barefoot. Competitive massage is apparently a thing. Yikes—having a late breakfast could be a death sentence. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Typewriters, Toasters, and Tarot
In 1937, a group of Dutch students created remarkable art using only typewriters. A 3D-printed business card embosser. An iPhone “leash” that lets you wear an iPhone—or vice versa. A new, unique print publication called “Inque.” A new, 4-inch diameter vinyl record format. A pneumatically height-adjustable candlestick. FAFO with a smart toaster that has 38 different presets. A multi-functional oven featuring graphene heating tech. A humanoid robot that loads a dishwasher without breaking anything. Tuscany’s Giardino dei Tarocchi, giant sculptures that depict the main figures depicted on Tarot cards. An upsettingly large number of mundane things used to be punishable by death. Red Lobster’s “Endless Shrimp” is back…sort of. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Ads, AI, and Aluminum
The Tactile Media Alliance is a kind of trade organization for touch-minded designers. A forthcoming book collects print ads from the 1930s. In Minneapolis, 60 knitting enthusiasts gather at a local cinema to watch a movie while knitting. Wikipedia has compiled a list of signs of AI writing for use by editors. A sign publication showcases the work of manual signpainters. Aluminum “sculptural” house numbers from a Dutch artist. reMarkable’s new Paper Pro Move, a pocket-sized version of its color E Ink tablet. A robot that can walk on water. Fashion’s brief flirtation with glass dresses. Graphene heat dissipation boosts performance of AR displays. VTV is a parody of the original MTV that collects the silliest novelty songs ever recorded. “The Secret to a Perfect McDonald’s Burger.” Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Caroff and Keyboards
Remembering the prolific and largely anonymous graphic designer Joseph Caroff. Marking the 70th anniversary of the “Guinness Book of Records.” News editors band together and bring eight local Wyoming newspapers back from closure. “Before Hackernews, before Twitter, before blogs, before the web had been spun, when the internet just was four universities in a trenchcoat, there was ‘BYTE’”—now completely archived online. After 158 years, maybe the QWERTY keyboard layout is due for a refresh. How to “deliver a school wayfinding system on a tight deadline and at a low cost.” A monument near Grover’s Mill, N.J., commemorates a fictional alien invasion. A new graphene-based sensor can help diagnose diabetes and prediabetes based on a breath sample. “Radioactive shrimp”?!? Exploring the history of the medieval “Wound Man.” “What if there were a mole (the unit) of moles (the animal)?” The first-ever (and hopefully last-ever) Tomato Ketchup Smoothie. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Taxes and Toys
Denmark is eliminating its steep book tax to encourage reading. Ersatz signage letting time-strapped moviegoers know whether they can leave after the final scene without missing anything. A 90-degree stapler for securing packaging. The “limitless insight found within the limited space of single panel comics.” An artist upcycles objects like junk mail and pencils to create elaborately layered, sculptural pieces. Nineteenth-century Welsh singer Margaret Watts Hughes could “sing” paintings. A new generation of AI-enabled toys for children could be trouble waiting to happen. Graphene-enhanced workwear for women. Highlights from China’s inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games. Good grief—men are deliberately breaking their legs and having them lengthened in a bid to become taller. The moment we realize we did an AtW item already… How about…strawberry salt? Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Typewriters and Tattoos
Highlights from this year’s graduating class from Otis College’s Product Design program. A tale of two “typewriter artists.” A “robotic tattooing machine.” A pair of high-tech self-warming socks that, alas, worked all too well. Apple is changing the admittedly obsolete hard drive desktop icon in the next Mac OS. The sad story of “Wavy Dave,” a 3D-printed, crab-bot programmed to wave at other crabs. RealMe’s new smartphone features graphene cooling technology. Butter made from atmospheric carbon dioxide. The Incas’ string-based “writing” system was not just for the elite. “Why are farmers playing jazz music to cows?” Colossal Biosciences’ next “de-extincting” project: the giant moa. Kraft is introducing pizza-flavored Mac & Cheese—and they’ll even deliver it. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Pencils, Peacocks, Paint, and Poltergeist
When in England’s Lake District, be sure to stop by the Derwent Pencil Museum. If you’re looking for a unique movie, try 1966’s horror film Incubus, starring William Shatner and made entirely in Esperanto. Designers and other creatives are integrating AI into the design process without “relinquishing authorship.” Delivering vaccines via dental floss. Peacock feathers can emit laser beams! A coffee table with a live traffic map integrated into it. On September 2, 1882, William N. Jenkins took the first photograph of lightning, which revolutionized our understanding of it. An innovative graphene paint capable of generating heat through electrical power. A low-cost home colling option: smear yogurt on your windows. Life in a round house…that rotates. The perhaps iconic “Poltergeist House” is now an AirBnB. Wendy’s “Wednesday” tie-in is an Unhappy Meal indeed. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Triggers and Trash
Reasoning language models are easily confused by “query-agnostic adversarial triggers”—specifically, random mentions of cats. A customizable 3D-printed lamp. A round-up of five of the strangest books ever written, for your summer beach reading confusion. The New York Herald’s 1874 report on “The Central Park Zoo Escape.” A sidewalk artist turns a manhole cover into a waffle iron for a chalk-drawn possum and squirrel. Motorized trash cans that scurry about and cam automatically catch garbage in mid-air. Detroit has started using robots to pick up trash and provide other municipal services. A graphene-based brain-computer interface. The latest attempt at a practical flying car. “Radioactive wasp nest discovered at nuclear waste storage site in South Carolina”—a 1950s scifi movie maker’s fantasy. An etymological exploration of perhaps the most important word in the English language: “dude.” Battery-flavored tortilla chips, for some reason. RIP, Tom Lehrer. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Signs and Singapore
A designer is entranced by the creator of colorful, handmade signs. Polaroid is promoting their new camera by tapping into “tech fatigue.” Print is not having a renaissance—because it was never dead to begin with. Ali Akbar, 72, is Paris’ last remaining newspaper hawker. To celebrate Singapore’s 60th anniversary, the National Museum of Singapore is exhibiting the country’s largest LEGO mural. Despite their reputation, the USPS was on the cutting edge of many new technologies. A ridiculous idea to use smart glasses to block physical ads. A temporary tattoo that can quickly tell you if someone has spiked your drink. Graphene Manufacturing Group is granted a battery patent. An all-terrain motorized bed. Limited-edition Guinness-flavored ice cream. RIP, Ozzy! Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Bayeaux and Bourbon
The Bayeux Tapestry is headed to Britain for the first time in 900 years. Digital outdoor signage that can automatically detect spine problems as people walk past it. Which was invented first: the photocopier or the fax machine? The very creepy sounding “Skincase” is a smartphone case that almost perfectly simulates human skin. A kind of “buoy” for smartphones that get dropped in water. How long would it take for robotaxis to become profitable? A graphene-based artificial tongue displays near-human sense of taste. Constructing the table for the recent G7 Summit. Using radioactive cats to warn future humans. The first ever “Goatham 2025: The Great Goat Graze-Off” was held in Riverside Park last weekend. Why is there a curved bulge at the top of some pint glasses? Find out the winner of this year’s International Whisky Competition for Best Bourbon. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Keyboards and Cooking
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Qwerkywriter, a mechanical computer keyboard designed to resemble a traditional manual typewriter. Looking for a keyboard but don’t want to go the vintage typewriter route? Try a cheeseboard. The winners of Print magazine’s annual Print Awards, honoring the best in graphic design. Scientists use 3D printing as a kind of “evolutionary time machine.” A fake sign in Wales has become a beloved local landmark, for some reason. An emerging electronic display trend: large tablets on wheels. “Who makes a habit of sending strongly-worded letters to vermin?” A new book shows that not only was Agatha Christie a terrific mystery author but also a brilliant science communicator. A graphene-based self-healing skin-like electronic material. The world’s oldest boomerang was not Australian and did not return to the thrower. A pennyfarthing motorcycle made from tractor parts. Care to try Ernest Hemingway’s hamburger recipe? Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Cook and Connectivity
Filmmaker Doug Wilson’s Linotype odyssey didn’t end with “Linotype: The Film.” The University of Florida’s Baldwin Library offers a digital archive of more than 10,000 historical children’s books. IEEE 1394, aka FireWire, the original computer connectivity standard that was an alternative to USB has been effectively killed. What does the Grateful Dead have to do with the Internet? Volvo’s idea of “smart seatbelts” doesn’t sound daft. ChatGPT loses to Video Chess, a 4KB chess game for the 1970s-era Atari VCS. AI has now “infiltrated” the perfume industry and it’s gotten up some people’s noses. A graphene-based food contamination detection platform. When on Martha’s Vineyard, visit the “Jaws Bridge.” Scientists recently confirmed that the shipwreck off the coast of Rhode Island was indeed that of Captain Cook’s Endeavour. How was a renowned sci-fi author involved in the invention of Pringles? Five non-bagel uses for Trader Joe’s “Everything Bagel Seasoning.” Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Typos, Typefaces, and Tires
Meet Titivillus, “the medieval demon of typos.” Samsung’s new wireless, battery-powered color e-paper electronic sign. A new typeface that also includes instructions for handwriting. IKEA is switching from plastic to paper for its fastener bags. ChatGPT is perpetuating “em dash shaming.” A dating site that matches singles based on their browser histories. Smart tires can evaluate the road on which they drive. A graphene-based “methanol breathalyzer” to efficiently diagnose poisonings. “Stick Nation” is a community of stick fanciers that regularly produce “Official Stick Reviews.” Rosemary (the herb, not Clooney) may help in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Climate change is ruining cheese. Carnation collaborated with a TikToker to launch “Kickin’ Jalapeño Flavored Evaporated Milk,” a move applauded by the makers of Pepto-Bismol. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Bots and Bacon
Part 2 of Ars Technica’s three-part “History of the Internet.” Nashville’s Hatch Show Print’s “huge format” letterpress press. “‘Necrobotics’ turns dead spider corpses into biohybrid robots.” A Vermont electrical engineer buys secondhand payphones, rewires them, and offers free, public telephone service for those without cellphones. When in Vienna, be sure to visit The Third Man Museum. Physicists used nanolithography to create the world’s smallest violin. Graphene foam communicates with cells to help induce cartilage formation. Feno is a “toothbrush” that supposedly brushes all your teeth simultaneously. Robot kickboxing is now a thing. Using a 10,000-psi pressure washer to slice fruit. A clever mashup of Big Bird inserted into iconic scenes from Hitchcock’s The Birds. The “Baconator Cheez-It” combines the Cheez-It cracker with Wendy’s bacon cheeseburger. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Blue Books and Brains
A old monograph on goldfish was sold auction in 2022 for $36K. Graphene-based packaging extends the shelf life of instant rice. The rise of AI cheating in schools is spiking sales of “blue books.” What English word has the most definitions in the OED? A horror story told through Yelp! reviews. A new technology that will let users control their iPhones with their minds. An “e-tattoo” can warn users of potential cognitive overload. A Microsoft-backed “no code” AI startup turns out to be humans based in India. A new design makes doorknobs confusing. In-curb chargers for EVs. A novel written without using the letter “e.” What is your favorite Spam flavor— Wait…Spam has different flavors? Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Bees, Blackmail, and Bags
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the National Spelling Bee. The tallest 3D-printed structure on Earth. 3D printing is having a positive impact in health care. When in Liverpool, visit the Liverpool Central Library—and crack the code on its entrance path. A compostable graphene-based grocery bag. The origins of “cringey corporate jargon.” An AI system resorts to blackmail. A portable e-paper-based air quality monitor. Night-vision contact lenses. The James Webb Space telescope spots the most distant galaxy in the universe. Six Oscar Meyer Wienermobiles raced against each other in the first ever “Oscar Meyer Wienie 500” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Yes, Birthday Cake Trash Bags Are Real.” Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Type, Tissue, and Typos
Use a “hamburgerfont” to check out font pairings. The Chicago Sun-Times prints summer reading list full of fake books thanks to AI. “The sole prototype of the first Chinese typewriter was discovered in a new york basement.” How paperback books upended the publishing industry. Semicolon use is declining dramatically. Jaguar’s botched rebrand. Human tissue can apparently be used for computing. Graphene-enhanced zinc-ion batteries are a safe, scalable, and high-performance energy storage solution. Voyager 1, launched almost 50 years ago, is still out there, and NASA engineers managed to bring the spacecraft’s old thrusters back to life. Two words: “salmon cannon.” Foods that always need to be spell-checked. Norm! Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Bugs and Business
Advice for creative businesses in a time of uncertainty. Wrapping paper that makes gifts look like bread. A celebration of the life and works of Thomas Hardy to take place at Stonehenge. The book “Insectopolis: A Natural History” is a masterwork of history, science, and design. Visit the oldest public library in the Americas. “Is a smart toaster worth it?” Find out what your cat is saying by using…CatGPT. A comprehensive graphene handbook is now available. A video of a robot seemingly attacking two workers. Who (or what) better to offer thoroughbred betting advice than a race horse? A chess set whose pieces resemble sushi. Krispy Kreme celebrates the 45th anniversary of Pac-Man. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Bots and Booths
Why not fill a 3D printer with Nutella for that perfect bread spread? A painting mushroom. A creepy, humanoid housekeeping robot. The RoboFood project, which aims to develop a new generation of edible robots and intelligent food, for some reason. A village in the UK fought to keep its phone box. The Wind Phone: a non-functional phone booth that memorializes the deceased. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” What exactly is graphene anyway? A new study confirms that it’s possible for life to exist on Saturn’s moon Titan‚ but (spoiler alert) incredibly unlikely. Su filindeu is the world’s rarest pasta. What if, instead of the moon, a giant banana orbited the Earth? Dunkin’s new summer beverage lineup. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Pens, Pencils, and Plants
3D-printed functional “houseplants.” A desktop UV printer that can produce textured prints. A pen that folds into the form factor of a credit card. a new book. Caroline Weaver’s new book “The Pencil Perfect” takes a fun look at the history of the pencil. A pencil sharpener from the 1890s work as well as any more modern sharpener. Target’s new line of wine uses paper bottles. The evolution of NYC subway map design—and the newest iteration. Newly uncovered evidence that Shakespeare’s wife lived with him in London. A Doom-like game that fits inside a QR code. 3D-printed graphene composites for efficient ice control applications. The James Webb Space Telescope takes a close look at the “city killer” asteroid that recently menaced us. Perfect for Mother’s Day (?): a 14-karat Kraft Macaroni necklace. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Hues and Holes
Scientists claim to have discovered a hitherto unknown color. London-based publisher The Folio Society is launching “The Art of Folio” exhibition. Did you know that you can mail potatoes without packaging? “Why do AI company logos look like buttholes?” A new book from Phaidon looks at mid-20th-century design. Using graphene to develop world’s fastest Flash memory device. Lyft can now provide transcripts of your private conversations. A stable Dyson sphere may actually be possible, which you were no doubt worried about. An LED-equipped drone can provide portable lighting. Some colorful characters from the history of the Papacy. Fermenting miso paste in space. 5-Hour Energy’s Caffeinated Hot Sauce. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of OpenAI, Old Victorians, and Oysters
Ars Technica just launched a three-part “History of the Internet.” Archaeologists may have found the oldest calendar known to humans. A new study shows that if you want to sell more books, get it banned. OpenAI’s latest image generator makes it easy to create fake receipts. Upcycling fabric waste into useful household items. Removing “forever chemicals” with graphene. Thomas Edison recorded Victorian celebrities to promote his phonograph. In-car infotainment screens may be on the way out. Recreating King Kong climbing the Empire State Building using drones. When in San Francisco, visit the Two-Headed Calf MOOseum. Using oyster blood to combat antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.” The “Sm’oyster” is a roasted oyster topped with chocolate, toasted marshmallow, and graham crackers. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Wolves and Water
A collection of 12th- and 13th-century books were bound in sealskin. The latest Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry inductees include…Brian Eno’s Windows “chime.” When in Japan, visit a 3D-printed train station. In one Japanese town, kids collect trading cards of grandpas. Looking to shake things up this Easter? Why not try some lost Easter traditions from yesteryear. Was the dire wolf really “de-extincted”? So it’s come to this: how to protect yourself against a robot dog attack. A concept for a ridable, four-legged robotic “horse.” A new process that could replace copper with graphene in integrated circuits. A countertop device that harvests water from the atmosphere, suitable for drinking or cooking. Pepperidge Farm remembers…water desalination. Are we headed for a snackcession? Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Nuts and Nostalgia
A 16th-century collection of property records concealed in its binding a rare 750-year-old text on the legends of King Arthur. Did the decline of print advertising coincide with the decline of creativity in the ad business? A British window cleaner is trying to prove he has a priceless portrait of William Shakespeare. Using more environmentally-friendly materials for outdoor wear. Who wants a three-foot-tall marble bookmark? Upcycling hazardous chemicals into graphene. Ring Mouse is a smart ring that “happens to control your entire digital universe.” One of the last Radio Shacks is located in an actual shack—in Alaska. When did breakfast cereal companies stop putting toys in cereal boxes? The Blue Diamond Nutty Cruiser a 20-foot-long almond on wheels with a cannon that shoots almonds. The lyrics of the Gilligan’s Island theme song set to “Stairway to Heaven.” Omaha Steaks is releasing a meat-themed romance novel. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Desks and Data
A new history book called “Six Centuries of Type & Printing.” An exhibition showcases the beauty of book endpapers. Monochrome car wraps à la Pop Art comics. Painting murals using gardening equipment and a subwoofer. "The Savouring" is a desk that turns into a dining table (and vice versa). Vogue magazine’s new...economic indicator? Try playing some vintage word games. How much does the Internet weigh? Bogotà’s experiment with “traffic mimes.” A mechanical sculpture dramatizes the futility of trying to find the end of a roll of tape. “What pasta reveals about the universe.” Brach’s launches an official service that hides Easter eggs for you. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of White Lotus, Wars, and Watches
The design of the “White Lotus” season 3 opening credits. During the First World War, naval vessels used “dazzle” camouflage to dodge U-boats; now, new evidence as to why it worked. A solution to the horrifying problem of books that lean on a bookshelf. A line of Atari-branded watches that simulate classic Atari 2600 games. A “ruggedized” smartphone that’s water-resistant, has a miniscreen that can be detached and inserted into a watch accessory—and includes an earbud. What typeface would professional type designers want on their tombstones? A new performance of John Cage’s “Organ2/ASLSP” (As Slow As Possible) is slated to last 639 years. Jim Morrison is alive and well and living in…Syracuse, N.Y.? Graphene-enhanced roofing materials. “Mycelium foam” for more sustainable earplugs. Robotic cockroaches, for some reason. A plant-based egg substitute. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Posts and Puzzles, Packaging and Plants
Denmark’s state-run postal service is discontinuing its letter delivery service. Edward Tenner has a new book, “Why the Hindenburg Had a Smoking Lounge.” The Malling Hansen Writing Ball was an early typewriter, originally designed for the deaf. The oldest known puzzle is 11,000 years old. Here comes Generation Alpha and their love of…packaging? If you are going to rob a bank, practice your penmanship. An interesting documentary about timekeeping devices. An AI-controlled 3D printer cooks food using graphene. When in Connecticut, visit the Gaylordsville Spite House. Plants and mushrooms with bionic arms playing musical instruments. A clever Japanese strategy for clearing snowy roads using hot water sprinklers. Krispy Kreme has unveiled its St. Patrick’s Day collection. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Pics and Peeps
The winners of the 2025 World Nature Photographers Awards. A new middle-grade book tells the story of the iconic photograph “Earthrise.” A previously unknown version of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116. The New Yorker and J. Crew offer New Yorker-branded clothing. An app that will generate “CliffNotes” for nonfiction books. An AI bookmark will ostensibly summarize what you just read. Goodbye, Skype. A set of postcards and prints based on They Might Be Giants song. Graphene-based brain implants. Genetically engineered “woolly mice” are a step toward de-extincting the woolly mammoth. When on Cape Cod, visit the original site of the Marconi Wireless Station. Just in time for Easter, Peeps-flavored Icee. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Music and Motors
Attaching a typewriter to a piano to “type” songs. An apple tree plays guitar. Who hasn’t fantasized about having a book ladder? The potential private hell that is in-car advertising. Disturbing video of a flying car test drive. The new, ostensibly addictive word game called Bracket City. Graphene-based “smart pajamas.” The James Webb Space Telescope catches two planets in the midst of disintegrating. A wrist-mounted vacuum for hands-free snacking. When in Macomb, Ill., visit the birthplace of the board game Monopoly. Forget eggs: how about a $19 strawberry? Cook Nathan’s Famous hot dogs in actual New York City water. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Fonts and Fingers
“The hardest-working font in New York.” Print magazine’s 2025 Typography Report. Have you ever spotted the marble typo in the inscription in the Lincoln Memorial? A new Game Font Library is a reference that lets you find what typeface was used in a given video game. MapCanvas lets you print customized maps as posters. A new exhibition of “New Yorker” magazine covers. Ordinary marker ink can be turned into graphene. India’s highly specialized world of chess-piece carving. A simple way to turn a wine bottle into a candelabra, for your Liberace cosplay. Electric unicycle racing looks terrifying. Igloo is recalling some of its coolers because of “amputation concerns.” Yikes. Cheetos catches “pickle fever.” Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Mixers, Menus, and Memory
KitchenAid’s color of the year: butter yellow. An expanded version of Atkinson Hyperlegible, a typeface for those with low vision. A new type of origami-based packaging material. Apparently there is such a thing as “Affluent Millennial-coded packaging” and it’s torched, whatever that means. Are typos lethal in a work email? Uber Eats uses AI to create unappetizing menu items for an Italian restaurant. When in Philadelphia, check out America’s first-ever department store. Graphene-based semiconductor memory devices. A robotic desk lamp that can act like a puppy, for some reason. Perfect for Valentine’s Day: a man’s AI girlfriend encouraged him to kill himself. RIP Tom Robbins. Heinz collaborates with Grammy-winning producer Mustard to create a new kind of mustard. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Writing and Robots
A monthly postcard challenge. Letters have a molecular structure? Books written by humans are getting their own certification, because everything is nuts. When in Denver, be sure to check out the pre-Depression-era murals in the Mountain States Telephone Building. Glasses for the hard of hearing that transcribe spoken words. Graphene-coated drivers for noise-cancelling headphones. An upcoming Chinese half marathon pits human against robot runners. A new snow shovel designed to handle frozen tire tracks. Was Alexander the Great eaten by sharks? It is perfectly possible to ski on sand, and a resort in Bavaria specializes in it. No, we will *not* subscribe to socks. Harry Potter-themed Goldfish crackers. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Pinks and Pens
Is pink a color? A workshop for manufacturing imaginary books. A highly recommended “forever pen.” Cheetos launches a new handwriting font. Good news: “Matter will be better in 2025.” What was the very first photograph of a snowman? A new graphene filament for 3D printing. “Mercator Extreme” lets you have fun with geographic distortions. CVS makes the retail experience more annoying. The latest incident of a mob destroying a Waymo. An “AI-powered spice dispenser” because everything is insane. Dunkin and Native create doughnut-themed and scented personal care items. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Semiquincentennials, Sharpeners, and Soup
Finland’s Metsä may herald the future of packaging. Various events and Regency balls will celebrate the 250th birthday of Jane Austen. The National Archives is inviting volunteers to help transcribe and digitize handwritten historical documents. Walgreens’ ongoing battle over digital freezer door displays. The Royal Shakespeare Company is developing a Macbeth-based video game. A study underway in Canada is investigating the ability to control mobile apps with one’s feet while walking. Three words: luxury pencil sharpener. Scientists have created invisibly thin strands of “nanopasta.” A graphene-based radiator launches on SpaceX Falcon 9. A farm-to-table restaurant that makes its own bone china dishware. Mark your calendars for next month’s seven-planet alignment. Progresso’s Soup Drops are soup as a hard candy.Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Foods and Freebies
Another year, another set of classic works now in the public domain. Graphene-enhanced earbuds. Rao’s Homemade collaborated with a local artist for limited-edition pasta sauce labels. Play Tetris inside a PDF. Let the Morse Code Clock drive you into insanity. Two art prints depict the “weirdest and most wonderful things” NYC has seen throughout 2024. The “Adaptchula” is an adjustable spatula and not a versatile vampire. Self-driving cars can’t figure out construction worker hand signals. The romantic origin of the Goldfish cracker. A career change awaits you driving the Planters Nutmobile. Enjoy Cup Noodles ramen with a realistic squid fork. The erroneously named “pickle sandwich.” Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Of Resolutions and Robots
For 2025, skip resolutions; try a “theme.” Encyclopedia Britannica is going to become an AI company, sadly. Some, uh, highlights from this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Visit Tokyo’s Museum of Packaging Culture. Print magazine’s 2024 in typography. “Snackfishing” is now apparently a thing. Graphene-based e-textiles for early disease detection. A “modern” redesign of the cuckoo clock. A robot vacuum with a death claw! A penny-farthing motorbike. An LA man trapped in a Waymo. Win Lifestyle Bowls in a Chipotle-Strava challenge. Welcome to WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Relaxing Rocket. Seeing Signage. Design Destination. Famous Fyodor. Forgone Fine. Software Snacks. Farming Fiasco. Squirrel Shocker. Goldfish Galore.
Instead of a Yule log this Christmas, bask in the glow of NASA’s Rocket Engine Fireplace. Brown sugar is apparently going to be 2025’s Flavor of the Year. A recyclable paper wine bottle shaped like a bottle. The First Toronto Post Office is also museum, featuring a reading and writing room complete with quill pens. The New York City Sign Museum is now offering tours. Münich’s Design Museum features a new exhibition of classic children’s picture books. Fyodor Dostoyevsky has gone viral, oddly. AI is used to come up with new snack flavors. Heightened solar activity is playing havoc with agricultural equipment. Carnivorous squirrels! A panoply of new Goldfish favors. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly drone-free miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Lessons Learned. Packaging Profitability. Bottle Blue. Sign Sum. Relic Writing. Popemobile Power. Trekkie Torture. Hubble Hooha. Dish Destruction. Festive Fromage.
52 things we learned in 2024. An eye-catching bottle design boosted sales. Saratoga Water’s iconic blue bottles now have an official Pantone name. An unusual, mathematically challenged “welcome to…” sign. Rescuing relics from the now-defunct Type Archive in the U.K. Another week, another unearthed relic that challenges our assumptions about the history of language and writing. Mercedes-Benz’s new electric Popemobile. A one-time owner of “Star Trek” novelty license plates is swamped with speeding and parking tickets—and she doesn’t even own a car. What would happen if you actually did put a bull in a china shop? Whole Foods’ “12 Days of Cheese.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Hot Hue. Widespread Word. Cool Covers. Catalog Contraction. Ancient Alphabet. Imaging ink. Tiny Timepiece. Freaky Franks.
Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2025. The OED’s Word of the Year for 2024. Print magazine’s Best Book Covers of 2024. Print catalogs are getting smaller. A recent find uncovered the world’s oldest alphabet. Ancient Babylonian student’s math error preserved in stone for 4,000 years. A new technology can measure brain waves using electronic, temporary scalp tattoos. Graphene sheets used in a new technique for self-assembling electronics. Casio’s functional ring watch. A new Roger Dean exhibition. Sam’s Club’s “Holidogs” are not for the faint of stomach. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Packaging Problem. Travel Type. Stretchable Screen. Biker Blade. PlayStation Pizza. Heliotropic Hamsters. Condiment Card.
A packaging misprint sends Wicked doll buyers to a porn site. A demonstration of the first copier, invented by James Watt. Tracking down an unusual typeface. LG’s new display can be stretched from 12 in. to 18 in. An E Ink-based display for leaving notes for family members. Kurt Vonnegut had invented a board game—which is now available. The ancient Chinese roots of “rock paper scissors.” Graphene can dramatically improve the performance and sustainability of PET bottles. A windshield wiper for motorcycle helmets. Using a PlayStation to keep pizza warm. Solar-powered hamsters. Hidden Valley’s ranch dressing-themed Christmas card. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Bot Bonanza. Typing Torus. Pate Powder. Razr Reflection. Lunar Lasers. Solar Scooter. Kevin Connections. Aldi Advent.
A robot artist’s painting sells for more than $1 million. Google Japan’s Möbius Strip keyboard. An interesting approach to sustainable shampoo packaging. A tribute to the Motorola Razr. A question for the ages: if everyone on Earth aimed a laser pointer at the moon simultaneously, what would happen? A solar-powered motor scooter. There is an app for lucid dreaming. The “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” now has data! What is the world’s oldest organism? “Sandwiches from History” rounds up some old recipes. Aldi’s highly anticipated Advent calendars are here! All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Perishing Papers. Vonnegut Volume. Comic Controversy. Country Con. Precious Prime. Fromage Felony.
Several major NJ newspapers discontinue their print editions. A new limited deluxe edition of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-5. Comic Sans turns 30—is it time to reconsider its awfulness? New clues about the origin of writing. An elaborate and successful 19th-century scam involving a fictional Central American country. The new largest prime number ever discovered. A mathematical model that determines the optimal shape of a beer glass that keeps beer cool. In memoriam: Murray McCrory, inventor of the JanSport backpack. A wooden “artisanal satellite” has just been launched. “Your air fryer may be spying on you,” for some reason. A scammer steals 22 tons of cheddar from a London cheese shop. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Logo Library. Auctioning AI. Plonk Packaging. Damned Domain. Cryptid Carnival. Echo Education. Super Stations. Fitting Footwear. Future Food.
The Space Exploration Logo Archive (SELA) is a series of printed books celebrating 70+ years of space travel. Artwork by robot artist Ai-Da is up for auction at Sotheby’s. A study by the UK’s Wine Society found the most sustainable option for wine packaging, although we have questions. Did you know that domain names can be “haunted”? Reconstructing the face of a 400-year-old vampire. Johnstown, Pa., hosts the annual “Squonkapalooza” to celebrate a mythical beast. An electric scooter that uses a graphene-based battery. Get rid of autumn leaves with ease using a leaf blower mounted to a robot dog. Learn how to echolocate in 10 weeks. Fifteen “stunning train stations.” A line of sneakers that grow with your kids. Whole Foods’ culinary trends for 2025. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Real Raven. Nurdle Negation. Wallpaper Warming. Color Kindle. Code Controversy. Computer Chronicle. Runner’s Racket. Snack Sobriquet.
The inspiration for Poe’s “The Raven” A new line of sustainable wrapping paper. A paper-based alternative to plastic “nurdles.” A research project intended to “improve the reading experience for people with low vision through typography.” Electric wallpaper for home heating. The invention of the barcode was not without controversy. A 1968 Bell Labs computer documentary that inspired Stanley Kubrick. A simple, ingenious invention for runners: the Runbell. Goldfish—the snack cracker—is changing its name to “Chilean Sea Bass,” for some reason. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Type Tournament. Price Package. Drone Delivery. Mobile Museum. Absent Accordions. Screw Story. Food Fallacies.
Show off your mad typing skills with “Typing Bowl.” A German company print the price of its products right on the packaging. Delivering food by a robot–drone team. When online, visit the Mobile Phone Museum. An elaborate, Rube Goldberg-like snooze alarm. A graphene-based “electronic tongue.” The last French accordion manufacturer has gone out of business. Why is it called a “Phillips head screwdriver”? Many of America’s most “traditional” food recipes were based on marketing campaigns. New TikTok-inspired “smoked Cheez-Its” are coming. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Kafka Covers. Grass Graphics. Costume Chemicals. Time Trends. Comma Creation. Cassette Comeback. Morticia Menu.
Using Rapid Liquid Printing to produce a handbag. Lawnmower-based graphic design. The dangers of really fast fashion: Halloween costumes. A temperature-controlling graphene-enhanced jacket. Where did punctuation come from? Cassette tapes are becoming popular. The slow acceptance of wearing pants. Burger King’s Addams Family-themed Halloween menu. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Graphic Gags. Hail Hamlet. Leaf Lenses. Map Mural. Absent AI. Dorito Dye. Fixing Flakes. Car Ketchup.
Print magazine talks with a former graphic designer for SNL. A production of Hamlet based on Radiohead’s “Hail to the Thief.” Virginia parks provide special viewfinders so the color blind can leaf-peep. Making a giant mural out of a Google Earth Easter egg. The Moon is getting its own time zone. This year’s Lego Advent calendars are now available. According to the New Yorker, there is no AI. Cool. “Mice made transparent with a dye used in Doritos.” Making the original Corn Flakes recipe. VW’s Gewürz Ketchup briefly available in the US. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Viva Vice. Cloned Critic. Fitzgerald’s Flat. More Mozart. Globe Goofs. Hat Hating. Railway Rodents. Breakfast Bag.
Vice is launching a subscription service—and a print edition. London newspaper is resurrecting its deceased art critic with AI. A billboard-based art project. A robotic “impact printing” system 3D prints with clay. Who would have thought that 2024 would bring us new Mozart music? The oldest surviving globe dates from 1492 and is wildly inaccurate even by 1492 standards. A flying grocery cart. Graphene-enhanced asphalt goes on trial in the UK. When did people stop wearing hats? Jimmy Dean launches a tote bag that can keep your breakfast sandwiches warm. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Font Fracas. Singularity Soon. Data Display. Mesopotamian Meals. Pizza Profile. Eggy Equinox. Cellular Suspense. Taco Turmoil.
Have “fontroversies” become less common? Is the Singularity all that near? A three-day exhibition of radical data visualizations. The Campbell Soup Company is removing the word soup and adding an apostrophe. Make these dishes from the world’s oldest known cookbook. Have your resumé printed on Pizza Hut pizza boxes. Sunday is the autumnal equinox—get your eggs ready! How screenwriters of horror films solve “the cellphone problem.” A 3D printer designed to cut cardboard into cat scratch pads. When is National Taco Day, exactly? All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Darth Dreary. Horror House. Phone Folds. Misnamed Monitor. Toddling Table. Cassette Collection. Fridge Fashion. Insulation Initiative. Dew Deal.
The art of letterpress printing. James Earl Jones reads “The Raven.” “The year without summer” was great for Gothic horror. Huawei has introduced a trifold phone. The worst product name ever. The next trend in home décor: living furniture. An archive of audio cassette design. Good grief: “fridgescaping.” Traceable down insulation. Redesigning nail clippers. Trademarking “Mountain Time”? All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Cut Categorizing. Birthday Branding. Tech Tomes. Timber Towers. Bookish Burglar. Rapid Radiator. Sprinkler Sprayer. Doll Doughnuts.
What types of paper are best (or worst) for paper cuts? A simple quiz for gauging your color perception. Creating the identity for Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. An online archive of Radioshack catalogs. Milwaukee is building a second wooden skyscraper. An Italian thief stops to read a book mid-burglary. “Robot controlled by a king oyster mushroom blends living organisms and machines,” for your dystopian nightmares. A graphene radiator capable of heating a room in a few seconds. Lego is switching to renewable materials for its bricks. A mural artist who hacks lawn sprinklers to spray paint. Krispy Kreme is helping celebrate Barbie’s 65th birthday. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Poster Parade. Tome Typing. Apian Anniversary. Flash Flames. Bicycle Breaks. Debunked Dodos. Space Snacks.
A gallery of classic movie posters. Hone your keyboard skills by retyping classic novels. What is the first recorded human voice? Celebrate Burt’s Bees’ 40th anniversary with some branded merch. Need a laugh? Use the Jokephone. Nxylon, a new super-black material that absorbs 99% of the light that hits it. Turn a flashlight into a flamethrower. Bicycles can now be hacked. New research reconsiders the dodo. Climate change is making seafood toxic. Doritos designed for zero gravity. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Print Peril. Offline Onion. Toxic Tomes. Glass Guests. Inside Instruments. Plane Probe. Milk Mystery. Chicken Channel. Rice Room.
Another classic tech magazine shuts down its print edition. On the other hand, The Onion is re-launching theirs. Some books produced in the Victorian era contained toxic dyes. Glass bottles are not as sustainable as we think. Who’d’a thought staying in a glass hotel room would make one feel vulnerable. Stunning images taken of musical instrument interiors. Graphene-based 3D printing to be used in home construction. In search of the original Air Force One. Can thunderstorms spoil milk? Chick-fil-A is apparently launching a streaming service. A Rice Krispies Treat-themed hotel suite. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Sports Symbols. Mitigating Microplastics. Dud Device. Car Copter. Sprinkle Suit. Lost Letter. Martian Moisture. Cat Conundrum. Death Dessert. Gull Grabbing. Mayo Musk.
Olympic sports pictogram design. The first board game printed in the United States was a geography lesson. Graphene-enhanced packaging aims to reduce contamination from microplastics. The much-hyped “Humane AI” pin is a complete flop. A flying car concept straight out of James Bond. Found amongst Hurricane Debby debris was a WWII-era message in a bottle. Finding water on Mars (but no message in a bottle). Liquid Death’s sparkling hot fudge sundae water (not on Mars). A Scottish seaside food truck offers “seagull insurance.” Hellmann’s introduces mayonnaise-scented perfume. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Missing Manuals. Tooth Tech. Roaming Reference. Image Investigation. Viable Vectors. Owl Oops. Pigeon Plinth. Pretzel Perfume.
AI can replace user manuals. Creating a visual identity for a new park. Good grief: an AI toothbrush. A new device lets you access Wikipedia offline. A close look at JEG encoding. A Spanish church’s botched restoration. A new color E Ink display is a bit pricey. The Shaper Trace quickly turns hand-drawn lines into vectors. Converting industrial plastic scrap into graphene. The Minnesota Zoo’s owl–tiger problem. NYC is getting a giant pigeon statue, for some reason. Auntie Anne’s new scent smells like pretzels. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Burg Branding. Print Practice. Button Bandit. Punctuation Palooza. Dated Devices. Bug Banisher. Mallard Manager. Converse Cookies.
How to brand a city. Atlas Obscura is offering a two-part nature printing workshop. A Chrome extension that copies a button from every website you visit and saves it to a collection. Matching works of art with sports photographs. “Fuzzy graphene”? If you like old tech, be sure to check out OldCrap.org. For example: a Seiko smartwatch from 1984. A fly-repelling fan. Runners can train with a special windshield to help eliminate wind resistance. Meet the Peabody Hotel’s “duckmaster.” The latest in “foodwear.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Bead Bodega. Refrigerator Revolution. Chucking Checks. Trainer Tech. Automotive Audio. Cosmic Collision. S’more Story. Pickle Pastry.
Snack food packaging replicated using beads. A 3D-printed chair that is easy to assemble. The “Cold-Storage Banquet” of 1911 was the most frightening meal ever: it was the first to ever feature foods that had been refrigerated. Target will no longer accept personal checks. Nike is no longer supporting the app for its self-lacing sneakers. Electric vehicles make no noise, but are required to—what should they sound like? The James Webb Space Telescope captured two massive asteroids colliding in a nearby star system. A history of s’mores. Pickle cupcakes, for some reason. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Freeway Fix. Packaging Poetry. Tee Type. Singularity Sequel. Cap Conundrum. Supermarket Silence. Canonized Kid. Hair Horror. Pomme Pillow.
A renegade street artist fixed an LA freeway sign. “Blackout poetry” makes art out of packaging. “Why is soccer jersey typography so bad?” Ray Kurzweil is still planning to merge his consciousness with AI. A better design for tethered bottle caps. Why don’t Aldi supermarkets play music? A warp drive is actually a thing. The Vatican is about to canonize the first Millennial saint. The man who was killed by his own beard. Shake Shack’s new french fry body pillow. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Surreal Celebration. Text Tones. Drone Display. Lady Lexicons. Monument Mystery. Track Torsion. Fabulous Fence. Water World. Apocalyptic Appetite.
Logo redesigns to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Surrealism movement. The challenges of printing the entire Wikipedia. With Text2Color, type in a description of a color, and it will find a match. A company has found a way to attach fireworks to drones. Graphene to be used in next-generation military footwear. The secret chamber at the top of Mount Rushmore. Extreme heat is making train travel more dangerous. An openable privacy fence. Sunsets on the Red Planet are blue. The James Webb Space Telescope just found a planet that could potentially support life. Costco is selling aa $99 “Apocalypse Dinner Kit.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Trebek Tribute. Job Jeopardy? AI Apocalypse? RCA Wreckage. Screen Saint. Bubbler Boondoggle. Robot Rescuer. Reincarnation Remembrances. Pillar Pilot. Caffeinated Condiment.
A traveling exhibition that seeks to use typography and calligraphy to unite student work across different cultures and languages. Looking for a good ereader? Try the new Boox Palma. Alex Trebek is going to be honored with a postage stamp. One of the big concerns about so-called AI is that it is has the potential to take people’s jobs—but what’s the story so far? Is AI leading us to an energy apocalypse? What happened to RCA? St. Clare of Assisi is the patron saint of televisions and computer screens. Meet EMILY: a robot lifeguard. Are children remembering past lives? NASA’s trippy new visualization that takes you on a trip through the Pillars of Creation. 5-Hour Energy’s new caffeinated barbecue sauce. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Literary Lunchbox. Coin Composing. Spreadsheet Sports. Tarot Tales. Roman Routes. Fan Fashion. Flying Flivver. Probe Problems. Grilling Gurus.
McSweeney’s celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special lunchbox-themed print edition. Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 on a coin-operated typewriter. Inside the world of competitive Microsoft Excel spreadsheeting. The earliest known photo of a first lady. A history of tarot cards—which were only recently used for fortunetelling. The ancient Roman road network as a subway map. A wearable climate control device for hot days. New plans for a flying car. NASA reestablishes contact with Voyager 1—which has been hurtling through space for 46 years. DoorDash and Aldi promotion will give shoppers a BBQ tutorial with professional “grillmaster.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Dye Discovery. Clay Creativity. Collapsing King. Autocorrect Adversaries. Tape Talk. Machine Muting. Retail Riffing. Bee Brew. Pool Potable.
Trying to recreate a long lost “recipe” for blue dye. Costco is now only selling books at Christmas. A Polish artist works with “3D-printed clay” to create unusual textures. A 3D-printed chess king that will collapse when checkmated. People whose names are routinely autocorrected have had enough. All about duct tape. Engineering students invent a leaf blower silencer. A new exhibition dedicated to MAD Magazine and we are so going. A heavy metal band turns UPC codes into guitar tabs for serious consumer product riffing. Microbiologists have brewed a beer using yeast obtained from the guts of killer bees, for some reason. Here’s a term we had never heard before: smoothie keg. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Apostrophe Annihilation. Staff Stamp. Essential Elements. Quill Queries. Speaking Cetacean. Odd Orcas. Webb Weather.
British towns are removing apostrophes from street signs as, it claims, they can cause trouble with geographical databases. To celebrate the baguette, the French Post Office has released a commemorative scratch-and-sniff postage stamp. Broadband plans now required to have “nutrition labels” that spell out what you’re getting and for how much. A cute stop-motion animation in which little felt spray cans appear to spray wool “paint.” How many Periodic Table elements are actually in the human body? Before alarm clocks, you could hire a “knocker upper.” Researchers used AI to decode sperm whale clicks. Are we in the midst of an orca uprising? Burger King celebrates its birthday with 70¢ specials. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Colour Compendium. Distributor Dilemma. Mail Man. Eel Edification. Softee Search. Atmosphere Antics. Gooey Gold.
Another tome for those building a color reference book library. Small Press Distribution abruptly closes, leaving small publishers in the lurch. Deloitte’s brand new Global 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey is out. Meet Reginald Bray, “The Human Letter.” A livestreaming portal connected New York City and Dublin—for a bit. Everything you ever wanted to know about eels. Find the nearest ice cream truck with the Mister Softee app. The James Webb Space telescope finds a distant exoplanet has an atmosphere, of sorts. Reese’s introduces an Olympic medal-shaped peanut butter cup. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Aromatic Ads. Planted Plantagenet. Boat Brouhaha. Writing Removal. Print Preference. Gabbing Greenery. Organic Optics. Tank Trade. Waffle Wear.
The first scented billboard. Uncovering the remains of Richard III. Ordered to hide your boat from public view? Build a fence and paint a boat on it! Eliminating inaccessible graffiti using spray-painting drones. Costumed park rangers in Illinois act out the cicada emergence. Video of plants “talking” to each other. The winner of the annual Ugly Muppet Toy Pageant. The James Webb Space Telescope discovered complex organic chemicals surrounding two protostars. Red Lobster is closing locations and auctioning off their equipment. Eggo launches waffle-themed sneakers. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Type Tome. Thames Type. Plato’s Plot. Bubbler Button. Gold Graphene. Quantum Quandary. Cryptic Creature. Cicada Swarms. Sriracha Shortage.
A new book looks at the 20th-century rise of typography. A dedicated designer retrieved the presumed lost Doves Type. A new AI-related Internet term is the new “spam.” AI helps find Plato’s burial spot. The Verge pays tribute to the water fountain button. The Australian Olympic Team will be sporting graphene-enhanced apparel at the Paris Olympics. A new image captures atoms behaving like waves, the hitherto unseen basis of quantum mechanics. NASA researchers have created an animation that takes the viewer into the black hole. The decades-long search for the Mongolian death worm. Prepare for trillions of cicadas to emerge, if they haven’t already. A pepper shortage is causing Huy Fong to cancel shipments of sriracha until the fall. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Color Caution. Kicky Keyboard. Dyed Dairy. Bread Beanie. Polaroid Poems. Domestic Droid. Mutant Mouse. New Nebula. Bison Bashing. Marvelous Moody.
The color “magenta” has been designated the “worst and deadliest” of the heat threat categories. RIP author Paul Auster. In an old movie musical, a couple dance on a giant typewriter. Just in time for Star Wars Day, dairy producer TruMoo has introduced Blue Milk. Just in time for Kentucky Derby Day, Panera has introduced the “Bread Hat.” A camera that uses AI to compose a poem based on a picture it has just taken. We’re still trying to get true 5G wireless, but over in Japan, 6G is on the way. A domestic robot capable of performing a variety of household tasks. Scientists in Portugal accidently created a six-legged mouse. The James Webb Space telescope zooms in on the Horsehead Nebula. “Man accused of kicking a bison at Yellowstone National Park,” for some reason. RIP Mike Pinder. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Color Culture. Bard Birthplace? Control Controversy. Planetary Puzzle. Jukebox Johnny. Aldi Aisle. Crustacean Crash.
A new book explores “the implications of color and its cultural impact.” Was Shakespeare really born in the “Shakespeare Birthplace” in Stratford-upon-Avon? If you’re ever in Philadelphia, be sure to visit the largest typewriter company in the world. Reading The Hobbit à la the BBC’s Shipping Forecast. Do you prefer touchscreens or tactile controls? A new wireless lamp design uses rechargeable bulbs. Could a ninth planet be hiding behind Neptune? A reconstruction of a three-hour Dr. Johnny Fever radio show from episodes of “WKRP in Cincinnati” is the best playlist we have ever heard. 20% of Aldi’s revenue comes from its “Aisle of Shame.” Red Lobster may file for bankruptcy. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Met Medics. Type Tenets. Bend’s Blockbuster. Insurance Inflation. Follicle Fashion. Humdrum Handset. Bee Bandits. Clever Cutlery. Collaborative Condiment.
Inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s book conservation lab. A new book lays out the Universal Principles of Typography. 11 signs from around the country that evoke “pure Americana.” Mattel releases a team-based version of Scrabble. Physical media’s last stand. Car insurance premiums have sure kicked into overdrive. Textiles made from human hair may not be as creepy as they sound. HMD and Heineken introduce the Boring Phone. Battling the West’s “bee rustlers” would make for an interesting John Wayne film. Horatio Nelson’s “Knork.” Heinz and Mattel team up to launch “Barbiecue sauce.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Publishing Posters. Pyrotechnic Packaging. Mock Media. AI Aide. Agile ANYmal. Tail Tech. New Nova. Silent Solo. Dairy-esque Dye.
A new book celebrates the short-lived “literary poster” craze. A new zine looks at the art of fireworks packaging design. One of the most game-changing technologies in the history of civilization was affordable artificial light. A social media platform that doesn’t actually exist. A new wearable AI device. A four-legged dog-like robot can do parkour moves, freakishly enough. Jet suit racing is now a thing. A prehensile stabilizing tail for floating astronauts. Another upcoming celestial event. The decline of the guitar solo. Apparently it’s a real thing: Velveeta Hair Dye. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Eclipse Eats. Wood Work. Modifier Methodology. Checkout Change. Wi-Fi Weirdness. Electronic Eyewear. Kangaroo Collisions. Bus Battle. Stick Status.
Eclipse-themed food and beverage items for Monday’s event. Cardiff, Wales’, Printed Festival 2024, this June. A new 3D printing ink based on wood waste. Did you know that there is a “royal order of adjectives”? Amazon is ending its “Just Walk Out” checkout—which wasn’t actually an automated system. What does the term “Wi-Fi” stand for? LCD lenses that can turn sunglasses into reading glasses. Volkswagen is working on an electronic device to avoid car-kangaroo collisions. New York City’s acrimonious “tour bus battle.” The James Webb Space Telescope takes a close look at galaxy I Zwicky 18. Instagram’s “Official Stick Reviews” rates actual sticks—and is more popular than you would think. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Packaging Preferences. Cover Conundrum. Impressive Impressionists. Dial Dilemma. Timepiece Trouble. Rockin’ Roads. Drone Danger. Tarantula Tempura. Sun Snacks.
Pentawards’ annual packaging Trends Report is out. When a company appears on the cover of a popular magazine, what signals does it give the market? More than two dozen new works have been added to the OED, 23 of them from Japanese cooking and art. Really? If you’re in France this summer, celebrate the 150th anniversary of Impressionism. Bad UI design on an ice cream thermostat. New options for non-wrist-based watches. Time Out lists the “30 Coolest Streets in the World.” “AI drone that could hunt and kill people built in just hours by scientist ‘for a game.’” Different ants have different flavor profiles, we are horrified to tell you. Appropriately, SunChips has an eclipse tie-in product. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Chip Challenge. State Sobriquets. Eclipse Excitement. Stopping Spillage. Ryan Reunion. Security Sales. Cake Kicks.
Three students at UW-Stout developed a prototype of a new kind of packaging for Pringles potato chips. A traveling exhibit in Italy highlights experimental book design and production. The literal meanings of US states and cities. We were saddened to learn of the passing this week of Hugo-winning SF writer Vernor Vinge, “father of the singularity.” How to geek out over the upcoming solar eclipse. How to carry coffee without spilling. Using the old “drinking bird” toy to create clean, renewable energy. Adding a fourth light to traffic signals control autonomous vehicles. Meetups solely for people named Ryan. A store where items that have been confiscated by TSA are being sold. Keds and Magnolia Bakery team up. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Comic Creation. City Signage. New Knitting. Light Logic. Pork Parasite. Montana Monsters. Coors’ Calendar.
A new book explores how comics were made. A video tour of Manhattan signs. A new way of producing clothing requires only one size. “Agatha Christie: surfer dude.” Point Nemo: the place on Earth that is the farthest from dry land. Why it no long matters if you leave lights on when you leave a room. Yikes: a guy developed a parasitic infection in his brain after eating undercooked bacon. “Montana man pleads guilty to creating massive franken-sheep with cloned animal parts.” Coors Light’s 21-day “advent-inspired” calendar for March Madness. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly Kate-Middleton-Photoshop-scandal-free miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Font Films. Inked Intelligence. Decimal Discovery. Clever Clutch. Dog Data. Fruity Footwear. Thwarted Thief. Awful Offices. Fish Finder.
“This Year’s Best Picture Oscar Nominees as Typefaces.” Trial biking world champion Dougie Lampkin pays a high-octane visit to the shop printing his autobiography. A modified typewriter that uses ChatGPT to answer queries that are manually typed in. A graphene-based handbag with a fingerprint opening system. Yes, there is now Strava for dogs. For National Cereal Day, Post teamed up with Nike and LeBron James to develop Fruity Pebbles-themed sneakers. A would-be car thief’s failed attempt to steal a self-driving taxi. Has it been 25 years since the “Office Space” was released? What plastic surgery procedure is the most popular in your state? Busch Light teams (or teems) with Plenty of Fish to help fish lovers find a date. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Zine Zone. Typewriter Tune. Neat Notes. Warm Walls. Apocalypse Averted? Apocalypse Aroma. Virtual Velvet. Hole Heading. Packing Prawns? Sub Storage.
A Brooklyn Museum exhibition looks at the history of “zines.” Ukrainian type foundry produces faces that reflect Ukraine’s Soviet history as well as the current war. Judas! The Boston Typewriter Orchestra has gone electric. Turn any paper into a sticky note. Graphene-enhanced infrared wallpaper for efficient home heating. Learn all about piphilology in time for pi day. Will AI wipe out humanity? A perfume based on all the smells indicated in the Book of Revelation. Laurie Anderson uses AI to “communicate” with late husband Lou Reed. New app always points to supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy, very helpful for navigation. Le Sac Swoosh is a not very useful designer handbag shaped like Nike’s iconic branding. Subway has developed a tote bag for storing footlongs. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Type Trends. Treacle Transformation. Tag Tampering. Petabit Packing. Suitcase Squishing. Meat Monitoring. Runaway Roomba. Door Dilemmas.
The latest Monotype Type Trends Report is now available. A company that has not changed its brand in 140 years…is changing its brand. A new antitampering tag can “reveal with near-perfect accuracy whether an item is real or fake.” Fitting one petabit of data on a DVD-sized optical disc. Using a 150-ton hydraulic press to compress a week’s worth of clothes into a carry-on suitcase. A chess set with pieces made of candles. New graphene-based sensors accurately test meat freshness. A household’s Roomba runs away from home. Friday meal options for Lent. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Type Tech. Guessing Game. Photo Filing. Dimensional Details. Bird Blower. Carrot Concerts. Rotation Reasoning. Escalator Exhibit. Breakfast Buddy.
Monotype’s new AI-powered font pairing tool. In the game TimeGuessr, determine where and when an old news photograph was taken. And how were old news photos transmitted back in the day? Some examples of 3D printing in action. AI-driven eyeglasses. Retired payphone plays bird calls. An Ohio funeral home will preserve the tattoos of the deceased. When in Austria, be sure to catch the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra. What would happen if the Earth suddenly stopped rotating? When in Vilnius, Lithuania, be sure to check out the Escalator Slide. The inventor of Pop-Tarts has passed away. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Paper Paean. Dinero Dearth. Color Can. Dental Disaster? Road Recharging. Hovering Hose. Habitat Havoc. Beneficial Beavers. Pickle Paramour. Bowl Bonanza.
Author and paper maker Beth Kephart has written a love letter to paper. Are we seeing the end of cash? A “Graffiti Color Mixer” includes multiple colors in the same spray can. Were a fleet of electronic toothbrushes involved in a massive DDoS attack? Installing EV chargers in the roads themselves. A phone charger that only charges when your eyes are closed. Three words: flying fire hose. In Kenya, through a complex series of relationships, an invasive ant species is impacting lion hunting skills. The time beavers parachuted into Idaho. This Valentine’s Day, say it with pickles. DoorDash contest is giving away everything advertised during this Sunday’s Super Bowl. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: ’Hog History. Snowy Sobriquets. Acrobat Antics. Reading Realm. Cursive Comeback. Additive Aluminum. Desk Defacing. Funding Fest. Galaxies Galore. Pasta Pleasure.
Where did Groundhog Day come from? Taylor Drift conquers Minnesota. Is the maximum size of a PDF really “smaller than Germany”? Wales’ “Kingdom of Books.” Is E Ink finally ready for prime time? Cursive handwriting is starting to be taught again, for some reason. 3D printing using liquid metal. Casual vandalism is OK if you’re a Romantic poet. A round-up of some of the “good, bad, and weird stuff that was crowdfunded in 2023.” The James Webb Space Telescope captures 19 amazingly detailed spiral galaxies. “Eating pasta is scientifically proven to make you feel better.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Type Testing. Dramatic Displays. Migration Message. Balloon Ballyhoo. Glass Gloss. Sustainable Sabots. Snow Snacking. Fjord Facts. Piscine Prank. Unlikely Unguent.
A Monotype study aims to answer “questions about the cultural differences in perceiving meaning and emotion in type.” Chinese signmakers use infinity mirrors to create cool LED signage. A road sign in Canada wishes monarch butterflies a safe migration. “The golden age of ballooning” led to the first aerial maps. AR-based windows for tour buses. Auto-focusing eyeglasses! The graphene-based “Everything Proof Pants & Shirt.” 3D-printed compostable shoes. Torn from the headlines: is it safe to eat snow? Burning question: why does Norway have so many fjords? Puckish teenager tapes fish to ATMs, for some reason. Hidden Valley and Burt’s Bees collaborate on ranch-flavored lip balm, much to the bees’ dismay. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Folio Fest. Cat Crates. Device Dilemma. Winter Wear. Hovering Haven. Breed Brief. Lavish Lego. Chicken Chatting. Winning Wings.
The Folger Library will be publicly exhibiting its collection of Shakespeare First Folios. A new, high-concept typeface based on meteorology. Why do cats love cardboard boxes (and should converters be targeting them)? Trying to figure out what the highly touted Rabbit R1 is actually used for. A wealthy Frenchwoman stipulated in her will that her money go to providing clothes for snowmen. A prototype for a floating umbrella that can follow you around and we want one. how did the dog breeds get their names? An artist whose chosen medium is black Lego. How to detect a chicken’s emotions, should you ever want to. Tito’s Vodka’s new “Spokescart.” Popeyes is offering free wings if a “winged” team—or the Bills—win the Super Bowl. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Clever Collage. Cover Creation. Letter Lovers. Punctuation People. Tech Table. New Nostalgia. Air App. Phantom Fight. Dog Drivers. Gum Gone.
A Sgt. Pepper-esque tribute to the celebrities who passed away in 2023. Behind some book cover redesigns from hardcover to paperback. A Minneapolis store where you can buy vintage, discarded channel letters. A fun 1824 primer on punctuation. A coffee table that is also a touchscreen display. “What was life like before the Internet?” A start-up is developing an app that lets a smartphone evaluate air quality. Graphene-based batteries now for pre-sale! The economics of time travel. Protesting Pontianak, Indonesia’s proposed “ghost statue.” Oscar Mayer is hiring Wienermobile drivers. Fruit Stripe gum has been discontinued. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Tradition Travel. Myrrh Mystery. Window Wonders. Baffling Blizzard. Desk Documents. Wood Wonder. Pseudo Sports. Dead Dialogue. Drinking Doritos.
Exploring some of the odder Christmas traditions around the world. What exactly are frankincense and myrrh, anyway? Intricate and beautiful window graphics created with “snow spray.” The etymology of the word “blizzard.” The case of the missing ISS tomato has been solved! Medieval ergonomic scriptorium desks. Advances in transparent wood, stronger than plastics and tougher than glass. Graphene-based corrugated board. Sports Illustrated “writers” were AI-generated personas. Using AI to talk to the dead. Doritos-flavored booze. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Friendly Fonts. Logo Loathing. Symbol Source. Snail Style. Rat Radar. Cover Character. Aldi Advent.
Celebrating World Kindness Day through typography. Print magazine is not a fan of IP’s new logo. The origin of the ampersand. Here is a fashion design trend we never saw coming: snails. Furniture design based on shipping containers. NYC’s Transit app now features a rat detector. A classic album cover star is identified after 52 years. Wilco’s unique approach to merch: its own typeface. Aldi has an advent calendar for all tastes. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Book Bulk. Massive Manuscript. Spot Speak. Tree Talk. Restaurant Robots. Flatware Fashion. Pizza Peppers.
Heavy books are proliferating—but they may be health hazards. The world’s largest Medieval manuscript features a full-page picture of the Devil. Japan's mundane costume festival. Boston Dynamics’ robot dog now talks using ChatGPT. Understanding how trees communicate. The blackest known black paint. On-demand toaster printing. JR’s Appliance Museum features more than 10,000 rare electrical appliances. White Castle and Chipotle are adding food-prep robots. A jacket made of spoons. The James Webb Space Telescope cracks open the Crab Nebula. Tabasco and Banza have collaborated on a pizza that gets hotter the more you eat it. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Canva Curriculum. Refrigerator Rhyme. Dancing Dinner. Bottle Brace. Picaresque Planning. Coat Comfort. Jupiter Jet. Grocery Ghosts. Candy Canard. Cold Calendar.
Monotype and Canva collaborate on typography courses for schools. An online fridge magnet poetry simulator provides hours of entertainment. A “computational food project” turns meals into interactive performance art, terrifyingly. A frying pan manufacturer is sued for claiming its cookware was forged at a temperature exceeding that of the sun. A water bottle has a magnetic cap that turns it into an iPhone holder or tripod. An online adventure makes inventory management fun. A graphene-based heated jacket hits the market. The James Webb Space Telescope finds a high-speed jet stream on Jupiter. The persistent myth of poisoned Halloween candy. Stouffer’s releases an advent calendar filled with frozen food. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Finnegan’s Finale. Taboo Tomes. Reading Remedy. Tack Tech. Poultry Performance. Fish Fable. Webb Wonders. Candy Cartography.
A book club finally finishes Finnegans Wake—28 years after it started. A history of book banning. Graphene-infused packaging that reduces plastic consumption. DEC may be gone, but its legacy lingers. A new font aims to make reading easier for dyslexics. An AR-powered football helmet with a screen that allows deaf players to see play calls in ASL. “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?…The Shadow knows!” Music for chickens. What’s the most popular Halloween candy in your state? All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Tapestry Type. Key Clacking. Stymied Searches. Disc De-Extincting. Amazing Apiaries. Snooze Cell. Car Customization. Cosmic Conundrum. Foot Food.
A small command-line program that plays typewriter sounds every time you press a computer key. Does Google alter user search queries to generate more revenue? Scarecrow Video is keeping physical media alive. Slovenia’s beautiful, illustrated beehives. Social media app Mastodon will now run on an Apple II. A sleeping pod designed to let you nap vertically, which is apparently a good thing. What ever happened to hood ornaments? The standard cosmological model is saved! All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Dietary Designer. Paper Pictures. Meteorological Melee. Silly Soda. Korean Characters. Convenient Cookware. Roman Restaurant. Fleeting Food.
The designer of the nutrition label, Burkey Belser, has passed away. Designer and artist Alexa Edgerton’s letter-shaped cakes. Two artists whose chosen medium is rolled-up paper. Two St. Louis TV stations battle it out over the phrase “First Alert Weather.” Coke’s Y3000 soda was developed with AI, with predictable results. When in Seoul, visit the National Hangeul Museum, dedicated to the history of Korea’s national writing system. Has the James Webb Space Telescope found evidence of potential life on Europa? Panera Bread has a “Roman Empire menu,” but it could be more accurate. McDonald’s has a secret “McBrunch Burger,” which is only available for a few minutes a day. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Type Tracking. Tome Tech. Paper Presentation. Clever Clicker. LiFi Love? Auto Annoyance. Missed Molding. Wool War. Killer Kreme.
Interactive WaPo story tests font legibility. AI will not disrupt books. “Possibilities of Paper” is an art installation featuring creative uses of paper. A tribute to the Zenith Space Command remote control. There is such a thing as “LiFi,” light-based wireless communication. VW is reintroducing its “magic bus”—and it’s electric. Car owners are frustrated by the proliferation of technology in cars. Dang, we missed the National Week of Injection Molding. The James Webb Space Telescope spots a giant cosmic question mark. Why not participate in the annual Sheep to Shawl Competition? In “dip hop,” rappers lay down rhymes in sign language. Krispy Kreme has filled doughnuts with M&Ms, for some reason. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Prop Printer. Postal Pop. Comic Coding. Edgy Eraser. Geographic Geometry. Borax Bane. Cap’n Correction.
The Earl Hays Press has provided virtually all printed props for the film industry since 1915. A typewriter made out of drums. A musical PSA from 1967 explaining the ZIP code. A useful, less egregious version of Comic Sans. “An innovative eraser with 5 edge sizes in one implement!” What are the world’s most rectangular or roundest countries? Two words: cocaine sharks. A new TikTok fad involves consuming or bathing in borax, for some reason. ExxonMobil invests in carbon capture. Quaker Oats finally fixes Cap’n Crunch’s uniform. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Fresh Font. Colonial Currency. Timeless Textiles. Cool Calendar. Food Fossils. Mennonite Machines. Hammock Hanger. Scream Search. Movie Mashup. Cake Crash.
Microsoft 365 has a new default typeface. Benjamin Franklin vs. counterfeiters. A Japanese textiles company still uses 40-year-old software. A wall-mounted E Ink-based calendar that syncs with Google Calendar. A new museum exhibit focuses on “food archaeology.” Electric bikes are popular among…the Amish? A fast-deploying portable hammock. The original “Wilhelm scream” has been found. Opening today: “Barbenheimer.” Hostess introduces the Ding Dongs x Twinkies Mashup. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Clever Katherine. Magazine Massacre. Cool Curtains. Lens Literature. Lawn Loathing. Canine Conflagration. Barbie Buildings. Beverage Bling.
The only woman’s name that appears on the Declaration of Independence. National Geographic lays off its last remaining staff writers. Turn your walls or windows into huge, animated Lite-Brites. The Sol Reader is essentially a Kindle embedded in a pair of glasses. Making “smart paper” with liquid metal. A graphene-based wearable and wireless patch that detects signs of liver inflammation. A design firm’s war against…lawns. The new face of terror: a robotic dog with a flamethrower attached to its back. Barbie’s Dream House in each state. Is a 2,000-year-old Pompeiian fresco the oldest depiction of a pizza? 7-Eleven introduces Slurpee-themed jewelry, for some reason. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Perishing Publishing. Garment Graphics. Edo Education. Tagging Tech. Canine Companion. Film Fest. Glorious Gate. Cosmic Consolidation. Colossal Candy. Soothing Signage.
The last two computer magazines stop publishing. A typeface designed for knitting. A new bioink for 3D organ printing. Library of Congress hosts a workshop on rare Japanese books. A robot designed to paint graffiti, for some reason. An AI-based robotic dogsitter. A graphene-based cardiac pacemaker. 16-millimeter fil turns 100 years old. The world’s greatest gate. The James Webb Space Telescope captures two galaxies merging. Russell Stover’s 5,000-pound box of chocolates. The therapeutic effect of power-washing street signs. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Popping Publications. Handle Hoard. Dickens Drawings. Cleaner Cans. Computer Cookies. Coronation Conundrum. Noun Nomenclature. Container Crash. Fold Fanatic. Can Camping.
A pop-up book exhibit at Chicago’s Newberry Library. A 1,100-page pictorial showcase of door handles from around the world. A complete online collection of illustrations from Dickens’ novels. Making craft beer cans more recyclable. AI is now writing fortune cookie fortunes. Pending coronation, King Charles declines a Burger King crown. Where did colorful terms for collective nouns (like a gaggle of geese or a murder of crows) come from? The James Webb Space Telescope looks at the remains of a supernova. Tupperware’s days may be numbered. Mad magazine’s Al Jaffee dies at 102. This summer, camp in a national park in a giant can of beans. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Font Finale. Wide-Format Whiskey. BBall Boon. Fold Fashion. AI Attorneys. Turntable Tech. Obsolete Objects. Disquieting Design. Disturbing Drones. Peep Pop.
Adobe has officially ended support for Type 1 fonts. Order a Jameson Whiskey “Desk Decoy” for St. Patrick’s Day. Wilson creates a 3D-printed basketball that doesn’t need inflating. Uyen Nguyen creates “origami fashion.” London law firm uses AI to answer questions about the law, draft documents, and draft messages to clients. Graphene is used to make turntables. Smithsonian magazine traces the origins of the term “OK.” Consumer items that have become obsolete since the beginning of the 2000s. Deliberately annoying examples of bad industrial design. The Smithsonian and MTV team up for an artist reality competition program, for some reason. Using taxidermied birds as drones. Pepsi and Peeps partner to make Peeps-flavored cola. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Map Mania. Wrapped Ride. Bot Bill. Nullifying Knitwear. Calamity Clock. Core Conundrum. Scent Sensors. Wall Wings. Phishing Fish. Soda Sauce.
Sales of paper maps are soaring. Snoop Dogg’s adventures in vehicle wrapping. Massachusetts legislators use ChatGPT to write a bill…regulating ChatGPT. Wearing an ugly sweater can make you invisible to AI, if no one else. Scientists change the Doomsday Clock to 90 seconds to midnight. If it’s not one thing it’s another: now the Earth’s core has stopped spinning. Graphene-based sensors function like “electronic noses.” A Reddit embroidery forum 2022 award goes to embroidered chicken wing wall art. A bunch of aquarium fish pull off a credit card scam (not The Onion). Mountain Dew releases a hot sauce. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Pilfering Probe. Font Feud. Retailer Renaissance. Obsolete Offices. Flame Fighting. Credit Credibility. Cool Container. Romantic Russets.
Here we go: there is now a “plagiarism checker and AI detector.” The State Department changes its internal document font and war breaks out. Barnes & Noble has had a remarkable comeback—how? A Colorado library closes to clean up meth contamination. Zillow CEO writes that “traditional offices are as outdated as typewriters.” Graphene-enhanced gear can help protect firefighters. Celebrate Burns Night next Wednesday. FEMA attempts to translate typhoon aid instructions into indigenous languages—with surreal results. A new startup aims to make carbon credits credible. A new fridge container has a built-in dial to indicate when it was stored. This Valentine’s Day, send your beloved an “Idaho potato bouquet.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s non-AI-generated weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Computer Creatives. Sign Stickers. Dystopian Devices. Carbon Cousin. Loco Logo. Rodent Research. Webb World. Butter Battle. Pasta Problem.
How worried should creative professionals be about artificial intelligence? A Florence, Italy, street artist who applies whimsical stickers to traffic signs. CNet looks at some dubious introductions at last week’s CES. The FTC has proposed banning companies from requiring that employees sign noncompete agreements. Researchers have found a “cousin” to graphene, which they have dubbed “graphullerene.” Kia’s new logo is illegible. New Wordle-esque game lets you guess the list prices of houses for sale. Good news for mice this week—researchers are prolonging their lives and improving their memories. The James Webb Space Telescope finds its first exoplanet. A fire in a Wisconsin daily causes melted butter to flood nearby streams. Ronzoni discontinues its Pastina and the Internet sees stars. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Marketing Muster. Creating Crayons. Joe’s Journalism. Going Graphene. Feather Photography. Car Colors. Checking Chuckling. Fish Fiasco.
Marketing Brew rounds up the most overhyped and overlooked marketing trends of 2022. A new book looks at the history of the crayon. Our own Dr. Joe presents a four-part radio documentary about newspapers in old radio dramas. Graphene is poised to replace silicon as the basis or all electronics. Smart elevators look to take us for a ride. Facial recognition for birds via a “smart feeder.” BMW’s E Ink-wrapped car can display millions of colors for quite the road show. Printed electronics for therapeutic wearables. The cool upgrade on Brava’s smart countertop oven is a…glass window. The “LOL Verifier” is a device that will only let a user type LOL when they are actually laughing out loud. A huge aquarium in a Berlin hotel bursts. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Word Weirdness. Search Stats. Print Patron. Tidying Tome. Light Love. Purple Panic. Graphene Guns. Wind Wonder. Moon Mania. Lager Lighting.
The OED’s word of the year is…something. Google’s search of the year. GE buys all the ads in the New York Times. A barcode tattoo that can be scanned by a store checkout. A 504-page photobook of people cleaning things. The Northern Lights Photographer of the Year’s 25 best aurora photos. Why are city streetlights turning purple? A graphene-based artificial muscle that is 17 times more powerful than human muscle. Is Grawindy the “next generation of wind technology”? Reusable elastic lids to replace plastic wrap. Artemis I is on its way back from the Moon. “Busch Light Bush Lights” let you drape “electric glowing cans” across the greenery in your yard, for some reason. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: PRINT Props. Typography Tutorial. Site Slaughter. Swift Seat. Wandering Walls. Car Copy. Galactic Graphene. Star Start. Cold Color.
The 2023 PRINT Awards are now open. Friedrich Nietzsche’s Malling-Hansen Writing Ball. A branding expert talks about creative a bespoke typeface. A website that “deteriorates” every time someone visits it. Volkswagen’s motorized office chair can cruise up to 12 mph. A cubicle with motorized walls that can follow you around. Get a Hot Wheels version of your own car. A portmanteau word generator. Graphene is going into space. The James Webb Space telescope captures a protostar. Coors has developed nail polish that changes color when its temperature drops to a level acceptable for drinking a Coors Light. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Polling Problems. Deconstructing Designer. Malleable Mouse. Color Combat. Heat Help. Vinyl Vise. Height Horrors. Skin Souvenir. Convenience Crocs. Puppy Potable.
We may be getting close to the death of telephone polling. Scott Albrecht is a designer and artist who “deconstructs letterforms with the intent to reconsider the relationship between message and viewer.” A foldable “origami travel mouse.” More skirmishes in the Adobe/Pantone color war. New cellphone line uses graphene-based heat dissipation. Audio-Technica brings back its Mister Disc portable record player. Saving the tattoos of deceased loved ones. Avocado prices are the lowest they’ve been in five years. Crocs and 7-Eleven are collaborating on footwear design, for some reason. Busch has introduced turkey-flavored “beer” for dogs. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Problematic Print. Mail Merch. Code Complaints. Display Developments. Textile Tech. Meteorology Melee. Cream Confusion. Galaxy Gazing. Table Tournament. Gravy Grappling.
What is a print-based physical disability? Play the USPS’s new Great American Mail Race board game. What is the future of QR code menus? The Bigme InkNote Color brings E Ink devices closer to competing with LED-based tablets. AI illustrates lyric music videos. New graphene-based “smart textiles” hit the market. Hungary punishes inaccurate meteorologists. No, New York State has not banned selling whipped cream to minors. The James Webb Space Telescope does a Cartwheel. “Competitive table setting.” Gravy wrestling is back! All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Test Test. Silly Stickers. Perilous Plants. Cola Cartridge. Raincoat Reservoir. Parasol Power. Better Buds. Spider Sleep. Dog Dudes.
Your expired COVID tests may have been given an extension. An epidemic of really bad forged car inspection stickers. When in the UK, visit The Poison Garden—but carefully. The Cana is a countertop “beverage printer” that can replicate many different flavors using a single cartridge. “Celebrate rainy days” with a rainwater harvesting coat. A solar-powered umbrella that can be networked. Graphene-enhanced earbuds. New evidence that spiders may dream. The World Dog Surfing Championships. Another roadside attraction…or two. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Coupon Collapse. Creative Communication. Leaf Leather. Curse Collection. Graphene Grant. Training Tunes. Shoe Show. Burger Bugaboo. Ketchup Cooler.
Clipping printed coupons is on the decline. Core77 Visual Communications Design Award winners. Making leather from pineapple leaves. A cursed object trifecta: books, a phone number, and a Kleenex ad. A grant to develop graphene-based sustainable housing construction materials. Air New Zealand is adding beds to its economy class. The keys to an effective workout playlist. Designing Saucony’s Endorphin sneaker launch event. What the optimal number of times you should flip a hamburger? French’s introduced a mercifully short-lived ketchup pop. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Robot Retailers. Clothing Commerce. Cutting-Edge Car. Crossword Computer. Bye-Bye, Booths. Equine Email. Crater Critters. Asteroid Antics. Sacred Seltzer. Fiction Flames.
Yelp and Chasing Paper introduce wallpaper supporting small local businesses. Robotic “stores on wheels” can chase you around public spaces. Amazon opens a physical clothing store. A graphene-enhanced supercar. AI wins the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. NYC’s last phone booth is removed. Have an Icelandic horse respond to your email. A volcano…full of sharks. A “potentially hazardous” asteroid passes by Earth tonight. Hard seltzer made with real holy water. Go out in style (if that’s the word to use) in the Kiss Kasket. Margaret Atwood takes a flamethrower to an unburnable copy of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Tropicana Trouble. Problematic Packaging. Ceiling Selling. Time Transformation. Following Felines. Candy Commemoration. Soap Story. Cookie Conundrum.
When rebrands go wrong. The latest color ereaders from E Ink. Specialized tools to open troublesome packaging. The Sistine Chapel ceiling—1:1 scale and published in a massive, three-volume book. Graphene for automotive interiors. Scientists are working on a new, improved second. The Netflix opening animation…using yarn. Does sleeping where a cat sleeps improve human sleep? The gummy bear turns 100. What happens to used hotel soap? MIT researchers invent an Oreometer to study cookie physics. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Mug Mania. Chip Change. Ad Archive. Fantasy Food. Sound Storehouse. Deadline Diner. Galactic Graphene. Cool Colander. Charged Chopsticks.
Reusable glass packaging. Subcutaneous chip payments. An archive of newspaper ads from the 1980s. Two juxtaposed front page stories accidentally help nab a thief. Using AI to generate pictures of food that doesn’t exist. The Museum of Endangered Sounds preserves the noises of old technologies. A café for writers that won’t let them leave until they’ve met their deadlines. Graphene goes into space! Produce stickers are the bane of composters. Two words: “electric chopsticks.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Linedock Lamp. Circular Storybooks. Cornea Cleverness. Creative Cancelling. Brain Boosting. Poster Panoply. Coin Cuisine. Block Battle.
A Ukrainian designed lamp to benefit Ukraine. CAD-designed 360-degree pop-up books. A contact lens-based display. Delivering medications via (different) contact lenses. Using carbon monoxide to synthesize high-quality graphene. Dyson introduces combination noise-cancelling headphones/particulate-cancelling air purifier. Turns out no one really wants IQ-enhancing brain implants. However, a brain implant helps a “locked in” ALS patient communicate. A special exhibition of Krautrock concert posters. A new documentary featuring Mel Brooks pays tribute to the automat. A vacuum that sucks and sorts LEGOs. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s dead serious weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Lasting Letraset. Fabulous Fiberboard. Pod Power. Criticizing Classics. Sharing Shaming. Plug Portability. Bee Bricks. Bright Bread. Ear Edibles.
Remember Letraset? There is now an online store dedicated to dry transfer type. Bullish forecasts for digital textile printing. The history of corrugated cardboard. Stephen Colbert’s NFT heist movie trailer. 3D-printed living pods made from graphene-infused cement. Now-classic 20th-century novels weren’t always well-received when first published. Netflix’s new passive-aggressive crackdown on password sharing. A unique approach to portable electric outlets. Construction options that benefit local pollinators. Yukiko Morita’s handmade Bread Lamps are real bread with LEDs inside. Mike Tyson’s new bitten-ear-shaped cannabis edibles. A human slinky! All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Groundhog Galore. Replacement Rodent. Extra Eyesight. Translation Trouble. Superfluous Sockets. Super Supercapacitors. Timeless Tomes. Pointless Product. Tesla Trouble. Coin Couture.
All about Groundhog Day. Tetrachromats have an extra photoreceptor that lets them see 100 times as many colors as the rest of us. 7-Eleven is testing touchless “floating holographic displays” for self-checkout. A mistranslated sign inadvertently advertises free alcohol. A gigantic, 60-socket power bank could fully charge 5,000 smartphones with 3,000-mAh batteries. A gallery of “automated furniture.” Enhancing the energy storage capacity of graphene supercapacitors used in solar heating. A search engine that finds full-text public-domain books. Why would anyone program a self-driving car to ignore stop signs? A chainmail cocktail dress made from pennies. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly wintry miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Conquering Corrosion. Spent Signage. Talking Tech. Shambling Shelves. Periodic Poetry. Gone Games. Mechanical Masterpieces. Dish Delight.
Graphene-based anti-corrosion primer applied in the UK. Reverse-engineering Wordle. Las Vegas’s Neon Boneyard is a sign-based history of the city. What technology will invade our lives in 2022? Useful robots are simply self-driving shelves. A periodic table of haiku. What happened to Atari? Mechanical versions of classic paintings make art interactive. A useful feature of Starlink’s satellite dishes has an unforeseen consequence. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s New Year’s miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Toaster Tech. Car Color. Tongue Texting. Dynamic Dumbbells. Pointless Purloining. Malicious Meters. Face Fitbit. Snow Solution. Troubling Tie-In.
A graphene-based toaster. A BMW covered with E Ink panels can change color at the push of a button. A “smart retainer” for tongue-based text messaging. Alexa-based smart dumbbells can adjust weights via voice command. “The Spine Collector” scams book editors for manuscript copies of forthcoming books, for seemingly no reason whatsoever. QR code-based parking meter scams. An electronic mask can detect leaks. A liquid based bubble clock. How did people clear roads before the snowplow? Walmart’s special “Pain Box” DVD edition of “Dune.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s Wordle-winning miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Polly’s Paper. Printable Pianos. Toilet Tour. Milk Monitors. Rapid Rejection. Arm Artifice. Perilous Press. Bogus Bomber. Pachyderm Parade. Nutty Nutcracker. Crazy Condiment.
Meet Polly Verity: paper sculptor. Printing playable, paper-based pianos. An exhibition of artistic toilet paper holders. New technology can detect and warn of bacterial contamination from inside a milk container. Introducing the Journal of Universal Rejection. Graphene-based batteries headed for the EV market. Attempting to use an artificial arm to fake vaccination. William Bullock, the ill-fated inventor of the web rotary press. The FBI suspected the inventor of the Tickle Me Elmo doll of being the Unabomber. How to prove the safety of the Brooklyn Bridge? A terrifying nutcracker powered by an explosive piston. “Terry’s Chocolate Orange Mayonnaise,” for some reason. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Handy Hemp. Digital Donuts. Tarmac Trouble. Cool Calendars. Punctuation Peril. Sheet Chaise. Printed Peeper. Droid Dante. Robot Reproduction. Barbecue Busking.
Hempitecture manufactures hemp-based insulation and other construction materials. NFTs jump the latest of many sharks. Graphene helps fill in potholes. A brief history of the Advent calendar. Is the apostrophe on the way out? A chair made of interleaved sheets of paper and held together by friction. The first-ever recipient of a 3D-printed prosthetic eyeball. Robot artist Ai-Da tries her hand at poetry. A rolling piano barbecue that grills food while the keys are struck. The “social distancing zapper.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Lovin' 'Letters. Follicle Fabrication. Canine Calling. MySpace Memories. Freaky Furby. Bar Bots. Better Batteries. Unspun Unveiled. Plague Planet. Plushie de Pain.
Newsletters continue to thrive. Making ink from human hair. The “DogPhone,” for some reason. “MySpace nostalgia,” also for some reason. Integrating a Furby into a modular synthesizer. Robot bartenders streamline drink-making. A graphene-based battery charger accelerates charging speed. 3-D weaving can produce one-off pants in 10 minutes. The Human Library aims to promote more empathetic human relations. This week’s animal plagues had a 2020 feel to them. A bread plushie.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s plague-ridden weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Better Breathing. Climate Catastrophe. Mrs. Mural. Tome Time. Phone Future. Zillow Zaniness. Tube Trouble. Bear Blending. Dead Doornails. Claus Crisis.
Robotic textiles that can help you breathe better. Fast fashion’s major manufacturing hubs may soon be under water. A robot painter sows the seeds of marital discord. A clock that displays the time using quotes from books. What will the smartphone of the future look like? The world’s first active heating fabric—thanks to graphene! An Indiana town is luring workers by offering free grandparents. Zillow shuts down doomed AI-based real estate valuation business. A “handheld toothpaste manipulation device” that will put toothpaste back in the tube, for some reason. Photoshopping Paddington Bear into every movie. The origin of the phrase “dead as a doornail.” The labor shortage is now getting real: there is a shortage of Santa Clauses. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Fruit First. Font Follies. Public Papers. Graphene Gums. Android Artist. Resignation Reality. Pulling Plastic. Citation Silliness. Toy Telephony. Venerable Venue. Spider Sleepwear.
Fun facts about the word “orange.” A 1909 patent for a font that can be read either from left to right or right to left. How typeface choice can impact learning and comprehension. Public radio may help save newspapers. Graphene’s uses in dental applications. Meet the Flingbot and its approach to abstract art. What’s behind The Great Resignation? An approach to removing ocean plastic that just might work. A traffic camera confuses a T-shirt with a license plate. Fisher Price’s classic Chatter Telephone can now make real calls, terrifyingly. A new book celebrates the Fillmore East. Get comfy in (or terrified by) giant tarantula pillows. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Polar Publication. Robotic Writing. Waymo Weirdness. Restaurant Robots. Perilous Punctuation. PURE Processes. Nightmare Nanas. Marvelous Mollusks. Canine Carrier.
A deluxe print edition of the story that inspired The Thing. A 14-foot long robotic pen. Waymo’s self-driving cars are flocking to a dead-end street in San Francisco—and no one knows why… A Paris restaurant replaces its chef with a robot. The Casa Grande (Ariz.) Neon Sign Park. The lack of an apostrophe in a Facebook rant gets an Australian man sued. Apps that delete words from stories leaving just the punctuation. Graphene-enhanced bed sheets. PrimaLoft improves its manufacturing technology for insulation used in garments. China’s “Grannies from Hell.” Hand-crocheted plush octopuses. “The Schnauzer Chariot of Kazakhstan.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly blasting Shatner into space miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Facebook Fail. Book Blobs. Rogue Reader. Book Boxes. Wonder Waste. Mask Museums. Chromosome Capers. Composer Cash. Beethoven’s Back! Strava Sketches. Dish Disaster.
The latest trend in book cover design. A DIY “open source ereader.” A new subscription service for under-appreciated books. “The digital death of the collector.” Turning waste into graphene. Celebrating masks. Biohacking DNA to take over gene sequencing computers. How much would Bach make on Spotify? AI helps Beethoven finish his Tenth Symphony. A gallery of “Strava art.” An ill-advised vending machine for china. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly fat bear miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Domestic Droid. Drone Deterrents. Crazy Calculator. Graphene Grab. Wet Wires. Tag Tech. Furry Financier. Robotic Recaps. Conference Closets. Jean Genie. Spreadsheet Stage.
Amazon’s new “household robot.” Raven vs. Drone. A calculator that converts normal units to wacky units, such as llama’s spits or bees. The “wonder material” poses national security issues. A 3D map of all the underwater Internet cables. A robot built to spray graffiti. “The world’s first crypto asset trading hamster.” Using AI to summarize books. Are “Zoom booths” in offices likely to be a thing? (We hope not.) How to reduce the environmental impact of your jeans. “I’m not sure Google Sheets is the best way to experience theater.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Paint Power. Getting GO. Follicle Flora. Luminous Leaves. Simplifying Sneakers. Computer Covers. Peculiar Posters. Card Carriers. Worm Wiki. Avocado Art. Butt Biometrics.
Scientists have invented a white paint that cools the surface ton which it is applied. Unlocking a mystery of graphene oxide. How to make a living, growing plant-based wig. Scientists create rechargeable light-emitting plants using nanoparticles. Nike develops easy-to-put-on sneakers for people with disabilities. Relive old memories with a gallery of classic 1980s and 90s computer book covers. AI-generated movie posters. Etsy shops now offer a variety of vaccination card holders. A surprisingly extensive list of fictional worms. The impending age of the smart toilet and your—ugh—“analprint.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Collaborative Coalition. Faster Fashion. Cool Kicks. Community Cookbooks. Bean Bother. Ape Art. Screw Support. Outside Office. Rowdy Runners. Lego Larceny. Non-Existent Net.
You’ve heard of “fast fashion,” which is bad? Now there’s “faster fashion,” which is good. Graphene-enhanced sensors allow shoes to diagnose physical and cognitive disorders. E Ink-based displays may be able to play video. Loop helps create reusable packaging. Nebraska’s Morris Press has been printing community cookbooks for decades. A new social media challenge: “beaning.” Bored ape illustration NFTs sell for $24.4 million, for some reason. A new hammer-based screwdriver for getting out corroded screws. A Japanese homebuilder develops home-office sheds for WFHers. A 24-mile NYC road race based on “The Warriors.” A Dutch “toy heist.” The Internet doesn’t exist. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Foliage Finder. Coal Creativity. Sick Sites. Cosmic Color. Doom Dialing. Forestry Fastener. Vending Vocation. Retro Rock. McDonald’s Mystery.
Find out where and when the best fall foliage is likely to be. Turning coal ash into fibers. “Websites from Hell.” What is the average color of the universe—and does it have a Pantone number? A graphene-enhanced swimming pool. Creative hacking creates a “DoomPhone.” Turning blocks of wood into Velcro. What were the most important scientific developments of the past 50 years? Using a bowling ball for other sports. An Oregon entrepreneur develops vending machines that dispense arts and crafts. Remembering—against our will—the Pet Rock. What the heck was Grimace? All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly milk crate stacking miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Hell Harp. Musical Material. Graphene Gold. Microplastic Master. Macbeth Mystery. Adult AR. Preying Plants. Fake Flora. Crate Craziness. Square Sustenance.
A working knitted keyboard. Graphene won another Olympic event. A 12-year-old Irish boy invents a magnet that attracts microplastics. Why is Macbeth such an unsettling play? Scholars found “the” reason. A research report on digital adult content looks, upsettingly, at AR and VR (though not QR, curiously…). A new (real) species of carnivorous plant has been discovered. AI creates 300 (not real) plant species. Why is the “milk crate challenge” a thing? Square foods, for some reason. Figurines of The Young Ones. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly milk crate stacking miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Padding Pi. Non-Fungible Nonsense. Bio Brewing. Measuring Microparticles. Fungal Footwear. Literary Lexicon. Swag Scheme. Mosquito Manipulating. Mollusk Meal.
Swiss researchers calculate pi to a new record number of figures. Buy an NFT clipart of a rock for almost $300K, for some reason. Graphene-reinforced concrete. “Biosmocking” is a peek at the future of apparel. AATCC announces the first global standard for measuring fiber fragment release during home laundering. A new sock sneaker featuring mushroom soles and 3D knitted discarded dog hair. Words coined by classic authors. Big brands go direct-to-consumer to gather better data. Genetically altering mosquitoes to make them blind to human hosts. “The Big Sleep” at 75. The firefly squid isn’t just a visual feast. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Dining Documents. Felt Foods. Potato Packaging. Graphene Gold. Poster Portal. Microscopic Matter. Ant Aficionado. Neat Knife. Space Server.
The history of the restaurant menu. A “textile artist” specializes in food. French fry packaging made from discarded potato peels. Does it surprise you that graphene played a role at the Olympics? Changes are coming to Google Drive—consider yourselves warned. Pop Charts sells very cool infographic posters. Cornell researchers capture the highest-resolution image of atoms ever seen. An eight-year-old “entrepreneurial ant dealer.” Ron Popeil passes away. SpaceX is looking for a spaceport bartender. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly Olympic miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Creepy Codes. Fast Fashion. Cookie Cache. Running Robot. Crazy Crutches. Tennis Trivia. Zipping Sipping. Pricey Potatoes. Human Hamster.
Fats Domino toured with Scitex equipment? QR codes could be poised to raise privacy concerns. Graphene goes skiing. Is more expensive clothing necessarily more ethically produced? Keep your Oreo cookies away from your kids by using disguised packaging. How fast can a robot run a 5K? Pogo stick crutches, to make your rehab even more challenging. Philosophical CAPTCHAs to make your logins more challenging. Why are tennis balls yellow? A reusable silicone straw that unzips for easy cleaning. The world’s most expensive French fries. Florida man attempts to run on water from Florida to New York in a giant hamster wheel. Cicada killer wasps! All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly Olympic miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Paper Pigments. Athletic Air. Graphene Growth. Modern Medicines. Stamp Cipher. Tape Technology. Music Mural. Cover Catastrophes. Reflective Reindeer. Distasteful Dessert. Taco Trade.
Electronic paper can now have as many colors as an LCD display. The US Olympic Team will sport wearable air conditioners. What will be in the medicine cabinet of 2030? Decode the latest Forever Stamp. A roll of tape featuring programmable QR-like codes. A repository of horrible sci-fi book covers. Painting reindeer antlers with reflective paint to prevent traffic collisions. A treadmill for hamsters. Mac and cheese ice cream, for some reason. McCormick is hiring a “Director of Taco Relations.” All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Cardiac Capture. Color-Coded COVID. Marvelous Mapping. Talented Titler. Cinematic Spectacles. Games Galore. Munching Mona. Thwarting Thieves. Crater Cuisine.
Graphene gets to the heart of the matter. Colored bracelets for wary shoppers. Data visualization studio turns street maps into watercolors. A look at Saul Bass and how he changed movie titles. New smart glasses designed as portable movie screens. A new archive of game show memorabilia to open in Rochester. A petition for Jeff Bezos to buy and eat the Mona Lisa. An app to help catch art thieves. A round up the latest fad: volcano-based cooking. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Horrible Hornets. Friendless Fish. Lovely Letters. Clothing Cuisine. Tenuous Time. Billboard Rebirth. Virtual Visiting.
Murder hornets and aggressive chickens. Boy, 2020 has it all! An aquarium wants people to FaceTime lonely eels. A long Twitter thread about an 11-year-old’s love of writing letters. You are what you eat, which is also what you wear. All about chintz. Microsoft Word finally stops the insanity of double wordspacing after a period. Why have we lost all sense of time? Are llamas our pandemic heroes? Take virtual tours of some of the world’s most beautiful libraries. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly social distancing miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Print Preferred. Vexing Video. Catty Commissioner. Commando Correspondent. P&G’s Paper Packaging. Socializing Suit. Postal Pets. Animal AR. Compelling Clogs.
FedEx Office offers a new deferred payment printing service. The potential psychological effects of using Zoom. Pro tip for Zoom meetings: don’t throw cats. Pro tip for remote Good Morning America segments: wear pants. P&G is using paper-based packaging for its Old Spice and Secret brands. Reusing discarded plastic fishing nets. A Hazmat-like suit designed for virus-free nightlife. Unusual gift items from the Post Office. Put a tiger in your living room. A popular YouTube channel is nothing but drain-unclogging videos, for some reason. Roger Dean livestreams designing the new Yes album cover. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly self-quarantining miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: New Normal? Rime Readings. Cloistered Cacophony. Tone Tags. Packaging Playhouse. Literary Length. Decor Donations. Remote Rock.
Textile 4.0 magazine looks at the industry’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. Celebrities read verses from Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner. A giant E Ink display features the NYT’s front page. Noise generator simulates the sounds of an office. A project to assign names to all 24-bit colors. Samsung’s TV boxes are designed to be converted into cat houses. The best 500+-page novels of the recent past. Buy wallpaper and support a local restaurant. Running the Boston Marathon...along the Erie Canal. BÖC performs “Godzilla” online. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly self-quarantining miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Copper vs. COVID. Somber Signage. Law Limbo. Green Screen Queen. Puzzle Pressure. Failing Forecasts. Learning Lavatory.
Copper-infused fabric may protect against COVID-19. Retail signage around a closed NYC reflects the spirit of the city. A courtroom drama shoots a virtual episode over Zoom. The Hamilton cast reunites on Zoom. The Queen wears green-screen green on TV and comedy ensues. Unexpected surge in demand makes both jigsaw puzzle and board game makers fall to pieces. Why have weather forecasts suddenly become less accurate? A new “smart toilet” is trouble waiting to happen. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly social distancing miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Design for Doctoring. Fashion Forward. Coffee Table Chemistry. Postal Peril. Album Advice. Kooky Colors. Breakfast Bricks. Drone Dating. Portable Potter.
Designer Ariel Swedroe designs and sews masks for Miami health care practitioners. Will fashion’s move toward sustainability survive the COVID-19 crisis? A lavish picture book about the chemical elements. Will the Postal Service survive the COVID-19 crisis? Classic album covers redesigned to promote social distancing. “Overly descriptive color palettes.” Is Merino wool an answer to the marine microplastics pollution problem? A “building block waffle maker.” A real-life rom-com for the viral age. Does a USB drive get heavier as you store more files on it? All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly self-quarantined miscellany. Read More
Around the Web: Mobile Medals. Human Tails. Reviving Bookshops. Ugly Gerry. Dog Mode. Artificial Tongue. Libeling Parrots.
The medals for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are being made from recycled mobile phones. An Irish teen wins the Google Science Fair for a system for removing microplastics from the oceans. Can Waterstones’ savior duplicate that success for Barnes & Noble? A typeface based on heinously gerrymandered Congressional districts. Scottish researchers develop an artificial tongue for whisky tasting. 3M streamlines packaging material. If you’re a UK publisher, go ahead and insult all the parrots you want. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany. Read More
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