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Flaw in National Security Agency's Ghidra reverse-engineering tools allows hackers to execute code in vulnerable systems. View the full article

Users of Dreams on PS4 can create anything, from art and movies to music or games. The video game/game creation system Dreams is from the makers of hit game LittleBigPlanet which was a big sandbox for budding game creators and creative souls. The scope of that game was limited to the visual style set by the team, a problem that Dreams seeks to overcome. Dreams, by Media Molecule, is a young platform which is currently in early access. Your export options are limited to video and photos, but the developers have promised more options in this regard once the program launches for real. PSVR support is also planned for release. This tutorial will give you some hints and tips for using Dreams on PS4. Or for more 3D art-based learning, you can check out our pick of the best Blender tutorials on the web. This article was originally published in issue 133 of 3D Artist. Buy issue 133. Read more: Amazing free 3D models 3D sculpting: how to sculpt with style 10 ways to improve your 3D anatomy View the full article

Adobe has announced a brand-new update to Photoshop CC, and we think it's pretty great. The Content-Aware fill tool is about to be much improved, with oodles of user-control, and we've got the low-down right here. In case you haven't played with it before, the Content-Aware fill tool can digitally erase an area of your image and replace it with a sample from another part of the picture. It's what you might use to get rid of that hilarious photobombing joker in the background. It's been an integral part of Photoshop's arsenal for a while now, and it's about to get a lot better. Content-Aware fill is pretty convincing as it is, but it does have a frustrating issue when trying to deal with cluttered images, becoming confused when markedly different image elements are too close to each other. As Photoshop product manager Meredith Payne Stotzner explains in the above video, Adobe has listened to its users' requests for more control over the process and has added 'Auto' and 'Custom' options to the tool. Get Creative Cloud here 'Custom' does exactly what it says on the tin. It allows you to physically draw in the exact pixel sample to replicate. Clicking 'Auto' will ask Photoshop to perform its magic, and using Adobe's Sensei technology it will auto-find the pixel selection it thinks would best suit your fill. All in all it's like waving a custom-made magic wand to turn unwanted image elements invisible. This is a welcome update that solves an annoying problem with Content-Aware fill, and we think it will make a pleasing difference to the workflow of creatives using the software. We don't know when it'll be out yet but watch this space. Read more: The 23 best Photoshop plugins The 10 best alternatives to Photoshop How to resize an image in Photoshop View the full article

Typography plays a vital role in graphic design, but it doesn't always get the recognition that it deserves. It's one of those elements that, when done well, doesn't really get noticed. Poor typographic execution, on the other hand, can ruin an otherwise excellent layout and make you with that the designers had paid a bit more attention to typography tutorials. Now Monotype has stepped forward to put typography in the spotlight with a new awards programme. Judged by top names in the design business, the Type Champions Award aims to recognise and celebrate brands that emphasise typography in developing and maintaining their brand identities, and Monotype wants the creative community to help identify the brands and agencies that should be included. The ultimate typography cheat sheet "Type plays a critical role in brand identity, and some brands are using type in their creative campaigns in a way that stands out as strategic, thought-provoking and innovative," says Monotype creative director, James Fooks-Bale. "This award program will recognise the companies that use type to stand out among their peers, and create authentic, consistent and relevant brand identities." Monotype's certainly hitting the ground running with this new programme. It plans to announce the first winners at Adobe MAX in Los Angeles, which is only a few weeks away, and the deadline for nominations is next week, on 8 October. So if you want to nominate your agency or brand for consideration, you'd better get a move on. For nominations, Monotype is looking for brands that can demonstrate a focus on type in building their brand messages, marketing and advertising efforts and overall customer experience. For example, it wants to see type consistency across brands, creative approaches to advertising and an emphasis on future-proofing brands through type selection. If you want to submit a nomination, you are allowed to enter a brand that you've worked with, although Monotype emphasises that a relationship isn't required. So if you've simply seen some stunning used of typography in a campaign this year that you think needs recognition, you're welcome to nominate that for an award. Also, Monotype notes that it prefers nominations with supporting examples included. To find out more about this year's awards and its selection criteria, and to submit your own nomination, head for Monotype's Type Champions Award page. Related articles: 8 invaluable online typography tools 15 top typography resources The 8 biggest typography mistakes designers make View the full article

A fix has been issued for a critical Exim flaw that could lead to servers crashing or remote code execution attacks being launched. View the full article

Apple AirPods have become the absolute must-have accessory for iPhone, iPad and iPod since their launch in 2016. They have a lot of brilliant tech packed into them, and although they looked a bit weird when they first came out, it's now impossible to walk down the street without passing loads of people with those telltale AirPod arms hanging out of their ears. AirPods aren't without their drawbacks, though. For starters, they're expensive; even if you search out the best Apple AirPod deals, you're talking over £150 for a pair, and that's before you've factored in the essential wireless charging case. That's a lot to pay for something that you're more likely to lose than you are a traditional pair of wired earphones. Apple Black Friday deals: What to expect in 2019 And of course, you need an Apple device to go with them; no AirPods for you, Android owners. Amazon's just announced its own Echo Buds, which appear to be a strong AirPod alternative with many similar features at a less hefty price, but do they look as cool as actual AirPods? 'Cool' is very much a subjective thing, but we feel that many would think that no, they do not. From a distance, who's going to know? However, if you want that distinctive, "Hey, look at me, I've got some AirPods!" look, here's ASOS with a solution that'll give you instant street cred at a tiny fraction of the price. It's launched its own fake AirPods – that's ASOS DESIGN faux headphone ear piece in silver tone to you – and they're absolutely ideal for looking like you're wearing AirPods. At least from a distance. Like real AirPods, they're not quite perfect. For one thing, they're not that unmistakable AirPod white. Instead they're 100 per cent zinc with a silver-tone finish, which isn't likely to fool anyone, but you could always claim that you have a cousin who works at Apple who gave you a secret silver pair that isn't even going to be out until next year. Definitely worth a shot. No, they don't work. And yeah, you only get one. Oh, and for another thing, they don't actually work. All they're for is making it look a bit like you're wearing AirPods. You may laugh, but we're absolutely certain there's a market for this. Admittedly, though, if being able to listen to music or podcasts is a deal-breaker for you then you might want to pass on these. And for a third and final thing, we think you only get one faux headphone ear piece. So if you want to achieve the full effect then you'll probably have to order two of them. But at £6 a shot you're not exactly going to break the bank; you could buy at least 25 of them for what you'd pay for some actual functional AirPods! ASOS, we salute your chutzpah. Please send us some. Related articles: The 10 most beautiful Apple products (and the 5 ugliest) Apple shares how AirPod users personalise their cases – and they look amazing! The 100 greatest Apple creations View the full article

Finding the right tools for your latest creative endeavours can, at times, seem overwhelming if you're on a tight budget. Quality should never be compromised just because you don't own the newest version of Photoshop or Illustrator. Conquer your goals and create amazing visuals with these bundles – with savings of up to 95% off. 01. Youzgin Design App Easily create and design stunning Facebook Ads and covers, banners, video graphics, Kindle covers, infographics, memes, and so much more without the hefty price tag of expensive design programs such as Photoshop or Canva. With access to over 1.7 million free images and almost 2,000 high-definition templates, this graphic design suite allows you to produce stunning visuals efficiently. Get a lifetime subscription today for $39 (91% off $468). 02. Super Vectorizer 2 for Mac Serving as a fantastic Illustrator alternative, Super Vectorizer 2 helps you create stunning vector art for your web design needs. Automatically convert bitmap images like JPEG, GIF, and PNG to clean, scalable vector graphics like AI, SVG, DXF, and PDF. This tool comes complete with a newly equipped image-quantisation algorithm tool, allowing for treatments such as tracing colour, skeletonisation, line vectors, and much more. Get a lifetime license today for $19 (68% off $60). 03. Viddyoze Animation Templates With video quickly becoming the number one digital medium, access to stunning animation content is being requested more and more. Viddyoze allows you to create animated video assets with just a few clicks, even if you have no experience in animation. This cloud-based platform will enable you to browse through a vast selection of eye-catching logos, call to action templates, 3D animations, and much more to create your masterpiece. Get a lifetime subscription today for $89 (95% off $2,000). 04. Stencil Unlimited If you're looking to create unique visuals for all your marketing needs, Stencil Unlimited is for you. Content for social media, blogs, presentations, and more can be created with over 2,200,000 stunning royalty-free images, and 37 universal image sizing presets. You can even schedule your content straight through this tool and share your images instantly. Get a 1-year subscription today for $49 (65% off $144). 05. Fotor Online Pro Make photo editing easier with Fotor, an all-in-one visual solution that helps you edit photos, create collages, and more. Easily crop, retouch, and add creative elements to your images with this easy to use drag and drop tool. With access to a wealth of unique templates and impressive HDR technology (that allows for a more extensive range of lighting), your images and designs are bound to pop. Get a lifetime subscription today for $69.99 (87% off $539.4). Related articles: The 10 best alternatives to Photoshop Find Adobe alternatives with this helpful graphic 6 amazing free Adobe CC alternatives View the full article

XD is Adobe's dedicated prototyping tool, and there are some truly exciting updates on their way. There will be more details released at Adobe MAX in November – Creative Bloq will be there are updating you with all the news as we hear it – but in the meantime we've had a few exciting titbits confirmed. Looking to boost your XD workflow? Explore our pick of the best Adobe XD plugins and check out our guide to the XD shortcuts you should know. This year Adobe has been investing into making it simpler for product design teams to work together on projects. As a result, co-editing capabilities are coming to XD. That means a whole team of designers will be able to work together on a document at the same time. Designers can have the document open on their own device, and any updates will appear in real time for all co-editors. This could be a real game-changer for product designers. Take a look at the best Adobe Creative Cloud deals right now What if not all the stakeholders have access to XD? Well, Adobe is promising to extend real-time collaboration beyond XD on desktop, to ensure everyone who needs to can access the documents, contribute ideas, and stay in the loop with project progress. It's one of a few XD updates announced in an Adobe blog post, which also details improved integration with tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Sketch, and more information about XD's design systems features (watch the video above for more on that). Another update aimed at simplifying things for designers is versioning support. If you've ever worked on a complex project with lots of revisions and design options, you'll know the pain of keeping track of which document is the most up to date one, and the fear of updating a design and not being able to revert your changes if it turns out to be the wrong approach. Soon, you'll be able to work with the confidence that all previous versions of your design will be easily accessible directly in XD. Exciting news all round. We'll keep you updated you with more info as soon as we have it – on XD as well as Adobe's other flagship tools. In the meantime, for an idea of what might be on the cards, take a look at our unofficial predictions for MAX 2019. Read more: How to build prototypes with Adobe XD New Apple iPad arrives in stores – and we can't believe how cheap it is! QUIZ: Which typeface are you, really? View the full article

Lawsuit alleges Dunkin' Donuts failed to act fast enough to notify and protect customers and is in violation of New York State data breach notification laws. View the full article

In total, Microsoft has now blocked 142 file extensions that it deems as at risk or that are typically sent as malicious attachments in emails. View the full article

If you were to describe yourself as a typeface, which one would you choose? Are you a traditional, straight-down-the-middle sort of person, like Helvetica? Or are you a bit of a people-pleaser, like Johnston 100? Given that there are nearly 80 styles in our guide to the best free fonts for designers, there are certainly plenty of options to choose from. To help you find out which typeface best represents your personality, the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) has created a fun little quiz. The institute, whose recent design census found out that illustrators are the poorest but the happiest in the industry, created this short typeface test for its Eye on Design magazine, and you can take it right now. With just six probing questions to answer, including 'you're getting ready for work. What's your go-to look?' and the old favourite 'which, if any, of these star signs are you' it won't take you very long. It asks all those hard-hitting questions Once you've whizzed through the questions you'll be given your result and a useful bit of contextual info. Thanks to our interest in film soundtracks and Aquarian leanings, we got allocated Galapagos, a fairly goofy font designed by Felix Salut in collaboration with Dinamo in 2016. Go figure. And like the best online quizzes, you can easily retake the test if you're not satisfied with the result. But given that the answers are difficult to second guess, it might be harder than you think to rig the test to get your favourite font. Take the quiz here. Fingers crossed you don't get Comic Sans... Related articles: 50 top typography tutorials The ultimate typography cheat sheet 8 invaluable online typography tools View the full article

Fileless threat leverages widely used Node.js framework and WinDivert packet-capture utility to turn infected machines into proxies for malicious behavior. View the full article

Whether you’ve been gifted one of the best camera phones around or make use of your own, having a mobile at work is an essential for many of us. And that goes for designers who work all hours, just as much as those who clock off when the clock strikes five. With big changes taking place in the mobile industry, you could be working more efficiently and getting back more time to spend with friends and family. Do you wish you had a better handset? Or maybe that yours could adopt the technology to control smart appliances in your home or studio? Just how tech-savvy is your workplace? Share your opinion on the future of mobile phones in the workplace in our survey, which will take no more than five minutes to complete, and as a thank you for taking part, we'll automatically enter you into a prize draw to win a £250 Amazon voucher. The the only question left for the lucky winner will be what to spend it on. Take the Creative Bloq mobile phones for work survey here Be sure to enter the survey before the deadline on 14 October 2019. T&Cs apply, over-18s, UK readers only. Find full details on the prize draw here. View the full article

A new patent filing from Apple suggests that it's working on ways to make the logo on your device change colour and even surface texture. And while there's no way this is going to take effect in time for this year's Apple Black Friday deals – or even next year or the year after that – it could eventually change the way we look at Apple devices. While Apple's never likely to mess with the iconic shape of Rob Janoff's 1977 logo design, it's made plenty of adjustments to its colour and texture over the years, from the original rainbow design, through shiny glass and metal iterations, through to the flat version used today. The 100 greatest Apple creations Apple's also happy to roll out temporary imaginative takes on its logo for its various events and conferences, as most recently seen at the iPhone launch event with its multicoloured and multi-layered translucent logo. In the future, the Apple logo could be a lot more colourful than your iPhone's case The new patent filing, however, suggests that it has even bigger plans for the logo, and that in future devices it could change its appearance in response to various events. So it might blink when you have a new message, or change to a pulsing red tone to warn you that your iPhone or MacBook needs charging, or even switch to a simple mirrored surface when nothing's going on. The application goes on to state that the logo could be adjusted for aesthetic reasons, suggesting that you could set up your device to have the logo in any colour you like, or to flash to alert you of the some hot Black Friday MacBook deals. Patent applications make for terribly dry reading as they're made for patent lawyers to understand, not mere mortals like us, but the basics of it are this: Apple's talking about adding an 'adjustable decoration' to devices, which would include adjustable opacity, tint, haze and mirror layers that could be affect by user input, sensor input (including light, temperature, sound and geographic location) or events such as incoming calls. That suggests plenty of ways to alter the appearance of the logo. We're not talking about a simple LED lighting effect here; the adjustable mirror effect alone seems worth the price of entry, and there seems to be a lot of potential for all manner of visual effects that you'd associate more with print design than visual displays. It's all done with layers, as (sort of) shown in the patent filing How Apple's going to do all this – or indeed when, or even if – is another matter. Deep in the patent application it discusses the technologies that could be used, such as nanoparticles for the tint layer and a cholesteric liquid crystal device (your guess is as good as ours) for the mirror layer, but it doesn't go into great detail. After all, it's not about to give away any technical secrets if it doesn't have to. Apple files a lot of patent applications, and this one could come to nothing, so don't get too excited about it right now. But we're keen to see if Apple can carry this one off; watch this space. Related articles: 4 things we love about the new iPhone 11 Is Apple about to bring back its rainbow logo? Apple shares how AirPod users personalise their cases – and they look amazing! View the full article

Ahead of this year's TwitchCon, video streaming platform Twitch has revealed a bold rebrand that aims to celebrate the vibrant energy of its creators and communities. As its accompanying slogan proclaims: "you're already one of us." The new look has been a year in the making, and is the first major rebrand for Twitch since it was established back in 2011. Whipped up by Collins in collaboration with Twitch's in-house design team the overhaul includes a new colour palette, a blocky letterform, a polished version of the Glitch mascot, and a Moog synthesiser-inspired typeface that's up there with the best retro fonts we've seen. If you're familiar with Twitch, you'll be relieved to see that the fundamental elements of the brand are still in place, they've just been given a bit of a polish. Take the colour scheme, which still retains Twitch's signature colour, purple. "Purple is the only colour alive enough to represent our collective creativity, mischievousness, and energy," the company revealed in press release. "Our new purple is brighter and more vibrant to match that energy." And to help users express themselves, the Creator Color tool will allow them to set a specific colour to their channel. Purple remains the foundation of the Twitch logo design Accompanying the heavy-lifting purple is a lineup of over two dozen new colours that all take their names from iconic games and pop culture characters. So expect to see hues such as Mudkip blue and Red Alert... red appear everywhere from the Twitch site, to its advertising and apps. Sitting alongside these colours is a modified version of the Roobert typeface, which ticked all of Twitch's boxes thanks to its clean, modern design that also comes with a pinch of quirkiness. "It’s also modelled off the retro Moog synthesiser logotype, which we thought added a few cool points." As for the updated wordmark, it's carried over the DNA of the old logo. The blocky letterforms are still there, but they've been straightened out and enhanced by retro arcade game aesthetics. Just look at those lurid gradients. A customised version of Roobert will appear across all touchpoints The Twitch icon, known as Glitch, has also been given a facelift. However the design team wisely decided to play it safe with this update. Twitch added: "Any brand should worry about retaining some recognisability when updating, but, like, this is Glitch. It’s tattooed on people. We couldn’t change it too much." It's not all change though, as Twitch's emotes remain the same. Given that its community gave these characters meaning, leaving them untouched is a good way to remind users that they're at the heart of the rebrand. Although Twitch says that it will be putting Emotes out into the world more often. "We’re in a unique position because we have this deep, weird lore to pull from that others simply don’t, and it seemed nuts to try to make emotes less weird. So we didn't." The rebrand includes an edge-to-edge screen Given that Twitch continues to dominate the streaming landscape, with a recent report revealing that it far outstrips the likes of YouTube and Facebook Gaming, it makes sense for the platform to up its game (no pun intended) when it comes to its branding. "We’re lucky to be able to support such a vibrant, passionate community of creators, viewers, and everyone in-between. These changes are all about putting you front and center and equipped to shine as you reinvent what entertainment is and can be. We can’t wait to see what you do with them." And with more changes on the way, including new product experiences, it looks like Twitch has more treats in store for its users. Related articles: Join the online art community with creative live streaming The best video editing software in 2019 The best monitors for video editing View the full article

If you're an entrepreneur, you'll know how difficult it can be to get your website and online presence up and running. The difference between being seen and being lost in cyberspace is a thin line that can be difficult to cross. Luckily, these five SEO tools and courses are here to help launch your career and get you quality clients that will come back again and again. 01. SERPstash Premium Break down the SEO hustle into simple steps and help push your site to Google's front page with SERPstash Premium. This platform gives you access to 21 tools that help you boost your site's ranking and analyse keywords that are related to your industry. The lifetime subscription will teach you best practices to improve your site's speed and get your site's current ranking up on crucial platforms like Google and Bing. Get lifetime access to SERPstash Premium for just $24 (95% off $500). 02. RankTools Pro SEO Tool If you're looking to optimise your site's search rankings by outsmarting your competitors, this is the SEO tool for you. RankTools Pro SEO Tool keeps track of your top competitors and analyses metrics such as Alexa data, social media data, search engine index, Google page rank, IP analysis, malware check, and much more. This all-encompassing SEO suite ensures that you don't miss out on traffic when people are looking for content like yours. Get lifetime access to RankTools Pro SEO Tool for just $29.99 (97% off $1,199.4). 03. The Complete SEO & Digital Mega Marketing Bundle Build your brand's digital marketing presence with 15 comprehensive courses and 900+ lessons of digital marketing tutorials. Straight from the minds of the experts, this bundle teaches you best practices in copywriting, SEO, social media, email marketing, and much more. Easy to follow instructions allow you to build your brand's digital footprint to its full potential and reach through essential digital outlets. Get access to The Complete SEO & Digital Mega Marketing Bundle for just $49 (97% off $2,330). 04. Google Image SEO: Image Search & Higher Website Page Ranking Perfect for all levels of expertise, this 12-course bundle will guide you through the ins and outs of Google image SEO search, page rankings, and image rendering. This straightforward bundle, taught by 3-time best selling Amazon author Alex Genadinik, will show you new ways to bring quality traffic to your website. Learn how to make your site's web ranking rise quickly and effectively. Get lifetime access to Google Image SEO: Image Search & Higher Website Page Ranking for just $12.99 (93% off $200). 05. The Complete SEO & Backlink Master Course From keywords to backlinks, there's a whole range of factors that influence the ranking of your site. Improve your site's visibility with 15.5 hours of SEO courses and learn how to integrate quality links into your website. Taught by online marketing guru Zach Miller, this course will dive deep into all the elements that matter when you're trying to grow your site. Get lifetime access to The Complete SEO & Backlink Master Course for just $19.99 (79% off $97). Related articles: 5 ways to boost your website's SEO Climb the Google rankings: How to master SEO 10 must-know SEO tools for search success View the full article

Shapr3D is a great tool for kitbashing. It helps to literally bash out ideas and produce useful pieces of kit. It’s fast, clean and its interface is very intuitive; this is definitely the direction I see the 3D industry moving to – not larger, more powerful machines, but more accessible, more usable software, available in VR and AR, and on mobile and tablet devices. Kitbashing is nothing new, but making perfectly usable, pipeline-friendly kitbash pieces on an iPad is new. In this tutorial you will learn how to make three kitbash pieces in Shapr3D on the iPad Pro (see our best Black Friday iPad deals ahead of the big day). The first part will cover the creation of kitbash pieces on the iPad, and the second section will show how to use those pieces to create vast skyscrapers and cityscapes in a matter of hours. For some 3D inspiration, check out our roundup of the best 3D art out there. Download tutorial files Kitbash Piece 1: Girder Kitbash piece 2: Piston 03. Kitbash piece 3: Balljoint This article was originally published in issue 249 of 3D World, the world's best-selling magazine for CG artists. Buy issue 249 or subscribe to 3D World. Read more: These 3D portraits are unbelievably realistic How to create 3D grass 20 Cinema 4D tutorials to sharpen your 3D skills View the full article

Brand voice can be a synonym for design-speak. If you open a set of brand guidelines and find the ‘brand voice’ or 'tone of voice' section (if there is one), chances are, you’re looking at one or two pages of broad, abstract principles – things like, 'We are HUMAN, STRAIGHTFORWARD, OPTIMISTIC and AUTHORITATIVE'. Each principle probably has a brief explanation. There may be some ‘We are/We are not’ lists. Perhaps even a few short examples of ‘correct’ copy. And usually, that’s about it. (If you want to see how it's done properly, then make sure to check our favourite style guides.) Now – do you have what you need to apply that tone of voice? Is it clear what sort of ‘HUMAN’ we mean? How to capture ‘OPTIMISTIC’ in words? Probably not. Because ‘tone of voice’ or 'brand voice' is still treated in a pretty cursory way in most guidelines. Too often, ‘brand voice’ basically boils down to ‘less corporate/more friendly.’ That’s useful as far as it goes. But it’s a bit like buying a MacBook to play Solitaire. It does the job, but you’re leaving a vast well of potential untapped. Why you need a strong brand voice Happily, things are changing fast. Today, many brands are making smart use of language to create a competitive edge. (Think Monzo, Bulb, Slack, Spotify.) So how do you get your own brand voice to work harder? A good start is not calling it ‘tone of voice’. Tone – how you speak – is only half the story. What you say is just as important – if not more so. When you consider both sides together, you’re on the way to a genuinely transformative brand language. At Reed Words, we tend to use the term ‘verbal identity’. And if that verbal identity is going to work, it has to be practical. Everyone who creates or manages copy for your brand needs to understand the specific elements of language that work for your brand. Otherwise, decisions are just subjective – the route to a fragmented and confusing brand. Here's how to build your own unique and strong brand voice. Bear these five points in mind and you'll be laughing. 01. Be crystal clear on your message Every brand has a long list of things it could say. And many fall into the trap of trying to say everything, all the time. You need a crystal-clear sense of the message at the heart of your brand – your proposition – and how that gets expressed to the world. For example, a bank might be able to claim 150 years of heritage, three million customers, a 98 per cent TrustPilot rating, and carbon neutrality. But which of those should it focus on – if any? Without a messaging strategy, it can’t answer that. Decisions become short-term, subjective and swayed by trends. Our fictional bank ends up running a half-cocked campaign about ‘relationships’, because dating and Love Island are hot topics. Then it crowbars in heritage and sustainability, because it can’t bear to leave them out. We’ve all seen ads like this. If you’re clear on your message, you can stay focused. You can set about building a distinctive, persuasive idea of your brand, over the long term. (Think Nike. Think Apple.) 02. (Truly) understand your audience If brand strategy drives your messaging, your audience guides it. To connect with them, you have to understand them – and shape your language to that understanding. Often, this is where tone steps back in. Look at & Other Stories and Monki – two womenswear brands owned by H&M. Both have a young female market, but their voices are totally different. Look how each tackles the same simple message. First up, is & Other Stories: And then we have Monki: Of course, brands have multiple audiences, and many ways to reach them. That’s why a strong verbal identity often includes a ‘messaging matrix’ – a diagrammatic guide to what a brand should be saying, to whom, and how. 03. Keep an eye on the competition ‘Know your competitors’ sounds like basic advice, but how often do you see brands in the same space saying much the same things? An effective verbal identity helps lift your brand above the fray, by finding fresh ways to address the audience. Spotify, for example, takes on the mighty Apple by talking about music entirely differently. Apple sticks firmly to its positioning as the super-simple, monolithic power behind music (below). Spotify can’t compete with that – and would be mad to try. Instead, it stays true to its message of socially-driven, people-powered music. ‘We’re one of you,’ it tells music fans – throwing Apple’s cold aloofness into sharp relief. 04. Get specific about brand personality Spotify is a great example of a distinctive message, delivered in a distinctive tone. That tone is born out of the brand personality – which you’ll no doubt find on another page of those guidelines we’re pretending you’re looking at. But again, it’s not enough just to describe that personality. You need to explain what sort of language will capture it. Monzo’s guidelines do a good job of this. Monzo describe themselves as 'ambitious and positive' – and then give specifics on what that means: A useful set of verbal identity guidelines will also include plenty of examples. And not just the big sexy ones. 05. Consider all touchpoints Strong brands sound the same wherever you find them. Not just on billboards, homepages or TV, but in emails, error messages, and tweets. When you get this right, the audience has the reassuring sense that they’re hearing the same voice every time. Their sense of the brand grows a little more. Basically, every word you put out is a marketing message – and should be treated like one. Clothing brand Spoke have pretty much nailed this in their email newsletters. They even make jokes about copywriting: On the flip side, neglecting these interactions, letting them slip into blandly corporate language (or worse), just undermines all the hard work you’re doing elsewhere. Here’s a recent email from Ryanair, for instance. It conveys good news in such a confused, complicated way, you end up feeling worse about the brand, not better. So that’s the recipe for a powerful verbal identity. Clearly defined messaging and tone, along with practical specifics about language. People need big ideas – but they also need the tools to put them into action. Read more: Are trends any good for branding? 8 brands that rule at social media 8 of the most controversial magazine covers ever View the full article

After someone dropped a zero-day exploit on Securelist this week, the platform rushed out a fix -- time to apply it. View the full article

Experts from Nokia, iboss and Sectigo talk 5G mobile security for internet of things (IoT) devices in this webinar YouTube video (transcript included). View the full article

One Cisco bug impacting its 800 and 1000 series routers had a CVSS severity score of 9.9. View the full article

You're reading Get Real-Time Weather Data for Your Website with Weatherstack API, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook! Provide an extra element that will delight, inform, or help users with live weather information right on your website. It’s easier than you think with Weatherstack API. Use the tool to retrieve instant – and accurate – weather information for … View the full article

Thought Google Glass was enough of a fiasco that we were done with smart specs for good? Think again. Amazon has revealed that Echo Frames are heading our way. While there are some interesting points of difference that aim to make these a more practical, usable option, honestly we can't see these taking off. Amazon announced the Echo Frames would be joining its range of Amazon devices at its recent Fall 2019 Hardware event, along with its own Airbud-bothering true wireless headphones. In terms of functionality, what's on offer here is much less groundbreaking than Google or Snapchat's ill-fated smart glasses efforts. The main feature is that these specs come with Alexa built in, so wearers will never be without their audio assistant. There's no AR overlay or camera here; the focus is on audio only. Concerned about having a Amazon mic permanently strapped to your face? Well, unlike the Echo, for example, these aren't designed to be left switched on. Rather than activating Alexa using voice commands, you turn on listening via a button on the underside of the right temple. The specs look almost like regular glasses Your spoken requests are routed via an app on a linked smartphone (Alexa relies on connection to the cloud, so they won't work offline). In turn, the specs get messages to you by announcing them via four tiny speakers near your temples. While early reviews report that they're plenty easy enough to hear, that does mean everyone else can hear your notifications, too. There's a touch-sensitive area that you swipe to respond to notifications or tap to ignore. Is that enough functionality to make you want to buy a pair (and actually wear them)? We'll let you decide, but we suspect not. Looks-wise, Amazon has gone a lot less space-age than Google did. From the front, at least, these look pretty much like a regular pair of thick-frame glasses. The arms however are noticeably chunky, so people are probably still going to realise something is up. At 31g, they're not much heavier than normal glasses. The lack of screen interaction also opens up options for regular specs-wearers. Amazon also says buyers will be able to get their Echo Frames fitted with prescription lenses – normal or sunglass. However, it won’t be providing this service itself, for that you’ll need to negotiate with your local optician. The audio only focus means you could put prescription lenses in these There's also the question of battery life. Amazon claims 14 hours with intermittent use (defined as a fairly intensive-sounding 40 Alexa interactions, 45 minutes of music, some podcast and music playback, and 90 incoming notifications). With constant playback, however, that figure drops to just three hours. If you are sold on picking up a pair, you'll have to wait a little longer. The Echo Frames are part of Amazon's new 'Day 1 Editions programme', which means they're not on public release yet, and the design will be refined further before they're rolled out properly. Feedback will come from a select group of US customers that are being invited to purchase a pair for $179. Read more: New Apple iPad arrives in stores – and we can't believe how cheap it is! VW 'fixes' iconic Beatles album cover The new Royal Mail van is making us inexplicably happy View the full article

Despite CISOs' apprehension about increasing dependence on SaaS applications and the security risks the cloud represents, adoption isn’t slowing down. View the full article

If you were to think of wireless headphones, chances are you'd picture Apple AirPods. But it looks like Amazon wants to stake its claim in that market as it revealed its own make of wireless headphones, called Echo Buds, during its annual hardware event, yesterday. From Amazon's point of view, breaking into the wireless headphone market makes total sense. Apple's AirPods are so popular that in 2018 alone it sold 35 million units. You might've even purchased some for less with the help of our Apple AirPods deals page. The ultimate guide to Amazon devices And while AirPods will usually set you back $159, Amazon looks set to undercut Apple with an RRP of $129.99 for the Echo Buds. The pair are equally matched when it comes to battery life too, with both giving five hours of music playback per charge. Meanwhile the Echo Buds charging case can hold up to 20 hours of charge. Expect to see a lot of the Echo Buds in the future... Complete with Bose's Active Noise Reduction Technology and a sealed in-ear design, Echo Buds promise to deliver a crisp and immersive sound. They also provide hands-free access to Alexa, leaving users free to stream music, play Audible books and make calls more easily. And with a tap, Echo Buds can access other voice assistant such as Apple's Siri and Google Assistant. The Echo Buds will be officially released on 30 October, but you can preorder yours from Amazon now. Related articles: Apple shares how AirPod users personalise their cases – and they look amazing! The best Bluetooth speakers in 2019 The best noise-cancelling headphones in 2019 View the full article