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This is a hands on review of the Surface Pro X to give you the chance to see what the new 2-in-1 laptop is all about as soon as possible. We'll be expanding and upgrading this review in the future with more information and a score. The Surface Pro X was just one of six new devices revealed at Microsoft's Event on Wednesday. And while we've all been distracted by the excitement of the new dual-screen tablet, the Surface Neo, and Microsoft's upcoming foldable phone, the Surface Duo, that doesn't mean that we aren't impressed by the Surface Pro X (as well as the new Surface Pro 7). But what does the Surface Pro X actually offer? Could it become one of our favourite drawing tablets, or best laptops for graphic design? Read on for a first look at Microsoft's new 2-in-1 laptop/tablet. You can also watch Microsoft's introductory video below. Microsoft Surface Pro X: Design, display and Surface Pen The Surface Pro X is a logical progression of the Surface Pro series. This version is thinner and lighter than previous models. It measures 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.28 inches, and weights 1.7 pounds (774g). The device feels super-light and is slim enough to fit in most bags without a problem. This version of the Surface Pro also has slightly rounder edges than the other iterations, making it look just that bit sleeker. The display is a 13-inch PixelSense touchscreen with a 2,880 x 1,920 resolution (267 ppi) with a 3:2 aspect ratio. Colour looks great on it, the overall look and feel is good, and it's also pretty bright (450 nits). Typing feels slightly bouncier than before, but is overall an enjoyable experience. Plus, it's got a stylus, the Surface Pen – now called a Slim Pen as it's a bit flatter, which you can store easily within the device, where it automatically charges. When you pull out the Pen, the Surface automatically brings up the whiteboard app. The new Pen is just as good as before, and has the pressure sensitivity and palm rejection we've come to expect from the Surface Pen. You can turn the Pen around and use the end of it like an eraser, which is pretty cool. You can also use the Pen on its side, giving you nice soft blended effects when creating artwork. We also saw at the event that the Creative Cloud works really well on this machine, with Adobe Fresco having been optimised for the Surface Pro. Fresco will soon arrive on the Surface platform. The Surface Pro X comes in one colour: matte black aluminium, with the black Alcantara fabric Type Cover for the keyboard cover. So on the design and display front, so far, so good. Overall, this feels like a tablet that creatives could actually use. Microsoft Surface Pro X: Key specs and performance The starting price of the Microsoft Surface Pro X is $999, and for that, you'll get 8GB of RAM (memory) and a 128GB SSD, which is removable. These specs are similar for what the MacBook Air (read our MacBook Air review here) offers at its starting price. The Surface Pro X is also the first to have its own custom-built processor – an ARM-based Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU that Microsoft is calling the Microsoft SQ1. Microsoft claims that this setup provides "best in class" graphics performance. It also said that it has three times more performance than the Surface Pro 6. This all sounds great on paper, but seeing as ARM-based Windows 10 devices don't historically do so well when compared to AMD or Intel machines, we will reserve judgement until we've had time to properly test it out. The machine is also the "first Windows PC to have an integrated AI engine", creepily demonstrated during the Microsoft Event as enabling you to change the look of someone's eyes when on a video call to make it look like they're continually looking at you. Bit weird. But perhaps there are other, more useful applications. Microsoft says the Surface Pro X will last up to 13 hours after one charge, which seems kind of okay, although you may find you want more. It also has fast charging, so after one hour you'll have around 80 per cent battery, which helps. Microsoft Surface Pro X: Price and availability The Surface Pro X will be available from 5 November in stores and online, while pre-orders have already started. The starting price is $999 / AU$1,699 (about £810). Order the Microsoft Surface Pro X now. Microsoft Surface Pro X: Early verdict The Surface Pro X looks great, and if we're honest, we like the sound of the specs too, and we can imagine using it as a proper tablet. However, we'll reserve judgment on whether its performance will be enough to deal with heavy creative use until after we've tested it out properly. Thanks to our sister site TechRadar for their help with this review. Read TechRadar's full hands on review here. View the full article

Building a website for yourself or your company can often feel like a daunting task. Stop making excuses and create a beautiful site with Wix, the leading intuitive drag-and-drop website builder on the market. Take advantage and save 45% off a Premium Unlimited Plan when you get it for $82.49 today. Whether you're promoting your new business, showcasing your work, or starting a blog, Wix makes it incredibly easy to create and manage your website. The easy to use interface allows you to keep your content up to date whenever you need to. Build a custom website design yourself or choose from over 500 tailor-made templates with features including video backgrounds, scroll effects, animation, and more. Advanced editing options allow you to customise the site to your needs and choose your primary colour, palette, theme, and upload your graphics and logos. Voted "Best website builder in 2019" by Techradar, the Wix Unlimited Plan also includes industry best practices, guiding you every step of the way. Fast and reliable web hosting allows for unlimited bandwidth, while mobile optimisation ensures your website looks amazing on any mobile device. Your own personalised built-in SEO plan is also included, helping to get your website to the top of Google. Not to mention, you also can track, analyse, and optimise your website's traffic to make sure you get the right audience to your site. Usually priced at $150, one-year of access to the Wix Premium Unlimited Plan is now just $82.49. Conquer your fear of building a website and take your online presence to the next level with this easy to use plan. With one of the world’s most innovative drag and drop website builder, you can design any website you want. Related articles: 19 really useful responsive web design tutorials Who are the unsung heroes of web design? The 7 best old-school web design tools View the full article

Realistic 3D makeovers of beloved character designs seem to be all the rage at the minute. They also seem to be causing a lot of rage, too. Just take Disney's recent Lion King remake which prompted fans to create their own interpretation, or this new ad campaign from UK car insurance company, Churchill. In the advert, above, we watch an adorably flabby and incredibly lifelike 3D bulldog skateboarding his way down the street. It's a relaxing image, and that's the point. Churchill wants to destress the process of arranging car insurance, and even goes as far as to emphasise the 'chill' in its brand name. How to draw a dog This realistic 3D mascot replaces a cute version modelled on a nodding dog toy that has been used by Churchill since 1996. Complete with his easily-imitated catchphrase ,"oh yes!", this stylised bulldog endeared UK audiences over the course of two decades. Watch him in action below. And even though nobody's really talked about the Churchill nodding dog that much recently, it seems that he has plenty of silent admirers. That's if the reaction to the new realistic CGI Churchill trailer on Twitter is anything to by. Social media user Emma Rose was taken aback, saying: "But he was always a nodding dog in the back of a car? This is like when they got rid of the Dolmio family!" Meanwhile Marc Winsland asked: "Is nothing in this country sacred anymore?" Of course, this public outcry over a car insurance company's decision to change its mascot has itself been met with criticism. It's a familiar sequence of events over on that there Twitter. It's up to you whether you think the internet needs to take a (Church)chill pill or if you think this realistic mascot is a 3D fail. Either way, there's no denying that he's an incredibly well-realised CGI dog riding a skateboard, and for that we salute it. We'll miss comedian Bob Mortimer providing the voice of the nodding dog mascot though, as it looks like he's been replaced by a soothing voiceover. But rest assured, the "oh yes!" catchphrase is still there. Related articles: 30 greatest CGI movie moments of all time The best 3D modelling software 2019 Is this dog treat branding as horrific as it seems? View the full article

Web design is an industry that's constantly evolving and innovating. This means that there are a bunch of new web design tools being released every month. And while these cutting edge tools can cater to the latest demands of web design professionals, there are some older tools that still prove to be surprisingly useful. To help unearth the best web design applications of years gone by, we talked to seven web design experts to find out which old-fashioned tools they simply can't live without. And while these tools might seem a bit basic or long in the tooth, they've stuck around for a reason: they're just really good. So if you're looking to shake up your workflow, be sure to check them out for yourself. 01. Sketch sheets Get your ideas down on paper If you're a UX or UI designer who needs to turn their ideas into sketches, Sketchize could be the answer. This site is packed with sketch sheets to help web designers create apps for mobile, tablet and desktop devices. Simply print off the relevant sheet, and you've got a wireframe foundation that you can start sketching on. For GIS application systems analyst Carolyn Novak, Sketchize is her go-to tool for creating wireframes for a new website. She also uses Post-It notes stuck on her office wall to organise content before she mocks it up in HTML. "A very archaic process, especially since I have access to modern tools," she admits. 02. Notepad++ Perfect for beginners Free source code editor Notepad++ was first developed back in 2003, but it's still going strong. That's because it's still a great tool to educate junior web designers on the fundamentals of markup. According to Andrew Minton, the head of design at Orchard, it's also a useful way to scare juniors into a false sense of security, with the likes of Dreamweaver confusing matters from the off. He adds: "my advice is to learn the basics, start with a blank page and weave digital dreams from scratch!" 03. Sublime Text Speaking of code editors, Sublime Text still proves to be useful. Originally developed 11 years ago, Sublime Text is a proprietary cross-platform source code editor that boasts a Python application programming interface. As well as natively supporting multiple programming and markup languages, Sublime Text's functions can be enhanced with community built plugins. But for Steph Boudreau, the secret to Sublime Text's success is its simplicity. "Sometimes the newer tools add complexity or extra steps that seem to only complicate things," he says. "Keeping my toolset simple and streamlined (albeit old school) lets me learn new techniques without having to continuously learn new software." 04. Save For web (legacy) As its name suggests, Photoshop's Save For Web (Legacy) is an older way to save web graphics. But that doesn't mean that it isn't useful anymore. Despite having been succeeded in 2015 by the Export As tool, Save For Web (Legacy) is still used by many, including Alec East, the design director at Narrative industries. Part of the key to Save For Web's continued popularity is that it's ideal for finding the sweet spot between a small file size and a hideously compressed image. "But it's the support for animated GIFs in Save For Web that I would really miss," says East. "The ability to tweak the bit depth in cinemagraphs and graphic banners so they’re small enough to load quickly: I’m not willing to give that up any time soon!" 05. WebPageTest An oldie but a goodie An oldie but a goodie, WebPageTest is a handy way to check the performance speed of your website. It might not be perfect for everyone, especially with plenty of shiny new alternatives available, but what's not to love about a tool that helps people to make sense of their situation? For Sally Lait, the engineering manager at Monzo, WebPageTest is an invaluable tool that she often teams up with other classics such as WAVE and even the W3C HTML/CSS validators. "I really love that the web's evolution and standards mean these are still relevant and useful," says Lait. "As a guilty pleasure, I also still have Beyond Compare installed, despite not being able to remember the last time I FTPd!" 06. File Transfer Protocol One person who can remember the last time they FTPd is freelance designer and developer Sush Kelly. For the uninitiated, FTP, or file transfer protocol, is a standard network protocol that's used for the transfer of computer files between a client and a server on a computer network. But with websites becoming increasingly complicated, the old-school approach of dragging files into servers simply doesn't cut it anymore. This doesn't mean that Kelly completely avoids doing it though. "Build tools allow us to push our changes to a server knowing that all the files will be going to the right directory and definitely the right server but there is still the odd occasion I will manually upload a few files through an FTP client." 07. Pencil and paper Tools don't come much more old fashioned than a pencil and paper. But that's just what freelance web designer and developer Robert Fenech uses at the start of every project. "It just helps me to flesh out how the pages should look and feel, without wasting time in Sketch or Adobe XD," he reveals. The fluid nature of a pencil means that web designers can quickly get a structure together, and it's the perfect tool to use with Sketchize at the top of this list. This article was originally published in net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 321 or subscribe. Related articles: 5 pro Sass tips for better CSS Explore data visualisation with p5.js 10 free design resources to bookmark today View the full article

There are dozens of known groups, hundreds of C2 servers and millions of victim websites. View the full article

We all love getting to the nitty-gritty details of a design, whether it's the VW logo specifications, which were later thrown out the window, or in this case, the components of a very famous shoe: the Nike Air Force 1. So this week, when Reddit user Shields Matt posted an image showing the anatomy of the Air Force 1, it caused quite a stir. And they weren't all just talking about that famous swoosh, or that Nike has one of the best logos ever made. We'll be honest, many of the comments didn't exactly focus on the design. They were more concerned with whether the elements look like bones if you scroll past them, or with taking a swipe at Nike's manufacturing methods. But as DaxDiMario said: "People who talk trash about shoe designs need to see this. Love the shoe or hate it there’s so much that goes into all of them." And we're inclined to agree. Now put it back together please... This design is worth taking a second to ponder, if only to marvel at how these small elements come together to create the iconic sneaker. It also shows that the elements that make up a beautiful or functional product (or a beautiful, functional product) are often in themselves not really that sexy. Take that Nike swoosh, for example. Does it look like a much-coveted item or logo that you need on your clothes in this picture? Not really. Yet when you add it as the final touch to a gorgeously created trainer, it becomes something else, and adds an extra element. So if you take anything from this sneaker breakdown, it's that if you're despairing over something that looks a bit rubbish in its component parts, then do not panic. Add the right swoosh, stitch it all together, and it might just become legendary. You can see the original post on Reddit here. Read more: Nike brings back old Swoosh logos Why Nike's latest rebrand oozes flexibility Nike pulls 'Betsy Ross flag' sneaker line after complaints about associations View the full article

Dubbed Reductor, this malware can manipulate HTTPS traffic by tweaking a browser’s random numbers generator. View the full article

We can't have been the only ones who couldn't believe the amount of new tech revealed at yesterday's Microsoft Event. If you missed it, highlights include a new Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X, plus a very exciting dual-screen tablet – the Surface Neo – and then the Surface Duo, Microsoft's latest foldable phone. And of course, this is all great news for those looking for a Microsoft Black Friday deal, as hopefully it means the older stock will be discounted. But let's go back to the new Surface Earbuds. We'll admit we had an initial 'what were they thinking?' moment when we saw them for the first time (see the introductory video below). Seriously, the design takes some getting used to. The Surface Earbuds looks like a cross between milk bottle tops, tiddlywinks and some huge clip-on earrings that have accidentally ended up inside your ear. But then again, we were all confused by Apple's AirPods design when it came out, and no one really looks twice at people wearing them these days. So perhaps we'll all get used to the milk bottle top look. Looks aside, the Surface Earbuds actually seem pretty cool. Honestly. Here's why. 01. They're gesture and voice enabled The Surface Earbuds come in three sizes, and none of them are exactly discreet. However, that means they have a large enough surface area for the controls to really work. You can control the volume by sliding up and down, double-tap to play/pause music and if you want to skip a track, you can swipe forward (or back, to go backwards). You can also make phone calls, and pair the earbuds with just one click. So far, so intuitive. If you've got an Android device, there's also Spotify integration so you can bring up Spotify with three taps. That's pretty cool, and also useful if you are used to having to open your phone to bring up your favourite Spotify playlist. You can also activate voice assistant by pressing down on the earbuds, you'll either get Cortana or Google Assistant, depending on what you're connected to (and you should be able to link up to Siri, too, with the right app). There are two mics built-in to the headphones to aid this feature. It all seems like you'll be able to control your headphones pretty well from just the buds, without having to get your phone or other device out all the time. 02. There's 24-hours of battery life Microsoft is boasting that the Surface Earbuds have 24 hours of battery life. That's sort of true, but only if you remember your carry case. The earbuds actually have eight hours of battery life – enough for most long journeys. You then use the charging case, which looks like a rather deep glasses case, to charge the headphones two more times (hence the 24 hour battery life claim). It all sounds relatively simple, and there are no bulky wires or plugs to carry around, which is a bonus. 04. They can create real-time captions Okay, so we know that Office 365 isn't exactly the coolest thing around, but the Office 365 integration features that Microsoft highlighted at the event did sound pretty useful. If you're presenting a Powerpoint, for example, what you are saying could be transcribed directly on to the bottom of the screen. This is potentially life-changing for those who rely on reading captions. As long as it works, that is. We'll assume it does for now and remain excited. As well as captions, you can also dictate to your headphones, which will then translate that text into Office apps like Word or Outlook. This is great news for anyone who loves voice recordings, you'll be able to send your voice notes like Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks. Or Alan Partridge. 05. They can translate for you As well as captions, the Earbuds can also translate into over 60 languages. That means that you could be talking through a Powerpoint and your earbuds will translate into text on your screen. Again, this a potentially huge game-changer for many, especially those working in organisations where several languages are spoken. 06. The sound seems pretty good, too We may have left it till last, but the sound quality of a pair of headphones is of course vital to their success. Microsoft says that the earbuds feature "custom-designed drivers that are precisely-tuned to deliver an exceptional acoustic experience." They also boast omnisonic sound, and those two in-built microphones should aid call quality and voice recognition. Again, if it works like they say it will, it'll be great. Surface Earbuds price and release date The Surface Earbuds will be available "later this year" at a cost of $249. Note that we haven't said we love the price, but if you think you could really benefit from the above features, and you don't mind having milk bottle tops in your ears, then the Surface Earbuds could be for you. You can sign up to be notified when they're available on the Microsoft website. And if you know you're more of an AirPods person, see our best deals on those below. Read more: The fake AirPods are utterly ludicrous Amazon takes on AirPods with its own Echo buds The 10 most beautiful Apple products (and the 5 ugliest) View the full article

Learning how to calibrate your monitor correctly is a must, as having a monitor that displays colour and contrast accurately ensures your work can be viewed by others as you intend. It's also useful when you need to match the colours in a digital design to a printed version. However, it’s all too easy to become accustomed to an uncalibrated monitor that displays everything with a slight colour cast, effectively tricking you with an inaccurate view of your digital creations. In some cases, once a monitor is calibrated, the before/after colour difference can be shocking. You’d be forgiven for thinking any monitor should be pre-calibrated to display at its best, but this is only the case for monitors that boast ‘factory colour calibration’. This is a feature built into high-end, premium-priced panels like the stunning Eizo ColorEdge CG319X, which we reckon is the best monitor you can buy right now. But what exactly is monitor calibration? What is monitor calibration? Calibration ensures the colour output from your monitor matches a predefined standard, such as the sRGB or Adobe RGB colour space, rather than whatever colour balance the screen happens to display after it rolls off the production line. The calibration process doesn’t actually alter anything about the monitor itself, apart from settings like brightness or contrast. Rather, a hardware monitor calibrator detects the colours emitted by your screen and creates a bespoke software profile – or look-up table – that tells your computer’s graphics card to distort its colour output to compensate for the inaccuracies of your monitor. If you don’t fancy splashing out on a hardware calibrator, there are also apps built into your computer’s operating system, as well as free online tools, that will help assist you to manually adjust your monitor’s colour output by eye. They’re useful for rectify glaring colour and contrast issues, but the human eye is simply too subjective for precise colour calibration. We strongly recommend investing in even an entry-level hardware calibrator if you’re at all serious about accurate colour – it’s the only way to get the job done properly. Here are all your options for calibrating your monitor correctly. How to calibrate your monitor (Windows) How to calibrate your monitor (Mac) The Display Calibrator Assistant built into OS X is accessed via the Displays icon in the System Preferences menu. From there, click the ‘Color’ tab, then hold down the Option key and click the ‘Calibrate…’ button. On the Introduction screen of the Display Calibrator Assistant wizard, make sure you check the Expert Mode tickbox to ensure you get all available calibration options. Online calibration tools 01. Calibrize Calibrize is a simple downloadable app that contains similar calibration tools to the built-in Windows and Mac OS X calibration utilities. Black & white boxes help you set brightness and contrast using your monitor's controls, and there are RGB gamma sliders for tuning colour. Save your new profile and you're good to go. 02. Photo Friday The Photo Friday Monitor Calibration Tool is nothing more than a webpage that displays a greyscale image. You then adjust your monitor's brightness and contrast so the black and white shapes display as instructed by the walkthrough guide. 03. The Lagom LCD Monitor Test Pages This selection of calibration web pages is very comprehensive and includes various images and charts to help you calibrate everything from black level to sharpness, along with the usual brightness, contrast and gamma options. It's one of the best online calibration tools out there, though some of the available options aren't of much use for creatives. Buying a monitor calibrator: Things to consider No matter how closely you follow an online or operating system calibration process, there’s always going to be a weak link in the process: the human eye. Even if you have perfect vision, the eye just isn’t an objective judge of colour balance or consistency. There are plenty of optical illusions that highlight the eye’s fallibility, so to get around the problem and calibrate your screen properly, there really is no alternative but to splash out on an electronic eye: a dedicated monitor calibrator, also known as a colorimeter. See our guide to the best monitor calibrators around or read on for our top two picks. These nifty gadgets are usually about the size of a computer mouse and only require a USB connection. Simply hang it over the top of the screen so it rests in the middle, then corresponding software flashes various different colours over a period of several minutes for the all-seeing eye to detect. The calibrator then feeds the colour data back to the software so it can create a custom colour profile to apply to Windows or OS X. Colorimeters aren’t the only hardware you can use for monitor calibration. Spectrophotometers look identical and do the same job, but will also calibrate your printer, as they’re capable of analysing both emitted light from monitors and also light reflected off printed colour swatches. The only downside is price, as spectrophotometers usually cost considerably more than a monitor-only calibrator. Once the calibration is done, you’re still not quite home and dry. The brightness and colour reproduction of any monitor will fluctuate over time, so to keep everything consistent you should repeat the calibration process once every few months. Top monitor calibrators X-Rite’s ColorMunki Display is an entry-level device that can really help you calibrate your monitor correctly When it comes to choosing a monitor calibrator, two brands dominate: X-Rite Pantone, and Datacolor. Both produce excellent products to suit a variety of price points and feature requirements. And the best bit is you don’t need to drop big bucks on a range-topping calibrator to get accurate calibration. Even an entry-level tool like X-Rite’s ColorMunki Display will calibrate your monitor super-accurately. Spending more money will get you extra features like multi-monitor calibration, as well as ambient light monitoring that’ll tell you the optimal screen brightness to suit your studio environment Datacolor's SpyderX Pro is a speedy option for monitor calibration Higher-end calibrators also tend to be quicker, as a calibrator like Datacolor’s SpyderX Pro is able to calibrate a monitor in well under two minutes. That’s useful when you need to calibrate regularly to ensure your monitor is consistently displaying colour-critical designs. Read more: How to master colour theory The best monitors for video editing The best monitors for programming right now View the full article

Contemporary jewellery company Pandora has revealed a new logo (above) that pushes the definition of sans serif to the absolute limit. The logo sees the trusty Optima typeface ditched in favour of a new design that contains some of the subtlest serifs we've ever seen. The rebrand, which first started rolling out back in August, also sees Pandora adopt a bubblegum pink as its brand colour. But it's the logo's lettering that has attracted the attention of the design community, thanks to is almost imperceptible serifs. Our guide to logo design highlights the importance of typography when creating a brand identity, so has Pandora got it right? In some ways, yes, in some ways, no. The old typeface Optima might have been a safe choice when it comes to logo lettering, having previously been used by the likes of Yahoo and Jaguar, but more and more companies are choosing to leave it behind. So at least Pandora doesn't look like it's lumbered with a font that's fallen out of favour. The previous logo used Optima, and had a clearer crown image And in Optima's place is a font that Brand New has described as "99% sans serif". It's a good way of summing up the typeface, which has flicks so subtle we'd forgive you for not noticing them. And while this new lettering is certainly understated, we think it's a step up from the previous iteration. It's not all good news though. One of the signature elements of the Pandora logo, the crown that sits above the letter 'o', has had its bottom line removed. This threatens to make the imagery unclear, and means the letter looks more like a ring than anything else. Which may not be such a bad thing for a jewellery company. In a press release from Pandora, the company said that the rebrand aims to deliver a "fresh, modern tone". This can be seen in the pink that now dominates Pandora's identity, a colour which it describes as the "new main marker and recognisable statement across all consumer touchpoints." The new Pandora icon, and pink colour, as it will appear on social media Speaking of recognisable statements across all consumer touchpoints, the crowned letter 'o' will be used as Pandora's social media avatar. On the face of it this might seem like a strange choice. After all, wouldn't the letter 'p' be more appropriate? But when you consider that Pandora's jewellery is based on charms that slide onto a bracelet, the decorated 'o' is a convenient shorthand for the products it offers. Related articles: Logo swap is surprisingly disturbing Is this the most blatant logo theft ever? World Cup 2022 logo revealed View the full article

3D isn't an easy creative discipline to learn. Just the basics of creating good-looking 3D models can take a while to get to grips with, and that's before you get to the technical challenges such as lighting, rigging and rendering. Anyone with an eye on 3D is likely to be horrified by the price tags attached to some of the best 3D modelling software. However if you're looking to learn but don't have the budget to match, there are plenty of free options available. Here are nine of the best, starting with basic stuff for beginners and moving on to more advanced packages suitable for experienced 3D professionals. 3D art: 28 amazing examples to inspire you 01. SculptGL Teach yourself 3D sculpting in the browser For beginners wanting to get a feel for sculpting in 3D, it's hard to go far wrong with Stéphane Ginier's SculptGL. It's a free digital sculpting app that runs in the browser – you can also get it as a Chrome app and standalone version – and it comes with plenty of features to get you started with 3D sculpting with a mouse or tablet. There are assorted brushes and manipulation tools to try, plus PBR vertex painting and alpha texture support, as well as multi-resolution sculpting, voxel remeshing and dynamic topology, and it'll export your work as an OBJ, PLY or STL. 02. Wings 3D Wings 3D is an ideal first taste of 3D modelling If 3D modelling's something you want to try, Wings 3D is a great way to dip a toe in the water. It's a pure modelling app that lets you build a basic 3D model out of polygons and then smooth it out by subdividing the mesh. It's a fairly basic experience with a slightly unusual customisable interface, but it's designed to be easy to use and supports lights and materials as well as having a built-in AutoUV mapping facility. 03. Tinkercad Autodesk's Tinkercad helps you explore the basics of 3D Designed as an introduction to Autodesk's more heavyweight CAD tools, Tinkercad is a set of free online tools to get you started not only with 3D, but also with electronics and designing with code. Built with teachers, kids, hobbyists and designers in mind, it's all about placing, adjusting and combining objects to create designs, and comes with a whole stack of tutorials to get you started, and when you're done you can export your work for 3D printing or export a slice as an SVG file for laser cutting. 04. Daz Studio With Daz Studio you can create in 3D without all the modelling 3D modelling isn't for everyone, but even if you can't get your head around it, there are still some great options for creating 3D art without having to deal with polygons and subdivisions. Daz Studio doesn't have any modelling tools, but with it you can build complex 3D scenes and animation using a vast library of ready-made people, animals, props, vehicles, accessories and environments. For beginners there are plenty of in-app interactive tutorials to help you get to grips with its features, so you can start learning about things like lighting, texturing and rigging, and once you've completed your 3D masterpiece, you can render it at photo-realistic quality to use however you want. 05. Clara.io Clara.io's cloud-based system is easy to get started with A cloud-based 3D tool that runs in your web browser, Clara.io gives you all the 3D modelling, animation and rendering tools you need to create and share 3D models and photo-realistic renders. It features a load of powerful modelling tools enabling you to do everything from tweaking an existing model through to building your own creation, and it uses VRay cloud rendering with an enormous material library and flexible lighting setups. And while it's web-based, Clara.io's front end is modelled on traditional desktop tools, so it's easy to get started with and should leave you ready to adapt if you decide to move onto a more heavyweight app. 06. Sculptris Sculptris works as a fantastic free introduction to ZBrush's tools Based on Pixologic's ZBrush, Sculptris is the ideal free 3D modelling app to move on to once you've exhausted the possibilities of SculptGL. Designed as an accessible, easy-to-use app for any type of artist, it uses dynamic tessellation with automatic subdivision to enable you get sculpting immediately, and features an intuitive, immersive interface with navigational controls similar to those in ZBrush. If you want to take your work further, it's easy to export to ZBrush for additional refinement. Sculptris is no longer in development, but it's still available as a free download. 07. Blender Blender might be free, but it's still one of the best 3D packages available The undisputed king of free 3D software, Blender is an immensely powerful tool for 3D creation that can handle just about everything much more expensive packages can do, from modelling and texturing through to rendering and compositing. There are also plenty of helpful Blender tutorials out there to help you learn the ropes. It's available for all major operating systems, and while it's traditionally had a bit of a reputation for being just a little too open-source in its look and feel, the most recent update has seen it adopt more industry-standard interface. So now it has a right-click context menu, as well as keyboard shortcuts that do exactly what you'd expect if you're used to other packages. 08. Bforartists Bforartists is basically Blender with a friendlier interface With Blender adopting a more standardised look, there's possibly less of a need for Bforartists, but it's definitely worth checking out if you're still not keen on Blender's user interface. It's a fork of Blender that's aimed primarily at artists, and which has been created to be much easier to use, with a much improved and intuitive graphical UI. This shouldn't come at the expense of functionality, though; the development team promises that every feature that works in Blender should also work in Bforartists. 09. Terragen You can't get much better than Terragen for creating incredible landscapes When you're thinking big on a 3D project, you need something that can create a suitably impressive world, and Terragen fits the bill in every respect. It's a powerful took for building amd rendering realistic natural environments; if you can imagine a landscape, Terragen can make it. The free version is for personal use only (although you can use it commercially on a 30-day trial basis) and comes with a few limitations over the full version, but it's an ideal way to explore Terragen's stunning world-creation tools. Related articles: Why 2D artists need to learn 3D 10 ways to build better 3D world environments How to land your dream job in 3D View the full article

Zendesk says access occurred in 2016 and that only a small percentage of customers were impacted. View the full article

The Microsoft 2019 event came to a close just a few hours ago, and it's fair to say the company has been pretty busy recently. During the almost two-hour event, Microsoft revealed six new and updated products, which was super-exciting (and the arrival of which means we're no doubt looking at some cracking Black Friday Microsoft deals this year). Speculation about a dual-screen device being revealed at the event has been rife over the past few months, and we were fully expecting to see a dual-screen laptop surface (no pun intended). But Microsoft had other ideas, and very impressive they were too, we have to admit. First up, it announced not just one, but two dual-screen devices. The first being the Surface Neo, an exceedingly cool-looking dual-screen tablet. But what came next was what looks like Microsoft's niftiest device to date, the Surface Duo. On this new foldable phone – sorry, "communications device" – Microsoft partnered with Google to bring to market what Panos Panay, chief product officer of Microsoft Corporation’s Microsoft Devices group, referred to as "the best of Android in one product". The handheld device boasts two 5.6-inch displays, which are joined by a centre hinge, and fully unfolded lie flat as a 8.3-inch (diagonal) surface. The design is clearly the selling point here, Microsoft was much more reserved on other details (such as price, for example). We do know that it's powered by a Qualcomm processor, the Snapdragon 855, and of course, runs on Android. But we can't ignore the design, which is unlike anything we've ever seen, and the appeal of which we're sure Microsoft is counting on to keep consumers' interest. The Duo adds to a feeling of growing functionality crossover between devices, so we're interested to see exactly who Microsoft is aiming the Duo at and how and when it would be more beneficial than say a Surface Pro or an iPad (aside from the obvious portability and phone capabilities). But we've got high hopes, and who knows, maybe we'll see it top our list of the best camera phones one day? Microsoft commented on the new device in its blog post: "With Surface Duo we are building upon Android to marry cutting edge hardware with familiar software and services. We’re excited to work with developers and the industry to create the next wave of dual-screen computing and unlock a new era of mobile creativity." And of the overall Surface range, Panay said: "These new products are about empowering you to be your most productive, and your most creative." So far there are very little details around when the Surface Duo will be available to buy, with Microsoft simply saying 'Holiday 2020'. If you can't wait that long for the new Surface range to hit the shelves, here are the all the top current models at the very best prices in your area: Read more: The best laptops for graphic design Surface Pro 6 review The best Microsoft Surface deals in 2019 View the full article

Multiyear campaigns stretching back to at least 2014 have been seen using zero-days in region-specific software. View the full article

Microsoft has certainly upped its game in recent years, and the Microsoft Surface range has become a firm favourite among artists and designers. So much so, the Surface Book tops the list in our roundup of the best laptops for graphic design and the Surface Pro 6 maintains a firm position in our pick of the best tablets with a stylus. However, the company has just taken things to the next level, as it announced a whole slew of new products at its Microsoft Event in New York. We'll be breaking down all the new devices and what they offer over the next few days, but for now we're going to concentrate on one of the really cool bits: Microsoft's new FOLDABLE tablet, the Surface Neo. The Surface Neo is essentially a dual-screen foldable tablet, which houses the Surface Pen in the back. It includes a magnetic foldable keyboard, and there's even a trackpad. In short, it's got all the accessories you'll ever want in a tablet, but they all fold away nicely into one nifty little device. The Surface Neo also looks good (seriously, watch out, Apple). It is 5.6mm thin, and includes the thinnest LCD ever created. It weighs just 655 grams and has a 360 degree hinge, which we severely hope will be strong enough to withstand being flipped around all day (let's hope it won't be a repeat of Samsung's foldable phones). The Surface Neo is powered by Microsoft’s new OS, Windows 10X, which has been designed especially for dual-screen devices such as the Surface Neo (and the new foldable phone, the Surface Duo). It also boasts a new Intel Lakefield processor, which includes an 11th Generation Intel graphics solution. The Surface Neo consists of two 9-inch screens and the neat part is that apps adapt across the two screens, meaning that they display content in a sensible and logical way across both screens (or so we saw at the demonstration). Why would you want a two screen tablet? Well, you might want to open the link in an email on a second screen to look at later. You might be watching something on Netflix, only to receive a phonecall or remember you need to do something on your email. That's when you can easily move your Netflix screen to the other screen, and you can even choose what portion of the screen it takes up. You can choose, for example, to have your content in the 'Wonder Bar' – like a Touch Bar on the Mac but much bigger, and with emojis – while you deal with something else. Basically, what we're saying is, you could be watching Netflix while you answer your emails or create in a drawing app, for example. Or you could be doing two things at the same time, on the go, in lots of different configurations. Microsoft talked a lot about being in the "flow" at the event, and we can see how a device like this will help seamlessly switching between tasks. The speakers also talked a lot about symphonies, and although we'll probably wait and see before we invest in the entire "orchestra" of products, we're pretty convinced that the Surface Neo will be worth checking out. The Microsoft Surface Neo (right) compared to the Microsoft Surface Duo (left) The Surface Neo is coming in "holidays 2020". We'll assume that means it'll be available around this time next year. But rest assured we'll be keeping a close eye on it and will report back with any new details as and when they arrive. We'll also be getting a hands-on review as soon as we can. If you can't wait that long to get your hands on a Surface device, or one screen is more than enough, here are the best prices on other models in your area. And with Microsoft Black Friday just around the corner, we're sure to see even more top deals in the weeks to come. Read more: Surface Pro 6 review The best laptops for students in 2019 The best laptops for graphic design View the full article

Elusive street art legend Banksy has set up his own homeware shop in response to a greeting card company that tried to obtain legal rights to the name 'Banksy'. To accompany the launch of the online store, named Gross Domestic Product, Banksy has also set up a mock showroom installation in Croydon, South London. Appearing out of the blue on Tuesday on the site of a former carpet shop, the Gross Domestic Product installation contains the clever mix of warped pop culture icons and charged social commentary we've come to expect from the artist. And that includes the Union Jack vest worn by Stormzy at this year's Glastonbury festival. The Gross Domestic Product installation will be in Croydon for the next two weeks. And on Instagram, Banksy added that it's for display purposes only. "I’m opening a shop today (although the doors don't actually open)," he said. "It’s in Croydon. Probably best viewed at night." A flyer from the installation reveals why Banksy felt the need to set up a shop where "art irritates life". "This shop has come about as a result of legal action," the flyer reads. "A greetings cards company are trying to sieze [sic] legal custody of the name Banksy from the artist, who has been advised the best way to prevent this is to sell his own range of branded merchandise." The products in question will retail from £10 upwards, and are said to be "handmade in the UK using existing or recycled materials wherever possible. Including the ideas." Items in the shop include sofa cushions emblazoned with the message "Life's too short to take advice from a cushion" and a gravestone that reads "You have now reached your destination". According to The Guardian, proceeds from the sales will go towards buying a new migrant recuse boat to replace one that was confiscated by Italian authorities. If you want to pick up a Gross Domestic Product original and help raise funds for a worthy cause, bookmark the store's homepage, which currently displays a flooded shop floor with the message: "The homewares store from Banksy. Opening soon." Related articles: How to change the font in your Instagram bio Instagram designers: Who to follow for creative inspiration How to hack the Instagram algorithm View the full article

PDFex can bypass encryption and password protection in most PDF readers and online validation services View the full article

Adobe MAX 2019 is almost here, and Adobe is generating hype by announcing updates to its popular tools. We've already heard that a "magical" new Content-Aware Fill tool is on its way, not to mention a game-changing update to Adobe XD. But now Adobe has announced that Keyframes will be coming soon to its Character Animator tool, which it promises will open up countless creative possibilities for animators. If you're not familiar with Adobe Character Animator, it allows users to bring to life artwork that they've imported from Photoshop or Illustrator. It does this with the help of real-time motion capture recorded by a microphone and a webcam. Get Adobe Creative Cloud here The app is geared towards creating animated videos quickly, and its limited features mean that up until now it's only been capable of making characters talk or move on the spot. All that is set to change with Keyframes though. Character Animator users will soon be able to control parameters such as position, scale and rotation. Not only that, but behaviour properties such as head tilts or eyebrow movements can be keyframed at specific points. As well as being able to create precision animations more easily, users will be able to make edits on-the-fly to give their live performances added impact. An inline graph also gives users more control over the timing of their animations. Take a sneak peek at everything Adobe Character Animator Keyframes have to offer with the video below. Other Adobe platforms such as After Effects and Premiere Pro already use the Keyframes feature to great effect, so its transition to Character Animator is sure to go down a storm. And with live animation performances growing in popularity, it makes sense for Adobe to tap into the demand of its users. Related articles: How to move from animation to illustration Understand Disney's 12 principles of animation 10 ways to create better character animations View the full article

With vector and raster tools combined, Affinity Designer is an affordable yet powerful alternative to Adobe CC. It’s available for Mac, PC and also iPad. 

In this tutorial we're going to run you through the Effects panel, and how to create and use styles to apply effects quickly. The Effects panel enables you to apply non-destructive effects to your vector objects – you can toggle on and off and tweak elements of the effects. Styles can be used to capture the steps required to create a certain effect. These can be saved as a template to be reused on future objects, ensuring consistency and saving time. Watch the video tutorial below for a speedy run-through of the basics, or read on for a written guide. More in the Affinity Designer tools series: Using constraints Using Grids The Pen tool The Export persona The Pixel persona View the full article

Having a strong online presence is vital in order for artists and designers to succeed in the ever-competitive creative industry. But while building a beautiful home in WordPress is relatively simple, maintaining it online can be tricky for those unfamiliar with the ways of the web. Until now. Introducing Kinsta, a WordPress hosting service that makes managing your website a cinch. Equipped with all the latest technologies and managed by WordPress experts, Kinsta does all the hard work for you, at a very affordable cost. So whether you’re looking to set up your first website, or are an experienced web developer without the time or resources to maintain your online space, Kinsta has you covered every step of the way. A service like no other The Kinsta team has worked with WordPress for the last decade, developing new and improved ways of WordPress hosting. So not only are all the technical aspects of managing your website covered, Kinsta also comes packed with brilliant features to help you get the most from your online home. One of the main things that separates Kinsta from other WordPress hosting providers is its use of the Google Cloud platform. This means its sites are hosted on and supported by the same state-of-the art infrastructure created and maintained by Google (think Google search, Google Maps and YouTube). On top of that rock-solid infrastructure, Kinsta boasts some impressive architecture, which includes state-of-the-art technology to make your websites load at lightning speed. Not satisfied with the performance and usability of existing control panel solutions, Kinsta also replaces the familiar control dashboard cPanel with its own MyKinsta dashboard. Designed with beginners in mind, the MyKinsta portal is also packed with advanced features and tools that experienced developers will love. Easy to use and navigate, the portal allows tasks such as creating new WordPress websites, updating any installed plugins and managing backups. The MyKinsta portal is easy for beginners to use, but also packed with advanced features that experienced developers will love And you needn't worry about security. It’s high protection network means your site is monitored around the clock, with both active and passive measures in place to stop malware in its tracks. DDoS attack detection, software-based restrictions, SSL support and hardware firewalls and continuous monitoring for uptime means you can relax, safe in the knowledge that your content is fully protected 24/7. Easy migration So that’s all great if you’re just setting up your own WordPress website, but what about if you want to migrate an existing site to Kinsta from another web hosting company? This process can be hugely time consuming, costly and not to mention confusing if you’re not wise to the web. But Kinsta has made the whole process super-simple, and, most importantly, is set up so you won't incur any downtime. The company offers different types of migration, depending on the plan you choose, type of WordPress site you have and the number of sites you need to migrate. That said, all of Kinsta’s plans include one or more premium migration plan credits, with the website detailing every plan you might need and how it works. But if you're struggling to make sense of it, fear not. Kinsta’s expert migration team will take care of everything for you, assigning a temporary domain to your migrated site and checking everything before going live. Super support Kinsta has WordPress experts standing by to help you, 24/7 The WordPress hosting service Kinsta provides is second-to-none, evidence of which was seen in an independent test from Review Signal, which, for the fifth year in a row, rewarded Kinsta with the Top Tier WordPress Hosting Performance award. So if you want to spend less time worrying about your website and more time on what you do best – being creative – Kinsta is the perfect web hosting solution. View the full article

Malware laced OpenDocument files target Microsoft Office, OpenOffice and LibreOffice users. View the full article

Here's our pick of the best JavaScript APIs around right now, plus a guide to getting started using them. These will help you add new and interesting functionality to your sites and apps. A word of warning: many of these APIs are still in development, so make sure you check browser support before you start using them, and provide fallbacks where necessary. For more awesome plugins to explore, take a look at our guides to the best HTML APIs and Google APIs. The best web hosting services in 2019 01. Modify browser settings Read more: Mozilla summary While the browser usually is 'above' any code running in it, a Mozilla-derived API allows JavaScript limited access to browser settings. Think about aspects such as reading the user's homepage, how bookmarks are handled, and where new tabs show up. 02. File APIs Read more: W3C summary Handling large amounts of persistent data always was a bit of a problem for web apps. The W3C file API combines some of the concepts used by various vendors — please do keep in mind that full filesystem access is usually not granted, mostly for security reasons. 03. Microsoft Cognitive services Read more: Microsoft summary Artificial intelligence requires extreme amounts of training data — logically, vendors are not motivated to provide these models to their customers. Instead, developers are allowed to send payloads to a server, which is then analysed on-line. While all of the large cloud vendors offer more or less sophisticated artificial intelligence services, Microsoft stands out by its focus on AI features. The API offers are subsumed under the term cognitive services; you can access features such as advanced image recognition services. For example, the snapshot accompanying this box shows the AI being used to recognize Microsoft's CEO from a press photo — other features are related to video, handwriting and sound recognition and transcription. While the quality of output usually is very high, do keep in mind that continued usage is all but cheap — as time goes by, usage charges can and do add up. 04. Open Government APIs Read more: Data.gov summary Democratically elected representatives usually show great skill at transforming money. The concept of open government means that the results of these works are made available via (usually open) APIs, allowing third-party developers to perform all kinds of data harvesting magic. One especially interesting area concerns transportation: public transport services tend to provide APIs with live locations of their vehicles and the frequencies seen on the route network. This is not done out of pure altruism: when done right, a "local traffic" application for a specific city or town can quickly climb the ranks of the local app store. The government does not need to invest resources into the creation of the service, while the developer — usually — makes a neat buck selling ad space due to the locally limited audience. In addition to these APIs, developers are also usually let loose on other things. The French government, for example, will provide relatively detailed capabilities for looking up addresses. 05. HERE mapping API Read more: HERE summary Competition, by definition, is good. Here is Nokia's former mapping division, and offers developers a "third party" alternative to the mapping services by the big three. One interesting aspect is the extremely simple API, which makes downloading tiles a breeze. 06. OpenStreetMap API Read more: MapBox summary OpenStreetMap does not provide ready-to-display maps. Instead, a rendering service, such as CartoType, will be needed. When working on a website, creating a dedicated rendering system is a bit of work — MapBox provides a convenient pay-per-use alternative. 07. Master of linguistics Read more: Microsoft reference Programs dealing with user-generated content can score brownie points by offering an integrated translation service. A client for Twitter or Gab could, for example, translate English texts to Russian to make them easier to handle for that audience. While "machine-based translation systems" are among the oldest research fields in IT, developing a workable machine translator by hand is difficult. Microsoft's Translation API recently was updated to version 3.0, and is a one-stop shop for all problems of babelese scope. In addition to performing translations between language pairs, the service can also be used to find out which language a specific text is in. You can then use this data to configure lesser APIs such as the spell checker. Finally, idioms and individual words can also be sent into a dictionary query. The information returned is situation dependent — in some cases, Microsoft can even return dozens of idioms to help understanding. 08. Off-screen canvas API Read more: Google reference Developers once used a technique called double buffering to render graphics without flickering. Google has introduced something similar — it creates an off screen window where graphics can be "staged" at high performance. 09. NASA Read more: NASA summary Microsoft's decision to provide Windows Phone 7 users with an occasional curated wallpaper drove ripples through the industry. Given that pictures of Space are always popular, why not go right to the source and grab yourself a few from the never-ending store of NASA? 10. Get Slack data Read more: Slack summary Slack established itself as the go-to tool for "modern project management". Should you ever feel like using data contained in such a project, get yourself an API token and hack away. When done right, your web application can even integrate itself into the Slack GUI. 11. YouTube API Read more: Google summary A YouTube channel is only as good as the analytics which stand behind it. Google's YouTube Data API might not be particularly spiffy, but does provide — among other things — valuable insights into your audience's behaviour. 12. Payment Request API Read more: W3C summary The first JavaScript API we're looking at is the Payment Request API. When creating an ecommerce website, lots of thought goes into improving the checkout flow to make sure the experience is as smooth and pain-free as possible. Entering payment details remains a repetitive process. If any field is slightly wrong, the whole process breaks and it needs to be started again. On the developer’s side, making sure the right validation checks are in place for each payment method is a time-consuming process. The Payment Request API does away with this part of the checkout experience. The page can request the information it needs and the browser provides the user with the fields to enter. The user only needs to enter their details once, and they can be used across different websites and transactions. Depending on the device, they can even use the payment methods linked to the user account, such as Google and Apple Pay. The object takes a few parameters that describe the payment that should take place. The first details the payment methods accepted. These can be different types of payment cards, as well as details for integrating with other third-party payment solutions. There is even scope to include another web application as a payment method by using the Payment Handler API. The second is a breakdown of what is being purchased. This can be in any format that makes sense to the transaction. This also includes options for shipping costs, which can be calculated based on other factors, such as delivery address. There is also a third, optional argument to specify any extra information that needs to be collected, such as an email address or contact number. 13. CSS Layout API Read more: W3C summary As a general rule, your website layout should be left down to CSS. With JavaScript, handling changes to layout is prone to poor performance and lots of manual upkeep. But what happens if a site requires a non-standard layout? The traditional grid-like placement that CSS provides may not work for more creative design ideas. The Layout API enables developers to create their own layout modules, much like the existing grid or flex modules in use today. By defining the rules it should work to, the API can place items anywhere within its containing element. It is the second Houdini API to make it to browsers. Houdini introduced the concept of ‘worklets’, which work similar to web workers but are highly specialised in one activity. The Layout API works through a specific layout worklet. These get registered with the browser, which enables them to be picked up in CSS. A layout worklet has one method called layout, which deals with the positioning of elements. It runs as a generator function, enabling it to run in parallel to the rest of the page to keep everything running smoothly. The first parameter is a reference to the immediate child elements of the one the layout is applied to. Size data is available from the second and third parameters. One provides position and dimension information about the element being styled, with the other defining the constraints the element has to work within. The final parameter describes the rest of the styles of the element, including any custom properties it may be interested in. A custom module is applied by using the usual display property on an element. It uses the layout function, along with the name of the worklet. 14. Credential Management API Read more: W3C summary Instead of having to remember lots of individual login details, users can log in with the credentials stored within the browser. That way, users on multiple devices can have their details follow them around without needing to log in each time. While a browser’s autocomplete feature may reduce the friction with entering the password itself, the Credential Management API can automatically log a user in as soon as they hit the page. It can also log in using other forms of authentication, such as a public key or through an authentication provider like OpenID. 15. CSS Paint API Read more: W3C guide or Google Developers summary CSS and JavaScript are often seen as separate parts of a website – only ever coming together in small ways, such as adding a class name. Developers have few opportunities to change how the browser decides to render a page other than directly updating the DOM. That is all set to change in the next year as a new set of specifications start to land in browsers. They provide access to the render pipeline in the browser through JavaScript, to help developers finely tune the browser’s actions to their needs. The Houdini task force is comprised of a collection of people from browser and technology companies. They have the aim of opening up the way everything renders in the browser in a way that makes it readily approachable for developers. This includes layouts, fonts and animations. The first specification already hitting browsers is the CSS Paint API (also known as CSS Custom Paint). This API enables you to programmatically generate an image whenever a CSS property expects one. Use JavaScript to generate dynamic backgrounds, borders and image masks and apply them in CSS without a heavy performance hit. It's about to be enabled by default in Chrome Stable. The Paint API uses a paint worklet to define what the browser should do each time it needs to update the screen. Each paint can use a new version of the worklet, which means that any persistent data should be stored elsewhere. The paint callback method gets passed three values. The first is the context, which works much like a canvas context. It can be drawn upon in the same way and has most of the same capabilities, but as this can be called multiple times a second it should be kept simple. The second value provides information about the element being painted, such as its height and width. This can be used to make sure the end result fits perfectly each time it gets used. The final value contains all the style properties on the object. This includes any input custom properties defined within the getter. These use the Typed Object Model – another new Houdini feature that makes CSS values easier to digest in JavaScript. The last call registers the worklet with the browser and opens it up to the CSS side. To use within CSS, it involves a one-line function. The passed value is the name of the effect provided when registering the worklet. The API and its associated worklet is available in Chrome and Opera, while it remains a key focus for Safari, Firefox and Samsung Internet browsers. While the specification is nearing completion, expect to see it hit those browsers soon. Later iterations on the specification provide a mechanism for supplying arguments against the CSS function, similar to how gradients are currently defined. This enables easier customisation without having to apply custom properties. Other options, such as defining an alpha channel for layering, are also being considered. 16. Web Animations API Read more: W3C guide Animation with JavaScript has historically had a bad rap. Moving elements by changing position values causes lots of repaints and results in poor performance. CSS animations are the better choice, but they are hard to manipulate on the fly. The Web Animations API provides access to the same animation engine that powers the CSS side. Every element has an animate method, which takes a series of keyframes plus either a settings object or a duration. This returns an animation object, which can then be updated to play, pause and adjust the playback speed. There is added benefit coming from Houdini, with animation worklets. These work on a similar syntax to the API, but allow for finer control. They can be controlled by inputs other than time, such as scroll or touch position. This is still in development – to find out more, head over to the Chrome developer blog. Support for the Web Animations API itself is small but is quickly growing. By using feature detection, those who have support for it can feel the benefits straight away. 17. Writable Files API The long-term goal of web applications is to get them to be on the same level as their native counterparts. Some functionality, however, remains lacking – particularly around managing local files. Writing files currently involves creating a download and saving to a specific directory. Saving iterations over a specific file will create multiple copies, which is not always a good experience. The Writable Files API will provide developers with more flexibility and enable users to decide where files should be stored. This opens the door to more fully featured projects on the web, such as an online code editor or complex graphics applications. This API is currently part of Google’s capabilities project. It’s currently in the process of gathering feedback on potential features before it hits the browser in an origin trial. Issues around security, and what kind of files can be written where, need to be ironed out before the API can be made official. 18. Generic Sensor API Read more: W3C guide The sensors on the devices we carry around every day are a great way of providing extra benefit to an application. Using the physical environment, such as with an accelerometer, can provide added immersion for creative experience. If we already have events for these kinds of things, why is there a new API? Devices are constantly changing and adding new and varied sensors. To save having to create new APIs for each new sensor that comes out, the Generic Sensor API creates a simplified interface for them all. While the API is still in development, Chrome and Firefox both include it behind flags to play around with. Other browsers have it under consideration for the future. 19. Paint Timing API Read more: W3C guide Performance is a big focus this year. Getting file sizes down can help, but there is more to performance than what gets downloaded to the browser. The browser ‘paints’ its contents onscreen every time something changes. Until that first paint happens, users will be left staring at a blank screen. When it gets hung up in other details, such as downloading assets or processing JavaScript, the time to that first paint can take longer. The Paint Timing API keeps detailed information on two events – the first paint and the first ‘contentful’ paint, which refers to something more than just styling, such as text or an image. The PerformanceObserver interface describes what to do when these events occur. This can then be used to send the data to a server for analysis later on. Right now, this is only available in Chrome and Opera, but other browsers such as Edge and Safari have both shown an interest and will possibly include it in the future. 20. Web Speech API Try a demo Read more: W3C guide This API is made of two parts – synthesis and recognition. Speech synthesis will take text supplied to it and read it out in the voice chosen by the user. The SpeechSynthesis object provides access to all the different options, including what it should say. Recognition involves taking a microphone input and understanding the words being said. The SpeechRecognition object is used to detect the speech, which will fire a ‘result’ with what it thinks the user said and how confident it is. The synthesis side of the API is supported in all major browsers. Speech recognition support is currently limited to Chrome with a prefix, or Firefox with a flag enabled. There are discussions to expand the recognition side to include other inputs, including WebRTC to provide real-time transcripts of video conferencing. While these are still in the early stages, it could help make webinars and online presentations more accessible and easier to reference in the future. 21. Intersection Observer Read more: W3C summary This JavaScript API can be used to understand the visibility and position of DOM elements (known as 'targets') relative to a containing element (the 'root'). Use it to fire a callback whenever an element enters and exits a certain area. This API is best for lazy loading or infinite scroll effects. 22. Reporting Observer Read more: W3C summary Part of the Reporting API, Reporting Observers observe some types of reports from JavaScript. Use them to get notified when the browser has to intervene – for example, if it has to provide a fallback for a slow-loading font. 23. OffscreenCanvas Read more: Google Developers summary Drawing to a <canvas> is an expensive task for a browser. This new API enables you to render graphics off the main thread, without hitting the DOM. 24. Internationalisation API Read more: MDN web docs Known by the namespace Intl, the ECMAScript Internationalization API provides language-sensitive string comparison, number formatting, and date and time formatting. Use it to avoid sending heavy libraries and show dates, numbers and strings in a format that makes sense in the user’s location. 25. GraphQL Read more: GraphQL While this is not an API in the strictest sense, GraphQL is something that always deserves a mention when it comes to discussing APIs. The method to the madness relates to queries running against servers containing an object store. Instead of forcing developers to create an access API for each and every element, a "generic" query language is established. The developer of an API must then provide a standardised description of the objects contained within: In the next step, fire off one or more queries against these formalised descriptions. An example against a (fictional) human database would look like this: GraphQL capable servers react by returning a JSON object containing the wanted fields. Due to space constraints, we can not elaborate this topic further – this tutorial does, however, provide an interesting overview. This is an edited version of articles that originally appeared in Web Designer magazine. Read more: The best WordPress websites A coder's guide to APIs Get started with the Web Audio API View the full article

Over the course of our lives we all acquire things. Some are inevitably tossed aside as we move through various stages of our career, graduating from flat shares to owning our first home and ‘upgrading’ our lives. Other items take on a deeper meaning and occupy a firm place in our surroundings. We might find ourselves drawn to certain objects for comfort, or to find meaning. A splash-out purchase bought with your first pay cheque; a graphic design book that changed the trajectory of your career; a ticket stub from the night we met our spouse. In this special feature we’ve invited industry leaders in design, illustration, art and architecture to wax lyrical about objects that have inspired and influenced their creative lives. And we do mean industry leaders : there's swissmiss Tina Roth Eisenberg (this page), Aaron Draplin and Merijn Hos (page 2), Sidonie Warren (page 3), Dong-Ping Wong and Jon Cockley (page 5), Jessica Hische (page 6), and Benjamin Van Oost (page 7). From old records to handwritten postcards, rare flea market finds or relics from childhood, our eight creatives share their stories and reveal the truth behind why their chosen objects mean so much to them. Tina Roth Einsberg Tina Roth Eisenberg is a Swiss born, raised and trained graphic designer. In 1999 she came to New York for a three-month design internship and never left. Often referred to as swissmiss after her popular blog, over the past 13 years Tina started numerous side-projects that have organically turned into businesses: a creative co-working community called FRIENDS; a global, monthly lecture series called CreativeMornings; a simple to-do app called TeuxDeux; and Tattly, a high-end temporary tattoo shop. She lives in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, with her two children Ella and Tilo who are teaching her the art of making slime and building forts. Notes from the Underground, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky “A paper sculpture work crafted by Stephen Doyle, the book stands open, with words seemingly exploding out of it, masterfully assembled with an X-ACTO knife and a glue gun, the box was custom made. “I remember standing there, completely out of words, overcome with joy and gratitude. This was the most generous gift I have ever been given,” reveals Einsberg. “And it is now my all-time favourite object I own. It was gifted to me during a particularly turbulent time in my personal life, a time when I was redefining my life from the ground up. For me, this sculpture represents the notion of rebirth and a sense of potential.” Leaning in sculpture “My father, who lives in Switzerland, suffered a stroke last year and had to move into a nursing home to get the care he needs. It was an emotional moment to see my dad, who always was a strong, entrepreneurial force in my life, losing his independence.” says Einsberg. “When I went to visit him in the nursing home, I noticed an artist exhibit in the entryway and fell in love with this statue by local artist Mario Campigotto. It now lives in my bedroom, and reminds me daily to stay curious, to lean into whatever life brings. My dad, even though he has almost entirely lost his eyesight and has other health issues, has stayed strong and optimistic. This statue is a daily reminder for me to stay in the energy of gratitude, just like my dad does, every single day.” Tattly confetti drawer “Joy is at the core of Tattly, my temporary tattoo business. So it’s no surprise to anyone that we have an entire drawer filled with confetti. When you purchase tattoos on tattly.com, you can add confetti to your package during the check-out process. Funny enough, it’s our most purchased product. We learned to be respectful and to confetti-warn the recipient: Our WARNING CONFETTI INSIDE stickers always put a smile on my face. "Our confetti drawer has reached a bit of a cult status and is usually the first thing people ask to see when entering our office space in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Everyone seems to agree that there is something really magical about running your hands through an absurd amount of confetti.” Next page: Aaron Draplin and Merijn Hos Aaron Draplin Based in Portland, Oregon, Aaron James Draplin is a graphic designer, author and founder of Draplin Design Co. (DDC). Specialising in brand identity, logo design and typography, his client list includes Burton Snowboards, Nike, Red Wing, Field Notes, Esquire, Ford Motor Company and the Obama Administration. Draplin’s 2006 book, Pretty Much Everything, is a mid-career summary and story/showcase of his work that includes case studies, advice and commentary about his career to date. Rock guitar “I found this rock in the mud flats near Anchorage, at low tide. Would’ve been the summer of 1996, in between dish-washing shifts in the land of the midnight sun. People don’t have anything else better to do than hike, it seems. I find it pretty insufferable. "It was my first summer up in Alaska and my roommates were a little too ‘gung ho’ for their own good regarding outdoor activities. I’d ride my bike or skateboard back and forth to get a bite to eat or hit the record store, and found myself on the edge of downtown, checking out the mud flats at low tide. That’s where I found this rock on the shore, and noticed the peculiar shape to it. "I just couldn’t leave it behind. How could it exist? How could I find it among the zillion other rocks out there? Some kind of Fender Jazzmaster/Guild Jetstar hybrid? Back at the house in the corner of the living room that I rented I got a little white paint and some ink and then went to town. "It was just a weird little instance that nature can throw some pretty incredible curve balls. It’s a reminder of the power of the universe, and happenstance, and randomness and one-in-million moments. Beauty can be found in so many things that we tend to overlook. And I didn’t want to lose what I saw in that awesome moment in those sketchy mud flats.” Merijn Hos Merijn Hos is a visual artist and illustrator from Utrecht, The Netherlands, known for his curious, characters and quirky illustrative work. He divides his time between working as a commercial illustrator for clients such as Bose, Red Bull, Google, The Guardian and Keds, and working on personal projects, exhibitions and independent publishing. Baseball “When I was a kid I was obsessed with American culture. I loved those 80s movies in which kids would ride around on their BMX bikes wearing a baseball cap and varsity jacket carrying a baseball bat with them,” says Hos. “Around the age of 10 I went to see a baseball practice game with my friends and I found this baseball in the bushes. It’s been on a cabinet in every house that I lived in ever since, as a relic of my youth. When I look at it I’m transported back to a time when I didn’t have a care in the world.” Quick postcard “My grandmother sent me this postcard in the early 90s after I visited the exhibition that featured all the American graffiti legends in the Groninger museum. This was when I became interested in graffiti and drawing, and possibly a key point in my life. I started writing graffiti – and graffiti taught me everything about lines, shapes, colour, friendship and dedication. Together with skateboarding it brought adventure into my life and helped me meet all the wonderful people I still hang out with to this day. It shaped my career more than art school ever did.” Ralph Lauren baseball cap “This is a Polo Ralph Lauren cap that I bought in the mid 90s when I was skateboarding. Within skateboarding culture there was a small group that was more into hip-hop music while the majority of the kids were into punk. I was listening to hip-hop and we were influenced by the fashion of groups like the Wu Tang Clan. They would wear Helly Hanson Jackets and Polo Sport gear and that’s what I did, too. Or at least I tried! Looking back at it we looked like kids in baggy golf clothes rolling around the city with a backpack filled with beers. A special time. I spent my last bit of spare cash on this hat, and still wear it a lot.” Next page: Sidonie Warren Sidonie Warren Sidonie Warren is one half of the duo behind Papersmiths, the UK-based one-stop shop for contemporary stationery and paper goods. Moving their design studio from Bridgeport to Bristol in 2013, they transformed a small space to house their design studio and first shop, celebrating design-led goods that inspired their own day-to-day creative endeavours. By 2014, the studio team had outgrown the space and the shop was getting busier. They moved to a four-storey Georgian building in Clifton Village and Papersmiths was born. The company now has locations in Brighton, Chelsea, King’s Cross and Shoreditch. Colorplan notebook “I was given this by GF Smith because we often work on client projects with Colorplan papers. It was designed by Made Thought as part of the Colorplan rebrand,” says Sidonie Warren. “ I was given it around 2014 but I didn’t allow myself to write in it until 2016. I use notebooks as an aide-mémoire and also to process, develop and record my thoughts. This one is made of the full rainbow of GF Smiths’ Colorplan papers and assembled using Coptic stitch binding with a multicoloured thread. It is an object of beauty. I chose this particular notebook because it documents the time that I began journaling again as an adult. I was experiencing big change: going through a breakup, considering whether to open a second Papersmiths shop and thinking about moving to London. It’s a treasure trove of my grand schemes, philosophical ponderings and consequential ah-ha moments, all recorded in words and pictures. There’s the essential dose of cringe too of course, but nobody will ever see that.” Minerals, crystals and stones “I collect stones and crystals. Over the years friends have given me stones as gifts and these are some of them. They were given to me at significant times in my life by people who are important to me, so they’re very precious. The salt rocks were brought back from Timbuktu by a friend. The round stone is from a pal who was working in the Pacific Northwest, a place that I want to visit someday. Each one feels symbolic of times of change and learning. I’m connected to stones on a spiritual level, too. I’m interested in the esoteric and I’m learning about ancient spiritual practices with different teachers. I find it all fascinating.” Harvest by Neil Young “My dad generously gave me a good cut of his record collection. This record was in there. Dad bought it when it came out in 1972, so it’s 47 years old. He would have been 16 years old and living in Hong Kong at the time. "My dad has been my biggest musical influence. When I got into Nofx and [Spunge] as a teenager, he handed me London Calling by The Clash. Neil Young holds particular significance for me. Although not on this record, After the Goldrush is the song that my sisters, cousins and I sang together at my granny’s funeral. Years later, I was at the Isle of Wight festival with my dad and After the Goldrush was put on in between acts. It was a moment of bittersweet bonding. I love the ceremony of putting on a record, listening to an album from start to finish, poring over the artwork and lyrics, lying on the floor, getting lost in the sound.” Pastels “The pastels were a gift from my mum. I was drawing with her pastels all the time so she marched me down to the local art supply shop and sorted me out with a set. Then we sat in the garden and drew pictures. I find mark-making, with pastel in particular, to be very cathartic. The versatility of the medium and the process of application is therapeutic. I can glide the pastel smoothly across the page or make vigorous, dynamic strokes depending on how I’m feeling. I’d say it’s a healthy way to release emotions!” Next page: Dong-Ping Wong and Jon Cockley Dong-Ping Wong Dong-Ping Wong is the founding director of Food New York, co-founder of Friends of + POOL, and was a founding partner of Family New York with Oana Stanescu. Wong’s work has been featured in publications including the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. He trained as a designer at OMA and REX in New York and EHDD in San Francisco, specialising in public, cultural and hi-density mixed-use buildings. Wong has taught at Columbia University and is a frequent public speaker including talks at RISD, UCLA, the New Museum, Municipal Art Society, Oslo Design Council, AIGA, TedX and the World Summit on Innovation. + POOL Swiss Flag Postcard “+ POOL is the world’s first water-filtering floating pool, and this is a postcard from Oana from the year it started, in 2010. She was still in Basel at the time and I think I had just visited her after we had won a competition that enabled us to travel around a bit and talk about big ideas like this. "The pool was still just a funny idea, but I think we’d already started working with the other two co-founders, Jeff and Archie of PlayLab, to get it out in to the world. I’m sure none of us at the time realised how much of our lives it would consume or how much of a challenge it would be, but also how many incredible people we’d meet and work with, how many cities we’d visit because of it, or how far and how large the project would get. "Nine years later and we have a pending patent for the filtration technology, we have a non-profit and a board, we’re in the fourth year of a youth swim program, and we’re a few years from it being completed. It is to this day still my dream and model project. Almost every project since has to try and live up to it in one way or another.” Food Radio Behringer Xenyx QX1222 Mixer “We started a project named Food Radio in autumn last year where we interviewed 40 artists in and around Chinatown about how they made money. We’d certainly never done a radio show before, but we’d been in the neighbourhood for a few years now and like + POOL, I wanted to initiate a project that engaged the local neighbourhood directly (only ideally with a project that wouldn’t take another 10+ years). "So we took over a storefront on East Broadway, bought a bunch of surprisingly inexpensive radio equipment, set up a long work table in the middle of the space, and invited people to stop by and hang out. The hope was that kids in the area would see people that looked like them (especially POC and women) doing rad and interesting stuff and actually making money from it. It’s probably the least architectural thing we’ve done and one of the most fun. We’ll be doing Season Two this autumn.” Jon Cockley After a decade working in publishing, Jon Cockley set up Handsome Frank illustration agency with his cousin Tom. Working mainly in the areas of advertising, design, publishing and licensing, Handsome Frank represents 35 of the finest contemporary artists and illustrators, including Jean Julien, Malika Favre and Matt Saunders. Frank painting “Handsome Frank is named after my grandfather, Frank. Frank was a steam train driver, but he loved art and his house was full of paintings, drawings and carvings that used to fascinate me as a child. Often inspired by his travels around the world to what seemed like such exotic locations in the 1980s. "One painting, which hung in the dining room of the terraced house he shared with his wife Kate, had always stood out for me. I love the colours and naivety of the characters. The picture now hangs on the wall of my home office, where I work most days, surrounded by contemporary art by our illustrators. It’s a lovely reminder of him and my grandmother and a nice link to our company name.” Beatles photo “Okay, before you decide to break into my house and steal this, the signatures aren’t real. However, this is a genuine 1960s facsimile photograph, issued by the official Beatles fan club which my mum was a member of. I love it because I love The Beatles, especially their later albums; I also love what the photo represents. The band were one of the first to have a ‘fan club’ and they used to issue limited edition Christmas records for their loyal fans once a year with recorded messages and new songs. "When you look at how things have developed since the 60s, it’s almost like the earliest form of social media – the idea of rewarding ‘followers’ with bespoke content and building a loyal fanbase, albeit via the postal service.” Handsome Frank Neon sign “About 18 months after starting Handsome Frank, we realised we needed to make some changes. One thing that had to go was our original logo, so we commissioned designer Tom Morgan. When we saw the right design, we knew straight away. Realising that the ‘HF’ and the roundel was one seamless line, I had an epiphany: we were going to need a neon sign. The reason I chose it for this article was what it symbolised for us as a company. It was the realisation that things were actually happening and that it had the ability to change our lives. It represented the end of working jobs we’d fallen out of love with and the start of something new and hugely fulfilling. I also love the fact that our first costly company purchase was a big, pink, neon sign!” Next page: Jessica Hische Jessica Hische Jessica Hische is an American letterer, illustrator and type designer. She’s best known for her personal projects, Daily Drop Cap and the Should I Work for Free flowchart. She published In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist’s Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector in September 2015, which gives insight to her creative process and work she’s completed as a hand-lettering artist. Hische has spoken at over 100 conferences worldwide. She’s currently based in California where she shares a studio with fellow lettering artist Erik Marinovich in San Francisco’s Mission neighbourhood. Her first picture book Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave gives an inspiring message about trying your best but forgiving yourself when you don’t always achieve what you set out to do. Bless This Mess artwork “I went to art school in Philadelphia, and in my junior and senior years I tried to integrate a bit more into the local art scene. There were a couple of galleries doing interesting things, run by people only a few years older than me. I bought this painting at a Space 1026 show. I think it’s the first piece of art I ever bought. It was north of $100 so I felt like a true patron of the arts at 21/ 22 years old. I still love it – it’s had a prominent place in every place I’ve lived since. There’s a little intentional pencil scribble on top of an otherwise cleanly executed painting, and that’s my favourite part.” Glamour shots “When I was in middle school, all of the cool girls were getting glamour shots taken – the fancy ones that look like headshots for a modelling career you hoped to start. I begged my mum to get me them for my 13th birthday and was overjoyed when she did. It wasn’t the glamorous photo studio I expected, but I remained hopeful. "As they did my hair and makeup, my spirits started to drop. I wasn’t being turned into a slightly older cool model version of myself – I looked like a chain-smoking, middle-aged woman on a bus tour to Atlantic City. The last thing I wanted to do was to show disappointment to my mum, so I went with it. "I took photos in an iridescent green top with my giant frosted hair. I sassily posed with a leather jacket worn backwards, sunglasses slipping down my nose. I was mortified by the results and they hid in a closet for years, but now they’re one of my most precious and prized possessions. I joke that these photos are the only thing I would save in a fire because I love them so deeply.” Scissors from Alexander Isley “I can’t remember what year Alexander Isley sent me these, but they were his client gift for the holidays that year. It must have been when we collaborated on a project for the Girl Scouts, somewhere around 2012/2013. "When they arrived in the mail I was so blown away. I didn’t think scissors could be an object of beauty. There’s an inscription on the inside that says ‘Alexander Isley Inc.: Useful & Sharp’. They were significant to me for a few reasons. First, it was crazy to be on the gift list of such a renowned designer – one who I learned about in school. Second, it completely recalibrated my preconceptions about what makes a good client gift/promotional piece. "I have been quite lazy about sending out gifts to people I’ve worked with or people I admire professionally, and the presence of these scissors on my desk in my life reminds me the difference that extra care and effort (and cost) can make.” Next page: Benjamin Van Oost Benjamin Van Oost Benjamin Van Oost is co-founder of TOYKYO productions and art director/sculptor at CASE STUDYO. Famed for his unique artistic approach, distinctive fibreglass sculptures, beautiful porcelain and other objects, Van Oost takes limited edition artworks to the next level. Today, the creative agency based in Belgium assists international clients who are looking to add clarity, flavour and quality to their identity. TOYKYO’s products department is the heritage of its hands-on approach, and manages the entire production process of creative products and art installations for artists such as Parra, FriendsWithYou, Andy Rementer and Steven Harrington. Wish card and motivational words by Joseph Kosuth “Back in 2016 my ex was working in a hotel in Ghent, Belgium and one night she came home with this piece of paper and the following story: apparently the hotel staff were very intrigued about an old man in a wheelchair who was staying in the hotel. But nobody knew for sure who the man was. The hotel staff figured that he was somebody famous and wealthy because he was accompanied by a couple of assistants, and by seeing how people interacted with him they assumed that he was some kind of big shot. After discovering that the man was a famous artist, my ex took the opportunity to talk with this man, and told him that I was also an artist. And so it came that he wrote me these few words on a piece of paper: ‘To Benjamin With my best wishes for your work. Remember artists never retire because it’s not a job. Joseph Kosuth. Gent 26.8.2015’ "It’s one of the best presents I ever received, and one of the rare things that I have left from that period and that girl. But most of all, the quote seems to speak to me in a very personal way. I’ve never met this man, but still I have a weird sense that those few words haven’t reached me accidentally. The content of the message is something that I already knew, but having it on paper from J Kosuth almost seemed like a sign to me. The handwriting and the aesthetics of the card also make me think of my own graphic work and calligraphy. These few words are the best, and an everlasting motivational quote that help me in times of doubt." Limited-edition Tintin rocket “I bought this sculpture at the age of 12, with my first savings, and the money I received for my solemn communion. I remember I paid 21,500 Belgian Francs – the equivalent of 532 euros back then in 1992. That’s a lot of money for a 12 year old! I went to the shop with the cash, partially in notes, but also with a big bag of coins. It took the girl from the shop half an hour to count it. "My classmates and friends couldn’t understand why I had bought a wooden rocket that couldn’t do anything; they all bought their first stereo installations and mountain bikes and stuff like that. For them I must have seemed like a real idiot spending money on that thing. Now, 27 years later, I still have my rocket, and I’m sure none of them still have the stereos or bikes that they bought back then. "Tintin is a Belgian icon and is one of the cartoons that helped shape my youth. I enjoy this object as much as I did 27 years ago. And if any of my old classmates are reading: the value of the sculpture has more than tripled over the years, and is still increasing steadily among Tintin collectors!” Collection of matchboxes and sugar cubes “After the death of my grandmother a couple of years ago, we had to empty her house. I discovered a cardboard box that contained my dad and my uncle’s childhood collection of sugar cubes and matchboxes from all over the world. They were going to put it by the trash. Luckily, I noticed the box and saved it. It’s huge and wonderful, and has been in my office for some time. It’s a treasure and a gigantic source of inspiration for any graphic designer or artist/collector. I just love it and I often use its graphics, logos and faded colours for inspiration.” Exhibition catalogues with notes from my grandad “I was six years old when my grandad took me to visit James Ensor, and the year after he took me to the Expressionism exhibition. These are two moments I’ll never forget and these two visits were decisive for the rest of my life. After seeing the Expressionists I knew what I wanted to become in life: a painter. After visiting the exhibitions with him he always bought me the catalogue (the luxury versions that came in a box) and he wrote a few kind words on the first pages of all of them. When I was seven years old he wrote: ‘To Benjamin, the big draftsman and future artist from his grandad 29.01.1987’ He’s been gone for 20 years now, but my grandad was the person who showed me my path in life. I’m thankful for the moments that have shaped the course of my life.” This article was originally published in Computer Arts, the world's best-selling design magazine. Buy issue 294 or subscribe. Read more: How to come up with ideas, by Michael Johnson 3 trends that changed the design industry forever 9 character designers you need to know View the full article

Travel brands have a tough time of it in general. With a few very rare exceptions – currently, Airbnb springs to mind – we tend not to care too much about travel brands. When it comes to booking holidays, loyalty to a particular brands ranks far below more pressing concerns such as getting the best deal on your chosen destination. Skyscanner's one of those brands that you'd go with if it could get you an excellent price on the holiday you wanted, but that's probably the full extent of your brand loyalty. However it hopes to change that with its bold new branding and logo design, developed with Koto. 8 brands that rule at social media The company's old logo was an unintrusive and uninspiring effort in muddy cyan, with a symbol that looked like the sort of thing you'd see on a weather map to suggest an afternoon of partly cloudy weather. The new symbol, says Koto, is a key step in Skyscanner's brand evolution. It's described as embodying the optimism of a sunrise as well as the positive impact that the company wants to have on the world of travel. Skyscanner also notes that it combines the four elements that reflect its brand's mission: optimism, sustainability, ideas, and places to discover. We get the sunrise bit; the stylised shape underneath, though, we're not quite so sure about. To us it looks more like a pair of skimpy, low-rise Speedos. Which, to be fair, is just the sort of thing that you might want to pack if you were booking your dream holiday through Skyscanner, so fair play there. The new logo is a key part of Skyscanner's brand evolution And there's much more to this project than the new Skyscanner logo. Koto acknowledges that a brand shouldn't stop at the splash screen, and so it's developed a whole design system for Skyscanner to use across all its touchpoints. There's a bespoke sans-serif font, Skyscanner Relative, as well as an eye-catching colour scheme that starts with Sky Blue (#0770e3) and features a supporting palette of warm tones that are meant to reflect its variety of possible destinations. Like any good design system, Skyscanner's has its own font As well as that, there's also new photography, illustration from Skyscanner's in-house team, and iconography to help guide customers through Skyscanner's site. It all adds up to a bold look, and it's hard not to be impressed by it. However at the same time, we're not sure it's about to change anyone's relationship with travel brands; we suspect most people will remain focused on the bottom line rather than the logo design, but we definitely admire its ambition. Find out more about it over at Koto. Related articles: Are trends any good for branding? Traditional branding is dead 5 steps to building a strong brand voice View the full article

The Wacom Cintiq 22 is the latest model in the company's drive to make this famous digital art brand a whole lot more affordable. Within Wacom’s overall product line of electronic drawing aides, many of which can be found in our round up of the best drawing tablets, the Cintiq is a flat-screen display for your computer, which you can draw on with the provided stylus. The range is neatly divided into two: Cintiq offers relatively basic displays at lower prices, while Cintiq Pro provides a premium experience – particularly a 4K display in larger models – with prices to match. The Cintiq 22 joins the Cintiq 16 in the more affordable sector. Wacom Cintiq 22 review: Display The Cintiq 22 offers a full HD screen (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) – the same screen resolution as the smaller Cintiq 16. That immediately means there’s an important trade-off between the two: the Cintiq 22 gives you a physically larger drawing area for more comfortable, expressive arm movement while drawing, but the screen image is less sharp than on the Cintiq 16. While the picture on the Cintiq 22 is a little soft compared with other Cintiq models, it’s comfortable to work from – and in all other respects, the drawing experience is excellent. The larger size compared with the Cintiq 16 really matters when you’re in an extended drawing session: it frees you up to make more extensive pen strokes. The Cintiq 22 gives you a physically larger drawing area, but the image is less sharp than on the Cintiq 16 Apart from resolution, the other potential drawback of this display compared with the Cintiq Pro line is the colour gamut – how many colours the screen is capable of displaying. The quoted gamut for the Cintiq 22 is 72% NTSC, which puts it in the same league as a budget monitor. Cintiq Pro displays have a colour gamut of 94% NTSC. While that technical difference sounds damning, bear in mind that the Cintiq 22 is able to present 96% of the range of colours supported by the sRGB colour profile, which many designers and illustrators apply to their images by default. Wacom Cintiq 22 review: Drawing surface The Cintiq 22’s screen surface is well-considered. The anti-glare glass surface is laminated to give it a slight texture, which gives a pleasing sense of bite as you move the stylus across it. The technology that enables the Cintiq 22 and similar drawing displays to work means there are two planes you interact with: the glass you draw on, and the actual screen presenting the image you’re drawing. Too great a gap between the two leads to a disconcerting disconnect between the point of your stylus and where your pen mark appears on-screen. The Cintiq 22’s gap is perfectly acceptable, although you don’t get the almost supernatural sense of connection the advanced optical bonding technology of a Cintiq Pro gives you. Wacom Cintiq 22 review: Drawing pen The Pro Pen 2 is very comfortable to draw with The provided stylus, the Pro Pen 2, is easily capable of capturing your creative gestures: it offers 8,192 levels of pressure-sensitivity, as well as tilt sensitivity, where the angle at which you hold the pen affects the stroke. The stylus doesn’t need a battery either: it takes the power it needs from the electromagnetic properties of the screen. The same is true of the pen that comes with the rival Huion Kamvas Pro 22, but the cheaper XP-Pen Artist Display 22E Pro’s pen requires periodic recharging. While there are other Wacom pens available, few artists should have any complaints with the functionality of the Pro Pen 2, and it has a satisfying heft that makes it comfortable with draw with. The Cintiq Pro line comes with the same pen, although the Pro’s advanced drawing surface allows the use of soft felt nibs. Wacom Cintiq 22 review: Adjustable stand and connections A stand built into the Cintiq 22 enables you to tilt the display to your preferred drawing angle. It’s a better solution than in the Cintiq 16, which uses foldable legs that tilt the display to a fixed angle. While conventional drawing tablets without a display, like Wacom’s Intuos line, are capable of working over a wireless Bluetooth link, that isn’t yet realistic for a combined tablet and display. The Cintiq 22 uses USB-A for its drawing tablet connection, so you need an adaptor if your computer only has USB-C ports; and HDMI for its display connection. Wacom Cintiq 22 review: Should you buy it? Perhaps the most notable feature of the Cintiq 22 becomes apparent when you compare it with the model it replaces in Wacom’s lineup, the Cintiq 22HD. It’s a fair bit cheaper, at around $1,200 / £860 / €990 versus its predecessor’s $1,400 / £1,300 / €1,200. (The difference is most pronounced in the UK.) That still doesn’t put it in the same price bracket as the Huion Kamvas Pro 22’s $900 / £680 / $775 or the XP-Pen Artist 22E Pro’s $400 / £500 / €550, but it’s still clear that Wacom is responding to the threat posed to its market-leader status. The older Cintiq 22HD has a stand that rotates as well as tilts, plus ExpressKey shortcut keys to help you access favourite commands in your chosen software. However, the newer Cintiq 22 has a superior pen and a matt rather than smooth screen surface. As well as the price drop, you get a materially better drawing experience. If you miss the 22HD’s shortcut keys, you can buy Wacom’s ExpressKey Remote for $100 / £100 / €130 for the Cintiq 22. The benefits of the Cintiq 22 compared with the Huion Kamvas Pro 22 and the XP-Pen Artist 22E Pro are more intangible. They’re a pretty close match for key features, although both rivals offer built-in shortcut keys. The Cintiq 22 still has a better overall feel, however, with superior build quality in both the display and the pen. You have to weigh up the immediate gain of lower prices against the longer-term benefits of the Cintiq 22 just feeling a little more satisfying to work with. It’s a distinction that may not wash with the Cintiq 22’s target audience of students, keen non-professionals and jobbing artists. View the full article