Design

Leaked CAD drawing and claimed chassis video show radically thinner iPad mini 4 design

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 10, 2015

Claimed CAD drawing published Monday by the usually reliably OnLeaks provides yet another indication that Apple's next-generation iPad mini will be the slimmest 7.9-inch iPad yet, basically supporting the theory that the iPad mini 4 will match the thinness of the iPad Air 2.

The device's profile is expected to go from 7.5mm down to the iPad Air 2 thinness of just 6.1mm, or less than the iPad mini 3 thickness of 7.5mm. In addition to the technical drawing of the iPad mini 4, OnLeaks posted a nice hands-on video showcasing a claimed iPad mini 4 housing.

Future iPhones could get rid of unsightly antenna bands as Apple invents a new metallic material

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 22, 2015

In addition to a protruding camera, those antenna bands represent the most controversial design feature of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Blame the unsightly bands on the law of physics.

Though iPhones and cellular iPads and iPods would have decidedly looked sleeker without the bands, the radio waves cannot penetrate metal so an all-metal iPhone would be quite useless despite a stunningly seamless appearance.

But if a patent application Apple filed with the United States Patent & Trademark Office is an indication, future iPhones could easily get rid of the antenna bands on the back as Apple has apparently invented a metallic looking material that doesn't interfere with the functioning of RF antennas.

Apple promotes Jony Ive to Chief Design Officer, Tim Cook sends memo to troops

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 25, 2015

According to an internal memo CEO Tim Cook sent to Apple employees on Monday, Jonathan Ive, Apple's Senior Vice President of Design, has been promoted to a brand new role: Chief Design Officer.

According to the memo, a copy of which was obtained by 9to5Mac, Apple has also appointed Richard Howarth, who has been part of the iPhone team from the onset, its new Vice President of Industrial Design in charge of hardware design.

Human Interface chief Alan Dye has received a promotion, too. He is now Apple's new Vice President of User Interface Design in charge of both desktop and mobile user interface experiences.

Adobe retires Photoshop touch apps & previews Rigel, its new retouching solution for iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 9, 2018

Photoshop maker Adobe said today it will be pulling Photoshop Touch apps for the iPhone and iPad from the App Store and other mobile platforms next Thursday, May 28. At the same time the company gave a sneak peek of its forthcoming new retouching solution for mobile, Rigel, which should be available later this year.

Adobe said it will sharpen focus on Creative Cloud mobile apps like Photoshop Mix, Photoshop Sketch, Adobe Comp CC, Adobe Shape CC, Adobe Brush CC and Adobe Color CC.

Court rules iPhone looks can’t be protected, adjusts Samsung’s $930 million penalty

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Monday, The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said it's ruled that Samsung violated Apple's design patents but did not infringe on the Cupertino firm's trade dress intellectual property.

As reported by Reuters, the appeals court has now reversed part of Apple's $930 million verdict versus Samsung, ordering that the penalty be adjusted accordingly.

The Apple Watch Home screen is a beautiful mess

Sébastien Page ∙ April 30, 2015

With the Apple Watch Home screen, Apple introduced a new layout and design that is a departure from what we have all been accustomed to with iPhone and iPad. Instead of favoring rows and columns of square-ish icons, Apple had to rethink the user interface and introduced us to an infinite and honeycomb-like fluid grid of apps devoid of pages, folders, or dock.

One could argue this design paradigm modernizes the Home screen as we know it, but beyond the new and refreshing look, I've had a hard time getting used to it and actually find it useful. As a matter of fact, I don't find it useful at all. It is absolutely gorgeous to look at, but it is also a terrible mess to use. Organizing apps, looking for apps, and being able to accurately tap on their icons is something that I have had a difficult time with.

Astropad now works with FiftyThree’s Pencil stylus

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2015

Astropad, an awesome iPad application which turns your Apple tablet into a professional-grade graphics tablet for your Mac, now works with the Pencil stylus by FiftyThree.

A major update, Astropad 1.1 includes major accuracy and wavy line improvements for the Jot Touch Pixelpoint stylus, improved palm rejection for Adonit styluses, support for Adobe Ink (choose Adonit when pairing), new settings and built-in help.

Jony Ive discusses Apple Watch in another fascinating interview ahead of April launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 6, 2015

The Apple Watch is just around the corner and Apple's PR department is in full swing. In addition to a series of fashion magazine covers featuring the device and a wide-ranging interview with Jony Ive in The New Yorker, London's Financial Times newspaper has now been given access to Apple's design czar.

Billed as “the man behind the Apple Watch”, Ive shares a few interesting details with FT's Nick Foulkes regarding crafting Apple's first wearable device.

He also touched upon other related topics such as the team’s meticulous attention to detail, the myopic approach to designing the Watch, how the device differs from the iPhone in terms of usage patterns and much more.

Ex-Apple engineers write a killer app for artists that turns iPad into a professional graphics tablet

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 23, 2015

Former Apple engineers Matt Ronge and Giovanni Donelli have created an absolutely amazing software solution called Astropad which magically turns your iPad into a professional graphics tablet for your Mac.

The iOS application talks to the Mac client via Wi-Fi or USB which then translates your stylus strokes on the tablet into corresponding actions in virtually any Mac app such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Pixelmator and many more.

Drawing on your Mac with your iPad works with most pressure sensitive styluses on the market. Your stylus strokes are transferred to the Mac in a silky-smooth sixty frames per second, thanks to a proprietary technology called Liquid that provides nearly three times more fluid responsiveness than Apple's AirPlay.

Wide-ranging profile offers Jony Ive’s thoughts on cars, watches, the future and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 16, 2015

The New Yorker's February 2015 issue features a lengthy interview with British-born designer Jonathan Ive who is widely credited with helping revive Apple's fortunes alongside his spiritual mentor Steve Jobs, who used to call Ive “my best friend in the whole world”.

Suggestively headlined “The Shape Of Things To Come,” the extensive profile offers deep insight into Ive's brain and centers around topics like the Apple Watch, cars, creating the iPhone 6 and working with Steve Jobs.

Seriously, it's an epic article you absolutely shouldn't pass. It also covers other wide ranging topics and reveals a few previously unknown tidbits about Apple's industrial design czar and his design process.

Here are the most interesting takeaways from the interview.

Google buys iOS app prototyping startup RelativeWave, makes Mac app free

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2018

Google has acquired RelativeWave, the team responsible for the popular iOS app prototyping software Form. Form is available for Mac and iOS, and allows designers and developers to create rich interactive app prototypes and run them on their iPhone or iPad.

In a note on its website today, RelativeWave announced that they would be joining Google to continue their work on the software, saying they "want to get Form in the hands of as many people as possible, and this is [their] first step in accomplishing that goal."

Jony Ive: creating Apple Watch posed more challenges than iPhone development

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 31, 2014

Creating the Apple Watch, Apple's first new category device since Steve Jobs's passing in late 2011, posed more challenges than iPhone development due to social expectations around wearing a pocket computer on one's wrist, Apple's design tzar Jony Ive told The Wall Street Journal on Friday.

Ive and his team are largely responsible for the look and feel of Apple's hardware over the past two decades, and since 2011 have been tasked with stewardship of the software and all design across the company.

Here are a few soundbites from the interview.