Not many words about the new Mashable website. It is good that now the site looks more integrated but the visual styles are still low. But first let’s define the pros and then the cons.

The pros
It is a good thing that Pete Cashmore thought of doing a redesign session. The previous version had many flaws and this version tends to fix them. For example I like the fact that the advertising is not displayed randomly. That is because Mashable has a simple layout with left side for content and the right sidebar for ads, links and any dynamic elements.

A new and quite interesting feature is the Ribbon. It is a hidden section with different actions, links and articles. But that’s about it. No more good stuff. Except for the small improvement in speed.

The cons
First of all the design is not sensational. Some will say that it is simple, but I say that it even simple layouts can look awesome. This one doesn’t.

There are few contrasts in the layout and also too much blue or whatever that color is. I really don’t like it because it is too homogeneous.

It has no typography and also a strange placement of the blog post elements. And, like all of these were minor issues, the site features a big and annoying “Keep reading”, that has the same color. Also, the menu has the weirdest mouse over effect.

Conclusion
I can’t say that the overall feeling was OK cause it wasn’t. The site is underdeveloped and I think the image that Mashable has should in the blogosphere should be reflected in the site’s interface. C’mon guys - you can do more.

First of all, this is not porn. Actually, I see it as art. It is very hard to represent beauty. Well, it seems that for Dior Addict this thing was a challenge.

I wanna tell you that the next image is not new. I saw it a couple of years ago in a store. And the nice thing was that the image was a big print with great details. I’m talking about a print ad for Dior Addict perfume. It is flawless - the execution, the attitude, the feeling. I honestly believe that this is, from my point of view obviously, the sexiest print ever. Don’t get me wrong, I like Kim Kardashian, Kate Beckinsale and Adriana Lima. But this image is the sexiest I’ve ever seen.

If you don’t agree, please reply with some example. The image is big in order to see the details. Enjoy!

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Berkshire Hathaway is one of the most powerful company names worldwide. It has many subsidiary companies and covers a wide range of services. Owned (38%) by the richest man in the world - Warren Buffet, Berkshire Hathaway is one of the most attractive stock choices. That is because it is a stable company and also because a single share is over $110,000. The funny part is that the CEO’s annual salary is $100,000, which is less than a share and one of the smallest CEO salaries.

Anyway, the reason for this post is not to make you save money and become an investor. The reason was the “beautiful” design for Berkshire Hathaway website. For a company with a market value around $130 billions, you might expect something decent. Well it is decent … for 1996 style. Actually it has no style. Then again, you can call this website, the most minimal design ever.

I understand that Mr. Buffet is not attracted to the IT domain. But for a top company the image must be a priority. I offer my services in exchange for one share. Is that to much to ask? I hope not and I’m waiting for Mr. Buffet’s call. Cheers!

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Several weeks ago, I wanted to write a post about news sites. And at that time I wanted to give the lowest rating to Techcrunch. That was because Techcrunch had the worst design when competing against GigaOM, VentureBeat and even Mashable.
Let’s analyze the new design and see what is good and what is not so good.

Features:
First thing that all the user will notice is that the look of the site is more solid. The site has now visual effects that look good together. The style is not far from the previous, just that the visual side had a much important priority.
At the top side of the layout, the toolbar with links and search form is no longer available. That is good because in this situations, the lack of that element is good for consistency. Instead the toolbar was replaced by a similar section regarding the content placed above the logo and below the main banner.

The new structure is more magazine like, and it shows multiple news in smaller space. I see it as an advantage but also as a drawback. For example it is good that the user can see a lot of information, but this information is now 2 clicks away. Instead of having the entire news available, now the user has to click in order to read it. I really liked the old style where the click was only need if you wanted to add or read comments.

Another great improvement was that the content was separated from the advertising. Now there is a dedicated column separated from the news. Also, in this new design, the latest article is displayed in a bigger space. Regarding the article, now the user can navigate easier through a previous-next system and read it clear. The new font size was increased to 13px from 11px for a good readability.

Conclusion:
Overall, the new design is far more appropriate than the previous. It has many typography and user interface features. The clean approach is also for the user benefit. Also the new design will be applied to all other properties in order for the user to have the same perception over the websites. Congratulations and good work. Kudos for the designers.

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Microsoft and pictures … this is not a clear image for daily web surfers. But it happened. Microsoft Labs along with University of Washington created a powerful software application related to the visual world. And guess what? … It is FREE.

True innovation
It looked promising from the first preview in 2006. But now, when it is officially launched, this application rocks. The application is called Photosynth and it is a software that creates 3d spaces from 2d images. For example, the application can create a virtual space from photos that have the same subject. It is necessary to have multiple photos from different perspectives in order to recreate an accurate environment. In order to view the environment, you have to install a small plugin for your browser… and after that it works flawless.

The experience is great and the applications is innovative and unique. Sorry, not so unique. It seems like Google made a similar version of Photosynth a couple of months ago. Anyway, back to Microsoft Photosynth.
From my point of view this application is awesome. It is the next thing for pictures, after Flickr. The developers from Microsoft Labs can easily set-up a visual encyclopedia with descriptions for each environment. Also Photosynth can be used in schools as an interactive study way for geography.

Conclusion
I have no complains but only kudos for the developers behind this awesome application. Truly inspiring and visionary application. Keep up the good work.

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It was some kind of hype today around the web, about the new look of Mint. To refresh your memory, Mint is a web application that according to its motto is the best free way to manage your money. Or also on the home page you can find the following description: Mint downloads, categorizes, and graphs all of your finances automatically every day— so you don’t have to. Know where you’re spending, without spending any effort.

From Techcrunch we find out that this redesign can boost the productivity up to 20%. Really ??? Don’t get me wrong but in the following comparison I only see drawbacks and not advantages. Let’s compare the footer from the old design with the new one:

New Footer:

Old Footer:

In the new design we can see how the usability of this section is very low. The contrast between the footer links and the background is not enough to ensure decent readability. For sure there is no boost in productivity for this section.

Rafe Needleman from Cnet’s Webware was also charmed with Mint’s new design. From him we found out that the redesign session was led by a former Apple guy. Don’t get me wrong, but that doesn’t mean that the new design is good.

The new site has no contrast. It has also unnecessary shadows and a pretty numb overall look. I’ve noticed also a handwritten element. This was placed there in order to go with the design trends. The thing is that it does not fit at all. But that is just my point. As a conclusion I think that the old design was way much better and the new one has many issues.

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Maybe you know this site or maybe you don’t. But from my point of view TED.com should be on your priority list of things to watch. Forget about Iron Man or Hancock, TED.com will give you something movies can’t provide: wisdom and knowledge.

What is so great about this site is that it makes you think and wonder. It makes you see different sides of one particular problem. And it has many problems covered. From Global Issues to Design this site pops many interesting questions.

Features:
With its motto: Ideas worth spreading, TED spreads information through a nice website. This site is the first site that from my point of view doesn’t need redesign. The visual style from TED.com is great. The subtle red color combined with a light gray and black make a nice color scheme.

The logo is simple and powerful with no additional graphic elements. This is the best approach in order for the brand to be well recognized. But we are not talking about a brand here, we are talking about shaping goals and solving important problems.
The graphics are few and the simple approach can guarantee the freshness of this design. The visitor will not be enchanted with rounded corners, but with a simple interface with a main goal of presenting information.
Content: Incredible. Engaging. Flawless.

Regarding the user experience, this site has all the basic features implemented. Simple navigation, good time response from the server, intuitive video player and a pleasant look. It offers a great user experience by combining great content with great look.

Conclusion:
I really recommend it, and it is on the first place in my list followed by Wikipedia. I like it from the content to the nice Flash based movies display. It is not a very commercial destination and it isn’t suitable for all users. You just have to figure it out whether this site is for you or not. Anyway Kudos for the designers, developers, and people behind TED.com

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I’m sure that an important slice of the internet users are familiar with Digg. Many of them are quite active and they submit stories to Digg.com. But this article is not about Digg, it’s about Mixx. Mixx is a similar site for gathering the most important news around the web and making them available through a popularity system.

The site is very useful and it has a well structured and intuitive navigation system. It covers news from many domains like: entertainment, sports, tech, science and more. It has good placements of the key features, which is a very hard thing to do when you deal with big amount of information. The main sections are “Popular News”, “Popular Photos” and “Popular Videos”. With these 3 sections, Mixx covers all the hot topics.

Pros
All these features are great for a content site. And we know that content is king. But this site has also another great feature: the look. Mixx.com looks very good. Has a really good user interface with great spacing and visible content. The typography is proper for this kind of site and the user can easily identify any type of content.

Regarding the design, the site has a nice neutral color scheme. Even if red and blue are from the old days of the internet, Mixx has a pleasant fresh look. The colors and icons go well together and also it is a nice thing that the amount of visual elements is low.

Conclusion
Overall this site is great and it has a powerful community. With this good design and content the traffic will keep climbing. Congratulations and keep up the good work.

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The question for the last two weeks in the movie industry was only one: will “The Dark Knight” pass the $600 mil barrier? That record is held by Titanic, which also holds the record for the best gross worldwide.

As you all know, the movies industry is dynamic and that debate is still hot but there is another one hotter. The new rumor is that Batman 3 is imminent and several names can take the stage in the next installment. First name involved in this rumor is Johnny Depp. He will be playing the evil “the Riddler”. A source, cited by many publications says that Johnny Depp and Philip Seymour Hoffman are the next villains for the bat guy: Johnny’s a pro. He’ll be able to take direction from director Christopher Nolan and still make the character his own. And what better Penguin is there than Philip Seymour Hoffman.”

Another name that seems to be related to this sequel is Angelina Jolie. Her name is attached to the leather dressed Catwoman. That should be interesting but only if Angelina will gain some weight.
These rumors are quite OK and hopefully we will see those names in the upcoming installments from this awesome franchise under Christopher Nolan guiding.

One of the recent established graphic artists community is Area. Area is developed and maintained by Autodesk - creator of 3DS Max and Maya. This community is awesome with great tips and tutorials as well as blogs, forums and job postings.

The feature that I like most in this site is the Fake or Foto section. Basically this sections shows a photo with great quality and the user has to choose whether the photo is computer generated or real. This is to emphasize the level of performance that Autodesk has in its products. But I like it because this feature is quite engaging and entertaining.

Kudos for idea and hopefully the section will be populated with many pictures. I’ve missed 3 photos from 12.