The 2023 PRINT Awards are now open. Friedrich Nietzsches Malling-Hansen Writing Ball. A branding expert talks about creative a bespoke typeface. A website that deteriorates every time someone visits it. Volkswagens motorized office chair can cruise up to 12 mph. A cubicle with motorized walls that can follow you around. Get a Hot Wheels version of your own car. A portmanteau word generator. Graphene is going into space. The James Webb Space telescope captures a protostar. Coors has developed nail polish that changes color when its temperature drops to a level acceptable for drinking a Coors Light. All that and more in WhatTheyThinks weekly miscellany.

Are youor do you knowa graphic designer whose work is outstanding? The 2023 PRINT Awards are now open. From PRINT Magazine:

The 2023 PRINT Awards celebrates every detail of design, from the delicate textures and exquisite form of print to digital design that marries technical skill with craftsmanship. No matter what role design plays in our lives, the PRINT Awards winners highlight the best of design and inspire a path to the future for our industry.

For 2023, PRINT Awards has added two new categories:In-House DesignandDesign for Social Impact. In-House Design recognizes communication materials created by an in-house team for the organization at which they are employed. Design for Social Impact celebrates campaigns created for nonprofit organizations, or associations that advance social good and include a call to action.

They began accepting entries on November 10, and the deadline is February 28, 2023. More information and entry form here.

A writing ball, actually. The German philosopher may have written all about the Superman but toward the end of his life he was anything but, suffering from not only incapacitating indigestion, insomnia, and migraines (oh, who doesnt?) but also failing eyesight. But he was also at the peak of his writing career. Says Open Culture:

Nietzsche himself declared that writing and reading for more than twenty minutes had grown excessively painful. With his intellectual output reaching its peak during this period, the philosopher required a device that would let him write while making minimal demands on his vision.

The typewriter had been invented by then (this was circa 1881), but he was looking for something portable that he could take when traveling to healthier climes. The Malling-Hansen Writing Ball fit the bill.

In1865, Danish inventorRasmus Malling-Hansen invented the writing ball, which actually preceded Christopher Latham Sholes typewriter by 10 years. When it was shown at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1878, journalists were ensorcelled.

In the year 1875, a quick writing apparatus, designed by Mr. L. Sholes in America, and manufactured by Mr. Remington, was introduced in London. This machine was superior to the Malling-Hansen writing apparatus; but the writing ball in its present form far excels the Remington machine. It secures greater rapidity, and its writing is clearer and more precise than that of the American instrument. The Danish apparatus has more keys, is much less complicated, built with greater precision, more solid, and much smaller and lighter than the Remington, and moreover, is cheaper.

It was considered the 19th-century version of a laptop, and Nietzsche was immediately drawn to it, using it with great enthusiasm and typing upwards of 60 manuscripts on the writing ball, including his ode to typewriting:

THE WRITING BALL IS A THING LIKE ME:

MADE OF IRON YET EASILY TWISTED ON JOURNEYS.

PATIENCE AND TACT ARE REQUIRED IN ABUNDANCE

AS WELL AS FINE FINGERS TO USE US.

Alas, his enthusiasm didnt last long.

According to Eberwein, the philosopher struggled with the device after it was damaged during a trip to Genoa; an inept mechanic trying to make the necessary repairs may have broken the writing ball even further.

If you want far more detail on Nietzsches writing ball, you can read all about it the ebook Nietzches Schreibkigel, by Dieter Eberwein, vice-president of the International Rasmus Malling-Hansen Society, published by Typoscript Verlag (download PDF for free here).

We in this industry know how important typography is, especially where branding is concerned. At PRINT magazine, an in-depth interview with Mollie Kendell, Senior Designer at branding agency Lantern, about how the company developed a bespoke typeface forDigital Isle of Man, the type design process in general, and how typography can help elevate a branding system.

Typography can act as the glue to the different components of the branding system and bring together the meaning and voice behind the brand. If the typography choice is built on strategy and ideas, I think this is effective to then evoke the brands personality, celebrate its history, and bring emotion from the audience.

Via Boing Boing, Crowd-jpeg is a website that deteriorates every time someone visits it. (Sounds like Twitter.) Anyway, its essentially an image that is compressed each time someone visits it, and it seems the idea is to show what extensive compression does to an image, much like successive generations of a photocopy. This is what an image that has been compressed 27,837 times looks like:

By the way, it works better in Chrome than Safari.

Were not entirely certain who would use this, but Volkswagen has apparently introduced a motorized office chair that can cruise at about 12 mph and up to 7.5 miles on a single battery charge. If you work in a really big office with lots of long empty corridors, it would be perfect. But thats not all: it seems to have more features than Volkswagens own cars. Says The Verge:

its got360-degree collision avoidance sensors, a backup camera with full guidance, a heated embroidered seat, party lights, a touchscreen display, a USB charger, and a tow hitch. LED headlights, a seatbelt, and a horn come standard. Theres even a trunk (a pocket, anyhow) with 0.17 cubic feet of space for documents and / or a laptop.

And, of course, a seat belt. If it could also launch photon torpedoes, thatd be an added bonus.

We did check the calendar and its not April 1, but it does appear to be a marketing stunt, although they suggest thatit will be available for test drives at various locations.

One of the most horrific, soul-crushing workplace developments was the advent of the cubicle. But what could be worse than a tiny, non-private cubicle? Yes, one with motorized walls that can follow you around. Says Gizmodo:

WaddleWalls, developed by a team of robotics researchers at Japans Tohoku University, is a creation that takes the temporary nature of cubicles and partition walls one step further by automating them and allowing them to roam and navigate a space and set up a semi-private office space only as needed.

theself-contained robotic partitions can independentlynavigate an office space through the use of various sensors,but can also work as a larger swarm with other WaddleWalls units to assemble a privacy barrier around a worker on demand. In the morning, users of a shared office space might be more inclined to interact with each other to sort out the days goals, while later in the day,they might prefer more privacy to focus on getting work done, or as to not bother others with phone calls.

The system currently relies on a special controller to call the WaddleWalls units over and to orientate them as needed, including adjusting the height of the vertical barrier to increase or decrease privacy. But specific layouts can also be pre-programmed in advance, like a group of private working spaces for multiple users, or a display wall for making presentations,whichcouldbe triggered to assemble automatically so theres far less manual setup involved.

Its not entirely outlandish, especially if some staff are only in the office part of the time. Or you can use the Volkswagen office chair to outrun the walls.

Do you like your car? What about Hot Wheels and/or Matchbox cars? If yes to both, now you can combine them and get a Hot Wheels version of your own car. Says Core77:

Trent from JDM Customz can create a Hot-Wheels-esque replica of your exact car. Unlike an actual Hot Wheels version of your ride, Trent nails the details: Your actual paint color, rims, aftermarket add-ons, window tint, et cetera, all in 1:64 scale.

It requires sending him many photos of your car. Reviews on his Etsy shop are generally good, but his vehicle graphics need work. Perhaps a wide-format or signage shop can help him out with some really tiny wraps.

A portmanteau word is a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two othersfor example, brunch, which is a mashup of breakfast and lunch. Now, via Boing Boing, comes Portmanteur.com, with which you can create your own portmanteau words. We entered battery and licking, just for the heck of it.

Now, to work these into regular conversation (or Slack thread).

This can be a useful tool for coming up with pet namesor even childrens names.

Was it a good week for graphene news? Its always a good week for graphene news! Advanced Material Development (AMD), makers of a proprietary thin-film graphene-based coatings technology, just inked a deal with NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory to collaborate on the Europa Clipper project. The technology in question is a Radio Frequency-absorbing nanomaterial that can be applied to a variety of substrates. From (who else?) Graphene-Info:

The collaborative work is planned to be used for the NASA Europa Clipper spacecraft electromagnetic compatibility test campaign. AMDs materials could help enable the Europa Clipper project to confirm that the spacecrafts sensitive ice-penetrating radar will operate properly at key frequencies so as to meet science objectives.

The Europa Clipper spacecraft will perform dozens of close flybys of Jupiters moon Europa, gathering detailed measurements from multiple instruments, including the radar instrument, to investigate whether the moon could have conditions suitable for life. Europa Clippers primary objective is to determine whether there are places below Europas surface that could support life.

The James Webb Space Telescope is up and running and recently turned its gaze toward the protostar located within the dark cloud L1527, potentially shedding light (as it were) on new star formation. Says NASA:

The regions most prevalent features, the clouds colored blue and orange in this representative-color infrared image, outline cavities created as material shoots away from the protostar and collides with surrounding matter. The colors themselves are due to layers of dust between Webb and the clouds. The blue areas are where the dust is thinnest. The thicker the layer of dust, the less blue light is able to escape, creating pockets of orange.

Webb also reveals filaments of molecular hydrogen that have been shocked as the protostar ejects material away from it. Shocks and turbulence inhibit the formation of new stars, which would otherwise form all throughout the cloud. As a result, the protostar dominates the space, taking much of the material for itself.

Caption from NASA: The protostar within the dark cloud L1527, shown in this image from NASAs James Webb Space Telescope Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), is embedded within a cloud of material feeding its growth. Ejections from the star have cleared out cavities above and below it, whose boundaries glow orange and blue in this infrared view. The upper central region displays bubble-like shapes due to stellar burps, or sporadic ejections. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI. Image processing: J. DePasquale, A. Pagan, and A. Koekemoer (STScI)

L1527 is only a mere 100,000 years oldyounger even than a toddler in astronomical terms, and the protostar cant yet generate its own energy through the nuclear fusion of hydrogen, which is what makes a star a star. As it accretes more mass and compresses, it will eventually be able to reach stardom.

The disk, seen in the image as a dark band in front of the bright center, is about the size of our solar system. Given the density, its not unusual for much of this material to clump together - the beginnings of planets. Ultimately, this view of L1527 provides a window into what our Sun and solar system looked like in their infancy.

The things we can do.

Fans of 1990s alternative music may or may not recognize the name Elephant 6 (full name Elephant 6 Recording Company), which was an ersatz collection of American bands such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Apples in Stereo, Of Montreal, and others, whose members often recorded and/or toured with each other in various combinations. Now, director Chad Stockfleth has filmed adocumentaryabout this notoriously reclusive bunch. Says Boing Boing:

it includes some rare interviews with some of the more reclusive artists from the Elephant 6 lineup, such as Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel. If youre into early 90s alternative alt-rock, this is a huge deal. The film is finally getting a world premiere this week at theDOC NYC Film Festival, with other screenings to follow atDenver Film FestivalandSound Unseenin Minneapolis.

The trend toward food and beverage brands getting into products that have nothing to do with food and beverages continues. Now, Coors has partnered with Le Chat, a nail polish manufacturer, to produce Chill Polish. Says Food & Wine:

Different styles of beers havedifferent ideal serving temperatures. But for Coors Light, only one temp will suffice: as cold as the Rockies. To hammer that point home, since 2007, the brand has offered color-changing labels to let drinkers know when their Coors Light is properly chilled.

Actually, we are not fans of Coors Light, so we never knew this. Anyway, they have taken the idea even further:

But what about when youre drinking Coors Light in a pint glass? the brand asked. With that in mind, the brewing giant teamed up with the nail polish experts at Le Chat to create a color-changing polish that goes from gray to blue when its temperature drops to a level acceptable for drinking a Coors Light.

We get that its really a marketing gimmick, but presumably if the temperature of the glass can make nail polish change color, you should just simply be able to feel how cold the glass is. (And if your fingers turn blue and youre not wearing the nail polish, its probably too cold.) And logically this would work with other beers, if you were really sensitive to the temperature of your beer.

November 14

1840: French painter Claude Monet born.

1851: Herman Melvilles novel Moby-Dick is published in the U.S.

1889: Pioneering female journalist Nellie Bly (aka Elizabeth Cochrane) begins a successful attempt to travel around the world in less than 80 days. She completes the trip in 72 days.

1916: American screenwriter and producer Sherwood Schwartz born.

1922: The British Broadcasting Company begins radio service in the United Kingdom.

1952: The first regular UK Singles Chart is published by the New Musical Express.

1967: American physicist Theodore Maiman is given a patent for his ruby laser systems, the worlds first laser.

November 15

1926: The NBC radio network launches with 24 stations.

1968: The Cleveland Transit System becomes the first transit system in the western hemisphere to provide direct rapid transit service from a city's downtown to its major airport.

1971: Intel releases the worlds first commercial single-chip microprocessor, the 4004.

November 16

534: Justinian I, who was an Eastern Roman (Byzantine) emperor in Constantinople, approves and publishes the second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus.

1889: American director, producer, and playwright George S. Kaufman born.

1904: English engineer John Ambrose Fleming receives a patent for the thermionic valve (aka the vacuum tube).

1914: The Federal Reserve Bank of the United States officially opens.

1938: LSD is first synthesized by Albert Hofmann from ergotamine at the Sandoz Laboratories in Basel.

November 17

1749: French chef Nicolas Appert born. He invented the principle of canning.

1790: German mathematician and astronomer August Ferdinand Mbius born. (Its not true that his life had no beginning and no end.)

1839: Oberto, Giuseppe Verdi's first opera, opens at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy.

1944: College basketball coach Jim Boeheim born.

1947: American scientists John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain observe the basic principles of the transistor, a key element for the electronics revolution of the 20th century.

1968: Viewers of the RaidersJets football game in the eastern United States are denied the opportunity to watch its exciting finish when NBC broadcasts Heidi instead, prompting changes to sports broadcasting in the U.S.

2019: The first known case of COVID-19 is traced to a 55-year-old man who had visited a market in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. And so it begins

November 18

1787: French physicist and photographer, and inventor of the daguerreotype, Louis Daguerre, born.

1836: English playwright and poet W. S. Gilbert born.

1865: Mark Twains short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is published in the New York Saturday Press.

1883: American and Canadian railroads institute five standard continental time zones, ending the confusion of thousands of local times. Well, it was about time.

1922: French author and critic Marcel Proust dies (b. 1871).

1928: Release of the animated short Steamboat Willie, the first fully synchronized sound cartoon, directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, featuring the third appearances of cartoon characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. This is considered by the Disney corporation to be Mickeys birthday.

1963: The first push-button telephone goes into service.

November 19

1909: Austrian-American theorist, educator, and author Peter Drucker born.

1916: Samuel Goldwyn and Edgar Selwyn establish Goldwyn Pictures.

1954: Tl Monte Carlo, Europes oldest private television channel, is launched by Prince Rainier III.

1955: National Review publishes its first issue.

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