Minimal
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Google Maps update ensures Assistant stays out of the way
Google recently launched a slew of updates for Assistant, and now it's making its AI helper smarter and more discrete for Maps. Reddit user raddacle noticed that Assistant on maps now takes up very little space when it pops up, and keeps navigation open when you place calls and do other chores. The last version of Maps would instead open the dialer, reducing navigation to quarter-screen mode -- something that can be distracting while you're driving.
Light sneaks to Steam, on sale this week
Just a Pixel's simple, stealthy game, Light, is now available on Steam. It is among the first to be published by Worms series developer Team17 in nearly two decades, a feat that Team17 first announced in November. In Light, Players guide a square icon through a blueprint-like overhead view of a building, hacking doors and terminals while avoiding the line of sight of cameras and guards. The hero of the minimalistic game is a man with no memory who stumbles on the plans of a shadowy organization. Light received the nod for Steam distribution from the Greenlight community in December. The PC, Mac and Linux game is 30 percent off ($9.09) for its introductory week until July 21, at which point it will cost $12.99 (£9.99 / €11.99). [Image: Team17]
Rdio goes minimalist, tries another redesign on for size
Finally get settled into the last Rdio redesign from just a few months ago? Well, we're afraid you've got a bit more adjusting to do. The streaming music service has now rolled out another sweeping visual overhaul of its website and desktop apps -- one that ditches the former iTunes-like appearance for a far more minimalist look, although all of the key elements remain in the same places as before. Naturally, that brings with it yet another software update for the desktop apps, although there's no word on any changes for its mobile apps just yet.
HDI 3D to ship new line of 3D projectors next year, we mortgage our homes
We were pretty impressed when we got the chance to gaze at HDI 3D's silky smooth, 43-inch 3D LCD last year, which is why our eyes widened when the company announced that it's begun producing a new line of 3D projectors, slated for release as early as 2012. First up in the awkwardly named Laser-Driven 2D/3D Switchable Dynamic Video Projector series is the LSS Pro 1 (pictured above) -- a tank that's powered by as many as two Laser-Drive Engines and capable of displaying both 2D and 3D images on HDI's 300 inch Laser Silver Screen. A full 100 of the systems will be available on February 14th as part of a pre-production run, but they certainly won't be cheap, with prices ranging from $55,000 to $85,000. As many as five similar models are expected to begin shipping by the end of next year, including the Industrial, Origami and Polygon. Beam past the break for more details in the press release, or check out our gallery to see the full lineup. %Gallery-130325%
iPod nano watch kits nab almost $1 million on Kickstarter
Does anyone out there want to go into business with me with a design for an iPod nano watch kit? MINIMAL is a design house that decided to fund the development of a line of iPod nano 6G watch kits through Kickstarter. If you're not familiar with that site, it's where you can send your pet project up the proverbial flagpole and see if anyone salutes it with a pledge of funding. Apparently MINIMAL founder and designer Scott Wilson has captured some attention with his TikTok and LunaTik iPod nano watch kits, since he raised US$941,558 in funding on Kickstarter. Considering he needed a mere $15,000 to go into production, this would be a case of overkill. Wilson's stated goal is to hopefully get these kits into Apple Stores, and with the publicity he's garnered through this highly-successful funding round, he may just get his wish. For the time being, you can now pre-order the kits (iPod nano not included). The TikTok will sell for $34.95, while the snazzier LunaTik will pull down a cool $69.95. If you were one of the backers of the project, you'll be getting a significant discount. Want to see what all the fuss is about? Check out the video after the break.
Lo Res Project builds abstract low-poly models of luxury cars and other trinkets
Triangles. Their scarcity has been the bane of gamers since the dawn of time (circa 1993) and every single leap forward in graphical performance has been tied to increasing polygon counts and smoothing out curvatures. Color us amused, then, to see someone going in the opposite direction for art's sake. The Lo Res Project from United Nude scans in 3D models of everyday objects -- like a Lamborghini Countach, we've all got one of those, right -- before scaling down the complexity of the resulting data to achieve radical-looking angular representations of the original as above. The best part, however, is that if they're really happy with their digital outcome, the designers go and build the damn thing in the real, living, breathing world. Some might describe it as sophistication through simplification, but we just see it as one of the truly geekiest ways to decorate your abode. Hit the source for a picture gallery.
Elecom's new TK-FCP004 ultra-slim keyboard is minimalism at its finest
Pining for a numeric keypad, which Apple has so unceremoniously discarded, but can't bring yourself to pick the numeric version off a list? Do you have other personality problems, but appreciate good design? Do you live in Japan? Then Elecom's got just the thing for you, the new TK-FCP004 series ultra-slim keyboards. Rising a mere 0.57-inches off the ground, and sporting incredibly minimal aesthetics, we'd say Elecom has hit a real nerve here. The keyboard comes in silver, white or black, and hits Japan mid-October for 5040 yen after tax (about $50 US).[Via Akihabara News]%Gallery-46496%
Desktop of the Week for 4/1 - 4/07/07
The TUAW Desktop of this week brings a subtle spin to two elements of Mac OS X: the desktop and menubar. Flickr user syrup16g submitted a unique setup to our TUAW Desktops Flickr Pool that contains none of the typical desktop icons - not even a hard drive. Head over to see a larger size size of the pic, but the icons you see are aliases to three folders: Photo, Download and Movie. I guess syrup16g has some very specific uses for his Mac. What makes this über-minimal desktop interesting is its contrast with a very, very busy menubar that contains, from left to right: Quicksilver, iScrobbler, Alarm Clock 2, you control: Tunes, Google Notifier, Mixi and Main Menu.If you'd like to see your unique, functional or otherwise interesting desktop featured in our TUAW Desktops of the Week series, check out past featured desktops as well as the original post for the rules and to get an idea of what we're looking for. Then, upload your desktop screenshot to our TUAW Desktops Flickr group. We'll feature one or more desktops each weekend, giving credit to the desktop owner, wallpaper creator and any apps featured in the screenshot (if available). Keep those desktops rolling in!
