Time Magazine’s latest cover reaches a height of 100 metres

What Next?

What’s coming to Apple’s iOS 12?

Earlier this week, Apple presented its WWDC 2018 developer key note with a long list of announcements. Some of the most exciting updates involved the new iOS 12 features including augmented reality, Siri shortcuts, group FaceTime and third-party map app additions to CarPlay. On top of those, Apple also introduced new emojis ‘Animoji’ (animals) and Memoji (customisable avatars). Although this particular feature is a little trivial, it’s highly engaging for many users, which is why Apple spent a large amount of time during the keynote to demonstrate these. Slightly more productive, however, is Apple’s new usage monitoring tools and parental controls which can help people overcome smartphone addiction (their own and their kids’) with daily timers for particular apps.

 

Google teams up with CyArk to preserve Wonders of the World

In an attempt to make arts and culture more accessible, Google has teamed up with the not-for-profit CyArk to conserve historically significant sites around the world. Even when they are not being destroyed by conflict, many historical sites are threatened by weather and natural disasters. The Open Heritage Project was created in a VR setting enabling users to explore 25 different locations across 18 countries, ensuring they will always be available for study and enjoyment.

Masterchef sizzles all the way to the top

Program Station Audience
Masterchef Australia – Sunday Ch10 973,534
The Voice – Sunday Ch9 937,265
Masterchef Australia – Monday Ch10 895,194
Masterchef Australia – Tuesday Ch10 881,013
Masterchef Australia – Wednesday Ch10 863,409
House Rules – Sunday Ch7 847,771
Masterchef Australia – Thursday Ch10 845,287
Have you been paying attention? Ch10 815,032
House Rules – Monday Ch7 801,425
House Rules – Tuesday Ch7 729,442

27/05/2018 – 02/06/2018

Time Magazine’s latest cover reaches a height of 100 metres

For its most recent issue, Time magazine created a cover that was composed of 958 floating drones. The drones imitated the publication’s famous design, using tech company Intel’s light-show drones, all to feature a story about UAVs that was, funnily enough, also shot by UAVs. The cover proves again that the magazine is able to evolve with changing times and stay relevant. The real-life activation of its famous aesthetic is an innovative integration of art and technology, but also a very memorable way of drawing attention to the magazine’s issue.

Innovative packaging fights throwaway culture

One of the major contributors to the problem of accumulated waste is the packaging of purchased goods. As brands push to become more environmentally conscious, designers are finding creative ways to package products in materials that have a number of other functions in an attempt to reduce waste. From measuring tape to toys, brands are now moving their attention toward designing educational materials that extend the lives of packaging, encouraging creative reuse or serving a second purpose of their own. Packaging concept Inside The Box utilizes leftover boxes from refugee aid shipments to make toys for children. Kids can cut, fold and assemble the shipping boxes, which are printed with illustrations, to build play cars and animals.

 

Spotify to be named Media Brand of the Year

Music-streaming platform Spotify is set to be named the 2018 Media Brand of the Year at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity later this month. In past years, the award has typically been awarded to individuals such as Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and former YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar – this year Spotify’s co-founder Daniel Ek will accept the award on behalf of the company. The streaming service won six Cannes Lions in 2017 for campaigns including “Thanks 2016… It’s Been Weird”, and “President of Playlists” where former President Barack Obama announced that he was still waiting for the call up to work at Spotify, famously organising his playlists based on themes like “summer” and “workouts”.

Ghost takes to Instagram to showcase new music

Award-winning rock band Ghost are taking to the social media platform Instagram to announce new music enabling their followers an exclusive look at the band’s latest work before the official release date. While many artists have been using Instagram as a platform to advertise their work, few are solely using the Story function that has a 24 hour lifetime before vanishing. The ability to debut music this way could be an indication of Instagram’s influence over Snapchat, and may also pave an innovative marketing path: While users might just scroll past regular Insta posts that are clearly labelled as ads, the story provides an opportunity to capture viewer’s attention in a more organic way.

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