A quiet but overdue update, from Apple

Along with the announcement of the fourth generation iPhone, Apple has also revamped the fantastic Mac Mini. In an effort to maintain a consistent look and feel across the entire Apple product line, the new Mac Mini has received a substantial stylistic upgrade and is now also an aluminium unibody-type construction:

Although the hardware has been upgraded to within a hair of the Macbook Pro line, as well as major changes to the chassis, the really exciting news is the integration of the power supply circuitry into the device, allowing Apple to finally dispense with the ugly power block of the last generation of Mac Minis. Another interesting feature included by Apple includes an easy to open bottom panel:

This feature allows easy access to the user-upgradeable RAM modules, although Apple still recommends going to an Apple store for any hard drive upgrades.

All in all, the new Mac Mini looks great and I look forward to seeing some performance reviews soon.

Images courtesy of Apple Inc.

Pick of the week: Carbonmade

Following the advice of a friend and professional acquaintance, I visited Carbonmade, specialists in hosting portfolios and galleries, and I created a quick gallery. I found the site and the interface so enjoyable, that I used up all of the free options and am now seriously considering upgrading to the paid version, which increases the capacities by more than a factor of ten.

Feel free to come take a look at http://thevoicedesigns.carbonmade.com and create your own portfolio today at Carbonmade.

Pick of the week: Sketch-A-Day

Following last week's post on Industrial Design and sketching, here is another worthy site, and coincidence of coincidences, it is also by the same young designer, Spencer Nugent. The site, http://www.sketch-a-day.com/, is essentially a gallery of the designer's daily sketches and ideas and is a veritable visual treasure trove of sketching ideas and topics.

Take a few minutes to view some of the very talented work on display.

Pick of the week: ID Sketching

I've always loved to draw and sketch and the Internet is a fantastic resource for any artist. In my regular browsing, I came upon http://www.idsketching.com/ and I have been hooked since. Built and maintained by a talented young industrial designer called Spencer Nugent, the site offers several excellent articles and numerous videos, as well as an interesting forum section.

The site is well worth a visit.

Pick of the week: Issuu

Have you ever wanted to publish your own magazine? For those who have worked in the magazine industry, there is an awareness of the costs involved in creating a traditional print magazine. But now, Issuu brings the magazine industry into the 21st century, by allowing anyone to easily create a fantastic looking document, publish it and market it to an appropriate audience.

Take a good look at this site and I think that you will agree that the possibilities are endless.

Pick of the week: Soundsnap

Are you looking for a particular sound, for good or evil purposes? Well, look no further than Soundsnap, an online repository of sound clips, bites and bytes. A fantastic browsing feature allows you to easily view their large collection of sounds.

Worth a listen.

Pick of the week: Doodle of the day

Who doesn't enjoy doodling on long conference calls? Take a look at some of the masterpieces on display at Doodle Of The Day. There are some seriously nice doodles here.

Pick of the week: Efotolab

Although the digital photography world has made the art of taking pictures available to many more than before, once in a while, we run into issues involving the output of those images. And as neighborhood photo labs have disappeared over the last few years, there are very few places left that can print out images.

The web has allowed the creation of a new type of service, the online printing service. And one of the best ones I've found so far is Efotolab. With an astounding array of options and features, I think that any photographer will find the printing services they require at a great price to boot.

Pick of the week: Zenfolio

As a photographer, marketing your skills is essential to the generation of new business. And the best manner in which to market photography skills are through the display of said art works. In essence, there are two choices presented to the average photographer: host your own portfolio or host in online. There are many advantages and disadvantages to both options, but hosting online is becoming more and more popular and for several reasons.

One of the best that I've found is Zenfolio. Their professional looking site, along with an incredible feature set, allow photographers to spend more time taking pictures and less time setting up a beautiful gallery.

Go take a look and take advantage of the free trial offer. You won't regret it.

Pick of the week: Encyclopedia of Life

Someone sent me a link to this page a few weeks ago and I thought that I would share it with you. The Encyclopedia of Life is an ambitious project that seeks to create a page for every single living organism on this planet. A tall order for sure, but an interesting project to be sure.

Go take a look, it really is a worthy reference tool.