All posts tagged: design

Hisense U7SG TV Review (2026): Better Design, Great Value

Hisense U7SG TV Review (2026): Better Design, Great Value

Published by skeptic

Unlike previous years in what TV nerds like me call the “brightness wars,” the U7SG doesn’t outblast its predecessor, but it’s not a problem. It gets around three times as bright as anything you can stream (which is naturally capped due to compression), and has enough firepower for all but the flashiest 4K HDR Blu-rays. Its color processing shows a little more restraint than in previous models. It’s not quite what I’d call “accurate to the director’s intent,” like the best TVs I test, but it does keep itself from blasting your eyeballs most of the time. The high brightness is matched by deep black levels, without much of the “blooming” or “haloing” around bright objects that can dilute the contrast of many budget-friendly TVs. It’s not as striking as OLED TVs, which can control each of their millions of pixels on demand, but it’ll wow you in deep space scenes just the same. I was pleased that the TV’s odd local dimming issue didn’t crop up in real-world content, but the picture does tend …

After testing this HP laptop, I get why its ‘boring’ design is adored by business users

After testing this HP laptop, I get why its ‘boring’ design is adored by business users

Published by skeptic

pros and cons Pros Powerful hardware Sturdy build Good keyboard and trackpad Cons Middling battery Expensive Thick and heavy Runs hot more buying choices Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. HP’s ZBook series aims to combine workstation-level performance with business features, and the 14-inch ZBook G1i epitomizes the form factor. It’s hefty, pricey, and loaded with high-end hardware designed to blaze through professional workflows in a non-descript, “all-business” profile.   Also: I found the apps slowing down my PC – how to kill the biggest memory hogs I used the ZBook 8 G1i as my main driver for a week and came to appreciate its raw horsepower, but with the influx of thin-and-light laptops on the market, one can’t help but compare it to laptops that are almost half as light, with marathon batteries to boot (and comparable performance).  Still, the ZBook 8 G1i doubles down on its predictably corporate design by delivering exactly what you’d expect from a laptop like this: power, durability, and reliability, with a handful of configurations, including niche …

Apple Watch Ultra 4: Release Date, 15% Thinner Design & More

Apple Watch Ultra 4: Release Date, 15% Thinner Design & More

Published by skeptic

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is poised to deliver a series of meaningful advancements in wearable technology. While it may not introduce a new redesign, its focus on internal enhancements, ranging from improved health tracking to better performance and power efficiency, marks a significant step forward for the Ultra lineup. These updates aim to refine the user experience, making the device more precise, reliable, and functional for everyday use. Below is a closer look at the key upgrades expected in this highly anticipated smartwatch. Enhanced Health Tracking Features Health monitoring continues to be a cornerstone of the Apple Watch Ultra series, and the Ultra 4 is expected to elevate this functionality further. Reports suggest the inclusion of additional physical sensors, potentially doubling the device’s ability to collect health data. This could lead to more accurate and direct health measurements, reducing the reliance on algorithms to interpret information. Key metrics such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and fitness tracking are anticipated to benefit from improved precision. For example, the Ultra 4 may offer more reliable …

Schematik Is ‘Cursor for Hardware.’ Anthropic Wants In

Schematik Is ‘Cursor for Hardware.’ Anthropic Wants In

Published by skeptic

“There’s no blocker for your creativity anymore,” says Vermeeren, who is now also investing in Schematik. “That’s why I’m so excited about it and building stuff constantly.” He’s not the only one. On Thursday, Anthropic engineer Felix Rieseberg posted on X to announce that Anthropic has now enabled “a little Bluetooth API for makers and developers, allowing you to build hardware devices that interact with Claude.” He also shared a picture and a GitHub link for a device that looks very similar to Vermeeren’s Clawy, though Rieseberg and Anthropic did not reply to WIRED’s request for comment about whether it was directly inspired by Beek’s or Vermeeren’s work. “If I inspired someone with it, I’m proud,” Vermeeren says. “If Anthropic built an official feature because of it, I’m even prouder.” Just about every AI tech company seems to be making some kind of hardware device, whether it’s a giant like OpenAI, the big chipmakers, or more niche wearables. Beyond that, there have always been crowds of tinkerers and makers looking to build tech, whether it’s …

Claude can now design your slide decks — and a whole lot more

Claude can now design your slide decks — and a whole lot more

Published by skeptic

Summary Claude Design lets anyone create polished designs, prototypes, slides, and marketing visuals from simple prompts. Initial designs can be refined with further prompts, inline comments, and sliders. Claude Design is included with Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans. Anthropic has been on a tear lately. On April 16, the company released a major model update with Claude Opus 4.7. And today, April 17, Anthropic announced a powerful new tool called Claude Design that aims to do for design work what Claude Code does for development. Related Grok does one thing that ChatGPT and Claude still can’t — and I use it every day for that reason Yeah, I know. Hear me out. What is Claude Design? Create and refine designs — no design background required Claude Design is a new tool that lets you “collaborate with Claude to create polished visual work like designs, prototypes, slides, one-pagers, and more.” You tell Claude what you want, and it’ll create a first draft. You can then edit and refine that initial design to get it just …

Anthropic Debuts Claude Design for Creating Prototypes, Pitch Decks, and Mockups

Anthropic Debuts Claude Design for Creating Prototypes, Pitch Decks, and Mockups

Published by skeptic

Anthropic today launched Claude Design, a new AI product for creating designs, prototypes, slides, and more. Claude Design uses Opus 4.7, a new AI model that was introduced earlier this week. Opus 4.7 is Anthropic’s most capable vision model, and it can see images in greater resolution. Anthropic says that it is “more tasteful and creative” when doing professional tasks. It is able to create higher-quality interfaces, slides, and docs, making it ideal for Claude Design. Claude Design was developed to allow founders, product managers, and marketers without a design background to create visuals for sharing an idea. Claude Design is able to mock up an initial design after being provided with a prompt, and from there, designers can make revisions through conversation, comments, direct edits, and custom sliders made by Claude. Anthropic says that teams have been using Claude Design for realistic prototypes, wireframes and mockups, design explorations, pitch decks, presentations, social media assets, and more. Working with Claude Design starts with brand assets, which Claude can get from the user’s design files and …

Hyundai’s first EREV spotted with interesting design ahead of debut

Hyundai’s first EREV spotted with interesting design ahead of debut

Published by skeptic

The Santa Fe will launch as Hyundai’s first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) in 2027. With its official debut coming up, the Santa FE EREV was spotted with a unique design. When is Hyundai launching the Santa Fe EREV? The Santa Fe is one of Hyundai’s most popular SUVs, so an electric version makes sense. However, this one won’t be fully electric. During its CEO Investor Day in September, Hyundai announced plans to launch its first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) in 2027. While it didn’t say it would be the Santa Fe, recent spy shots confirmed Hyundai is testing an EREV variant. A camouflaged Santa Fe prototype was spotted in South Korea, with a sticker confirming it was in fact an extended-range EV. Advertisement – scroll for more content Hyundai has yet to reveal final specs, but did say that upcoming EREVs will offer an “EV-like” driving experience and a combined driving range of over 600 miles (960 km). The vehicle is still powered by electricity, but it’s also equipped with a gas engine that acts …

Anthropic just launched Claude Design, an AI tool that turns prompts into prototypes and challenges Figma

Anthropic just launched Claude Design, an AI tool that turns prompts into prototypes and challenges Figma

Published by skeptic

Anthropic today launched Claude Design, a new product from its Anthropic Labs division that allows users to create polished visual work — designs, interactive prototypes, slide decks, one-pagers, and marketing collateral — through conversational prompts and fine-grained editing controls. The release, available immediately in research preview to all paid Claude subscribers, is the company’s most aggressive expansion beyond its core language model business and into the application layer that has historically belonged to companies like Figma, Adobe, and Canva. Claude Design is powered by Claude Opus 4.7, Anthropic’s most capable generally available vision model, which the company also released today. Anthropic says it is rolling access out gradually throughout the day to Claude Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise subscribers. The simultaneous launches mark a watershed for Anthropic, whose ambitions now visibly extend from foundation model provider to full-stack product company — one that wants to own the arc from a rough idea to a shipped product. The timing is also significant: Anthropic hit roughly $20 billion in annualized revenue in early March 2026, according to …

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold 2: New Design Leak Challenges Tablets

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold 2: New Design Leak Challenges Tablets

Published by skeptic

Samsung’s decision to discontinue the Galaxy Z Tri Fold shortly after its release was not a failure but a calculated move. By treating the device as a limited-edition experiment, Samsung tested consumer interest in premium foldable devices. This strategy has paved the way for a new chapter in foldable innovation, with the company now focusing on a redesigned trifold concept and preparing to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide. As competition intensifies, particularly with Apple’s anticipated entry into the foldable market, Samsung is refining its approach to maintain its leadership and adapt to evolving consumer needs. The video below from Techtics gives us more details on the new Galaxy Z Tri Fold 2. Galaxy Z Tri Fold: A Purposeful Experiment The Galaxy Z Tri Fold was never intended to dominate the market but rather to serve as a strategic test bed for gauging consumer interest in high-priced, innovative foldable devices. Despite its limited availability, the device sold out quickly, demonstrating strong demand for innovative designs. This experiment provided Samsung with critical insights into consumer …

The Dog’s Gaze by Thomas Laqueur review – the art of the canine, from Velázquez to Picasso | Art and design books

The Dog’s Gaze by Thomas Laqueur review – the art of the canine, from Velázquez to Picasso | Art and design books

Published by Sam Flores

Thirty-five thousand years ago, in the Ardèche region of France, Paleolithic artists drew a spectacular bestiary on the walls of the Chauvet cave. Their focus was apex predators, so there were lots of lions, as well as mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses. Dogs were nowhere to be seen, and yet in the soft sediment on the limestone floor of the cave, there are traces of canid pawprints next to human footprints. Two fellow creatures, most likely a boy and a dog, stood together, about 10,000 years after the art was made, looking up at the walls in wonder. Here was a moment of shared contemplation, followed perhaps by a glance to see the other’s reaction. In this luminous book, the American cultural historian Thomas Laqueur explores what he calls “the dog’s gaze”. The dog was the first animal to live companionably with humans, and Laqueur argues that this marks the boundary between nature and culture. It is this threshold status that has, in turn, qualified the dog to play a rich, symbolic part in western art. Just having dogs in a picture – snuffling for picnic crumbs …