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😎Futuristic Giftcards, NeuBrutalism, and The Humane Pin

Giftcards getting wild

David Nichols

Jul 10, 2023

Hey friends!

How are y’all doing today?

If you’re stateside - hope you had a wonderful 4th of July! We spent the day with some good friends of ours - and shot off some fireworks.

Some news from our side - we’re six weeks awayy from baby number three’s birth - so we’re pretty excited to meet him!

We’re buying a new minivan in the next week or so - well “new” to us, we’re getting a used one haha.

3 kids won’t fit in the back of our current car - so the time has finally come to upgrade.

cue the dramatic TikTok music.

Did you join Instagram Threads this week? The first 24 hours were pretty fun - with lots of sarcasm, jokes about fake “top 10 tools” threads, growthhacking, celebrities/brands making “thread” jokes . . .

I’m on there (theland_ofrandom) if you want to look for me, but it remains to be seen how often I’ll actually use the platform.

That orb in Las Vegas is an insane sight to behold. It honestly doesn’t look real.

It’s literally a giant LED Orb - here’s a video of it that I found on Youtube.

It’s actually a theater on the inside too - here’s a link a deep dive Verge article about it.

You could make a strong argument that it is a modern “wonder of the world” - that’s how crazy it looks.

Let’s hop on in, shall we?

😎Giftcards From The Future

The giftcard - many businesses have them.

Many people buy ‘em - they’re the gift you buy when you don’t know what to get.

You buy them, use them, and toss them.

And we don’t think about how many billions end up in landfills.

Starbucks often has cool gift cards - encouraging people to collect or reuse them to pass along. Look no further than Ebay for examples.

“Gift cards provide a vital connection between retailer and customer, and like any payment method, is always in need of innovation,” CEO of supplier MultiPay Global Solutions David Maisey says. “The scale of the gift card market should not be underestimated. Last year alone 28.8 million adults in the UK received a gift card. Importantly, they are especially popular with Gen Z and millennial shoppers, with 46% and 42%, respectively, purchasing at least one gift card in the three years leading up to 2022. (source)

Zara is experimenting with gift card keychains.

Here’s what they look like.

just like any other whimsical backpack or keys keychain - something fun to carry around, except this one scans at checkout!

In terms of consumer innovation - I’d be curious to see what people would do with these. They’d be fun to get - that’s for sure.

Would they regift them? refill them for the next time they go to Zara? or just use them as a backpack or keychain accessory?

I’m curious to see if more innovations like these begin to arrive in the West. I really wish there were more cool ways to pay like these debit card stickers in India.

Go check out the Zara gift cards at the link!

Gift Card Keychains

🎨Neubrutalism

New design approaches are always fun.

Look no further than Dribbble for thousands of cool ideas that rarely see the light of day in the real world.

Have you heard of Neubrutalism?

Here’s a definition

Neubrutalist web design often features elements such as bold typography, minimalistic layouts, rough or unpolished aesthetics, and a focus on functionality over ornamental details. It embraces a certain level of imperfection and simplicity, challenging traditional design conventions and favoring a more straightforward and stripped-down approach. (source)

It’s been around since 2022, but what caught my attention was this Neubrutalism UI website.

It’s a web app where you’ll be able to copy/paste styles so you can use them for your own website.

It got me back into looking into Neubrutalism.

Gumroad’s website is a good example.

It’s minimalist . . . yet loud and bright.

Neubrutalist designs can evoke a sense of dynamism, energy, and even discomfort. It disrupts expectations and draws attention to the visual impact of contrasting hues. (source)

Here’s another example that someone shared on Webflow.

Isn’t it fun?

I hope we get to see a lot more website use this style!

Go check out the Neubrutalism UI website to experience a taste of the style.

Neubrutalism

Or read this article for more details about the Neubrutalism trend!

Neubrutalism History

👀The Humane AI Pin

When Hu.ma.ne emerged a few years ago, I was curious.

What was this mysterious startup going to create?

They promised revolutionary technology - but it wasn’t until recently that we discovered what they were going to make.

An AI companion tool.

It’s a little device that fits in a breast pocket - like on a suit or bomber jacket.

To interact with it, you press a button, and ask it a question.

“The experience [is] Screenless, Seamless, and Sensing - allowing you to access the power of compute while being present in your surroundings” - Imram Chaudhri. Hu.ma.ne cofounder

I watched Imram Chaudhri (Hu.ma.ne’s cofounder) do a TedTalk about the device, and it looks pretty incredible.

In it, he demos a few things that the tool can do.

phone calls where the device projects a small menu on your hand
answer questions
speak in a foreign language in your voice and emotion
Summary of a meeting he was in earlier in the day

The more you use our device powered by AI, the more we can help you in all times of need. Your AI . . .becomes a ever-evolving form of personal memory.” - Imram Chaudhri

The CRAZIEST demo in the video was when Imram holds up a chocolate bar and asks the AI if there’s any health risks with the ingredients. It replies after reading the ingredients list and says yes!

Imran sells the device pretty well on the TedTalk - I’m impressed.

The BIG question is - what else can the device do? Could it truly be a phone replacement in a meaningful sense?

The device is supposed to come out this year - so we’ll just have to “wait and see” when the reviews come out.

Until then - go check out the Hu.ma.ne website, join the waitlist, or watch the TedTalk below!

The AI Pin

🐙 The Land of Random

What can I say except “it’s random!”

Suicide Squad Isekai

Wit Studio (Yes - THE Wit Studio of Attack on Titan and Spy X Family fame) partnering with DC to make a Suicide Squad anime was NOT on my 2023 bingo card.