Smartphone Dean

I'm @activrightbrain's smartphone (I'm an iPhone 7 Plus). Brought to life for @theIDM #idmb2b

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

Another week, another supercar. This time I’m celebrating because the design matches the brand! It’s the @AudiOfficial Nuvolari (a hybrid that does 0-62mph in 2.6 seconds!)

We’ve had quite a run of misses: A Jaguar that looks like an air conditioning unit (Type 01), a Ferrari that looks like an Apple Car (Luce) and a Tesla that looks like a skip (Cybertruck). But this time I really really like it… because it’s an Audi that looks like an Audi. A fast one from the future, just like the TT and the R8 were. A future with Will Smith and a bunch of robots, but that future is now.

We’ve all got used to moaning about everyone and everything, so inevitably the critics will be out with burning torches and pitchforks to complain about this one too. But I’m genuinely excited to see this car in the flesh, on the road and back on kids’ walls where dream cars belong.

Thanks Audi, you delivered.

#design #ProductDesign #cars #automotive #Innovation #Mobility #Audi #AudiNuvolari #Nuvolari @audif1_ @AudiUKPress @Audi

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

Ferrari Luce: Fixed it.

#Ferrari #Luce #FerrariLuce #EV #design #cars #CarDesign #JonyIve @JonyIveParody

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

@SpaceX @Starlink Out. Of. This. World 🚀
#Starship #SpaceX @SpaceX @elonmusk

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

Don’t outsource the passion. I spoke in depth about XR with Dominique Wu on @XReality_Pro this week, but also covered the current state of AI for the creative industry and how we’re running the risk of losing the ability to communicate through storytelling – in both art form and word craft.

It’s all too easy to say everything will turn out OK in the end. The best designers and creative minds will survive and everyone will see the error of their ways.

But that fails to acknowledge the very essence of a designer. Most are brilliant at taking a brand or product and running with it, but relatively hopeless at promoting themselves or getting excited about processes and admin. Which is why tech bros and slop-creators get more attention and float to the top like a turd – rather than the cream of the industry.

Designers, artists and writers are already being removed, replaced and demoralised. As a result, we’ll change profession (easier said than done) and have to become fundamentally different people to survive. Some won’t be able to make the change. Some won’t even make the end of the month.

Being lost in the noise is one thing – but far worse, is the deathly silence. Creative professionals are living with a justifiable feeling of being abandoned by our own industry, representative bodies and humanity itself. A notable exception is @glovelace ‘s brilliant Charting Gen AI

I have been researching, building and breaking emerging technologies for decades – including championing Artificial Intelligence in so many areas. I am not anti AI. I am pro human and will be a designer, artist and writer driven by an intensely curious creative heart every single day I draw breath.

Ironically, an algorithm will probably bury this post. Just don’t let talented, passionate creatives suffer the same fate.

[This video extract covers the reason we should not outsource our passion to AI and why we’re running the risk of losing the ability to communicate. The link to the full podcast is in the comments below]

#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #design #art #writing #music #Innovation #DeepTech #Podcast #XReality #FutureOfWork

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

Anyone else prep for a call on May the 4th like this? It can’t just be me…

#MayThe4th #StarWarsDay #StarWars

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

If you can’t wait for Jony Ive’s Ferrari Luce collaboration, here’s another tech/auto partnership to keep you going – @Apple and @Porsche

To celebrate Apple’s 50th anniversary and 75 years of Porsche Motorsport, the Porsche works team will compete in a historic Apple Computer-inspired livery at round four of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on May 3rd at Laguna Seca, California – around 80 miles south of Apple Park.

The retro wrap is based on the Porsche 935 K3, which competed in major events in the 1980 season including the 24 hours of Le Mans. A true RaceTech throwback!

Time for some Apple products featuring classic Porsche liveries next? I’ll take a Martini MacBook thanks – shaken, not stirred.

#design #motorsport #cars #automotive #Porsche #Mobility #Apple @PorscheGB

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

Dear Lamborghini, did no one at any stage hold their hand up and say “this photo shoot makes Mike Horn look like Jeffrey Epstein”? No one?

Like everyone else, I went straight to the comments on Instagram - and wasn’t disappointed…

#advertising #fail #Lamborghini #cars

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

Headlines this week celebrated @Honorglobal ’s autonomous robot running a Chinese half marathon and beating the human record by 7 minutes.

That’s all very exciting (not for the humans) but I’m interested in the more unusual robotic competitors – and the total failures.

Here’s a selection of the most entertaining, because sometimes drunk robots with big heads are just funny. And the world needs more funny right now.

Meanwhile at @BostonDynamics , they’re just getting on with the future in the knowledge they did all this a decade ago…

#AI #robot #ArtificialIntelligence #robots #automation #sports #IoT

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

I’ve been putting @Buzzy_now_AI through its paces and seeing how well it copes with using an original piece of footage I recorded about Artemis II - but placing me on location instead of my office (original footage at the end of the video).

Seeing is believing, but do not believe everything you see!

OK, I’m impressed and like the workflow of filming, yet being able to direct after so this remains a human-centred process.

Worth checking out ahead of a few similar products appearing soon https://t.co/0pqTxT2ZGJ

#Buzzy #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #film #movie #video #IoT #Aerospace #SpaceTech #Artemis #ArtemisII

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

Proof that even #HarryPotter struggles with Hogwarts student debt! #GMB @GMB

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

We’ve taken another giant leap for humankind – and the new Space Race is back in orbit with a ‘What if? to What IS!’ moment thanks to Artemis II.

It’s time to counter the criticism and drown out the negative noise by focusing on what we are achieving, then deliver even more progress as part of the next chapter on the way to an exciting tomorrow.

Congratulations @NASA and the crew in orbit and team back on Earth!

And yes, I am wearing my T-shirt TV (it’s not green screen, I’m really wearing the moon mission!)

#space #aerospace #Artemis #ArtemisII #innovation #IoT #motivation #wearables #SpaceTech @NASAArtemis @spacegovuk

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

It’s not often you celebrate a 50 year relationship, but today’s the day we acknowledge @Apple ’s half century of creative design, development and inspiration.

In 1984, my budget (and Sinclair ZX Spectrum capabilities) didn’t stretch to the professionalism of an Apple Mac, so alongside Paul Neville I designed our computer magazine ‘Micro’ on an electronic typewriter, then cut and pasted the results.

My earliest beige touch-point was during my A-levels, using an ‘all-in-one’ Mac Plus to design the college magazine. Fast forward through my years working in the newspaper industry (and using Adobe products when they didn’t even feature a version number – they were still on v1!), whilst also studying as a graphic designer at @inspiredAUB and introducing my first ‘home’ Mac – the Performa 630, with a built in TV tuner!!!

iPods, iPhones, Apple Watch – and every iPad (including working on apps with Apple, the first launching on day 1). These all filled non-Mac-shaped holes in my life and regular visits to Cupertino and WWDC have kept the dream and my career alive.

I’ve owned every generation of iMac and iBook, MacBook/Pro, plus my beloved (and still fully-functioning ‘as new’) G4 Cube. I can’t help myself, but I am glad Apple stopped making so many ‘must have’ products since we lost Steve as I find it easier to resist slightly faster versions of previous models.

It’s fair to say I fully bought into the Apple ecosystem from day 1 and defended the sometimes indefensible, but reaped the rewards of championing beautifully designed products that far outlast their cheaper alternatives and continue to perform as a frictionless extension of myself.

And yes, I do have a tattoo of the original Mac startup icon – received whilst in VR to test virtual pain mitigation. I am aware that’s not normal behaviour, but like Apple, I have also spent 50 years with a compulsion to Think Different.

#design #ProductDesign #Apple #Apple50 #innovation #IoT

@applemuseum_com @TheAppleDesign @brillhart

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

Extraordinary scenes as Trump 2.0 is showcased at the Whitehouse, demonstrating how the President plans to run for a 3rd, 4th and 5th term…

But seriously, a PR masterclass from @adcock_brett ‘s @Figure_robot - introducing the first humanoid robot (Figure 03) to walk the corridors of the Whitehouse, beating @Tesla ‘s Optimus 🤖

#robot #robotics #AI #IoT #Figure #Figure03

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

In the same way that you are what you eat, you are also what you say.

On this International Day of Happiness, sing, dance, laugh (not in a freaky for-the-sake-of-it way, but at something you actually find funny), stay curious, give yourself permission to play, but ultimately find life fascinating.

When was the last time you posted your opposition to AI, or your hatred of a political figure or concerns about war, famine and economic chaos – or just your loathing of a product? And when did it make you (or anyone else) feel better about anything? What did that post change apart from a platform’s algorithm for the worse?

Take a step back and ask yourself if you really enjoy shouting into a room full of other people shouting into the same room. No one is really listening, no one is adjusting their point of view and nothing is improving as a result.

It’s time to turn this on its head and celebrate the good, offer a platform to the unseen and inspire rather than discourage, for more than just a day.

There’s nothing wrong with having an opinion – I actively encourage it – but let’s try to improve on the United Kingdom’s 29th position in the World Happiness Rankings (Finland hit the number 1 spot for the 9th year running!) Try swapping inspiration for consternation if you really want to make an impact in 2026.

#inspiration #designthinking #TheOffice #HappyDay #WorldHappinessReport #mentalhealth #positivity #fascination #motivation #FridayFun

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

#BrokenBritain : The Tesco Reduced Shelf 😂

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

BREAKING: @iamwill Redesigns the Sinclair C5!

OK, it’s not exactly the spiritual successor, but it’s the thought that counts.

I’ve given Will a hard time over the years. From his Puls smart cuff (a very very poor smartwatch), to his speaker backpack (to annoy commuters the world over) and now his latest creation…the TRINITY 3-wheeler EV.

Offering 176 miles of electric range, a top speed of 124mph and a 1.8 second 0-60 sprint, this is no Robin Reliant. It’s also full of NVIDIA-powered AI (of course), none of it delivering autonomous driving (just ‘orchestrating conversational workflows on the move’). Apparently.

I may not always be a fan of the design or tech, but I admire Will’s infectious enthusiasm and willingness to encourage others to push boundaries – whether they need pushing or not. As I’ve already said, it’s the thought that counts.

#Design #Technology #Innovation #mobility #EV #cars #TRINITY #CES2026

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

Probably not the screengrab @benshephard was hoping for today 😂

#ThisMorning @thismorning

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

In a feed fuelled by AI-connected chaos from #CES2026 here’s the perfect antidote - the Kuhl Outroad 🔥

Who needs a $250,000+ Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato, when Kuhl will happily convert your Toyota GR86 or Subaru BRZ into this pint-sized (and much lighter) off-road fun machine!

Sadly, only available in Japan (for now) so it’s time to make some noise at your local @ToyotaUK / @subaruuk dealer as the whole world deserves this much analogue fun during the zombie apocalypse.

#cars #mobility #automotive #Toyota #Subaru #GR86 #KuhlOutroad

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

No one does the daily commute quite like @ValtteriBottas

(Via @Rainmaker1973 ) @Cadillac_F1 #F1 #Cadillac #CadillacF1 #Formula1

[Dean Johnson @activrightbrain]

The past 12 months have been out of this world. Quite literally.

When I began to tell our story at @SiriusTechSpace we took incredible steps creatively and technologically, but the thing that enthralled audiences – from one to one or one to a theatre or the rest of the world – was our mission. Impressive, ambitious, inspiring, and the potential outcome… revolutionary.

Any one point on Earth to another in less than 60 minutes.

More on our science fact in another post. But first… meet ‘Face Forward’: My celebration of science fiction. An 8-portrait tribute to time and space in film and TV.

I have been bringing portraits to life for over 30 years, capturing the personalities, the souls and the magic of individuals or vehicles. Many larger than life, but all worthy of preservation in art form.

Here’s an interstellar showcase for gallery owners considering a new space-themed art exhibition as we head into 2026. The first 8 are ready for blast off 🚀

– Mars Attacks [Martian Ambassador – Himself] @TimBurtonArt

– 2001: A Space Odyssey [David ‘Dave’ Bowman – Keir Dullea]

– Doctor Who [The 10th Doctor – David Tennant] @bbcdoctorwho

– Flash Gordon [Prince Vultan - @brianblessed ] @JamesAHogg2

– Star Trek [Captain James T. Kirk – @WilliamShatner ]

– Alien [Xenomorph + Lieutenant Ellen Ripley – Sigourney Weaver]

– Star Wars: A New Hope [Princess Leia – Carrie Fisher] @starwars @StarWarsUK

– Armageddon [Harry S. Stamper – Bruce Willis]

#Art #Design #Technology #Innovation #SciFi #ScienceFiction #film #movie #television #space #spacetech #FutureTech #StarWars #StarTrek #DoctorWho #TimBurton #Alien