Infographic: Why Google Spends So Much Money On Acquiring Other Companies

According to UK-based design and marketing agency Aptitude, “2 years prior to Jan 2014, Google outspent its 5 closest rivals on acquisitions combined”—for a relatively young company, the internet giant has certainly been shopping a lot.



This infographic reveals the strategy behind Google’s most expensive acquisitions, including famous sales like that of YouTube, Motorola and Dropcam.



For instance, did you know that Google spent US$3.2 billion on NestLabs, a company which makes smart thermostats and smoke detectors, because it wanted to expand its presence in consumer homes?



Read more about Google’s reasons for acquiring the companies it bought, and find out which others it would probably snap up in the future, in the infographic below.



Which company do you think would catch Google’s eye next?



Click on image to enlarge



Click on image to enlarge



[via Aptitude]

Creatives Reveal The 11 Things That They Wish Design School Taught Them

Image: BayRock Studios



Have you ever regretted not picking up useful skills, or not being better informed about marketing your talents when you were in design school?



Creative Bloq asked a group of creatives to reveal the 11 things that they wished they learned in school, such as how to use Photoshop, tips on finding their niche, and the importance of having humility in their career.



Head here to read the full article.



[via Creative Bloq]

First Footage Of New Features On The GoPro ‘HERO4’ In Hi-Def Slow Motion

[Click here to view the video in this article]







GoPro will be releasing some new firmware updates this coming February 2015, which will include some neat features to its HERO4 Black and Silver cameras.



One of the new feature is 240FPS recording at 720p in the HERO4 Black, allowing users to capture high definition and slow motion simultaneously.



Brent Rose of Gizmodo took the newly updated GoPro for a spin and capture a sample footage of the 2015 Winter X Games at 240fps and played back at 24fps.



He commented that “In general, the action is extremely smooth. Even with my shaky hand and out-of-practice-feets, I look pretty good when you slow me down that much!”



He added that while it is fine when shooting someone or something else, the flip-side of it is that you will not be able to capture much if you are going to point the camera at your side.



Head over here to read up more about the other updates available.



Click play on the video for the exclusive first footage of GoPro HERO4 in high definition slow motion.



















[via PetaPixel, Gizmodo, images via video screenshot]

Infographic: Income Level According To Personality Type

California-based Career Assessment Site has come up with an infographic detailing 16 different personality types and the average household income for each.



The infographic also has information on education level, gender and the world’s population sorted according to personality types.



Scroll down for an interesting read and determine your personality type here.



Click to view full enlarged version





Click to view full enlarged version





Click to view full enlarged version



Click to view full enlarged version





[via Career Assessment Site]

Illustrator Interacts With Adorable Cartoon Characters On City Streets

London-based illustrator Yoyo The Ricecorpse, whose adorable animated characters invaded the streets of Paris, has a new on-going project featuring her interacting with cute cartoon characters on city streets.



Whimsical and delightful, the pictures of her going on adventures with giant bunnies and pigs will definitely bring a smile to your face.



Check out some images below and keep up with her antics here.





























[via Yoyo The Ricecorpse]

An Accurate Portrayal Of The Unhealthy Obsession People Have With Their Phones

[Click here to view the video in this article]







An ad aptly drew similarities of a dying phone to the world coming to an end, highlighting individuals’ high dependency on their devices.



It is not uncommon to see people glued to their smartphone screens on the streets, in the bus, in almost everything they do.



This unhealthy obsession that individuals have with their phones is accurately captured in the following animated short by motion graphics and design studio We Are Seventeen.



Titled ‘Mr Selfie’, the video also surfaces the sad reality of missing out on the real world through this technological fixation.



Check out the animated short below:



































[via SPLOID, images via We Are Seventeen]

Awesome Inflatable Pillow Lets You Use Your Phone Comfortably In The Bathtub

[Click here to view the video in this article]







The same company that brought us the flexible desk that lets you work on your laptop while lying down in bed, Thanko has surprised us with another clever product that we can use in the bathroom.



The inflatable pillow called the ‘Ofuro Demo Chotto Mottete’, loosely translates to “hold this for me in the bath”, is the company’s latest product which allows user to use their phones in the comfort of their bathtubs.



It comes with a head rest, a waterproof smartphone case to protect your phone, an inflated arm that curves 90-degree with a Velcro patch that lets you attach your smartphone.



The length of the arm is adjustable so that you can use your phone at a comfortable distance, you can also choose the sides in which you want the arm to wrap around you by flipping the pillow the other way around.



The bath pillow can double as a normal pillow too, letting you use your phone even on your bed, without having your phone fall flat on your face.



Head over here to purchase these awesome pillows for US$21.























[via RocketNews24, images via Thanko (edited by RocketNews24)]