The best iPad apps

Best free and paid apps for your new iPad

The iPad has arrived – and that means deciding which apps you should purchase and download right away. Spinnindg Hat are here to help. We went in search for the best iPad apps available in the app store and these babies were our favourites!

1. Kindle for iPad


Why list a free e-book reader as the top pick when Apple's own iBook is included? Ask anyone who owns a Kindle – with this free app, you can download every book and magazine you have ever purchased for free and read them on the iPad.

The Kindle reader doesn't have the annoying grayscale book spine of the iBook reader, and books through Amazon are cheaper. There's also a much wider selection. And, one of the best ways to use the iPad is for reading books, mags, and newspapers.

2. Groovemaker


Groovemaker is like having a DJ on your iPad. There's an easy to way to record and mix loops, add drum parts, and adjust sound levels to make a song. Samples clips sound great, especially on earbuds. The app is ideal for live music at parties as well.

Typography

A great source of inspirational graphical work within the context of typography.

Typography has recently really started to fascinate me. When I see a good example of Typography, I wonder why my designs some times don’t showcase that amazing element. Similar to our previous talk on minimalist design, typography is often overlooked as an easy task, however is often the opposite. A tremendous effort is put into making graphical type based work eye catching, bold and powerful. Whether it’s spacing, font choice, position, kerning, it’s often difficult to get that look. I am always looking for designs that showcase amazing typography, below are examples of what I have found inspiring in my quest to achieve typography greatness.

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Libro

Pokemon Challenge!

Any of you from the Pokemon generation will love this! It is a game against the clock where you have to name as many of the original 150 pokemon in 12 minutes!



Its a lot harder than it sounds! I managed to name 76, thought I was more of a geek than I actually am.

Here is a link to the game. Let us know how you do!

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Shoreditch street art video

Great video representing East London street art.



Discover incredible street art hidden in Shoreditch, including works from Banksy, D*face, Obey and space invader. The closer you look, the more you see!



If you're feeling creative but don't want to break the law, why not try this Grafitti cross stitch!

The best origami

The best character based origami from around the world from yoda to iron man.

Check out this collection of fantastic origami creations!

Pikachu origami


V for Vendetta origami


Iron man origami


Origami Napkins


Lord of the rings origami

Creative packaging

Various forms of creative packaging from cartons to carrier bags.

The Spinning Hat desin team draw inspiration from many areas. Below are a collection of innovative types of packaging.

Nail biter


Donut puzzle box


Lorry illusion


Juice carton


Penguin juice box



Tom Kelly-Lord
Spinning Hat

Paper Toy templates

Liven up your desk with some amazing paper folding, finger sticking paper toy fun!

A bit board on your lunch break? Looking for a new paper toy to add to your collection? Look no further, Spinning Hat bring you a collection of some fantastic paper toys! Click the images to increase the size of templates!

Patrick Star paper toy (Spongebob)


Build-o-bama


Halo paper toy (blue)


Milk carton paper toy


Plush paper toy


If you like these, you will also like our grafitti cross stitch!

Forward this to any of your creative mates by using the grey share icons just below!

Lego art

Collection of the best creations made from Lego.

Spinning Hat have surfed the web to bring you the best pieces of Lego art. Some people have been getting very creative and clearly have a lot of time on their hands. Amazing stuff!

Lego Nintendo DSi


Lego Predator


Lego Escher


Lego Mario


Lego Obey

Michael Jackson song "breaking news"

Debate over the authenticity of Micheal Jacksons "breaking news". Listen to it here!


'Michael' album cover

Well, here it is! This is the MJ song everyone has been talking about – The never heard song titled “Breaking News” and according to Sony Music it was recorded at the home of music producer Eddie Cascio, when Jackson was staying there during 2007. The track appears on the King of Pop’s postdeath album, “Michael“. “Breaking News” will not be released as a commercial single, it’s just a promotional teaser. Having heard the song now, I have to admit it does sound like MJ’s voice, however his family claim this is a fake. Think about it though, would Sony really make a fake MJ song? If they got cought, it could destory Sony. The debate’s still open. What do you think? Me, at the end of the day, the song is not that good so…...




Tom Kelly-Lord
Spinning Hat

QR code iPhone

iPhone and Android's QR codes reach Spinning Hat.


Spinninghat.com QR code. Scan it!

Check out Spinning Hat's rad new QR code above! If you have a smart phone (such as iPhone or Android) scan the QR code using your 'bar code scanner' app and it will take you straight to Spinning Hat's website!


Tom Kelly-Lord
Spinning Hat

NU METAL vs. THRASH

December is a big month in the thrash and nu metal calendar but which out shred's the other?

THRASH - Were not 100% sure what constitutes as thrash - Bruising rhythms? Finger-breaking solo's? but we like the combination of heaviness and aggro.

NU METAL - Nor are we exactley sure what makes music nu metal. Piercings and dreds? quitars with rapping? Red hats? but we like its rididiculousness!

The Big Name

Slayer - Arguably the best of Thrash and boast the best guitarist, Kerry King and Dave Lombardo, who came together after the latter delivered the former a pizza.

Slipknot - Nice masks, jars of dead crows, vomit and upside down drum kits, Slipknot are so absurdly brilliant in the flesh that it's easy to forget how ace they are on record.

INCREDIBLE OR TERRIBLE!

THRASH


NU METAL



This Month:

Municipal Waste tour: The US thrashers come to Glasgow, Nottingham and Bristol through December.

Taste of Chaos tour: Disturbed and Papa Roach come to Birmingham, Manchester and Plymouth through December.

WINNER? - Our office voted and decided upon Thrash. Bigger riffs, better artwork and no fat blokes in red hats. Thrash might not have the 'jumping around a room while drunk' fun of nu metal, but there's more shite than good when it comes to our rapping nu metal friends.

What's your vote?

TRON inspired design

Electrified TRON Ice Hotel Suite Opens in Sweden



With the much anticipated 3D TRON: Legacy coming out in theaters, a team of British designers are celebrating the Disney movie with a suite at the famous IceHotel above the Arctic Circle in Sweden. The electric blue Tron-inspired lighting scheme is achieved by cutting grooves into the ice, inserting energy efficient EL wire and then icing over the wire to keep it in place. Ben Rousseau and Ian Douglas–Jones' art suite at the IceHotel, "Legacy Of The River", is part of their campaign to launch a new line of illuminated furniture and interiors products due out early 2011.




Tom Kelly-Lord
Spinning Hat

Kat Von D - The tattoo chronicles

Lady of tattoos does a book!


The magnificently cool Kat Von D has unveiled a shiny new book based on her inky exploits, and we can tell you now its a bloody great read. At least, the pictures are nice for those of who never learnt to read.

Thankfully, the tattoo chronicles is also crammed to the nads with awesome pics of some of her best work and the cream of her celeb clients, including Lemmy, nutty Bam Margera and the scary Mike Vallely. There's a few boner-popping shots of Kat's oily torso chucked in there for good measure, too.



Overall a great book - and we particularly like she managed to include a photo of an albino squirrel too.

Beginner's comic books

Spinning Hat know there comics, but if you don't? What'll really get you into the world of comics?

WATCHMEN by Alan Moore: Watchmen is usually the first one I recommend for people to read. It's really good for people who don't care for comics - they read that and realise comics can be something else to what they'd expected.






THE FILTH by Grant Morrison: I feel a lot of Grant's work is stuff you read after you've been indoctrinated a little bit into the world of graphics novels. You get his work and you realise it's a whole new level!







THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS by frank miller: If after reading Watchmen you want to scratch the itch a little, I would suggest this. It's all popart and postmodern, and really takes the medium and elevates it.








THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY by Gerard way: Gerard Way is well known as the front man in My Chemical Romance but has also built up a big reputation in the comic world, winning the Eisner and Harvery award! Looks like he is OK after all!

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Minimalist Design

It it a trend or are we being lazy?



Minimalism is often wrongly percieved as an effortless task but only graphic designers know it isn’t that easy. Minimalism involves extreme conceptualism and abstraction. Minimalism if used without any relevance and purpose can be quite harmful. Sometimes, just to rush the design, graphic designers pass off an average design as minimalism. So how can minimalism become dangerous?

Best UK dubstep

The UK scene is once again buzzing with the roots of a genre firmly embedded on British turf. The talent coming out of the UK if phenomenal. If you want to get upto scratch with who the biggest UK bad boys in dubstep are then look no further!


Rusko: A key player in the scene. Now touring the US to promote his latest unmissable album!


Magnetic Man: Recently travelled the UK on a sold out tour and reached top 10 in the charts with 'I need Air' showing just how popular this genre has become!


Nero: Now touring all over the world, Nero have recently signed exclusively to Chase & Status' label MTA and are currently working on their debut album.

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