<img src="https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/04X1bxEX8yEVGyM4CXrOuYI/hero-image.jpg" alt="Three " this barbie is memes one of a potato the mashable icon and cat.>C'mon, Barbie, let's go make a meme!A <a href="https://mashable.com/video/barbie-teaser" target="_self">new teaser trailer</a> and clever <a href="https://mashable.com/article/barbie-movie-character-posters" target="_self">character posters</a> for the movie of the year, Greta Gerwig's Barbie, debuted Tuesday (April 4) and set the internet ablaze with <a href="https://mashable.com/article/barbie-movie-character-poster-memes" target="_self">memes</a>. If you want to get in on the fun and make your own Barbie character poster with a customized "This Barbie is..." tagline, you're in luck. In a stroke of genius, the Barbie team created <a href="https://www.barbieselfie.ai/" target="_blank">a Barbie selfie generator</a> to fulfill all your wildest "This Barbie" and "This Ken" dreams.

How to make your own 'Barbie' meme. If you want to get in on the fun and make your own Barbie character poster with a customized "This Barbie is..." tagline, you're in luck.

Mashable

Threat actors have been leveraging fake websites advertising popular video conferencing software such as Google Meet, Skype, and Zoom to deliver a variety of malware targeting both Android and Windows users since December 2023."The threat actor is distributing Remote Access Trojans (RATs) including SpyNote RAT for Android platforms, and NjRAT and DCRat for Windows systems," Zscaler ThreatLabz researchers said.The spoofed sites are in Russian and are hosted on domains that closely resemble their legitimate counterparts, indicating that the attackers are using typosquatting tricks to lure prospective victims into downloading the malware.They also come with options to download the app for Android, iOS, and Windows platforms. While clicking on the button for Android downloads an APK file, clicking on the Windows app button triggers the download of a batch script.The malicious batch script is responsible for executing a PowerShell script, which, in turn, downloads and executes the remote access trojan.Currently, there is no evidence that the threat actor is targeting iOS users, given that clicking on the button for the iOS app takes the user to the legitimate Apple App Store listing for Skype."A threat actor is using these lures to distribute RATs for Android and Windows, which can steal confidential information, log keystrokes, and steal files," the researchers said.The development comes as the AhnLab Security Intelligence Center (ASEC) revealed that a new malware dubbed WogRAT targeting both Windows and Linux is abusing a free online notepad platform called aNotepad as a covert vector for hosting and retrieving malicious code.It's said to be active from at least late 2022, targeting Asian countries like China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore, among others. That said, it's currently not known how the malware is distributed in the wild."When WogRAT is run for the first time, it collects basic information of the infected system and sends them to the C&C server," ASEC said. "The malware then supports commands such as executing commands, sending results, downloading files, and uploading these files."It also coincides with high-volume phishing campaigns orchestrated by a financially motivated cybercriminal actor known as TA4903 to steal corporate credentials and likely follow them with business email compromise (BEC) attacks. The adversary has been active since at least 2019, with the activities intensifying post mid-2023."TA4903 routinely conducts campaigns spoofing various U.S. government entities to steal corporate credentials," Proofpoint said. "The actor also spoofs organizations in various sectors including construction, finance, healthcare, food and beverage, and others."Attack chains involve the use of QR codes (aka quishing) for credential phishing as well as relying on the EvilProxy adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) phishing kit to bypass two-factor authentication (2FA) protections.Once a target mailbox is compromised, the threat actor has been observed searching for information relevant to payments, invoices, and bank information, with the ultimate goal of hijacking existing email threads and performing invoice fraud.Phishing campaigns have also functioned as a conduit for other malware families like DarkGate, Agent Tesla, and Remcos RAT, the last of which leverages steganographic decoys to drop the malware on compromised hosts.State of AI in the Cloud 2024Find out what 150,000+ cloud accounts revealed about the AI surge.Goodbye, Atlassian Server. Goodbye… Backups?Protect your data on Atlassian Cloud from disaster with daily backups and on-demand restores.Take Action Fast with Censys Search for Security TeamsStay ahead of advanced threat actors with best-in-class threat intelligence from Censys Search.Find out what 150,000+ cloud accounts revealed about the AI surge.From Humans to Bots: Every Identity in Your SaaS App Could Be a Backdoor for Cybercriminals.Learn how to protect your innovations from emerging security threats with expert advice.Sign up for free and start receiving your daily dose of cybersecurity news, insights and tips.

Watch Out for Spoofed Zoom, Skype, Google Meet Sites Delivering Malware. Once a target mailbox is compromised, the threat actor has been observed searching for information relevant to payments, invoices, and bank information, with the ultimate goal of hijacking existing email threads and performing invoice fraud

The Hacker News

Watch Out for Spoofed Zoom, Skype, Google Meet Sites Delivering Malware

Article updated on March 6, 2024 at 5:00 AM PST            Honor's new flagship phone is packed with innovations like eye-tracking tech, a silicon-carbon battery and AI features.  CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.Honor may not be a global household brand like Apple or Samsung. But the Chinese company is determined to make a name for itself, and its new phone -- the Magic 6 Pro -- appears to be designed squarely with this in mind.The Honor Magic 6 Pro, which made its debut at Mobile World Congress, is the world's first phone sold outside China that carries a silicon-carbon battery, which researchers say has a lower environmental impact and risk from overheating than the lithium-ion batteries that are used in the majority of phones today.Read more: Best Phone to Buy for 2024What's more, the Magic 6 Pro offers a novel way to interact with it, using an AI eye-tracking feature that allows you to open and interact with apps using your eyes. While international versions of the Honor Magic 6 Pro don't have eye-tracking, the feature is expected to roll out in the future. In a demo video, Honor shows off the possibilities of its eye-tracking technology by remote controlling an actual car with an app on the phone using nothing but eye movements.Apart from those innovative features, the Magic 6 Pro has many of the specs and features you'd expect from a 2024 flagship phone. I spent two weeks testing the Magic 6 Pro, and it delivers a solid Android experience packaged in a luxurious hardware design. Thanks to its sharp display, slow-draining batteries, excellent cameras, zippy processor and innovative AI-based tools, the Magic 6 Pro is already one of the most compelling Android phones of 2024. Here's the rear of the Magic 6 Pro in black.Despite its advantages, the Magic 6 Pro isn't perfect. Perhaps its biggest drawback is Honor's software upgrade policy, which lags behind rivals such as Google's Pixel 8 lineup and Samsung's Galaxy S24 series, each offering seven years of major OS upgrades and security updates. Instead, Honor promises four years of Android updates and security patches, which is still respectable, although it's shorter than its rivals. I also found its display collected dust, debris and even tiny scratches (remember, I've only used it for 14 days).For those practical reasons, I find it hard to recommend the Magic 6 Pro over Samsung's competing Galaxy S24 Plus or the Galaxy S24 Ultra phones. Besides if you were interested in buying this phone, the process would be less than straightforward if you live in the US. That's because Honor currently has no plans to sell the Magic 6 Pro stateside. The company says it'll receive a release in the UK, among other regions and countries, where the Magic 6 Pro will cost £1,100 (roughly $1,390 and AU$2,120) for the variant with 12GB RAM and 512GB of internal storage.Read more: Life After Huawei: Honor Bids to Become 'Iconic' Global Phone BrandOne of the Magic 6 Pro's more exciting features uses eye-tracking to let yu control and navigate the phone.The Magic 6 Pro runs MagicOS 8.0, which is based on Android 14. Honor is billing its latest operating system as one "that really knows you" in a nod to the availability of AI-based features. The most notable AI feature, which involves eye-tracking, is not yet available globally. The main way you can use eye-tracking is to open notifications.CNET's Katie Collins, who tested out the Magic 6 Pro's eye-tracking tech at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, described navigating the phone as easy, fast and responsive. Collins was even able to answer a phone call using only her eyes.When the demo phone rang, "a direction appeared on the screen telling me to look at a specific spot at the top left corner of the screen if I wanted to answer," Collins said in an article detailing her experience using Honor's eye-tracking technology. "I also was able to turn off an alarm and open messages the same way -- simply by directing my gaze to a specific point on the screen."As mind-boggling as that feature is, it wouldn't personally factor much into my decision about whether to buy a phone or not. Kudos to Honor for serving up new ways for people to interact with their phones.The Honor Magic 6 Pro comes in Epi Green or black.As soon as I took the Magic 6 Pro out of the box, I could tell that Honor wanted its newest phone to stand out. The model I received comes in a calming sage green color, which I think pairs well with the gold-colored finish around the camera bump and body. It has a textured rear finish as well as a cushion-shaped camera bump. Honor says it drew inspiration from jewelry and classical timepieces. The camera bump is bulky so the phone doesn't lie completely flat on surfaces; a common issue with most smartphones nowadays. the Magic 6 Pro's screen has subtle, curved edges.On the front, there's a 6.78-inch display with subtle, curved edges and 1,600 nits peak brightness, that I found was easily visible outdoors, even when sunny. Its 120Hz refresh rate makes software animations look smooth, even when switching between apps and scrolling on social media. I was surprised to see that the screen suffered visible wear and tear during my limited time with it. I popped the phone into a tote bag for a few days without a case and discovered that it easily collected dust and debris on the screen. I also found several small scratches on the phone. Honor says its Magic 6 Pro's screen uses a nanocrystal glass.The Magic 6 Pro's cushion-shaped camera bump.The Magic 6 Pro's so-called Falcon camera system has a total of four cameras. The rear camera module is headlined by a 2.5x telephoto lens with an f/2.6 aperture to let in more light. Apertures under f/2.8 are considered fast, which means the lens can let in a bunch of light for bright, crisp photos with little to no image noise.The telephoto lens sits in front of a 108-megapixel sensor. All that resolution makes even digital zoomed-in photos look good. The Magic 6 Pro has a 2.5x optical zoom and can digitally zoom up to 100x, but after about 30x images start to look more processed.The telephoto camera is accompanied by a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera. On the front, there's a 50-megapixel camera. Take a look below to see the cameras in action.Hong Kong skyscrapers by day. Taken with the Magic 6 Pro's main camera.I love how the image above turned out. You can even see the reflection of the opposite building in the glass, but it appears artificially sharpened in the image.The image below was taken on default settings on a bright and sunny day in Hong Kong. The Magic 6 Pro amps up the blueness of the skies and seas. I personally like it.A photo of Hong Kong's harbor from the main camera.Below are a series of photos I took to show off the Magic 6 Pro's zoom range. The first image was taken with the 0.5x ultrawide camera and the second with the telephoto camera at 5x digital zoom.This was taken with the ultrawide camera. I'll be zooming into the ship to show you the Magic 6 Pro's zoom capabilities.Standing in the same spot, I took this photo with 5x digital zoom.Let's take things to the extreme. Below is a photo I shot at 100x digital zoom. I'm amazed you can see a semblance of the ship's front. I couldn't see much with my naked eye except for a tiny silhouette of the ship. As you can expect, the image is blurry, but it gives you a rough idea of the subject.And here's a photo taken at 100x zoom, the Magic 6 Pro's max magnification.Now let's zoom in on something that's physically nearby (and more adorable). The photo below of my dog Rocky shows off the Magic 6 Pro's telephoto capabilities. This is a sharp image taken in a well-lit room. Notice the strands of fur and detail captured.I took this image of Rocky with the Magic 6 Pro 2.5x telephoto camera.Portrait mode was one of my favorite features to use on the Magic 6 Pro. It's easy to take beautiful portrait phones. I love the natural-looking bokeh in the background and the sharp foreground. Here's another photo of Rocky taken in portrait mode. In my time using the Magic 6 Pro, it sometimes struggled with edge detection. Take a look at the images below of the heart-shaped balloon to see what I mean. The first was taken in portrait mode. Notice how it separates the balloon from the background. You can tell that the Magic 6 Pro struggles with "cutting out" the balloon and its string. Here's another portrait mode snap, but notice the way it "cuts out" the balloon from the background.Below is another photo of the same balloon taken with portrait mode disabled. You can clearly see the balloon's string and the background in this image, which was taken on default settings. The camera took a true-to-life shot of the balloon despite light pouring into the window.The same balloon image taken without portrait mode.This photo was taken with the ultrawide camera in night mode.Here's the same scene captured with the ultrawide camera but without night mode.And here's the same evening scene captured at 5x digital zoom.The Magic 6 Pro cameras are solid. Images in most lighting situations look color-accurate, crisp and visually appealing. Since the portrait lens has 108 megapixels to play with, the zoom was also another stellar feature on this phone. I could take all sorts of images, digitally zoom into them and the photos still look sharp. I can't wait to take this phone to a tennis match and try to take some action shots.  If I had to nitpick, the camera tends to make skies and water look bluer than they actually were in real life. The selfie camera also tended to lighten my skin, making my complexion appear fairer than I am in real life. I prefer a camera that captures true-to-life images of myself as well as the people in my life, but this was by no means a dealbreaker.Sometimes portrait mode struggled with edge detection too, but again it was a nonissue for me since it was usually an easy fix of just moving the camera slightly. Overall, it was a breeze to take beautiful portrait shots with a natural bokeh effect in the background yet retain a crisp foreground. The Magic 6 Pro probably has one of my favorite portrait cameras.This year's Magic 6 Pro has a large 5,600-mAh silicon-carbon battery. In my experience, the battery lasted throughout the day after moderate use. That includes quick phone calls, social media scrolling, reading emails, watching YouTube videos and listening to music. I also ran a 45-minute battery drain test, in which I hopped on a Zoom call, scrolled through social media and played a graphic-intensive mobile game. In that time, the battery dropped by 8%. This result keeps up with gaming phones such as the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro, which also dropped 8% in the same test, and falls just shy of the Google Pixel 8 Pro which dropped 7%. Both of those phones use a lithium-ion battery.The use of silicon-carbon batteries in mobile phones is an emerging trend that's drawn attention due to its potential advantages over lithium-ion batteries. Those benefits include a lower environmental impact and reduced risk of overheating. The long-term reliability of silicon carbon batteries is still being researched, and adoption in the smartphone industry is still in its early stages.A welcome screen greets you the first time you open the camera app.The Magic 6 Pro runs on Qualcomm's top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which in my experience, could handle virtually everything I threw at it. As an example, I played graphic-intensive games such as Genshin Impact, ran Zoom video calls and switched screens between a Zoom call and my email without any stutters or freezes.In benchmark testing, the Magic 6 Pro lagged behind its rivals in the Geekbench 6 processor tests, but did better than the competition (even the ROG Phone 8 Pro) in the 3D Mark, a test that measures graphic and gaming performance.Apart from offering improved performance, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip allows Magic 6 owners to tap into generative AI features wherever they are, even offline. The Magic 6 Pro is among the most compelling Android flagships available this year. It has excellent cameras, a sharp display, and great battery life coupled with fast charging. On the other hand, it's held back by the software upgrade policy, and I am concerned about wear and tear on the display. That said, the Magic 6 Pro has helped reinvigorate my enthusiasm around phones through its futuristic features such as eye-tracking.

Honor Magic 6 Review: Reigniting My Passion for Smartphone Tech. But the Chinese company is determined to make a name for itself, and its new phone -- the Magic 6 Pro -- appears to be designed squarely with this in mind

CNET

Honor Magic 6 Review: Reigniting My Passion for Smartphone Tech     - CNET

In brief: The prospect of running mobile apps on Windows was one of the unique draws to Windows 11 when Microsoft first announced the operating system. Although the ability to install Android apps went public two years ago, enthusiasm for it has seemingly dissipated. Other Windows-to-Android connectivity features remain in development. Windows 11 users have one more year to install and use Android apps. Microsoft recently announced that it will deprecate Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) on March 5, 2025, after which users can no longer install Android apps on Windows. Previously installed apps will also cease to function.Despite the interest WSA garnered before Windows 11's launch, the feature has drawn relatively little attention since its public preview began for users in the US in February 2022. No reason was given for the deprecation, but it may have been from a lack of use or interest. Instead of allowing users to download apps from the Google Play Store – the primary Android software distribution channel – Windows 11 received its mobile apps from the Amazon Appstore, which supports a far smaller library.Those still interested in trying Android apps on their PCs can head to the Microsoft Store and download either the Amazon Appstore or any Android app. Either action will install WSA and Amazon's storefront. Using the Amazon store requires a separate Amazon account. Meanwhile, opening WSA enables users to change Android app settings and open an Android file browser, which allows apps and files from the two operating systems to interact. Sideloading APK files is also possible for now.Microsoft's aborted effort with Android apps was a pillar of a broader strategy to leverage Android devices similarly to how Macs interact with iOS devices. Although the company has given up on running Android apps, other interoperability features remain, with more being tested.A recent Windows Insider build added the ability to use an Android device as a webcam for a PC via the Phone Link app, similar to Apple's Continuity Camera. It supports video conferencing apps like Skype or Zoom and can utilize a device's back or front-facing camera. If the feature goes public, it could dramatically change the webcam market, as most smartphone cameras easily outshine a typical webcam. Other Phone Link functions also still make Android devices useful companions to Windows 11 systems.TECHSPOT : Tech Enthusiasts, Power Users, GamersTechSpot is a registered trademark. About Us Ethics Statement Terms of Use Privacy Policy Change Ad Consent Advertise© 1998 - 2024 TechSpot, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Windows 11 Android support ends next March. Despite the interest WSA garnered before Windows 11's launch, the feature has drawn relatively little attention since its public preview began for users in the US in February 2022.

TechSpot

Windows 11 Android support ends next March

Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the gaming industry’s top leaders? Learn more about GamesBeat Summit sponsorship opportunities here. Logitech has unveiled the MX Brio and MX Brio 705 for Business — two 4K webcams for work and streaming.  Lausanne, Switzerland-based Logitech has created the webcams for the evolving needs of gamers, creators and enterprises. As part of the Master Series ecosystem, the MX Brio stands out as Logitech’s most advanced webcam, promising performance for streaming and collaboration in the remote work era.In an era where virtual presence matters, the MX Brio brings Ultra HD 4K resolution to the forefront, serving the demands of creative professionals, developers, and advanced users. Anatoliy Polyanker, general manager of the MX Business at Logitech, said in a statement, “MX Brio is our highest quality webcam, featuring customization and the ability to show themselves or their work in the best possible way.”GamesBeat Summit Call for SpeakersWe’re thrilled to open our call for speakers to our flagship event, GamesBeat Summit 2024 hosted in Los Angeles, where we will explore the theme of “Resilience and Adaption”.The MX Brio has an advanced webcam sensor with a 70% larger pixel size compared to its predecessor, the Brio 4K, resulting in an ultra-sharp image. AI-enhanced image quality takes auto light correction a step further, offering face-based image enhancement that provides a more natural image. It can do 4K at 30 frames per second.“This is really the first webcam in the Mx portfolio. So we already have the keyboards, mice, and we really want to bring the whole experience with the user creating. So we’re adding a new webcam to the portfolio, MX Brio,” said Andrea Silva, senior global marketing manager at Logitech, said in a press briefing. “And the goal here is to really continue helping advanced users to unleash their creative potential and achieve the peak performance.”Logitech found through a poll of 2,200 users that 40% of them worked from the office and 36% worked from home. This hybrid work status has caught on in our lives and you need high-quality video conferencing to make it work. The webcam excels in difficult lighting conditions, providing two times better face visibility and two times finer image details compared to the Brio 4K.Customization is a key feature of the MX Brio, allowing users to fine-tune their appearance by manually adjusting exposure, tint, vibrance, field of view, and more using Logi Options+, Logi Tune, and G HUB software. The Show Mode feature simplifies sharing physical objects on desks by tilting the webcam.For seamless communication, MX Brio incorporates two beamforming microphones to reduce background noise, ensuring clear audio transmission. It addresses privacy concerns with an integrated privacy shutter. The RightSight autoframing feature, enabled through Logi Tune for enterprise customers with MX Brio 705, detects and centers on the speaker even as they move around during virtual meetings. It adapts the image based on the light in the room, Silva said.In the business-oriented MX Brio 705, a plug-and-play enterprise model, IT teams can outfit employee workstations and home offices easily. It is compatible with major video conferencing platforms, certified for Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom, and works seamlessly with Chromebook. IT administrators can conveniently manage firmware updates and troubleshoot issues for their hybrid teams through the web-based device management platform, Logitech Sync.Emphasizing sustainability, MX Brio aligns with Logitech’s commitment to environmental responsibility. The webcam is certified carbon neutral, and its plastic parts include certified post-consumer recycled plastic, giving a second life to end-of-use plastic from old consumer electronics.“Sustainability is something we have close to heart our hearts and is something we are promoting as well,” said Lars Lauridsen, principle product manager at Logitech, in a press briefing. “It’s made in a process with low-carbon aluminum. That reduces the CO2 footprint a lot.”The MX Brio is available in graphite and pale gray color options, and it can be purchased starting March 2024 on www.logitech.com and through global retailers. The recommended retail price is $200 in North America and €229 in Europe. The MX Brio 705, available in graphite, is priced at $200 and can be ordered through authorized resellers. VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.Enjoy access to special events, private newsletters and more.© 2024 VentureBeat. All rights reserved.

Logitech unveils MX Brio AI-enhanced webcams for work and streaming. The MX Brio has an advanced webcam sensor with a 70% larger pixel size compared to its predecessor, the Brio 4K, resulting in an ultra-sharp image.

VentureBeat

Logitech unveils MX Brio AI-enhanced webcams for work and streaming

Sign upSign inSign upSign inJohan Liedgren, Founder of The Liminal Circle.FollowUX Collective--ListenSharePerhaps all living things in their endeavors innately seek some form of growth. But traditional business metrics have run dry, and faced with the glaring un-sustainability of continued linear growth that commercial models demand, the largest of corporate players are still just pumping more of the same old transactional water through the aquarium until the fish die. Liminality offers a bolder perspective on growth: depth and complexity as a new species of value creation. One that is, by its very definition, much more interesting.Today, the transactional nature of large businesses define and drive our measurement of growth. More revenue, more volume, more profits or more customers etc. It is the scalable efficiency of user interactions that fuel the corporate machine. This assumes predictability, ubiquity and uniformity: the opposite of what we need to feel alive. And the opposite of liminality.A liminal framework would instead — akin to the work of an artist — look at the ordinary to find the sublime: to seize the opportunity of the transaction to find something meaningful, and in doing so, fundamentally change the nature of the commercial relationship. This would create a safe liminal space in-between the product and the user where they are free to explore without practical day-to-day consequences. In this sense, these are fictional spaces, beckoning us to explore not just what is (transactional), but what might be (liminal). But, we only invest time and attention in such explorations when they promise something existentially meaningful.From transaction to experienceThe liminalist would ask: what explorations in a particular commercial context could promise something truly meaningful that we cannot have in the ordinary — yet also reward someone with new and surprising real world insights? It’s a familiar dilemma and paradox: Aristotle suggested (Poetics, sec. 1452a) that all great stories need to be both inevitable and surprising, at the same time. Liminality is born out of these paradoxes, forcing us to look at the old in new ways.The new value building asset on the liminal balance sheet is the continual promise of deep and meaningful surprise; the opposite of predictable transactions. And because all meaningful experiences need to be both relevant and surprising, at the same time — what better place to start than the inevitability of every-day transactions.No, not all transactions need to be deep experiences. But more of them absolutely do — and most can be if we approach the problem right. Liminal design is an additional path to growth as it deepens and enriches the relationship with the user (more on that below). And yes, sustainability is an important and crucial effort, so much in fact that our very existence depends on it. But as most sustainability work focuses on reducing the impact of the current consumption pattern and status quo: it’s work for brilliant engineers, not for poets and visionaries. Liminality requires disruption and novelty.This is not a branding exerciseBut it is worth noting that liminal design is never a detached experience from the transactional product: without this paradox (both inevitable and surprising!) it would be a stand-alone, cheap, on-demand Disneyland thrill and lack the grounded power to deliver deeper experiences. Liminal Design is always born out of the day-to-day inevitability of reality and its creative ability to suggest a new perspective that elevates the transaction to meaningful experience.This is not a branding exercise, nor a well-meaning experiment — or big oil funding a show at Tate Modern. The liminal experience demands to be woven into the very fabric of the actual product. To do this, we have to dig deep for meaning and purpose in the existing business and design user experiences that reach well beyond the predictable: this is liminal design.From consumption to deeper dialogueThe move from transactional to liminal also fundamentally changes the relationship with users from consumption to a transformative dialogue and interplay. Since deep and meaningful surprise cannot be mechanically repeated — all living things stop responding to repetition — it’s the dynamic and evolving nature of the interaction that carries long term value. How does the user evolve with use? And how does the product evolve with use?Many product experiences adapt to our personal use, both physical and digital. Whether this change is meaningful from a liminal perspective depends on how the change fits our narrative. Good hiking boots don’t “fail” by looking less new, they succeed by being broken in and showing signs of exploration. A digital experience might use your history to curate more interesting questions based on earlier explorations. And a place of worship, perhaps not changing at all for decades, might promise such a large narrative hinting at the sublime that visits instead force focus on the questions that we bring and how change can happen in us.One experience and insight should always lead to the promise of a more interesting one to come next. We earn this, it is not simply supplied. And by their very nature, deep insights are personal. The more interesting the interaction with the product, the more valuable it will be as an asset. And the more interesting the user, the more interesting the dialogue — and consequently, the value that the product promises. It is not more of the same that drives liminal growth, it is the ability to create meaningful depth and novel surprise.Good questions trump correct answersWe should ask how searching with Google can yield more than simple answers or “search suggestions”, rather, how might an inquiry lead to new bold explorations and new and more interesting questions around the same topic? How might Amazon, in its delivery of boxes, conjure the same anticipation we felt as children waiting for a toy we had been saving up for over the summer — and in doing so shift the focus away from instant gratification that can only be satiated by more, faster? Or, how might Zoom turn video conferencing from an unfocused clutter of corporate isolation to a tool for deep, focused and meaningful conversations that bring social connection and a reduction in business travel? For liminal design, the great question always trumps the correct answer. And how fitting here, to focus on surprise where transactions reign.A design process for liminal experiences with many concrete examples is discussed in earlier articles of this liminal article series — with enthusiastic detail. The above example of Zoom is covered in “Liminality and Remote Presence.” “Liminal Design and the Corporate Sublime” looks at finding the profound in ordinary products, and the peculiar opportunities afforded AI are discussed in “On AI as fiction.” And for an overview on liminality, “How to Kiss a Cannibal” and the academic paper Liminal Design, a three step approach… (Liedgren, et al 2023) provide both theoretical frameworks and tools for product development and designers.The suggestion here is that a liminal approach to growth and product design will envision new ways to create value that shifts the linear growth trajectory towards a cycle that contributes to and benefits from dynamic depth and complexity. If the necessary existential questions seem too far removed from the tasks of business, perhaps it helps to see a liminal economy as a surprising inevitability in the evolution from commodities to goods, and then further from goods to services — and then the “Welcome to the Experience economy” (Pine and Gilmore, 1998) that led to the now established transformational economy. Liminality is up next and applies more broadly. If anything is holding it back it’s not the lack of answers, but our ability to envision more interesting questions.Johan LiedgrenFounder of the international think tank The Liminal Circle. Award-winning film-director, writer and consultant working with media and technology companies on liminal design strategy, narrative and product development. https://www.liminalcircle.com / http://www.liedgren.com----UX CollectiveAward-winning film-director, writer and story consultant working with media and technology companies on narrative strategy. http://www.liedgren.comHelpStatusAboutCareersBlogPrivacyTermsText to speechTeams

Welcome to the Liminal Economy: from more volume to more interesting. Liminal Design is always born out of the day-to-day inevitability of reality and its creative ability to suggest a new perspective that elevates the transaction to meaningful experience