An upcoming virtual “kernference” for type lovers. A new book collects photos of hand-painted signs from around L.A. A typeface based on London Underground arrival boards. Custom-printed car air fresheners. Apollo is said to be the “iPhone of robots.” A mechanical canary that keels over when the air quality is poor and pops back up when it has improved. A giant bull travels by sedan. A history of the Mellotron. “Subway in the Sky” offers blimp rides for Subway patrons. All that and more in WhatTheyThink’s weekly miscellany.
The Mellotron, an electronic keyboard of recorded samples, heralded the digital age, and its use in “Strawberry Fields Forever” changed pop music history.