BERG, a former design consultancy and developer of odd and sometimes whimsical products demonstrating the potential of internet-connected physical objects, is going into hibernation. Co-founder Matt Webb says that BERG is wrapping up for this incarnation. Our partnerships and our services, theyre done. The only product Webb says hell keep alive is BERGs Little Printer, the adorable device the studio hoped would turn your morning feed of news and social network messages into a tiny custom newspaper. The Little Printer was one of the most visible manifestations of our desire to create permanent, tangible reminders of our digital existence — it was announced in 2011 around the same time as Printstagram, which printed your favorite Instagram pictures in a miniature photo album. The internet of things had also gained traction over the preceding few years, and BERG moved away from its original design consulting work to start making its own connected products, something Webb now says its not reached a sustainable business in. Before this shift, Webb also produced a comic with author Warren Ellis (who named the studio), including a special device that let readers scour the pages for clues added in invisible ink.
