News

Wave Bike Is On A Mission To Improve Beirut Commuting

The Dutch-Lebanese startup offers a pioneering e-bike service that aims to reduce traffic congestion in Lebanon’s busy capital.

Published

3 years ago

October 16, 2023

Nour Nasir

Wave Bike

Beirut — and Lebanon in general — is a place where cyclists are a comparatively rare site. Dutch entrepreneur Jan Willem de Coo, along with his all-Lebanese team at Wave Bike, aims to change that and, in the process, transform the daily commute for Lebanese workers.

“Cycling is one of the healthiest, most environmentally friendly, and financially accessible modes of city commuting. It is 18 times less polluting than driving a car and offers freedom of movement, reduces stress, and fulfills the daily physical activity required to live a healthy lifestyle,” explains Joyce Hamadeh, head of communications at Wave Bike.

Wave Bike was launched back in 2021, with a $250,000 investment helping the startup tackle Lebanon’s unique traffic dynamics, road systems, and geographic challenges. Now in full operation, Wave Bike’s fleet of 325 bicycles can be hired for as little as $49 per month.

Wave Bike assembles new additions to its fleet using a team of Lebanese mechanics. The bikes are shipped in from Taiwan and are specced with broader tires to navigate poor road surfaces, along with narrow bars for better maneuverability. Meanwhile, electric motors assist communities on inclines, and a handy center stand makes parking straightforward.

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The bikes are offered on a subscription basis, which, according to Joyce Hamze, also includes safety gear: “Wave offers a monthly subscription, meaning every person will receive a bike of his/her own to keep until termination, and it includes maintenance, helmet, and theft insurance”.

Although Wave’s bikes use electric motors, the batteries consume little electricity. They’re also detachable, so can be recharged in a convenient location. Meanwhile, the company also offers an app that allows riders “the chance to discover the friendliest cycling routes while enjoying special features”, including routing, journey tracking, maintenance support, and access to Bike Functions.

News

Instagram Redraws Its Wordmark And The Internet Reads “Instagzam”

Instagram’s first wordmark refresh in a decade arrives with new fonts, a restrained gradient — and a Reddit verdict of sidegrade.

Published

4 days ago

August 14, 2026

Nour Nasir

Instagram

Although Instagram’s famous camera icon hasn’t changed, the company has refreshed the handwritten wordmark at the top of its app. This is the first redesign we’ve seen in ten years, and one the internet promptly set about renaming.

“The wordmark at the top of the app hasn’t changed in 10 years, so it was time for a refresh,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri wrote in a post on August 13, describing the new version as “cleaner and more modern” while keeping references to the original design.

Instagram says its team explored hundreds of options — all-caps lettering, camera-inspired concepts, even literal handwriting — before returning to script. “Script reflects individuality, so referencing that felt right,” Instagram director of product design Jasmine Probst said in Meta’s announcement. “The new wordmark is bolder and simpler, with touches of unexpectedness. It cues individual expression, a personal voice, both of which have always been core to Instagram”.

The wordmark is part of a broader brand overhaul: an updated Instagram Sans typeface, two new fonts — the hand-drawn Instagram Pen and Instagram Mono — plus refreshed motion and layouts, and more restrained use of the signature gradient. The wordmark is rolling out globally now, with the rest arriving throughout 2026 and beyond.

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The design mixes cursive and print lettering, some characters connected and others floating free. That hybrid approach, combined with unusually shaped “s” and “r” characters, led some users to conclude the logo actually reads “Instagzam”. On the r/logodesign subreddit, one user said the wordmark looked “fan-made,” like something built in Canva; another called it “an unsettling mix of manuscript and cursive”; a third summarized it as a “sidegrade” — or, inevitably, a “zidegrade”.

Not everyone was hostile to the new look. Some found the half-cursive design stylish and surprisingly readable, while others called it an improvement on its predecessor, and one commenter argued Instagram was simply adopting minimalist branding later than everyone else. Either way, the platform now has a refreshed identity, three updated fonts, and an unofficial new pronunciation.