Archive for October, 2010:
Friday Tidbits
Man Dies from Caffeine Overdose You read that right. Poor guy was seen “profusely sweating and throwing up blood” shortly before he died of the overdose of pure caffeine. Apparently, the pack of caffeine suggested taking no more than 1/16 of a teaspoon, but Bedford reportedly took spoonfuls of the stuff . . . . [...]
Great Design vs. Usability
Yes, Paul (@ppedrazzi) has a blog of sorts at paulpedrazzi.com, and yes, it’s worth following. Paul Pedrazzi — Caring Shows This post about Ligature, Loop & Stem‘s (@ligloopstem) sweet typography poster led me to their site to check out the fuss. I learned a few things. First, the poster is very cool. Second, as I [...]
Data, Art and Design, Squee!
Big thanks to Joonas (@kottarainen) for pointing me to this gem. 16 Astounding Experiments in Data-Driven Art [Slideshow] | Co.Design It’s a whole bunch of stuff I like rolled into one, data pr0n and design as art. If I were much younger, I think the data visualization niche would have to be my chosen path.
I’m Spreading Seth’s Ideas Because . . .
He’s got an insightful collection of reasons why people share. Seth’s Blog: I spread your idea because… Maybe a list of use cases? If only I had a blueprint for creating ideas worth spreading . . . .
Aro Organizes Your Android Life
Aro looks pretty interesting, and obviously, as a fan of algorithms (especially those that intelligently mine your email), I’m intrigued. After 3 Years In Stealth And $20 Million Raised, Aro Mobile Shows Some Skin — Some Android Skin. And We Have Invites. TechCrunch has some invites, just fill out the survey for a shot at [...]
Writing a Blog Helps You Write Better
I know. Thank you Captain Obvious. Seriously though, like anything, writing gets easier and better with practice. So, if writing is a part of your job, you might want to start a blog. Take my job for instance. Development means a lot of writing, collecting requirements (the requirements document), describing what a product should do [...]
Find New WebCenter REST API Samples on OTN
Thanks to John Sim for pointing out the brand-spanking new WebCenter REST API samples recently deployed to OTN. They’re below the fold a bit. Check these out if you want to tinker with WebCenter’s activity stream and profile status. We hope to add some of our own code to this list. Stay tuned. Rich (@rmanalan) is [...]
Tips for Being a Good Designer from Aza Raskin
Paul (@ppedrazzi) pointed me at “So You Want to Be a Designer: Top 5 List” by Aza Raskin (@azaaza), who knows a thing or two about design. He is Firefox’s creative lead and led UX for Mozilla Labs prior to that. Aza’s points are all valid and apply to product managers too, whether they have overlapping [...]
Would You Pay Full Freight to Avoid a Carrier Contract?
Thinking about the Nexus One (and the Nexus Two rumor) and Google’s attempt to disrupt the carrier retail model, I wonder how fed up people are with carrier contracts. The hardware subsidy model lowers the sticker price by giving you a discount on the hardware price in exchange for an extended contract with the carrier. [...]
Nexus Two? Yes, Please.
I have Nexus One envy, despite having a sweet HTC EVO, which I got from Google at Google IO for the low-low price of free. So, this Nexus Two rumor got me all excited. Carphone Warehouse getting Nexus Two in time for holidays? — Engadget Mobile Why? First, the Nexus One is a great piece [...]
You Need to Use Social Services to Understand Them
Paul (@ppedrazzi) picked up this one too. Chris (@cdixon) is absolutely right, and in the early days of the ‘Lab, we preached this message time and time again. cdixon.org – chris dixon\’s blog / You need to use social services to understand them I especially like Chris’ point about the strength of ties: I’ve made [...]
Resistance to Android is Futile
Mobile is a two-horse race, regardless of what Microsoft, Nokia, BlackBerry and the rest say. The Android invasion cometh: is resistance futile? (h/t Slashdot) How long before Nokia and BlackBerry realize that Android is a better bet than in-house development? Tablets, set-top boxes, appliances, what can’t run Android? Right? Wrong? Good or bad for the [...]
Why Mozilla Needs to Pick a New Fight
Excellent idea. Why Mozilla needs to pick a new fight | PC Pro blog (h/t Slashdot) Paul (@ppedrazzi) one told me that every product should be put into permanent maintenance in its seventh year. Why? Because at some nexus point, supporting old features becomes too expensive and adding new ones creates too much bloat. Innovation just [...]
Are Games Getting Easier?
I’m not a gamer, but this caught my eye. Igniq.com : Are games getting easier? (h/t Slashdot) I experienced the satisfaction of finishing part of several games, e.g. Pac-Man, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out, and those took some serious investment, rolls and rolls of quarter. The reasons why games are trending toward easy seem pretty obvious to [...]
To VC or Not to VC
Reading a lot of TechCrunch and other tech news, I see a lot of venture capital announcements, new rounds, angels, exits, all that. Having worked at venture-funded startups back the internet-goldrush-bubble days, I’m familiar with that lifestyle, and yes, working at a startup is a lifestyle. Maybe it’s a function of age or risk-averseness, after [...]
Chrome Extensions for Web Types
It’s no secret we here at the ‘Lab love Google Chrome, and extensions make it even better, which is why the guys built a sweet WebCenter extension for Chrome. So, if you’re a web developer or designer or just plain dabbler, check out this list of extensions you probably want. 15 Google Chrome Extensions for [...]
Privacy and the Internet
Awesome. Privacy and the Internet
Design for Cheating, Not to Prevent It
A couple years ago, I couldn’t attend a meeting without answering the “what if someone posts porn” question. That one went away a long time ago, as people started using Facebook and Twitter and saw that online communities are, for the most part, respectful places where everyone gets along, keeping the greater good in mind. [...]
Twitter’s UX: Separate the Hits from the Geekhacks
Interesting take on Twitter’s UX from people who would know. Twitter’s UX: Separate the hits from the geekhacks – (37signals) By extension, this means URL shortening and attaching pictures should be more functional, which sounds agreeable until you get to the design. Facebook takes a literal approach to “what are you sharing?” by adding types [...]
Repercussions from Back to Mac
Yesterday’s Back to Mac event introduced the Mac Store, essentially the OS X version of the App Store. This and several other items signaled what many have expected for a while, i.e. that iOS was infiltrating OS X. Many are deconstructing the terms of the Mac Store, and several, including Mozilla’s Director of Firefox, Mike [...]
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