The AppsLab

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.

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 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… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More

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.… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More

Awesome. Privacy and the Internet

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.… Read More

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… Read More

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… Read More

This isn’t the most interesting man in the world’s phone, although since his beer is watery and dull, it might be. It’s the Nokia  1100, and it has sold 250 million units worldwide. The Most Popular Phone in the World This is a fascinating read because it reveals the differences in worldwide markets, the challenges… Read More

Right, wrong, indifferent, Steve Jobs is an interesting person. This audio recording from Apple’s Q4 earnings call yesterday is no exception. Listen To Steve Jobs Rip Into Android And The Upcoming Tablet Competition [Audio] Interesting to me is the definition of “open” he uses, which makes sense if you’re Apple. Obviously, Google defines “open” as… Read More