June 2008
41 posts
“Windows seems to move an inch for every time that Mac OS X or Linux laps it.”
– Randall Stross
Automatically Adapting Websites to Users →
Researchers at MIT’s Sloan School of Management are testing a new system that would categorize a user’s browsing type, and adjust the content of a website to match.
The fundamental appeal of such a technology is easy to see, but I have reservations about the scope of the changes. If a user is determined to have an analytical mind-set, highlighting graphs or comparison tables would be...
Kage Roi: computer-enhanced brainstorming →
This “idea acceleration system” uses speech recognition to find images and information related to the topic discussed, and projects these onto the conference table. Free-association while brainstorming leads to a virtuous cycle, providing constant input on the topic at hand. Developed in Japan by Kayac and Keio University.
BUILDUP! →
Design your own tune out of construction-industry-inspired music loops. A growing city of buildings represent the fruits of user-generated submissions.
Listen to my own simple submission.
Developed for the Japan Federation of Construction Contractors. Creativity
“In this platform game, the winner is going to be the one that can attract the...”
– Om Malik, on the buyout and subsequent open-sourcing of Symbian by Nokia.
Just… wrong. The platform that will capture the mobile platform crown will be the one to attract the best developers and the most passionate (and numerous) users. The ability to ship on a billion phones at launch...
Disney's 10 Rules of Theme Park Design →
Know your audience
Don’t bore people, talk down to them or lose them by assuming that they know what you know.
Wear your guest’s shoes
Insist that designers, staff and your board members experience your facility as visitors as often as possible.
Organize the flow of people and ideas
Use good story telling techniques. Tell good stories not lectures.
Create a ‘come to me’ (the...
“Some critics will say Coca-Cola made a marketing mistake. Some cynics will say...”
– Donald Keough, former president of Coca-Cola, regarding the infamous “New Coke”. The article is a fascinating tale of the intersection of branding, consumer choice, patriotism, psychology, and warring marketers. Neatorama
“This is about the ad platform. This is not about just any one of the...”
– Steve Ballmer, in an otherwise awkward interview. Fake Steve Jobs
“Gizmos like the iPhone do not spring fully formed from [Steve] Jobs’...”
– Leander Kahney, Why Apple Will Be Just Fine Without Steve Jobs
Search Friendly Development talk - Google I/O →
Anyone who has ever had a question regarding SEO and how to address it should be required to watch this, regardless of discipline or seniority. The content from the slides should be permanently committed to memory.
Sketching in Code: the Magic of Prototyping →
Prototype/Innovate. Document. Start Over and rebuild properly.
“Sony didn’t think of themselves as a provider of an experience. They were a...”
– Frank Tyneski, director of IDSA, comparing Sony to Apple.
“By taking a whole engineering cycle to focus on enhancements and create...”
– Ken Aspeslagh, on the ‘feature-paused’ forthcoming Snow Leopard release of Mac OS X. John Gruber
“If Apple tried to “appleify” Facebook, GCal, Digg, the UMPC, the Tablet PC, the...”
– jalarmo, in response to an article that suggests Mobile Me is out of touch.
Apple's open secret: SproutCore is Cocoa for the... →
Social Networking sites experience ad revenue... →
People interacting on social networking sites are doing things: chatting, sharing, finding, flirting. I almost wrote ‘consumers’, but that fails here too. These people, whether casual commenters or friend-accumulating junkies, frequent these sites to perform specific tasks, with other real people. They are in the midst of an activity, not idly scanning for entertainment. The mindset is...
“[MySpace’s] redesign is intended to address a problem of social networking...”
– Brian Stelter
ShopText →
This new service helps brands and retailers easily use SMS codes to drive consumers to sample or shop straight from their mobile phones. Requests are sent straight to your fulfillment department/firm. Its pricing model is per-fulfillment, so it scales similarly to online media.
The only downside I see is that consumers need to register their information with ShopText, which both breaks the...
Green Branding: Why Originality Matters →
“We have failed to confront the reality that unfettered competition just...”
– Bob Crandall, former CEO of American Airlines, calling for re-regulation of the airline industry.
Drowning in e-mail & IM, tech companies seek to... →
Google opts to skip Flash intros →
monkey_bites
Climate Solutions: Charting a Bold Course →
Smart, comprehensive look at where we’ve been and how to get to energy independence. Written by Dennis Hayes, who headed solar energy research during the 70’s.
Mascara converts ECMAScript 4 into browser-ready... →
Stricter languages mean fewer unexpected or careless bugs. Ajaxian
TomTom navigation coming to iPhone 3G →
Update: Perhaps not without a special contract, as the SDK agreement currently bans such applications.
Study: Instant Messaging reduces workplace... →
The Eco Zoo →
A gorgeous, playful, and fast(!) 3D flash site that doesn’t use Papervision3D. Developed by Japanese wunderkind Roxik for McCann Erickson Japan. Luar
An Oral History of the Internet →
An excellent “history of the Internet in the words of the people who made it.”
Five downsides to OpenID →
Smart, and sobering. I still support OpenID, but there ought to be strong guidelines for usage, akin to Apple’s classic Human Interface Guidelines. Webmonkey
“The downside of attempting user-facing innovations is that they can be more...”
– Eric Blair
Yahoo! Design Stencils →
Includes UI elements, ad unit representations, and even iPhone-specific stencils.
oEmbed →
“An open standard for embedded content” which merely requires a URL. Certainly a step in the right direction for those who can’t or won’t work with raw HTML. Webmonkey