Five ¢ents

Google: Making AJAX Applications Crawlable

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:42:00 -0500

Google: Making AJAX Applications Crawlable:

A new proposal from Mountain View, which seeks to ‘help’ SWFAddress-ed AJAX sites get searched.

This band-aid would require much the same labor as a properly built, progressively enhanced site, without the benefits to programmer sanity and code-cleanliness.

(The suggestion of using a server-side headless browser like HtmlUnit as a proxy was very clever, though.)

YouTube to kill IE6 support on March 13

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:44:00 -0500

YouTube to kill IE6 support on March 13:

It’s as though we’ve been waiting for a sleeping giant to roll over, and thus smite our enemies.

"Testing informs designers, it doesn’t magically produce judgement."

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:52:50 -0500

“Testing informs designers, it doesn’t magically produce judgement.”

- Kontra Nathan Bowers

A History of Computing, According to Crockford

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:11:00 -0500

A History of Computing, According to Crockford:

Yahoo’s JavaScript architect Douglas Crockford has been participating in a five-event lecture series, entitled ‘Crockford on JavaScript.’ Opinionated and engaging, he aims to present an in-depth survey of the world’s most popular programming language.

This first installment illuminates the history of computing, including how this future-forward field has accumulated such detritus.

Perhaps my favorite takeaway comes from one of his first slides:

The people who should be the first to recognize the value of an innovation are often the last.

Watch and learn.

"[With the iPad], it’s not like I sit there and feel the same way I did with iPhone where I say, ‘Oh..."

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:02:59 -0500

“[With the iPad], it’s not like I sit there and feel the same way I did with iPhone where I say, ‘Oh my God, Microsoft didn’t aim high enough.’”

- Microsoft founder Bill Gates AppleInsider

Augmented (hyper)Reality: an AR overdose. William Gibson

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:55:00 -0500

Augmented (hyper)Reality: an AR overdose. William Gibson

"With a few million businesses and a few billion consumers on the Web, rumor has it there are some..."

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:40:11 -0500

“With a few million businesses and a few billion consumers on the Web, rumor has it there are some interesting opportunities to be had.”

- Former Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz, after tweeting his resignation

Removing Features

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:27:03 -0500

Removing Features:

It’s the right thing to do.

Tips for Better Ideas A sidenote: when you finally do worry...

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:21:16 -0500

Tips for Better Ideas

A sidenote: when you finally do worry about execution, fret a lot.

David Murphy

Can’t Catch Me

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:03:16 -0500

Can’t Catch Me:

Daniel Jalkut (indie Mac developer) explains that for interfaces, the web is simply playing catch-up to native applications, and likely always will be.

"The strengths of Japanese companies like Sony were suited to the analog era. Back then, it was all..."

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:47:53 -0500

“The strengths of Japanese companies like Sony were suited to the analog era. Back then, it was all about building the best product. But in a digital era, it’s all about the network effect — it’s not as important to consumers that any individual product is superior, so much as that all of your different products work well together.”

- N’Gai Croal Core77

A Theater Director on Design

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:23:10 -0500

A Theater Director on Design:

Marcus Geduld’s essay holds truths relevant to anyone who seeks to create an emotional resonance with their work. His advice is especially appropriate to multi-disciplinary work, like websites, advertising, or software.

Reduced to a few points:

Stay true to the ‘spine’ (core metaphor) of your vision
Eliminate redundancy, ruthlessly (with exceptions)
Don’t over-tell: Divide & Conquer across media and methods
Simplify

Core77

Multiverse, by Leo Villareal LittleMonsta

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:59:15 -0500

Multiverse, by Leo Villareal LittleMonsta

"Apps are not Applications—they are their own things. They are smaller. They are more fun. Apps are..."

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:26:24 -0500

“Apps are not Applications—they are their own things. They are smaller. They are more fun. Apps are treats atop your technological sundae.”

- Guy English Michael Watson

Unwrap a MINI Cooper Clever out-of-home ads by Ubachswisbrun...

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:52:56 -0500

Unwrap a MINI Cooper

Clever out-of-home ads by Ubachswisbrun JWT in the Netherlands. Core77

"The extent to which you have a design style is the extent to which you have not solved the design..."

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 12:04:23 -0500

“The extent to which you have a design style is the extent to which you have not solved the design problem.”

- Charles Eames

The Experience Imperative

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:07:10 -0500

The Experience Imperative:

Ken Fry’s manifesto for industrial designers rings true for physical and interactive designers of all stripes…

…except for his call to “[label] yourself an experience designer.” As lovely as the title is, it doesn’t mean much. Improve your work, not your title.

Inside the Nokia N900 Hackerbox To promote ‘hacking’ on...

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:15:16 -0500

Inside the Nokia N900 Hackerbox

To promote ‘hacking’ on Nokia’s open Linux-based N900 device, they commissioned a high-tech puzzle box. The mysterious, shiny black box could only be opened through a USB connection.

After entering the secret phrase, the box automatically opens, and smoke (!) pours out. Inside, eager developers find an N900, plus other geeky goodies. Footage of the demo starts at 1:42.

That’s how you develop a promo leave-behind.

Get your hands dirty: a poster by Roland Reiner Tiangco Curved...

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:29:00 -0500

Get your hands dirty: a poster by Roland Reiner Tiangco Curved White

"No one promised us tomorrow."

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:17:17 -0500

“No one promised us tomorrow.”

- Hawaiian Proverb Tim O’Reilly