SimplePixels
Ideas on design, technology, culture and more as assembled by Matthew Carlson, a web and graphic designer based in Columbus, Ohio.
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February 2008
February 28, 2008
The Big Word Project »
The Big Word Project is redefining words. You pick a word and link it to your website. Your website is then the new definition. Simple.
Clever idea. (via: Daring Fireball)
February 27, 2008
The Highly Extensible CSS Interface ~ The Series »
Cameron Moll:
Introducing “The Highly Extensible CSS Interface,” a four-part series of how-to’s and savvy conversation to be published in the coming weeks, with the first article debuting this week. The phrase “highly extensible” is in reference to designing and coding interfaces that are flexible enough to adapt in ways the designer or developer may not foresee when handing off coded templates, while still retaining the overall aesthetic integrity of the layout.
Looks to be an interesting series of articles covering topics from CSS selectors to jQuery, Ajax and extensibility.
Mobile OS X 1.1.4 for iPhone and iPod Touch Released »
“Bug fixes.” Hopefully this lays the foundation for third-party apps and the the SDK which is scheduled to be released this week.
PrintWiki »
A good primer for printing terms:
PrintWiki strives to provide a comprehensive, open-source knowledge base of information on the printing and graphic communication industry. Everyone can contribute and edit content — it is no one person or group’s site. The site is continually updated, expanded, and improved upon by people like you.
(via: Quipsologies)
February 25, 2008
Keep it Simple, Stupid »
Wired magazine profiles 37Signals.
February 21, 2008
Tip: Prevent iPhoto From Opening When You Plug in Your iPhone »
I’ve been annoyed by this as well. Great solution to the problem which doesn’t get in the way of preventing iPhoto from launching when you plug in your actual camera.
CSS Type Set »
A WYSIWYG editor for creating CSS styles. A good tool for those just learning CSS. (via: SimpleBits)
John Gruber: A Mix of the Technical, the Artful, the Thoughtful, and the Absurd »
Shawn Blanc is on fire lately — excellent in-depth reviews, and now a great interview with John Gruber of Daring Fireball fame.
February 20, 2008
Ironic Sans: A New Typograpy Term »
keming. noun. The result of improper kerning.
February 19, 2008
Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far »
Stefan Sagmeister about the site:
What have you learned in your life so far? What is it that you are fairly sure about? What is it that you believe in by now?
Please do write it down beautifully. Design it digitally, photograph it, draw it, scan it and upload it. Use any media that works for you, paint, sculpture, film….
(via: Design Observer)
February 18, 2008
100% Graphic Design »
Seems just about right to me, but I would probably increase the “knowing when to stop” percentage. (via: Quip)
February 14, 2008
Love in a Backward World »
A little something for Valentine’s day, EVOL, a short film by Chris Vincze:
(via: VSL)
A Brief Message: Take Hearts to Heart »
Esther K. Smith:
Remember trying to draw a heart when you were little and it came out crooked? Then you learned to fold paper and cut one out — symmetry. Perfection.
February 12, 2008
How Google Got Its Colorful Logo »
Sonia Zjawinski for Wired:
In just a few short years, Google’s logo has become as recognizable as Nike’s swoosh and NBC’s peacock. Ruth Kedar, the graphic designer who developed the now-famous logo, shows the iterations that led to the instantly recognizable primary colors and Catull typeface that define the Google brand.
Let's Get Fresh Columbus
A call to the Columbus, Ohio web design community to start Refreshing.
When I came across the Refresh group back in August, I was surprised to see that a Columbus, Ohio chapter wasn’t formed yet. So I registered the domain. Six months later and I finally launched a (basic) Refresh Columbus website and am ready to get the group going.
Refresh is a community of designers and developers working to refresh the creative, technical, and professional culture of New Media endeavors in their areas. Promoting design, technology, usability, and standards.
If you’re in the Columbus, Ohio area and have a passion for web design and want to talk with like-minded people to share ideas, web design techniques and processes — and probably a couple drinks — drop me a note and let me know you’re interested.
Three Smart Things You Should Know About Leap Years »
3) International Atomic Time — kept by ultraprecise clocks — is gradually out-pacing astronomical time, which is determined by our planet’s rotation. (Earth’s spin is slowing — what a drag.)
Bezel HUD Style Plugin for Quicksilver »
A beautiful Quicksilver theme by Julius Eckert. (via: hicksdesign)
A Six-Word Motto for the U.S.? »
My submission: “Batteries not included. Some assembly required.”
February 11, 2008
10 Insights From 11 Months of Working at Google »
Avinash Kaushik, an Analytics Evangelist at Google lists out his insights from a year working with the company as a consultant:
10: The amazingly fantastic food and impressive digs.
9: “Micro Efficiencies”.
8: A company that truly cares.
7: Brain expansion opportunities.
6: The sheer amount of brilliant Google employees.
5: Empowerment (The big small company).
4: The scale of your impact.
3: Doing Good: Green & .org
2: It’s a happening place. The energy, the vibe, the passion.
1: The brand.
Avinash goes into greater detail on each of these in his post and it’s well worth a read.
Stacks Freezing in Leopard 10.5.2 »
If you’re having problems (as I am) with your stacks freezing since updating to 10.5.2, Linotype FontExplorer X is the likely culprit. Stacks will work in list mode, but any other mode causes the Dock to freeze. I don’t know if this is a Leopard problem or FontExplorer X problem, but I hope an update that resolves the issue is released quickly. Turning FontExplorer off isn’t really an option.
UPDATE: There’s an update already available from Linotype for FontExplorer X that fixes the problem. Nice response.
Leopard 10.5.2 Update Available »
Fixes include:
- Improves Airport connection reliability and stability.
- Adds support for more third-party routers with Back to My Mac.
- Updates Stacks with a List view option, a Folder view option, and an updated background for Grid view.
- Adds a menu bar option for accessing Time Machine features.
- Many Mail fixes.
February 6, 2008
Welcome to Microsoft »
Translation From PR-speak to English of Selected Portions of Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang’s Company-Wide Memo Regarding the Microsoft Takeover Bid, by John Gruber.
xPattern »
xPattern is an open source fork based upon the 4.0 branch of Textpattern. It’s early in the development so it’s hard to get a sense for what all they have in mind, but a redesigned administration interface (long needed) and rolling some of the commonly used plugins into the main feature set seem to be top of the list. (via: Cameron Hunt)
Another Reason Palm is Dead »
Khoi Vin on the absurdity of Palm’s instructions on how to zero out your Treo’s memory:
Were I still a Treo user who for some reason needed to perform this kind of reset, I’d take two things away from these instructions. First, Palm apparently thinks that the crushing loneliness of being a single person disqualifies me from making sound judgments about zeroing out my device — unless I can hold the stylus in my mouth. And second, I should be in the market for an iPhone.
SuperDuper! 2.5 »
Now fully compatible with Leopard. This is a “must have” utility for any Mac owner and complements Time Machine beautifully.
February 5, 2008
Sleeveface: Album Covers Imitating Life »
Or is it life imitating album covers?
Sleeveface:
One or more persons obscuring or augmenting any part of their body or bodies with record sleeve(s) causing an illusion.
(via: Design Observer)
New 16GB iPhone Available »
The 16GB model runs $499, the 8GB is still $399. There’s also a new 32GB iPod touch that sells for $499, which means we’ll probably see a 32GB iPhone by the end of the year as well.
February 4, 2008
Textpattern 4.0.6 Released »
Updates include six security issues as well as a couple new tags and tag revisions. <txp:custom_article> now accepts comma-separated lists for category and section attributes.
February 3, 2008
Google Responds to Microsoft's Bid on Yahoo! »
Google is trying to turn Microsoft’s takeover bid of Yahoo! into something more than a business acquisition, something that is a harbinger for the future of the internet. And perhaps it is.
David Drummond, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer for Google:
The openness of the Internet is what made Google — and Yahoo! — possible. A good idea that users find useful spreads quickly. Businesses can be created around the idea. Users benefit from constant innovation. It’s what makes the Internet such an exciting place.
So Microsoft’s hostile bid for Yahoo! raises troubling questions. This is about more than simply a financial transaction, one company taking over another. It’s about preserving the underlying principles of the Internet: openness and innovation.
Could it be that this is also a chance for Microsoft to do something good though? Couldn’t they buy Yahoo!, but leave them relatively independent to continue to do good things and leverage Yahoo! as a way to inject some good mojo into their own overbearing brand?
I really think there’s a larger opportunity here for Microsoft other than eating another competitor. Do I think it would happen? Hell no. Yet, what if…
A Book Review
From the book jacket:
Every new project (or job, or hobby, or company) starts out exciting and fun, until it hits a low point: really hard, and not much fun at all.
And then you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle.
Maybe you’re in a Dip—a temporary setback that you will overcome if you keep pushing. But maybe it’s really a Cul-de-Sac, which will never get better, no matter how hard you try.
Seth Godin’s goal with this book is to help you determine the Dips from the Cul-de-Sacs. His main point boils down to if you’re not going to be the best in the world at something, then it’s not worth doing. Move on. I tend to think it’s not so much that you actually will be the best in the world, but you have to believe you will be.
It’s a quick read and a little superficial at only 80 pages, but relatively enjoyable nonetheless. Kind of like a sitcom, but with a point.
What the FAQ? »
You have to wonder what the meeting was like when they came to the realization they had to post a “how-to” on opening the box. (via: Shaun Inman)
February 1, 2008
Microsoft Bids $45 Billion for Yahoo! »
In an unsolicited bid on Yahoo!, Microsoft has renewed it’s year-old effort to take over the company. And in the wake of recent layoff announcements and a 62% premium on the share price, I imagine Yahoo! will be more receptive to have a sit down.
I can’t say I’m excited about the prospect of a Microhoo!, but increased competition on Google isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Yet, I wonder what effect this would have on all the much loved Yahoo! properties like Flickr?
Last 5 Articles
- Looking for Delicious.com Users 09/02/08
- Let's Get Fresh Columbus 02/12/08
- Feed Updates 01/19/08
- Macworld Deflated 01/15/08
- Macworld Predictions & Live Coverage Roundup 01/14/08