Interesting read [http://www.subtraction.com/2012/06/19/built-to-not-last] — and follow up [http://www.subtraction.com/2012/06/20/follow-up-to-built-to-not-last] — from Khoi Vinh. I agree completely. The two concepts at play here are planned and perceived obsolescence. The former is defined as creating items that are designed to malfunction after a certain period of time, forcing the consumer to make another purchase. The second is the idea that the producer will create new models or options…
Josh Bryant posted a couple [http://d.pr/n/I7Wt/91DPmWQz] of pieces [http://d.pr/n/SKqf/3TEVhP2o] outlining his concerns about the problems presented by the new Retina Macbook Pro. His concerns are well founded, especially for interface designers. The main question that has to be answered, in Josh's words: > So, how do you go about designing 1x resources on a 2x screen? He gives a few options, none of which he's happy with. The web community is still trying to find the best methods to deliver r…
After my post on Pocket [https://chrisbowler.com/journal/content-everywhere] as a save-anything-for-later bucket, a distinction is needed. I received a few questions about whether Pocket would replace Gimme Bar for me. The answer: an emphatic no. Pocket is to save for later, Gimme Bar is to save forever. Forever being a relative term aside, I see Gimme Bar as my permanent archive location for things on the web. It has been designed and developed with this purpose in mind (as described in Orbita…
This week's news of the launch of Pocket [http://getpocket.com/] — a compelling rebrand and slight change-of-focus of Read It Later — caught my attention. Like all the recent chatter on Instapaper and Readability, Pocket touches on a subject dear to my heart. It's not surprising that these tools generate a lot of opinion and discussion — services like Pocket give us more control and access to the content we consume and share via the Internet. And we care about that content. Regarding Pocket, th…
All the recent hubbub around Readability is fascinating. And exciting. So [http://daringfireball.net/linked/2012/03/30/readability] many [http://daringfireball.net/linked/2012/04/02/davidsonability] insanely [http://dashes.com/anil/2012/04/readability-instapaper-the-network-and-the-price-we-pay.html] talented [http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/archive/2012/04/what-the-betamax-case-teaches-us-about-readability] folks [http://brooksreview.net/2012/03/explanations/] are chiming in on this dis…
Although this is not new news for anyone, I've been reminded of the importance of touch when working on iOS. I'm not of the mind that one should go out of the way to create or work on an iPad. It's possible, but much less frictionless [https://chrisbowler.com/journal/marco-arment-on-ipad-productivity] than working on my Macbook. Still there are certain activities I prefer the iPad for. A weekly review is one, partially due to the complete embracing of the platform that the folks at OmniGroup […
Marco Arment opines that Curator's Code [http://www.curatorscode.org/] is solving the wrong problem. I'm a fan of Maria Popova and confident that she's put a lot more thought into this subject than I have, so I'm hesitant to add any of my own criticism to Marco's. Giving credit where it's due is a good thing. I applaud those [http://52tiger.net/attribution-on-the-web/] who make an effort to point people to those who are good at finding interesting things to read. And I agree with Popova'…
In a piece titled Why French Parents are Superior [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204740904577196931457473816.html] , Pamela Druckerman surmises that the French have some inside knowledge that results in better behaved children and happier, more relaxed parents. I read the posts weeks ago and wanted to share it, but overall, found it too troublesome and frustrating. It’s not link bait, but the title itself is misleading. I’d suggest that the author has some good observations, but…