December 2007
84 posts
From Melrose Place to CafeMom | Businessweek Video... →
ON: The Top 10 Viral Campaigns of 2007 →
The internet has revolutionized a plethora of pastimes: the way people
communicate, find dates, commit crimes, you name it.
But the business of selling stuff and of building brands continues to see
one of the most radical transformations. At the cutting edge is the viral campaign; the short video clip, game, widget or ad that is so
compelling much of an advertiser’s work is done for them when...
WatchThis kid is unbelievable! Guitar Hero III Poster Boy | Video, Random : Just Jared
Math nerd explains Google's top searches [Paul... →
Very special correspondent Paul Boutin went on NPR this morning to talk about Google’s year-end Zeitgeist list of top searches. Sure, he takes style tips from Bono these days, but I knew the guy when he was a major nerd (see picture). And in this episode, he reverted to form, invoking the “first-order derivative” in the first minute. Way to go, man!
psyched for 2nd ave deli dinner
Mixx Democratizes Categories: Something Digg... →
In late November I wrote that Digg is still the best online social news voting site online, but upstart Mixx is trying very hard to change this.
Mixx has added groups to their social voting service. The new feature allows for the creation of public groups based on topic area, allowing for free and open categorization of news. For example Mixx users could start a Ron Paul group that only tracks...
10 great Web site designs/redesigns of 2007 →
These are some of our favorite new designs, and redesigns from 2007. We don’t often blog about outstanding design as much function at Webware, but it’s a very important aspect of how we interact with Webware, and what people see when they first come to a site. All of these sites were either new in 2007, or received major redesigns.
Twitter
Twitter, which has really taken off this...
How to Tell if a User is Logged In to Netflix →
Even wonder if the sites you log into on a regular basis might inadvertently let any of that information leak? If you want to see a very real, interactive example of just how prevalent this might be, just check-out JavaScript guru Kent Brewster’s series on “How to Tell if a User is Logged In to X”, where “X” is one of the leading online services millions of us use every day. Last week the “X” was...
The Great Browser JavaScript Showdown →
In The Day Performance Didn’t Matter Any More, I found that the performance of JavaScript improved a hundredfold between 1996 and 2006. If Web 2.0 is built on a backbone of JavaScript, it’s largely possible only because of those crucial Moore’s Law performance improvements.
But have we hit a performance wall? Is it possible for browsers to run JavaScript significantly faster...
Why I pay PR people millions and millions «... →
Sad but true…
Design Bookmarklet →
awesome bookmarklet
Vote CafeMom - Open Web Awards Third Set of... →
The Fold is An Unnecessary Design Limitation →
If you’re a Web designer or IA, you’ve probably heard the following statements many times: “Make sure everything is located above the fold.” “If it’s below the fold, users won’t see it.” “Users won’t scroll to view additional content.” What exactly is this mythical “fold” anyway? It’s basically an invisible line on a Web page based on where the bottom of the browser likely will be within a given...
“The Victorian freak show never went away,” Millman rails in a soliloquy that...”
– Part of the rant from the Extras Holiday Special Ricky Gervais - TV - New York Times
9 Essential Principles for Good Web Design →
Web design can be deceptively difficult. Getting a design that is both usable and pleasing, delivers information and builds brand, is technically sound and visually coherent…
Add to this, the fact that many web designers (myself included) are self taught, that web design is still novel enough to be only a side subject in many design institutions and that the medium changes as frequently as the...
People-Driven Design →
Google recently launched some social functionality over the weekend. Chris Brogan has this to say about it:
“Google slipped a social network into Reader last night while I was
sleeping. It’s simple, and unobtrusive, and gently prompts me to add
more info, if I want. It’s about sharing your news- for now. But there
it is. There’s Google’s simple, easy, I’m -destined-to-use-it...
Flash + Google Maps - Official Rolex Website →
An awesome implementation of google maps inside of flash.
Building a platform (and thinking about... →
At the end of November, I flew out to give a speech to 350 Google folks. They had invited me to join a panel on the best way to for Google to work with partners. My riff (I only had about 8 minutes… gotta hate panels) was to point out that AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo and others before them had had the same challenges in building an environment that attracted partners and media companies. (I had...
Building a platform (and thinking about... →
TUAW Tip: Turn your iPhone into a digital picture... →
ORK Posters! ...neighborhood posters →
Very cool poster of Manhattan
WatchGoodie Bag :: Trajan is the Movie Font
Facebook's generational challenge →
Most Promising for Web 2008: Open Source Movement →
Google Announces Knol, An Author Driven Knowledge... →
QLPlugins - Quick Look Plugins →
Some awesome plugins for QuickLook in Leopard.
What 6 Year Olds Want for Christmas These Days |... →
Looks like I have 6-year old taste
Our Dumb World Map from The Onion →
Just a little Friday note to highlight one of the most fun map mashups to date, the The Onion’s Our Dumb World map (our profile here). As they describe “Click on the Onion pins scattered around the globe to reveal mind-expanding factoids about the lesser, conquerable nations of the Earth. Come back each week to learn more about how little you know.” You can also download this as a Google Earth KML...
Vote CafeMom
Open Web Awards - Vote for Your Favorite Niche Social Network
LeWeb3 Conference Report →
David Lenehan was at LeWeb3 in Paris, on behalf of Read/WriteWeb. Here is his overview.
The LeWeb3
Conference kicked off yesterday morning in Paris and has just finished up
this evening. Our host Loic Le Meur of
Seesmic opened the
event with much fanfare, flashing lights and European techno music. He
acknowledged the criticisms of last years event, and promised that they learned from the feedback...
[Screens Around Town] Sequoia, 1-800-GOT-JUNK, and... →
Sequoia Sequoia, the guys who funded Apple, Google, and YouTube, have a no-frills site. It stands out from the typical flashy, fancy, or salesy VC firm site. 1-800-GOT-JUNK
Vincent Hubert writes: Have a look at the bottom of the page here: 1-800-GOT-JUNK You want to have a clue on how much clutter you have? Just click on the truck ratio, and you will see the amount of junk it represents. ...
“Pregnant women do not tip over, and researchers say an evolutionary curve has a...”
– - This article is awesome! Why Pregnant Women Don’t Tip Over - New York Times
WatchThis is awesome. The Escapist : Zero Punctuation: Guitar Hero III
Ugh, the post office…
Mahalo Goes Social →
New wiki-based search engine Mahalo is launching social networking features today at the LeWeb3 conference in Paris.
Mahalo is a search engine that focuses on user link submissions and an editorial process to theoretically produce better search results than algorithm-only engines like Google. It first launched in May 2007.
The company already pays users for quality submissions. Today, they are...
Twitter As a Conduit For Fiction? →
Last week we ran a story on figures out of Japan where half of the top ten selling works of fiction are written on mobile phones; people (not surprisingly) thought this was rather odd, but sales figures don’t lie. A new project founded by The Podcast Network CEO Cameron Reilly, Twittories, is aiming to see whether Twitter can be use to create fiction. To quote Cameron on the idea: My wife and I...
Foods to Counteract Your Moods [Food] →
Men’s Health lists six snacks to munch on that can give you a chemical attitude adjustment, according to Dr. Elizabeth Somer, author of a book called Food & Mood. For example:
Your Mood: Restless You need some serious shut-eye before the big day. Your Meal: Nonfat popcorn half an hour before you go to bed Here’s Why: The carbs will induce your body to create serotonin, a...
“NBC Universal is taking the unusual step of giving advertisers cash back for...”
– Thinking this is good news for the future of online advertising… NBC Gives Money Back to Advertisers - WSJ.com
CommandShift3 - It's like Hot or Not for web... →
very cool
peta2 // Meet the Trollsen Twins →
PETA’s campaign site against the Olsen twins…
“The irony is that the people who most want privacy are almost certainly the...”
– Seth’s Blog: People don’t truly care about privacy