The actual content isn’t super in depth, but there’s no way I could pass up sharing a twenty minute interview and discussion between two of arguably the most talented directors today. It’s always interesting to hear Kar-wai talk about his near obsessive, rigorous shooting schedule and his long working relationship with Tony Leung.
Very simple, smart Javascript based tweening engine. Looks useful for extremely details animations where traditional CSS3 won’t cut it.
Many “work on what you love” pieces overreach in their optimism. But there’s something about this writing by Scott Belsky, cofounder of Behance, that’s compelling. Maybe it’s the compactness and realism of what he’s pitching: work on things that you have genuine interest for, talent and opportunity.
Andrew Lapin at The Dissolve:
The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook were David O. Russell films hiding inside Hollywood ones. American Hustle is the opposite. It’s so gauzy and extravagant that every outsized, Russell-lite character cancels out another one. What’s left is a political convention: a snazzy pageant with big flashbulbs that has little to do with the actual candidates. There is no emotional truth here, merely the sweet stench of the con.
I have a habit of installing quirky screensavers on my Macs as a throwback to an earlier era. But with my latest Macbook Air I fell in line with the default settings sans screensaver, dissatisfied with what was out there. That all changed when I saw this screensaver by designer Robert Padbury, developed by Steve Streza. It’s a twist on the iOS7 lock screen with options for white on black or black on white typography. It’s minimal and extremely elegant.
CSS Tricks’ Chris Coyier writes the definitive guide on when it is ok to add the “target=_blank” attribute to links. It’s a controversial subject with a wide range of opinion, but I agree almost entirely with his stance: when in doubt, *don’t use target*. Especially don’t use it as a sneaky way to keep users from leaving your page.
Some simple public speaking and presentation tips by tech speaker Zach Holman. I dig the advice though I find the overall site structure, with small details broken up into lots of individual pages, a bit maddening.
Graphic designer Sean Haas examines how the iconic PlayStation logo was designed in the mid 90s. He looks over many early prototypes and influences from both the time period and competitors like Nintendo. (via Patrick Klepek)
Tested’s Will Smith gave the Xbox One a second chance as a universal remote after a negative run last month:
As far as I can tell, Microsoft hasn’t changed anything with the way the TV functionality works since the Xbox One’s launch, but my behavior has changed. I use the TiVo remote to navigate to whatever I want to watch, but if I need to pause, play, or even fast forward whlie I’m watching something I use the basic voice commands. “Xbox Pause” and “Xbox Play” are reliable and work well, even though using the voice commands for more complex tasks remains maddening.
But it looks like there’s some serious power concerns that may keep him from using the setup over the long run.
I find a surprising number of otherwise skilled web developers that still have trepidation around the command line. I’m no expert myself, but a few of the basics, especially pertaining to grep, can really do wonders when you’re in a pinch in the middle of a development session.
Mark Bates has written a excellent book on the subject; I’ve already read the first two chapters and like what I’ve read. It’s easy to follow along and comprehensive. You can read the entire book contents online or purchase an ebook, screencasts, or a physical copy.