Author Archive

Django, the n-word, and how we talk about race in 2013

Rembrant Browne, writing for Grantland:

Being uncomfortable. False ownership of terms. False ownership of cultures. Troubled histories. Finger-pointing. Segregation in an integrated world (or is it integration in a segregated world?). All of these things contributed to the myriad emotions I felt in that theater. But these were just my emotions. There were hundreds of people in that theater alone, and hundreds of thousands more have already viewed the movie. Everyone‘s seeing Django. That’s what makes it an important work, beyond the quality, because we’re all having to deal with it, together.

All you need to know about CSS transitions

A great primer on CSS3 transitions by developer Alex Maccaw. I really like how Alex mixes up basic syntax with performance implications and cross browser support.

The Vergecast: episode 60

This episode recorded this last Saturday at CES has some good back and forth specific to the web in the first twenty to thirty minutes. In particular, hosts Josh, Nilay and Paul discuss the recent spat between Microsoft and Google due to the removal of Google Maps web access on Windows Mobile. There’s talk about monopolies on the web, Webkit and web standards.

The end of history and the last website

Robin Sloan:

Today, I don’t think—and I’m almost afraid to write this, because it’s like the tolling of some great bell—today I don’t think the amateur’s best effort is good enough. We as internet users have less patience and less charity for janky, half-broken experiences…

…But you know who can totally craft an experience that works flawlessly on a phone, a tablet, a laptop, and a rice cooker? The team that made Medium. Other teams like it. In a word: professionals.

Robin’s illustrates how responsive, multi-device design has really taken over the web design world. It also underlines how important constant education is for even experienced web designers – experience with the latest and greatest often separates the pros from the amateurs.

Watch 20 years of Quentin Tarantino’s pop-culture references in five minutes

Major credit to the video editors here; all references are in strictly chronological order. The rarity of almost any references from the 90s or later I think subtly keeps Tarantino’s early filmography from feeling too dated.

The good man

Astonishing CSS3 animation work by graphic design major Pedro Ivo Hudson.

Move the web forward

Great advice and resources from web developers Paul Irish, Mat Marquis and many more on how to give back to web community. Some essential, timeless links here.

Best iPhone and iPad games of 2012 roundup

2012 was the first year I really started taking iOS games seriously, and the first I found the device a life saver for gaming over long subway rides and vacation trips. A lot of great titles were released, and as usual Touch Arcade has a great handle on what stood out. (I still find Punch Quest and Pinball Arcade monopolizing far more time than I expected.)

How I made a 26-hour day

App creator Andrew Dumont, talking about his daily schedule that he shifted two hours earlier:

You’re probably thinking, “I’m not a morning person.” Well, I wasn’t either. But I trained myself to become one. As is true with anything, you get used to it. The first two weeks are the hardest. After that, it’s smooth sailing.

I’m not a New Years resolution kind of guy, but there’s something about an earlier schedule that I’m finding increasingly appealing long before I read Andrew’s post. As I head back to work I’m moving everything a good hour earlier. Hopefully results are positive.

I don’t want to download your app

Software developer/startup founder Dan Newcome:

The value of the Web is the content and connections. Just let me use the Web. I don’t care that much if I get slightly jerky scrolling, or if the list doesn’t seem like it’s infinitely scrolling off the edge of my little iOS world.

There’s a reason why this short post made the front page of Hacker News for 24 hours; If there’s anything that I’d like to see end in this new year, it’s the “native apps for everything” trend. Native apps are great, web browsers are great; but neither is great for everything.