I Really Don’t Know

Carsonified » Top 10 UX Myths

There was an early time on the web when everything important needed to be ‘above the fold’; the area seen in a typical browser before any scrolling took place. This is now much less relevant.

Read the Top 10 UX Design Myths over on Carsonified » Top 10 UX Myths.

Intensional and Extensional Sets

One of my collegaues called the other day and asked if we still relied on the distinction between intensional and extensional sets (really intensionally and extensionally defined sets). Yes, even more so now.

from Intensional and Extensional Sets.

If you don’t know the difference (I didn’t) then it’s worth reading.

Chase Jarvis Blog: Uber-Cool Video Projections On Buildings

Projection on buildings – Live performance from NuFormer Digital Media on Vimeo.

There’s been a lot of hot fuss lately about what’s possible with new projection media, especially in urban environments, onto building facades, etc. Last time I was in Paris there was similar stuff emerging on building walls in the Marais, but this seems to be evolving quickly and really taking off. Impressive live performance here in this video from NuFormer.

from Chase Jarvis Blog: Uber-Cool Video Projections On Buildings.

Interaction of 3D modelled world, projected onto the same building as in the model, allows awesome effects as the building is brought to life. Reminded me of the opening of the Atlantis Hotel, Dubai, which made similar attempts to use projection and lighting to change the building but failed to really make use of the building itself IMHO.

How to Correctly Open a Banana

So, it turns out me and everyone I know have opened a Banana the wrong way our entire lives. I have always thought that banana’s could only be opened that one way and always been rejecting any other way of doing it. But the living learn and me included. When I watched this the first time I thought to myself that this guy has to be joking. What’s the joke in the whole clip…but how wrong I was. It actually turned out to be a much more efficient way of pealing the banana to get to the actual fruit.

from How to Correctly Open a Banana – Monkey… « Bit Rebels.

If you use numbers…

Still not sure what’s for the best, but the idea that opaque URIs are better because they’re language independent doesn’t ring true for me. A word is just as opaque as a GUID if you don’t speak the language, but for those who can read it may be far clearer and easier to work with.

Conversation with Bruce D’Arcus on Motivation for MODS Ontology « Musings

The problem from my standpoint is that MODS has some really odd, library-specific, design choices that I don’t think map very well to the wider world. A central concept like mods:name, with mods:role as a child of that, really makes no sense, and conflicts with more common modeling you see in DC, FRBR ,etc.

It’s semantics are also really loose.

So you have to ask yourself, just how linked could a MODS view in RDF really be?

from Conversation with Bruce D’Arcus on Motivation for MODS Ontology.

Butternut Squash Soup

This is a really simple tasty soup that will serve 4 as a starter, or 2 as a good lunch with a solid bread. The curry powder brings out the flavour of the squash and adds a depth and warmth to it.

You’ll need:

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1x Onion
1 tbsp Mild Curry Powder
1x Butternut Squash
1 pint Vegetable Stock
Salt and Black Pepper

To do:

Slice the onion and pop in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stirring every few minutes.

While the onions are softening, peel and dice the squash. Take the seeds out, of course.

Once the onions are soft and have some colour, add the curry powder and fry gently for a minute.

Add the diced squash and cover with the pint of stock, top up with water to cover if necessary.

Simmer gently for 10 minutes, a bit longer if the squash isn’t nice and soft.

Leave to cool enough to put in your blender, blend until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve with a swirl of cream and a little fresh coriander.

Enjoy

New ID cards are supposed to be ‘unforgeable’

Within 12 minutes of laying his hands on [a uk government foreign nationals biometric ID card], Laurie had made a clone.

from New ID cards are supposed to be ‘unforgeable’ – but it took our expert 12 minutes to clone one, and programme it with false data | Mail Online.

Amsterdam Tax on Internet to Support Newspapers

AMSTERDAM – A levy imposed Internet, with the proceeds benefiting innovation of traditional media like newspapers.

Dat is een van de aanbevelingen van de commissie-Brinkman, die zich in opdracht van minister Ronald Plasterk (Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschappen) boog over de toekomst van de Nederlandse dagbladsector. This is one of the recommendations of the committee Brinkman, who is in command of Minister Ronald Plasterk (Education, Culture and Science) arc about the future of the Dutch newspaper industry.

Volgens het rapport, dat dinsdag in Den Haag wordt gepubliceerd, moet worden gedacht aan een “opslag van enkele euro’s per jaar op de internetaansluiting voor de Nederlandse huishoudens”. According to the report Tuesday in The Hague that is published should be given to a “storage of a few euros per year on the Internet for the Dutch households. De maatregel kan ongeveer 20 miljoen euro opleveren. The measure could yield around 20 million euros.

Google Translation: Tax on Internet to support newspapers.

This is an interesting quandary. Should new technology be taxed to support business models that get disrupted to evolve?

I’m not actually sure that’s what they’re suggesting. One of the problems that newspapers face is that there is no good way for them to charge. With the notable exception of the New York Times, newspapers have found they have to publish articles online and have no way to make up for the loss in revenue from their print business.

If this money props up failing newspapers then that would be bad, but if it is invested in developing a working, de-centralised micropayments approach that would be a good thing.