The always handy e-mail obfuscation utility for Mac OS X is now a bona-fide Leopard-friendly (and free) application. Get it here.
For the huddled Mac-less (or older OS X cats), you can use a web-based version.
If you do any kind of web design or development and you like keeping your clients spam-free, this app will make your life much easier.
Really interesting article from the Atlantic — Is Google Making Us Stupid? The gist is that with such easy access to near-limitless amounts of information, we let machines supplant thinking and our attention span and memory retention suffers accordingly. I think the historical examples found at the end of the article are an interesting counterpoint to the premise — be wary of change because Bad Things will surely occur. However, in every example, the changes — paper, printing press, internet — brought much more positive change than negative. Perhaps we’re in the thick of a similar cycle — our brains just need to catch up with our ambition.
A really interesting and thorough look at the new Wells Fargo ATM interface (designed by Pentagram). Lots of good UI tidbits to be found here.
The nicer-than-the-name suggests folks over at the barbarian group are giving away a web browser called plainview — it’s tailor-made for presentations; just enter a URL (or a set) and you’ll see nothing but fullscreen browsing goodness. No browser chrome, distracting bookmark bar, tabs or other distractions. Did I mention it’s free?
(i)Phone as human to digital interface. — a (relatively) old-y but goodie from the gang at Zeus Jones posing the idea that connected devices like the iPhone a well positioned to become true extensions of yourself — with the ability to document virtually everywhere you travel and everything you see, hear and do.
Last but not least, a classic video from Charles and Ray Eames. I was explaining this video to someone recently — if you’ve never seen it, it’s worth your time to watch the whole thing.
powers of ten :: charles and ray eames from bacteriasleep on Vimeo.
2008 Urban Photo Safari official t-shirt
Urban Photo Safari 2008 is right around the corner! (Saturday, May 17th from 9am – 1pm, to be exact.)
Urban Photo Safari is a free event created to encourage you explore KC, get creative with your digital camera and—most of all—have fun (friends, family and non-creatives are welcome, too).
You can find the location, rules, tips and more at UrbanPhotoSafari.com. Hope to see you there!
Jeremy’s getting ready to begin a 2 month quest to get to his ideal weight; just by playing Wii Fit. You can follow the action over at the Wii Fit Project… cool idea (and nice score on the URL, BTW.)
Information Design Patterns - a nice collection of common information design approaches; includes detailed descriptions, usage and examples.
QR codes are paving a way to share and hide media - I don’t think QR codes have really caught on in the States, but I think they offer a lot of potential for unobtrusive mobile/real-world advertising.
Best ATM Interface Yet - a nice write-up of the new Wells Fargo ATM interface — with pictures!
Brightkite - I’ve been using brightkite for a few weeks now; I’m still trying to get a handle on the possibilities it offers — I’d like to see location-enabled integration with Yelp, Upcoming and other local-centric services and advertising. I think it could really take off with GPS-enabled phones and/or automated updates. If you’re looking for an invite, hit me up on twitter or e-mail.
Speaking of twitter, Is JetBlue using twitter to spy on its customers…or blow their minds? is a good read — describing one guy’s personalized big brother-type experience with a notable brand. I can envision a day when this approach becomes unmanageable for big companies (like when the lawyers get involved). For now, it’s really exciting to see this kind of interaction with customers.
