November 2008

The Archives

• 11.25.08 | Posted By jason kuhn
  Dude, where’s my var? brain monkey | (0)

  And now for something a bit different... I started to write an entry about my current JavaScript practices when brain monkey got me thinking about how var is a very strange keyword and how, by definition, it's probably abused and yet may be the perfect keyword. What seems like a variable? var is short for variable. It's a decent word when you're talking about parameters for a function, but when you're making a static declaration, it's not really a variable... is it? A function may have parameters. Having a parameter usually says that in order to work, the function needs a little bit more ...
• 11.17.08 | Posted By Bryan
  Tivo’s Tastiest Interaction Yet Good Idea, brain monkey, opinion | (0)

  Tivo and Dominos team up to allow broadband Tivo viewers to order pizza either during a Dominos commercial or through the Tivo menu. The system will even track the order time for delivery or pickup, but you will have to pay the delivery guy in cash.  This is another blurring of the digital/physical line, and another heart attack for America. Tivo Press Release Tivo has had the "press the thumbs up button to learn more" feature for at least a few years now. I like this new extension of their old idea.
• 11.12.08 | Posted By Bryan
  A Touchscreen with a Twist Good Idea, brain monkey, impressions, review, suggestion | (0)

  News of the Backberry Storm came out over a month ago now, but I've been too swamped to write anything. When RIM announced that the Blackberry Storm's touchscreen provides tactile feedback they raised my hopes and dashed them quite expertly (I explain further down). It turns out, the feedback they call "ClickThrough" was designed because RIM's co-CEO Mike Lazaridis said he can't type on a piece of glass. The short story is they use two different sensor layers. The top layer senses light touches for gestures like scrolling. The bottom layer senses heavier touches like pressing a button. When the user "clicks" ...
• 11.10.08 | Posted By jason kuhn
  thinking with your hands; the spoon and fork Design, Good Idea, brain monkey, suggestion | (3)

  The powerful link between creativity and play - Tim Brown
• 11.08.08 | Posted By Lee
  Fords leaps into the Useless Eco Car field Design, brain monkey, opinion, review | (5)

  Well... it is a start. At least American car companies are starting to take the idea of interactive displays more seriously. Nice to see focus, pun intended, shift from all interactivity through the Navigation system, to more "interactive" components throughout the rest of the car. Interesting to see if GM will counter with a new digital display.
• 11.07.08 | Posted By C Hill
  Ambient Findability 01 brain monkey | (0)

  In the Process (of finding something), our literacy is put to the test. Can we find what we seek? Can we evaluate what we do find? Are our decisions getting better or worse? What are we searching for?
• 11.07.08 | Posted By C Hill
  Jquery wins everytime Good Idea, best practices, rant | (1)

  I've decided. I'm done thinking about it. I'm done meeting new frameworks and blind dates with hand coded one off train wrecks and two birds are a stone. I made this decision weeks ago. Way back before Addy was even born (I'm an obsessed new dad) I made this decision on phixda's first birthday. Jk said "jquery is packaged with .net" I wish I could live in a world void if .net, but it is what it is. The nail that broke the camel's water was a instant message
• 11.04.08 | Posted By Bryan
  Truth on a Discarded Sign brain monkey, impressions, opinion, outside | (0)

  I found this photo in a Flickr collection recommended on www.cooper.com. I think this Haiku embodies the intent of the members of PhIxDA and the UX community at large. It earned a place on my wall, both at home and work. The Article: http://www.cooper.com/journal/2008/10/inspiration_from_flickr_groups.html The Collection: http://www.flickr.com/groups/inspirationboards/pool/ The Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/publicdesigncenter/2344579422/in/pool-inspirationboards The Haiku: http://weblogs.media.mit.edu/SIMPLICITY/archives/000424.html

recent posts

• AS3 Garbage Truck Driven By Drunk Person
• The pen is mightier!
• Merry FLV Player Resource Christmas Request
• Dude, where’s my var?
• Tivo’s Tastiest Interaction Yet
• A Touchscreen with a Twist
• thinking with your hands; the spoon and fork