This Multi-Directional Hover proof of concept is impressive not just for the idea behind it but for the actual code powering it - all CSS, no Javascript. Granted, this isn't really something that you're going to implement regularly throughout a site but it could certainly be beneficial in a number of situations.
Sometimes you encounter devices that should serve as a reminder that you are absolutely living in "the future." Aereo falls into that category. The service enables you to watch broadcast TV from anywhere that you have a speedy enough Internet connection and their software installed. You can even DVR any of the programming for playback later. The intro video on the site explains it well but, apparently, they've taken the standard television antenna and shrunken it down to the size of a dime - enabling them to put thousands in a very small space and assign a unique one per customer.
Will it have roadblocks? Probably. Is it unfortunate that it's only available in New York starting in March? Sure. Is it a ridiculously good idea that should be pursued further and further? I absolutely think so.
Side note: the site design is totally awesome - browse every page.
CSS Awards recently recognized the site for restaurant Au Petit Panisse. Rightfully so of them because it's an phenomenal piece of work. The design is inspiring, the interactions are all top notch (love those icons in the menu). On the whole, it keeps it simple while still being something different from your standard restaurant site. Plus, those enormous background images give you a hell of an immersive feeling.
Moo, the creators of the tiny business card, have launched a new undertaking with Luxe - a super thick, triple stacked business card. Honestly, it's three times as thick as the standard business card. Almost too thick. The optional stripe of color along the edges is a rather nice touch and the price is ridiculously affordable. It may be time to get my act together and actually get some cards.
I'll admit it, I love the look of this iOS `86 design excursion. The lo-fi vibe is perfectly nostalgic to the world of computing I grew up with (and I didn't even have a Mac - I was a Tandy 1000 kinda guy). The icons are spot on. Well played Anton Repponen.
Pears - a Wordpress theme that enables you to experiment with "interface pattern pairings." I'm not sure how I would use any of this directly but it's a solid bit of markup and clean-cut CSS that's good to use as a reminder to keep it uncomplicated.
JavascriptMVC - the term MVC still brings the terror in my heart but this certainly does look to be a streamlined, smart and fairly easy way to wrangle your Javascript. HT Will.
There's not an overwhelming amount of photos in the photostream of Venckus Avinukas (only two pages) but what is there is absolute quality. I mean, theseareundeniable in their appeal, right? Definitely looking forward to future offerings.
Seeing an impressive piece of design or art go from concept to reality is always a fascinating undertaking. This notion holds true with the process of Creating Tomorrow - a great 3D diorama piece from Zerbamine and LemonScentedTea. I actually wish there were more images of the iterative stages from concept to completion but I'll take what I can get.
CoBook touts itself as "The Smart Address Book For Mac" and based on the introductory video I think I believe it. I've been pretty bummed out with the overall experience (and look) of the latest version of Apple's official Address Book app and this appears to be a much slicker integration into the operating system; not to mention the Internet and social networks at large. I've not installed it yet but if you find yourself managing a great deal of contacts and want to have an intelligent place to flesh out their info and tag them with relevant info; this seems like a winner. The biggest bonus is that it, apparently, integrates into your existing Address Book / iCloud data so you aren't missing out on that level of convenience.
Field Guide to Web Applications is a super slick and informative guide to developing web apps. The "book" format may be a little over the top but it's an effective way to keep you from feeling information overload. Definitely on my list to read in its entirety.
Finally got my act together this weekend to compile the latest We Own This Townpodcast. For those unaware, I put together a semi-regular mix of artists hailing exclusively from the Nashville area that buck the stereotype of Music City being entirely focused on Country and Singer-Songwriter music. This edition of the podcast features a great deal of quality indie and pop rock, a dash of garage and hard rock, a smidgen of electronic goods and a few lo-fi musings.
Remember when I told you about Austin Kleon's speech "How To Steal Like An Artist"? Well, it's been turned full-fledged book for your procurement. The original ten points still hold true but he's fleshed out the print version to have even more worthwhile content along the same lines. It should be in stores by the end of the month - well worth pre-ordering.
Beyond the Black Rainbow was created in 2010, made the festival rounds in 2011 and seems to be coming to a wider audience now in 2012. The official trailer definitely sets the stage for a pretty bizarre film - parts sci-fi, horror, thriller, and random atmospheric interstitial creations. Stylistically, it seems to manage a great balance between a range of influences. I'm certainly intrigued and will be keeping an eye out for it screening near me anytime soon.
It's a bummer that the images in the David Hilliard portfolio aren't 50x bigger because I love poring over the somewhat subtle differences in his diptych and triptych pieces. It's a crappy complaint for me to have because I'm honestly very engaged by all of the work - from 1993 to present day; there's not a bad piece in the bunch.
You can see a handful of the pieces rather large here and get an idea of their real world scale from this video. His work is shown a number of places around the country, so be sure to keep an eye out for it.
Is it possible that cats literally make a person crazy? Czech scientist Jaroslav Flegr thinks it is possible based on his research of the single-celled Toxoplasma gondii parasite. This article from The Atlantic digs a bit deeper into his findings, the scientific communities reaction to it and just how much the little protozoan can affect a human. Turns out, "crazy" is maybe a bit harsh of a term but the theory is that it can change the connections of neuron connections, altering your natural response to particular stimuli.
All and all, it's only one article about the research performed by one guy and it may not even be the least bit worrisome. Despite all that, it's interesting to think about - your standard house cat may actually be having a legitimate influence on their owner through cellular means.
How long has it been since you took a look at all the apps that have permission to your personal data from all sorts of various networks you are inevitably a part of? I highly suggest taking a few moments with MyPermissions.org and cleaning up who has access to what. Maybe you tried out a site for a test drive and had to give it permission to your information in order to do so - it's high time you revoked that access. My Facebook account was particularly overrun with applications that I don't even remember hearing of but that's likely due to their behemoth size rather than any suspicious activity.
It's slightly embarrassing how much I enjoy the content of Swipe the Linen. I mean, if you told me to check out a new Tumblog that archives people's iOS home screens and couples it with their rationale behind their choices I'd give you a judging look. However, here I am browsing pages of archives looking at the selections people have made and what they deem the most important for Page 1 of their Springboard. Personally, I'm shocked at how many people go four rows deep (with the persistent tray) - you gotta have that empty buffer row! And don't even get me started on having a Folder group...
This weeks playlist is a little on the sparser side but I think you'll still be entertained. As usual, get yourself on VHX and follow along if you want more randomness thrown your way during the week.
The Casual - summer will be here before you know it.
Squishy Baff - this honestly seems like a Tim & Eric style product, not something you would honestly want your kids interacting with.
Manhole Cover Explosion - what happens when you drop a firework down a manhole cover that's holding back explosive gas? You get your jacket blown off. Insane. via Chad.
Grizzly Bear Cub and Wolf Pup playing - I assume this is being written into a Disney movie plot at this very moment. In the meantime, enjoy the rambunctiousness.
Collapsing Cooling Towers - buildings transformed into cute characters being demolished. Entertainment, Achieved.
The Karate Rap - 1) I have my doubts on the legitimacy of this but there's evidence to support that it isn't parody. 2) Stick with it, as it rolls along it gets progressively weirder.
Lack of attribution on Tumblr is certainly a known problem but it definitely gets aggravating when you run across images like this and want to find out more about the person responsible for it. I tried from Google Reverse Image Lookup, TinEye and various other methods but came up empty handed. So, enjoy the image above and if you know anything about its proper attribution, let me know!
