Seanification

Don't make fun of renowned Dan Brown

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:53:47 +1000

Michael Deacon:

“Hello agent John, it’s client Dan,” commented the pecunious scribbler. “I’m worried about new book Inferno. I think critics are going to say it’s badly written.”

The voice at the other end of the line gave a sigh, like a mighty oak toppling into a great river, or something else that didn’t sound like a sigh if you gave it a moment’s thought. “Who cares what the stupid critics say?” advised the literary agent. “They’re just snobs. You have millions of fans.”

That’s true, mused the accomplished composer of thrillers that combined religion, high culture and conspiracy theories. His books were read by everyone from renowned politician President Obama to renowned musician Britney Spears. It was said that a copy of The Da Vinci Code had even found its way into the hands of renowned monarch the Queen. He was grateful for his good fortune, and gave thanks every night in his prayers to renowned deity God.

thekhooll: Art Attack Urban art installations and street art...

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:00:44 +1000

thekhooll:

Art Attack

Urban art installations and street art called “Art Attacks” by Filthy Luker

Spitballing Indy

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:45:26 +1000

Spitballing Indy:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/03/spitballing-indy.html

The New Yorker looks at the spitballing session between George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Lawrence Kasdan, where they worked through ideas that would become Raider of the Lost Ark. The transcript is online.

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:08:52 +1000

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”

- Benjamin Franklin

Two-step verification for Apple ID

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:43:25 +1000

Two-step verification for Apple ID:

After Mat Honan’s epic hacking I enabled two-step verification on my Google accounts. For a slight inconvenience once a month it makes my stuff way more secure.

If my Google account became compromised, the attacker could use my Gmail to reset a lot of my other passwords, just as they did for Mat Honan. But the real vulnerability was the Apple ID, since it not only held my credit card details but also the power to remotely reset all my devices.

Last week, Apple finally rolled out two-step verification to fix this (though not without briefly opening a gaping security hole). I recommend checking out MacStories’ walkthrough, particularly the bit about avoiding the three-day wait. Then, head to http://appleid.apple.com to set it all up.

Google Graveyard

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:42:00 +1000

Google Graveyard:

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/map_of_the_week/2013/03/google_reader_joins_graveyard_of_dead_google_products.html

(via Marco.org)

Netflix isn’t just rebooting Arrested Development—It’s revolutionizing TV

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:43:28 +1000

Netflix isn’t just rebooting Arrested Development—It’s revolutionizing TV:

Netflix isn’t just rebooting Arrested Development—It’s revolutionizing TV

Wired writes about the new series of Arrested Development being made by Netflix. Not only does the show sound amazing, but the idea of creating content aimed at the modern way of consuming television (bingeing) is fascinating.

Man dressed as Batman hands suspect to British Police, vanishes into night

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:49:00 +1000

Man dressed as Batman hands suspect to British Police, vanishes into night:

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/03/batman-england/

parislemon: digg: Matt Groening’s pre-Simpson artwork for...

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:59:10 +1000

parislemon:

digg:

Matt Groening’s pre-Simpson artwork for Apple.

Ink different.

robsheridan: Fantastic advertising for Game of Thrones in the...

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:13:06 +1000

robsheridan:

Fantastic advertising for Game of Thrones in the New York Times (the dragon shadow is printed on the paper over regular articles). More

Are you getting it? One device.

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:54:00 +1000

With Apple being as secretive as it is about unreleased products, rumours are constantly flying. Amongst the current popular rumours are the concept of an Apple-made wristwatch device, dubbed ‘iWatch’ by Internet creatives, and a cheap iPhone. I previously hadn’t given much thought to either of these. I haven’t worn a watch for almost 20 years, and as much as I like Apple products I’m not about to go back to the days of tan lines on my wrist. And with the previous models of iPhone already serving the market for cheap iPhones, I couldn’t see the point. But what if a watch and a cheap iPhone are the wrong way to look at these rumours?

What if the watch is the cheap iPhone?

Before the unveiling of the iPhone in January of 2007, several rumours were flying. One of them was that Apple would release a phone. Another was that Apple would release a widescreen, touch-screen iPod. When Steve Jobs took to the stage for the keynote, he played on this, suggesting there were three products to announce: “a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device”. The big reveal was that this was all one product: the iPhone. While I don’t think we’ll see a repeat performance of this piece of theatre (since “a cheap iPhone” isn’t really a great product announcement), it really shows how sometimes the rumour-sphere can’t see the forest for the trees.

I’m not going to embarrass myself by making mock-ups and suggesting how the iPhoneWatch could work. But with Apple focused on expanding into China and other developing-world markets, a cheap communication device that isn’t just a stripped-down iPhone makes a lot of sense. Why not frame it as a new form of wearable computer that can also be sold to the developed world?

When commenters decided Apple would have to make a cheaper, crappier Mac to combat Netbooks, Apple didn’t. They instead created the iPad, which redefined what mobile computing meant. Now, commenters have decided that Apple needs a cheaper, crappier iPhone. It sure seems to me like an opportunity for redefining what a communication device is.

buzzfeed: The IMDB 404 Error Page is amazing.

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:02:42 +1000

buzzfeed:

The IMDB 404 Error Page is amazing.

ollymoss: I worked with the Academy and Gallery 1988 to create...

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:54:42 +1000

ollymoss:

I worked with the Academy and Gallery 1988 to create the official 85 Years of Oscars poster.

Click here to see it in detail!

The brief was one of the hardest I’ve ever had; find a way to reference every single Best Picture winner from the last 85 years.

Thanks to Gallery 1988 for putting my name forward and organising this whole shebang.

Reading list

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:00:20 +1000

I’ve decided I’m not going to shackle my reading list idea to Fridays. It will now occur randomly, whenever I feel like it.

The year’s best television episode by Brian Raferty for GQ.com
This commentary from the writers, producers, and director of the “Blackwater”, the climactic episode of Game of Thrones season 2 gives an interesting insight into what it takes to put the show together.
Shaken, not stirred by Geoffrey Pullum for Lingua Franca
As both a punctuation stickler and a movie quote stickler, this article on misquoting and mis-punctuating the famous Bond line appealled to me.
Apple and the future of design by Dave Wiskus for Macworld
I’d been thinking about writing a commentary on skeuomorphism and design trends in iOS, but Dave Wiskus has written everything I would have said.
This isn’t the petition response you’re looking for by Paul Shawcross for the White House
The White House responds to a petition for building a Death Star.

parislemon: caro: Passed along to me by a friend, whom I...

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:12:24 +1000

parislemon:

caro:

Passed along to me by a friend, whom I believe found it on Reddit: “A 1927 Paramount Studio Map of southern California suggesting locations where movies could be shot, instead of going to the actual places.”

whitneymcn: Commentary on Instagram?

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:58:19 +1000

whitneymcn:

Commentary on Instagram?

dpstyles: Six-pack of James Bonds.

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:36:08 +1000

dpstyles:

Six-pack of James Bonds.

parislemon: Winter is coming.

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:22:14 +1000

parislemon:

Winter is coming.

Friday reading list

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:07:17 +1000

I’ve been thinking a bit recently about what I want to do with this blog. While reblogging cool stuff that someone else posted is generally understood to be the purpose of Tumblr, I’m using it more as a traditional blogging platform. I know that is technically “using it wrong”, but I haven’t found a general blogging platform I like as much as Tumblr, so my Tumblr followers have to suffer with long-form posts from me filling up their dashboard. In fact, I host all my websites on Tumblr just because the back-end is so flexible and nice to use.

So while I still reblog the occasional post that shows up in my feeds, I’ve really scaled down the posting of links to things in a “link list” style. I want to avoid just regurgitating links from and to the other blogs I read. To that end, I’ve tried to do more actual content writing on here.

But I think there is still a place for linking to things I have found interesting on the Internet. So instead of reblogging every link I come across, I’m going to compile a single post each week of the articles I found particularly interesting. I’ll only do a traditional link post when I have more then a sentence of commentary to add.

And so, without further ado, I present the inaugural Friday Reading List. A bit short this week as I only thought of the concept this morning :)

Is Siri really Apple’s future? by Kontra, via Daring Fireball
Charging an iPhone without AC power by Marco Arment
The Incomparable 114: When you wish upon a Star Wars: The Incomparable podcast runs through the pros and cons of Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm. A follow-up long post to my initial reaction is forthcoming, but if I don’t get it finished then this episode covers most of the points I want to make.
World’s awesomest Mom mods her kid’s push car into a time-traveling DeLorean

Dorfs

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 11:13:15 +1000

Dorfs