by Alex

Think Quarterly

Think Quarterly issue #1 is a lovely design and smart concept, with interesting articles, even if its Flash interface is annoying. It was produced by Google UK, and designed by TCO London.

At Google, we often think that speed is the forgotten ‘killer application’ — the ingredient that can differentiate winners from the rest. We know that the faster we deliver results, the more useful people find our service.

But in a world of accelerating change, we all need time to reflect. Think Quarterly is a breathing space in a busy world. It’s a place to take time out and consider what’s happening and why it matters.

(Via Bruce Mau Design.)

by Alex

Hmm, those are my questions, too

So, an immediate follow-up to the last post, since I forgot to add it. Sarah Carpenter concludes her article with this:

So, I pass the challenge back to you, Waylon: how can you achieve your goal for inner and outer peace, connecting within and beyond the choir to the masses, how to live a mindful life, without being so caught up in fame and money and dictatorship? And is anyone else making money off the publication besides you, yet?

Exactly some of the questions I’ve had for a few years, now. I wish Waylon success, and think he’s a good guy at heart, but I also question his strategies and tactics on a regular basis.

by Alex

St. Ronnie of Yorba Linda

St. Ronnie of Yorba Linda—Some Home Truths is a good read from Chris Espinosa. Take five minutes and enjoy. It starts thus, and improves:

But that view, when not outright false, is a huge distortion of Reagan’s actual presidency. And while that’s par for the course for venerated leaders, it’s particularly pernicious in this case, because what Reagan actually did and actually stood for was particularly harmful to our domestic liberty, our international standing, and the rule of law.

by Alex

Why Xcode 4 is on the app store

When it released Xcode 4, Apple stopped giving it away to folks with free developer accounts. Now you need a $99 developer account to get Xcode. Or, you can buy it on the App Store for $4.99 (coincidentally, the same price as Angry Birds).

From the looks of things, adding a price tag hasn’t interfered with people acquiring it:

Top Grossing apps, March 12, 2011

(Screenshot is from the App Store today.)

by Alex

Is buying a house really better than renting?

So many people mindlessly repeat the line that “buying a house is better, because when you rent, you’re throwing your money away.” That’s true in some cases, and false in others, so check your assumptions at the door. This calculator from the NYT is great. Click Advanced Settings to play with the underlying assumptions.

(Quick reminder that, historically, the stock market beats the housing market in the long run. Your current bubble may vary.)

Given housing prices in Boulder, the likely stagnation or fall in house prices, and cheap rent where we are, buying here makes little sense. In your own situation, what actually results in you spending less money? Quit assuming, and play with the numbers!

by Alex

Thoughts around the iPad 2, and touch-based interfaces

I just finished reading “Apple iPad 2 is here and tablet rivals need to hit the drawing board”, Andy Ihnatko’s article on the iPad 2.

One sentence really resonated with me, because I think Apple’s very busy right now getting the world used to the next generation of computer interfaces (lots of OS X Lion’s upcoming interface is borrowed straight from iOS):

I hate editing video, but this app intuitively felt better and easier than even the desktop edition of iMovie.

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