There's No Money In The Long Tail of the Blogosphere

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/blogosphere_long_tail.php
" In 2004 Chris Anderson wrote an influential book called The Long Tail. In it, he argued that the future of business is to sell less of more. The main premise is that collectively, things that are in rather low demand can amount to quite large volumes. This is because there is a large number of people who belong to the long tail and they encompass a wide rage of tastes.

A classic example of successful long tail sales is Amazon. A substantial subset of the book sales for the largest online retailer comes from obscure books. Amazon itself could afford to stock up on rare books as well as offer these via numerous online partners. The net effect is that a lot of book sales occured in the long tail. This phenomenon is captured nicely in a quote from an Amazon employee: "We sold more books today that didn't sell at all yesterday than we sold today of all the books that did sell yesterday.""

Emmanuel Polanco: Portfolio 2001-2007

http://www.emmanuelpolanco.net/portfolio/illustrations.htm#heg
"

Flickr Set: Business Cards

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dailypoetics/sets/72057594104389710/
Great set of business card designs from all over...

Photopreneur: 60 Sources of Inspiration for Photography

http://blogs.photopreneur.com/60-sources-of-inspiration-for-photography
"Are you struggling for new ideas? Do your creative batteries feel as flat and lifeless as a skunk in the fast lane?

Here are 60 ways to breathe new life into your love of photography and re-energize your inspiration."

Simplebits: 404 Hunt

http://www.simplebits.com/notebook/2007/11/03/404.html#comments
"In doing some research for a newish presentation, I’m on the hunt for cool, funny, well-designed and/or useful custom 404 pages. Stumbled across anyone that gets this right? I’d love to see it."

nclud, a creative web design agenhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifcy

http://nclud.com/
"We are a small Washington, DC based agency comprised of highly talented and extremely experienced industry consultants. We live and breathe the web – it is our passion for the industry that is the foundation of our agency.

We are small by design. We have a very selective and intimate team of consultants with extensive experience in all facets of the web. We believe we are stronger together than apart – it is our team’s collective experiences, skills and knowledge that together inclusively create and deliver solutions of the highest caliber."

Youtube: The seceret behind the Bling Fling trick

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9dK53NMpmjQ
Just kind of a cool trick

Bokardo.com: Do Canonical Web Designs Exist?

http://bokardo.com/archives/canonical/
"

“Milton Glaser’s Dylan poster. Paul Rand’s IBM logo. Paula Scher’s Public Theater posters. Massimo Vignelli’s New York subway map. Kyle Cooper’s Seven opening titles. These are only a few landmark projects of our profession. Design solutions that, in their consistent use as exemplary cases of execution, concept and process, don’t even need to be shown anymore and that, for better or worse, (almost) everyone acknowledges as being seminal works that reflect the goals that graphic design strives for: A visual solution that not only enables, but also transcends, the message to become memorable in the eyes and minds of viewers. Whether these projects are indeed as amazing, relevant and enviable as we have built them up to be is cause for a separate discussion but it’s safe to say that, as far as designs recognized around the profession, there are a certain few that invariably make the list, usually without question. Myself, I could list projects in every category from logos, to annual reports, to magazine covers, to packaging, to typefaces, to opening titles that could be considered landmark projects… But when it comes to web sites, I can’t think of a single www that could be comparable — in gravitas, praise, or memorability — as any of the few projects I just mentioned. Could this be?”

Armin then goes and mentions the obvious answer: Google.

But this is not an acceptable answer for him, because…wait for it…the logo sucks."

Zeldman: Understanding Web Design

http://alistapart.com/articles/understandingwebdesign/
"We get better design when we understand our medium. Yet even at this late cultural hour, many people don’t understand web design. Among them can be found some of our most distinguished business and cultural leaders, including a few who possess a profound grasp of design—except as it relates to the web."

Coffee Drinks, Illustrated

http://www.lokeshdhakar.com/2007/08/20/an-illustrated-coffee-guide/
"I‘m new to the world of fancy coffee drinks. With the vast number of ordering options and new words with accented characters to pronounce the coffee shop ordering experience can be intimidating. I’ve created a few small illustrations to help myself and others wrap their head around some of the small differences.

About Espresso

Espresso is prepared by forcing pressurized steam through finely ground dark-roast coffee beans. Think of it is strong, concentrated coffee. You can add extra ’shots’ of espresso to make your drink stronger."

Autodesk Maya: Personal Learning Edition

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=7639525
"Maya Personal Learning Edition (PLE) is a special version of Autodesk® Maya® software, which provides free access to Maya for non-commercial use. It gives 3D graphics and animation students, industry professionals, and those interested in breaking into the world of computer graphics an opportunity to explore most aspects of the award-winning Autodesk® Maya® Complete software in a non-commercial capacity. The Maya Personal Learning Edition software is available for 32-bit Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional and Apple® Mac OS® X (for Macintosh Power PC or Intel-based Macintosh computers) operating systems.

Autodesk Maya PLE is based on Autodesk Maya 8.5."

The Top 20 Ways to Come Up With Amazing Ideas

http://www.skelliewag.org/the-top-20-ways-to-come-up-with-amazing-ideas-157.htm
"I’m a pretty prolific blogger — between regular posts at Zen Habits, and writing regularly for blogs such as Web Worker Daily, FreelanceSwitch, NorthxEast and more, and writing guest posts for other blogs (such as the excellent Skelliewag), I write a lot of posts every week.

And what’s asked of me most often, besides “How can you write so much?”, is the more difficult question: “How do you come up with so many ideas for posts?”

Top Best 50 Firefox Extensions For Web Design

http://www.emmaalvarez.com/2007/11/top-best-50-firefox-extensions-for-web.html
"Each day there are more people that use Firefox. It is much faster than Internet Explorer, and has a lot of extensions and themes. Regarding the extensions, many of them are much more than interesting. Some of them ease the work of designers and developers. Here follows a list of 50 of the best."

Hack Attack : Get Windows XP SP3 Through Windows Update

http://dailyapps.net/2007/11/hack-attack-get-windows-xp-sp3-through-windows-update/
"Well If you have read my previous Hack Attack on How you can download Windows Vista SP1

through a Hack and it worked for you then here is another Hack that will allow you to download Windows XP SP3 RC1 directly from Microsoft. Windows XP SP3 will be the final service pack that we will see for the World’s biggest Operating System from Microsoft. SP3 will bring a host of bug fixes and some new features borrowed from Vista.

Well here is how you can download SP3 straight from Microsoft. Follow the instructions carefully and you’ll be running Windows XP SP3 in no time. Grab yourself a cup of Coffee as you do this.."

The Spiral Data Tato -- A Curiously Complex Origami CD Case

http://www.instructables.com/id/SM0LM6DF9053ZQM/
"The number of times you can zip up and unzip your disk depends on the quality of the paper you use. I like 24 lb. parchment, myself, but you may wish to experiment with what you have on hand.

(Oh, and little nerdy guy? You still with us? This is where the blonde in Calculus 102 goes, "Oooh!" and you get to show her the zipping several times over, until she can do it, herself. That's when you need to start a new topic. Make it good -- you start prosing on about your linux box or your LOTR figurines, this has all been for naught. Offer to teach her the model. There you go.) "

Well Done: a food company annual report that has to be cooked first

http://www.dezeen.com/2007/11/13/well-done-a-food-company-annual-report-that-has-to-be-cooked-first/
"Croatian creative agency Bruketa & Zinić have designed an annual report for food company Podravka that has to be baked in an oven before it can be read."

MSNBC Alpha Channel: Designs we left behind

http://alphachannel.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/11/12/463550.aspx
" Admit it. You saw our new homepage and it lived up to your wildest fantasies about online news presentation. Me, too. Okay, maybe—maybe—two, three people tops will say ‘what were they thinking?!’ Rest assured we were thinking. For about two years. Here’s how it started."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

InsideNews: HOW to pretend to be a "Natural Leader"

http://unitedsys.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-to-pretend-to-be-natural-leader.html
"Some people are always listened to. What they say matter, and everyone pays attention whenever they speak.

Why is that so? There’s an air of authority about their every words and actions, which helps them in getting their point across, when others would not even be heard.

In short, they are what you and I would call “Natural Leaders.”"

Yahoo! Travel: Leftover Loot

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-20727057;_ylc=X3oDMTFrZXJjazY1BF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEX3MDMjcxOTQ4MQRwb3MDMQRzZWMDZnAtdG9kYXltb2QEc2xrA2xvb3Q
"

Since 9/11, the TSA has collected tons of items at airport security checkpoints. What happens to all that stuff? Here's how to buy TSA contraband.

Since 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration has collected tons of items at security checkpoints; in 2006 alone, screeners took in more than 13 million items. What happens to all that stuff? The TSA turns it over to state surplus property agencies, which tend to sell it online or at retail stores. (Sometimes the contraband is sold in bulk.)

The agencies say they'll reunite you with your prized pocketknife, if they can locate it. But they would much prefer that travelers figure out the rules and abide by them. "Our goal is for passengers not to bring this stuff on anymore, so we won't have to deal with it," says Steve Ekin, Georgia's surplus property division director. Here's where to look, and what you might find."

Read/Write Web: The Social Enterprise - What Works, and What Doesn't

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_social_enterprise.php
" Last week in Reston, Virginia, the New New Internet conference took place, and the spotlight was on the adoption of new social technologies in the enterprise. One morning panel was moderated by Ryan Carson and featured Brad Feld, the Managing Director at the Foundry Group, Hans Hwang, VP Advanced Services, Cisco, and myself. During the course of our discussion, Ryan brought up a set of interesting questions:"

Last 100: NPR opens up NPR Music for our listening pleasure

Many, many years ago, the local National Public Radio Station (NPR) stopped playing music when anybody was actually listening to the radio. I used to tape random chunks of music, not caring what it was, to take with me on trips because it was so good.

When the station stopped broadcasting music when I was awake, and the Internet came along, I turned to NPR’s Web site, its show All Songs Considered, and podcasts to hear interviews with musicians, listen to their music, and find artists I’d never heard before. But, alas, the old NPR site wasn’t much fun to use, especially if you’re on a Mac and don’t care much for RealPlayer or Windows Media.

NPR relaunched NPR Music, and I’m in music heaven again. The new site uses a slick Flash pop-up player that’s super-easy to use and, as an added bonus, works across all NPR properties.

Chris Pirillo: Top 100 Mac Apps

http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/11/06/top-100-mac-apps/
"I’ve compiled a list of my top 100 Mac apps for your perusal, since so many people have been asking for it. Thanks to Taylor Olson and Jason for helping me put all the icons and links in place! These apps are certainly Tiger compatible, and most of ‘em work inside Leopard (though the VNC utilities are now unnecessary). I did my best to avoid overly popular titles, but couldn’t avoid it in some cases.

A rolling list of ‘Honorable Mentions’ follow the Top 100, so… keep reading. ;) Only one application is missing.

I’m also happy to announce that both VMware and Shiny White Box are coming aboard as official video sponsors - but their presence in this list is based on app merit. It’s my hope to find exclusive coupons and pricing for any of the following commercial applications… or any commercial Mac app, for tha tmatter. Stay tuned!"

2006 City Data: Top 101 U.S. Cities, Counties, and Zip Codes Lists

http://www.city-data.com/top2/toplists2.html
" This a follow-up to our popular original top 100 city lists. We've created hundreds new top lists in varied categories. Our forum members have also been ranking U.S. cities in many subjective categories, from the worst reputation and the most stuck-in-time to the cleanest and the most proud. Enjoy!"