Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Free Font Manifesto

http://www.elupton.com/index.php?id=17
"A small but growing number of designers and institutions are creating typefaces for the public domain. These designers are participating in the broader open source and copyleft movements, which seek to stimulate worldwide creativity via a collective information commons. This web page provides information and airs ideas about the concept of free fonts. Its annotated appearance reflects my conversations with type designers about the danger and necessity of free fonts. —Ellen Lupton"

Controlling how search engines access and index your website

Via Googleblog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/controlling-how-search-engines-access.html
"I'm often asked about how Google and search engines work. One key question is: how does Google know what parts of a website the site owner wants to have show up in search results? Can publishers specify that some parts of the site should be private and non-searchable? The good news is that those who publish on the web have a lot of control over which pages should appear in search results."

Microsoft Expression Suite

http://www.microsoft.com/products/expression/en/default.mspx
Microsoft Expression takes your creative possibilities to a new level. The professional design tools and innovative technologies in Expression give you the flexibility and freedom to bring your vision to reality—whether you are designing standards-based Web sites, rich user experiences on the desktop, or managing digital assets and content.

Worthless little paper toys (Nah, actually really fun)

http://smpenterprisesllc.com/flash/bin/1999/model04.html
http://www.readymech.com/
Free, flatpack toys for you to print and build. They are designed to fit on an 8.5"x11" page and printed with any printer. You’ll need double-sided tape, thick matte paper, and 10-15 minutes for build time.

Sexy free OS X Apps

http://joshuaink2006.johnoxton.co.uk/blog/400/free-os-x-apps
"I am still, on a day to day basis, a PC user at heart but I love my iBook (now it's all fixed up). Over the months I seem to have collected a good few apps to play with, these are a few of my favourites."

Open Culture weblog

http://www.oculture.com/weblog/
Open Culture explores cultural and educational media (podcasts, videos, online courses, etc.) that help make learning dynamic and fun, no matter what your age.

100 Best Fonts

http://www.100besteschriften.de/
Die 100 Besten Schriften

Roxik

http://roxik.com/toy1.html
Toy from Roxik motion studio.

The art of Adam Betts

http://artofadambetts.com/weblog/
An often interesting blog from web designer Adam Betts.

Joost beta review

http://franticindustries.com/blog/2007/01/16/joost-beta-reviewed-tv-just-got-a-little-smarter/
"I installed it, I started it, and in 5 seconds I was watching television.

I did it for an hour before I remembered that I’m actually supposed to review the thing. I guess there’s no greater praise, but for those who like details, I’ve included the details as well. So, here’s what I think about Joost, the latest project from the authors of Skype, formerly dubbed as the Venice Project, for whose beta I was lucky to be invited a couple of days ago."

Addicted to Digg? Here Are 5 Must Have Tools for You

http://www.techpwn.com/?p=62
"Like most of you, I am addicted to digg. Every day it seems as if I spend hours going through the queues and front page stories while at the same time I am busy obsessively updating my submitted stories. Therefore, I have put together a list of applications that I use that can help you ease (or maybe worsen) your digg addiction."

AT&T and BellSouth Merger

http://www.att.com/customer_merger/index.html
Site flash animation for the AT&T merger.

The Apple Blog

http://theappleblog.com/
All Apple, all the time. Appley blogging goodness.

OS X note taking application faceoff

http://theappleblog.com/2007/01/22/note-taking-application-faceoff/

Whether you’re writing a simple article for a blog, piecing together the next blockbuster hit, or penning a 500 page romance novel, there are quite a few options for helping you get all of that information organized and drafted. There really are enough to chose from with a wide enough range of options that you’re sure to find something to fit your needs.

Phallic Logo Awards

http://www.b3ta.com/features/phalliclogoawards/
The game designers across the nation are playing is; can they design a logo and get it approved without the client realising it's a big spurting penis?

First Ever REAL Wii Modchip Arrives - CycloWiz!

http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=13934

Speak-n-spell for the internet

Online (working!) speak-n-spell
http://www.speaknspell.co.uk/

Interview with Daniel Burka from digg.com

http://www.creativecomponent.com/2007/01/26/interview-with-daniel-burka-from-diggcom/

"CreativeXpert is back with a great interview with Daniel Burka!

Daniel is not only the full-time UI designer of the SanFrancisco-based digg, he’s also partner of a firm in Canada called silverorange.

Daniel and I talk about accessibility, usability and the viral content at the core of what makes digg work. We learn about the joys of working on a site that’s forever stuck in Alexa’s top 100 list."

Inspire Yourself: 50 Remarkable Favicons

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/01/31/inspire-yourself-50-remarkable-favicons/

Actually it’s a pity that many designers don’t really make use of them. Favicons, mini graphics for a particular web-site, can be displayed in the browser’s URL bar, next to the site’s name in lists of bookmarks, and next to the page’s title in a tabbed document interface. To be recognized immediately, favicons have to be visually appealing and fit to the design or logo of a given page. In fact, if you use Favicons for your sites, users can easily find your URL in their bookmarks - in this way you create some kind of a visual connection between your web-site and your sites’ visitors.

Windows Vista's new spin on licensing...and why it grates

http://techreport.com/etc/2007q1/vista-licensing/index.x?pg=1