The homepage design of almost all news publications look very similar these days — rows and columns of jumbled text. I am yet to come across a design that manages to clearly serve the important articles without too much of clutter around. Quantity ranks higher than quality.
I agree with Brad Frost’s suggestion to stay boring while desiging login forms. I have indeed dislike every example of don’ts he puts out — wish sense prevails soon.
TL;DR; create login forms that are simple, linkable, predictable, and play nicely with password managers.
How Focus Music Hacks Your Brain →
Different types of music affects your brain in different ways. If you’re trying to focus, there’s scientifically a specific rhythm you should listen to.
I have been quite busy recently both at my day job and at home. Too many things to look after, planning for many eminent changes in life. Thankfully, the reading hasn’t been affected — actually it is the reading that’s kept me sane. Unfortunately, writing and responding is.
Dave Pell on Amazon buying Eero
So now Amazon can run your router, your home security camera (Blink), your doorbell (Ring), your TV (Fire), and listen to your every word via Alexa as you enjoy a nice dinner from Whole Foods. We recently learned that Jeff Bezos is good at protecting his own private parts. Who’s going to protect ours from him?
Amazon acquiring Eero is a nice reminder of the risk of the technology players getting too big. It becomes extremely difficult for any small players to survive — the limited set of 5 companies compete in every space. It’s bad for innovation, everyone works towards acquisition.
Also, we should look out for the repeating sponsors on podcasts — that looks to be the sure shot way to acquisition now. Many of the recent acquisitions have been a sponsors of some technology podcasts. I think advertising is no longer for the end customers.
Another fascinating video from CGP Grey on The Better Boarding Method Airlines Won’t Use. I’ve wondered about this every time I’m stuck in a boarding queue.
It’s always frustrating to know that to literally have done nothing would be faster than the something that is done.
It was discomforting to read Owen William’s account of his failed attempt to add his site to Google News. Not just because how aloof Google acted, but because of the patience Owen was showing towards their policies. I understand his desire to receive the crazy traffic Google might send to his site. But it is better to understand that Google’s interests and plans for the product just won’t match those of a smallish individual website.
These losing battles are always better to be avoided — it has been true since the early SEO days. Dave Winer words it really well in his response.
In Williams’ tale of woe, the Godfather is the open web, other news orgs, his readers, and the legal system is Google. We have to work together Owen. The web made all you do possible, you can’t go over its head to Google to get what you think you need.
Dear Internet, stop throwing more links to Eleventy at me now. It strains my resolve to not try another engine out there to build site with. I am satisfied with what I have got running — or so I have convinced myself. Don’t make it more difficult than it already is.
I tend to agree with John Gruber’s thoughts on “On Covering Webcams”
The problem isn’t your camera, it’s malware. Don’t install any software from unknown or sketchy sources, keep your OS up to date1, and you should be fine. And if you do have malware on your Mac, the webcam is likely the least of your problems.
Sure, you should be careful while you access the Internet. Or else some can indeed take control of your machine. But the words I highlighted matter — you should be careful while accessing any machine. Else, you will break the machine and it will eventually harm you.