February 2009
24 posts
Step Two in my project to update, improve, or close my various sites, blogs, twitters, and other forgotten outposts is completed – and it means bye-bye Tumblr. Mostly. My main site has always been ReverendMoonbeam.co.uk but I was briefly swayed by the community of Tumblr. However, recent policy changes by Tumblr made me wonder, ‘What happens to all my content if Tumblr kicks me off?’ It’ll be...
The London screening of Objectified was announced today. Fans of Helvetica go here right now. Guests will be director Gary Hustwit, Jonathan Ive, Marc Newson, and Alice Rawsthorn. It’s at the King’s Road Curzon. Update Sold out before I can finish writing. I gots mine.
Everyone should now be using Safari 4. (Mac + PC Download) It out-Chromes Chrome. However, Gmail users that use Google Gears to read their email offline will find that Gmail doesn’t work at all. Solution: turn off Google Gears.
Draft Steve Jobs (his health willing) to run a combined GM and Chrysler. After all, who has done a better job developing and marketing products consumers want to buy? Who has been more successful keeping the US ahead of other nations in competitive, technology-based markets? Mr. Jobs has also done right by his shareholders. GM and Chrysler have far too many product lines, most of which are...
The Harvard Business Review is suggesting that Ikea furniture is popular not because it is good (not a stretch) but because the assembly of it creates a meaningful experience..
When instant cake mixes were introduced, in the 1950s, housewives were initially resistant: The mixes were too easy, suggesting that their labor was undervalued. When manufacturers changed the recipe to require the...
The Ikea Effect →
The Harvard Business Review is suggesting that Ikea furniture is popular not because it is good (not a stretch) but because the assembly of it creates a meaningful experience..
When instant…
In the crisps world, the sun never sets on the... →
Walker Crisps has six new flavours on sale: Cajun Squirrel, Builder’s Breakfast (Bacon, eggs, & beans), Chili & Chocolate, Onion Bhaji, Crispy Duck & Hoison, and, of course, Fish & Chips.
Link →
The 21-year-old operator of 4Chan kept it secret from his mum for most of the past 5 years. And for the Internet entrepreneurs out there, 4Chan gets 4.75 million visitors (and well over 100 million…
In his big magazine piece on The Politico this week, Gabriel Sherman referenced an internal memo revealing the organization’s formula for “must-read” coverage. But the memo he acquired is worth more than a reference; it’s worth a full-read. Here’s a taste:
Stories need to be both interesting and illuminating—we don’t have the luxury of running stories folks...
“It’s akin, I suppose, to living in Detroit and having proudly thought of...”
– http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=134594 (via blrbigge)
A few more cities added to Citysnapped.
San Francisco Chicago Montreal
and, by special request, Ottawa.
“I recently spent two weeks relaxing on vacation in the tropical paradise of...”
– The High River (Alberta) Times
Here is the offending article.
(Thanks Brian)
Save The Language! The Oxford dictionary has created a Save the Words tool for people to adopt obscure words. I’m going with ‘cynicocratical.’ (adj, pertaining to rule by cynics.) [Via MiscMedia]
Battle Plans for Newspapers There are some good things in this article but the best is actually from reader ‘Valent’ in the comments:
There is a mistaken notion amongst many that without traditional newspapers we would lose critical coverage that costs money such as the oft-mentioned “Baghdad Bureau.”
The critical coverage of the Iraq War was what occurred in Washington,...
Toronto free daily uses unpaid interns after firing staff writers
Metro, which has published in Toronto since 2000, laid off four unionized staff writers and two managers last week. Recently hired unpaid interns are now putting out the paper. Metro is owned by the Toronto Star’s parent. [From Cam]
Billionaire oligarch/ex-KGB agent Alexander Lebedev has an audacious plan for the Evening Standard. Rather than print one afternoon edition for 50p, as it does now, the Izvestia Standard will print a full edition in the afternoon for 50p, then give the paper out free to homebound professionals at 7pm. The idea is to deal a blow to thelondonpaper and London Lite by sweeping up the...
Rebekah Wade, editor of the Sun, she of the Page 3 girl and White Van man (this would be London Sun, not Vancouver), is that rare major media domo who says that newspapers have a future. “The relentless negativity, this almost morbid fascination with our own demise, must stop.”
I’ve added three more cities to the Citysnapped Network. New York, Sydney, and Brisbane. Brisbane and Sydney are a little sparse right now but I’ve got the entire east wing of the organisation working to fix that.
Day one of my online renovation
This week is devoted to updating, improving, or closing my various sites, blogs, twitters, and other forgotten outposts.
Today I’ve updated my oldest, still existing, site Citysnapped. I originally set this one up to assist with the writing of Credit Check in Only. It’s a simple one-page that shows the days headlines for Vancouver. I’ve since...