Hello All –
This past week was a somber one on many fronts. From the news of the giant iceberg breaking off of Antarctica, to geo-political events around the world, it is sometimes easier to focus upon what is front of us. We look at a few of the more troubling and stark environmental realities, which are happening more frequently. Some interesting code and design articles this week, along with maintaining one’s own privacy and the data and information we share with our mobile phones. Technology has illuminated so much of our daily lives, yet it is still important to be vigilant about what we share and when we share it.
Abstract, The Art of Design on Netflix was shared on this list before, but I wanted to call attention to this series again. Well worth a watch to see how builders, designers, and developers from many varied disciplines use design to solve important problems. In light of all of the bad news, this series is a good reminder of the effect that great design can have upon our lives.
Have a great weekend.
M
1. It’s Time To Make Code More Tinker-Friendly
“Back in ye olde days of the information superhighway, curious newbies had an easy way to see how websites worked: View Source. If they clicked that option in the browser, presto! It would display the HTML and bits of Javascript that created the page. Cut and paste that code into their own domain and they could produce their own version of the site, altering and morphing it to their taste and learning along the way. That’s how many of today’s midcareer coders learned: They peeked behind the Wizard of Oz curtain.”
https://www.wired.com/story/clive-thompson-tinker-with-code/
2. Exclusive: Inside Airbus’ Modular Plane Concept, Transpose
“Is this the thing that will make flying less terrible?”
https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/11/15948600/airbus-modular-plane-project-transpose-next-level-video-lauren-goode
3. Michael Cina – Artist Designer Typographer
“Michael Cina is a world-renowned, award-winning art director, typographer, and visual artist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition to being founder of his design agency, Cina Associates, he is also founder of famed online designer resource, YouWorkForThem. Cina is an accomplished abstract painter whose work has been exhibited worldwide and can be seen on numerous album covers for various labels, most notably, Ghostly International.”
“You have to take risks in order to move forward—I feel very passionate about that. I always say that if you feel uncomfortable, then you know you’re doing something right.”
https://thegreatdiscontent.com/interview/michael-cina
4. Giant Iceberg Splits From Antarctic
“One of the biggest icebergs ever recorded has just broken away from Antarctica. The giant block is estimated to cover an area of roughly 6,000 sq km; that’s about a quarter the size of Wales.”
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40321674
5. The Uninhabitable Earth
“Famine, economic collapse, a sun that cooks us: What climate change could wreak — sooner than you think.”
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/07/climate-change-earth-too-hot-for-humans.html
6. If You Fix This, You Fix A Big Piece Of The Climate Puzzle
“There’s no single solution for climate change, but there is one that would be more effective than others. What do you think it is?”
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/13/climate/climate-change-make-a-difference-quiz.html
7. 21 Filling Vegetarian Salads That Are Standalone Meals
Great Summertime recipes.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/68861692-nyt-cooking/6856439-21-filling-vegetarian-salads-that-are-standalone-meals
8. Students Are Better Off Without A Laptop In The Classroom
“What do you think they’ll actually use it for?”
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/students-are-better-off-without-a-laptop-in-the-classroom/
9. Logged In And Zoned Out.
“Laptop computers are widely prevalent in university classrooms. Although laptops are a valuable tool, they offer access to a distracting temptation: the Internet. In the study reported here, we assessed the relationship between classroom performance and actual Internet usage for academic and nonacademic purposes.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28182528
10. When You Should (And Shouldn’t) Share Your Location Using A Smartphone
Last week after my motorcycle malfunctioned and crashed on the freeway, I wanted only two simple things from technology: to call 911 and to tell loved ones where I could be found.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/12/technology/personaltech/using-location-sharing-apps.html
11. What We Lose When The World Moves On From Email
Though its political implications are yet unclear, the publication of an email chain in which Donald Trump Jr. arranged a June 2016 meeting with a lawyer peddling the Russian government’s help for his father’s presidential campaign ought to inspire some pretty obvious tech advice: Step away from the inbox, stupid!
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/12/technology/what-we-lose-when-the-world-moves-on-from-email.html
12. Worried About The Privacy Of Your Messages? Download Signal
BY the time you finish reading this column, you would be foolish not to download the messaging app Signal onto your smartphone and computer.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/technology/personaltech/worried-about-the-privacy-of-your-messages-download-signal.html
13. Abstract: The Art of Design
A look beyond blueprints and computers into the art and science of design, showcasing great designers from every discipline whose work shapes our world.
https://www.netflix.com/title/80057883
