Gus Mueller: “The idea being that I call multiple operations in quick succession (from JSTalk) and then test each of those undos and make sure the state is exactly what it should be. I recently came across an instance where I needed to do the same thing in Objective-C code, so I thought I’d share with my fair readers the solution I came up with (experienced Obj-C coders will probably know right away what the solution is).”
AKA – Fun with blocks.
Within Windows: “In Windows 8, Ribbon usage is accelerating again, and Microsoft’s next major OS will include this UI in the most visible of all possible places, Windows Explorer. In early builds of Windows 8, this Ribbon UI is only half-finished and, frankly, of dubious value. In fact, based on the divergent ways in which various related UI elements are repeated around the window frame, we get the idea that the use of the Ribbon in Explorer is, in fact, quite controversial inside the halls of Microsoft’s Redmond campus.”
I honestly hope this is an April Fools joke, but somehow I don’t think it is. I’m one of those curmudgeons that thinks the Ribbon is hideous and one of the worst things Microsoft ever did to Office.
Good thing I like keyboard shortcuts.
Los Angeles Times: “On Monday, the DVD-rental chain that was once the biggest name in American home entertainment will go up for auction after a planned reorganization under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection failed when its financial performance deteriorated faster than expected.”
At one time, not that long ago, I used to love going into Blockbuster on a Tuesday afternoon to see the new releases. Now it’s Netflix.
Game over.
New York Times: “​Jones went ahead with the Koran burning anyway last week. Now at least 12 people at a U.N. compound in Mazar-i-Sharif have paid for his stunt with their lives.”​
Please don’t judge all Christians by the moves of one terribly misguide individual. He is an American equivalent of Al Qaeda, and a coward, not a Christian.
There’s no excuse for the atrocities committed in Afghanistan, but why provoke a bunch of zealots thirsty for blood? Especially when people that understand them warn you not to do it.
Reuters: “A new, custom-built facility in Utah meant to house computers that power the popular messaging service by the end of 2010 has been plagued with everything from leaky roofs to insufficient power capacity, people familiar with the plans told Reuters.”
It’s tough when a third-party can’t deliver and makes you look like a jerk. Stuff happens.
Steven Vore: “I’ve tried, in most of the companies and groups in which I’ve worked, to bring some sort of organization and order to the information storage side of things. To various extents, I’d like to think I’ve been successful. To be honest though, I’ve had the most success when I’m working with very technical people who, by their nature, prefer order over chaos. When I’ve been working with more business-oriented or creative folks, they see less need to contribute. They’re often grateful when I’m able to find things for them, but they’ve just not been as willing to invest the time to keep things tidy. Different personalities, different priorities.”
I’ve found this to be the case in the last two companies I’ve joined. Both have managed to get it together using Wikis and internal communication tools. I myself prefer Wikis, the free form nature suits my scattered brain. When documenting things I find it difficult to order my thoughts, so I don’t try. I write everything down as it comes to mind and order it later.
Elia Freedman“This is a huge change for Google and one I applaud. The old model was just not tenable. No one — and I mean no one except carriers and those manipulating the OS for their nefarious gains — liked what was happening to Android. As developers it was too many minute changes on too many platforms. It wasn’t one Android, it was 5000 of them: Verizon’s Android, AT&T’s Android, HTC’s Android, Motorola’s Android, Samsung’s Android, etc. And as developers we had to pick and choose which Android we would support.”
I’d imagine the developers that are trying to make money on this platform will love the change. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll mean a more consistent experience.
Justin Williams: “A notes app with native web, Mac, and iOS clients which supports rich (or Markdown) formatting on all three, and can do inter-note linking. There are a ton of apps in this space, but you can only get at most 2 of those 3 features in any one app.”
This is from Justin’s interview of Steve Frank of Panic for his new series “Show Me Your Pixels”
Get started, now.
Rob Rhyne: “I feel like we’ve all been here before. Another App Store rejection and another post on my (barely can be called a) blog. Since this is likely my final tome on the subject, I’m opting for a simpler approach. Instead of a rambling post about my continued woes of app review and more logical pleas for guidance from Apple, I’m posting a FAQ. A place to direct people as more of them discover Briefs and wonder what could have been.”
This is one of those sad times for Indie Developers. Briefs is a great application that could give designers and developers the freedom to play with design concepts before actually committing to them. It’s just darned sad to see something that could be so useful not make it to the store.
Rob, I know it wouldn’t be the same, but you should grab Chameleon and make it run on the Mac. Then you could at least distribute it from your company website. You could even wrap your work in an emulator-like window so people could get the effect.
SI.com: “NEWARK — Such is the state of this NCAA tournament, that I could wake up Friday morning in New Orleans thinking there were strong odds Houston’s Final Four would include two No. 1s (Ohio State and Kansas) and a No. 2 (Florida) … and then be in Newark on Sunday night, watching No. 4 Kentucky clinch the last spot — alongside No. 3 UConn, with No. 8 Butler and No. 11 VCU filling out the other half. I was stunned to witness the Bulldogs’ second straight Final Four-clinching win, and am still stunned when I see the teams printed on this bracket t-shirt.”
The BCS still believes its system is flawless. Witness the NCAA National Basketball Championship Tournament, it’s not perfect, but it’s still better than anything the College Football boys have put together.
Tournaments can be unpredictable, it’s part of what makes sports beautiful. Is it doable in the football world? Yes, I believe it is. Can you have the Big Four traditional bowl games? Yes, I believe you can. Does the BCS want to give up all that money? No, there in lies the problem. The game is driven by money. The kids don’t make a dime, but the Universities and their affiliates certainly do. Until that problem can be addressed the BCS will remain a very flawed system that pits two supposed greats against each other. Until that problem is addressed we’ll never know who the true National Champion is in NCAA Football. I’m pulling for Mark Cuban. I hope he turns College Football on its ear.
As for NCAA Basketball, it’ll be as clear as it can be in two more games.