It used to be that when you opened your Gmail account you would see a bland, blank page with the text “Loading…” in the upper-right corner of the screen, as you waited for your browser to download the Gmail scripts and to make contact with the mail server to download the list of messages and [...]
Archive for the 'Design' Category
Making Gmail a More Welcoming Experience
Published by May 19th, 2008 in Design, Google, Reviews, Software 1 CommentVista’s Purple Screen of Death
Published by December 3rd, 2007 in Design, Software, Windows 21 CommentsWe’ve all heard of (and, quite unfortunately, experienced) the infamous Blue Screen of Death. Some of us who tested the earlier Windows Vista beta builds had the unique experience of trying out the Red of Screen Death, which occurred when the bootloader experienced an un-handled exception (we experienced more than our fair share of these [...]
Although we try our best to be impartial when it comes down to OS wars, and we have, throughout the years, presented the pros and cons of Windows, Linux, and other operating systems, you’ve probably noticed that NeoSmart Technologies isn’t too big on Apple. Well, color us purple, but this we have to talk about.
Apple [...]
The (already!) multi-million dollar startup Geni has a lot going for it. It taps into the obsessive “art” of genealogy - once you get going, you can’t stop. It has tons of money (from 0 to a 100MM in two months!) and a huge work-force. Unlike all other genealogy websites: it doesn’t really need maintenance. Family [...]
My.Netscape: Two Years too Late?
Published by March 6th, 2007 in Corporate Talk, Design, Reviews 0 CommentsPardon the word-play, but the “all-new” My.Netscape launching tomorrow may very well be two years too late. When talking about a highly-dynamic market like the social web, it’s important to be on-the-ball with what you offer and when you offer it. It’s a cut-throat market, and being a month late can make all the difference - [...]
Hard-Wired Alternative Layout Keyboards
Published by February 17th, 2007 in Design, Hardware, Programming, Software 1 CommentAlthough the jury is still out on whether or not alternative keyboard layouts really do stress on the joints and tendons in typical day-to-day typing excercises, and that even the speed-typing results aren’t very clear, one salient fact hasn’t been disputed: There is no real reason to ever use the QWERTY layout. Following no real [...]
The Ultimate Plugin Administration Interface
Published by January 26th, 2007 in Design, Programming, Software 2 CommentsLet’s assume you have a decent web platform. It may be a CMS, a forum, a blog, a gallery, or a wiki - the point is, it works. And this platform has plugin functionality. Let’s go ahead and also assume that the process of writing a plugin and extending/modifying the functionality of existing code is made [...]
"Padding-" and "Margin-" – What’s the Difference?
Published by January 25th, 2007 in Design, Guides, Programming, Software 4 CommentsMany intermediate and begginer CSS designers get confused when it comes to padding and margin values. What’s the difference? They both just shift stuff, so why the different names? Don’t they do the same thing?
Although the behavior of margin- and padding- is very similary, there is one important difference: margin- is on the outside of [...]
There’s something thrilling about seeing a big server down on its knees. It probably has something to do with the complexity of an IT Managers job: no matter how many redundancy tiers you have and how hard you work to keep it up, something is going to go wrong, sometime. Along side famous error messages [...]
It looks like Bloggers and tech start-ups aren’t alone in going for smooth curves, design refreshes, and a new, prioritized take on how things look to the audience just as much as how they feel and what they do: automobile manufacturers have just joined the game! Case-in-point: the new Ford Interceptor. Talk about different!
It’s still [...]
