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Infographic Critique: Iceland is Out of Orbit
A Junk Charts reader tipped us about this chart that appeared on the front page of one of their newspapers. It announced: "Iceland banks are in a universe of hurt".
As we all know, Iceland is bankrupt, and all its banks are spinning out of orbit. But is this outer-space concept successful in portraying the story? We think not.
PHOTO: Who doesn't want to play with this? Totally
Who doesn’t want to play with this? Totally lickable UI. FourTrack.
2008 City Railway System
According to the authors, each city's various subway structures and railway systems should reflect somehow the character of that city. In an effort to infuse the city's identity into its subway map, while also trying to simplify and beautify the original diagram, Kim Ji-Hwan and Jin Sol produced a series of original maps for three city subway systems - the Seoul Railway, Tokyo Railway and Osaka Railway. More cities are in the design phase and others are being planned.
The Tax Map
The Tax Map is a graph of the United States Tax Code, represented as a network. In the network each node represents a section of the tax code, while each edge represents a reference from one section to another. As the author explains, the project was born by a desire to better understand how the complexity of this mass of rules and exceptions would bear out if one were to "look at the mere structure of the tax code, stripped naked of its rules and semantics."
Etymology: One
Etymology is fascinating to me. Most recently I was reading about the history of the word “one”. Have you ever wondered why it’s pronounced wun instead of rhyming with own? According to the sources I’ve read (including the awesome Online Etymology Dictionary), it originally did. In fact, the word only still uses that pronunciation, and derives from the same root. The change apparently began in the 14th century in southwestern England, and by the 18th century it was in common usage.
Related: did you know that the term “one night stand” was originally used in reference to theater performance? It wasn’t until the 1960’s that it was first used in a sexual sense. Also, “one-of-a-kind” was first used in the 1960’s as well. On the other hand, “one fell swoop” was first used by Shakespeare, in Macbeth.
November 20, 2008: Google searches for voice; RIM looks Web-ready [TrendsMedia]
While it's not true for all mobile applications, many services enabled by the mobile Internet are meant to be as close to the traditional Internet experience as possible. That's where efficient and elegant device design and browser-power come in.
Sure, Microsoft announced plans last week for a new, mobile version of IE6, but it also only made an emulator of the forthcoming mobile browser available because the browser requires a more powerful handset--Redmond says IE6 needs new devices.
On the same note, Research In Motion is also ramping up its mobile Internet strategy with souped up devices like the Bold. Key partnerships like online social networking powerhouses like MySpace are only half the battle--the other challenge is keeping customers in your wheelhouse even after they discover the iPhone or Android's G1.
Looking back at trutap [Tom Hume]
At the Future of Mobile this last Monday we launched a new version of Trutap, one of the projects that's been keeping FP busy over the last 6 months. It's been a large project, involving 11 our our folks at various points through its lifecycle and a similar number of people at Trutap.
How to Uncover Pseudo-Standardistas
There is a growing and annoying trend that not quite supports healthy attempts for more accessible, faster, more maintainable, and best practice web development: Pseudo-Standardistas. There are several ways to unmask pseudos …
Three Italy won't sell me a Prepaid SIM [Martin]
Things can be simple when it comes to prepaid SIMs. You walk into a supermarket, get a SIM and 2 minutes later you are set. Not so with mobile operator '3' in Italy.
When I wanted to buy a prepaid SIM card from them this week they refused to sell me one. In the first store I went to at Roma Termini station, the shop assistant first doubted that it would work in my non Italian mobile phone. Once we cleared that they refused to accept my German identity card, which by the way is good enough for customs and for boarding airplanes as a valid identity. Hm, but not for buying a SIM card!? Ridiculous.
RIM looks web-ready at last [TrendsMedia]
Handset makers are increasingly looking to advanced integration of popular web services with their devices, to enhance the user experience and differentiate themselves from more generic webphones. And this is putting even more pressure on the manufacturers to soup up the power of their products, to support applications like YouTube video at top speeds. In this race, smaller vendors are often scoring points ahead of the giants, with RIM and even Taiwan's ASUS claiming performance breakthroughs this week.
On the integrated web apps front, Hutchison/3 has gone as far as to set up a subsidiary, INQ, to work with software organizations like Facebook and YouTube to create optimized handsets, and RIM is also turning to this approach to strengthen its nascent consumer strategy, which is based on making the smartphone into the hub for the user's 'four screen' internet (cellphone, landphone, PC and television).
First off, the BlackBerry maker has worked with social networking giant MySpace on an integrated version of its software, which promises the same sort of instant-response, push-based service that is familiar to business users of BlackBerry email.
The MySpace system will push social content, supporting a full messaging interface, real time status and mood updates, camera integration and optimized photo management, plus notification of new MySpace events like message and friend requests. In addition, MySpace will launch a new community page for BlackBerry users, offering access to content, videos, games, ringtones, skins and related features.
RIM's web services message should be reinforced by results of recent tests carried out by online laboratory CNET. This ran a full length movie, TV episode and audio track on five high end phones, the iPhone 3G, BlackBerry Bold, Samsung Instinct, LG Dare and HTC/T-Mobile G1. All were equipped with a 4Gb MicroSD except the 8Gb iPhone and all were running on 3G networks. The Bold blew away the competition on download speeds, performing at 13.9Mbps for the movie and 9.59Mbps for audio. The G1 came in second, with ratings of 5.99Mbps and 5.08Mbps; iPhone was third with 5Mbps and 2.79Mbps; the Dare performed at 1.49Mbps and 1.31Mbps; and the Instinct scored 0.79Mbps and 0.74Mbps.
Meanwhile, the Taiwanese device community is seeking to move into the branded, high performance market, in the footsteps of role model HTC. ASUS has shown off a smartphone, the P565, which it says has the most powerful processor at 800MHz - the average in high end handsets is 500MHz. The product also features the Glide touch-driven user interface and runs Windows Mobile, with the Office Mobile suite of apps. It is geared to business users.
This device epitomizes how far the Taiwanese manufacturers have come from their roots as makers of cheap, white label products for midmarket operators. HTC is now one of the highest profile smartpone makers, with its top range, the Windows-based Touch, selling under its own brand. Now ASUS covets the same move to brand loyalty and higher margins. Its P565 is equipped with a 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen, with HSDPA and Wi-Fi, plus a black leather case. Pricing has not yet been set.
CONFERENCIA EN SEVILLA
Mientras el Ibex se desplomaba y los mercados de medio mundo seguían certificando que la última bala, disparada en Washington, no ha servido de nada, yo explicaba a una sala abarrotada de universitarios andaluces que significaba que el dinero es arroz. Mientras agitaba a la audiencia para que no se traguen lo que les cuentan, que aprecien en la red social un espacio de verdad y sabiduría colectiva y mientras les anunciaba que el mundo se dirige hacia un estado de parada técnica que provocará un nuevo espacio de desarrollo mucho más justo, el planeta seguía su curso evidente hacia la catarsis controlada. La bolsa española en la casilla de salida de nuevo, demuestra algunas cosas pero esconde otras todavía más importantes. De eso he hablado en Sevilla durante las Jornadas de Violencia Desenfocada que organizaban la gente de Corchea69 y que tiene el aval y soporte de gente muy importante. Con ese escenario de fondo se pretende estimular el espíritu de debate y análisis de los jóvenes andaluces de diferentes universidades a cambio de unos cuantos créditos. Lo he pasado en grande. Ahí os dejo la presentación que durante dos horas he utilizado.