Day: December 18, 2003

Those tiny graphics that appear in most modern browsers next to your URLs are called favicons. Here’s one starting point among dozens of possibilities for learning how to create one. I am so graphically challenged that I’ll have to get some help, but how hard can it be to do a clock? (Answer: for me, anything beyond words or digital picture = hard)

I often wait a couple of weeks when Software Update pops up with something new from Apple, to see if any bad news filters out over the first few days. But with MacOS 10.3.2, I didn’t wait on my 12″ PowerBook G4. Reports are coming in that this was a bad idea, in a minor way. Apparently, the fan will run continuously when the laptop is plugged in. Well, mine isn’t doing it (yet?). Here’s another report, from the Apple forums, which also has a link to a fix, which is too risky for my blood — especially since I’m not having the problem. There was also a separate update which is supposed to recalibrate the battery and give you additional time. That would be nice.

I don’t know much about CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), but I know enough to support them strongly, both at work (where it matters) and here (where I just grabbed a default theme, but made sure it employed CSS). Maybe after I get through all the lessons (great stuff, with solid, interactive examples) and start coding myself, the idea of making my CSS more efficient will be useful. I’ll save the link until then. In the meantime, here’s a post about fixed vs. liquid designs, in CSS and otherwise, by a design/interface expert (Doug Bowman), with interesting comments.

It’s still barely past research project, but here’s a ‘monitor’ made of air, in a NYTimes article. Technology like this will become important because of the growth of ‘gestural computing’ from the game status that got me so excited earlier this week.

I read this blog from time to time, via its RSS feed. I’ve worked with a really strong project manager a few times in my career, and it’s a blessing. Hard to tell for sure, but I like the way this person thinks, at least. Here’s a grid which boils down hard-earned experience into realistic choices for project lifecycles based on priorities. One size does not fit all. Acknowledge that up front, and life is much less grim (if not easier).

I’ve posted about metadata before. Here’s Jason Kottke’s already bemoaning the overabundance of metadata. His illustrations nicely, well, illustrate his point. What’s he really poking fun at is the high visibility of metadata, and the thought necessary to create it. Got to make it seamless to the process, or it’s another hurdle to jump.

I recently finished Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson’s latest novel. I’m not the only one.