Death metal band logos
Scary logos from Zyklon (Norway), Extreme Noise Terror (England), Vomitory (Sweden), Dead Infection (Poland), Regurgitate (Sweden), etc.
Netflix and fast iterations
“We make a lot of this stuff up as we go along. I’m serious. We don’t assume anything works and we don’t like to make predictions without real-world tests. Predictions color our thinking. So, we continually make this up as we go along, keeping what works and throwing away what doesn’t. We’ve found that about 90% of it doesn’t work.”
Kathy Sierra on how she makes her graphics
“People pay attention to graphics. They respond to graphics. They learn from graphics. If you want your readers/learners/audience to ‘get’ something as quickly and clearly as possible, use visuals. And you don’t have to be a graphic artist, designer, or information architect to put pictures in your presentation, post, or book. This post is my first attempt to categorize the kinds of graphics I do here, and offer tips for creating visuals that tell the story better and faster than words.” Related: The power of rough edges.
SmugMug saving big using S3
“Total amount NOT spent over the last 7 months: $423,686. Total amount spent on S3: $84,255.25. Total savings: $339,430.75. That works out to $48,490 / month, which is $581,881 per year…These are real, hard numbers after using S3 for 7 months, not our projections.”
LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy creates jogging-friendly track for Nike
“The DFA cofounder has just teamed up with Nike to release 45:33: Nike+ Original Run, a 45-plus-minute track designed to accompany joggers on their workouts. Displaying Murphy’s inimitable production style, the track has the dynamics and temporal ebb and flow of an eclectic DJ set, beginning with a long, warm-up segment, moving into a rousing Afrobeat crescendo, peaking with double-time disco, and finally coming back to earth on a parachute of cool, ambient synthesizers.”
Steven Wright’s paintings
The comedian is also a painter. He was recently interviewed by The Onion.
Daring Fireball: 'Beta' Is Not an Excuse
“What Disco smells like to me is released. And released software — particularly released software that is available for sale — is open for criticism. In what way does Disco, or any other app that is labeled ‘beta’ but is available for sale to the public, deserve to be cut any critical slack?”
Kottke: “For podcasts, there’s no need to fill airtime with anything but content”
“The playing of music before segments and as transitions between segments makes some sense on the radio, where it’s used in some cases to fill airtime. But for podcasts, there’s no need to fill airtime with anything but content. 30 seconds of music before the actual podcast begins is the audio equivalent of Flash splash pages on web sites.” Hmm, long intros can certainly be annoying but transitions that help bridge disparate parts can provide some nice breathing room and ease segueways.
Honda, individual enjoyment, and flow
“Many business thinkers write about managing innovation, as if innovation were a thing. But innovation is ultimately the expression of a set of behaviors originating in the individual. So rather than focusing our energy on understanding the output of those individuals (innovation), we should think instead about how to lead those individuals so that they can be as innovative as possible. Could creating a culture of innovation be as simple as cultivating a culture of enjoyment?”
How to get on TechCrunch
“Don’t use descriptions such as ‘revolutionary,’ ‘Web 2.0,’ ‘huge,’ ‘change the way you’ll use the Internet,’ and ‘disruptive.’ This is what Mike calls ‘cheap adjectives,’ and they are kisses of death in Michael’s eyes.”
RetailMeNot.com offers coupon and promotion codes for online stores
“Many online stores allow for a ‘coupon’ or ‘promotion’ code when you order to automatically assign discounts, deals and freebies (kinda like money for nothing). RetailMeNot.com is a place for finding and sharing these coupon codes. So… when you buy online, check here for discounts first (unless you’re frikkin crazy).” [via GE]
Minimalist breadmaking technique
“A truly minimalist breadmaking technique that allows people to make excellent bread at home with very little effort. The method is surprisingly simple — I think a 4-year-old could master it — and the results are fantastic.”
Apple ditches 'Mac Guy' in new ads
“Apple’s ‘I’m a Mac’ campaign is almost perfect: It’s funny, memorable, and efficiently lays out the advantages of Macs over PCs. It’s only defect: Virtually everyone who watches it comes away liking the ‘PC guy’ while wanting to push the ‘Mac guy’ under a bus.” Update: Mac Guy Justin Long denies he’s getting the boot (“I’m literally setting my alarm right now to wake up for a mac shoot tomorrow.”) [tx Jesper]
NanoNuno Umbrella uses lotus leaf for inspiration
“In nature, a fascinating effect is produced by the microscopic, rough nanostructure on the leaves of the lotus plant: Dirt and moisture simply roll off. This is because there is a much smaller surface area to which things can stick than on a smooth surface. The design of your NanoNuno® umbrella is based on this natural principle, with the result that moisture does not penetrate the fabric and so there is no tedious drying.”