Links from 2008

"Some tips on how to configure your development environment for screen reader testing." Although getting a dev to play with a screenreader can lead to a false sense of security; no substitute for proper testing.

"An increasing number of mobiles are coming with flat-rate data access as standard. Remember how much more eagerly we used the net when we stopped paying by the minute? Stop the cost clock and mobile booms. Checking mail, synching calendars. Using geo-tagging and location aware services to see what's cool and nearby for a quick impulse buy." No more in the article than that. Ranty counterpoint in the comments.

"The "Open Stack" refers to a set of technologies that work together to make it easier for web developers and users to manage access to user data across the Web."

Please don't shut this down, TfL.

"So, some of us guys and gals at Poke have started up a little club we call ‘Stuff Club’, in which we make stuff, y’know - for fun. The first thing we’ve made was actually a request by the Poke elders to do some kind of alternate Christmas tree for the office. So, naturally, we built a 8 foot square Alpine village (known as the Black Forest Ghetto) featuring a totally sweet Scalextric set with tunnels, bridges, mountains and sound reactive lights in all the trees and lil’ houses (they react to the music thats pumped out of the amp and speakers hidden in the base unit)." Hurrah for The Flippers.

More on Furoshiki from Recycle now.

"The Ministry of the Environment Government of Japan has a guide (PDF) on using cloth as opposed to paper for wrapping gifts to cut down on the wasted paper usually used in gift wrap." Next year.

"These products have been made to last. So that one day you can hand them down to someone else. And they can carry on their little journeys." Lovely.

Covering every current platform (PC/Mac/Linux, PSP, PS3, Xbox 360, DS, iPhone, N-gage), the 20 isn't just a list of independently made and under-appreciated games, it's a list of the games that celebrate what makes Offworld Offworld: the beautiful and the bizarre, and the games trying to push the medium forward and give us something we've never seen before, in whatever incremental way.

I will discuss the moment from when the product is completed, through the beta test, generating buzz, the press tour and launch.

"Why we advise against using justified text, with some links to useful background information on this issue." Amazing how many account/pm/client types ask for justified text.

"An exclusive first listen of the opening 20 minutes of his new Renaissance Master Series compilation (due out in late February)" featuring Boards of Canada, Trentemoller and (yes!) LJ Kruzer's remix of Cyan341.

A friendly discussion forum on the art and science of managing teams and leading projects.

“Is there Project Management Lingo?” Yes. Yes there is. My favourite in the comments: "What Would McGyver Do?"

Who knew that "Javascript, IP address-based lookup" had got so simple?

Help. Me.

PMS gets coverage in Wired. "We had another option and that was to tap into our customer base and their expertise. Let them do the expert filtering, selecting the best products and writing the corresponding reviews for us. At the time this was a pretty abstract idea and Warp were not able to even consider this as an option -- and in their defense, I can see why they saw this as a very big and scary idea."

Lipsum snippets for copying, with TextMate bundles.

Ultimately, the days of sticking the online equivalent of a brochure up on the internet and calling it your web strategy are over. It’s about presence - and presence requires ongoing activity. Just like going to work, being at a party, or any other kind of social milieu - just physically being there is not enough. You have to be doing something.

Can you suggest some replacements for standard, everyday household items that are far superior in terms of usefulness, luxuriousness and quality?

Review of John Tejada's Fabric 44 from the, er, Burton Mail. Cool! "Seamlessly mixed and constantly building, Tejada has turned in a stunningly good set combining his own innovative productions with tracks from the likes of Orbital, Spooky and LJ Kruzer."

"I called up technical support. They didn’t deny it. Instead, they tried to upsell me on a package that would give me an admin panel to allow more control over exactly how my packets were throttled. Screw. That." Amen.

CAKE. etc. "What is the best dessert you have ever created? This applies to cakes, pies, cookies, et cetera."

4ad 2008

Free 4ad mp3 sampler. TV On the Radio, Deerhunter, Stereolab, Minotaur etc. Skip the email address harvesting by looking for the link under the submit button.

Possible replacement for Harvest (which works reasonably well but is a little clunky). Harvest costs half as much per month for individuals, though.

More useful TextMate tips.

Poor man's CDN. Interesting, but not entirely convinced that this is a good idea.

Been wanting something like this for ages. Now all I need is an iPhone.

Mr. Tweet looks through your extended network to help you build effective relationships on Twitter.

My new favourite winter recipe. Making the pesto from scratch adds a fair amount to the prep time.

No alarms and no surprises.

Hurrah, 24 ways is back.

This is an ongoing project and doesn't yet contain all of the places we've reviewed, so please carry on using the 'Browse by area' section on the website.

Quite simply, john tejada has crafted an absolute stormer 75 minute mix of straight up techno that ebbs and flows perfectly. Ranging from detroit styled house, through to harder edged acid via some serene ambience, the mix is an excellent way to catch up when you don’t have the insider knowledge, nor budget to keep up with the more interesting, and dare i say it, somewhat exclusive, corners of the techno world.

Some good tips here. TextMate is by far and away the best editor I've ever used.

AWESOME! Maybe. Haven't read it yet.

"The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it." Must read.

"A series looking at different aspects of guardian.co.uk's rebuild and redesign project, which ran from October 2005 to September 2008." Must read.

Find and license music for any project—TV shows and advertisements, movies, websites, video games, podcasts, and more."

Handy.