Nice roundup of some notable design sites, articles, and other miscellany from last month. The 7-minute episode on Typography by PBS Arts is definitely worth watching.
Linked
Link Posts
The B&B Podcast, Episode 25: WhaatsAaaapp? →
A fun show with Ben and I as we unknowingly talked about the Amazon Kindle tablet just a few hours before MG Siegler posted his scoop.
Seth Godin: The Shower of Data →
What happens when something goes from scarce to surplus.
Put This On: Season Two on Kickstarter →
Put This On is one of the best things on the Internet. I’m backing season 2 — which promises to be significantly more exciting than season 1 — and you should, too.
Wren in Full-Screen Mode →
Who says full-screen mode has to mean “use up the whole screen even if you have nothing to put there”?
“The Entire Personal Computing Industry is Aligned With His Vision.” →
Great piece by Dr. Drang on the legacy of Steve Jobs:
> In a sense, you’re using a Steve Jobs product whether it has an Apple logo or not.
([Via Viticci.](https://twitter.com/#!/viticci/status/109445231929327617))
Do I Need to Know How to Code? →
Frank Chimero:
The mental leap in coding HTML and CSS is to learn the particular tags necessary to define the structure, hierarchy, and aesthetics. My belief is that learning them is a short step if a designer already understands typographic hierarchy, knows nesting relationships from producing outlines, and grasps separating aesthetics from structure by way of Styles in other software.
Over the years I have refused to allow myself to use a default WordPress theme or to hire an outside designer or developer to work on my site. If there is a certain look, design element, or functionality that I want but which I don’t know how to implement, then I will search out and learn how to do so.
Sure, some people have absolutely no desire to do design work or to learn to code because it’s simply not in the cards them. But for those of you who do think you could learn to code, I think the most important pre-requisite is curiosity.
Actually, that pretty much goes for any venture in life. You can do whatever you set your mind to.
Helvetindex Cards →
A dream come true for users of index cards.
More TouchPads on the Way →
Speaking of things that make you go “huh”, HP is making more TouchPads:
Despite announcing an end to manufacturing webOS hardware, we have decided to produce one last run of TouchPads to meet unfulfilled demand. We don’t know exactly when these units will be available or how many we’ll get, and we can’t promise we’ll have enough for everyone. We do know that it will be at least a few weeks before you can purchase.
Huh. I laughed when I read this. I told Anna about it during dinner and she laughed. It’s funny because it doesn’t make any sense. Didn’t HP have their $99 fire sale so they could unload their inventory of these things and move on?
Perhaps the $99 TouchPad was the fastest-selling item that HP has ever sold. Maybe HP wasn’t expecting the TouchPads to sell so quickly and the sudden rush of attention and sales got them all fired up and now they want to fan the flame and feel that rush one more time.
Content Management Systems Rap →
Chuck the SEO Rapper:
I have a new client with a site that uses Joomla.
I seen that and told him that he sholda’ came soonah.
RSS Feed Sponsorship Openings →
I’ve been selling sponsorships of the RSS feed for almost a year now as one of the primary revenue streams that has enabled me take the site full time. Moreover, the feedback from advertisers has always been positive, and a handful of companies have booked repeat sponsorships.
If you’d like to promote your company, product, or service to an audience of nearly 11,000 daily readers then right now is a great time to book a week-long, exclusive sponsorship.
And here’s some good news: as of last week there is a new format for the sponsorships. The “thank you” post goes up on Monday and is more like a mini-review of the sponsored product. This has quickly proven to be more interesting for readers and more effective for sponsors.
So, in short, readership is up, the format is improved, and the value is higher. Click through for more details and to get in touch.
Who’s Going to Protect Us From Cheap and Mediocre Now? →
Fantastic, poetic article on Steve Jobs by Jean-Louis Gassée.
Introducing Tools and Toys →
I now publish two websites: shawnblanc.net and Tools & Toys.
Tools & Toys is a collection of items for the pickiest of gadget geeks, software aficionados, snowboard junkies, music lovers, writers, coffee nuts, and all around collectors of fine paraphernalia.
This new site is going to be a lot of fun. The writing is brief, relaxed and playful, and all the items posted are awesome. I hope you enjoy it.
Screenshot of Steve Jobs’s Calendar →
How Jobs planned to spend his first day as an ex-CEO. (Via Viticci.)