Watercolour map of London Stamen design have used OpenStreetMap data to produce full zoomable maps that look like they've been made with watercolours. Beautiful.
The most highlighted passages of all time on Kindle Just 4 books account for the top 10. And I promise you that unless you've already looked at this, you will not expect what 2 of them, that between account for fully 7 of the top 10, are. The first one that is something I might myself have quoted comes in at 14.
Fairytales are all around us. Del spots a fairytale happening on her commute. This morning, I watched 2 JCBs do a mating dance, then wind up hand in hand, the scoop of one left resting inside the scoop of the other. What do you see on yours?
I can’t stop reading this analysis of Gawker’s editorial strategy » Nieman Journalism Lab Here's an interesting insight into the view-economics of web-based journalism. Short version: linkbait trivia attracts more views than serious writing, but not remotely significantly more, and basically, without the more serious stuff, odds are most publications would lose even the linkbaited audience – people will read the daft stuff from a publication they view as at least slightly credible, but not from somewhere that's obviously *just* trolling for eyeballs. Unrelated: welcome to the 21st century, where the utterly absurd phrase "trolling for eyeballs" makes perfect sense. My grandmother would be so confused.
100 Real Tweets from Homophobes Who Would Murder Their Gay Child Here is a dose of bleak for you all. Because I hate you, and want you to despair. Or, perhaps just because I think it does those of us who are decent, tolerant and human to be reminded who the enemy is every so often. (I am aware that some of us find it easier to forget than others.)
The Daily Mirror have use a photo of an innocent young woman as a serial killer Sounds ludicrous, doesn't it? They've thieved a photo from someone's on-line gallery (bad enough in the first place) and used it as a photo to illustrate an article about a real serial killer, as if the person in the picture was the killer. Said person is not even remotely connected with the crimes in question. I'm really just blogging this for the sheer WTF factor….
How to write faster. – Slate Magazine No shattering insights, but the sort of everyday tips that it's worth reminding oneself of every so often, particularly the importance of routine over quantity.
Sun Drums I wish to acquire this for to listen to on the electrical ipod. I must remember to download it when I get home. For free and everything.
PayPal Here Paypal have launched a competitor to Square. Neither are available in the UK, so I don't care that much, but they're an indicator of the future, and it's good to see competition in this space. Although frankly, I think you'd have to be mad to try and run a serious business with Paypal, given their oft-demonstrated willingness to simply seize their users assets for spurious reasons like "we thought you were making too much money".
Rob Reid: The $8 billion iPod | Video on TED.com It's not going to come as a galloping shock to anyone here to discover that the numbers quoted by the pro-copyright-enforcement lobby in terms of lost revenue and jobs are total crap, btu this TED talk makes it clear just how much total bullshit they are. And is funny. Go watch.
Amazings This is brilliant, but I don't live in East London. This does not seem like the sort of thing it would be hard to roll out to new areas, mind. I just wish they'd hurry up and get to poor neglected Tooting.
Internet of Things Camera – I have often thought that I should learn a bit about this arduino business that all the cool kids are playing with. This one speaks directly to my interests, and looks (relatively) simple. If I find the spare time and cash, it might be a good place to start.
Crossed Mr Spurrier has a new free-to-air weekly webcomic for your delight and edification, which I urge you to read. I cannot possible top the official blurb for it, so here it is: “Wish You Were Here is a story about a fixed community on one of the bleak little rocks off the coast of Scotland. It’s about monsters who look like people, and people who act like monsters. It’s about how a changed world changes its inhabitants. It’s about class and violence and dignity and love. It’s about twenty-four doomed souls, each with their own story, trying to find a reason to Stay Alive. It’s about resources and strategy and survival. It’s about faith and art and misery. Oh, and in Episode #3 a cow shits out a grenade and explodes.”
3.1 Million Pixels Are Heavy (Global Moxie) Food for thought as regards serving images to the iPad3. And, indeed, any similarly hi-res display. Even if one were tempted to pretend the problem didn't exist for now, because it's "only" the iPad (and I'm aware of the absurdity of that position already, in any case), we're clearly going to reach a point where other displays are as good as well.
A Precious Hour I am generally at my happiest when I do this. I should make sure I do it more.
What will the #NHSbill do? I don’t think you’re worried enough. Read this, maybe write to your MP. – bengoldacre – secondary blog Just in case you're in the UK and have missed this, here's Ben Goldacre, on the bald facts of the NHS Bill, which are basically that it clearly signals the end of free healthcare in Britain. Any MP voting in favour of this bill is the kind of scum who wants their children (and yours) to receive less than they themselves have had. Write to your MP, and inform them that you will note vote for them again if they vote in favour of this bill, because voting for the kind of creature that would endorse this makes you one of them.