Trevor Filter is a web and information designer who lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts (where he also goes to school). This is his personal tumblelog, which is mostly a conduit for exploring the proper way to use sarcasm on the internet.
If people are psyched on it, it’s going to get out there, because there is a demand for it…. Obviously you want people to buy your record, mostly because that’s the way you make a living. But also the packaging is important to me. I like putting work into that side of it and having it become these fickle ones and zeros floating around cyber space—it’s not very romantic.
— Chris Keating on how Odd Blood leaked almost two months in advance of its Feb. 9 release date (via BOMB; thanks Nate)
Chris Keating: “I wanted [Odd Blood] to sound like something made by aliens who came down from the future and evaluated culture by listening to different club music from different countries.” I’ve held off posting audio from this album, but it comes out tomorrow, so enjoy.
From McSweeney’s Internet Tendency:
After a long struggle with illness, Timothy McSweeney passed away on January 24. He was 67 years old. As a young man, Timothy was an artist of tremendous talent. The canvases he leaves behind are filled with haunting and beautiful imagery. They are also filled with a palpable desire—to be heard, to connect, to be understood better by others and himself. The letters that inspired this journal’s name were a continuation of that same lifelong effort to more intimately know the world and his place within it.
Wow, this first aid station is great. Emergency supplies should have one primary design function, and that’s immediate access; this box is the first I’ve ever seen that’s noticeable, memorable, and accessible enough to perform said function splendidly. Insta-buy.
Um, yes, that’s me, in the “Unsung Heroes” sidebar on THEONION.COM… WHAT UP.
Reblogged from doworkdesign
i don’t know, let’s drink
— Subject line of Class of 2010 email advertising tonight’s back-to-school pub night. BEST CLASS EMAIL EVER.
Suspense. Also: meta.
Naturally, many geeks are writing up their thoughts on Apple’s new tablet tonight. Without being overwhelmingly detailed, here are mine.
In fact, I think the iPad is actually a big step toward the future we’ve been talking about for quite a while now. I also think that the major reason everyone’s so disappointed is that they were looking for a gimmick—like a camera, or wireless headphones, or a proximity sensitive display. But we’re just not there yet. This version’s a starting point.
For starters, look at how cheap it is: if the iPad were bleeding edge (like the iPhone was), it would be a lot more expensive. This time around, Apple’s more interested in satisfying demand than serving early adopters (which is also probably why they’ve brought more and more of the manufacturing and hardware design in-house).
No; instead, this is the interface that no one knows they want yet—for checking email and browsing the internet; for weeknights after work or for weekend couch-lounging. Moreover, I think that the next iteration of the iPhone OS (4.0) is going to unlock a lot of the *really* interesting features (e.g., a better lock screen, multi-tasking, “one more thing”). Right now I’m imagining something along the lines of the 3Com Audrey, but wireless, well executed, and with better timing and targeting (to yuppie millennials instead of families).
What really gets me excited, however, is the 3G data connection. Apple realizes that omnipresent Wi-Fi is a pipe dream and isn’t coming fast enough, and that 3G is the only means toward ubiquitous data access (in fact, I wouldn’t be too surprised if the 3G chip was also 4G-compatible). From here, it’s a small step (i.e. software upgrades) to leverage other devices like the Apple TV and desktop Macs for the purposes of accessing and controlling their content remotely. I think Apple’s recent acquisition of Lala points in this direction.
Consider this for a second: what if all of your music, movies, documents, pictures, etc. could exist in the cloud? If you’re like me, there’s a good chance that your email, calendar and contacts are already there. But, if all of my media were also in the cloud, I wouldn’t need my terabyte backup drive for anything but… backups (which, in turn, I wouldn’t need for anything but my own peace of mind). Now, think about how much closer the iPad actually takes us to making that cloud dream a reality.
That’s the significant part of today’s announcement.
That’s what got Steve Jobs so giddy and excited.
Even though I’m somewhat underwhelmed by the design of this new device, what with its thick and toylike display margin (I guess the thumbs have to go somewhere), and goofy-looking home screen whitespace; I’m incredibly compelled by the potential of the platform. For most of my life, I’ve been wondering what interfaces and media consumption will look like in twenty years, but seeing that clip of Star Trek on the iPad was the first time I’ve ever thought we were getting close.
Dear everyone (and everyone else you know),
A friend of mine is undertaking what I consider to be a Very Important Project, which is to create a compendium of happiness—or rather, a book filled with contributions of “happy moments, happy stories, and happy memories.” I want you to help.
I have no idea what final form this project will take, but I do hope that it becomes something much bigger than just a book that sits on a shelf. I think that nowadays we neglect to pursue happiness on a regular basis… e.g., at the moment, I can’t recall the last time I paused to reflect on my own favorite things from the past, and I think that’s awful.
On my friend’s behalf, I’d like to ask for your contributions. In her words:
Tell me about one of your happiest or favorite memories. An instance you always look back on that makes you smile or laugh. A time in your life that you thought was miserable but, looking back, was magical. You can be brief or prolific, silly or profound. You can give background details or you can leave them out. You can focus on the minute, the hour, the weekend, the year. Spend a little while thinking (it’ll be fun, I promise) and then start typing.
So, if you would, take a few minutes to post a happy moment.
The personal reflection should be worth it alone.
Oh, and don’t forget to reblog this if you also think it’s Very Important.
Thank you,
Trevor
