Month: March 2010

When the Blind Design: 10 Websites that Just Shouldn’t Exist

There are websites that are just so broken that anyone can see what’s wrong. From truly heinous bridal clothing stores to bizarre and incompetent internet marketers, we’ve tracked down the ten ugliest, least functional, and most utterly bizarre websites we could find.

When you design websites for a living, even the smallest error on an otherwise great site can bring its credibility down. From broken RSS feeds to annoying image borders, small errors that go unnoticed by almost everyone can become a burning annoyance to an experienced designer. Designers, please take some sedatives before you read this list, or at least try to stay calm as you’re reading.

See them here: http://www.addtodesign.com/2010/03/when-the-blind-design-10-websites-that-just-shouldnt-exist-2/

There are websites that are just so broken that anyone can see what’s wrong. From truly heinous bridal clothing stores to bizarre and incompetent internet marketers, we’ve tracked down the ten ugliest, least functional, and most utterly bizarre websites we could find.

When you design websites for a living, even the smallest error on an otherwise great site can bring its credibility down. From broken RSS feeds to annoying image borders, small errors that go unnoticed by almost everyone can become a burning annoyance to an experienced designer. Designers, please take some sedatives before you read this list, or at least try to stay calm as you’re reading.

See them here: http://www.addtodesign.com/2010/03/when-the-blind-design-10-websites-that-just-shouldnt-exist-2/

From Tin Cans to Touchscreens: The 40 Most Important Phones in History

With all due respect to Alexander Graham Bell, he couldn’t possibly have known that his patent for “the method of, and apparatus for, transmitting vocal or other sounds telegraphically” would one day give birth to the modern day smartphone. He couldn’t have foreseen the wonders that we take for granted today, like text messaging and voice-to-text searches.

We now live in a connected world, and today’s smartphones define what it means to be a power user. Want to look up turn-by-turn driving directions on your phone? There’s an app for that. There’s an app for just about everything, even if they’re sometimes tough to find (we’re looking at you, Android Marketplace).

But for as much as we rely on our iPhone, Nexus One, or BlackBerry, it wasn’t that long ago when you wouldn’t think of trying to cram a mobile phone in your pocket. Remember when pagers were all the craze? Like computers, communication devices continue to evolve at a rapid pace, becoming faster, more portable, and increasingly flexible in functionality. It’s been a wild ride getting to where we are today, and to pay homage to that journey, we take a look back at 40 of the most important phone models of all time.

Read more here: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/40_most_important_phone_models_history_human_communication?page=0%2C0

With all due respect to Alexander Graham Bell, he couldn’t possibly have known that his patent for “the method of, and apparatus for, transmitting vocal or other sounds telegraphically” would one day give birth to the modern day smartphone. He couldn’t have foreseen the wonders that we take for granted today, like text messaging and voice-to-text searches.

We now live in a connected world, and today’s smartphones define what it means to be a power user. Want to look up turn-by-turn driving directions on your phone? There’s an app for that. There’s an app for just about everything, even if they’re sometimes tough to find (we’re looking at you, Android Marketplace).

But for as much as we rely on our iPhone, Nexus One, or BlackBerry, it wasn’t that long ago when you wouldn’t think of trying to cram a mobile phone in your pocket. Remember when pagers were all the craze? Like computers, communication devices continue to evolve at a rapid pace, becoming faster, more portable, and increasingly flexible in functionality. It’s been a wild ride getting to where we are today, and to pay homage to that journey, we take a look back at 40 of the most important phone models of all time.

Read more here: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/40_most_important_phone_models_history_human_communication?page=0%2C0

This Is Why People Hate the Phone Company, AT&T (Femtocell Rant)

Reading AT&T’s announcement that the nationwide rollout of its femtocell product–called the Microcell 3G–is about to begin called into sharp relief the level at which I expect to get screwed by the phone company. About halfway through decoding the PR doublespeak, I had an epiphany. It was if I suddenly saw the words on the page for the very first time. I’m so used to the phone company selling me services I don’t need at a price that’s unreasonable (bordering on ludicrous) that I’d moved beyond apathy to blind acceptance. Let’s break down the femtocell announcement, one paragraph at a time.

Read the rant here: http://www.tested.com/news/this-is-why-people-hate-the-phone-company-att/60/

Reading AT&T’s announcement that the nationwide rollout of its femtocell product–called the Microcell 3G–is about to begin called into sharp relief the level at which I expect to get screwed by the phone company. About halfway through decoding the PR doublespeak, I had an epiphany. It was if I suddenly saw the words on the page for the very first time. I’m so used to the phone company selling me services I don’t need at a price that’s unreasonable (bordering on ludicrous) that I’d moved beyond apathy to blind acceptance. Let’s break down the femtocell announcement, one paragraph at a time.

Read the rant here: http://www.tested.com/news/this-is-why-people-hate-the-phone-company-att/60/

The Real Truth About Broadband Speeds

Suppose you went to the supermarket to buy a pound of steak for dinner and when you got home you noticed that the package seemed very light. So you went back and complained to the manager, only to be told that the label says “up to 1 pound,” and you’re stuck with it.

You’d be furious, of course. But that seemingly ridiculous stratagem is used every day by broadband providers across the country. Don’t believe me? Check your agreement. In my case, AT&T tells me that I’m entitled to upload speeds of “up to” 3 Mbps and download speeds of “up to” 384 kbps. What do I have? Download speeds that average about 15 percent slower depending on the time of day, and upload speeds that are more or less as promised.

You can do the math as well I can. A big file, such as a backup or a photo album that takes 120 minutes to download at 3 Mbps, takes an extra 17 minutes at 2.5 Mbps, my actual download speed.

Read more here: http://www.pcworld.com/article/192128/the_real_truth_about_broadband_speeds.html

Suppose you went to the supermarket to buy a pound of steak for dinner and when you got home you noticed that the package seemed very light. So you went back and complained to the manager, only to be told that the label says “up to 1 pound,” and you’re stuck with it.

You’d be furious, of course. But that seemingly ridiculous stratagem is used every day by broadband providers across the country. Don’t believe me? Check your agreement. In my case, AT&T tells me that I’m entitled to upload speeds of “up to” 3 Mbps and download speeds of “up to” 384 kbps. What do I have? Download speeds that average about 15 percent slower depending on the time of day, and upload speeds that are more or less as promised.

You can do the math as well I can. A big file, such as a backup or a photo album that takes 120 minutes to download at 3 Mbps, takes an extra 17 minutes at 2.5 Mbps, my actual download speed.

Read more here: http://www.pcworld.com/article/192128/the_real_truth_about_broadband_speeds.html

Top 10 computer games of all time

You know what they say about all work and no play. This week it is time to count down the best computer games of all time

In actual fact there’s a growing body of research that shows game playing can improve productivity by allowing the brain to concentrate on other things for a while. It makes sense to me, we have after all evolved playing games that have allowed us to try out new mental strategies.

http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/170181,top-10-computer-games-of-all-time.aspx

You know what they say about all work and no play. This week it is time to count down the best computer games of all time

In actual fact there’s a growing body of research that shows game playing can improve productivity by allowing the brain to concentrate on other things for a while. It makes sense to me, we have after all evolved playing games that have allowed us to try out new mental strategies.

http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/170181,top-10-computer-games-of-all-time.aspx

Dell Alienware Area-51 Core i7-980 X Infused Gaming PC

Historically, Alienware had been known for the same impeccable build quality and top-shelf components that put many a performance PC start-up on the map. However their chassis designs were a bit over the top for some folks to handle. With a pair of bulbous alien eyes looking back at you like a hood ornament with a bad attitude and bubbly, rounded high gloss chassis designs, Alienware machines were a “you either love ’em or hate ’em” sort of thing. That said, four years later, Dell has managed to assimilate the Alienware colony and what has emerged is a significantly more refined and stylish chassis design along with the same bleeding edge component selection and build quality.

Hot hardware review: http://hothardware.com/Articles/Alienware-Area51-6Core-Infused-Gaming-PC-Review/

Historically, Alienware had been known for the same impeccable build quality and top-shelf components that put many a performance PC start-up on the map. However their chassis designs were a bit over the top for some folks to handle. With a pair of bulbous alien eyes looking back at you like a hood ornament with a bad attitude and bubbly, rounded high gloss chassis designs, Alienware machines were a “you either love ’em or hate ’em” sort of thing. That said, four years later, Dell has managed to assimilate the Alienware colony and what has emerged is a significantly more refined and stylish chassis design along with the same bleeding edge component selection and build quality.

Hot hardware review: http://hothardware.com/Articles/Alienware-Area51-6Core-Infused-Gaming-PC-Review/

How Popular Tech Companies Got Their Names

By now, most of us have heard the story of how Google got its name. But Google isn’t the only company out there with an odd name. And it certainly isn’t the only name with an interesting story. Here is the list of stories behind the naming of popular tech companies.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tech-fun/how-popular-tech-companies-got-their-names/

By now, most of us have heard the story of how Google got its name. But Google isn’t the only company out there with an odd name. And it certainly isn’t the only name with an interesting story. Here is the list of stories behind the naming of popular tech companies.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tech-fun/how-popular-tech-companies-got-their-names/