We’ve been experimenting with HTML5 and applying it to some interactive storytelling concepts. The following is an intro to HTML5.
Introduction to HTML 5 from Brad Neuberg on Vimeo.
RADAR : MakerBot
The sign on the door reads MakerBot industries. Inside, boxes line the floors and there is a flurry of activity. A light humming sound fills the air. Machines buzz as they print physical objects that merely minutes before were 3D renderings on a computer screen. This is Bre Pattis’ ‘Botcave’ and within its walls resides a startup that intends to change the face of printing. The MakerBot is a box-like unit that prints using thin plastic, which it lays down layer by layer. Eyeglass frames, wall brackets, tweezers, action figures even a 3D rendering of Walt Disney’s head are all possible. Makerbot came out of NYC Resistor, a hackers collective offering shared knowledge and camaraderie. And out of Makerbot, the hopes are to create a revolution in crowd-sourced manufacturing.
Relevant sites:
Didactic puzzle OBLO
For those looking to increase their geometry skills. OBLO is a didactic 3D puzzle designed by Marko Pavlovic.
BOOKMARK: The Art of the Title Sequence
Worth a bookmark: Opening titles have been elevated to their own art form. The Art of the Title Sequence is a wonderful collection of opening and closing credits. You can browse the stills or watch the actual sequences in SD or HD versions. Just seeing a series of still images from a title sequence gives you a new appreciation for it.
GEAR: USB audio converter
Looking for easy ways to digitize your vinyl or use your laptop as a recording device?
Behringer UFO202 U-Phono High-Quality USB Audio Interface with Built-In Phono Preamp
PRICE: $30
MOBILE APP: Waze
Robert Scoble spends some time with the WAZE team. The following video is an overview of a crowdsourced traffic mapping / info app for mobile devices that uses drivers to report on various driving conditions. One aspect that caught my attention was the simple feature that turns your car into packman. Nothing like an old school game of GPS packman.
Here’s how the WAZE site describes the offering: “Real-time maps and traffic information based on the wisdom of the crowd. Waze is a FREE social mobile application providing free turn-by-turn navigation based on the live conditions of the road. 100% powered by users, the more you drive, the better it gets.”
BOOK: The Smashing Book
The folks at Smashing – an amazing resource site / community for web design and developers have just released a comprehensive resource in book form.
The Smashing Book is a printed book about best practices in modern Web design. The book shares technical tips and best practices on coding, usability and optimization and explores how to create successful user interfaces and apply marketing principles to increase conversion rates. It also shows how to get the most out of typography, color and branding so that you end up with intuitive and effective Web designs. And lastly, you will also get a peek behind the curtains of Smashing Magazine.