I like to talk endlessly about anything related to the design and development of websites and mobile apps, technology, and the creative industry, which may tickle your fancy.

Wow—what a read. I’ve never heard of Daniel Markham but the man can write. And he has a very interesting perspective of the world.

Nearly three years ago he wrote an article called “Technology is Heroin.” And while it’s an aging essay on how technology consumes our lives, it is still (if not more) relevant today. Everyone working in technology, especially web professionals, should read this. It’s also underscores that nagging discomfort you have as a parent about how much time your children are given to engage with the web, games, and mobile devices.

Via: strengththroughstruggle

According to venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson the following image is his photograph of Google’s first production server, circa 1999 (view the full-size, hi-resolution versions):

In the photo’s description he notes:

Each level has a couple of PC boards slammed in there, partially overlapping. This approach reflects a presumption of rapid obsolescence of cheap hardware, which would not need to be repaired. Several of the PCs never worked, and the system design optimized around multiple computer failures. According to Larry and Sergey, the beta system used Duplo blocks for the chassis because generic brand plastic blocks were not rigid enough.

I find it fascinating that Google went from this server to their server empire in a mere 13 years.

Italy’s Antonio de Rosa appears to be a concept designer. His portfolio comprises imagined products. Some of which, like his “OptimusTime,” have even been realized by other designers.

He seems to have a lot of exceptional ideas which would be cool to see in the real world. One such idea is his iCam, a camera casing which converts the iPhone into a full-featured camera, complete with a semi-professional lens.

The concept is outstanding. And while I don’t see Apple producing a product like this, Antonio would be wise to pursue this idea to see if he can bring it to fruition. Maybe even a Kickstarter campaign?

I’ve been using Sencha Touch for some time now and really love it. Sencha has other frameworks and software that don’t much interest me, but I have been intrigued with their mobile-animation offering, Sencha Animator. Primarily because it promotes the use of CSS3 animations over Flash.

I have been rolling my own CSS for around 12–13 years so WYSIWYG tools aren’t a part of my arsenal. But CSS3 animations are pretty time consuming to code by hand, so I decided I’m going to give it a go. And it has particular relevance to me because I am working on a new version of my mobile app for kids, Creature Mixup, in which I am considering some animation.

While pondering the use of Sencha Animator I discovered this awesome article which showcases use of a CSS3 animation in an iBook. For years I’ve been fascinated with the possibility of seeing video and animation in news articles and books. Not just embedded videos that you can click to watch, but moving pictures as seen in the Daily Prophet in the Harry Potter movies. And CSS3 animations are the answer. Especially in the world of mobile.

If “living” newspapers and books are among your dreams, check out Luca Candela’s “How to Embed Interactive CSS3 Animations in an iBook” for a glimpse into how to bring them to fruition. And watch the brief video below which shows a CSS3 iBook animation in action.

Absolutely, positively, 100% pure awesomeness. YouTube has published an animated vinfographic which puts into perspective the fact that one hour of video is uploaded to YouTube every second. The audio is (debatably) the best part and it gets more ludicrous with each stop.