Sunday, September 29, 2002

foment: Dictionary.com Word of the Day. foment [Dictionary.com Word of the Day] 10:39:01 PM

User-Centered URL Design "These days, our URLs are loaded down with something ...: long strings of characters that exist only to satisfy some technical constraint, detracting from the effectiveness of our URLs as communication tools. Call it CMSjunk. "The advent of content management systems has been a boon in many ways, but the readability of URLs is not one of them. "Some might argue that, in a perfect world, URLs would be used only by machines, hidden entirely from users. But in our imperfect world, users have come to depend on URLs to communicate key information as they navigate through the Web. Systems that don't take this user behavior into account pull the rug out from under users who have come to rely on readable URLs. Recognizing that people really do read URLs — and, in turn, making those URLs easy for people to read — is really just an extension of the user-centered philosophy of design. It's all about creating systems that work the way people work, rather than the way technology works." [from Active path] 1:42:06 AM

Henry has constructed a functional harpsicord out of Lego.  Nice! 1:26:25 AM

"iSync" [Daypop Top 40] Perhaps synching over bluetooth isn't that far away after all. 12:42:04 AM

"Bluetooth starts to reach usefulness: My article in today's Seattle Times discusses how Bluetooth works and in which devices you can find Bluetooth support, or how to add it to existing equipment. My prognostication, implied in the article, is that once you have enough equipment shipping with Bluetooth built in, an extra $50 or so to enable your computer or laptop won't seem like much because of the additional utility. Cell data is the big motivator here: if I can get a 2.5 or 3G phone with Bluetooth that I can control entirely from my computer as a network connection, then why bother with infrared, cables, or other proprietary solutions?" [80211b News] I'm ready for the time when I can synch my PDA with my laptop, and listen to my mp3s via a wirless headset, from across the room. 12:38:06 AM