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Can Email Be Responsive?

Way too much HTML email is still done with the old slice-and-dice table-and-spacer method. In a world where people are reading mail on their phones first (and remember that means connectivity is sporadic & slow too), we should be doing this better.

Can Email Be Responsive?

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying the popularity of HTML emails. And, like the web before it, the inbox has officially gone mobile, with over 50 percent of email opens occurring on mobile devices….

Some new details in this case: 1) The peanut butter-containing rice krispies treats were…

Lawsuit Filed in Tragic Peanut Allergy Death

Some new details in this case: 1) The peanut butter-containing rice krispies treats were prepared by camp staff, who had been informed of her (and other children's) allergy. 2) They were not labeled. 3) Camp staff couldn't find the key to the storage cabinet with spare epinephrine. Her father ended up breaking open the glass case with his hand to get her the third dose.

On Facebook

Webhost raising price for unique IP. SNI covers my own SSL use, but I’m also considering all-HTTPS. Compatibility:

Webhost raising price for unique IP. SNI covers my own SSL use, but I’m also considering all-HTTPS. Compatibility: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_Name_Indication

Sadly, looks like ancient WinXP and Android 2.x are still big chunks of those markets, which means they won’t be able to access SNI sites.

Advice on dealing with email without letting it take over.

Advice on dealing with email without letting it take over. I do some of these already: I use filters to pre-classify a lot, and I’ve pared down notifications to only the most critical. But it’s still a struggle to keep on top of it sometimes. Some of the other suggestions look like they’ll be helpful.

My Life with Email

Does your inbox constantly beg for attention? Do you suffer from always-on inbox anxiety? Email can easily take over your life—especially if you’re running a business. If that’s happening, it’s…

On LinkedIn

“And if one buys into the conspiracy theory that the government and Big Oil are colluding to keep high-mileage vehicles off the U.S. market…”

Snopes: Is Volkswagen’s 300 MPG Car Banned in the U.S.?

Is the federal government preventing Volkswagen’s XL1 model car from being sold in the U.S. because the vehicle is too fuel-efficient?

“And if one buys into the conspiracy theory that the government and Big Oil are colluding to keep high-mileage vehicles off the U.S. market in order to protect profits from gasoline says, one has to wonder why those powerful and malevolent entities aren’t doing anything to stop sales of cars produced by Tesla…”

(For the record, while Tesla has faced opposition, it’s not from the oil industry over their fuel source, but from car dealerships over their sales practices.)

The Million Dollar Homepage still exists, but 22% of it has rotted away

Remember the “million dollar homepage?” 9 years on, it’s still online, but 22% of its pixels/links are dead.

The Million Dollar Homepage still exists, but 22% of it has rotted away

Before Kickstarter and Indiegogo made crowdfunding projects simple for everyone, Alex Tew financed his college education by selling 10-by-10 pixel chunks of a webpage for $100 each. The Million Dollar…

Are PCs Dying? Of Course Not, Here’s Why

The desktop/laptop PC isn’t dying so much as the market is saturated and the upgrade cycle has slowed, while smart phones and tablets continue to demand regular replacements. Plus of course the lines are blurring.

Are PCs Dying? Of Course Not, Here’s Why

Reports of the PC’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. We’ve all heard that everyone’s just buying tablets and throwing out their keyboards and mice. But if you live in the real world, you see…

The audacious rescue plan that might have saved space shuttle Columbia

The audacious rescue plan that might have saved space shuttle Columbia

I was reading this last night. Obviously it was developed in hindsight, but it’s fascinating to see everything they would have had to do, and everything that would have had to go *exactly* right to reach Columbia before the crew succumbed to CO2 poisoning after a month in a craft that had been prepped for a mission less than half that time. Error margins are slim to nonexistent, and the time crunch would have put the rescue crew at risk as well. (via Slashdot)

On Facebook

The Magnifying-Glass Icon in Search Design: Pros and Cons

Recommendations on how to best use the magnifying glass icon for search fields. Oddly, there’s no mention of the problem that the icon is ALSO used for zoom controls.

The Magnifying-Glass Icon in Search Design: Pros and Cons


Users recognize a magnifying-glass icon as meaning ‘search’ even without a textual label. The downside is that icon-only search is harder for users to find.

Distributed technology vs. state abuses of such

Can We Avoid a Surveillance State Dystopia?

Distributed technology vs. state abuses of such. Cameras are everywhere — including in the hands of witnesses. Photos can be manipulated — by anyone, and the masses can spot and report a fake quickly. States or corporations can amass huge amounts of data — but a single whistleblower can smuggle out evidence of it in his pocket. (via Slashdot)

The polar vortex is a normal weather feature that usually circles within the arctic…

A Brief Meandering About the Polar Vortex (Bad Astronomy)

The polar vortex is a normal weather feature that usually circles within the arctic area. This year it dipped southward over North America, bringing extreme cold and snow to most of the continent…while Alaska experienced much milder temperatures than normal, California continued its drought, and the southern hemisphere experienced record summer heat.