May 15, 2008
'Why Does Everything Suck' explains how the baked-in P2P in the new Flash Player = The Death of CDNs

catbird:

(*note to non-nerds: “CDNs” does not equal “Canadians.”)

 the times are changing. flash is on the up-and-up, I wonder what the RIAA will do. 

May 14, 2008

on listening to music...

music enhances experiences, making some bearable, and others spectacular. other times it simply exists in the background. i rarely use my computer without listening to music at the same time. 

i’m a passive listener and don’t generally take note of what’s playing. i’ll either put on an album and press play, shuffle my most recently added tracks, or listen to some random streaming songs on muxtape or hypem.

if a song is particularly good it will catch my attention and i’ll go back and listen to it again or make note of its title.  these are the standout songs that make me happy, and listening to music passively and constantly helps me find them. this sort of music discovery comes naturally — it’s kind of like listening to the radio and getting excited after realizing how much you like a song. 

aside: i’m trying to figure out what spawns singular-loop listening, you know, when you’ll listen to the same track on loop 87 times. those are the really standout tracks. 

“ I welcome laptops; I want students online in my class. I think they are capable of multitasking.
Ellen S. Podgor, How Professors Are Using Technology: a Report from the Trenches
May 11, 2008
May 6, 2008
“ She recommends practicing a Japanese technique called kaizen, which calls for tiny, continuous improvements. “Whenever we initiate change, even a positive one, we activate fear in our emotional brain,” Ms. Ryan notes in her book. “If the fear is big enough, the fight-or-flight response will go off and we’ll run from what we’re trying to do. The small steps in kaizen don’t set off fight or flight, but rather keep us in the thinking brain, where we have access to our creativity and playfulness.

Can You Become a Creature of New Habits? - New York Times (via roadtosandhill)

Iteration can be applied to nearly every aspect of life. Make small, incremental changes, and test them. It works well for design, and works for life, too.

May 5, 2008
Tim Westergen, founder of Pandora, was at NU today and gave a talk at Kellogg on this history of Pandora, his thoughts on the world of online music, why the concept of radio is still pertinent, and where Pandora is heading. It was inspiring and I was impressed by his domain-specific knowledge.
Tim Westergen, founder of Pandora, was at NU today and gave a talk at Kellogg on this history of Pandora, his thoughts on the world of online music, why the concept of radio is still pertinent, and where Pandora is heading. It was inspiring and I was impressed by his domain-specific knowledge.
May 4, 2008
(via jamtoday) I took this picture, e-mailed it to James asking if he was behind it, and now he’s posting it on his tumblr. I’m still curious what it’s about. 

(via jamtoday)

I took this picture, e-mailed it to James asking if he was behind it, and now he’s posting it on his tumblr. I’m still curious what it’s about. 

May 3, 2008
Building!
Building!
May 2, 2008
“ But as long as we’re still in college, it’s not pathetic, it’s epic.
Brendon Boutin