Artificial Horse Legs
Phil Nelson I’m sure the Furry community is losing it’s collective shit.
Twitter Replies to #fixreplies
This is maybe the fourth response that Biz has had to write, and it’s the only good one. The gist: Twitter screwed up and removed a feature that a lot of hardcore users loved. When they “fixed” it, the explanation of HOW they fixed it made almost no sense to anyone.
Now they’re fixing it for real, I hope. The original setting will not return, though.
Email ‘N Walk
It uses the iPhone camera to show you what is front of you while you walk and tap out an email. This will sell one-million copies.
Pretend Office
And a weird thing happened.
With no planning, we all started acting as if we were people in a real office. Almost immediately we began to adopt characters and send officious announcements. Soon we were referring to characters in the office who didn’t exist in real life.
News From Your Present: The Parasitic Flies That Turn Fire Ants Into Zombies
… and then …
The maggot eventually migrates into the ant’s head, but Plowes said he “wouldn’t use the word ‘control’ to describe what is happening. There is no brain left in the ant, and the ant just starts wandering aimlessly. This wandering stage goes on for about two weeks.”
#fixreplies
Twitter changed their policy for @replies today, and people are mad. I’m with them. The #fixreplies tag is currently getting around 60 messages per second, according to Twitter search.
Square Enix shuts down Chrono fan game Crimson Echoes
Hey, Square, having a fan base that LOVES your stuff so much they’re willing to put in their own work and time (hundreds of hours) on what amounts to FREE PROMOTION for it? That’s not a problem. That’s an incredible gift that you just shit on. Again.
They had another opportunity like this a few years ago, on a little project called Chrono Resurrection.
How many creators out there would give a not insignificant portion of their reproductive organs to have fans that care that much?
The Best Introductory Books
A big list compiled from this Metafilter thread, entitled “What single book is the best introduction to your field (or specialization within your field) for laypeople?”
I have a feeling I will be revisiting it for many years.
The App Store Is Fucking Broken Part XXXL
Apple has now rejected an application that allows users to remotely manage the popular Bittorrent desktop app, Transmission. Why? Because sometimes people use Bittorrent to bootleg things. In Apple’s own words:
this category of applications is often used for the purpose of infringing third party rights. We have chosen to not publish this type of application to the App Store.
Which means, “we choose to tell you to go fuck yourself” if you’ve just wasted hours/days/weeks of your life developing an app only to have it shot down on a whim.
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2009
… is going on right now, and you should go if at all possible. Jeffrey Rowland is here! R Stevens is here! Kate Beaton and Ryan North are here, but they almost never leave.
The Art of Penguin Science Fiction
A historical guide to the book jacket designs of Penguin’s Sci-Fi line.
Age-Based App Restrictions In iPhone OS 3.0
I’m all for it if it means “adult” apps will be allowed in the store. Aside from how much censorship pisses me off, the other main problem is, as Gruber notes: who is going to do the rating?
Ratings systems tend to discourage mature content rather than encourage it. Will this Apple-sponsored ratings body be a secret cabal like the MPAA’s group of soccer moms, CARA?
MetaFilter’s Global 10th Anniversary Party
Can’t believe it’s been 10 years. I’ve been reading the site for about 8 of those.
I remember when they finally re-opened user signups. I salute you, Mathowie.
MPAA shows how to Video Record a TV set
This is, apparently, not a joke. What it is, is 4 minutes of some poor hired goon trying to pretend like this isn’t the biggest pain in the ass of thing to attempt. The video summary says:
At the DMCA 1201 hearings at the Copyright Office at the Library of Congress, representatives from the MPAA showed a video demonstrating how users can videorecord a TV set. They argue this is an acceptable analog alternative to breaking copy protection on a DVD.
The mind reels.
via @siracusa
AUTO-MEME
Like it says on the tin. It even has an API. Now give me a few minutes to mash this up with Flickr…
ClickTale Scrolling Research Report V2.0
Metrics relating to page length, views of the bottom of pages, and more. These statistics are a kind of pornography to a lot of people I know:
91% of the page views were long enough to contain scroll-bar. Of those, 76% were scrolled to some extent.
22% of the page views with a scroll-bar were scrolled all the way to the bottom.
H. sadistica
Normally to inseminate a female you have to have some sex with that. You know, male and female sex organs doing their thing. Well:
Hausu (1977) “Killer Lampshade”
Stick with this clip. I think by friday it may still be high in the running for most batshit thing I’ve seen all week.