With browser based apps we’re all permanent beginners. Always restricted to the mouse & keyboard without the ability to customize keymapping (Sure sure, some sites give you very basic key commands but they’re so idiosyncratic.) Want to work with both a RIA and a non-browser based app? Here are some awkward manual integration steps that were tiresome even in the pre-web 90s. Same goes for working with other browser based apps that aren’t part of the same suite, more misery.

It’s great that it’s getting easier to write fancy looking browser screens but RIAs are really going to have to step up if they want to be taken seriously. Still novelties for the most part. Which is just fine—I’ll gladly spend hours playing with Fantastic Contraption.

I think the tipping point will be when all these alpha geek early adopters have replaced their desktop emacs/vim with web-based versions. And Skynet is making sure everything is running smoothly….

Rather than focus on the newest trend, we will seek authentic, handy, rarefied, disgusting, illuminating, delicious, mysterious, intoxicating, commonplace, historic, intensely personal, entertaining and enlightened objects, both priceless heirlooms and exquisite trash.

One prototypical sample is a wonderful video
showing off the Xerox Star. Another is a piece on the Magno Wood Radio. Very pretty.

Hypebot is all about music promotion and technology. The post Top 10 Issues Facing Music 2.0 does a good job of summarizing the theme.

Ace Jet 170 collects great images of found typography, design and other printed ephemera. Check out the palette on these, How to reach over 18,000,000, or the awesome vintage signage, Found Type Friday #54.