Linked List: August 19, 2013

Monday, 19 August 2013

Type Hunting 

Great collection of vintage type. (Via Kontra.)

U.K. Government Raids Guardian Office to Destroy Hard Drives 

Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger:

The state that is building such a formidable apparatus of surveillance will do its best to prevent journalists from reporting on it. Most journalists can see that. But I wonder how many have truly understood the absolute threat to journalism implicit in the idea of total surveillance, when or if it comes — and, increasingly, it looks like “when”.

Butterick’s Practical Typography 

New web-based book by Matthew Butterick. From his opening chapter:

This is a bold claim, but I stand behind it: if you learn and follow these five typography rules, you will be a better typographer than 95% of professional writers and 70% of professional designers. (The rest of this book will raise you to the 99th percentile in both categories.)

All it takes is ten minutes — five minutes to read these rules once, then five minutes to read them again.

Go Home, Samsung, You’re Drunk 

Samsung to introduce 6.3-inch Galaxy Mega phone in US next month.

‘Why We Talk in Tongues’ 

Hard to believe The New York Times ran this piece of claptrap on their op-ed page. “We” don’t speak in tongues; religious nutjobs do, and they do it because they believe in superstitious nonsense. I’ll bet my bottom dollar that there is a high correlation between tongue-speakers and climate change deniers and creationist “science” school curriculum pushers — people who are doing real and genuine harm to our society and the planet.

Update: As a perusal of my (and @daringfireball’s) Twitter replies will show, this post was, I suppose unsurprisingly, controversial. One word I’ve seen from those whom I presume to be Pentecostals or other evangelical Christians is “hate” — examples here, here, here, here, here, here. A lack of respect is not hatred; I do not respect superstitious nonsense. But this framing — equating lack of respect with hatred — is what keeps many from criticizing nonsensical religious views.

Bloomberg: ‘Samsung Said to Introduce Watch-Like Phone Next Month’ 

Jungah Lee, reporting for Reuters:

Samsung Electronics Co. will introduce a wristwatch-like device named the Galaxy Gear next month that can make phone calls, surf the Web and handle e-mails, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The Galaxy Gear will be powered by Google Inc.’s Android operating system and go on sale this year to beat a potentially competing product from Apple Inc., the people said. The device will be unveiled Sept. 4, two days before the IFA consumer electronics show begins in Berlin, one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the plans are private.

A “watch-like phone” might be interesting, and for once, worthy of the “smart” moniker. Devices like the Pebble, which must be tethered to an actual smartphone for any sort of connectivity, aren’t smart at all; they’re just modern (and ultra portable) dumb terminals.

Still though, if Samsung’s wearable is a phone, presumably the screen would be relatively small. Is this something you’re intended to replace your current phone with? If not, how do you pay for service? If it’s a true phone, it must have its own phone number, right? I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ve come up with without anything to copy.

Update: The Verge reports that the Gear “is not a phone”; it’s just a Bluetooth accessory that connects to a phone.

‘Amazon First Citywide Change Bank’ 

Speaking of MG Siegler, he’s my guest on the new episode of my podcast, The Talk Show. Topics include Amazon, Jeff Bezos, and what Apple might have planned for this fall.

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Goldfinger: The Next iPhone 

MG Siegler:

Yes, there will be a gold iPhone.

That’s the latest I’m hearing from multiple sources after several weeks of rumors and possible component leaks suggesting the same thing. At first, I couldn’t believe Apple would break from the tradition of offering the simple choice: black and white (or “slate” and “silver” if you prefer for the iPhone 5) for their flagship device. Gold simply seemed too gaudy, perhaps even tacky. But a few compelling arguments countered my disbelief. And now, upon checking, sure enough, there will be gold.

The Gold iPhone 5S 

Rene Ritchie:

So, technologically, it wouldn’t be hard for Apple to make a gold iPhone. But commercially, what would be the motivation?

Given how popular gold is as an aftermarket option for color-treatments, and how many gold cases there are — including but certainly not limited to the Asian markets — it could simply be the decision to offer supply where there’s demand.

Can’t say I’m a fan of gold, but it’s clear many people are.

Why We Want TV to Be Disrupted So Badly 

Ben Bajarin, writing for Time Techland:

Those who have the most to lose when TV gets disrupted need not fear piracy; they should fear the SDK. When developers can take advantage of a platform, the possibilities are endless.

Which is why Apple should be seen as the frontrunner. It’s exactly what happened to the mobile phone industry.