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MIX11: Back to Square One
April 13th, 2011
Time for the last talk of the day, “Back to Square One” by Nishant Kothary (@rainypixels). Hoping for more pictures of cute puppies like last year. :) #sqr1
Video of the session is now posted on Microsoft’s Channel 9:
Since this is a liveblog, remember to start reading from the bottom and work your way up.
Thu, Apr 14, 3:27:10pm PDT
Sketchflow looks great, but it’s only available as a feature in Expression Blend Ultimate, which is way over my budget. :( #mix11 (Sketchflow Product Page)
Thu, Apr 14, 3:21:46pm PDT
Now she’s giving us a quick around-the-block look at Microsoft Expression Blend.
Thu, Apr 14, 3:18:40pm PDT
Keep your questions open-ended during user testing.
Thu, Apr 14, 3:18:23pm PDT
Pick the top 3 tasks users are going to want (or the 3 you want to test reaction to) and test those. Keeps it simple.
Thu, Apr 14, 3:16:07pm PDT
Best-case testing: Test onsite, try to find super-users, observe and record, and collect data.
Thu, Apr 14, 3:14:41pm PDT
Prototypes reveal customer intent/focus, show clear value to the stakeholders, and reduce confusion across the board.
Thu, Apr 14, 3:13:39pm PDT
Prototypes are also great for early user testing. #mix11
Thu, Apr 14, 3:13:08pm PDT
No demonstration is ever sufficient; only interaction will really convey the value.
Thu, Apr 14, 3:12:32pm PDT
Prototyping exposes problems early and reduces rework. It can be your spec doc and the story that sells the value.
Thu, Apr 14, 3:11:46pm PDT
Visually understanding what we’re working with helps us understand the whole of complex parts (like genetic sequencing).
Thu, Apr 14, 3:10:20pm PDT
Even if you just put up some sketches and blank sticky notes around the office, you can engage your office.
Thu, Apr 14, 3:08:22pm PDT
Prototyping informs and enables all the other steps that can improve the frustrating development process.
Thu, Apr 14, 3:04:32pm PDT
Product development can be a frustrating process…
Thu, Apr 14, 3:02:56pm PDT
Next up:
“Get Real! Sketch, Prototype & Capture Great Ideas with Expression Blend & Sketchflow” by Sara Summers
The intro: Julius Shulman is a photographer of much famous architecture (see “Visual Acoustics” video). #mix11
Thu, Apr 14, 2:04:10pm PDT
Grid Layout (IE10), the first implementation of a complex layout system. Currently in development and looking for feedback.
Thu, Apr 14, 2:00:31pm PDT
For more on CSS3 Flex Boxes: http://www.html5rocks.com/tutorials/flexbox/quick/
Thu, Apr 14, 1:59:48pm PDT
Flex box will cause layout elements to fill available space. The spec is still… “flexible”.
Thu, Apr 14, 1:58:31pm PDT
display:table, display:table-cell with CSS3 help with layout design.
Thu, Apr 14, 1:56:14pm PDT
jQuery and CSS3 can be a great tag team for backward compatibility. JS can also trigger hardware acceleration. http://bit.ly/cnCYP2
Thu, Apr 14, 1:53:48pm PDT
Neat example of a slot machine built entirely with CSS3 using gradients, transitions, and animations.
Thu, Apr 14, 1:50:08pm PDT
If a browser doesn’t support transitions, users will still see the two states, just not the transitions.
Thu, Apr 14, 1:48:09pm PDT
IE10 will support transitions using the -ms- prefix.
Thu, Apr 14, 1:43:42pm PDT
HTML5 input type “email”; older browsers will just default to a plain text field.
Thu, Apr 14, 1:42:43pm PDT
Should always have both client and server-side validation.
Thu, Apr 14, 1:40:45pm PDT
Client-side form validation without JavaScript using the CSS3 UI Module: http://bit.ly/bHNs9T
Thu, Apr 14, 1:35:28pm PDT
CSS came along and simplified the JavaScript versions of dropdown menus.
Thu, Apr 14, 1:34:04pm PDT
“Ultimate Dropdown Menu” at http://www.udm4.com is accessible, but very complicated.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:51:24pm PDT
Wonderful, invigorating lightning session on UX. All the presenters did a great job!
Thu, Apr 14, 12:48:36pm PDT
Summary: Identify, deconstruct, expand, randomize, evaluate. #mix11
Thu, Apr 14, 12:47:26pm PDT
Let the ideas bounce around each other in a random way.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:46:56pm PDT
The best ideas don’t come during the brainstorm, they come later after our subconscious has had a chance to process it.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:46:11pm PDT
Brainstorming: 1. Needs to be collaborative. 2. Don’t look for solutions, look for insights.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:45:14pm PDT
How? 1. Define the idea. 2. “Masticate” the information for full authenticity. 3. Expand our thinking.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:43:58pm PDT
As a designer, we want to create a closure for people, to pull it all together into a whole.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:43:13pm PDT
Gestalt: As humans we have the ability to perceive things relationally. Like how we process a symphony.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:42:33pm PDT
Between ridiculous and logical is intuitive.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:41:04pm PDT
“The adjacent possible” are the ideas that can come about from the “spare parts” of existing ideas.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:40:27pm PDT
Ideas generate other ideas. “The Adjacent Possible”
Thu, Apr 14, 12:39:48pm PDT
Idea: A new combination of old elements.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:39:34pm PDT
“Slow Hunch”: ideas are made up little bits coming together.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:36:42pm PDT
The future needs hybrids not be lone rangers, but to be experience architects, and companies should foster them.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:36:05pm PDT
It doesn’t *have* to be built on unicorns!
Thu, Apr 14, 12:35:43pm PDT
Flip the pyramid with an Experience Architect and collaborative fellowship.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:35:01pm PDT
We have all these roles, but the Integrator solution is an inverted solution that causes strife crushes the integrator.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:33:58pm PDT
Great design is a “fellowship of roles”. Loving the Lord of the Rings analogy here! I’ll post a pic later.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:33:08pm PDT
Great design involves solving the right problem both efficiently and with style.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:32:23pm PDT
Designers: Visceral first; Developers: Reflective first.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:31:47pm PDT
Designers and developers are often like left vs. right brain, but both want the same thing: to ship a great product.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:31:10pm PDT
Interesting controversial statement for thought: “If you can’t build it, you have no business designing it.”
Thu, Apr 14, 12:30:00pm PDT
“When the game’s on the line, winners want the ball.” Hybrids in our field are fighting the existing status quo.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:28:36pm PDT
The research showed us we do not have “one brain”, we have two (left and right) which are at constant odds.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:26:59pm PDT
Early research in the 60’s showed the value of the right brain.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:24:53pm PDT
Next up:
“On Brains, Football and Hobbits” by Rick Barraza
Thu, Apr 14, 12:24:20pm PDT
@arturot‘s talk combining neuroscience and UI design was great! #mix11 #lightningux
Thu, Apr 14, 12:23:45pm PDT
Our UIs can affect us on an emotional level; we can plan ways to reward ourselves for the things we want to encourage.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:21:57pm PDT
The brain learns patterns. Current trading software is training people in all the wrong things.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:19:56pm PDT
Interesting studies showing how we can manipulate ourselves to reduce our fear motivations.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:16:50pm PDT
Minesweeper is a great example for fear vs. pleasure motivation.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:15:05pm PDT
Alexander Elder did some research showing we are often driven by greed and fear.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:14:34pm PDT
Next up:
“Extending the Human DNA with Design” by Arturo Toledo.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:12:45pm PDT
Credits for “What Software Design Can Learn from Magic”:
In The Prestige it is said, “The secret impresses no one; the trick you use it for is everything.” Likewise for us, “The technology you use impresses no one; the experience you create is everything.”
Thu, Apr 14, 12:12:33pm PDT
Diversion and Distraction. The former is more subtle, the latter is more forceful (like popups).
Thu, Apr 14, 12:11:08pm PDT
Monotony and Confusion. The former applies to things like backups; the latter we should eliminate.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:10:08pm PDT
Manuever and Ruse place the person in the right position without revealing the true purpose.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:09:13pm PDT
Suggestion and Inducement are other key elements.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:07:58pm PDT
Simulation and Dissimulation are key tools in misdirection; creating the point of focus.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:06:39pm PDT
Appeal to the instincts and not the mind, relaxing the spectators.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:06:14pm PDT
Magicians also understand attention control.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:04:36pm PDT
“Showmanship for Magicians” book has 35 elements of showmanship.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:03:27pm PDT
First up:
“What Software Design Can Learn From Magic”
Magicians “get” design and showmanship.
Thu, Apr 14, 12:02:28pm PDT
UX Lightning Talks about to begin. #mix11
Thu, Apr 14, 11:14:29am PDT
Fantastic session with Rey Bango. Great blend of broad and specific information, enthusiasm, and further reading.
Thu, Apr 14, 11:10:41am PDT
Recommended books on HTML5: Introducing HTML5 by Lawson & Sharp; HTML5 for Web Designers by Keith; CSS3 for Web Designers by Cederholm #mix11
Thu, Apr 14, 11:08:57am PDT
http://yepnopejs.com integrates with Modernizr to test for features and load the scripts needed on the fly. #html5
Thu, Apr 14, 11:08:08am PDT
Take Away: Use feature not browser detection; Use Modernizr; Opt for a polyfill or shim that mimics a standard API.
Thu, Apr 14, 11:01:36am PDT
Can define the object tag or an iframe (Silverlight or Flash) as a fallback within the video tag for non-modern browsers. (Or if you don’t have the ability to encode your video in multiple codecs, the browser will fall back to the 3rd party.)
Thu, Apr 14, 11:00:28am PDT
Fortunately, multiple video codecs can be defined in as fallback options, solving the codec issue.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:59:30am PDT
HTML5 video tag is nice and clean, but the video codec debate rages on, leaving different browsers supporting different features.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:57:43am PDT
Third, load up a shim: start by loading up jQuery then load jquery.corner (or whatever feature is missing) to complete the picture.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:55:34am PDT
Next, load up a standard reset defining styles for the new HTML5 semantic tags, including defining the proper ones as Block.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:54:48am PDT
Solving the HTML5 semantic tag styling issue: load up the Modernizr library to load up the shim that creates the new elements.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:51:33am PDT
Sadly, older browsers don’t recognize the new HTML5 semantic tags. :( You can’t style a non-recognized element.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:50:02am PDT
HTML tags have no semantic meaning, hence the new HTML5 layout tags.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:49:04am PDT
Be sure you vet the code when relying on polyfills or shims; you may also need to maintain it yourself.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:46:33am PDT
Polyfill: replicates a standards API. Shim: Provides own API.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:45:01am PDT
Awesome. We just got treated to the Hamster Dance in a demo.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:43:15am PDT
Modernizr library is good for feature detection support, prevents insanely long code detection blocks.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:39:35am PDT
Detect for features, not the browsers themselves. Much more reliable, future-proof method.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:36:24am PDT
The issue isn’t just older browsers, but also browser fragmentation. Many obscure ones don’t fit in common user-agent-string.
Thu, Apr 14, 10:34:21am PDT
This speaker is amazingly excited about HTML5/CSS3. Love it. #mix11
Thu, Apr 14, 10:32:34am PDT
Now at “Filling the HTML5 Gaps with Polyfills and Shims”. He plugged http://scriptjunkie.com right off.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:52:49am PDT
Future specs they hope to develop further: Speech API, tracking API, WebPerformance.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:49:10am PDT
Audio/video capture HTML5 spec looks pretty exciting. I hope it becomes widely supported.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:43:30am PDT
Media Capture API Working Draft gives programmatic access to audio, video, and image capture abilities of the device.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:41:22am PDT
The File spec lets the browser read and understand files directly, instead of having to upload everything to the server for processing.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:37:18am PDT
File API spec in Working Draft stage provides an API for representing file objects in Web apps. List, read, etc.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:36:26am PDT
New HTML5 database spec looks interesting.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:32:15am PDT
W3C IndexedDB spec submitted by Microsoft and Mozilla to replace Web SQL Database & store large amounts indexed for fast search.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:22:19am PDT
Web sockets: enable bi-directional full-duplex communication.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:18:14am PDT
Microsoft invented and submitted to the W3C a CSS3 “Grid” spec to help with layout development.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:14:44am PDT
Microsoft believes the HTML5 spec is reaching “ready to go” Last Call status in May 2011.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:12:27am PDT
Timeline of a specification: 1st Published Working Graph > Working Draft > Last Call > Candidate Recommendation
Thu, Apr 14, 9:10:05am PDT
The various working groups produce 100+ specifications.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:09:00am PDT
Who’s working on HTML5? The main 3 are W3C, IETF, ECMA International.
Thu, Apr 14, 9:06:33am PDT
At “The Future of HTML5” by @gisardo. He’s starting with demos, but I don’t think a single person in the room is actually awake.
Wed, Apr 13, 6:06:06pm PDT
He’s found that by exposing himself to all these psychological insights, he’s now able to avert crises better.
Wed, Apr 13, 6:04:32pm PDT
Neat Web design poster (but it’s sold out) at http://awebsitenameddesire.com. Check out the animated deepzoom version here.
Wed, Apr 13, 6:02:37pm PDT
The “Lost Worlds’ Fairs” case study shows that gut feelings can lead to success.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:55:48pm PDT
After a great case study, the biggest reason the project failed? He just goofed. Shouldn’t have started the project in the first place.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:48:03pm PDT
The Channel 9 logo? No deep meaning whatsoever. It’s because “people love robots”. :D
Wed, Apr 13, 5:45:12pm PDT
Because we’re flawed, we make mistakes all the time, often when we least expect it.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:37:58pm PDT
We tend to put data first, but reality shows that intuition should lead us, then we should go after the data.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:35:11pm PDT
“The first example of true AI has emulated the most imperfect part of us, according to us: intuition.”
Wed, Apr 13, 5:31:56pm PDT
Yay, Watson from Jeopardy is part of the session. :)
Wed, Apr 13, 5:31:27pm PDT
Intuition is very important to design because it draws on the right brain.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:30:59pm PDT
Intuition: I know the meaning, I act on it, but I don’t know how I know it. We can’t articulate it because the right brain isn’t verbal.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:28:02pm PDT
The alternative to data is intuition, so we tend to excuse a lack of data and rely on insufficient data anyway.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:25:57pm PDT
We have a propensity to favor data, even when it’s insufficient. It’s called the “McNamara Fallacy.”
Wed, Apr 13, 5:24:50pm PDT
We have to shut up our left brains in order to do certain things, such as drawing.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:23:51pm PDT
The left brain is completely inept without the right; the right is actually involved in some high cognitive functions.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:22:16pm PDT
The left brain is really “loud” compared to our right, because it’s helped us survive.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:17:10pm PDT
Turns out we were totally wrong about the left brain being dominant over — or at least more important than — the right.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:15:55pm PDT
Why can’t we draw? Our brains! We’re biased. We consider left hemisphere dominant over right. It’s all over our languages, with left being given the stronger, more positive associations.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:13:38pm PDT
We have to accept paradoxes in order to depict realism. “To draw a square cube, you have to draw unsquare squares.”
Wed, Apr 13, 5:11:29pm PDT
As we grow, we start building symbols in our minds. We go from scribbles, to symbols, to stories, to realism.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:09:05pm PDT
YAY! There will be puppies again this year; and this year there will be captions, too.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:07:22pm PDT
We as people are flawed in 3 fundamental ways: how we perceive the world, how we build, and how we solve problems.
Wed, Apr 13, 5:04:58pm PDT
“Why do we suck at consistently building great software?” Usually, we blame Process, Product, or People.
Wed, Apr 13, 4:13:39pm PDT
Prototyping motion can help sell a concept and also give a reference for timing and transitions later on.
Wed, Apr 13, 4:08:32pm PDT
Static comps aren’t enough when you’re trying to prototype motion.
Wed, Apr 13, 4:05:52pm PDT
Motion should not be an afterthought; it needs to be a part of the whole process.
Wed, Apr 13, 4:05:13pm PDT
Graphics and animations are key to alert users to “behind the scenes” events.
Wed, Apr 13, 4:03:06pm PDT
Next up: “Prototyping Interfaces with Motion Graphics”.
Wed, Apr 13, 4:01:36pm PDT
Relevance and appropriateness are key in UX design.
Wed, Apr 13, 4:00:10pm PDT
How you fail and recover from failure is at least as important as creating a “perfect” experience – because it never will be.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:58:15pm PDT
Interesting demo of a UX experiment of floor pads responding to touch to produce light and sound.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:53:32pm PDT
Background: Phidgets specializes in augmented reality. Today’s focus: life-sized step sequencer.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:52:12pm PDT
Next up: “Phidgets & Real-Time Sensor Data Visualization”.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:51:34pm PDT
Conceptual design = deliverables by any means necessary. (Interpretive dance!)
Wed, Apr 13, 3:50:49pm PDT
Step 3: Hybridize and bastardize.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:49:36pm PDT
Step 2: Rip it off. Do what other industries are doing (like storyboards).
Wed, Apr 13, 3:48:44pm PDT
Step 1: Design without computers! Tools influence where you go and also slow you down.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:47:55pm PDT
Game design is another good example. Paintings (vs. fully rigged 3d models), storyboarding, design frames, physical 3d models.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:46:58pm PDT
Product design uses foam mockups, agile sketch development.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:45:57pm PDT
Start with loose concepts on pen and paper as in architecture.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:45:20pm PDT
“Chart the narrative arc of emotions of users” the way writers do.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:44:35pm PDT
Traditions and habits are either too deep, too polished, or just hard to present in a compelling way.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:43:27pm PDT
Conceptual design = speed over fidelity, making design principles visible, design leadership.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:42:45pm PDT
Next up, “Conceptual Design: Tactics & Techniques”
Wed, Apr 13, 3:40:42pm PDT
As a UX ninja, we should be there when we’re needed, but “we were never there”, we don’t show, our work shows.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:40:09pm PDT
Can’t make what we want; have to make what the *user* wants.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:39:02pm PDT
Technical errors should be re-written as user-friendly and clear, maybe even humorous.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:37:16pm PDT
Put a grid on it! Consistency of layout builds trust.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:36:39pm PDT
Southwest vs United for good comparative design, strong design.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:35:41pm PDT
“I made a spinning tiger progress bar!” Always make it time-based.
Wed, Apr 13, 3:33:57pm PDT
Yikes, first speaker is ultra-nervous. This is why I don’t do conference talks. (Well, and I’ve never been asked; beside the point :P )
Wed, Apr 13, 3:32:45pm PDT
First mini-session, “10 Minute UX Ninja”. “A tradition of death to crappy UX.”
Wed, Apr 13, 3:29:43pm PDT
The room is really filling up. Wondering if there will be a seat left in the room when it starts. #mix11
Wed, Apr 13, 3:03:04pm PDT
He recommends looking into custom video players that have already been developed.
After a quick search, here are three lists of HTML5 players I found online:
Wed, Apr 13, 3:00:58pm PDT
No native full screen support, so videofullscreen.js is one approach to use until HTML5 catches up. [Note: I can’t find what he was referring to.]
Wed, Apr 13, 2:59:34pm PDT
Native browser control looks and behaves differently depending on the browser; can create your own player controls for consistency with JS.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:58:00pm PDT
Working against video elements, some browsers won’t clip the video using just CSS. In other words, depending on your styling, you could end up with a square video over a trapezoidal dropshadow.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:56:40pm PDT
Using Canvas & CSS, you can cut up a video and display it across various parts of the site, for illusion of multiple videos in sync.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:54:04pm PDT
Be sure to tweak the settings when you encode. For example, B-frames = the more you have, the smaller the file size.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:51:21pm PDT
There are encoding settings to reduce video corruption. For H.264, any machine able to decode in the Main profile can do High profile, so it’s best to just ignore “Main” altogether.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:48:58pm PDT
IIS lets users scan ahead in HTML5 video whether the content has been downloaded or not.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:46:44pm PDT
In IIS, you need to add the mime type for mp4 for the video to display properly.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:44:38pm PDT
He suggests Azure web storage for hosting HTML5 videos.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:43:33pm PDT
He suggests archive.org and encoding.com for cloud video and audio encoding, respectively.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:40:27pm PDT
You need more than one codec and container & more than one resolution to serve HTML5 audio and video across browsers.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:37:48pm PDT
HTML5 video spec has no fullscreen, no rights-management, no live or adaptive streaming within the HTML5 spec.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:36:58pm PDT
Next up: Using HTML5 video and audio elements #mix11
Wed, Apr 13, 2:25:55pm PDT
He highly recommends the book, http://stunningcss3.com by Zoe M. Gillenwater.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:24:41pm PDT
Search “Hardboiled CSS3 Media Queries” for some pre-built creative commons CSS3 media queries.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:23:09pm PDT
Remember to restyle the text properly when resizing for various device sizes.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:22:28pm PDT
Wouter van der Graff wrote “css3-mediaqueries-js” tool that handles some behind the scenes stuff for you.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:21:13pm PDT
Add to the previous: content=”width=device-width, maximum-scale=1.0″ prevents auto-scaling that breaks media size queries. #mix11 #css3
Wed, Apr 13, 2:19:49pm PDT
Device-width vs. browser width: “Devices lie!” Viewport meta tag helps with this. name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width”
Wed, Apr 13, 2:15:20pm PDT
Media queries are best placed at the bottom of the stylesheet due to the cascading nature of CSS.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:14:50pm PDT
Another example of #CSS3 media queries: http://stunningcss3.com/code/bakery/
Wed, Apr 13, 2:14:18pm PDT
F12 for IE9 opens up dev tools.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:11:43pm PDT
Media rules can be declared using import rules, link elements, or in the stylesheet (usually the latter is best).
Wed, Apr 13, 2:10:52pm PDT
3 basic parts make up a CSS3 media query: Media rule, media type, and media feature.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:09:20pm PDT
“Responsive Design” is getting bigger because the Web has spread to so many formats and devices.
Wed, Apr 13, 2:08:00pm PDT
Another example of successful #CSS3 media queries reorganizing layout & content: http://sasquatchfestival.com/
Wed, Apr 13, 2:06:31pm PDT
Example of #CSS3 media queries used for reorganizing columns at http://colly.com
Wed, Apr 13, 2:04:23pm PDT
Now attending @tommylee’s CSS3 Media Queries talk. #mix11
Wed, Apr 13, 12:26:12pm PDT
No clear winner between SVG and Canvas for interactive charts/graphs and 2d gaming.
Wed, Apr 13, 12:25:20pm PDT
Canvas: Screen capture, video manipulation, complex scenes, web ads. SVG: Static images, hi-fi documents
Wed, Apr 13, 12:21:28pm PDT
SVG remembers what was drawn last, unlike Canvas. Shape vs pixel based, CSS vs Script only.
Wed, Apr 13, 12:19:25pm PDT
Now discussing when to use Canvas vs. SVG — some vectors are easier to draw in one or the other. They can complement each other.
Wed, Apr 13, 12:17:50pm PDT
Most monitors display at 60Hz or 16.7ms periods, so making a graphics timer faster than this results in choppy frames.
Wed, Apr 13, 12:16:04pm PDT
Also, avoid setting attributes unnecessarily and avoid multiple small DOM calls
Wed, Apr 13, 12:15:26pm PDT
More best practice: 1) Avoid setting a geometric clip, rotation, or skew when calling clearRect()
Wed, Apr 13, 12:14:08pm PDT
Don’t set dimensions every frame, instead use clearRect() to clear it.
Wed, Apr 13, 12:12:05pm PDT
Make fewer calls to video memory by committing once instead of after every change, & cache the ImageData.data in a JS object.
Wed, Apr 13, 12:10:57pm PDT
GPU processing power has been growing faster than CPU; most browsers don’t make use of it for hardware excelleration; IE9 does.
Wed, Apr 13, 12:09:15pm PDT
In IE9, HTML5 Canvas is only supported in Standards Mode.
Wed, Apr 13, 12:08:26pm PDT
Always use a doctype. (Does this really need to be said?)
Wed, Apr 13, 12:07:39pm PDT
HTML5 Canvas Best Practices: Do Canvas feature detection. Don’t do browser detection. Don’t use conditional elements.
Wed, Apr 13, 12:05:08pm PDT
If your browser doesn’t support Canvas, the Fallback content is displayed. The Fallback can also speak to Accessibility tools.
Wed, Apr 13, 12:03:40pm PDT
Fallback Content Focus (“Shadow DOM”), embeded Canvas content can be keyboard-focusable by accessibility tools.
Wed, Apr 13, 12:02:33pm PDT
Accessibility: Important as a global citizen, but may also be US law soon.
Wed, Apr 13, 12:01:11pm PDT
You can’t save the state of the canvas when using cross-domain stuff, for security reasons.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:58:16am PDT
Security Model: HTML5 Canvas has built-in security.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:57:07am PDT
For HTML5 Canvas interoperability tests: http://philip.html5.org/tests/canvas/suite/tests
Wed, Apr 13, 11:55:42am PDT
Interoperability: There’s a high level of support for HTML5 Canvas across all modern browsers, yay!
Wed, Apr 13, 11:54:21am PDT
All HTML5 Canvas attributes are global, affecting all operations drawn next, so you wrap functions in a save & restore.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:53:25am PDT
Webkit won’t erase what was previously drawn. source-in, source-out, destination-in, destination-atop, copy.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:51:14am PDT
Tip #2: FF, Opera, and IE implement the drawing model according to spec, but Safari and Chrome implement it slightly differently.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:48:39am PDT
You draw a source and a destination image, and can then use operations to control how they are displayed.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:46:35am PDT
Shadows, clipping, and composition are more expensive operations requiring additional intermediates.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:45:41am PDT
Each effect – shadows, transparencies, etc – are new Intermediates that are composited onto the canvas.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:43:17am PDT
Drawing model: specifies the order and steps a browser takes as it draws on the canvas.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:41:31am PDT
It seems weird to see IE pushing cutting edge stuff after so many years of IE6.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:36:32am PDT
Neat demo of HTML5 Canvas and audio/video at http://www.beautyoftheweb.com/firework/index.html
Wed, Apr 13, 11:34:37am PDT
“Canvas is stupid”, it doesn’t remember what you last drew, so you have to draw over in order to erase.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:33:54am PDT
The entire HTML5 Canvas API fits on one slide. Nice.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:33:06am PDT
About to start learning to use HTML5 Canvas. What is canvas, when do you use it, and, of course, how do you use it?
Wed, Apr 13, 11:06:23am PDT
Every attendee is getting a Kinect! How cool is that! Too bad 360 the one console I don’t own, lol. #mix11 #keynote
Wed, Apr 13, 11:02:58am PDT
Wow, that getup can act as the eyes for the visually impaired, giving spoken directions based on markers.
Wed, Apr 13, 11:01:22am PDT
OMG, all I can think looking at that backpack laptop is “don’t cross the beams!!”
Wed, Apr 13, 10:59:39am PDT
“Navigation for people with visual impairment” sounds great — and you can’t argue with that awesome hat.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:58:44am PDT
Preview at http://worldwidetelecsope.org and the Kinect Lounge here at #mix11
Wed, Apr 13, 10:56:29am PDT
Worldwide Telescope lets you navigate the universe with gestures. WANT.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:53:52am PDT
Haha, reclining with a gesture. I love it! XD
Wed, Apr 13, 10:53:05am PDT
A “Kinect Drivable Lounge Chair” demoing the Kinect for Windows SDK, driven my hand motions. Silly and cool!
Wed, Apr 13, 10:48:53am PDT
Kinect for Windows SDK starting out as non-commercial, but they promise a commercial license will be forthcoming.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:46:06am PDT
Kinect for Windows SDK available later this spring at research.microsoft.com/kinectsdk Can develop in VB, C# and C++
Wed, Apr 13, 10:45:05am PDT
Time for Xbox 360 Kinect, “the fastest selling electronics device ever”. Really?
Wed, Apr 13, 10:44:04am PDT
Silverlight 5 Beta now available for download.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:43:17am PDT
Impressive, smooth 3D in Silverlight 5.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:39:08am PDT
Silverlight 3D mapping is just making me think of Spore and The Sims.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:34:37am PDT
Blue Angel site also incorporates Silverlight to click through camera angles, delivered over IS Smooth Streaming.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:32:23am PDT
Blue Angel website’s mission is to inspire and educate people on the Navy and Marine Corps. Home page uses video, audio, & canvas tags.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:28:49am PDT
US Navy Blue Angles have a flashy intro video for their demo that looks more like a recruiting vid… At least it’s shiny.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:27:33am PDT
Media “Trickplay” lets you speed up video without distorting the voices.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:25:05am PDT
Gotta love accidental zooming into parts of the demo 3d man as he’s demonstrating how the API lets him “touch” him. XD
Wed, Apr 13, 10:22:28am PDT
Can build apps using Sliverlight & XMA at the same time.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:20:17am PDT
With Mango, apps can directly access content from the camera. Demoing from USAA (best bank ever!)
Wed, Apr 13, 10:16:10am PDT
Mike Roberts of Kik Interactive demoing a cross-platform chat app.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:15:18am PDT
IRC API live demo was funny. Someone from the audience tapped in.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:11:55am PDT
New local SQL database looks like it will save tons of code.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:07:32am PDT
Looks like they added some great performance increases in Mango, from memory management to garbage collection.
Wed, Apr 13, 10:02:28am PDT
Performance and memory profiler for Win Phone apps looks really good, nice charts and details.
Wed, Apr 13, 9:56:57am PDT
Emulator also lets you simulate multiple locations at once in location based apps.
Wed, Apr 13, 9:54:42am PDT
Emulator lets devs easily test accelerometer. Yay!
Wed, Apr 13, 9:52:31am PDT
Scot Guthrie now on stage to talk more about dev tools.
Wed, Apr 13, 9:52:07am PDT
“Waiting on delivery of unicorn tears” to get the dev tools out, but they’re be available next month.
Wed, Apr 13, 9:38:08am PDT
Love that they’re so supportive of partnering with Skype.
Wed, Apr 13, 9:35:19am PDT
Impressive speed increase with rendering thanks to hardware acceleration.
Wed, Apr 13, 9:31:57am PDT
Background audio support for HTML5 audio in the Win Phone7.
Wed, Apr 13, 9:30:07am PDT
Mango will include support for IE9. The core is the same codebase as on the PC.
Wed, Apr 13, 9:24:29am PDT
Purchase / install process has been streamlined, especially for free apps.
Wed, Apr 13, 9:23:06am PDT
App search looks remarkably like iPhone’s, but it’s cool that the same search covers the app store as well. mix11 keynote
Wed, Apr 13, 9:17:06am PDT
Marco Argenti, Head of Developer Experience, now on stage. mix11 keynote
Wed, Apr 13, 9:15:56am PDT
IDC and Gardener suggested that by 2015 the Win Phone7 will be the 2nd largest platform. mix11 keynote
Wed, Apr 13, 9:14:19am PDT
Significant update, codename “Mango”, coming in the Fall. mix11
Wed, Apr 13, 9:12:40am PDT
A current goal of theirs is to get better at testing and communicating about updates. mix11 keynote
Wed, Apr 13, 9:09:03am PDT
Why are the Win Phone7 updates later than expected? The first ones broke the phone entirely. mix11
Wed, Apr 13, 9:07:40am PDT
(Despite testing before I got here, my blog’s liveblogging feature seems to have broken. Will fix after the keynote.)
Wed, Apr 13, 9:05:07am PDT
Joe Delphiore introducing @brandonfoy who made the pre-show video.
Wed, Apr 13, 8:58:00am PDT
Enjoying the DJ doing the pre-show here at MIX11, though he has a bit more energy than I do at this point. ;)
Fri, Apr 1, 3:12:35pm PDT
ThinkGeek Behind the Scenes Video
ThinkGeek posted a montage behind-the-scenes video of their April Fools shenanigans. They even got a write-up in Time (beware Time.com’s popups).
Fri, Apr 1, 2:31:40pm PDT
Electronic Frontier Foundation Fake Newsletter
The EFF is one of my favorite organizations, protecting digital rights many of us don’t even realize are being threatened. Today, they published a phoney version of their EFFector newsletter for April Fool’s day. Article titles are things like, “FBI Demands Back Door Into Your House” and “Earn a College Degree in Facebook Privacy Settings”.
“The Kitten Internet Protection Act of 2008 (KIPA) was passed… In the district court, EFF successfully argued that the law unduly restricted websites, and that supervision of online activities was best left to Ceiling Cat, not the government.”
Fri, Apr 1, 2:14:33pm PDT
WordPress.com Visitor Graph
See a spike in your WordPress.com hosted blog? Don’t fall for it!
Fri, Apr 1, 1:44:00pm PDT
Yelp: Nationwide Puppy Rentals
Get a new puppy delivered to your door every month — and the old one picked up — with Forever Young puppy rentals. Be sure to read the reviews.
“Forever Young cannot guarantee affection level of puppies, thus cannot guarantee nuzzles.”
Fri, Apr 1, 1:36:11pm PDT
Kodak Relationshiffft
Last year, they introduced Aromaphotography; this year, it’s automatic ex-removal. “The three “f”’s in Relationshiffft stand for ‘Friends, Fans, and Followers’ – we take care of them all.” Using their “dodecahedron-surfaced (that’s 12) pixel technology”, every photo captures enough info to fill in the background perfectly after deleting that “no-longer-special person” — or put them back after the make-up!
Fri, Apr 1, 1:28:56pm PDT
Google Pig Latin Voice Search
Haven’t you always wanted to do Pig Latin voice searches? oogle-Gay oice-Vay in-ay action-ay:
Fri, Apr 1, 1:22:31pm PDT
Google Body: Cow
I just discovered Google’s amazing educational tool, Google Body, the other day. For today’s prank, they’ve turned it from human to… cow.
Fri, Apr 1, 1:15:28pm PDT
Google Helvetica
Google is really having fun with Comic Sans. Just type “Helvetica” into a Google search and watch what happens.
Fri, Apr 1, 1:10:53pm PDT
Google Adwords Goes Retro
They’re “bringing smart and sexy back” with retro upgrades for the Google Adwords advertising platform. “Punch the Monkey,” “LOLcat”, “Dancing .gif”, “Pop ups galore”, and more.
Fri, Apr 1, 1:05:23pm PDT
Starbucks Mobile Pour
Starbucks is putting “two scooter baristas per every square mile” to deliver your coffee right to you with its new Mobile Pour app.
Fri, Apr 1, 12:46:58pm PDT
3D Grooveshark
“A journey to the center of your face” old-school 3D styling on Grooveshark.
Fri, Apr 1, 12:39:58pm PDT
Google Advertises for a Human Autocompleter
It’s not an algorithm that gives those autocomplete suggestions, or the spell-check either, for that matter! See their advertisement here. “I go through a keyboard about every eight days,” says Autocompleter Michael Taylor.
I think my favorite part is this comment:
Fri, Apr 1, 12:30:47pm PDT
Groupon Patents April Fool’s Day:
The daily coupon website is taking charge of April Fool’s. Be sure to check out their legal documents demanding a cease and desist of unauthorized use of its “Jocular System and Method” from this year’s violators.
Fri, Apr 1, 12:13:13pm PDT
Google Chrome: Comic Sans for Everyone!
Google decided to have a little fun with designers this year using our old nemesis: Comic Sans. The humble font was designed for comic book use, but has since made its way into everything from warning signs to hospital safety memos. My favorite thing about the spoof announcement? The line in bold is set to blink.
Fri, Apr 1, 12:06:55pm PDT
Mozilla Firefox “Do Not Fool”
Inspired by “Do Not Track”, “Do Not Fool” lets users be “curmudgeons” and opt out of being tricked.
Fri, Apr 1, 11:56:40am PDT
Gmail Motion
Free your body from the constraints of an old fashioned keyboard and mouse with Gmail Motion!
Fri, Apr 1, 1:29:54am PDT
Bonsai Kitty from ThinkGeek:
Fri, Apr 1, 1:18:01am PDT
ThinkGeek
Oh ThinkGeek, how I love thine April Fool’s jokes! This nerd’s haven of bacon, caffeine, and science has made it a tradition since 2001 to offer zany fake products on April Fool’s Day, many of which eventually become real items. This year is no different, so don’t forget to click the Order button on one of the fake products so you can vote for which crazy items you want to see made real.
A couple of my favorites:
Be sure to check out all 11 items as well as their hilarious descriptions and videos on ThinkGeek’s home page.
Fri, Apr 1, 12:37:42am PDT
YouTube: 1911
YouTube has gotten in on the April Fool’s fun, as well! They’ve taken some modern Internet Memes and changed them around just a bit.
Based on these videos:
- “The Irksome Citrus” = Really Annoying Orange
- “Buggy Intruder” = Auto-Tune the News: BED INTRUDER SONG
- “Swing Flummox” = Failblog
- “Horse & Buggy Crash” = Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up
- “Flugelhorn Feline” = Charlie Schmidt’s Keyboard Cat!
Fri, Apr 1, 12:21:15am PDT
Woot.com
“Speed up our servers? We’d rather slow down our customers!”
Woot.com is apparently even more evil than I thought. This deal-a-day website has built a personality around a sardonic, detached humor, and in honor of the day they’ve taken things to the next level.
One of their recurring items, usually only seen during “Woot-offs”, is a “Bag of Crap”, a brown paper bag that can be purchased for a dollar which can contain anything from a chewed off pencil to a plasma TV. There is always a mad rush to get one of these coveted bags before they sell out, and it almost always results in at least one server crash.
For April Fool’s Day, Woot was not only offering a Bag of Crap, but a novel new way to get one: customers had to beat their side-scrolling “Crapshoot” game before they were allowed to order one. To get the level one bag, players only had to beat level one, but once all were sold out they had to get levels one and two… and you see where this is going, all the way up to level 10.
The real clincher is in the fact that the game is deliberately broken and frequently provides no-win situations that require the player to restart, all the way back at level one.
@ReadyDesignLive what session is that?
@ReadyDesignLive really good quotes. i want to make sure i watch it