Opinions + Links
Firefox 4 Sucks
// May 4th, 2011 // No Comments » // Opinion
I’ve been with Firefox since the beginning. I’ve struggeled through every major update, loosing some functionality, gaining others, learning to love the growth and increased productivity, flexibility, speed, security, functionality.
But within 5 minutes of trying to make Firefox 4 work – I went back to 3.6.x. I believe Firefox may have just killed itself. If I wanted to use IE, the immitator, I would. If I found Chrome better, I would have switched – I did test it out, and I regularly have to use several browsers for cross-browser manual checking of website functions.
Firefox 4 enforces layout choices, makes some really bad UI decisions, is slower, crashes more often (even in my 5 minutes!) and generally looks very ugly. I’m astounded they’ve managed to do so many things so badly after so many years of briliance. Following the pack (and trailing behind) is a strange decision after you’ve been leading the pack for YEARS. Perhpas they just got tired?
Well, just so you know, I very rarely write anything about the tools I use online. I was just so incensed by this monumetal stuff-up and so dissapointed that it means that unless major mistakes are rectified, eventually I’ll have to switch to a different and less useful browser. Very sad indeed.
Insight Links for May 4, 6:00 am
// May 4th, 2011 // No Comments » // Digests, Insight
- Escaping from Afghanistan’s Mad-Max Present – By Anne-Marie Slaughter, Team @ Foreign Policy:
What Osama bin Laden’s death means for South Asia’s future. - Think Again: Al Qaeda – By Daniel Byman, Team @ Foreign Policy:
The world’s most notorious terrorist organization was never quite what Americans thought it was — and Osama bin Laden’s death doesn’t mean that it’s down for the count. - Quotes Uncovered: Honest Abe, Team @ Freakonomics:
I’m back to inviting readers to submit quotations whose origins they want me to try to trace, using my book, The Yale Book of Quotations, and my more recent researches. Hugo asked: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” … - Is Zeitgeist 3 about the commons?, Michel Bauwens @ P2P Foundation:
Stefan Meretz of keimform.de gives his impressions after viewing the third iteration of the Zeitgeist series. Stefan Meretz: “So, what is the film about and what has this to do with commons? The movie is full of informations. One has to concentrate enormously to follow all facts and statements … - Racial Bias in Capital Sentencing, Team @ Freakonomics:
A new study of capital sentences handed down in first degree murder cases finds evidence of racial bias against minority defendants who killed white victims.
Foresight Links for May 2, 6:00 am
// May 2nd, 2011 // No Comments » // Digests, Foresight
- Tech Company Identifies Marijuana Strains With Artificial Intelligence, Michael Anissimov @ Accelerating Future:
Marijuana is just the beginning. Soon, systems like this will be able to help people identify other plants, products, textures, landscapes, sounds, and locations. Ever wonder what type of marijuana you have? There’s an app for that, and it’s called StrainBrain-the newest creation from the Medical Cannabis Network (MCN). At … - Megan McArdle On Labor Savings In The Kitchen, Randall Parker @ FuturePundit:
Writing at The Atlantic at Megan McArdle takes a look (with home kitchen video for demonstration) at just how much time modern appliances save us in the kitchen. When my grandmother was growing up in the 1920s, the average woman spent about 30 hours a … - TenKsolar: 25 to 50 Percent Solar Rooftop Power Boost, Randall Parker @ FuturePundit:
Kevin Bullis in MIT’s Technology Review reports on a company that can squeeze a lot more power out of existing solar cells. A startup called TenKsolar, based in Minneapolis, says it can increase the amount of solar power generated on rooftops by 25 to … - UA600EX – Powerful WiFi for Land and Sea, Team @ TFOT – The Future Of Things:
California based Amped Wireless recently introduced the new Wireless High Power Wireless-N 600mW Pro USB Adapter providing Mac or Windows computers to connect to WiFi networks from extreme distances. - Security is Paramount, Michael Anissimov @ Accelerating Future:
For billions of years on this planet, there were no rules. In many places there still are not. A wolf can dine on the entrails of a living doe he has brought down, and no one can stop him. In some species, rape is a more common variety of impregnation …
Hindsight Links for Apr 29, 6:00 am
// April 29th, 2011 // No Comments » // Digests, Hindsight
- Thaylor, Mike Giles @ Cool Hunting:
Montreal’s newest online hub connects the creative community with well-designed wares, from sneakers and wallets to speakers and pocketknives. Like so many digital shopping destinations, Thaylor’s web-based shop doubles as an editorial platform, keeping inspiration fresh no matter the season. Updated regularly, “Life” showcases the thoughts of talented athletes,… - Paper Weaving Card Set, Karen Day @ Cool Hunting:
Sending someone special a card may seem gracious enough these days, but Present & Correct’s latest Paper Weaving Card Set really ups the charm with easy tools for constructing a personalized pattern in addition to undoubtedly endearing messages. The four-pack includes two “Happy Birthday” and one each of “Thank… - How Stress Can Improve Your Performance, Justin Menkes @ HBR.org:
Recently, I read an article in which a developmental psychologist cited a mountain of evidence showing that IQ was one… - Understand Your Customers With Colored Pencils and Cartoons, Eddie Yoon @ HBR.org:
This post is part of Creating a Customer-Centered Organization. Some CEOs truly crave direct customer contact. Apple’s Steve Jobs and… - Finding And Buying A Domain Name, Fred Wilson @ A VC:
I believe that a good domain name is an important success factor in building and launching consumer web services. It’s not in my top ten but it could be. It’s certainly something we think about a lot when making investments…
Insight Links for Apr 27, 6:00 am
// April 27th, 2011 // No Comments » // Digests, Insight
- The LWOT: Massive cache of Gitmo docs released – by Andrew Lebovich, ANDREW LEBOVICH @ Foreign Policy:
Foreign Policy and the New America Foundation bring you a twice weekly brief on the legal war on terror. You can read it on foreignpolicy.com or get it delivered directly to your inbox — just sign up here. - The security mirage: Bruce Schneier on TED.com, Team @ TED Blog:
The feeling of security and the reality of security don’t always match, says computer-security expert Bruce Schneier. He explains why we spend billions addressing news story risks, like the “security theater” now playing at your local airport, while neglecting more probable risks — and how we can break this pattern. … - How Prevalent Is Insider Trading? And What’s to Be Done About It? A Freakonomics Quorum, Stephen J. Dubner @ Freakonomics:
As I type these words, the biggest insider-trading trial in years, that of Raj Rajaratnam, has just gone to the jury. I haven’t followed the trial too closely, but the gist is evident: the line between “insider trading” and the legitimate, if sharp-elbowed, acquisition of useful trading information is extremely … - Tiger Blood – By Gordon Weiss, Team @ Foreign Policy:
Two years after its brutal counterinsurgency war ended, Sri Lanka faces new questions from the international community. - The Value of Unpaid Work: Which Countries Do the Most and Why, Team @ Freakonomics:
Photo: the Italian voice A new report from the OECD paints a fascinating picture of how citizens from different countries stack up on an assortment of metrics: from who works the longest hours, who shops the most, to who is most trusting of others. The annual report, titled “Society at …
Foresight Links for Apr 25,6:00 am
// April 25th, 2011 // No Comments » // Digests, Foresight
- The Green Health Movement for Earth Day 2011, Lisa Mumbach @ Institute For The Future:
teaser: Air pollution and asthma, climate change and natural disasters, drought and crop failures, wasteful practices and water shortages. Human health is directly tied to our planet’s health and Insti… - Brain Region Deltermines Embarrassment Level, Randall Parker @ FuturePundit:
If you could suppress your brain’s “pregenual anterior cingulate cortex” you could probably avoid the feeling of embarrassment. The twist to the experiment was that most of the subjects had neurodegenerative diseases, which helped scientists identify a thumb-sized bit of tissue in the right hemisphere of the front part of … - Cut Carbs To Cut Liver Fat, Randall Parker @ FuturePundit:
Another reason to eat a more paleo diet: DALLAS – April 19, 2011 – Curbing carbohydrates is more effective than cutting calories for individuals who want to quickly reduce the amount of fat in their liver, report UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers. “What this study tells us is that if … - Elon Musk: I’ll Put a Man on Mars in 10 Years, Michael Anissimov @ Accelerating Future:
I find such statements inspiring whether they are meant seriously or not, and whether they come true or not. Elon Musk shows that you can be rich and spend a lot of money without increasing net existential risk. Not increasing it, not decreasing it, just… risk-free behavior. Space travel does …
Hindsight Links for Apr 22, 6:00 am
// April 22nd, 2011 // No Comments » // Digests, Hindsight
- Customer-Centric Continuous Improvement, Team @ HBR.org:
[This post is part of Creating a Customer-Centered Organization.] Improving customer value continuously is difficult in almost any organization. That’s… - A Walk In Our Shoes, Ami Kealoha @ Cool Hunting:
Scandinavian label Leifsdottir channels today’s “modern woman” with a mix of avant-garde cuts, gorgeously art-inspired patterns, a bold use of color and an approach to femininity that’s equal parts confident and seductive. So, when asked to participate in a video project documenting a day in the life of their… - Cities Are the Answer. What Was the Question?, Douglas Foy @ HBR.org:
This post is part of a three-week series exploring the re-invention of the social infrastructure of cities, published in partnership… - Life captured in data, charts, and graphs, Nathan Yau @ FlowingData:
Nice piece from NYT on seeing your life in data: “There’s going to continue to be innovation with new, powerful data around the plumbing of the human body,” [Jason] Jacobs said. “What everyone is starting to realize is that it’s great to collect data, but somebody needs to make sense … - Pokitt, Graham Hiemstra @ Cool Hunting:
For most, comfort and convenience come first when choosing daily accessories. A new solution to Costanza-size wallets, Pokitt is a form-fitting little card holder conceived around the idea of simplicity on-the-go. Constructed entirely of a soft flexible polymer material and measuring less than 1/2″ thick, Pokitt is just the…
Greenfields