David Emery OnlineSocialite - All your social networks in one application
Socialite is a beautiful Mac OS X application, designed to make it easy to stay in touch with the social networks and services that matter to you. From news on Digg, photos on Flickr, statuses and photos on Facebook and Twitter updates, to full Google Reader RSS syncing, Socialite keeps all your social networks in one convenient place.
Socialite – which used to be called EventBox – is easily the best Mac twitter client, with a nice Mac-like UI and support for all the bells and whistles like multiple accounts, retweet support, lists, searches etc. If that wasn’t enough though, it also supports Facebook, Flickr, RSS and Google Reader, all going into one combined feed so you can stay up-to-date with everything.
It’s a must have app – I have 5 apps I always have running on every Mac I use: Mail, Adium, Safari, Quicksilver and Socialite.
(Full disclosure – back in the day, Eventbox was kind-of my idea)
Visit ➔Dear Taylor Swift
But I’m sad that your web site lets some of your most important fans — those who have special needs — down, in ways that you might not realise. Not that I blame you, you’re an artist, not a web designer or developer.
To be fair, yours isn’t the only country artist site that is inaccessible to people with disabilities. Both Shania Twain’s and Dolly Parton’s also make it either very difficult or impossible for some people to access their content. So I would like to show you how your site could be improved in small ways that would make a huge difference to a lot of people, with or without disabilities.
Always good to be reminded about these things; it amazes me, though, that people are still making nasty all-flash sites like this…
Visit ➔Rupert has balls
Companies that are ruled by task forces don’t act like him; they overthink to convince themselves they’re making smart decisions. News Corp. underthinks.
‘Overthink’ can be such a killer; you think you’re doing the right thing by planning, more planning and lots of research but you end up spending all of your time planning and no time actually executing. Sure, some planning is needed but not too much.
And for the record I’d be surprised if News Corp. removed themselves from Google, and their pay-wall strategy isn’t going to work (for news, at least).
Visit ➔iTunes LP and iTunes Extras for Developers
Here’s everything you need to know to create a rich, interactive experience around your music and movies. All right in iTunes.
Apple have released all the specs, templates and a load of documentation for the iTunes LP format, which is nice. Skimming through them I see lots of “don’t use JS for animation, use CSS” – nice to have a HTML5 + CSS3 based platform to develop for…
Visit ➔Bauhaus Ideology and the Future of Web Design
What follows is a frankly massive essay in note form. These are the notes I made to justify the aims of Bauhaus Ideology and the Future of Web Design – a presentation I did for the FOWD Tour in Leeds, September 2009. Thus, there is a vast array of ideas, conclusions and speculations with regard to the future of our industry. Take it with a pinch of salt, and think of this as a conversation, and not a manifesto.
Very interesting stuff – well worth a read.
Visit ➔The future of audio: The UK Radioplayer
It’s a really exciting development and a result of focussed, collaborative thinking within the radio industry. It’s a simple, compelling proposition for listeners, and I would welcome any comments on the project.
This looks pretty interesting – an standards-based, multi-station online radio player. Basically like the iPlayer Radio, but open to other stations. What I’d really like to know, though, is whether it’s open to people that aren’t radio stations – could Hype Machine have a station on this, for example?
Visit ➔Roundtable Discussion: The Role Of The Record Label
Last week, I had the opportunity to chat — and, by chat, I mean “chat via the Internet” — with a handful of independent record labels’ owners and managers. I wanted to discuss the role of the label in a time when fewer people seem to know or care what labels their favorite musicians or bands are on. Furthermore, and perhaps this has always been true, we may not even know what exactly a label does.
Interesting stuff (although – obviously – a quite US focused view on things).
Visit ➔Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk
I really like this new video by Two Door Cinema Club (and the song’s not bad too). Obviously made for the internet (as all that strobing won’t be allowed on TV) but not in a slightly-rubbish lo-fi way:
Visit ➔U Got The Look - JEFF the Brotherhood
JEFF the Brotherhood are a two piece (always a good start) from Nashville, Tennessee half of which used to be in the wonderful be your own PET. Half of two does indeed equal one and that one in question is Jamin who used to do the drumming duties in byoP, and is joined by his brother Jake on guitar and vocals.
They are totally my new favourite band, at least forthisweekanyway:
Visit ➔