Top Posts


Recent Articles

  • The Great Glass

    The lens does matter, but it’s just one part of the overall system.

    Josh Ginter has a fantastic post outlining the value of good lenses for any camera system. It’s a good read and you should go through it if you are just getting into photography.

    There are a couple of things that I wanted to weigh in on though, that Josh doesn’t get wrong, but that I differ in opinion on.

    (more…)

  • The Address Book Paradox

    A rather interesting approach to a modern Address Book. I would love to be able to launch into a specific service from within the iOS Address Book. One of my favorite features of Slack is that I call click on a persons profile picture and see a popup which allows me to call them with…

    A rather interesting approach to a modern Address Book. I would love to be able to launch into a specific service from within the iOS Address Book. One of my favorite features of Slack is that I call click on a persons profile picture and see a popup which allows me to call them with Skype. So handy.

  • It’s About the Camera

    Good post from Stephen, and I am linking to him because his thoughts on the protruding camera lens on the iPhones 6 at the end is spot on. One point I disagree with him on is the iPhone camera being ‘good enough’ — it’s down right a better camera that my Fuji in many respects.…

    Good post from Stephen, and I am linking to him because his thoughts on the protruding camera lens on the iPhones 6 at the end is spot on.

    One point I disagree with him on is the iPhone camera being ‘good enough’ — it’s down right a better camera that my Fuji in many respects. Better macro, better fast action, better video, etc.

  • The Fight Between Aesthetics and Ergonomics

    Like many things in life, that which looks best, hurts the most.

    If you are a design oriented nerd you’ve likely run into a
    the same conflict I run into it everyday, where ergonomics is constantly in direct opposition with a beautiful desk. The knowledge you possess tells you how things should be positioned on your desk and this positioning is never really how you want your desk to look.

    Your monitor needs to be at this height, so that it is ergonomic, and your desk at this height, which all means your desk is always lower than your display. And now you need a stand for that.

    (more…)

  • Walk in a Park

    A new photo essay of mine.

    A new photo essay of mine.

  • The Trade

    I currently have a White/Silver iPhone 6. It is a Verizon phone, 64GB, with AppleCare. I’m looking to trade for a 6 plus. Specifically the 6+ needs to be at least 64GB, preferably one of the white models, on Verizon, with AppleCare. I’m willing to make up for the price difference on the trade as…

    I currently have a White/Silver iPhone 6. It is a Verizon phone, 64GB, with AppleCare. I’m looking to trade for a 6 plus.

    Specifically the 6+ needs to be at least 64GB, preferably one of the white models, on Verizon, with AppleCare.

    I’m willing to make up for the price difference on the trade as follows (assumes AppleCare is already linked to device):

    • Gold/Silver, 64GB $100
    • Gold/Silver, 128GB $150
    • Space Grey, 64GB $50
    • Space Grey, 128GB $100

    Anyone interested? Priority to people nearby me. If we are doing shipping that’s fine too, we would each pay our own shipping with comparable speed of shipping. (I don’t want to use my 5S for very long.)

    My phone is in near perfect condition with only two light scratches on the front. Only visible when the screen is off.

  • Whittling Down The MacBook To An iPad

    M.G. Siegler: I suspect this new MacBook will be the last laptop I end up buying. Again, that doesn’t mean the MacBook is dying anytime soon, but I believe this will be the pinnacle of the product. We’ll get spec bumps for years to come. But it will be the long, slow fade we just…

    M.G. Siegler:

    I suspect this new MacBook will be the last laptop I end up buying. Again, that doesn’t mean the MacBook is dying anytime soon, but I believe this will be the pinnacle of the product. We’ll get spec bumps for years to come. But it will be the long, slow fade we just witnessed with the iPod.

  • Reminder: Photo a Day Project

    Just a reminder that I have started a photo a day project, pretty fun stuff.

    Just a reminder that I have started a photo a day project, pretty fun stuff.

  • Unique Photos

    Garrett Murray comparing the X100T to the plethora of other cameras he has used of late: It fits better in my hands and it still takes amazingly unique photos. I picked up the X100T before the holidays and it has been an amazing tool.

    Garrett Murray comparing the X100T to the plethora of other cameras he has used of late:

    It fits better in my hands and it still takes amazingly unique photos.

    I picked up the X100T before the holidays and it has been an amazing tool.

  • It’s Compulsion, Not Obsession

    Sometimes finding the best, is really the worst.

    In part, because I am a nerd, I have a page on my blog where I list things that I’ve found to be the best. I pursue buying the best things in the aspects of my life where I’ve found that I use something very often, or need a new item to replace an old, or broken one. I try many options so that I may eventually say, with some sense of expert confidence, that this is ‘the best’.

    Of course it’s likely only the best if you are me, after all, who’s to say what is the best weather app, radar app, PDF reader, or knife? Not me. It’s all subjective, and we could debate this all day, but it doesn’t matter.

    (more…)

  • Jitouch 2

    I saw this Mac preference pane app in action today, and I was blown away. I am not at my Mac, but this is something I plan on installing the moment I get home. You can create custom gestures to do all sorts of things, such as: Three finger tap to close tab. Three finger…

    I saw this Mac preference pane app in action today, and I was blown away. I am not at my Mac, but this is something I plan on installing the moment I get home.

    You can create custom gestures to do all sorts of things, such as:

    • Three finger tap to close tab.
    • Three finger tap to open link in new window
    • Gesture to fullscreen an app
    • Gesture for positioning apps

    And so much more. Very cool tool.

  • The IKEA Wall-mount Table/Desk

    When you need a small desk and hides away, you could do a lot worse for $40.

    When I started at MartianCraft (a remote work company) I started at a time when my wife and I had just turned our home office into a playroom for our kids. Whoops. There are few co-working spaces available around me, and those that are, are above my budget for such a space (without offering a very good space).

    (more…)

  • Photo Stitching without Photoshop

    Speaking of my photoblog, I posted a little thing about photo stitching without Photoshop.

    Speaking of my photoblog, I posted a little thing about photo stitching without Photoshop.

  • Photo a Day – 2015

    For 2015 I have started a photo a day project over on my photography site/blog. Follow along if you want, subscribe to the RSS if that's your thing.

    For 2015 I have started a photo a day project over on my photography site/blog. Follow along if you want, subscribe to the RSS if that's your thing.

  • The Future Shock

    This is an amazing tale.

    This is an amazing tale.

  • Unexamined Privilege

    Jeffrey Zeldman: If we keep throwing only young, mostly white, mostly upper middle class people at the engine that makes our digital world go, we’ll keep getting camera and reminder and hookup apps—things that make an already privileged life even smoother—and we’ll keep producing features that sound like a good idea to everyone in the…

    Jeffrey Zeldman:

    If we keep throwing only young, mostly white, mostly upper middle class people at the engine that makes our digital world go, we’ll keep getting camera and reminder and hookup apps—things that make an already privileged life even smoother—and we’ll keep producing features that sound like a good idea to everyone in the room, until they unexpectedly stab someone in the heart.

  • Cadillac Allantes

    Matt Mullenweg: In a region that prides itself on disruption and working from first principles, San Francisco’s scaling problem is pretty humorous if you look at it from the outside: otherwise smart and inventive founders continue to set up offices and try to hire or move people in the most overheated environment since there were…

    Matt Mullenweg:

    In a region that prides itself on disruption and working from first principles, San Francisco’s scaling problem is pretty humorous if you look at it from the outside: otherwise smart and inventive founders continue to set up offices and try to hire or move people in the most overheated environment since there were carphones in Cadillac Allantes.

  • Monochrome Moon

    I’ve been playing around with my X100T lately, and snapped this from my backyard the other night. After a quick spin through Flare, it looked pretty good for a wallpaper. Here’s the image (the full resolution version doesn’t have the compression banding/artifacts): Go ahead and download this high resolution version and take it for a…

    I’ve been playing around with my X100T lately, and snapped this from my backyard the other night. After a quick spin through Flare, it looked pretty good for a wallpaper. Here’s the image (the full resolution version doesn’t have the compression banding/artifacts):

    Go ahead and download this high resolution version and take it for a spin for yourself.

  • The Helgray

    I don’t know why I bought this watch, but it turns out to be pretty nice.

    I’ve long felt mechanical watches are the only way to go, as they require no batteries and are therefore ideal because they keep working as long as you wear them — no finding dead batteries when you go to don the watch. A ‘win-win’ if you will. (more…)

  • Notes on Parenthood: Ben and Erin Brooks

    Tom Bihn interviewed my wife and me about parenthood and all the craziness that surrounds it.

    Tom Bihn interviewed my wife and me about parenthood and all the craziness that surrounds it.