David Lidsky's Blog, page 3313
March 12, 2014
Ototo Is A Beautiful Real-Time Public Transit App For You To Try
Ototo, an iOS app that launched this week, siphons location data from its users to paint a real-time portrait of when your train is coming.
For the most part, public transit apps look like relics of the GeoCities era--very utilitarian, not very pretty. In some cases we might as well be stuffing our pockets with MapQuest printouts.
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How The Next Stage In Circa's "Modular Content" Model Works
In the era of the journalist as brand, Circa is betting on product, not personality.
Conventional wisdom holds that we're living in the era of the journalist as personal brand. Yahoo has been proudly adding household names like Katie Couric and David Pogue to its news marquee, while wonks like Nate Silver have been ditching elite print publications in favor of more entrepreneurial paths. The media executives footing the salaries and startup costs are hoping that Twitter followers migrate along with the journalists.
Happy 25th Birthday, World Wide Web! Our Gift: An Intentionally Brief History Of You
Light the candles, pop some bubbly, and fire up your favorite browser: The World Wide Web is a quarter of a century old today.
On March 12, 1989, the visual layer of the Internet was quietly revealed, fundamentally changing the way we communicate, research, consume and share media, waste time at work, and, well, do everything else really. It was called the World Wide Web. To celebrate, we've put together a purposefully brisk and oversimplified history (trust us, you don't want to see the unabridged version) leading up to its now 25 years of existence.
Amid General Outcry Over Student Data Privacy, BrightBytes Wins Schools' Trust And Raises $15M
The Saas Education Startup Now Serves 1 In 10 U.S. Schools
Many education technology companies are playing defense these days as parents, feeling duped by the fine print in vendor contracts, raise questions about student data privacy and security. Nevertheless BrightBytes, which is a bit like a business intelligence for schools driven by a team of data scientists and researchers, today announced $15 million in Series B funding along with plans to expand its team and its footprint overseas.
Inside The Pixar Braintrust
In this exclusive excerpt from Creativity, Inc., Ed Catmull unveils one of his key management tools--the Pixar Braintrust, which has helped the animation powerhouse score 14 box-office hits in a row.
A hallmark of a healthy creative culture is that its people feel free to share ideas, opinions, and criticisms. Our decision making is better when we draw on the collective knowledge and unvarnished opinions of the group. Candor is the key to collaborating effectively. Lack of candor leads to dysfunctional environments. So how can a manager ensure that his or her working group, department, or company embraces candor? By putting mechanisms in place that explicitly say it is valuable. One of Pixar's key mechanisms is the Braintrust, which we rely on to push us toward excellence and to root out mediocrity. It is our primary delivery system for straight talk. The Braintrust meets every few months or so to assess each movie we're making. Its premise is simple: Put smart, passionate people in a room together, charge them with identifying and solving problems, and encourage them to be candid. The Braintrust is not foolproof, but when we get it right, the results are phenomenal.
March 11, 2014
Soaring Demand For Marijuana In Colorado Ushers In Weed Cottage Industry
"Activity is off the charts, but we're still not meeting demand."
In Colorado, supply can't keep up with demand. One of two states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use (the other being Washington), Colorado's pot industry has ushered in a booming warehouse market--part of a greater cannabis cottage industry.
Inside FiftyThree's Jaw-Dropping New Office Space
The folks behind iPad drawing app Paper have swanky new digs. We talked to the architect and Paper's CEO about the change of scenery.
FiftyThree, the company behind the drawing app Paper and the hardware stylus Pencil, is moving into a new office. We spoke to architect Laura Gonzalez Fierro about the jaw-dropping new digs. We figured we'd also use the opportunity to ask CEO Georg Petschnigg what the company is up to.
Watch A Robot Take On A Ping-Pong Champ In This Epic Matchup
A one-armed robot plays a friendly game of ping-pong against German table tennis champ Timo Boll. So who won, man or machine?
In an epic battle of man-versus-machine ping-pong, man ultimately prevails, but the showdown highlights advances in developing human-like qualities in robots.
Uncharged: Tesla Hits Another Speed Bump As New Jersey Might Also Ban Sales
Today, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is expected to pass a rule change that will forbid direct-from-manufacturer sales to consumers. If it passes, NJ will become the 5th state to have such a ban.
Tesla's battle with auto dealers goes on. Today, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is expected to vote on a proposal that would require car manufacturers to enter a franchise agreement in order to sell their vehicles. According to reports, the proposed rule change would also require car companies to "maintain facilities of at least 1,000 square feet with room to display two cars."
Infographic: Where's The Most Expensive Pizza In Your City?
Plan your next move around NPR's excellent pizza graphic.
If there's one thing Americans can all agree on--old or young, blue state or red state, male or female, mineral or vegetable--it's that pizza is cool and we all deserve to have someone deliver it to our homes. But the price varies throughout this fine nation--even among neighborhoods in the same city.
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