Links, quotes, and short writings on technology, computers, games, and more.
I’ve ditched Windows 11 for Linux, specifically Ubuntu, and it’s been a relief. I dual-booted for years, but the benefits of having an always-on Linux machine outweigh the hassles of managing and using Windows. Linux on the desktop is in a great spot. The ecosystem is vibrant and it will only continue to blossom. If you’re into computers, I’d argue it’s the most fun option.
I don’t recall when I joined Gmail but my guess is summer 2004, shortly after it launched. I remember having to be relentless to get an invite. Looking back, I’m not sure why I felt such a strong need for one. I was a teenager and had no good use for email yet. I’m not even sure what I used for email before Gmail—probably AOL or Yahoo—but it didn’t matter, they were all garbage compared to Gmail.
In the mid-to-late 90s I had my first encounters with computers. I remember playing Oregon Trail on an Apple II in elementary school, typing random letters and numbers on a friends MS-DOS machine to print out on a dot-matrix printer, and disassembling old broken PCs and HDDs for fun and a peek at the internals.
Over two years ago Firefox launched a new design with a change to how tabs look: Inspired tab design: Floating tabs neatly contain information and offer cues only when you need them, like visual indicators for audio controls. The rounded design of the active tab signals the ability to easily grab and move tabs as needed.
From the video AT&T Archives: The UNIX Operating System (1982):
Occasionally I find myself down rabbit holes exploring the history of computing. Donald Knuth is often a name that comes up as his magnum opus The Art of Computer Programming is well known and revered in computer science and programmer circles. One such exploration led me to his talks on God and Computer Science. I haven’t listened yet, but I plan to as I find it a curious topic. I also enjoyed…
I love good app icons. Others do too. They often reflect the quality of the software they represent. On MacOS, some of the best icons come from indie software developers. Whereas large companies frequently field uninspiring, flat, and dull icons. For example, compare an early version of the Docker for Mac Icon to the Postgres.app Icon. I dread launching Docker for Mac not least because of it’s…
New York Times:
A few months ago Apple opened up beta.music.apple.com on the web as a beta. I spent a few minutes poking around in dev tools and found some neat things about it. Keep in mind it’s still in beta, so it’s subject to change.
A neat tour of the design and evolution of the Bloomberg Keyboard.