Archive for April, 2009

Out of box experience of Microsoft Surface

The whole experience was probably best summed up by Amanda who, when asked why it was taking us so long to get the machine up and running, and why we all looked so unhappy, replied “Oh, it’s just so…Microsofty.”

Read more at http://kinesismomentum.wordpress.com/.

They’ve pulled the article. Link updated to cached version.

Twitter Updates for 2009-04-09

A Trip to Death Valley

Next week is Spring Break and this time around rather than boarding a random airplane in search of adventure I have a meticulously planned itinerary for a week in Death Valley.

Why the meticulous planning, you ask? Well, first, Death Valley is big 13,600 km2 (5,300 square miles) and it has a lot of interesting sights to see. So, traveling at random is not going to cover it. Plus, I want to maximize the number of sunsets and sunrises I can get some pictures at. To be at the right time at the right place, a little bit of planning will be required.

Here’s the itinerary I’ve devised.

Day 1

  • Drive from Las Vegas to Rhyolite ghost town
  • Goldwell Open Air art museum
  • Leadfield ghost town
  • Drive through Titus Canyon
  • Devil’s Cornfield
  • Sunset at Stovepipe Wells and Mesquite Dunes
  • Camping at Wildrose or Thorndike campgrond

Day 2

  • Sunrise at Aguereberry Point
  • Eureka Mines
  • Skidoo ghost town
  • Historic Stovepipe Wells
  • Salt Creek
  • Harmony Borax
  • Sunset at Zabriskie Point
  • Camping at Furnace Creek

Day 3

  • Sunrise at Badwater, lowest (and hottest) point in the continental US
  • Hunt for flowers in bloom at Ashford Mill
  • Eagle Borax Works
  • Artists Palette set location of Star Wars movies
  • Mushroom Rock
  • Golden Canyon
  • Sunset at Zabriskie Point
  • Camping at Furnace Creek

Day 4

  • Sunrise at Zabriskie Point
  • Twenty Mule Team canyon
  • Sunset at Dante’s View
  • Camping at Mesquite Springs

Day 5

  • Ubehebe crater
  • Teakettle junction
  • Sunset at Racetrack Playa, home of the moving rocks
  • Camping at Racetrack Playa

Day 6

  • Sunrise at Racetrack Playa
  • Scotty’s Castle
  • Sunset at Eureka Dunes
  • Camping at Eureka Dunes

Day 7

  • Sunrise at Eureka Dunes
  • Dunmovin ghost town
  • Search for the elusive U2 Joshua Tree
  • Darwin ghost town
  • Panamint Springs

Can Design Save Newspapers?

Puls Biznesnu

Puls Biznesu

Great design work by Jacek Utko, a Polish designer whose redesign of several east-european newspapers led to an increase in their readership. His plea: “Give power to designers”.

I’m skeptical that paper-based newspaper will survive, but design will continue to be important when we transition to new mediums.

Watch his talk at TED.