L'affascinante mondo dei... dei... beh, dei Competitive Grippers
Money quote: "I found myself in the waiting room of an automotive garage, preparing for a staggering repair estimate, when a technician approached me. He was holding a heavy-duty Captains of Crush hand gripper. Boasting aircraft-grade aluminum handles and nearly indestructible springs, this device, manufactured by a California-based company called Iron Mind, was considered the Louisville Slugger of the grip world."
http://narrative.ly/the-secret-life-of-competitive-grippers/
Money quote: "I found myself in the waiting room of an automotive garage, preparing for a staggering repair estimate, when a technician approached me. He was holding a heavy-duty Captains of Crush hand gripper. Boasting aircraft-grade aluminum handles and nearly indestructible springs, this device, manufactured by a California-based company called Iron Mind, was considered the Louisville Slugger of the grip world."
http://narrative.ly/the-secret-life-of-competitive-grippers/
Narratively
The Secret Life of Competitive Grippers
Clasping heavy-duty handles closed may not seem like a serious endeavor, but for this strange sport’s athletes, it’s the ultimate testosterone test.
I trucchi con cui Facebook, Twitter e Pinterest ci catturano.
Money quote: "After the trigger comes the intended action. Here, companies leverage two pulleys of human behavior: motivation and ability. To increase the odds of a user taking the intended action, the behavior designer makes the action as easy as possible, while simultaneously boosting the user’s motivation. This phase of the Hook draws on the art and science of usability design to ensure that the user acts the way the designer intends."
https://magenta.as/how-facebook-twitter-and-pinterest-hook-users-5c0eb134992f
Money quote: "After the trigger comes the intended action. Here, companies leverage two pulleys of human behavior: motivation and ability. To increase the odds of a user taking the intended action, the behavior designer makes the action as easy as possible, while simultaneously boosting the user’s motivation. This phase of the Hook draws on the art and science of usability design to ensure that the user acts the way the designer intends."
https://magenta.as/how-facebook-twitter-and-pinterest-hook-users-5c0eb134992f
Medium
How Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest Hook Users
The tactics that the best digital brands use to stay relevant in users’ minds and lives.
Sono secoli che sul nostro pianeta non sputano nuove, grandi religioni di massa. Come mai?
Money quote: "Not since the angel Gabriel visited Muhammad in a cave around 610 AD, informing him that he is God’s prophet, has there been a new globally influential religion with hundreds of millions of followers. Though the world’s religions are very dynamic, and major faiths continue to shift and evolve in ritual and doctrine, the world today is dominated by the same four faiths that dominated the globe a millennium ago: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. According to a 2012 Pew study, 92 percent of religiously affiliated people around the globe belong to one of these four faiths."
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/08/new-religions/533745/
Money quote: "Not since the angel Gabriel visited Muhammad in a cave around 610 AD, informing him that he is God’s prophet, has there been a new globally influential religion with hundreds of millions of followers. Though the world’s religions are very dynamic, and major faiths continue to shift and evolve in ritual and doctrine, the world today is dominated by the same four faiths that dominated the globe a millennium ago: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. According to a 2012 Pew study, 92 percent of religiously affiliated people around the globe belong to one of these four faiths."
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/08/new-religions/533745/
The Atlantic
Why Are There No New Major Religions?
The story of one imprisoned prophet illustrates the difficulties of getting a “baby religion” off the ground.
Anticipazione italiana di una notizia su Papà Francesco inaspettata ma interessante: a quarant'anni il Santo Padre è andato in terapia per sei mesi. A naso sembra più un counseling. Bello, no?
Money quote: "The revelation about the Pope’s therapeutic past was published by Italian daily La Stampa on Friday, pulled from a soon-to-be-published book of his conversations with French sociologist Dominique Wolton. Apparently, Pope Francis thought his therapist was “a good person” — and she was merely one of many women who had a positive influence on his life. “Those whom I known helped me a lot when I needed to consult with them,” he said."
https://www.thecut.com/2017/09/pope-francis-went-to-therapy.html
Money quote: "The revelation about the Pope’s therapeutic past was published by Italian daily La Stampa on Friday, pulled from a soon-to-be-published book of his conversations with French sociologist Dominique Wolton. Apparently, Pope Francis thought his therapist was “a good person” — and she was merely one of many women who had a positive influence on his life. “Those whom I known helped me a lot when I needed to consult with them,” he said."
https://www.thecut.com/2017/09/pope-francis-went-to-therapy.html
The Cut
Even the Pope Went to Therapy
It helped him “clarify some things.”
Si può costruire una professione sulle eccezioni e le anomalie si mercato? Ci sono sempre le eccezioni che confermano la regola. Come gli autori sconosciuti che pubblicano nel self publishing e fanno i milioni.
Money quote: "Keith who, you may ask? Houghton is one of a handful of so-called “hidden” bestsellers: his self-published crime thrillers are ebooks, sales of which are not monitored by the UK’s official book charts (if they don’t have ISBNs, which self-published titles often don’t).
Houghton made his money over the past six years by selling more than 500,000 books, chiefly through his Gabe Quinn series of thrillers. In a world in which traditionally published authors struggle to make £7,000 a year from their work, it is no wonder Houghton says: “I feel like I have won the lottery.”"
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jun/08/buying-houses-in-cash-and-selling-millions-meet-self-publishings-hidden-authors
Money quote: "Keith who, you may ask? Houghton is one of a handful of so-called “hidden” bestsellers: his self-published crime thrillers are ebooks, sales of which are not monitored by the UK’s official book charts (if they don’t have ISBNs, which self-published titles often don’t).
Houghton made his money over the past six years by selling more than 500,000 books, chiefly through his Gabe Quinn series of thrillers. In a world in which traditionally published authors struggle to make £7,000 a year from their work, it is no wonder Houghton says: “I feel like I have won the lottery.”"
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jun/08/buying-houses-in-cash-and-selling-millions-meet-self-publishings-hidden-authors
the Guardian
Buying houses in cash and selling millions: meet self-publishing's 'hidden' authors
They sell millions of books, but you rarely see them in bookshops – three successful novelists on working under the radar of the book charts
Alcune stampanti a colori, spiegava un po' di tempo fa la BBC, inseriscono puntini invisibili a occhio nudo che codificano varie informazioni: seriale della stampante, orario della stampa, informazioni sul documento. Ottimo per beccare le gole profonde dei segreti scomodi di Stato
Money quote: "Another observer was security researcher Rob Graham, who published a blog post explaining how to identify and decode the dots. Based on their positions when plotted against a grid, they denote specific hours, minutes, dates and numbers. Several security experts who decoded the dots came up with the same print time and date.
Microdots have existed for many years. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) maintains a list of colour printers known to use them".
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170607-why-printers-add-secret-tracking-dots
Money quote: "Another observer was security researcher Rob Graham, who published a blog post explaining how to identify and decode the dots. Based on their positions when plotted against a grid, they denote specific hours, minutes, dates and numbers. Several security experts who decoded the dots came up with the same print time and date.
Microdots have existed for many years. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) maintains a list of colour printers known to use them".
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170607-why-printers-add-secret-tracking-dots
Bbc
Why printers add secret tracking dots
They’re almost invisible but contain a hidden code – and now their presence on a leaked document has sparked speculation about their usefulness to FBI investigators.
Forwarded from MacchiaChannel via @like
Viene fuori che un utente di Reddit che la sapeva lunghissima aveva già anticipato/spoilerato 10 mesi fa tutti gli eventi accaduti nella stagione appena finita di Game of Thrones (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️). Ma tutti tutti. Nessuno lo ha preso sul serio. Tutti gli hanno riso dietro. Molti han detto: "Se tutto andasse veramente così vorrebbe dire che la serie è andata a puttane".
Qui di seguito tutte le previsioni, e tutti i commenti.
Link: http://bit.ly/2esUGCZ
Qui di seguito tutte le previsioni, e tutti i commenti.
Link: http://bit.ly/2esUGCZ
reddit
r/freefolk - Compilation of spoilers by awayforthelads
93 votes and 211 comments so far on Reddit
Tre o quattro utili suggerimenti da parte degli stoici - pensa te - su come essere più produttivi. Dal titolo sembra una idiozia, in realtà alcune cose molto sensate le dice. Comunque, la civiltà occidentale è davvero arrivata alla frutta.
Money quote: "If people came up to you all day asking for $20 you’d tell them to get lost. But people do come up to you all day (or email, or text, or call) asking for your time. And you just hand it on over"
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2017/06/how-to-be-productive-3/
Money quote: "If people came up to you all day asking for $20 you’d tell them to get lost. But people do come up to you all day (or email, or text, or call) asking for your time. And you just hand it on over"
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2017/06/how-to-be-productive-3/
Barking Up The Wrong Tree
This Is How To Be Productive: 4 Secrets From The Stoics - Barking Up The Wrong Tree
Yes, the ancient Stoics had tips that can make you more productive. And they line up with modern research. (No, you don't have to wear a toga.)
La storia di uno dei più incredibili e improbabili gruppi di artisti e designer asserragliati in capo al mondo, provenienti da qualsiasi professione o lavoro, che hanno saputo però illuminare la notte.
Money quote: "This didn’t matter to Jinnee, who was convinced that—through practice—anyone could learn design. To enable this, Jinnee put her students through a rigorous artistic process that cycled with the seasons"
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-unlikely-story-of-the-folly-cove-guild-the-best-designers-youve-never-heard-of
Money quote: "This didn’t matter to Jinnee, who was convinced that—through practice—anyone could learn design. To enable this, Jinnee put her students through a rigorous artistic process that cycled with the seasons"
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-unlikely-story-of-the-folly-cove-guild-the-best-designers-youve-never-heard-of
Atlas Obscura
The Unlikely Story of the Folly Cove Guild, the Best Designers You've Never Heard Of
Led by beloved children's author Virginia Lee Burton, this group of mostly untrained women created immortal designs.
I primi dieci anni dell’hashtag - Il mio articolo per Macity
https://www.macitynet.it/primi-dieci-anni-dellhashtag/
https://www.macitynet.it/primi-dieci-anni-dellhashtag/
Macitynet.it
I primi dieci anni dell’hashtag - Macitynet.it
In questi giorni il simbolo nato su Twitter compie due lustri. Dopo la chiocciolina, è l’elemento grafico che più descrive il nostro tempo
Meditazione del lunedì un po' meccanica ma utile: se pensi già di saperlo, non imparerai niente di nuovo.
Money quote: "If you do not show humility and approach all things as an empty, willing vessel, you will not grow. Never assume that your mind is full, or that what you know overpowers what others know. After all, how could progress be made in any field if everyone assumed they knew everything as soon as they learned something? It’s arrogant and foolish, even for those who are at the top of their field."
http://lifehacker.com/you-cannot-learn-what-you-think-you-already-know-1796095391
Money quote: "If you do not show humility and approach all things as an empty, willing vessel, you will not grow. Never assume that your mind is full, or that what you know overpowers what others know. After all, how could progress be made in any field if everyone assumed they knew everything as soon as they learned something? It’s arrogant and foolish, even for those who are at the top of their field."
http://lifehacker.com/you-cannot-learn-what-you-think-you-already-know-1796095391
Lifehacker
You Cannot Learn What You Think You Already Know
Welcome back to Mid-Week Meditations, Lifehacker’s weekly dip into the pool of stoic wisdom, and how you can use its waters to reflect on and improve your life.
Complice l'estate ho letto e riletto un po' di cose. Si poteva fare di più, ma è stato comunque un periodo pieno: un po' sulla carta, un po' sul Kindle, un po' sull'iPad, sono risucito a "rompere" il muro del web e andare verso narrazioni più strutturate e curate. Ma sempre pop.
Una di queste è stata la rilettura della storia "Ritorno a Pilares" di Tex Willer: spalmata su sei albi (dal numero 387 al numero 392) è la storia finora più lunga del ranger: 586 tavole piene zeppe di avventura e mistero, tutto di sapore messicano.
Scritta da Sergio Bonelli (con il nome da battaglia di Guido Nolitta) e disegnata da Guglielmo Letteri, è lettura slow ma non priva di un suo fascino. Proprio in quei giorni ho letto anche un libro divertente che racconta molte cose sull'universo di Tex Willer in maniera sagace. È "Non son degno di Tex" di Claudio Paglieri, che racconta vita morte e miracoli dell'eroe bonelliano. Ad esempio: quante volte è stato colpito di striscio? Quante volte alla tempia? E quanti bianchi, messicani, neri, indiani e alieni ha fatto fuori? Con statistiche anche per le uccisioni con la Colt, con il Winchestern e con la dinamite. Senza contare l'epopea del fido cavallo Dinamite, compagno delle prime avventure poi silenziosamente messo da parte per evitare di dover salvare anche lui da feroci sparatorie, inseguimenti, alluvioni, assalti ed esplosioni varie.
Il libro è aggiornato alle stastiche del 2008 ma vi garantisco che bastano e avanzano. Se interessa, si trova qui. I Tex d'annata vanno invece cercati sulle bancarelle.
https://www.amazon.it/degno-morti-miracoli-mitico-ranger/dp/8831792040/
Una di queste è stata la rilettura della storia "Ritorno a Pilares" di Tex Willer: spalmata su sei albi (dal numero 387 al numero 392) è la storia finora più lunga del ranger: 586 tavole piene zeppe di avventura e mistero, tutto di sapore messicano.
Scritta da Sergio Bonelli (con il nome da battaglia di Guido Nolitta) e disegnata da Guglielmo Letteri, è lettura slow ma non priva di un suo fascino. Proprio in quei giorni ho letto anche un libro divertente che racconta molte cose sull'universo di Tex Willer in maniera sagace. È "Non son degno di Tex" di Claudio Paglieri, che racconta vita morte e miracoli dell'eroe bonelliano. Ad esempio: quante volte è stato colpito di striscio? Quante volte alla tempia? E quanti bianchi, messicani, neri, indiani e alieni ha fatto fuori? Con statistiche anche per le uccisioni con la Colt, con il Winchestern e con la dinamite. Senza contare l'epopea del fido cavallo Dinamite, compagno delle prime avventure poi silenziosamente messo da parte per evitare di dover salvare anche lui da feroci sparatorie, inseguimenti, alluvioni, assalti ed esplosioni varie.
Il libro è aggiornato alle stastiche del 2008 ma vi garantisco che bastano e avanzano. Se interessa, si trova qui. I Tex d'annata vanno invece cercati sulle bancarelle.
https://www.amazon.it/degno-morti-miracoli-mitico-ranger/dp/8831792040/
Amazon
Non son degno di Tex. Vita, morti e miracoli del mitico ranger
"Ho letto il mio primo "Tex" in treno, da Genova a Finale, nel giugno del '76. Era il numero 148, Kento non perdona", racconta l'autore. Da allora, Tex e Claudio Paglieri non si sono più lasciati, o meglio Claudio Paglieri non ha più lasciato Tex. Finché…
Alphabet, cioè Google, si riorganizza aggiungendo una seconda holding per le startup: si chiama XXVI Company
Money quote: "The new entity, called XXVI Holdings Inc., will own the equity of each Alphabet company, including Google. The new structure legally separates Google from other units such as Waymo, its self-driving car business, and Verily, a medical device and health data firm."
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-01/alphabet-wraps-up-reorganization-with-a-new-company-called-xxvi
Money quote: "The new entity, called XXVI Holdings Inc., will own the equity of each Alphabet company, including Google. The new structure legally separates Google from other units such as Waymo, its self-driving car business, and Verily, a medical device and health data firm."
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-01/alphabet-wraps-up-reorganization-with-a-new-company-called-xxvi
Bloomberg.com
Alphabet Finishes Reorganization With New XXVI Company
Alphabet Inc. is forming a new holding company designed to finalize its evolution from Google, the web search giant, into a corporate parent with distinct arms that protects individual businesses in far-flung fields like health care and self-driving cars.
Un progettino da maker: una macchina fotografica che scatta una GIF animata e fa uscire una cartuccia con schermo che la riproduce. È la Polaroid OneStep steampunk
Money quote: "What I love about these kinds of projects is that they involve a bunch of different skill sets and disciplines - hardware, software, 3D modeling, 3D printing, circuit design, mechanical/electrical engineering, design, fabrication etc that need to be integrated for it to work seamlessly. Ironically this is also what I hate about these kinds of projects :P"
http://imgur.com/gallery/CG9w4
Money quote: "What I love about these kinds of projects is that they involve a bunch of different skill sets and disciplines - hardware, software, 3D modeling, 3D printing, circuit design, mechanical/electrical engineering, design, fabrication etc that need to be integrated for it to work seamlessly. Ironically this is also what I hate about these kinds of projects :P"
http://imgur.com/gallery/CG9w4
Imgur
I built a camera that 'prints' a GIF
Discover the magic of the internet at Imgur, a community powered entertainment destination. Lift your spirits with funny jokes, trending memes, entertaining gifs, inspiring stories, viral videos, and so much more from users like shekit.
Cosa succede se lasciamo il cellulare acceso in aereo? Non è chiaro. Ma c'è chi cerca di capirlo.
Money quote: "Let's start with some of the initial research. The reason for potential safety concerns is due to the fact that when you’re more than 10,000 feet in the air, your cell phone signal bounces off multiple towers and sends out a stronger signal. This is something that might conjest the networks on the ground. But, there has never been a case of a cell phone causing a plane to crash"
http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/airlines-airports/turn-off-cell-phone-on-plane
Money quote: "Let's start with some of the initial research. The reason for potential safety concerns is due to the fact that when you’re more than 10,000 feet in the air, your cell phone signal bounces off multiple towers and sends out a stronger signal. This is something that might conjest the networks on the ground. But, there has never been a case of a cell phone causing a plane to crash"
http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/airlines-airports/turn-off-cell-phone-on-plane
Starbucks sta arrivando in Italia. Ma negli usa, dove c'è n'è uno ad ogni angolo o quasi, ha un grande problema di concorrenza. Da parte degli altri Starbucks
Money quote: "“Starbucks management has been touting the strength of new store productivity in the US, but the strong new store performance appears to be coming–at least in part–at the expense of existing store traffic,” writes analyst Andrew Strelzik"
https://qz.com/1051094/that-joke-about-a-starbucks-on-every-corner-its-actually-true-and-hurting-the-companys-sales/
Money quote: "“Starbucks management has been touting the strength of new store productivity in the US, but the strong new store performance appears to be coming–at least in part–at the expense of existing store traffic,” writes analyst Andrew Strelzik"
https://qz.com/1051094/that-joke-about-a-starbucks-on-every-corner-its-actually-true-and-hurting-the-companys-sales/
Quartz
That joke about a Starbucks on every corner? It’s actually true and hurting the company’s sales
We may have hit peak Starbucks.
Sulla inutilità delle mail a cui non si può rispondere.
Money quote:
Dear way-too-many companies,
If you’re allowed to send me an email, I’m allowed to send you an email. You just sent me an email and I have a question. Don’t make me hunt for a way to ask it. Email already has a built-in way to do that — reply.
Whether it’s good news or bad news, whether you’re an established company or a startup, your customers will love you more if you let them reply to your emails.
Let’s rid the world of no-reply@suckybusiness.com emails. There are no upsides to receiving a no-reply email.
kthxbye,
Matt
https://medium.com/@iffy/lets-kill-no-reply-d451c80ba8be
Money quote:
Dear way-too-many companies,
If you’re allowed to send me an email, I’m allowed to send you an email. You just sent me an email and I have a question. Don’t make me hunt for a way to ask it. Email already has a built-in way to do that — reply.
Whether it’s good news or bad news, whether you’re an established company or a startup, your customers will love you more if you let them reply to your emails.
Let’s rid the world of no-reply@suckybusiness.com emails. There are no upsides to receiving a no-reply email.
kthxbye,
Matt
https://medium.com/@iffy/lets-kill-no-reply-d451c80ba8be
Medium
Let’s kill no-reply@
Dear way-too-many companies,
2600 è la veneranda rivista degli hacker della west coast. Una rivista (contro)culturale piena di cose fatte o che si possono fare, dai fischietti per ingannare i centralini del telefono a pagamento sono agli exploit per difendersi dall'occhio-spia delle grandi corporazioni.
Annunciarono il volume 16 che porta a 25 anni la storia digitalizzata della rivista. Parecchi altri anni mancano per arrivare ai giorni nostri. Però per il costo di un gadget elettronico (o due accessori per l'iPhone) ci si può abbonare e averli tutti. Nessuno li leggerà mai tutti: è un modo per finanziare una voce unica dell'editoria indipendente e antagonista.
Money quote: "We're happy to announce the release of Volume 16 of The Hacker Digest, which has already been delivered to all of our digital subscribers. This marks a special milestone for us, as we now have a quarter century of 2600 digitized in non-DRM PDF format. You can subscribe to and receive the entire collection in seconds by clicking here."
https://2600.com/content/volume-16-hacker-digest-released-25-years-2600-now-digitized
Annunciarono il volume 16 che porta a 25 anni la storia digitalizzata della rivista. Parecchi altri anni mancano per arrivare ai giorni nostri. Però per il costo di un gadget elettronico (o due accessori per l'iPhone) ci si può abbonare e averli tutti. Nessuno li leggerà mai tutti: è un modo per finanziare una voce unica dell'editoria indipendente e antagonista.
Money quote: "We're happy to announce the release of Volume 16 of The Hacker Digest, which has already been delivered to all of our digital subscribers. This marks a special milestone for us, as we now have a quarter century of 2600 digitized in non-DRM PDF format. You can subscribe to and receive the entire collection in seconds by clicking here."
https://2600.com/content/volume-16-hacker-digest-released-25-years-2600-now-digitized
2001 Odissea nello spazio, spiegata bene (da Jack Kirby) - Il mio articolo per Fumettologica
http://www.fumettologica.it/2017/09/2001-odissea-nello-spazio-jack-kirby/
http://www.fumettologica.it/2017/09/2001-odissea-nello-spazio-jack-kirby/
Fumettologica
2001 Odissea nello spazio, spiegata bene (da Jack Kirby)
Non tutti lo sanno, ma Jack Kirby adattò a fumetti il monumentale film 2001 Odissea nello spazio girato da Stanley Kubrick.
Scrittori di fantascienza alle cozze che scrivono racconti per le grandi corporation e per i militari, cercando di vendere quel che resta delle loro intuizioni a chi ha soldi per pagarle e interesse per ascoltarle.
Money quote: "corporate consulting through sci-fi narratives. Soon, Popper quit his job, moved to a smaller house*, and launched his own firm, SciFutures. Today, his network of a hundred or so authors writes customized stories for the likes of Visa, Ford, Pepsi, Samsung, and NATO. Popper calls their work “corporate visioning.”"
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/better-business-through-sci-fi
Money quote: "corporate consulting through sci-fi narratives. Soon, Popper quit his job, moved to a smaller house*, and launched his own firm, SciFutures. Today, his network of a hundred or so authors writes customized stories for the likes of Visa, Ford, Pepsi, Samsung, and NATO. Popper calls their work “corporate visioning.”"
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/better-business-through-sci-fi
The New Yorker
Better Business Through Sci-Fi
Why are C.E.O.s and military leaders paying novelists to imagine the future for them?