Stéphane Rangaya

nevver: iOS ‘86

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:27:47 -0800

nevver:

iOS ‘86

Shit San Franciscans Say

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:20:17 -0800

Shit San Franciscans Say

Dieter Rams' ten principles to "good design"

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:04:19 -0800

wpeng:

It’s amazing how half a century later, this is still relevant.

Good design:
Is innovative - Rams states that possibilities for innovation in design are unlikely to be exhausted since technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. He also highlights that innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology and can never be an end in and of itself.

Makes a product useful - A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.

Is aesthetic - Only well-executed objects can be beautiful. The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products used every day have an effect on people and their well-being.

Makes a product understandable - It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product clearly express its function by making use of the user’s intuition. At best, it is self-explanatory.

Is unobtrusive - Products and their design should be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression. Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools and are neither decorative objects nor works of art.

Is honest - Honest design should not attempt to make a product seem more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It should not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.

Is long-lasting - It should avoid being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even when the trend may be in favor for disposable products.

Is thorough down to the last detail - Dieter Rams states that nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance in the design of a product since care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.

Is environmentally friendly - Good design should make an important contribution to the preservation of the environment by conserving resources and minimizing physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.

Is as little design as possible - Dieter Rams makes the distinction between the common “Less is more” and his strongly advised “Less, but better” highlighting the fact that this approach focuses on the essential aspects thus, the products are not burdened with non-essentials. The desirable result would then be purer and simpler.

Your bag’s journey in airports.

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:44:51 -0800

Your bag’s journey in airports.

La démocratie en Chine ? Pas tant qu'il y a croissance.

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:19:00 -0800

Le correspondant new-yorkais du Monde, Sylvain Cypel, interroge l’intellectuel Ian Buruma, sur la question des modèles chinois et américains. À la question “Qu’est-ce qui pourrait déclencher un processus démocratique en Chine ?”, il donne une réponse très intéressante que voici:

Le plus grand obstacle est l’alliance entre les élites urbaines et le Parti communiste. Les deux ont peur de l’énorme masse paysanne ignorante. Ces élites ont une telle histoire récente de violence et une telle peur d’un retour du chaos qu’elles préfèrent un ordre qui leur assure la croissance, au risque d’avancer vers la démocratie. Pour le pouvoir, la grande faiblesse de ce système est que, le jour où l’économie cesse de croître et que l’enrichissement des élites urbaines s’arrête, l’édifice s’écroule. Dans ce cas, tout pourrait advenir, d’une alliance entre démocrates, ressortissants des nouvelles élites, et une fraction du parti, jusqu’à un coup d’Etat militaire.
[“Le modèle chinois ébranle les certitudes américaines” par Ian Buruma]

How can great Customer Experience improve casinos

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:15:15 -0800

How can great Customer Experience improve casinos:

Gary Loveman explains how he got from Harvard to Caesars casinos, and explains the surprising results of some of his real-world experiments.

A radioshow using Spotify?

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:48:00 -0800

For people making podcasts, playing music is almost never an option. It’s too damn expensive. Music fees are a huge item on a radio station budget, too. […]
But what if the podcaster or broadcaster could play music from the listener’s own music library and thus not pay the fees?
[Broadcasting any track for free by Morten Just]

I can totally see that. Radio hosts talking, and managing the soundtrack of their show using Spotify songs. Since the song is played from Spotify’s library, the listener pays the fee (via its Spotify Premium plan). A tool allowing to do that could be a Spotify Apps.

jesusincarnations: Indian Jesus

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:23:46 -0800

jesusincarnations:

Indian Jesus

Watch The Dark Knight Rises Exclusive Trailer

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:13:43 -0800

Watch The Dark Knight Rises Exclusive Trailer

If you're gay, please embrace celibacy

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 02:40:00 -0800

Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex. The Salvation Army believes, therefore, that Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life. There is no scriptural support for same-sex unions as equal to, or as an alternative to, heterosexual marriage.
[The Salvation Army: Position Statements > Homosexuality]

There are a lot of people of the Salvation Army asking for money on Union Square in San Francisco. I’m not saying you should not give them money, it’s always good to help people. But I think you should know their position statement regarding the homosexuality: If you’re gay, please embrace celibacy.

I can’t believe that. I’m sure these people who’re asking for money on Union Square aren’t even aware of this position statement. I’m not going to give to the Salvation Army unless they change this position.

I had the chance to watch a full six-minute prologue of The Dark...

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:12:00 -0800

I had the chance to watch a full six-minute prologue of The Dark Knight Rises this morning at the movie theater, and I can’t wait. This is going to be awesome.

Buy “The Dark Knight Rises” Illustrated Poster ($50)

Bugs

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:29:00 -0800

When my iPhone is charging from my unplugged MacBook Pro, it looks like a parasite. But when my Mac is connected to the Internet via my iPhone, it looks like symbiosis.

"Your goal is to make a human being happy."

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:28:00 -0800

“Your goal is to make a human being happy.”

- In The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell

/

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:07:00 -0800

D’après une étude de Business Week en 2009, HP est à la onzième position dans le classement des marques les plus valorisées au monde, derrière des marques comme Coca-Cola, McDonald’s mais devant d’autres comme Louis Vuitton ou Apple.

De ce fait, un changement d’identité se réfléchit à deux fois, surtout lorsque l’entreprise traverse une période de questionnement et de positionnement. Le logo présenté par l’agence Moving Brands est très intéressant. Il est moderne, franc et parfois futuriste dans son utilisation. Bref, tourné vers l’avenir. Je pense cependant qu’HP ferait une erreur en l’adoptant en ce moment.

Premièrement parce que cela n’arrangerait rien aux problèmes que l’entreprise rencontre actuellement, et deuxièmement parce que ce nouveau logo apporte de la confusion là où l’actuel est clair. Tout le monde lit HP dans le logo actuel, mais je ne pense pas que tout le monde est capable de lire HP dans ce nouveau design. Cela se voit bien d’ailleurs quand on regarde la vision de Moving Brands pour la suite. Une barre oblique comme logo, quoi de plus confus ?

Retina Displays on Apple computers in 2012?

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:46:12 -0800

It’s unlikely. Mac OS X Lion does have a HiDPI display mode similar to what iPhone devices have to display Retina graphics but it’s not ready yet. A lot of the UI hasn’t been designed yet and looks pixelated on Retina displays so I don’t think Apple will ship computers with such Retina screens in 2012.

What I do think is Apple will launch an iPad with Retina Display the next year and will learn from this product (because creating a device such as the iPad with a Retina Display is very different than what they did with the iPhone from a user experience perspective) to finalize its computers with Retina displays as well as a new Mac OS X that would be completely optimized for this display mode.

Moreover, creating the best experience possible for Retina displays take more time on a device like a MacBook Pro or an iPad than and iPhone. These devices are designed to consume and create content such as books, movies and web pages in a way never seen on the iPhone so it does requires some changes.

Let’s say 2013.

Un écran Retina sur les ordinateurs Apple dès 2012?

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:46:11 -0800

Probablement pas. Mac OS X Lion gère effectivement HiDPI, un mode de gestion de la résolution adaptée aux écrans Retina, mais pas complètement. De nombreux éléments de l’interface ne sont pas encore adaptés, apparaissent pixelisés, alors il est peu probable que de tels écrans arrivent sur des Mac dès 2012.

Je pense qu’Apple sortira un iPad Retina l’année prochaine et profitera de cette expérience (car Retina sur iPad est différent que sur iPhone d’un point de vue expérience utilisateur) pour la prochaine version de Mac OS X qui serait alors prête pour des ordinateurs équipés d’écrans Retina.

Par ailleurs, développer une expérience optimale pour les écrans Retina prend plus de temps et de ressources sur une machine de type Mac ou iPad que sur un iPhone.

Disons 2013 plutôt.

Le Canada se retire de Kyoto

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:31:45 -0800

Le ministre de l’Environnement du gouvernement conservateur Harper, Peter Kent, l’a annoncé lundi en rentrant de la conférence sur les changements climatiques de Durban (Afrique du Sud). Le Canada invoque deux raisons :
le pays, qui s’était engagé à l’entrée en vigueur du protocole en 2005 à réduire de 6% ses émissions de GES par rapport au niveau de 1990, est loin du compte, puisque celles-ci ont augmenté, ce qui allait le conduire à payer 14 milliards de dollars canadiens de compensation ;
le protocole ne contraint pas tous les pollueurs de la même manière.
[…]

En attendant, rapporte La Presse, « pour réduire les émissions de gaz à effet de serre de 6% par rapport à 1990 », illustre Peter Kent, « il faudrait retirer chaque voiture et camion des routes du pays ».
[Protocole de Kyoto : le Canada préfère renoncer plutôt que payer par Augustin Scalbert, Rue89 Planète ]

C’est triste. Quand j’ai étudié le protocole de Kyoto lorsque j’étais adolescent, je ne m’imaginais pas que le nombre de pays ayant signé le protocole pourrait diminuer un jour, bien au contraire.

On the eve of the 2003 International Day against Drug Abuse and...

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:26:54 -0800

On the eve of the 2003 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the lives of four female drug dealers in the city of Wuhan were coming to an end. With the permission of the relevant departments and the subjects themselves, on 9pm on 2003 June 24th, this press photographer walked into the Wuhan No. 1 Detention Center and captured their last night spent at the detention center.

Le 24 juin 2003 à 21h, à la veille de la journée mondiale contre l’abus des drogues et le trafic illégal, la vie de quatre vendeuses de drogue touche à sa fin. Avec la permission des ministères adéquats et des condamnées elles-même, un photographe de presse entre dans le centre de détention numéro un du Wuhan, et captura leur dernière nuit.

2003年国际禁毒日前夜，武汉市四名女毒犯走到了她们生命的尽头。经有关部门和当事人允许，2003年6月24日21时，摄影记者走进了武汉市第一看守所，拍摄下了她们在看守所度过的最后一个夜晚。

Here’s the photo set / Voici l’album photo / 观赏幻灯片

"Our brains are hardwired to enjoy surprises. In an experiment where participants received sprays of..."

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:47:52 -0800

“Our brains are hardwired to enjoy surprises. In an experiment where participants received sprays of sugar water or plain water into their mouths, the participants who received random sprays considered the experience much more pleasurable than participants who received the sprays according to a fixed pattern, even though the same amount of sugar was delivered.”

- In The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell

"Because what I really believe is, let’s spend a little more time leaving everybody alone. These..."

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:47:49 -0800

“Because what I really believe is, let’s spend a little more time leaving everybody alone. These people who are making a big deal out of gay marriage? I don’t give a fuck about who wants to get married to anybody else! Why not?! We’re making a big deal out of things we shouldn’t be making a deal out of. […]

They go on and on with all this bullshit about “sanctity” — don’t give me that sanctity crap! Just give everybody the chance to have the life they want.”

- Clint Eastwood