| tags: enabling technology, links
24 ways: Marking Up a Tag Cloud is an excellent discussion of how to implement a cloud using CSS. I hadn't realized that most ways of doing it are inaccessible. I used his approach to construct my query cloud page .
| tags: ideas, links, enabling technology
Ian Bicking's interesting and provocative blog post on HTML Accessibility is a good read. Empirical accessibility is a good idea. I think by this he means making it work for real users. Fred Brooks' ideas about the computer scientist as toolsmith seem very relevant.
For some if my Windows testing VMware, sadly, won't do the job. For example, I can't get my USB webcam's to work on an XP guest running on VMware on my Ubuntu machine. For testing these things I have to use my laptop. Unfortunately that requires copying files over. So I wanted to share my Ubuntu files with my laptop.
| tags: programming
Emacs python mode supports running scripts in an inferior python process that is running in an emacs buffer. I really like this idea but have never been able to reliably use it because so much of my work depends on external libraries that may not do a complete job of cleaning up their state. Attempting to reuse them in the same process is, in my experience, a recipe for confusion. Also, emacs seems to be hung waiting on the python subprocess while my GUI app is running. As a result, I always edit in emacs and then switch to a command prompt to run.
An article in the WSJ reports on a study of energy consumption in Indiana before and after their recent switch to DST. The switch cost them $8.6 million extra for electricity.
| tags: ideas, links, enabling technology
Jonah sent a pointer to AudioSurf , a new game that lets you "ride your music".
I just noticed that the clock on my guest Windows XP system was running way too fast on my host Ubuntu Gutsy system. I had also noticed that double clicking seemed really difficult and there were a few anomalies with sound.
| tags: windows, programming
What I tried, so I can reconstruct it later.
| tags: ideas, links, enabling technology
The Koolu Works Everywhere Appliance and the fit-PC could make nice platforms for delivering ET applications as appliances (or toys) rather than scary computer programs.
| tags: ideas, links, enabling technology
Engadget has an article on Swinxs , a new game platform introduced at Toy Fair 2008. Its the size of a small drink cooler and comes with RFID bracelets the kids wear. It apparently has some lights and audio output. The included games encourage running around and include stories as well. The part that intrigues me is the promise of an SDK and the ability to develop and share games. Perhaps we could develop some accessible games for kids with various disabilities.