Link love for January 22

A book printed through a printing chain made of four desktop printers using four different colors and technologies dated from 1880 to 1976 (above).

Arc: New Music Controller in Video, Detailed Q+A with monome Creator Brian Crabtree.

Alexandra Lange: What Should Food Look Like?.

TUAW’s Daily App: Strange Rain.

Urban Archaeology: North Brother Island – Riverside Hospital.

The Ambiguity of “Open” and VP8 vs. H.264.

Stuxnet Worm Used Against Iran Was Tested in Israel.

Four Loko Recycled Into Eco-Friendly Fuel.

December update

Long time, no post. (If you don’t already, add me on Soundcloud, Twitter and/or Facebook for more frequent updates. This site has become more of a hub and archive rather than a hotbed of activity like those above.) I recently converted this site template over to HTML5 (thanks in part to reading the excellent HTML5 for Web Designers by Jeremy Keith). Next, I intend to replace the Flash-based media player with an HTML5 version, which will deprecate better in less-than-modern browsers. If you notice any problems, let me know. I also updated my discography with current availability information.

I have been busy working on new compositions, some of which can be heard in my Recent work set. They continue to feature generative beats, synth patterns and polyrhythms. I’ve also been exploring techniques in granular synthesis, including using the new (and recommended) Density M4L and Pulsaret M4L devices, to explore the world of microsound. I have utilized some aspects of granularity in the past but hadn’t been able to pay much attention to the full scope and theory until recently. I find myself fascinated at the variety and range of tones and rhythms that come from making slight changes to the source material. I also like moving away (at least as an option) from rigid note quantization and the familiar timeline of sequence-based composing. I created a Microsound set with some recent pieces, so have a listen to hear what I mean.

I’ve been re-reading some books by Marshall McLuhan, including The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects and War and Peace In the Global Village. His work is so dense with non-traditional ideas about media and culture, I often have to take it in small doses. I am awaiting delivery of the books Microsound by Curtis Rhodes and Electronic Music and Sound Design by Alessandro Cipriani and Maurizio Giri and look forward to reading them over the holidays. (All links to books above kickback to my Amazon affiliate account.)

Happy Holidays and “Cheers, thanks a lot!”

Link love for October 10

Analog audio tape cassette nostalgia collection (above)

Why I Left My Publisher in Order to Publish a Book, by Douglas Rushkoff and Secrets of book publishing I wish I had known by Mark Hurst

Ten principles for good design by Dieter Rams

Journalism in the Age of Data (video)

Ten Things I Have Learned by Milton Glaser

Top 5 Smartphone Apps for Buying Local

Getting Made The Scorsese Way

How Ink Is Made (video)

Link love for August 10, part 2

The origins of abc (above).

OpenIDEO

Where did the money to rebuild Iraq go? (infographic)

Penguin 75: Designers, Authors, Commentary.

Amon Tobin records The Foley Room (video).

Why the next big pop-culture wave after cupcakes might be libraries.

An archive of MTV’s ’120 Minutes’.

Handwriting and flourish art.

Ford films found in Kiwi vault.

Researchers create the world’s first synthetic cell.

Link love for March 11

Setgo Transport Urban Bag from Yanko Design (above).

Thermopower waves: MIT scientists discover new way to produce electricity.

Obama appoints Edward Tufte to advise on stimulus transparency.

A loot valued at $20 million lies off the coast of Staten Island, and Ken Hayes is on the hunt for the sunken silver bullion.

Demolishing density in Detroit: can farming save the motor city?

Whales, like trees, slow warming.

With artificial photosynthesis, a bottle of water could produce enough energy to power a house.

Books in the age of the iPad.

LastHistory graphs all your Last.fm listening.