Stefan Hayden

Google has a great post out about how they never release anything from beta. Okay it’s really about how they are releasing Google desktop. But with google desktop out of the labs it brings my thoughts back to Gmail. They sure seem to be taking their time getting that out of beta. I can’t imagine what features they are waiting to implement but as soon as they gave 50 invites to a large number of their older users it seemed like it was ready to come out of the bag.

Why am I so anxious for it to come out? I mean with 50 invites and no one to give them out too it seems like everyone has one who wants one. Yet once it goes public it should do for email what hotmail did long ago, building a popular free email. Gmail should be the next wave of web mail and no matter how many invites I have it’s still limited to my friend. Come on Google, let the rest of the world have a chance.

We seem to be famous (or infamous) for never taking our products out of beta -- the software equivalent of commitment issues, perhaps. But in one case, at least, we're taking the plunge: Google Desktop Search has been kicked out of the Google Labs nest, and is officially 1.0. Nikhil Bhatla

The New York Public Library has been taking notes from goggle. They have made illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, and illustrated books available for free online. Most seems to be in the public domain and the library is only asking for some sort of fee for high-resolution version of the images, though I can’t find out how much.

As a poor graphic artist new to the field I’m always happy to find new places to get stock photography. Hopefully this is a sign that this digitizing of the past is not just a trend and will really take off. The more power at the tip of my fingers the happier I am.

Ever since I saw Demetri on comedy central I’ve wanted him to come to TCNJ. A very unassuming little kid, his downplayed sarcastic humor really makes it even better in my book.

I was sad to see he was going to be in the UCB theater mere days before I was going to UCB. Keri and I were going to go after we did the audio tour of The MoMA, because everything is better with an audio tour.

UCB is always cheep but when the Gothamist pointed out the $8 tickets on sale to see him tonight it showed there is still plenty of time bring him to TCNJ. Hopefully I can put the lean on the board to bring his greatness to light.

As you go through school as a design major you have your teachers talk about the great designers. I definitely don’t know enough about past designers and my digital concentration took the graphic design history class and instead gave me a 2 part digital senior seminar.

My one teacher Fanky live and breaths Paul Rand, which is cool because he is a very historic figure and has some of the tightest design this side of the Atlantic ocean. But when I heard this story about meeting Paul Rand I almost felt a sign of relief. Sure he might be the greatest designer and I might pale in comparison. But he’s an asshole, and for the most part I’m a pritty nice guy.

I have to be on my sixth or seventh time listening to Jason Kottke’s reading of Cory Doctorow’s DRM talk to Microsoft for a flash animation I’m working on. I’ve read it though a few times as well and I really feel I get a better sense of the talk hearing it aloud.

I’ve had a special place in my heart for the reading of texts ever since my family took long trips to Ohio from New Jersey and we listed to books on tape. We were early adopters of books on tape as a way to make all the kids get along and it worked so well that we never turned back.

Listing to Kottke’s reading really makes me long to hear Cory Doctorow give the talk. While Kottke’s reading does a good job of injecting some personality in to the text I really want to hear Cory read it with the passion that I’m sure he would bring to the reading.