Dispatches From The Internets

eLesson: Unconscious Bias

I loved taking this course as part of my job training at Microsoft and I’m so excited that they’ve made it public. I learned a ton and I’m sure you will too:

In this course, you’ll deepen your understanding of unconscious biases, how they influence behavior, and how they impact us all. You’ll also learn numerous actions you can take to help counter bias in your own work environment.

The Web is Messy and Beautiful

In two back-to-back, potentially NSFW posts discussing web development vs. platform-specific development, Eran Hammer covered a lot of the pain points encountered in each. For instance, on the Web, you’ve got rendering and user interface inconsistencies between browsers. On the other hand, retention for apps is notoriously crappy.

Freedom 251 Maker Says 2 Lakh Rs. 251 Phones Ready, Will Launch ‘Cheapest’ HD LED TV

The world’s cheapest smartphone (251 Indian Rupees—less than US$4) is here. The specs:

  • 4-inch screen
  • dual-SIM
  • 3G
  • 1.3GHz quad-core processor
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 8GB of internal storage (supporting memory cards of up to 32GB)
  • 8-megapixel rear camera with flash
  • 3.2-megapixel front camera
  • 1800mAh battery
  • Android 5.1 (Lollipop)

The rollout is slow and units are being sold at a loss, but still. This is amazing and the program, which is subsidized by the Indian government, will bring the web to millions who have not been able to access it previously.

Make the Web Work For Everyone

The intro to this awesome post sets the stage perfectly:

The web has changed immensely in the past 20 years. In 1996 there were roughly a million websites; now there are more than a billion. Back then there were roughly 50 million internet users; today there are more than 3 billion. We have more content than we ever dreamed was possible. People are enjoying it on 8.1 billion connected devices, including more than 24,000 distinct mobile device types.

We need progressive enhancement and we need to look beyond our technological bubble. It’s good for us and it’s good for the Web.

Posters

I love, love, love this collection of posters covering topics like research, access needs, accessibility, and design. Download them, print them up and hang them up all over your office!