Author Archives: David Megginson

It’s never the end of history

Posted on August 23, 2014 by David Megginson

Remember when we thought the web was stuck in a rut, with IE, Flash preroll, fixed-width layouts, and endless browser incompatibilities? Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Mobile | Tagged , | Comments Off on It’s never the end of history

Hashtags and data standards

Posted on August 21, 2014 by David Megginson

Could #hashtags help us share data during a humanitarian crisis? Continue reading →

Posted in General | Comments Off on Hashtags and data standards

Advertising and the startup

Posted on August 16, 2014 by David Megginson

What if people will pay a subscription fee for something they really want (like Netflix), but almost everything on the net is stuff people don’t actually want much? Continue reading →

Posted in Business | Comments Off on Advertising and the startup

Netflix, Philips, and the fragility of APIs

Posted on March 20, 2014 by David Megginson

Update: Either Philips or Netflix has now fixed the problem described below (2014-03-29). I bought an inexpensive 29″ Philips 4000 series TV for the basement, and its built-in Netflix app isn’t working. Why doesn’t Netflix work on my TV? Time … Continue reading →

Posted in Integration, REST | 10 Comments

Mobile web app or web site?

Posted on March 17, 2014 by David Megginson

If you’re creating an HTML5 mobile web application, this is the minimum you need to give your users what Google calls a “homescreen launch experience” on an iOS or Android mobile device: <!doctype html> <html> <head> <title>Awesome app</title> <meta name=”viewport” … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Mobile, REST | Comments Off on Mobile web app or web site?

How to install a usable Emacs in Android (Feb 2014)

Posted on February 17, 2014 by David Megginson

Update: these instructions no longer work for Android L (Lollipop). For a first pass at installing Gnu Emacs in Lollipop, see this update. Since I mentioned in a review that I’m using Emacs on my Android Nexus 7 tablet, I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 30 Comments

Why did I never get into Evernote?

Posted on December 31, 2013 by David Megginson

I just noticed that the Evernote app updated itself on my phone, and that got me thinking about how I just don’t use it much. I made a serious effort a year or two ago, in the middle of my … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 5 Comments

Can open data route around damage?

Posted on October 1, 2013 by David Megginson

Today, the US government’s data.gov temporarily went dark, and along with it, what is likely the world’s most important collection of open data sets: You are welcome to use this as a chance to rail against the juvenile hijinks in … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 3 Comments

A technology architect’s disclaimer

Posted on September 16, 2013 by David Megginson

I’m working on a large application architecture for an international organisation right now, and am including this disclaimer in the introduction: 1.1. Limitations Like all technology-related architectural designs, this is a vision of how XXX could work, not a blueprint … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 1 Comment

The diffusion of innovations, or of products?

Posted on September 4, 2013 by David Megginson

If you work anywhere near IT, you’ve probably been confronted with Everett Rogers’ Bell Curve on more than one eager PowerPoint slide deck, explaining how the presenter’s new standard, product, or initiative will move through the five audiences of Innovators, … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 2 Comments