Khoi Vinh explains the new Times Extra feature on NYTimes.com. The site now aggregates similar and relevant articles from other news sources and blogs. I do wish the results were more selective. Instead of showing links to the same story in other papers, I’d like to see an emphasis on opinions or commentary.
Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National are producing a compilation with every artist that you like. Titled Dark Was The Night, this 32-track record will feature exclusive tracks from indie rock’s best (seriously, look at this list) to benefit HIV and AIDS awareness. The compilation is set for February.
A Facebook screenshot my fourteen-year-old sister emailed me this morning. This is the same sister of Pokemon fame, and, yes, you can become a fan of The Bygone Bureau on Facebook.
Joseph Sullivan of The Book Design Review picks his favorite covers of 2008. Gorgeous picks exemplifying clever, effective design work. Here are some other cover design choices from AIGA (from 2007) and Amazon, and also Vanity Fair’s 25 best book covers ever.
“Thanksgiving at Dan and Jane’s,” a four-act play by Dave Eggers. It’s a strange cross between stage direction, dialogue, and a house floor plan, but it’s very cool—Eggers showing his chops as a writer, graphic designer, and humorist, all at once.
Art of the Title Sequence, a site about opening credits. Extraordinarily cool site for anyone who likes design or film. If you have the time, I recommend watching the title sequence of Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West.
(via 37signals)
Criterion Collection now streaming full-length films. I’m pretty sure this is the first private distributor to go up against Netflix and Hulu, but they’ve got a niche market of excellent art house and foreign films. There are only 17 films available for streaming so far, but if you like the movie, you get $5 off the DVD, which you’ll want because they’re responsible for all the great DVD cover art.
Live Piracy Map 2008. No joke. In light of the Somali pirates seizure of the Saudi oil tanker Sirius Star (there’s a great FAQ about Somali piracy from BBC News), here’s a Google Maps hack that displays all the piracy and armed robbery (a.k.a. plunderin’ booty) reported to the International Maritime Bureau this year, with detailed reports.
(via GOOD)
Chuck Klosterman reviews Chinese Democracy. From the review: “Reviewing Chinese Democracy is not like reviewing music. It’s more like reviewing a unicorn. Should I primarily be blown away that it exists at all?”. I just can’t wait for my free Dr. Pepper.
(via Waxy.org)
Photo of empty chairs for American automobile company execs. Photo of the week? Anyway, here is the accompanying article in The New York Times.
