What's the best option for getting an XBox 360 online--the official wireless adapter from Microsoft or an Apple Airport Express?
posted to Ask Metafilter by cosmic osmo at 5:05 AM on May 8, 2008 (10 comments)

OH JOHN RINGO NO.
posted to MetaFilter by i_am_a_Jedi at 4:13 PM on May 2, 2008 (45 comments)

What is the most beautiful place on Earth? I'd like to make plans to go there.
posted to Ask Metafilter by netbros at 11:13 AM on April 29, 2008 (119 comments)

Bemoaning the state of music today? Might you try a little bit of NaNuchKa, a Brooklyn-Based, Isreali-born rock trio well outside of the fray. Start things out light with Red, before moving on to some experimentalism with Oh Yeah, Says Who. And if you really want an emotional punch, try Mediterranean, "a song about Isreal." Enjoy!
posted to MetaFilter by Navelgazer at 7:06 PM on April 29, 2008 (24 comments)

Generative Creativity is a course offered by the University of Sussex through their Informatics department. The lecture series discusses tools and techniques for generating graphics, music, jokes and riddles, and more.
posted to MetaFilter by weston at 10:31 AM on April 7, 2008 (7 comments)

I'm looking for a famous old photograph. I can see it in my mind but don't know what its title is. It's possible it's by Henri Cartier-Bresson, but maybe not. The photo is taken from inside an art gallery, and through the window can be seen a middle aged man and woman. The woman is saying something to the man about a painting that's in front of them, but the man is peeking sideways at another painting that depicts a nude woman. I love this photo, I think it sums up so much of human experience in one image. Also, I remember that this photo is part of a series of photos depicting the reactions of different people (including children and a cop) to the nude painting. I'm sure someone out there will know the title and photographer. Thank you!
posted to Ask Metafilter by arcadia at 9:05 AM on March 26, 2008 (3 comments)

My company, Nabbr.com, is looking for an full-time, onsite designer. We already have two MeFite's working here. Let's make it a third! Our company is thriving, full of talented people, and never boring. If you join our team, each project you work on will be wildly different from the last one. You'll be working on our web site, developing unique graphics for our clients, and making images for our sales team to use in presentations. Most of our work involves promoting trendy products (bands, movies, video games, etc.) to young people, so you have to have a hip, cutting edge design style -- not a super-corporate one. Take a look at our homepage, nabbr.com, to see our current design aesthetic. You won't be locked into this (we want someone creative), but you should feel comfortable with the whole "web 2.0, rounded corner" thing. We'll need you to be able to create production-ready images, which means optimized and, if necessary, sliced. If you have any Flash, web-coding, or video skills, those are pluses, but they're not requirements. We pay well, and there's a possibility for equity in the company. Please do not contact us if you're a freelancer in another city. We only want to meet people willing to work in our office, which is in lower Manhattan. We will entertain the idea of relocating someone, if he or she is talented enough. If you're a pro, you already know this, but I need to see a portfolio.
posted to MeFi Jobs by grumblebee at 9:00 AM on January 25, 2008

The Metafilter Music Collaboration, as described here and here.
posted to MeFi Music by goodnewsfortheinsane at 7:58 PM on December 30, 2007 (54 comments)

Has anyone else noticed this?
posted to MetaTalk by jeffamaphone at 10:25 AM on December 22, 2007 (19 comments)

Fuzzmail records your email as you type it and provides the actual composition for the person, or people on the receiving end. [via]
posted to MetaFilter by cashman at 4:07 PM on December 14, 2007 (40 comments)

I've found that I can switch off most calculators without an "Off" button, by simultaneously mashing buttons and pressing "On". (I usually hold down "5" and "6", then press "On".) Can someone explain to me why and how this is possible?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Xere at 4:47 PM on November 24, 2007 (8 comments)

Here are two seminal vampire films: Carl Dreyer's Vampyr and F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu.
posted to MetaFilter by Iridic at 1:01 PM on October 26, 2007 (19 comments)

How do you deal with your exercise-induced asthma?
posted to Ask Metafilter by hazyspring at 11:27 AM on October 8, 2007 (14 comments)

30 Usability Issues to be aware of In this article we present 30 important usability issues, terms, rules and principles which are usually forgotten, ignored or misunderstood. What is the difference between readability and legibility? What exactly does 80/20 or Pareto principle mean? What is the law of proximity? What is meant with minesweeping and satisficing? And what is Progressive Enhancement and Graceful Degradation? What is banner blindness? How can you measure eye-tracking? Why fold area isn't that important. OK, it’s time to dive in.
posted to MetaFilter by psmealey at 12:43 PM on October 8, 2007 (15 comments)

Can you recommend a relatively easy to use, customizable web portfolio template that I can easily update and reorganize to show my illustration work?
posted to Ask Metafilter by pantufla at 6:02 PM on March 13, 2007 (5 comments)

What single book is the best introduction to your field (or specialization within your field) for laypeople?
posted to Ask Metafilter by limon at 5:40 PM on September 8, 2007 (242 comments)

It's not a bug, it's a feature: Carolin Horn has designed Anymails, which represents your email messages and folders as micro-organisms. The morphology of the individual organisms and their behaviour within colonies imparts information about the state of your email. You can view QT movies of the application in action (1, 2), download her thesis, and download the Anymails code itself. See some of her other work here (predominantly in German). via Madame Martin, the "French Metafilter".
posted to MetaFilter by Rumple at 10:44 AM on August 31, 2007 (22 comments)

I really really dislike doing things. This goes all the way ad absurdum in that I actually would rather freeze into nothingness than deal with college, work, chores, and so on.
posted to Ask Metafilter by raisons de coeur at 10:41 AM on August 27, 2007 (22 comments)

Our own fandango_matt, of Metafilter design contest and multiple pissing elephant fame, has come up with his own Boy Scout inspired Metafilter safety guide.
posted to MetaTalk by Krrrlson at 10:25 AM on July 16, 2007 (188 comments)

A (very) amateur photographer needs help with toning photos in Photoshop.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dead_ at 8:53 AM on May 29, 2007 (14 comments)

I'm looking for some help accessing my home mac from my work mac. Both machines are running OS 10.4. My home mac is behind a D-Link 624 router, using verizon FIOS.
posted to Ask Metafilter by cahlers at 9:48 AM on February 25, 2007 (12 comments)

[Filmfilter] Why are some people listed with their character's names and others not in film opening credits? [MI]
posted to Ask Metafilter by googly at 8:50 PM on December 16, 2004 (15 comments)

What is the origin of the phrase, "(something) should be nuked from orbit," or "nuke it from orbit?"
posted to Ask Metafilter by mikeh at 8:22 PM on July 23, 2006 (24 comments)

My sister once took a film course where she learned that each film in the Alien trilogy (not including the 4th one) is supposed to represent some kind of cultural anxiety. [more inside]
posted to Ask Metafilter by invisible ink at 8:35 PM on September 10, 2004 (23 comments)

Help me find a the typeface used in The Cabinet of Dr Caligari.
posted to Ask Metafilter by prolific at 5:31 AM on May 18, 2006 (5 comments)

Douglas Crockford, leading JavaScript Architect for Yahoo!, has been teaching a series of classes on JavaScript programming for other Yahoo! employees.
The JavaScript Programming Language [4 video clips: 1 (31 min) 2 (31 min) 3 (29min) 4 (20 min), presentation slides: zipped PPT]
An Inconvenient API: The Theory of the DOM [3 video clips: 1 (31 min) 2 (21 min) 3 (26 min), presentation slides: zipped PPT]
Advanced JavaScript [3 video clips: 1 (31 min) 2 (25 min) 3 (11 min), presentation slides: zipped PPT]
posted to MetaFilter by ijoshua at 2:09 PM on May 10, 2007 (27 comments)

What is ubiquitous computing or "ubicomp," other than a geeky buzz-phrase for smart objects, "things that think"? In his provocative new book Everyware (freely excerpted here and here), interface designer and MeFite Adam Greenfield provides a thoughtful meditation on one of the digital world's most resonant hopes for the future, encompassing everything from pervasive RFID-chipping, Orwellian surveillance, and a humbly practical magic wand to a "coming age of calm technology."
posted to MetaFilter by digaman at 10:16 AM on June 19, 2006 (29 comments)

Jeff Hawkins, co-founder of Palm and Handspring, has started a new company, called Numenta, to test his controversial theory of intelligence. Whether you find his theory plausible or not, his book, "On Intelligence" is fascinating. Numenta is attempting to build A.I.s using Hawkins' theory as a backbone. They've developed a software engine and a Python-based API, which they've made public (as free downloads), so that hackers can start playing. They've also released manuals, a whitepaper (pdf) and videos [1] [2]. (At about 30:18 into the first video, Hawkins demonstrates, with screenshots, the first app which uses his system.)
posted to MetaFilter by grumblebee at 1:35 PM on April 4, 2007 (22 comments)

I have just finished read a fascinating book called Flow by this guy.
posted to Ask Metafilter by sk381 at 5:23 AM on March 6, 2006 (15 comments)

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Author of the excellent book "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" which investigates the phenomenon of the happiness of doing, how the balance between stress/anxiety and slack/boredom effect experience and happiness, and how we can all use it to our advantage.
posted to MetaFilter by loquacious at 11:24 PM on March 22, 2006 (32 comments)

NJFilter: Coworker living in Jersey City wants to find a reputable auto mechanic. Any JC/Hoboken resident recommendations?
posted to Ask Metafilter by bastionofsanity at 3:02 PM on March 8, 2007 (1 comment)

I'm going to be visiting Chicago next week with my 3 year old son. I know lots of fun places to go when you're over 21, but even with a fake ID and a stick-on 'stache my boy won't be getting into B.L.U.E.S. Any suggestions for fun kid destinations in the Windy City? (Or even southern Wisconsin; we're planning on lots of driving & train riding.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by maryh at 12:55 PM on April 21, 2005 (17 comments)

Chicago: I'm visiting Chicago for the first time in a couple of weeks. I'll be there for the weekend with a friend, staying at the Hotel Allegro, and I'm looking for suggestions regarding fun things to do. Where should I go and what should I see?
posted to Ask Metafilter by gd779 at 5:39 AM on November 8, 2005 (28 comments)

Advice on cool neighborhoods to explore in Chicago? (And a few other Chicago questions)
posted to Ask Metafilter by kdern at 2:08 PM on June 29, 2005 (23 comments)

My wife and I are heading to Chicago sometime between June 2nd - June 5th to celebrate our anniversary. Chi-town pals, help us find some cool things to do/places to eat!
posted to Ask Metafilter by sluggo at 7:48 AM on May 23, 2005 (34 comments)

If you have learned to be able to fall asleep on command where you once couldn't before, how did you do it?
posted to Ask Metafilter by who else at 4:23 PM on February 19, 2007 (21 comments)

What does it feel like to get kicked in the balls?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Espoo2 at 11:48 AM on February 19, 2007 (81 comments)

Ooh, bop bop, ba-ooh, bop bop. All I know is the road and I love you.
posted to MeFi Music by ludwig_van at 10:28 AM on July 1, 2006 (4 comments)

Help me turn my bedroom into a sweet fort.
posted to Ask Metafilter by zoomorphic at 8:50 AM on February 8, 2007 (56 comments)

What type of graduate programs focus on User Experience Design or HCI? Everyone seems to have a different name for it, and university sites are hard to navigate at best. I'm less interested in computer science degrees, but perhaps that all that is out there?
posted to Ask Metafilter by rschroed at 12:18 PM on February 6, 2007 (25 comments)

I own a small company and I'm at my wits end. We have some people who are good but not great, and they keep making mistakes or not following rules, which drive other people nuts because they have to catch these people's mistakes and otherwise clean up after them. Problems vary but are almost always caused by carelessness (putting in a wrong zip code, mistyping pricing, forgetting to get something signed off, etc) These aren't necessarily enough for the managers here to want to fire anyone, but there's only so many times you can say "don't do it again." It's also causing some of the better (more careful) employees to lose morale. I'm hearing things along the lines of "nobody cares if mistakes are made, so who cares." Please help me come up with ideas on how to discipline people. It seems like there's only so little you can do besides the usual, which seem severe (firing, less/no bonus). Where's the middle ground? How do we motivate these people to do better?
posted to Ask Metafilter by edjusted at 12:14 PM on January 31, 2007 (41 comments)

How do I learn to be a better programmer (not just learn a particular language)?
posted to Ask Metafilter by empath at 7:24 AM on February 5, 2007 (36 comments)

I just ate a peanut butter and honey sandwich on soft white bread. The bread on the honey side developed a kind of rough texture, almost like the bread had been lightly toasted on one side. Not unpleasant, but kind of odd. I noticed this when I was a kid and I've always wondered about it, and just now realized that someone here might know what's going on (I grew up in the South, and I have been known to eat molasses and butter sandwiches - the rough-texture thing doesn't happen with molasses, only honey. I don't know about other sugary syrup products).
posted to Ask Metafilter by cilantro at 6:08 AM on January 30, 2007 (30 comments)

A girl I'm dating recently revealed her secret fetish: she wants me to take a dump on her, but I have an aversion to poo.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Mach3avelli at 1:12 PM on December 29, 2006 (68 comments)

What are some creative romantic ideas done on the cheap?
posted to Ask Metafilter by mrhaydel at 9:06 AM on December 15, 2006 (15 comments)

What theorists have used concepts from physics (fields, forces, energy) as a way to talk about factors involved in the design process that are not literally physical (for example ergonomics/human behavior/psychology)?
posted to Ask Metafilter by teleskiving at 5:15 AM on December 8, 2006 (12 comments)

"Why is it that students can graduate from MIT and Harvard, yet not know how to solve a simple third-grade problem in science: lighting a light bulb with a battery and wire?" "Minds of Our Own shows that many of the things we assume about how children learn are simply not true." Three one hour streaming video programs on teaching science. (low hassle reg. required, or try login:metafilter@mailinator.com, password:metafilter)
posted to MetaFilter by Chuckles at 10:25 AM on January 8, 2006 (39 comments)

I need help learning the rules of composition for photography or fine art. What makes a good photograph? What makes a bad photograph?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Pastabagel at 8:12 AM on November 7, 2006 (26 comments)

What's the relationship between the melody of a song and its chord structure?
posted to Ask Metafilter by signal at 9:10 AM on November 4, 2006 (32 comments)

"There's a lot of killing going on in Miami," he says. "You want to fight, want to learn how to live, you got to learn the secret stories." Homeless children build hope and community through a shared mythology which includes demons, spirits, a beautiful guardian, and a harbinger of death named Bloody Mary. Via Snarkout
posted to MetaFilter by frykitty at 6:59 PM on January 10, 2002 (21 comments)