Parity, a game

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Parity is a free, web-based puzzle game, in the same class as Threes and the like, though not at all the same.

Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap

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New York Times:

A new website, called Hacker’s List, seeks to match hackers with people looking to gain access to email accounts, take down unflattering photos from a website or gain access to a company’s database. In less than three months of operation, over 500 hacking jobs have been put out to bid on the site, with hackers vying for the right to do the dirty work.

Here come the Apple Watch ads

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Wall Street Journal:

Early this month, mobile ad exchange TapSense announced a product it said will allow marketers to place ads in applications created for the Apple Watch by third-party developers.

Winter is coming.

Virtual traffic lights on your windshield get you home faster

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The idea here is to remove traffic lights from intersections and embed them on your windshield instead. As your car approaches an intersection, a virtual traffic light appears on your windshield telling you to stop, then turns green when it is your turn to go. If there are no other cars approaching the intersection, you roll on through without having to slow down.

Seaboard’s wildly innovative piano keyboard

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This keyboard was introduced about a year ago, but I saw it for the first time yesterday. This is a novel interface, in much the same way as the Chapman Stick. I love outlying technology like this.

A car key embedded in your watch

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Imagine if a standard emerged that allowed Apple to embed your specific car key in your iPhone and Apple Watch.

Amazon signs Woody Allen to half hour series deal

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First Amazon scores big with Transparent, their series that picked up a Best Comedy Golden Globe as well as a nod to Jeffrey Tambor for Best Actor. And now they’ve signed Woody Allen to produce an as yet untitled half hour series.

Apple’s worldwide Mac sales move from 5.8% to 7.1%

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IDC just released their latest worldwide PC sales tracking report. Bottom line, Apple maintained their relative position at number five, behind Lenovo, HP, Dell, and Acer Group, but showed explosive growth, moving from a 5.8% share of the market in 4Q2013 to 7.1% in 4Q2014.

Uber for restaurants: Dine and dash, legally

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There are a lot of Uber-likes in the startup world. There are startups competing to be the Uber for food, Uber for alcohol, Uber for parking, Uber for valet-ing your car, and many, many more. Most of those will never see the light of day.

One of the central features that makes Uber successful is the elimination of payment handling. You use an app to call a car, then just sit back and enjoy the ride. The linked article is about some Uber-likes for the restaurant industry.

One in particular, Reserve, has a secret advantage.

Robotic iPad covers in Apple display window

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This Regent Street, London Apple Store window shows off a series of iPads with covers that automatically open and close, turning on and off the iPad with each cycle. Charming. Fascinating.

Makes me wonder how this works. There are no obvious wires or holes. There must be a motor underneath each iPad, but what’s the linkage that makes the cover bend over like that? Really well done.

The most disruptive upcoming technology

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A panel at CES was discussing disruptive technologies, predicting what each panelist thought would be the most disruptive tech over the next five years. Definitely an interesting read.

iPhone separation anxiety

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This study at the University of Missouri is making its way around the blogosphere. Not sure I agree with the science.

The daily routines of famous creative people

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Follow the link to an interactive page listing a number of historic figures along with their daily regimen. It might sound dull, but it is fascinating, especially if you have an interest in history or design.

How Lego became the Apple of toys

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Fast Company:

In the last 10 years, Lego has grown into nothing less than the Apple of toys: a profit-generating, design-driven miracle built around premium, intuitive, highly covetable hardware that fans can’t get enough of.

Marco’s regret

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Marco Arment was the voice behind the “Apple has lost the functional high ground” blog post that has gone viral over the past few days.

With the benefit of hindsight, Marco updated his post with a link to “What it’s like to be popular for a day”:

You might think this is a dream come true for a blogger, but it’s horrible.