Puzzling over twitter app tweet preferencing

Posted by hil

Why do the Twitterific, Twitter for Mac and Twitter for iPhone apps preference against tweets in the recent past? For example, if I want to catch up with what’s happened overnight – the US day – the feed has a gap in it jumping from, say, 3 hours ago to 16 hours ago. The Twitter for iPhone app lets you load more into the gap, but it’s not ideal.

It’s not as if I want to necessarily read all of those tweets, I’m quite happy to fish what I want out of the passing river of news, and let the rest go. And it’s not that I’m not comfortable with the philosophy that if something important has happened the river will deliver it a number of times over. What I don’t understand is why the apps choose not to just let the river flow past me. What possible reason is there to preference tweets from 16 hours or a few days ago over what happened in the last 10 hours?

LetterMPress: letterpress app for iPad

Posted by hil

I imagine a large part of the attraction of letterpress printing is to do with the physical handling of the type, and it being a hands-on process. But the argument made by designer John Bonadies for LetterMPress, a proposed virtual letterpress app iPad, is that it will  ‘give designers, artists, students, lovers of type—anyone—the ability to produce their own authentic letterpress designs and artwork’ when wood type and vintage cuts have become sought after and rare.

I’m not sure if letterpress artists and printers will regard this as encouraging the preservation and recognition of the aesthetic qualities of letterpress, or as an undermining of the art. But it looks like an app I would find attractive.

(via Laughing Squid)

‘And that is interesting to you…’

Posted by hil

Having spent a while last year exploring the online minimalist community, I find this amusing. Some aspects of minimalism are attractive, but I think the blogging/money-making/coaching deal is a kind of informal pyramid selling scheme.

Norman Hetherington/Mr Squiggle tribute on iView

Posted by hil

I was sad to hear a couple of days ago that Norman Hetherington, the creator and puppeteer of Mr. Squiggle had died.  The ABC has made their Australian Story program on him available on iView as a tribute. I was delighted that it includes some behind the scenes footage that shows how Mr Squiggle is operated! Be quick though, it’s is only available to view for 6 days!

Previously:

Xolo, Royal de Luxe’s new puppet

Posted by hil

xolo

(Photo credit: Dalo_Pix2)

Royal de Luxe have just staged a Mexican re-imagining of their Little Giantess street theatre spectacular in Guadalajara as part of the Celebrando el Centenario de la Revolución Mexicana. I love the little giantess’s beautiful colourful dress and pigtails. She was accompanied by her farmer uncle, and a new character, a giant hairless Mexican dog, Xolo, who is satisfyingly doggy in the way it pricks up its ears and lopes along. There are  good photos at the Guadalajara Reporter, Super Punch, and Royal de Luxe Central. I also love this street art of Xolo.

Previous posts about Royal de Luxe and their influence.

The Narrative of Victor Karloch

Posted by hil

This is the trailer for The Narrative of Victor Karloch, a travelling gothic horror stage show created by Kevin McTurk and ‘presented in the style of an eerie Victorian triptych puppet theatre’. The puppets looks great, an interesting mix of 75cm tall rod puppets, shadow puppetry and elements of bunraku.
(via Laughing Squid)

For Queen and Country

Posted by hil

All happiness to them and all that, but this is how I think it went:

Come on, Wills! Just think what you could do for the economy, the tourist trade, the morale of the people! Pull your finger out and man up for your country!

I bet the Royal FB page was put up recently with this in mind. Last time the world watched on TV. This time the back Twitter stream could provide some extra entertainment.

Giant garden fork

Posted by hil

I made this giant garden fork prop for  The Fool Factory recently. There are some making photos in my portfolio at Flickr. Before I handed it over we had fun posing with it like the farmer couple in Grant Wood’s American Gothic painting and various other silly things. It definitely invites comic scenarios.

Handspring’s Or You Could Kiss Me

Posted by hil

(Photograph credit: Tristram Kenton )

Handspring Puppet Company‘s new production Or you could kiss me at London’s National Theatre is about two men who have been lifelong partners, coming to the end of their lives. The puppets look amazing! Don’t miss the great sketchbook by the designer and maker, Adrian Kohler, as well as two short videos, Choreographing Breath and Choreographing Thought which show some of the process of bringing the puppets to life.  And some extra links:

Thoughts about Or You Could Kiss Me by Rich Rusk
Time: Puppet Masters: South Africa’s Handspring

Handspring ‘s book about their company can be ordered through their site.