Vermont Livability Index

The Vermont Livability Index is a project started during the HackVT hackathon, held at MyWebGrocer in Winooski, VT on October 12, 2013.

The project intends to determine the “livability” of Vermont towns based on a variety of criteria. Each of the criteria is backed by data from the Vermont Center for Rural Studies and Vermont Housing Data. Users can also weight the criteria based on their personal preferences and concerns, in order to calculate a personal livability index and identify their ideal towns.

I enjoyed working on this project along with team members Brian Holdefehr and Matt Parrilla. Although we did not win any awards, the project was a success in that we completed development of a working web app over the course of 24 hours. It also provided an opportunity to familiarize myself with the JavaScript visualization library d3.js and the Python Imaging Library.

Google Versus

It’s good to see Gruber get back on his high horse:

Google fans seem to eat this kumbaya stuff up, to really believe it. But Google is the company that built Android after the iPhone, Google Plus after Facebook, and now a subscription music service after Spotify. They entered the RSS reader market, wiped it out, and are now just walking away from it. Gmail? Webmail but better. Think about even web search: Google search wasn’t something new; it was something better. Way, way, way better, but still.

Akos Major

I am completely obsessed with this photography. Akos Major is a 37-year-old freelance graphic designer and amateur photographer. His spare compositions, symmetry, and muted colors create this quiet, almost frozen state. I can’t stop staring.

View the entire portfolio.

FlyJS: Visualizing 3D OSM Building Data

OSM Buildings is a lightweight Javascript library that adds a 3D Open Street Map data visualization layer to interactive maps. Currently Leaflet maps are the only mapping library supported, but the developer—Jan Marsch—hopes to also build in support for Google Maps and Nokia maps. At which point he plans to release the source on github: kekscom/osmbuildings/

Baby Hummingbirds

These little guys were smaller than Tic Tacs a month ago.

False Bay Writer’s Cabin

Olson Kundig Architects

This 500 SF island cabin serves as a private writer’s retreat and guest cottage. The owners wanted a space that would feel totally connected to the natural landscape, allowing them to take full advantage of the mild climate, scenic views and the proximity to wildlife; at the same time, they needed the cabin to be easily secured when not in use.

New York City Guide

Really sharp cartography and interface design from Anton Repponen.

The city is a living organism; it breathes, eats, uses power, wakes up in the morning and sleeps during the night. The city can exist without attractions, shops, music halls and museums, but it cannot exist without the map. The map is the city’s heart. The first thing you do when you are new to a city is try to understand how its structured. Are the sights within walking distance of each other? What can I realistically see in 1 day? In 2 days? In 3 days? When you visit a city you automatically start thinking in time-based itineraries for the amount of time you will spend there.

Toshihiko Shibuya

This outdoor art installation by Japanese artist Toshihiko Shibuya uses painted disks to create a candy-colored landscape.