bkil vs. programming

"Back in 1995, we knew something that I don't think our competitors understood, and few understand even now: when you're writing software that only has to run on your own servers, you can use any language you want." Paul Graham describes how they had great success with webshop SaaS  a decade before the concept became mainstream. They stayed ahead of the competition by not shooting themselves in the foot, adding: "We were just able to develop software faster than anyone thought possible." The end result speaks for itself: "The people who understood our technology best were the customers. They didn't care what language Viaweb was written in either, but they noticed that it worked really well." Although the story is from two decades ago, the lessons learned seem to be evergreen, so it's a good reading:  Beating the averages (2001)

I've received the following link recently that I believe I have already stumbled upon earlier. Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (Wikipedia) I didn't see much perspective for it before, but I've given second thought now. Just imagine a tiny note taking device which combines the above speed reading technique with a chorded keyboard (like the DataEgg )!

Sunlight readability is an interesting difference between computer display technologies. Displays based on the very mature reflective and transflective, (mostly monochromatic and passive matrix) FSTN/DSTN LCD gain readibility with increased exposure to sunlight. In essence, that means you can both read electronic books and take notes outside in nature, be it under a tree, or just seated in the park. The displays that are dominating the (initially only portable) market for more than a decade now is the transmissive (active matrix) TN TFT/LCD. These displays, on the other hand, loose readability with exposure, and are best viewed indoors, or in deep shade. Naturally, the level of usability varies with both season, and the exact model of display. They also manufacture ones that are equipped with very powerful backlights, but you must keep in mind the possible effects on both your batteries, and on your eyes.