Skyler Corbett

Seeing Mobile

With the debut of Google’s new Nexus One smartphone (‘Web meets phone,’ says Google’s tagline) the mobile internet is here to stay. How are mobile web sites viewed on mobile phones? Whether the phones are smart or not, the answer is through the web browsers specifically made for [...]

The M Dot Web

I have been a fan of the tech website Ars Technica since 2000, and their website has always been the first thing I visited whenever I’ve played with a mobile phone. I remember reading articles on Ars in a text-only WAP browser on an old Sprint candy-bar phone back in 2001. Times have changed, and [...]

The Windows 7 Whopper

To coincide with the October 22 release of Windows 7 in Japan, Burger King Japan released a special commemorative burger: The Windows 7 Whopper. You don’t need to be Bill Gates to figure out what the gimmick was. Consisting of 7 burger patties, with a cost of 777 yen, this big-in-japan burger was only available for the [...]

Twitter’s New User Getter

On Tuesday, Twitter updated its homepage with a new emphasis on first time users. The old design was unique when the service first arrived, however, in time it showed how unfocused the service was and was confusing for new users. Iâ€™ve cooked up a few design notes to reflect what changes are important to the [...]

Da Vinci Days 2009

In Corvallis there is an annual art and science festival called Da Vinci Days. Besides the awesome bands that show up to play the main stage, the highlight of the festival is the world-famous kinetic sculpture race. This race shows off the work of teams of bicyclists and engineers that build a moving sculpture capable [...]

The Sixth Of July

This year I spent my Independence Day with my family in Brownsville, Oregon. On my way out to watch the fireworks in Pioneer Park, I saw one of the paper flags that the firemen were handing out. It was laying on the ground and ripped from its tiny pole. I picked it up, promptly forgot [...]

Sasquatch! 2009 – The Gorge

What a beautiful place to be. This photo was taken backstage at the 2009 Sasquatch! Music Festival on the edge of the Columbia River Gorge.

Guitar Hero

I’ve been playing guitar for about twelve years now and bought my first electric guitar, a 1982 Custom Fender Telecaster, about ten years ago. Ever since then I’ve spent countless hours sitting in front of the computer trying to get what I’ve played down onto a recording of one form or another–first it started with [...]

Web Design Can Be Refreshing

Today is the day I submit my second official timesheet as an Oregon State University employee. To celebrate holding down a non-contract position, for longer than my average contract, I want to share what I am doing there in my ‘professional capacity.’ I have been tasked to re-design the look and feel of the [...]

Google Picasa, Wayne Coyne, and Sasquatch! 2008

This year I gave myself a large birthday present: VIP passes to the 2008 Sasquatch! Music Festival at the Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, Wa. I also bought a brand new Nikon Coolpix P80 camera that helped me capture some amazing closeups of my favorite bands like R.E.M., Modest Mouse, The Cure, and The Flaming Lips. [...]