RipIt, from The Little App Factory is software for ripping entire DVDs to your hard drive. And once installed they've devised a great way to get you to take a look at the other pieces of software that they develop.

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The writing is sincere and the the discount is pretty substantive. And best of all, it works. I immediately checked out the rest of their wares and am seriously considering purchasing one.

I always find their site design really engaging. In the case of their nanoBundle 2 page, they have a huge amount of information to convey, but manage it so well you're never overwhelmed. 

The form design is top notch; very clean and above all very clear. And I love that I can self select from a list of charities for my money to go to.

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There's two days left to get the deal, so what are you waiting for? Go get yourself some software on the cheap!

They're living every geek's dream; reviewing the things they love and reliving their childhood week to week. So it was fantastic when they decided to "go into the vaults" and pull out a fictional episode from 1986.

They riff on Short Circuit, Ghosts and Goblins and LA Law, three of my favourite things growing up. Their hairstyles and fashion sense are second only to the fantastic video editing to really make the entire show feel completely authentic. In short: totally gnarly to the max.

So I was thrilled when I went to install the game and it directed me to pull out a sheet of paper from the case and follow the onscreen instructions.

In a matter of minutes (ok, a lot longer than it should have taken...I stink at origami) this little guy appeared:

click to embiggenThe great because it's a good old fashioned piece of misdirection. You see, the PS3 requires an install of the game which takes about 10 minutes. Manual installs are a constant bone of contention within the gaming community. But by giving you something to do during the install process, you don't notice the time.

It also takes a major game element and puts it into a physical context. With a game bent on hyper-realism this is a great way pull you into the game before hitting a single button combination.

Amongst the designs, one really stands out: Kill Bill.

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The eye instinctively hones in on the yellow dot and slowly the black circles surrounding it materialize. Is it a honeycomb? A kernel of corn stuck in a sieve? It's a bit of a mystery.

But when the pattern is combined with the movie title it clicks: The Bride in her yellow jumpsuit surrounded by the Crazy 88's. 

Depending on where you are in the site, you're either given a lightbox version (pictured below) or a very open, very vibrant full screen view. In both cases, the design really draws the user to the log in fields nicely, without the beauty and vibrancy of the imagery taking a backseat.

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As a nice added touch, the full screen version of the login page incorporates a whimsically floating cloud. As an even nicer touch it doesn't use Flash to do it.

And unlike other online portfolio sites, you can pay by the month which is a much more attractive option.

Having just landed a new gig, I decided I should cancel my pro account, but unfortunately had a little trouble finding the option in my preferences. I emailed their support service and within minutes I recieved this back:

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It always makes me feel better about a company (and makes me more likely to recommend them) when I have proof that there are real human beings taking care of things. And their congratulations to me on my new job really put a smile on my face.

The other day, whilst buying some tea related swag for my honey, I decided to forgo my usual afternoon latte and venture into something less bean-based.

I ordered myself a tea. Not just any tea but a sweet, spicy, aromatic citrus blend from The Tea Emporium. The clerk measured out the appropriate amount of loose leaf tea, but instead of putting it some sort of steeping device, she poured it directly into my cup. I was perplexed.

Until I saw this clever little device:

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Now, tea on the go can be steeped directly in the cup you carry it in and enjoyed through the Filter Lid. Tea purists probably hate it, but it allowed me the pleasure of strolling The Danforth on an unseasonably warm February afternoon, gingerly sipping my delicious beverage. 

I grabbed all the Dr. Seuss that I had from my childhood that looked like they were A) in good enough condition to read and B) short. Fox in Socks seemed to fit both bills.

I couldn't have been more wrong. The book may not be long but it's a killer of a tongue twister. Soon, I found myself up at 3am trying to recite such lovely verse as:

Who sees who sew whose new socks, sir?

You see Sue sew Sue's new socks, sir.