The Slow Hunch

Writing, 2010.

Essays since 2006, plus a few things first published at USV. Occasional by design. The podcast lives on its own page.26 posts

  • Mar 26, 2010
    Interview on the Engadget Show is live

    A few months ago, I did a short interview for the Engadget Show on the state of real-time bus information here in NYC.  The interview was for a video segment which led into a live interview with the reporter I worked with, Rick Karr.  The whole episode is now available online.  Before our section is...

  • Feb 19, 2010
    Say hello to Civic Works

    Thank you so much to everyone who helped us think through our re-name of TOPP Labs yesterday.  Your feedback and insights were absolutely invaluable to our process. After a long night and day of deliberations, we’ve settled on our new name. Drumroll please… (and this is obviously unnecessary since i...

  • Feb 18, 2010
    TOPP Labs needs a new name

    For the past year or so, the group at TOPP that I manage has been known as TOPP Labs.  TOPP Labs was originally chosen not because it was the best or most compelling name, but because as we were dialing back work on the OpenCore project, we needed a name that was better than “The… Continue reading

  • Feb 16, 2010
    Phone Idol: an experiment in web-enabled telephony

    At work recently, we’ve been exploring the idea of integrating voice and/or SMS into our applications.  Much of what we do has to do with people responding to their physical environments — their neighborhoods and the streets and public spaces that constitute the bulk of our public experience. So, I ...

  • Jan 15, 2010
    Making cities easier to use

    I always have a hard time explaining what we do at The Open Planning Project.  The front page of our website reads: “TOPP is a catalyst.  We empower civil society through software, media, and smart urban policy.”  While this makes sense if you think about it for a while, when I first say it to… Cont...

  • Jan 12, 2010
    Knowing the tone of the room

    One of the toughest things I’ve encountered, as I attend meetings, speak on panels, do interviews, and go to conferences, is that you never quite know what the tone of the room will be like until you get there.  In other words, there are always a ton of different approaches you can take to a… Contin...