Keeping up with technology is a lot of work. Luckily, we enjoy wading through the noise just to find the gems of awesomeness sprinkled throughout. Fusion Radar is our gift to you, Current or Potential Client, so that you can enjoy all of the awesome without any of the drudgery. Unwrap it each week, and know that you’re loved by the geeks and pixel-pushers at Agency Fusion.
Fast.js
To put it simply, Fast.js makes writing very fast JavaScript programs easier. It includes fast replacements for several built-in native methods like .map and .reduce, as well as common utility methods like .clone.
Apple’s Swift Programming Language
Mashable’s recent Ask A Developer video is a quick, 2-minute long discussion that focuses on some of the ways Apple’s new programming language, Swift, could affect iOS developers.
What Apple’s Swift Programming Language Means for iOS Developers
Vessyl
We post a lot about smart devices on here–watches, thermostats, rings, etc. One smart object we hadn’t previously encountered, however, is a cup. And that’s exactly what Vessyl is: a smart cup that can identify and record almost any liquid you pour into it. It tracks the calories, caffeine, and amount of water you drink each day and syncs up with various fitness apps to help you stay healthy and hydrated.
A Comparison of Popular Ruby Application Servers
This article details a performance comparison of four application servers in Ruby: Passenger, Thin, Unicorn, and Puma. These four servers were compared across four different categories: mode of operation, use cases, configuration, and performance. Check out the article for a detailed description of how each server did in each category.
A Comparison of Popular Ruby Application Servers
Web Starter Kit
Google Developers recently released the Web Starter Kit, a responsive boilerplate and tooling that’s designed to be a great starting point for multi-device web development.
Scribble
Scribble is a coloring device that can scan colors in the real world and transfer them directly to either paper or a mobile device. The pen/stylus is equipped with an RGB color sensor that you hold up to any object in the real world or on a screen. The pen has a small CMYK ink cartridge inside of it, which it then uses to produce an ink that matches the color you selected.
The $5 Logo
Designer Sacha Greif’s recent article is a detailed review of his experience with Fiverr, a marketplace where design services start at just $5. His experience revealed some unpleasant aspects of Fiverr (including plagiarism and terrible artwork), and overall reinforced the idea that when it comes to design, you get what you pay for.
Pay It Forward
Content strategist and UX designer Karen McGrane recently published an article on Medium about paying it forward professionally; this was in response to another article written in the New York Post about professionals charging people for mentoring sessions. McGrane believes that a conversation she had with a professional in her field years ago set her on the right path to her current career, and thinks that people should always give advice and have conversations for free when they have the time.
Google Maps Borders
When it comes to controversial borders, Google Maps tends to cater to whichever country the viewer is from. For example, parts of the Tibetan border are different when viewed from India, China, and Tibet. The contested region, Arunachal Pradesh, is shown as part of China when viewed in China, as part of India when viewed as India, and as distinct from both countries when viewed in the U.S. and Tibet.
Borders Change on Google Maps Depending on Where You View Them