Matt Jones and Tom Coates, a presentation from the 2008 Web2.0Expo: “Today we’re going to… examine what we find a pretty fascinating emerging area — where ubiquitous technology is increasingly impacting our lives, which we call ‘personal informatics.’”

“A few years ago, at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, I noticed something strange on the departure boards. American Airlines had three flights scheduled that afternoon from ORD to Boston, and all were apparently operating on time. United, on the other hand, had three flights scheduled from ORD to Boston, but none were operating on time. In fact, all three United flights showed ‘canceled.’

I smelled a rat. I went to the United counter and asked the reason for the cancellations. ‘Weather.’”

“Most of us need to make the time to go out on walks, swim, collect little bits of things, take photos, get drunk (or not), talk to friends, etc. So, you have to wonder, who wouldn’t want to spend 5 nights on an island while talking about and working with type? British Columbia in the summertime is heaven on earth—a place where most people would be happy to kick back and relax for a week, but if you’re into typography you can relax your body and exercise your brain at the same time. Three typographers, Marian Bantjes, Shelley Gruendler and Ross Mills will offer differing and convergent approaches to type in a relaxed but structured program over five days. [Note: This session is over but more are planned, like the one below.]

Type Camp—INFO DESIGN: 10-15 August 2008 | We’ll bring a bit of the Bauhaus to Canada with the head Info Design instructor, Jay Rutherford. Jay is a Professor of Visual Communications at the Faculty of Art and Design at the Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany.” (Thanks Chris Glass!)

“‘So, what do you see?’ Martin Pietrucha I asked, turning around in the driver’s seat of his mint green Ford Taurus. It was a cold day in January, and we were parked in the middle of a mock highway set on the campus of Pennsylvania State University in State College. Pietrucha is a jovial, 51-year-old professor of highway engineering. His tone was buoyant as he nodded toward the edge of the oval stretch of road where two green-and-white signs leaned against a concrete barrier.

What I saw, Pietrucha knew, was what we all may see soon enough as we rush along America’s 46,871 miles of Interstate highways. What I saw was Clearview, the typeface that is poised to replace Highway Gothic, the standard that has been used on signs across the country for more than a half-century. Looking at a sign in Clearview after reading one in Highway Gothic is like putting on a new pair of reading glasses: there’s a sudden lightness, a noticeable crispness to the letters.”

A funny page that shows you the world’s largest lake, largest island, and the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island — and everything in between.

Holy crap! “Behind the raging horseshoe falls of Niagara there lurks a dormant monster, a century old redbrick tunnel painstakingly laid. There is no recorded tally of its human cost but in 1906 it would be the biggest tunnel of its type in the world. Like the secret hideout of a supervillain it defies belief and comprehension, a stronghold behind the crashing waterfall.”

“Caveat: It has been noted on the discussion page that this list includes examples of common etiquette, superstitions, linguistic guidelines, preferences in terminology, cultural tendencies, local laws, regional customs and many other occurrences which are not correctly defined as faux pas. Nevertheless, the following list contains useful generalized information about ways that one might breach social expectations in various countries. Note that changing attitudes and multiculturalism within countries means that some entries listed here may apply to the social expectations of only a few individuals. To avoid giving offense, it is best to use a conservative and observant approach in any social situation where one is unfamiliar with cultural expectations.” (Thanks kottke.org!)

A highly visual site listing interesting hotels around the world. Lots of different categories to look through and enjoy (although it might not be so enjoyable if you don’t have the $ to go to these locations).

“It’s possible to determine your orientation using an analog watch (i.e., one with hands) in place of a compass. The direction will be accurate if the watch is set for true local time, without adjustments for daylight savings time. And the further you are from the equator, the more accurate this method will be.”

“In-flight announcements are not entirely truthful. What might an honest one sound like?”

“Before you take that photo, you may need permission for the following: Photographing buildings, works of art, or other copyrighted items; Photographing people; Photographing on public or private property. In this short article, attorney Dianne Brinson briefly discusses when permission may be required.”

“Prompted by a discussion about maps of the London Underground I had with a friend, I spent a few minutes searching for a geographically accurate Tube map that I remembered running across a couple of years ago. I’m putting it here so I don’t lose it again. The type is a little small so you might have to squint to read it (sorry, couldn’t find a bigger version).”

“By conserving and explaining the capital city’s transport heritage, London’s Transport Museum offers people an understanding of the capital’s past development and engages them in the debate about its future. We adopt the highest standards of curatorship and communication, and aim to be the world’s leading museum of urban transport. Covering a wide spectrum of materials and media, including vehicles, rolling stock, posters, signs, uniforms, photographs, ephemera, maps and engineering drawings, the Museum’s collections make up the most comprehensive record of urban mass transit in the world.”

“Vintage labels explores the history of the luggage label and the lost art of travel. The site catalogs and provides a history of luggage labels, picture galleries and collectors guide to this growing field of ephemera collectibles.”

“This is a listing of the most commonly used traffic signs in the United States… Traffic signs are devices placed along, beside, or above a highway, roadway, pathway, or other route to guide, warn, and regulate the flow of traffic, including motor vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, equestrians, and other travelers.” And here’s the official government Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.