Tag Archives: chicago

Siri Founder Dag Kittlaus Leaves Apple



Dag Kittlaus
Dag Kittlaus

Dag Kittlaus has been planning this for a while, reports at AllThingsD. But today, Kittlaus has left Apple and the program he created. All just weeks after Siri debuted.

He created and led speech recognition for Siri. Kittlaus was actually CEO of Siri since 2007. In 2010, Apple bought the software for an undisclosed sum (although Business Insider estimates around $100-200 million). Along with Kittlaus was Adam Cheyer (VP of Engineering), Tom Gruber (CTO), and Gummi Hafsteinsson (VP of Product), who are not expected to leave Apple.

Dag Kittlaus stated this was a mutual departure, planned before Siri was introduced last month. He wants to spend more time with his family in Chicago. He also wants to start brainstorming new ideas.

Siri, in the meantime, still continues to be a hit on the iPhone. The latest commercials show all the things you can now do with your mobile device. It has spawned a Siri clone (called Iris) on Android within 8 hours.


Typographic Maps



Boston Typography MapI love maps.  You look at an Ordnance Survey Landranger map and you see a thousand years of history, of exploration, of society, of geography all in single sheet of paper that you can fold up and put in your pocket.  GPS gives you directions but a map gives you a world.

Consequently, I was fascinated and delighted to see these typographic maps from Axis Maps.  Currently only available for Boston and Chicago, every feature that you’d expect to see has been created using just type.  So for roads and highways, you have a ribbon of text made from the street’s name.   The names of neighbourhoods fill in the blocks as subtle shading.  Trains and subways are picked out in the name of the line.

ChicagoIt’s taken the team at Axis Maps over two years to create the city maps – the idea started with a University of Wisconsin party invite – and the whole process is covered on their blog, along with lots more images.  They started with OpenStreetMap images and then carefully added text over the feature areas.  There was also great deal of copy’n’paste but the end result is worth it.

If you do go over to their website, click on some of the thumbnails – you’ll get a pop-up that expands and zooms the detail.

BostonChicago

The maps are available to purchase – $30 gets you a 2ft-ish x 3ft-ish print.  UK dwellers can purchase from zazzle.co.uk – just search for Axis Maps.  I’ll be ordering Chicago shortly.

All images copyright of Axis Maps LLC.