A Few of our Favorite Things from 2017
Though 2017 might not have been the best year ever, it certainly wasn’t the worst. Remember that year when the big asteroid hit Earth and caused the extinction of dinosaurs? Or that one time when the Black Plague killed 60% of Europe’s population? In comparison 2017 wasn’t that bad. How could anything be too terrible when you have Salt Bae? You know, the guy who sprinkled some salt on a steak and simultaneously made us all believe in magic again.
So to prove that 2017 wasn’t a complete waste of time, we’ve compiled a list of a few of our favorite things from this past year. Enjoy!
The Solar Eclipse
The Universe is pretty neat sometimes (actually all the time). On August 21, 2017, we experienced a total solar eclipse that was visible within a band spanning the entire United States. It was awesome and all, but did you see what people were too easily convinced to wear in order to watch it? Talk about a case of “I wish I’d thought of that first”. Can you imagine how much money companies made off of flimsy paper “goggles” that sold for $12? Answer: a lot. But, hey, we bought them too. Some of us even went all out and got welding masks (one can never be too careful).
SpaceX’s Recording-breaking Year
SpaceX may have had a rock(et)y start, but last year they accomplished some incredible feats. They ended the year without any launch-pad explosions or in-flight malfunctions and had 18 launches in total — that’s more than double of 2016. And that’s not even all of the cool things they did. Look to the sky for even more launches this year.
’Oumuamua
‘Oumuamua is the first known interstellar object to pass through the Solar System. If you’re like us and aren’t quite sure what that means, an interstellar object is a body other than a star or substar located in interstellar space, and not gravitationally bound to a star. It was discovered by Robert Weryk on 19 October, 2017, at Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii using the Pan-STARRS telescope. Please save us from having to spell it again and read more about it here.
Apple Pencil + iPad Pro
If you’re an illustrator or someone who just loves to draw and paint and you haven’t jumped aboard the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil bandwagon yet, now’s the time! It’s a game-changer. With these tools, you can do your sketches and illustrations all in one place wherever you go, even if that’s from the dining table to the couch and back. The Apple Pencil feels and works the same as a regular pencil/paint brush does. It’s sensitive, flexible, and diverse––just like the perfect man.
iPhone X
Is Apple’s latest phone everyone’s favorite? Probably not, but it is one of ours (well at least some of ours). Why? Because it’s bold, beautiful, and sophisticated, and opens up to you even when you don’t look your best.
Nintendo Switch
Back in March, Nintendo launched the Switch, their hybrid home/portable gaming console, and all gamers rejoiced. The reception was better than expected, breaking the US all-time fastest-selling console record a few months later. The unique nature of the console is especially great when traveling. No matter where you go, you can play a round of Mario Kart or several other multiplayer games with friends and family to your little heart’s content.
Universal Paperclips
No, paper clips themselves weren’t one of our favorite things (though they are pretty cool). We’re talking about the new computer game. Universal Paperclips is a clicking game, where the player takes on the role of an AI that’s programmed to make paperclips. To start, the player clicks on a box to make one paperclip at a time. As more options become available, the player can sell them to make money and purchase a machine that builds paperclips automatically. This whole operation continues to grow and expand throughout the game, ending if the AI is successful in converting all the matter in the universe into paperclips… Didn’t see that one coming, did you? This guy has a lot of thoughts about it if you’d like to learn more.
This Computer Latency Test (1977–2017)
This provides an in-depth look at the latency between a keypress and the display of the character on screen. It’s a fascinating look at how much more efficient the computers of yore were than the latest tech from today, even when on paper they’re far outmatched. It’s yet another example of how constraints can improve a product.
This Article About an Evil Go Runtime Bug
Seeing how others debug their code is often enlightening, but this deep dive into a pesky crasher in a Go app goes above and beyond. It even goes so far as using a heat gun to warm up the RAM chips to try to reproduce the bug. The tenacity this programmer demonstrates is truly inspiring, and there’s lots to learn here.
Styled-Components
Whilst looking for an easy way to style our components, we stumbled upon styled-components and never looked back. It totally obliterated most of our remaining React environment and CSS-in-JS hesitations, leaving us feeling free and breezy, like Fabio with a gentle wind rustling his luscious locks.
Webpack
Webpack is a “static module bundler for modern JavaScript applications”. With the v2 release in January, it became really easy to leave task runners like gulp and Grunt behind. It’s simple and straightforward, and we’re in love.
VIVE
In case you weren’t sure what to think of virtual reality, with the VIVE VR system, it’s clear that it’s not just a passing gimmick. As soon as you strap on the headset, you’re instantly teleported through endless virtual, interactive worlds. It might not be real, but it is real fun.
Visual Studio Code
If you’re slow to switch editors, know that the transition to VS Code has been simply wonderful. It’s free, runs on anything/everywhere, and is open source. Some might even call it a “triple threat” (minus the singing, dancing, and acting).
GraphQL + Apollo
GraphQL, yet another fantastic creation from our Facebook overlords, is a specification for querying application data that’s steadily growing in adoption. Major players like Twitter, Khan Academy, and Coursera are using GraphQL in production now. One of the great ways to use GraphQL is by using the Apollo client and server. Paired together, they allow for quicker and easier development, without feeling like you’re cutting corners. It’s a great tool that helps with a multitude of hard-to-develop situations like pagination, loading and network errors, and managing local state.
Blender
(Not the smoothie-making one, but the open source 3D software one) Blender is F-R-E-E and a great place to start if you’re interested in learning how to create in 3D. Since it’s a creation suite, Blender supports the whole 3D pipeline, from modeling and rigging, to video editing and game creation.
BornCG Blender Tutorials
BornCG has an excellent video series that shows you everything you need to know about using Blender. His 85+ tutorials start at the very beginner level and work their way up. It’s a great, free way to learn a new skill that’ll bring all the boys/girls to the yard.
Mohamed Chahin
Speaking of creating in 3D, here’s a guy that everyone needs to check out. Mohamed has some great examples of all the cool things you can do with Blender. We love his use of color, lighting, and his adorable models and characters. His level of whimsy is one do be admired and desired. Also, who doesn’t love a good Lord of the Rings reference (see his bio on his Dribbble profile).
Peter Tarka
Another 3D artist we’ve been admiring from afar is Peter Tarka. If you’re not familiar with his work, you should be! He’s amazing at 3D design and illustration, and when we grow up, we want to be like him. And he’s from England so he probably has a great accent #bonus.
Creative Works Conference
Creative Works is a fun, friendly, and inspiration-filled conference held annually in Memphis, TN. The schedule is well-planned, with talks starting after lunch. This leaves plenty of time to have an extra fun night, recover in the morning, get some food, enjoy the talks, and repeat. They also have a cool vendor area, where talented designers and craftspeople sell their goods. It’s a great way to meet new people and make lasting connections. The conference includes events all around downtown Memphis, which allows everyone to get to know the city and all the colors, sounds, and tastes it has to offer. 10/10 would recommend!
Envy Labs Website and Brand Redesign
And last but not least, our shiny new website and brand design! We launched our website and brand redesigns in October, and we’re still just as excited about them now. It was truly a team effort that we’re all proud of. If you’d like to see more of the fun things we designed this past year, check out our Dribbble page. Go team!
Even if last year wasn’t quite the best, it definitely had its little moments of greatness. What are some of your favorite things from 2017? Let us know in the comments below!
