The 2024 Cicadapocalypse

2024 is set to see the emergence of two large periodical cicada broods. Both Brood XIX (13-year cicada) and Brood XIII (17-year cicada), are expected to emerge together in 2024 for the first time since 1803. This double emergence has been nicknamed a “cicada-geddon” by some.Periodical cicadas are native to eastern North America. They spend most of their lives underground as nymphs, feeding Maps Mania… more →
Posted in: Interactive Maps

Spam APIs in 2024

I enjoy building API demos so I generally keep an eye out for interesting APIs to play with. A few weeks ago it occurred to me that I had not seen anyone talking about or sharing information about Spam APIs. I may be showing my age a bit, but it feels like spam was a much larger issue back in the early days. It was something you always heard about and worried about but not so much anymore. Much like nuclear war. I did a bit of digging and it turns out Chris Coyler had similar thoughts 4 years ago: "Spam Detection APIs". I thought I’d check out a few myself and share the results. Here, in no particular order, are the APIs I tried. Test Data # Before I looked into any APIs, I gathered... more →
Posted in: JavaScript

You Should Attend theJam.dev 2024!

Next week, a very cool, and very free, online event is being held by the fine folks at Certified Fresh Events, theJam.dev 2024. This is a two-day online conference covering web development, AI, serverless, frameworks, and certainly more than just the Jamstack. Speakers include Cassidy Williams, Alex Russel, Zach Leatherman (creator of Eleventy!), Rizèl Scarlett, and more. I’ll be giving a quick lightning talk on generative AI and writing, and you can see the full schedule on the website. Did I mention it was free? Did I mention it was online? You’ve got no reason to miss this, so check it out! Raymond Camden… more →
Posted in: JavaScript

Thoughts on Streaming Services: 2024 Edition

Streaming services have revolutionized content delivery, sending linear media companies into a panic as they watch traditional cable services decay. “Cutting the cord” is a common practice these days, but the streaming landscape isn’t perfect. We’re a decade into streaming so I wanted to share my thoughts on the state of new media: first impressions, second thoughts, and the third degree! Netflix is king thanks to having first mover advantage, and making smart financial moves over the past six months, but Netflix’s content is unremarkable. Their recent wins are USA’s Suits and content licensed from Max…they need to do better… The biggest loser... more →
Posted in: JavaScript