Four short links: 30 July 2009

Brooklyn Museum, Early Release, Toy Chest, Open Science

1. iPhone App v1.3 Released -- revealing glimpse into how third-party apps (such as this iPhone app, built on the Brooklyn Museum's API) reflect on the institution providing the API. Brooklyn Museum has dealt with this sensitively and intelligently, a model to all. As always, I want to marry the Brooklyn Museum and raise a posse of online apps.
2. Embrace the Chaos -- I can never be told "release early, release often" enough. When to release? As soon as you've got something that'll be useful to other people.
3. Toy Chest -- "Toy Chest" collects online or downloadable software tools/thinking toys that humanities students and others without programming skills (but with basic computer and Internet literacy) can use to create interesting projects. (via Simon Willison)
4. What, Exactly, is Open Science? - In general, we’re moving towards an era of greater transparency in all of these topics (methodology, data, communication, and collaboration). The problems we face in gaining widespread support for Open Science are really about incentives and sustainability. How can we design or modify the scientific reward systems to make these four activities the natural state of affairs for scientists? Right now, there are some clear disincentives to participating in these activities. (via Glyn Moody)