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Commuter Consumer

The daily ride has given rise to audio books, the travel mug and a 7-Eleven Inc. trademark, Dashboard Dining. The national motto has become grab and go, and legions of businesses work feverishly to fill a near-sacred space: the cup holder.




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WSU coaches Nick Rolovich and Kyle Smith taking temporary salary reductions as part of ‘cost containment’ measure


To help compensate for lost NCAA distribution and added expenditures caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, Washington State announced multiple “cost containment” measures Monday.





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Three-star offensive tackle Christian Hilborn becomes WSU’s second 2021 commit


Christian Hilborn, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound offensive tackle from Highland High School in Utah has pledged to the Cougars, becoming WSU's second commit of the 2021 class.





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Washington Huskies cancel all sports competitions through March 29 amid coronavirus concerns


The University of Washington will suspend athletic-related activities and events through March 29 due to concerns regarding the novel coronavirus. “The University of Washington athletic department has announced it will suspend all athletic-related activities and events, including workouts, training and practices, through the end of the winter quarter and spring break (March 29) for all […]




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Due to coronavirus, NCAA grants extra year of eligibility to spring athletes, considers same for winter athletes


After the cancellation of the spring and winter championships tournaments stemming from concerns over the novel coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA will grant an extra year of eligibility to athletes who participate in spring sports, the organization announced Friday.




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Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott discusses conference’s financial hit and ‘concern and anxiety’ over athletes because of coronavirus


The Pac-12 is facing a revenue hit of at least $1 million per school from the cancellation of its men’s basketball tournament and March Madness, although the full extent of the damage won’t be known for weeks.




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WSU coaches Nick Rolovich and Kyle Smith taking temporary salary reductions as part of ‘cost containment’ measure


To help compensate for lost NCAA distribution and added expenditures caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, Washington State announced multiple “cost containment” measures Monday.




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Anti-India clashes continue in tense Kashmir for 3rd day


SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Anti-India protests and clashes continued for a third day in disputed Kashmir on Friday following the killing of a top rebel leader by government forces. Rebel commander Riyaz Naikoo and his aide were killed in a gunfight with Indian troops on Wednesday in the southern Awantipora area, leading to massive clashes […]




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Russia, Belarus mark Victory Day in contrasting events


MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin marked Victory Day, the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, in a ceremony shorn of its usual military parade and pomp by the coronavirus pandemic. In neighboring Belarus, however, the ceremonies went ahead in full, with tens of thousands of people in the […]




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Favicon SEO

Google recently copied their mobile result layout over to desktop search results. The three big pieces which changed as part of that update were

  • URLs: In many cases Google will now show breadcrumbs in the search results rather than showing the full URL. The layout no longer differentiates between HTTP and HTTPS. And the URLs shifted from an easily visible green color to a much easier to miss black.
  • Favicons: All listings now show a favicon next to them.
  • Ad labeling: ad labeling is in the same spot as favicons are for organic search results, but the ad labels are a black which sort of blends in to the URL line. Over time expect the black ad label to become a lighter color in a way that parallels how Google made ad background colors lighter over time.

One could expect this change to boost the CTR on ads while lowering the CTR on organic search results, at least up until users get used to seeing favicons and not thinking of them as being ads.

The Verge panned the SERP layout update. Some folks on Reddit hate this new layout as it is visually distracting, the contrast on the URLs is worse, and many people think the organic results are ads.

I suspect a lot of phishing sites will use subdomains patterned off the brand they are arbitraging coupled with bogus favicons to try to look authentic. I wouldn't reconstruct an existing site's structure based on the current search result layout, but if I were building a brand new site I might prefer to put it at the root instead of on www so the words were that much closer to the logo.

Google provides the following guidelines for favicons

  • Both the favicon file and the home page must be crawlable by Google (that is, they cannot be blocked to Google).
  • Your favicon should be a visual representation of your website's brand, in order to help users quickly identify your site when they scan through search results.
  • Your favicon should be a multiple of 48px square, for example: 48x48px, 96x96px, 144x144px and so on. SVG files, of course, do not have a specific size. Any valid favicon format is supported. Google will rescale your image to 16x16px for use in search results, so make sure that it looks good at that resolution. Note: do not provide a 16x16px favicon.
  • The favicon URL should be stable (don’t change the URL frequently).
  • Google will not show any favicon that it deems inappropriate, including pornography or hate symbols (for example, swastikas). If this type of imagery is discovered within a favicon, Google will replace it with a default icon.

In addition to the above, I thought it would make sense to provide a few other tips for optimizing favicons.

  • Keep your favicons consistent across sections of your site if you are trying to offer a consistent brand perception.
  • In general, less is more. 16x16 is a tiny space, so if you try to convey a lot of information inside of it, you'll likely end up creating a blob that almost nobody but you recognizes.
  • It can make sense to include the first letter from a site's name or a simplified logo widget as the favicon, but it is hard to include both in a single favicon without it looking overdone & cluttered.
  • A colored favicon on a white background generally looks better than a white icon on a colored background, as having a colored background means you are eating into some of the scarce pixel space for a border.
  • Using a square shape versus a circle gives you more surface area to work with.
  • Even if your logo has italics on it, it might make sense to avoid using italics in the favicon to make the letter look cleaner.

Here are a few favicons I like & why I like them:

  • Citigroup - manages to get the word Citi in there while looking memorable & distinctive without looking overly cluttered
  • Nerdwallet - the N makes a great use of space, the colors are sharp, and it almost feels like an arrow that is pointing right
  • Inc - the bold I with a period is strong.
  • LinkedIn - very memorable using a small part of the word from their logo & good color usage.

Some of the other memorable ones that I like include: Twitter, Amazon, eBay, Paypal, Google Play & CNBC.

Here are a few favicons I dislike & why

  • Wikipedia - the W is hard to read.
  • USAA - they included both the logo widget and the 4 letters in a tiny space.
  • Yahoo! - they used inconsistent favicons across their sites & use italics on them. Some of the favicons have the whole word Yahoo in them while the others are the Y! in italics.

If you do not have a favicon Google will show a dull globe next to your listing. Real Favicon Generator is a good tool for creating favicons in various sizes.

What favicons do you really like? Which big sites do you see that are doing it wrong?




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At Emerald City Comic Con, comics are just the start


There's a "Back to the Future" panel with the actors from the 1985 film, appearances by celebs from various franchises, including The Avenger's Mark Ruffalo, and more scheduled for ECCC 2020.




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Emerald City Comic Con to allow refunds for fans who decide not to go due to coronavirus concerns


Emerald City Comic Con organizers said Wednesday morning that they will change their policy and allow refunds to fans who choose not to attend this year because of coronavirus concerns.





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Tech companies add new parental controls amid a coronavirus-fueled surge in screen time


Parents have struggled with managing their kids and technology for decades, but those issues have taken on an added urgency amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and a flood of unstructured time. Some say the changes are long overdue.




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Here’s how you can continue to play board — and video — games with loved ones, even while apart


Even as Sammamish writer Kathleen F. Miller’s family remains apart during the coronavirus pandemic, the family has found ways to connect by playing board and multiplayer role-playing games online.




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Microsoft to pitch new Xbox game console with monthly showcases


Microsoft, gearing up for its biggest-ever year of launches for Xbox products and services in the middle of a global pandemic and economic recession, will replace its plan for a splashy public game-conference event with a monthly series of online showcases.




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Ideas for virtual field trips and backyard fun with kids, as coronavirus closures continue


Spending this much time at home is a major challenge if you have young children and you’re used to hitting the library/playground/toddler gym circuit. We have some ideas.





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WSU coaches Nick Rolovich and Kyle Smith taking temporary salary reductions as part of ‘cost containment’ measure


To help compensate for lost NCAA distribution and added expenditures caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, Washington State announced multiple “cost containment” measures Monday.





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Three-star offensive tackle Christian Hilborn becomes WSU’s second 2021 commit


Christian Hilborn, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound offensive tackle from Highland High School in Utah has pledged to the Cougars, becoming WSU's second commit of the 2021 class.




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Amid concern over coronavirus, Chicago State’s men’s basketball cancels game at Seattle University


The Chicago State University men's basketball team will not travel for two regularly scheduled games this week, including a trip to face Seattle University, citing the spread of the coronavirus.




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Seattle University men’s, women’s basketball games canceled due to coronavirus concerns


Both Chicago State University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City have decided not to travel west this week for men's basketball games against Seattle University, citing concerns related to the spread of COVID-19.




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Seattle U’s Jim Hayford disappointed but understands decision to cancel WAC tourney over coronavirus concerns


The Seattle University men's coach says he is heartbroken for his players that the WAC tournament was canceled, but understands the decision.




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King County Metro bus driver dies after contracting the coronavirus


King County Metro bus driver Samina Hameed, 59, died on Thursday, Metro confirmed. She is the first Metro driver to die from the coronavirus.




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Metro driver who died after contracting coronavirus remembered for her ability to brighten a bad day


Samina Hameed, 59, died Thursday from complications due to COVID-19, the first Metro driver who is known to have died after contracting the illness.




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Falcons’ Allen says idea of practice is ‘nerve-racking’


ATLANTA (AP) — Ricardo Allen didn’t budge when Georgia was one of the first states to open businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlanta Falcons safety believes it is smart to stay home. He says he worries about the time when teams across the league open for practice. Restaurants, barber shops and other businesses were […]




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Supermarket chains begin terminating ‘hero’ pay to workers as coronavirus pandemic continues


Kroger-owned QFC and Fred Meyer will discontinue their $2-an-hour "Hero Bonus'' premiums paid to workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Ohio-based Kroger has set May 16 as the program's final date while other large grocery retailers ponder the future of similar bonuses.




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Mother’s Day amid the coronavirus pandemic means digging up old pastimes to find new ways to connect with mom


As Mother’s Day approaches, staff writer Megan Burbank thanks her mother for instilling in her a love for screwball heroines, old movies and strong female role models.




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‘Slap Shot’ still iconic in hockey despite sport’s changes


A few nights after one of their players was injured by a dirty hit, the Johnstown Jets plotted to exact some revenge on Buffalo’s Greg Neeld. An all-out brawl broke out during warmups and the North American Hockey League game was postponed, much to the dismay of ownership and presumably the fans at a sold-out […]




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Four Republican lawmakers sue Inslee over coronavirus stay-home order, contending ‘the emergency has been contained’


Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim Gov. Inslee has not adequately considered targeted measures to protect that population, while allowing others to return to work and school.




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Gov. Inslee connected personal contacts with Washington state officials in hunt for coronavirus supplies


Amid a national frenzy to buy medical supplies for use in the COVID-19 outbreak, Washington state suspended competitive bidding and recruited help from the private sector. Gov. Inslee connected personal contacts with state buyers.




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Seattle, Department of Justice ask judge to release police from remaining consent decree oversight


Along with a 2018 ruling by the court that the city had reached full compliance with a 2012 consent decree, the request would dissolve virtually all remaining oversight of the police department regarding its use of force and other issues.




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A flurry of activity, confusion as Washington continues phase one of reopening amid the new coronavirus


Gov. Jay Inslee this week continued lifting restrictions included in his stay-home order meant to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, part of phase one in his four-phase plan to reopen the state. Some outdoor recreation opened earlier this week.




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GOP’s Freed withdraws request for court order; lawsuit over coronavirus ban on religious gatherings continues


Inslee's stay-home order, initially issued in March, bans church and religious services, but permits one-on-one "religious counseling," state lawyers argued.




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Stock shock shows how Trump keeps gambling with the economy


The trade war with China is a self-inflicted blow. Only a strong economy is cushioning us against bigger pain — so far.




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Coronavirus is making the economy very sick


The pandemic's effects are putting us in unknown territory, but we're already in a recession. It could be the worst of our lifetimes. Columnist Jon Talton explains why.




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Once restarted, post-coronavirus economy might enter unprecedented rough seas


Even President Trump now realizes the need for a prolonged shutdown. But when the economy finally restarts, we have no guarantee it will bounce back quickly. The danger is a "Greater Depression."




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The Seattle that existed before March is gone forever. Can we be at the forefront of a new normal for the economy?


Superstar cities bounced back stronger than ever after the Great Recession. But the COVID-19 shutdown is different and the way back will be a challenge unlike any other.




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As Eastside Catholic rolled to second state football title last winter, three players were under investigation for assault


Three Eastside Catholic players were under investigation for a parking-lot brawl as the team headed toward a second state championship. Prosecutors ultimately declined to pursue charges.




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Seattle, Department of Justice ask judge to release police from remaining consent decree oversight


Along with a 2018 ruling by the court that the city had reached full compliance with a 2012 consent decree, the request would dissolve virtually all remaining oversight of the police department regarding its use of force and other issues.




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UPDATING: Seattle-area events that have been canceled, postponed or rescheduled due to novel coronavirus concerns


The list of events that have been canceled in the Seattle area continues to grow as we head into the third week of the novel coronavirus outbreak. We'll keep this list updated throughout the week.




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City announces $1.1 million and rent relief to support arts organizations in the coronavirus economic crisis


On Tuesday, the City of Seattle announced a $1.1 million, arts-specific recovery package and rent suspension for cultural organizations, designed to help an arts sector heavily hit by the coronavirus shutdowns.




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You can still immerse yourself in the arts with these online concerts, shows and more, from Seattle and elsewhere


Here in Seattle — and everywhere else — live arts events have been put on pause. But we can still immerse ourselves in the arts, from rebroadcasts to livestreams, podcasts to social media. Here’s just a tiny sampling.





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Scouting report: Terrell Brown, undersized Seattle U must contend with No. 22 Washington’s big lineup


The Redhawks take a four-game winning streak into Tuesday's game at No. 22 Washington where they've lost 14 straight. The Huskies have home-court and a tremendous size advantage, but SU has hot-scoring Terrell Brown.




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GOP’s Freed withdraws request for court order; lawsuit over coronavirus ban on religious gatherings continues


Inslee's stay-home order, initially issued in March, bans church and religious services, but permits one-on-one "religious counseling," state lawyers argued.




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The final insult: Women’s World Cup final forced to compete with Copa America, CONCACAF


Megan Rapinoe considers Sunday to be the final insult. The Women's World Cup final will have to compete with two others men's finals, the Copa America and the CONCACAF Gold Cup. "It's ridiculous, and disappointing, to be honest," Rapinoe said.