Follow Kerouac’s Tiretracks

A Ken Burns iPad app, touchscreen subway maps, swapping sexism and more in our weekly look at the web

The literary masterpiece “On the Road” inspired an entire generation onward—not that many people seek to follow the tricky turn-by-turn trek Jack Kerouac’s main character Sal Paradise took across the States. Now, thanks to German student Gregor Weichbrodt, there’s a 45-page e-book with the specifics on how to do it. Weichbrodt achieved this feat simply by writing a little bit of code, which plugged all …

Gurafiku

Philip Seymour Hoffman's inimitable talent, architecture in ice, bionic hands and more in our weekly look at the web

This week the talented multidisciplinary designer Jessica Walsh alerted the Twitter community to Gurafiku, a Tumblr created by designer Ryan Hageman with the intention of promoting a largely unrecognized history of graphic design in Japan. The site, which Hageman began in 2009, serves as a well-edited archive of the country’s visual arts across multiple platforms and spans two centuries worth of works for the purpose …

Farewell, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman's inimitable talent, architecture in ice, bionic hands and more in our weekly look at the web

The number of thoughtful tributes and articles about the tragic passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman is a veritable testament to the huge loss the public feels—let alone that of his colleagues, friends and family. Tom Junod of Esquire explains the character actor’s impact and the reason we all—as complete strangers—felt connected to him. One of Hoffman’s many talents was bringing to life characters that were …