The Linked Data Platform (LDP) Working Group has published a Last Call Working Draft of Linked Data Platform 1.0. This document describes a set of best practices and simple approach for a read-write Linked Data architecture, based on HTTP access to web resources that describe their state using the RDF data model. Comments are welcome through 02 September. Learn more about the Semantic Web Activity.

The Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Working Group invites implementation of the Candidate Recommendation of CSS Values and Units Module Level 3. The new version reflects minor updates. This CSS3 module describes the common values and units that CSS properties accept and the syntax used for describing them in CSS property definitions. Learn more about the Style Activity.

The Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Working Group has published a Last Call Working Draft of CSS Cascading and Inheritance Level 3. This CSS module describes how to collate style rules and assign values to all properties on all elements. By way of cascading and inheritance, values are propagated for all properties on all elements. Comments are welcome through 22 August. Learn more about the Style Activity.

The 2013 Maryland Cyber Challenge season has begun!

Last week, Challenge co-founder Dr. Richard Forno and other Challenge officials conducted a kick-off orientation webinar  (PDF) outlining the 2013 Challenge, providing a brief overview of the SAIC/Leidos competition environment (CyberNEXS), offering administrative guidance, and answering questions from prospective competitors and team advisors.

Now in its third year, the Challenge is a partnership between UMBC and SAIC/Leidos, in cooperation with the National Cyber Security Alliance, Tech Council of Maryland, and the Governor's CyberMaryland Initiative. The first two years of the Challenge saw over 700 competitors and 115 teams from Maryland competing for over $160,000 in cash prizes, internships, and more. The finals event is held as a major aspect of the CyberMaryland 2013 conference on October 8 & 9 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

Interested teams may register for the competition here.   

While airline travel in recent years has become a mundane exercise in getting from point A to B, it was merely a few decades ago that flying the friendly skies was full of glamour and prestige. It’s little wonder, then, that today’s functional baggage tags look nothing like they did in the 1950s — in fact, luggage labels of the past could be considered near works of art.

Enter illustrator, designer and all-around image-maker Neil Stevens, who spotted a series of vintage bag tags and smartly decided to turn them into full-blown prints. These simple, uncluttered typographic beauties hold a certain statement-making nostalgia.

There was something about the now iconic, easily recognizable three letter abbreviations of the city destinations, and the small surrounding details that I thought would look great blown up… They often avoided logos, had no advertising, and were purely just the information you needed. — Neil Stevens

A far cry from the black-and-white mass-generated labels of today, these colorful, designer destination tags are a reminder that sometimes simple beauty is sacrificed in favor of technological efficiency. It’s up to us to determine which is more important.

What other day-to-day design was better in the past? Do we value design less than we used to? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Logo Bundle: 50 Customizable Logo Templates – only $29!

A 10-minute, deadly serious talk with Paul Armstrong and myself.

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Pixel Recess Episode #18 is a post from CSS-Tricks