Last link list of 2013

Links for December 29, 2013

This is my last set of links for the year. I hope you've been enjoying them. If you have links you think I might enjoy, please feel free to send me an email. Enjoy your New Year's celebrations.

I didn’t want to change society. I wanted to give society a chance to determine if it should change itself. Article

Normally I hate slide shows on the Internet (they're mostly just page view grabs), but this is worth checking out. The new Mac Pro which was released recently is an impressive piece of kit, but the size of it is astounding. Article

We seem to be in a Rennaisance of independent watch making. I love the innovation and designs coming out. Watches by SJX is a great site to follow for all watch news. Article

Levenger has a sale on lots of their goods, including some nice pen cases. Article

CGP Grey has a new video out on the noceibo effect. I've linked to his stuff before, and if you're not already watching his videos, you really should start. Video

Speaking of great watch sites, Hodinkee put together a video year in review. Video

Mihkail Kalashnikov passed away this week at the age of 94. Article

A wonderful collection of hi-res images of medieval manuscripts. Article

It's disgusting it took this long for Alan Turing to get a pardon. Article

Wiltshire church sells medieval chalice to help pay for renovations.Article

Creating a balance between the professional self, and the unprofessional, more human self, is difficult. As more people read what I write, I think about it more. Allen Pike has a good blog entry on being more human. Article

The Globe and Mail has a good article on why cufflinks are making a come back. (I'll be adding cufflinks to my site early in the new year if this is your cup of tea.) Article

I'm not one for Christmas music (years of working in a mall at Christmas is enough to drive anyone a bit mad), but The Pogues' Fairytale of New York is worth a link. Video

A look at how reading affects the brain days after. Article

If you've been reading along the last few months, you already know I'm in love with Phillipe Dufour and his work. Another great interview with him. Video

It's getting difficult to trust anything secret to technology. Article

Pixar's rules for good story telling. Article

Previous link posts can be found here.

Links for the week of December 22nd, 2013

Links for Dec 22nd, 2013

I didn't realize how many songs I like from White Lies until I heard them play at the Winter Wonderland concert last week. Here are a few of their videos to try out. Farewell to the Fairground Video
To Lose My Life Video
There Goes Our Love Again Video

For those of you who don't know about Kerby Ferguson's Everything is a Remix, stop reading this and go watch it. The original is hardly news, however, he's made a new one about the iPhone. Video

ADHD is a very real problem for a few people I know. Recent studies are showing that it is being over used as an excuse to medicate kids and adults. Article

A mesmerising computer model, updated every three hours, of the Earth's wind patterns. Article

I hope it doesn't take decades for the world to realize how important the Snowden leaks are. A US Federal judge has now ruled that some of the wiretapping the NSA has been caught doing is unconstitutional. Article

So you're trying to find the perfect gift for the hard to buy for, and money is no object? This gift guide is for you. Article

XKCD: Undocumented feature. Article

This skywalk in the Swiss Alps is not for people who fear heights. Article

The next guest in Adam Savage's The Talking a Room series is Damon Lindelof. Video

The Food Lab tackles the most important issue this holiday, how to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Article

This experimental cube is very impressive. Using three wheels connected to micro controllers allows the cube to stand itself up on and edge, or even a point. Video

If you have any interest in watches, you need to be reading Hodinkee. They posted a roundup of their best reviews and articles of the year. My particular favourite is the interview with Phillipe Dufour. Article

Good video from the Salon QP event featuring a Roger Smith discussing the lessons learned by sifting through George Daniels' workshop. Video

The British Library has uploaded more than a million images to Flickr. Part of the exercise is to get the public' shell in categorising the images. Article

Many have proposed reforms to the current calendar to correct various issues and irregularities. Here is why they're all wrong. Article

A great side by side comparison of driving the Nordschleife in real life and GT6. Video

Minute Physics explains why full moons in the winter are so incredible. Video

I regularly work with machines which could rip off my hand if I do something stupid, so this story makes me feel a bit better about my prospects if that happens. Article

A great story about why David Sparks became a lawyer, and some what he's learned over 20 years of doing it. Article

Jonathon Snook wrote a good post about writing a book and self publishing it. It's something I've been meaning to do for a while. Article

Forbes examines sex in marketing and what the future might hold. Article

How do you stack up on twitter? I was surprised to see I'm in the 90% based on number of followers. Article

RSA has been a trusted source of cryptographic tools for years. Some recent revelations from the Snowdon leaks means they are probably dead in the water. Article

I'm not a fan of the diamond industry and they're price manipulation tactics, so I wasn't too surprised to read about some of their other shady dealings. Article

These flower shells are just odd. Sort of a 21stC swords to plowshares. I would recommend using them in the city though. You'd likely end up with a SWAT team on your doorstep. Article

After the mess US banks got us into with credit default swaps, I can't see this ending well. Article

Numberphile takes a look at the mathematics behind how the NSA has been decrypting information on the Internet. Video

Previous link posts can be found here

Article about Silver Hand Studios in Bespoke

Over the summer I was contacted about having a piece written up in Bespoke; a magazine run by Truenorth Avionics here in Ottawa. It's a short piece, but covers a bit of my origin story as a jeweller. The story is on page 38. PDF Article

Links for the week of Dec 15, 2013

Links for the week of Dec 15th, 2013

A discussion about Bitcoins came up here at home recently. For those not in the know, Glenn Fleishman wrote a good introduction for athe a Economist. Article

Brent Simmons is an app developer who has been responsible for creating several popular Mac and iOS apps over the years. One side effect of having a popular app is getting buy out offers from larger companies. He wrote about the experience and why he eventually left. The important stuff is at the bottom of the post. His commentary on only working on the projects he's best at is important. Instead of following your passion, do what you're best at. Article

These photos make me cry. I can't imagine the damage that was done (and in some cases still not restored) during this flood to these manuscripts. Plus hanging all of the pages to dry… Article

Darrell Markewitz is a friend and has been an excellent source of advice for me in my artistic career. He recently did an interview on a knife maker's forum. This is the first part of several parts. He discusses some of his work in recreating Norse steel making techniques, as well as his entry into blacksmithing. Article

The challenges of projecting an accurate map of the globe onto a flat map is a challenge. Tested looks at Bernard Cahill's work to create a more accurate projection. Article

Piaget has focused on making very thin mechanical watches for years. They briefly lost their title of thinnest mechanical watch. They've now reclaimed that title with the introduction of the Altiplano which is an impressive 3.65mm thick. Of course the price of ultra thinness comes with a steep price tag… Article

Scale matters:

Michael Lopp's thoughts on conference badge design. Article

I don't agree with everything in David Simon's The Two Americas, but it's worth a read none the less. Article

Very Short Story is a great account to follow on Twitter.

I don't have any need for portable speakers, but these look like a great design. Article

An interesting wheel design for your bike to provide you with an extra little push when you need it. Article

Derek Muller, quantity vs quality. Video

Why men need to cultivate more friendships. Article

Doom had a massive impact on me when it came out. I played it for hours on end, but more importantly, it allowed me to create my own content for the game. I created and shared dozens of new levels for the game with friends and strangers (it was a bit odd to run into some of my levels years after I created them when I downloaded a pack of fan levels for the game). John Carmack gives his thoughts on the game he helped create 20 years ago. Article

I'm very mindful of ensuring the signal to noise ratio of what I write and share is high. So many people I know online have such a low signal to noise ratio that I've stopped reading them. We'd all be better off if we cut back on the fake punditry. Article

We live out in the country, and while we haven't experienced a serious power outage yet, it's always in the backs of our mind's. This LED bulb project on Kickstarter has some real potential. Article

Speaking of electricity, the situation at Ontario Power Generation just keeps getting worse. Article

The Brits are obsessed with panel shows, and Qi is easily the best of the lot.

Gutenberg's moveable type printing press is the most important invention since the wheel. The first book which he mass produced as a bible. As part of the digitization project underway by Oxford University and the Vatican, Oxford has now released a hi-res scan of their Gutenberg bible. It is one of the few intact copies left. Article

Previous link posts can be found here

Links for Dec 8th 2013

Links for Dec 8th 2013

Jeff de Boer is a friend of several friends of mine, so I've known about his work for years. He is best known for these awesome suits of armour for cats and mice. He has started a new project making kinetic rings from gears. These look like the ultimate fiddle rings. Website

Syncronizing video frames with the strings of a bass leads to interesting effects. Video

Brad Dowdy runs the Pen Addict blog, and often has good reviews of pens, inks and paper products. One of his recent reviews is for Franklin-Christoph's Pocket 40. I had a chance to try one out at the last OFPS meeting. Article

For the musically incline dinner party, how about getting some wine glasses with the notes makes out on them. Article

How much of the Earth's water has been converted into soda? Article

I've been following the Planet Money podcast for a while. Recently they have been documenting the process of making their own t-shirt. It's an interesting look at part of the world economy that has gotten a lot of press recently. Article

I'm fascinated in how things are made. This video of the Elevation a Dock being made is pure tool porn. Video

I'm not usually a fan of Mercedes car design, but this is sexy. Too bad it's just for a video game. Article

A great art find in a small medieval church. Article

The long before Instagram, the selfie was still a thing. Article

A great 19C account of hand making files. Article

Sequencing the human genome is an incredible accomplishment. Gathering and analyzing the genome of large parts of the population will probably lead to the biggest medical break thrus over the next century. I'm happy to see how inexpensive it's become to have your genome sequenced, but it scares me that all of that information is being collected by private corporations with few protections for that data. Article

Love this story. It's probably apocraphal, but it's still great.

A unique perspective on Penn & Teller's bullet catch trick. Article

If you have a few million £s lying around, there's a great castle for sale. Article

Be friends with failure. Article

The idea of closing prisons because they are unnecessary is a foreign concept here in North America. But while we're working hard to imprison more people, Sweden is closing some of their prisons. Article

Talented artists will always make great art out of the tools they have available to them. Video

The Vatican and Bodleian libraries are working to put 1.5 million pages of historical documents online. Article

I'm looking forward to Teller's latest project, Tim's Vermeer. It's a look at the technology Vermeer may have used to help him paint. Article

Good friend Justin Van Leeuwen wrote a great post on pushing photo gear to the extreme. Article

What happens when Punk hits middle age? "The Other F Word" looks at punk rockers and their struggles to be family men. Article

There are lots of iPhone cases in the world, but this is intriguing. Article

It's really unfortunate that this video was shot by someone who is useless with a camera. One of the few videos of a tiger in the wild hunting and killing a gaur bull. Video

Puzzle games are a staple on the iPad. The multi touch interface makes it ideal for puzzles. Eventually in the game Drei you will reach a level you're unable to solve. The game will then connect you randomly to someone else in the world who is also stuck. Article

10 words you're probably misusing. Article

Amazing use of 3d modelling, projection and motion control mixed together. Video

As many of you already know, I'm a bit of a medieval art geek. I've been known to make the odd reproduction of a medieval manuscript. This app would have made my life easier when trying to learn about the calligraphy. Article

Power generation has been a hot topic in Ontario over the past few weeks. It turns out we are expecting a 43% increase in our electric bill over the next five years. One solution I'd like to see is the use of more modern nuclear reactors to replace our expensive, aging infrastructure. Thorium reactors are an interesting possible choice for the future of power generation. Video

Previous link posts can be found here

Links for Dec 1st 2013

Links for the week of Dec 1st, 2013

Over the years I've spent a significant amount of time practicing various martial arts. None as much as Aikido though. The founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, was a fascinating man. There is very little video footage of him practicing, and I think this compilation is most of it. Video

If you are interested in reading more about Morihei Ueshiba, I highly recommend A Life In Aikido. Book

Id you've ever watched a cat pick up a kitten by the scruff of the neck, you might wonder why they don't struggle. Article

Neil Young is the latest in a long line of people who claim our current audio formats, mp3s in particular, are destroying music. Dan Rutter writes an excellent article explaining why audiophiles are wrong about the current state of music formats. Article

IWC has been making a series of short films about watch making. The first in their second series is on the tourbillion movement. Video

Google has famously been working on a self driving car for a few years. It will be interesting to see if the technology ever takes off. Even if they are significantly safer than humans, they will always be demonized for any accidents they get in. Article

Woe to any who tries this with a good quality beer. Explore the explosive force behind beer tapping. Article

Slate is running a series of articles where they apply the same treatment to American events that the US media does to worldwide events. Article

I love the architectural details in these drawings by Alex Konahin. Article

I embrace the latest tools and technology if they are the best way to get a job done. But often the best tool is one from the past. Chris Schwartz writes primarily about the use of hand tools in wood working. This article discusses the development of a simple stick for work holding. Article

A look at why increasing retail density downtown is more beneficial than opening big box stores in the suburbs. Article

Ballistics are fascinating once you begin dealing with large enough distances. The Coriolis effect is the influence of the Earth's rotation on a ballistic object. It is why most rockets are launched near the equator. This video shows how much of an effect it can have on a bullet at the relatively short distance of 1Km. Video

Chris Hadfield writes about space exploration and understanding our planet. Article

Patent trolls are creating a very real drain on inovative companies. Sadly Ottawa is home to a number of them. Article

What does your ISP say about you? Some insights from Mailchimp. Article

The issues women have hosting STEM channels on YouTube. Video

I've only needed to use a two truck a few times, but I've heard plenty of horrible experiences about them. Article

Popup Gallery a Ottawa is back again this year with a few more artists. You really need to stop by and visit if you're in the area. Article

I've wanted an HUD for my motorcycle helmet for years. It looks like it may soon become a reality. Article

Sequencing the human genome has the potential to improve medicine more than any other advancement. But private companies collecting large amounts of information is a scary prospect. Safe guards need to be put in place to protect individual privacy. Article

Previous link posts can be found here

Links for the week ending on Nov 20th, 2013

 

Links for the week of Nov 20th, 2013

The weekend involved a lot of travel, so my link list was a bit delayed.   

Japanese puzzle boxes have always fascinated me. I've played with a few, some very simple, and others quite complex. This video does an excellent job of showing how they work. Video  

I've seen a few talks from XOXO this year and have enjoyed all of them. I may need to get down to it one year. Cabel Sasser from Panic Software is the latest talk I've found. Video  

David Foster Wallace gave a great commencement speech at Kenyon College in 2005. The longer speech was condensed and used as the voice over for a video. It was going around a while back, but worth reposting. Video 

And while I'm linking to inspirational videos, this classic from Merlin Mann is worth your time. Merlin is known for a lot of things, and has written some useful and inspirational stuff over the years, but his Scared Shitless talk at Webstock a few years ago is perhaps his best. Be sure to have some tissues around for this one. Video

This can't be good. Article  

One of the podcasts I listen to regularly is This American Life. The show is well produced and written, and even mundane subjects are presented with interesting stories. The episode a few weeks ago was particularly entertaining. Seven things you're not supposed to talk about. Podcast

I've never been much of a celebrity watcher. I don't care what famous people are doing in their spare time, or who they're dating. I do like good interviews about interesting people though. After reading this Esquire interview with George Clooney, I suspect he would be an interesting guy to sit and chat with, in spite of the fact he's famous. Article

I'm skeptical of most virtual reality headsets that come to market, but these look very promising. Article

I'm a huge fan of Chris Hadfield. Space was one of my obsessions as a kid, and I've always followed space exploration. During his time on the ISS, Hadfield captivated twitter with his photos and observations about life in space. I don't think any astronaut has been more successful at capturing people's attention and introducing them to the wonders of space exploration. Adam Savage interviewed Chris at the Ames' Visitor Center a few weeks ago. While there is no video of the event, there are a few articles with transcripts of the event. Article Article Article Article

I love these photos of the Munich underground. Article 

My friends over at The Federal have a Kickstarter project going right now. Peg is a simple stand for organizing things. I am  happy to be the first backer, and they've been getting some good press about it. Article  

I love the look of this watch, and their use of classic pocket watch design cues. Article

In an era when many museums are becoming less open with information about their collections, the Smithsonian is releasing 3D models of theirs. Article

When Apple released the iPad mini last year, and people complained about the lack of retina screen, I was one of the people who said they wouldn't until at least 2014. They had two major hurdles to overcome, one was price, the other was power usage. They dealt with the price issue by raising the price on the retina models, and this article discusses how they were able to overcome the power consumption issues. Article

I've never been a fan of baseball, but this film looking at the husband and wife team who created the MLB schedule for years is interesting. Video 

I'm a huge fan of Fiftythree's iPad drawing app Paper. Recently they've launched a service with the makers of Moleskine notebooks to print your drawings. They also just announced a new stylus called Pencil to make drawing a bit easier. Article

The Gettysburg Address turned 150 this past week. Article

Spheres aren't the only solids of constant width. Video

Synthesized jellyfish proteins used to make ice cream glow in the dark. Article

Volunteers from around the world help map out the Philippines to assist rescue workers. Article 

Portraits of well loved toys. Article  

Derek Muller is host of the great Veritasium YouTube channel. In this video he discusses the 24 best accidental inventions. Video  

For a guy who has spent his professional career being silent, Teller sure is chatty once you get him started. Talking about his new movie Tim's Vermeer. Video

How synthetic sapphire  is made. Video

Jony Ive and Marc Newson on their Project Red auction. Article

Bladerunner as a water colour. Video  

I try to focus on links which are not time sensitive. If you found these links interesting, you can find past link posts here.

Links for the week of Nov 10th, 2013

Links for the week of Nov 10, 2013

Good architecture always interests me. Here is a modern take on the pyramid. Article

A beautiful gallery of petrified animals around Lake Natron in Tanzania. Article

Ridley Scott is probably my favourite director. Not all of his films are in my collection, but Blade Runner is my favourite film. Before Blade Runner was made, he got his big start in Holywood with Alien. It went on to become the archtype for sci-fi films. Tested discusses the origin of Alien. Article

I'm always looking for inspiration for cases for my pens. This watch roll looks great, and unlike many cases on the market, won't scratch what you're carrying. Article

3d printers are becoming very common and very affordable. This kit allows you to add on a low powered laser engraver to a 3d printer. Not quite powerful enough to engrave silver, but it opens up some interesting possibilities. Article

The watch industry uses sapphire glass for quality watch crystals. It's very strong, and resists scratches. Apple has been relying on Gorrilla Glass for its phones and tablets, but it looks like they may be looking to switch to sapphire glass. To date it's been too expensive for larger devices, but a Apple is opening its own plant in the US to manufacture it. Hopefully we'll see sapphire glass on upcoming iPhones and iPads.

Commpasionate use of experimental drugs is a difficult topic, both ethically and economically. The Pipeline takes a look at a new article on the subject. Article

What if all the ice melted? Here's an interactive map showing the results of all of the Earth's ice disappearing. Article

A robot designed to always win at rock, paper, scissors. Video

A scooter is entirely impractical for me out here in the country, but the new Vespa 946 is a very sexy update to a classic design. Article

A brief look at the secret history of women as spies. Article

Stephen Brown does a video review of Montblanc's Leonardo Chalk Red ink. It looks like they've gotten the colour perfect. I'm not a huge fan of red ink, but I may need to find some of this for making shop notes… Video

Hands on with the A.Lange & Söhne perpetual calendar tourbillon. Article

I wouldn't want to have a run in with a polar bear under any circumstances. This story is incredible. Article

A stash of paintings stolen by the Nazis, thought to have been lost, has been recovered. Worth an estimated $1.4 billion. Article

A major exhibit on the Viking era is coming to the British Museum in 2014. Article

This past week the Uk celebrated Guy Fawkes day. Here's an article on how the modern day use of the word guy came from the traitor. Article

The US patent system is a total mess, but has gone too far. Article

Unbelievable violation of a man's rights by police and doctors. Article

There have been plenty of revelations on how the NSA has been spying on Internet traffic recently. A few network engineers at Google decided to fuck with their ability to easily gather information. Article

Everyone wants to write the story about some age old technology being replaced by the latest gadget. NPR has a story on the death of the pen. Writing has been around for thousands of years. I don't see it going away completely any time soon. Article

Disney has been kind enough to set the release date of episode VII of Star Wars a few days before my 40th birthday. Article

The whole Rob Ford fiasco in Toronto has highlighted the need for system reform. There is no mechanism to replace a mayor who is being destructive. Article

Speaking of political nightmares, Quebec is on the road to disaster with its latest attempts to subvert any culture other than the Québécois culture. Fortunately this will get squashed by the Supreme Court quickly as being unconstitutional. Article

Holy Shit, A brief history of swearing. Article

A quick history of the Nobel prize. Video

Game theory being applied to traffic patterns to improve gridlock. Article

Previous links posts.

Links for November 3rd, 2013

Links for the week ending on Nov 3rd, 2013

I've seen plenty of greatest invention lists over the years, but this is one of the better ones. Instead of just presenting a list without context, the Atlantic has written to explain who they contacted for opinions, and explained the rationale behind the choices. As with any list I disagree with some of the choices, and am surprised by how good a few others are (I hadn't considered corrective lenses to be as important as they are). There are two missing, and one misplaced items as far as mY top 50 list is concerned. The transistor (which they refer to as semi-conductor electronics) should be number 2 on the list. Every human advancement after the 1940's relies on transistors in some way. The first glaring omission from the list is double entry accounting. Invented in the 15thC by Luca Pocioli, double entry accounting is now relied upon by every corporation and country to provide accurate records of business and the economy. The second omission is the Harrison Marine Chronometer. In the 18thC, John Harrison competed for the Longtitude prize. The goal was to create an accurate time piece to allow ships to accurately navigate using longtitude. Prior to the Harrison Chronometer, ships would have a difficult time accurately navigating when not in sight of land. The result was massive loss of life and cargo in the many ship wrecks which occurred. The use of highly accurate time keeping is still relied upon today for navigation, and is the basis for the Global Postioning System. And just to be a bit of a pedant, Gutenburg didn't invent the printing press in the 15thC (the Chinese did that centuries earlier). He invented the moveable type printing press. The moveable type part is the real key to why the discovery was revolutionary. Article

We've known why a kettle whistles when water boils, but only recently have scientists discovered the how. Article

Perseus with the head of Medusa is one of my favourite sculptures from one of my favourite Rennaissance artists, Benvenuto Cellini. It is currently undergoing a restoration in Florence. Article

I'm a big fan of the work and commentary of Banksy. He spent the month of October in NYC trying to improve the culture in the city. Of course not everyone appreciated his efforts. In Focus put together a photo essay of his project. Article

John Gruber's review of the new iPad Air. I'm going to try the new iPad Mini this time around, but the Air looks very appealing. Apple hasn't made the decision between devices easy this time. Article

Improved keyboard Article

I've been experimenting recently with bread making. I've been using the excellent Tartine bread book as my guide. Of course this has led me wanting a wood fired oven as well. From the Wood Fired Oven looks like a worthwhile read once I get the oven built. Article

One of my eventual goals is to build a watch from scratch. Here is a look at what's required to make a hairspring for a wrist watch. Article

I love the work Amanda and Younes are doing over at Doublespace Photography. Here are some of the photos they took of Kings Cross Station. Article

It seems counterintuitive that hot water freezes faster than cold, but researchers in Singapore may have discovered why this happens. Article

The New Yorker provides an entertaining look at the invention of the calendar. Article

And then Steve said, "let there be an iPhone". Article

An amusing physics joke thanks to my friend Treena. Tweet

The first part of Steph Willem's look at the state of power in Ontario. Article

The best hangers for hanging paintings. Article

The FAA are officially allowing electronics to be used during all stages of a flight.Article

The impressive tale of setting the new Cannonball Run record. Article

My friends at The Federal have launched a new Kickstarter campaign: The Peg.

Your chicken can now safely cross the road thanks to these hi-vis jackets. Article

As many of you know, I'm a fan of abolishing the ridiculous practice of daylight savings time. Here's an excellent alternative. Article

Previous links posts.

Links for the week ending Oct 27, 2013

Links for the week ending Oct 27, 2013

John Siracusa has been writing the definitive review of each new version of OS X for over a decade. Apple released 10.9 Mavericks on Tuesday, and John doesn't disappoint with his latest review. Article     

The US has been caught spying on their own citizens, and most recently a number of their allies as well. I wonder how long before they start being sanctioned by the international community for this crap. Article 

I'm a big fan of the CGP Grey. He makes highly informative and amusing videos. His latest asks the seemingly simple question, how many countries are there? Video 

I didn't realize there are towns that go without sunlight for so long each year. Several have built mirrors to help combat the lack of winter daylight. Article 

If you have ever wanted your own microscope, here is a good video on how to setup a stand for your iPhone to turn it into a microscope. Video 

Hand lettering of any kind is a difficult skill to master. This video makes it look easy. Video 

Xkcd is a comic which will make regular appearances on these lists. You should just go and subscribe to it. Human population vs Lego mini fig population. Article 

An atelier focused on ultra complications. Article 

During Apple's keynote last week, they showed off one of their slick product videos showcasing how they make the new Mac Pro. This article does a good job of telling you what processes you're seeing throughout the video. Video  & Article 

We've reached the end of anti-biotics. Article 

I love good food, but I don't always want to spend the time making it. Often I just want some fuel for my brain and body so I can go back to making things. Soylent is developing a food substitute which could be used for a balanced meal. I doubt it'll ever replace my desire to make great bread, or BBQ meat, but it might just be the thing to grab in the middle of a busy day. Article 

Table for two is an interesting design for a multi-use table. It can be converted from dinning room table for 6, to a work station for two. Article 

After Apple's event this past week, I'm now trying to decide between a new iPad mini or an iPad air. I use my iPad 2 as my primary computer, and effectively run my business from it. It is in need of an upgrade, and Apple hasn't made the choice an easy one this time. Here are John Gruber's thoughts on the Apple event this past week. Article 

Galileo and the impact of the telescope on modern astronomy. Article 

This past week was the second anniversary of George Daniels passing away. He was a remarkable man, and brilliant horologist. Video 

Roger Smith worked hard to become George Daniels' apprentice. Daniels left his workshop to Smith, and he discusses what it's been like moving the tools to his studio. Article 

An amusing look at what happens when an adult woman wears Axe body spray for a week. Article 

The current US patent system does a great job of protecting certain profitable corporations, but does a horrible job of promoting innovation. Patent trolls are a danger to anyone trying to make new things in the world. This new bill may help to limit the damage they can cause. Article 

Speaking of stifling innovation, the current extension to copyright is due in a few years. Sadly, the US has pushed to extend copyright in the past, well beyond the life of the original creator. Since copyright was originally intended to protect the creator, and give them incentive to create more work, I'm not sure how these extensions will help with that goal. I'm one of the many artists who benefits from the work of past artists who's work is now in the public domain. Article 

Along with CGP Grey, I'm a big fan of the videos Henry Reich puts out on the Minute Physics youtube channel. His latest video covers a few simple ways to time travel. Video 

Writers and photographers are often being asked to provide work to businesses for free. I get to avoid most of that because I make tangible things, but I regularly get charities asking for donations of art to help their auction. Article 

Friday was the 598th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt. It was held on St Crispins day in 1415. Shakespeare wrote about it in Henry V, and provided us with one of the greatest speaches in English literature. Article 

Previous link posts