Transportation
The scrambler is a great idea for a weekend toy. Here Touratech
creates a modern take on the theme using a BMW F800.
http://www.bikeexif.com/bmw-f800scrambler
Texting and driving is a bad idea. How can anyone think that building
traffic mashups while on the go is a good idea.
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/08/two-new-iphone-apps-go-beyond-navigation/
———————
Science
Sunspots and solar magnetic changes fascinate me. That the things that
happen on such a small (relative) scale on the sun can have such huge
effects on earth seems improbable. We may get to have out own little
ice age.
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/08/another-little-ice-age-solar-activity-and-climate-change.ars
——————-
Technology
Next time (huh?) I end up with an arm in cast I’m going to demand one
of these. I’m thinking the purple camo is nice.
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/08/24/exos-arm-brace-has‑c.html
One the eBook front. The race is on and now we all have to live
through a couple of years of competing devices and formats as well as
the attempts by various companies to wrest exclusive distributing
deals out of publishers. Ad nauseum. Here’s the latest.
Flat World Knowledge a publisher of text books just finished up a beta
test of a program that lets you read that 400 page tome for free
on-line. You can get more portable/useful versions for a price. (Still
below that of the traditional dead-tree version.) They are striving
for device independence.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/08/flat-world-schools-textbook-publishers-with-free-web-editions.ars
Two new devices:
Irex will be bringing out an e‑reader to go with the new Barnes and
Noble e‑book store.
http://mobilefactor.org/coming-irex-and-barnes-noble-to-launch-new-e-book-reader/
Sony’s newest readers launched this morning. Some include wireless and
one version has a touch screen. I’m not entirely clear on what the
Library Finder does. I’ll let you know when I know. Crunch Gear’s live
coverage of the announcements.
http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/08/25/sony-announce-the-wireless-daily-edition-ereader/
Now that we have so many choices in reading devices here’s a list of
sources for free books. Often you get what you pay for but a free copy
of Sherlock Holmes can make an O’Hare layover bearable.
http://www.rotorblog.com/2009/03/09/top-25-free-e-books-sites-the-definitive-list/
————-
Home Ec and Some Silliness.
There’s no way Future President Moss can eat enough baby goop to keep
us all in baby food jars for workshop storage. I found this example of
using those CD spindle packs for shop storage.
http://woodworkingextras.blogspot.com/2009/05/good-bye-baby-food-jars.html
Speaking of sprogs. If you’re the one in cubicle land without an
excuse to leave early on Friday for junior’s soccer game here’s a
solution.
http://www.theofficekid.com/index.html
————-
Art, Design, and Popular Culture
In Philadelphia 50 walls facing the Market Street Elevated will be
painted with love letters.
Cyanatrendland has a description of the project.
http://cyanatrendland.com/2009/08/24/a‑love-letter-for-you-street-art/
The blog featuring all of the paintings (in progress) is here.
http://www.aloveletterforyou.com/
Just as soon as they come out with the biker version of these little
desktop friends I’m getting one. Maybe more.
http://collect3d.com/news/beit-dudes/
I’m feeling generous toward my Y enhanced friends this morning.
Mort Kunstler did covers for the men’s adventure magazines in the
60’s. Wicked awesome and SFW. Though generally lurid and tacky. Yum.
http://www.americanartarchives.com/kunstler.htm
Almost SFW — depends in whether you could get away with the Stihl
gi’me calendar. George Petty’s 1947 calendar girls. Giggle-icious.
http://cyanatrendland.com/2009/08/24/george-petty-curvy-pin-up-from-1947/
And for those of us XXs. A brief article on the flapper phenomena. The
vintage photos are worth a look.
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/32657
enjoy!