How to make a powered speaker for your MP3 player Devilish vintage books Santa sacked Amazingly thin iMacs "attractive but compromised" Man to cops: prostitute owes me 10 minutes Tax hike proposed for witch doctors Meet the new Nintendo DRM, same as the old Nintendo DRM (but stupider) Low-res shoot-em-up Ice Beak is a cool blast of fun What are cool and inexpensive home science experiments I can do to blow my child's mind? Kid manifesto Little Digits finger counting kids app Finest mechanical bird song of 1890 John McAfee looking completely like a 1980s villain now Citigroup leads finance world in bullshit-generating capacity RIP Oscar Niemeyer (104) Organized crime, bureaucratized Report on making your own cleaning products Richard Clarkson's Cloud lamp: thunder, lightning, Arduino WWII bomber jacket art The Orchestra: iPad app combines Philharmonia Orchestra music, video, with vividly interactive instrument guide Epic Fun Day at the Beach Drone crash on college campus in San Diego is art-hoax Free, partial Tardis pinata Gay Washington state clerk who signed marriage licenses for 15 years is finally able to get one himself Pizza Hut perfume WSJ: Washington Post will launch a paywall in 2013, and raise newsstand paper price Stupid sorority insults Mexicans Lactose intolerance intolerance: Gentleman attacks McDonald's worker over unwanted cheese on burger Headless photographs of the 19th century Gag gifts for geeks How to make a powered speaker for your MP3 player
By Mark Frauenfelder on Dec 07, 2012 12:48 pm Make the Monobox, a nice speaker with a built-in powered amp.
Read in browser Devilish vintage books
By David Pescovitz on Dec 07, 2012 12:45 pm Invisible Brooklyn, sellers of fine curiosities and devilish artifacts, just posted two terrific tomes from the early 1900s to Instagram. I think both would best be enjoyed accompanied by a puff on the antique skull pipe, while wearing a smoking jacket. Red, of course.
Read in browser Santa sacked
By Rob Beschizza on Dec 07, 2012 12:38 pm Maine Mall's Santa was sacked earlier this week following parental complaints of rudeness and "dirty looks." [WGME]
Read in browser Amazingly thin iMacs "attractive but compromised"
By Rob Beschizza on Dec 07, 2012 12:30 pm Andrew Cunningham at Ars Technica reports that the new iMacs are premium high-end kit, but lose important upgradeability options and have poor hard-drive performance. Photo: Andrew Cunningham / Ars Technica Here's our biggest problem with the new iMac: making a laptop thinner and lighter is immediately noticeable. ... In a desktop computer, though, the pursuit ...
Read in browser Man to cops: prostitute owes me 10 minutes
By Rob Beschizza on Dec 07, 2012 12:08 pm A man from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, reported a lady of the night to police for "shorting him 10 minutes," writes Elizabeth Dinan of the Sea Coast Online. They charged him with engaging a prostitute.
Read in browser Tax hike proposed for witch doctors
By Rob Beschizza on Dec 07, 2012 12:02 pm "A Swazi Member of Parliament has urged the government to hike taxes on traditional healers and soothsayers to help solve a funding crisis in Africa's last absolute monarchy." [Reuters]
Read in browser Meet the new Nintendo DRM, same as the old Nintendo DRM (but stupider)
By Cory Doctorow on Dec 07, 2012 12:00 pm Remember how Nintendo's shitty, broken DRM marred the launch of the Wii? They have learned precisely nothing, apparently. The new Wii U has even dumber DRM: As Nintendo's Wii U FAQ makes clear, "a Nintendo Network Account can only be used on the console where it was created." Thus, any games tied to that unique ...
Read in browser Low-res shoot-em-up Ice Beak is a cool blast of fun
By Rob Beschizza on Dec 07, 2012 11:53 am Nitrome's Icebeak is a Cybernoid-style side-scrolling shooter with an interesting "freeze stuff" theme, loads of color and few pixels. It's not very difficult, either—great for the young ones. [via Indie Games]
Read in browser What are cool and inexpensive home science experiments I can do to blow my child's mind?
By Mark Frauenfelder on Dec 07, 2012 11:00 am What are cool and inexpensive home science experiments I can do to blow my kid's mind?
Read in browser Kid manifesto
By Cory Doctorow on Dec 07, 2012 10:02 am Not a bad childrearing philosophy, if you ask me. Source unknown) (Thanks, @DrinkyMcEyeball)
Read in browser Little Digits finger counting kids app
By Mark Frauenfelder on Dec 07, 2012 10:00 am Using the iPad multi-touch screen, Little Digits displays number characters by detecting how many fingers you put down.
Read in browser Finest mechanical bird song of 1890
By Dean Putney on Dec 07, 2012 09:39 am Antique mechanical contraption which realistically mimics bird song
Read in browser John McAfee looking completely like a 1980s villain now
By Rob Beschizza on Dec 07, 2012 01:51 am Anyone else think that crazy former antivirus mogul John McAfee--returned to his cell today following "heart attacks"--has begun to resemble legendary Polish-British actor Vladek Sheybal? Sheybal is seen here in 1980's best musical, The Apple.
Read in browser Citigroup leads finance world in bullshit-generating capacity
By Cory Doctorow on Dec 06, 2012 10:43 pm The Atlantic's Derek Thompson has located a truly world-beating piece of obfuscated corporate bullshit, courtesy of Citi, who took 86 words to convey a simple fact: "Citigroup today announced [lay offs]. These actions will [save money]." Citigroup today announced a series of repositioning actions that will further reduce expenses and improve efficiency across the company ...
Read in browser RIP Oscar Niemeyer (104)
By Mark Frauenfelder on Dec 06, 2012 09:12 pm Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, who designed some of the 20th Century's most famous modernist buildings, has died just before his 105th birthday.
Read in browser Organized crime, bureaucratized
By Cory Doctorow on Dec 06, 2012 08:39 pm Brazilian organized crime investigators intercepted several interminable conference calls made by crime gangs, some of whose members were in prison, but were able to participate thanks to smuggled cellular phones. You'd think that being a crook would mean freedom from crushing bureaucracy, but you'd be wrong. A Federal Police recording recently heard by Folha de ...
Read in browser Report on making your own cleaning products
By Mark Frauenfelder on Dec 06, 2012 08:07 pm If you've ever considered making your own household cleaning products, you've probably asked yourself the following questions: Does it save money? Does it take a lot of time? Do they work as well as commercially made products? Gerri Detweiler of credit.com wanted the answers so she tried making her own laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, and ...
Read in browser Richard Clarkson's Cloud lamp: thunder, lightning, Arduino
By Mark Frauenfelder on Dec 06, 2012 07:45 pm Allan Chochinov of the new MFA Products of Design, alerted me to the work of one of his students, Richard Clarkson. It's called The Cloud. The project is an Arduino-controlled "cloud" that mimics thunder and lighting, and doubles as a dynamic audio visualizer. I think the work is both poetic and remarkable, and can be ...
Read in browser WWII bomber jacket art
By Mark Frauenfelder on Dec 06, 2012 07:25 pm Ben Marks of Collector's Weekly says, "We have published an article on World War II bomber-jacket art. One of the people we spoke to was John Conway, who co-authored a book on the topic [American Flight Jackets] and explains why these unofficial uniform tweaks were permitted, as well as where the imagery on A-2 bomber ...
Read in browser The Orchestra: iPad app combines Philharmonia Orchestra music, video, with vividly interactive instrument guide
By Xeni Jardin on Dec 06, 2012 06:21 pm The company that brought you "The Elements" has launched "
The Orchestra," an iPad app that explores classical music.
Read in browser Epic Fun Day at the Beach
By Advertiser on Dec 06, 2012 06:20 pm ADVERTISEMENT This post is brought to you by The New Santa Fe from Hyundai. Our sponsor Hyundai asked my family and me to take a new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe on an "Epic Fun Day." What that meant was entirely up to us. The first step was coming up with where we wanted to drive! ...
Read in browser Drone crash on college campus in San Diego is art-hoax
By Xeni Jardin on Dec 06, 2012 05:43 pm Things you don't read every day in a college news publication: "We understand that the recent drone crash incident has caused alarm amongst students and staff surrounding the research and use of drones on the UCSD campus and surrounding areas, and very much wanted to take this opportunity to educate the public about drone technologies and local ...
Read in browser Free, partial Tardis pinata
By Cory Doctorow on Dec 06, 2012 05:35 pm Free on Craigslist DC: a partially completed (and rather well-done) Tardis pinata. FREE: homemade TARDIS pull-string pinata. My 6 year-old daughter wanted a Dr. Who birthday and as nobody in the US sells Dr. Who pinatas I made this one. Unfortunately I ran out of time so the door panels and windows are only on ...
Read in browser Gay Washington state clerk who signed marriage licenses for 15 years is finally able to get one himself
By Xeni Jardin on Dec 06, 2012 05:21 pm For 15 years, Vancouver, WA resident Paul Harris issued marriage licences, but was denied the right to marry his partner of four decades. Today, he "finally got to sit on the other side of the counter as Washington issued its first marriage licences to gay couples after the move was approved by a popular referendum ...
Read in browser Pizza Hut perfume
By David Pescovitz on Dec 06, 2012 05:14 pm Pizza Hut Canada produced a limited-edition perfume. Apparently, Eau de Pizza Hut has ""top notes of freshly baked, hand-tossed dough." I guess it beats smelling like pepperoni or anchovies. (TODAY, via NextDraft)
Read in browser WSJ: Washington Post will launch a paywall in 2013, and raise newsstand paper price
By Xeni Jardin on Dec 06, 2012 05:05 pm The Washington Post is one of the last great old print newspapers to not charge readers for online access, but not for long. The Wall Street Journal today reports that "while details are being finished, people familiar with the matter said that a metered paywall—meaning a website that allows casual readers to read a certain ...
Read in browser Stupid sorority insults Mexicans
By David Pescovitz on Dec 06, 2012 05:03 pm Members of the Chi Omega sorority at Penn State posed for this photo during a "Mexican-themed" party. Chi Omega's president apologized and the university is "taking the matter very seriously." (CNN)
Read in browser Lactose intolerance intolerance: Gentleman attacks McDonald's worker over unwanted cheese on burger
By Xeni Jardin on Dec 06, 2012 05:00 pm The Smoking Gun has details on the case of a Pennsylvania gentleman who was so angry his hamburger had a piece of unwanted cheese on it, he allegedly assaulted a female McDonald's employee. After knocking over a trash can and throwing a high chair, the patron attacked her and attempted to destroy her cellphone, according ...
Read in browser Headless photographs of the 19th century
By David Pescovitz on Dec 06, 2012 04:47 pm I was delighted by this collection of 19th century "headless photographs." These Victorian illusory photographs likely inspired the "Head Photographer" self-portrait made by my late brother Mark in 1973. (Thanks, Randall!)
Read in browser Gag gifts for geeks
By Mark Frauenfelder on Dec 06, 2012 04:46 pm Holiday yuks from The Joy of Tech. Gag Gifts for Geeks (Via Laughing Squid)
Read in browser Meet SparkTruck, an “educational build-mobile” for the twenty-first century.
Dreamed up by a group of Stanford d.school students and funded through Kickstarter, SparkTruck is a mobile maker space currently traveling across the United States. At schools and summer camps and libraries around the country, the SparkTruck team offers workshops to help kids “find their inner maker” as they design and build projects like stamps, stop-motion animation clips, and “vibrobots.”
[video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmRKXqDwieY&feature=plcp]
This might seem all shiny and new. And it is—but only in part. What’s so striking (and exciting) about SparkTruck is the way it combines old and new. It does so in the tools it gets kids using, which range from pipe cleaners to laser cutters. It does so in its educational approach, which combines cutting-edge (get it?) STEM and design pedagogy with the fundamentals of an old-school shop class. And it does so in its method, which combines the iconic, century-old technology of the bookmobile with the hot new form of the maker space.
In doing so, SparkTruck joins a growing number of libraries which are combining time-tested principles (like equal access to information) with new technologies (like 3-D printers), putting in maker spaces and media production labs alongside bookshelves and meeting rooms. As I’ve argued over on bookmobility.org, these combinations make sense because reading and making actually have a lot in common. They’re both creative processes that take existing materials and combine them in new ways. Getting people engaged in those kinds of processes—through imaginative thinking, contemplation, hands-on problem-solving, and collaborative learning—is what both maker spaces and libraries are all about.
Taking that commitment on the road with scissors and hammers and 3-D printers and a great big bookmobile-like truck, SparkTruck serves as a laboratory for new approaches, as well as a reminder that trying new things doesn’t have to (and probably shouldn’t!) necessarily mean tossing old ones out.
After all, what would those vibrobots be without classically crafty pipe cleaners and tongue depressors? And what would a library be without the creative, participatory, straight-up awesome experience of reading?
SparkTruck schedule [sparktruck.org]
How to arrange a visit from SparkTruck [sparktruck.org]
SparkTruck YouTube channel [youtube.com]
Signature: --Derek Attig, bookmobility.org
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