There are a lot of reviews of individual pieces of software that make up the suite of apps that someone needs to run a business, but rarely do you get to see a real-world example of a complete “solution”, especially with open source tools. Check out the great post on the Makezine blog about how Adafruit Industries runs things.
This is a cool table design. Essentially a big block of Legos topped with tempered glass. I’ll see what I can find a garage sales this summer to see what I can find and maybe try a smaller version of this.
http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Lego-Boardroom-Table/425324
I have always been annoyed that most inexpensive USB hubs are so light that they slide around on your desk at the slightest snag of a cable. This hub looks pretty cool. It has a magnetic plate on the back that will let you stick to the side of a desk, filing cabinet, etc.
No, not me silly. However it’s pretty clear that Penelope Trunk does. It’s over a year since she made this blog post, and its *still* getting comments. Some are almost spam, but the fact that there are still legit comments on her rant about how much she despises Tim Ferris is either (1) a brilliant way to get continued traffic to her blog or (2) the complaints of a whiner. Lesson learned: if you want traffic and don’t mind the possibility of a slander suit, make pointed nastygram comments about a popular figure, and you will get traffic. Perhaps she used to work for a tabloid or something; seems to work for them.
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/cubestormer.html
Something for my lego-enthusiast son Ryan. Very cool.
Thanks to a visit to my friend Curt, I was able to get a hands-on look at the Amazon Kindle. I have an iPhone, with a lot of ebooks on it. This comes in handy when traveling as I only need to take one device with me that does it all: email, phone, apps, ebooks, etc. So when I saw the Knidle (and more recently the unusually large iPod Touch — I mean iPad) I thought, big deal.. I already have an ebook reader. However, I really wanted an up-close look at the eInk screen.
I had heard some downsides to the display, as there was no scrolling for text as you read, and there was a distinct flicker as you switched from page to page. However, after seeing this up close, it’s hard to deny the crispness and contrast of the display. This is very much like a printed page. You will need an external light source if you want to do night reading, but the new Kindle(s) do have a nice text-2-voice capability that allows the device to read the text to you.
The original Kindle form factor turned me off, and I passed on looking into it more. However the new device is think, quite lightweight, and because it really only stores text and B/W images, can store an amazing amount of content in a small memory footprint. The new DX is a bit too big for my liking, but does seem to have more screen real estate relative to the device size.
The cons seem to be the device screen; this is not a milspec hardened device. There have been reports of screen issues, but according to my friend Amazon replaces them quickly. However this is something that you’ll want to get a case for. Overall though, I think I might get one… but I still like the feel of a paper book.
Hacking is no longer just an ’80s term for breaking into computer systems. In this new age of DIY, “hacking” is more about customizing and/or re-purposing something. This is a very cool material for just this. I definitely need to get some. With my household, I could use it more for repairs (toys, electrical, etc) than anything else.
The Price of my Dreams – $60 a Week
Ok, so since my health scare this summer I’ve been reading up on getting healthy.. yes that raises all the red flags of “analysis paralysis”, but since I was not cleared to actually get out there any tart running marathons I was just doing what I could do. One component of my plan is eating better.
There are there three main areas that are impacting my health: poor diet, poor exercise, and stress. I read the article above by Sid Savara and it set off a little lightbulb in my head (dimly, but there). I’ve been pricing out local gyms so I can run in the winter months, so the idea of budgeting for someone to cook ready-made healthy meals sounded kinda good. Kristin is trying to get back in to Nutrisystem, but I think I’d like to look at having someone cook real meals rather than eating the fish-oil laden pre-packed stuff. I’m sure it works, as I have several friends how have had success with it, but I’m not a big fan of most frozen/vacupacked meals.
I *could* do this myself, and have planned/cooked/toted meals in the past when I was on the BodyForLife program. However, with 2 kids now and busier job now I’m not sure I’ll have the time to do it right. If I have to for cost reasons I will, but if I can have someone help with even 2 days worth of meals a week, that would be very cool and worth every penny.
So, we’ll see how far this idea flys. If anyone has any experience or thoughts on this, let me know via comments.
In short, the swine flu sucks. 103 degree fever, body aches that drive you crazy, coughing, runny nose, etc. This is especially problematic when the entire family gets it at the same time. We also discovered that giving Tamaflu to an 11 year old with a high fever causes hallucinations. Chasing an 11 year old up and down the hallway at 3am, while you yourself feel like the walking dead, makes you wonder if you’re being filmed for someones comedy show.
My propensity for nerd-dom comes thru here. When I go, this is the sort of thing I’d like. Not the normal solemn urn or box, but something cool that shows something about me.
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/sparc_urn_-_yes_hes_really_in_there.html
