<--Previous Month | Next Month -->


This page is closed,
for new content... go to my blog home page and click "Current Blogging"


Thu 2/28/13 8:50pm # | tweet this



I saw the above Grant Morrison quote in an article a couple days ago and the concept has really been on my mind.

I haven't read Batman Incorporated #17 yet though.

I want to hear your



Sun 2/24/13 9:56pm # | tweet this

Let's Go Surfing


Birdfont: Design Your Own Font
source: MakeUseOf.com




Office Depot and OfficeMax to Merge
source: Neatorama

It seems that big box retail is now a Highlander Game. There can be only one.


I want to hear your











Mon 2/18/13 12:35pm # | tweet this

Present State

Random Non-Sequiters

Do we no longer care about the future?

Plenty of people care about the future I suppose. I imagine the more future you have ahead of you the more potential interest in it you might have? At least past the point of youth whereby you begin to imagine a future past a present, and before a certain age whereby you focus less on the future which seems less than time past or present?

Do we care what gadgets are coming out next year? Or do we mostly care about what gadgets are freshly out now, or coming out next month?

Do we care about how are jobs will be in a year, or do we care about how our jobs are right now compared to available alternatives?

Past oriented, Present oriented, Future oriented. Most of social media focuses on what just happened, what is happening, or what will happen momentarily. News blogs almost exclusively self link, or link to other blogs that have just been posted. The word "News" itself has abit of a bias too. News wasn't fast enough, so Breaking News took over. Breaking news wasn't fast enough, so "developing news" replaces it. Developing News, News so fresh, you're right in the middle of it, it's happening/developing now.

Big things, attract big attention. Small things kept small attract little attention. In an attention economy, attention is valuable. In a fast economy, staying small and under the radar and implementing with surprise is valuable too. What is between the two?

A land of laws, or a land of men. Laws are slow and predictable. Men can be fast yet erratic. Which way to go. Go? A future oriented word? A word that implies one should be somewhere one isn't. One does not "go" and stay in place. One goes "elsewhere."

Want. A future oriented word? Be. A present oriented word? Is. A present oriented word? Developing/Breaking? Is? News? Future? Focus on the future, but a very close future? A very present future? A very obtainable future? A fleeting future?

The butterfly effect, a chain of unknowable, yet related consequences that compound over time? Shrink the timeframe and increase the certainty? Noone knows what tomorrow may bring, but how knowable is the next hour? How do you leverage the certainty of the hour without falling victim to the months from now hurricane sparked from the butterfy's flutter?

Is concern for such a thing hopeless future bias itself? Of what value is concern for the present - Anxiety? Concern for the future - Worry and planning?

What is possible? Present oriented? or Future oriented? Depends perhaps on "conditions". No conditions, present oriented. Conditions? Butterfly effects.

I want to hear your



Sun 2/17/13 8:59pm # | tweet this

Played around incredibly briefly with the tablet monitor and Manga Studio. I bought Manga Studio 4.0 about a year ago during a crazy cheap Amazon Sale. I installed it back then but never really did much with it. I can see already that it's going to be a really good app for the tablet monitor.

I want to hear your



Sun 2/17/13 7:56pm # | tweet this

Let's Go Surfing



The Harry Potter books are finally getting decent covers
source: io9

The original seems more concise and better to me.

Did Dan DiDio Apologise To DC Comics Creators?
source: Bleeding Cool

...but does he plan to apologize to DC comics readers? ;)

Google Glass hackathon in pictures: geeks get coding on headgear of the future
source: Engadget

Is this what an office meeting is going to look like in the near future?


Comcast to acquire GE's stake in NBCUniversal, assume full ownership of company
source: The Verge - All Posts

This is such a bad idea. Pipes and content should be separate.

W3C to explore a proposal bringing DRM hooks to HTML
source: Engadget

This seems like a bad idea.

A Con Comes to Grand Rapids
source: THE BEAT

October 12 in Wyoming

I want to hear your



Sun 2/17/13 3:49pm # | tweet this

Let's Go Surfing


The Doctor Who 50th anniversary will be in 3D and movie theaters, too
source: io9

Really, a Doctor Who episode should be in 4D.

Upcoming Pandora Action Figure
source: Super Punch


Supergirl costume design
source: dean trippe | moonbase a

This is better than what DC has currently.

Skanect Updated to Version 1.1
source: Fabbaloo Blog

Haven't tried yet, but this is neat.

The joy, wonder, and weirdness of Toy Fair 2013
source: The Verge - All Posts

Nice photo essay post.

Satechi releases $40 mini router that fits in a purse, works as a repeater
source: Engadget

Looks like a very useful device.


Autodesk 123D Creatures lets you create monsters on your iPad
source: Engadget

This is an amazing iPad App. Great interface and it exports OBJ that you can open in Sculptris too.

Raspbmc final version released
source: Raspberry Pi

Cool.

Stan Lee hilariously fixes movie endings by adding more Stan Lee
source: Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources - Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment



Reviews for a Predator Drone toy
source: Boing Boing

That is funny.

I want to hear your





Sat 2/16/13 4:16pm # | tweet this


Captain America

I just got this no-brand tablet monitor, essentially a poor-man's Cintique. It's pretty cool so far. There will probably be more scribbles than usual on my blog for awhile, at least while the shiny of it is still present.

I want to hear your







Mon 2/11/13 12:15pm # | tweet this

Let's Go Surfing


Marvel Legends wave3
source: Action Figure Insider - Best Toy News on the Web!


Wolverine lines
source: Action Figure Insider - Best Toy News on the Web!


Time-Travel Through "Back to the Future" in 60 Seconds
source: Mashable!

Funny. Audio is NSFW though.


Hasbro Showroom Hightlights Star Wars Black
source: Action Figure Insider - Best Toy News on the Web!



Surfer Batman action figure
source: Super Punch

Brilliant.

Mattel Toy Fair MOTUC Castle Grayskull Revealed!
source: Action Figure Insider - Best Toy News on the Web!


More toys
source: Super Punch

Mousers!

Milk Crate Credenza
source: Instructables: exploring - featured




Woven Heart Card
source: swissmiss

I want to hear your



Sun 2/10/13 12:48pm # | tweet this

Let's Go Surfing


Scarcity and abundance in the digital age
source: Seth\'s Blog

Lot's of talk about a "connection economy". If we have a connection economy, if it's truly about who you know or who knows you, then are we a nation of law or a nation of men?

Xbox 720 Could Require Always-On Connection, Lock Out Used Games
source: Slashdot

My two cents. They'll probably end up with a an itunes card like activation number in each box. That activation number will only be good for the original user, thereby making the rest of the box fairly worthless. Like movies, they'll slowly step down the cost of a game, with the games reaching a certain pricepoint whereby they are only available for download. The box and disc are already irrelevant and anachronistic remnants of a pre-internet age.

The Submarine Camcorder
source: Likecool

Cool, but limited in practicality.

Wookie Monster
source: Neatorama


3D Modeling? Where Do I Start?
source: Fabbaloo Blog


Facebook Breaks Major Websites With Redirection Bug
source: Slashdot

Neat trick that Facebook can do.

Level Up Your Geek Credentials With Any of These 5 Programming Projects
source: MakeUseOf.com

The Unity Game engine stuff and video is really interesting.



Amazon Has a Patent to Sell Used Ebooks
source: Gizmodo

Explain to me how one can have "used bits and bytes" and then maybe I'd be able to understand the concept of a used ebook.


The Impending Social Consequences of Augmented Reality
source: Mashable!

I don't see too many social consequences, since I don't see these really taking off outside the home. While I think these will be very useful at home. I do not see people consenting to constant recording in office or public spaces. There are even laws on the books that would likely need to be addressed for these to be effectively used as well.

All that said, I want one as soon as it's available, I'm just not sure I really want to live in a world where *everyone* has one of these turned on at all times.



Google Chairman to Sell $2.5 Billion in Stock
source: Mashable!

Sometimes this guy freaks me out, just a little.

And here's the 60's Batman and Batmobile
source: Super Punch

6" figure scale Batmobile. Very cool.



I want to hear your



Sat 2/09/13 7:58pm # | tweet this

Let's Go Surfing



Rise Alarm Clock
source: swissmiss

Nice. Clean.


The Standalone Star Wars Movies: Young Han Solo and Boba Fett?
source: io9

I've got a bad feeling about this.

Display Your Desk Clutter: Homework by Tomas Kral
source: Unplggd

Interesting desk.

Minimal Floating Desk
source: swissmiss

I want to hear your



Sat 2/09/13 3:03pm # | tweet this

Let's Go Surfing


capture on Krop Circle
source: lovely ui



Would You Buy Ebooks on a Pay-As-You-Read Basis?
source: Gizmodo

This is the part of digital technology that I'm not a fan of, all the surveillance stuff. By putting forth a "pay-as-you-read" model, not only is the digital seller keeping a record of the book you bought, but they are also watching over your shoulder and counting how fast you read it. Unneeded complexity.


Watch Paolo Rivera draw a Daredevil cover in 11 minutes
source: Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources - Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment

Cool video and the artist's blog is very interesting too.

Green Lantern Animated Series Characters
source: Giancarlo Volpe

A much more handsome take on Razer than the more alien sculpt I did. I may need to rethink my approach.

Cement Skulls!!!
source: Instructables: exploring - featured

Interesting. Guy takes a 3 model of a skull, then makes a reverse mold out of it. Tests a small mold with a 3D printer, but produces the larger molds out of wood with a shopbot. Final product... Cement Skulls. Not sure skulls are a fantastic final product, but the idea of carving out a mold and then making cement finals of something is interesting.



Dominate
source: The New Inquiry

From: The Boy Kings, Katherine Losse’s account of what it was like to work at Facebook from 2005 to 2010.
For all their rabid data consumption, there was a lot the engineers didn’t know. That was partly why Mark made Facebook, and why the boys of the valley were so busy turning our lives into data, as if by doing so, their algorithms could tell them something that their eyes and hearts couldn’t. As Thrax [one of Facebook's engineers] announced triumphantly at his desk one day, “I just wrote an algorithm to tell me who I am closest to!” He went on to show a set of scores that, according to his algorithm’s calculations, revealed how close he was to all his Facebook friends.

Dyson Airblade Tap puts 420mph hand-drying technology right inside the faucet
source: The Verge - All Posts

Cool idea. We have some of the Dyson wall mounted dryers at work, but this looks like an even better idea.


Fwoosh Feature Bandai D-Arts Megaman
source: thefwoosh.com

Neat Megaman figure.

Geek Kids : Make Your Own Superhero Kit
source: ThinkGeek :: What\'s New

Interesting.


Filedrop: drop files to the device next to you
source:

Neat looking software. Doesn't seem to be asynchronous though. Seems better suited to meet-ups than home network use.

The Ouya Console Will Be Available at Best Buy For $100 in June
source: Gizmodo

Very interested in how this plays out.


Obama's new Department of Defense: fewer troops, more drones
source: The Verge - All Posts

War as videogame. At least for one side.

A Studio With Bold Personality CA Home Design
source: Unplggd

Very cool pallet table.

Introduction to STOIC
source:

Facinating. Converts a simple Spreadsheet into an App/Database/Form explorer.


Taking breaks from Facebook? New study shows you're not alone
source: The Verge - All Posts

While I think there will be those that seek an audience and post non-stop, my feeling at the moment is that for most people Facebook is becoming the family newsletter that used to be sent out at Christmas, but now is slowly maintained all year long. Perhaps not the lofty end all be all social hub that Zuckerberg Co. wanted it to be, but not a terrible niche to fill.

Instagram launches full image feed for desktop browsers
source: The Verge - All Posts

Interesting. http://instagram.com/[usernamehere]

Can Guide's digital news anchors replace daytime TV?
source: The Verge - All Posts

Interesting.


FPO Engagement Ring
source: swissmiss

Brilliant. They should be able to make a killing just selling these at Campus Art Supply stores across the country.


Fall of SOPA explained in 3 minute video
source: Boing Boing

Interesting video. Not sure I agree with the last sentence in it though.

I want to hear your



Mon 2/04/13 8:49pm # | tweet this

Smartphones, tablets, open source, social media, apps, streaming. It's all normalized.

No longer a seperate space.

No longer a place for early adopters.

Disruption itself has been brought into the fold.

I want to hear your



Sun 2/03/13 6:33pm # | tweet this

Let's Go Surfing




Five Fun Twists on Family Portraits
source: Apartment Therapy - Chicago



Power and the Internet
source: Schneier on Security

This is such a very good post. Read it.

Build a dining room console table (side or serving table)
source: Instructables: exploring - featured

I want to hear your



Sat 2/02/13 4:15pm # | tweet this

Let's Go Surfing


RetroShare the very best private communication suite for you, your friends and your business [Freeware]
source: The Red Ferret Journal - gadgets, cool sites, freeware and tech trivia


Effectively Planning UX Design Projects
source: Smashing Magazine Feed



Google Currents 2.0 Hits The App Store With Improved UI, Breaking News & Other Goodies [Updates]
source: MakeUseOf.com

This app is looking much better, but content still seems to be better in Flipboard.

Sons of Chemistry
source: RIPT Apparel

Ript Apparel is sortof like shirt.woot in that they have a new shirt every day. They also have the same models that they show the shirt design on each day. A little while ago they added child sized shirts, but very often the shirt designs really don't work for small children. Like this one: Would you really buy a small child a Breaking Bad t-shirt?

Ingenious Design Solutions in a Cozy 39 Square Meter Apartment
source: Furniture, Gadgets, Inspiration and More for a Better House



Image resize using php
source: Web Development Blog


Digital maven named as new CEO of Warner Bros. Entertainment
source: The Verge - All Posts

New boss, new priorities. I bet this change alone derails the Justice League of America movie.

Apple TV software update brings Bluetooth keyboard support, music from iTunes in the Cloud
source: Engadget

The bluetooth keyboard support was a great addition. It also gave me a chance to use\put-back-into-service a small bluetooth keyboard that I bought several years ago for my iPod touch (pre-iPad) that I've rarely used since getting my tablet..

Lucasfilm Kills 3D Star Wars Re-Releases After Realizing It's Horrible and Everyone Hates It
source: Gizmodo

It's interesting. When Lucasfilm was owned by Lucas, it seemed to be mortal and there was a sense that things in the Star Wars universe needed to happen within George Lucas's lifetime. Now that Star Wars is owned by Disney, it is immortal.


[NEW] JSONedit v0.9.6.1
source: The Portable Freeware Collection


Office 2013 available now: Microsoft ditches DVDs in push for cloud subscriptions
source: The Verge - All Posts

With Open Office and Google Docs, it seems to me the only real reason to have Microsoft Office is if you work with A LOT of people who also use Microsoft Office and transfer and collaborate with a lot of Microsoft Office users. If you're self contained or a small group, MSOffice seems very unnecessary it at this point.



Hand bind your own books
source: Hack a Day


Deluxe Star Wars 6" action figures
source: Super Punch

Star Wars in Marvel Legend's size!
The first wave of four, due out in early to mid-August, includes Luke Skywalker in his X-Wing Fighter flight suit, fan-favorite droid R2-D2, bad guy Darth Maul and an Imperial Sandtrooper.

Skanect by Manctl


Create 3D models using a Xbox Kinect.

Loopseque Lite Turns Creating Music Into A Fun Game Anyone Can Play [iPad]
source: MakeUseOf.com

Fun, and the lite version is free.

On with the Show in the door Puppet Theator
source: Instructables: exploring - featured

Doorway Puppet Theater

I want to hear your



Sat 2/02/13 10:23am # | tweet this



Snow

We've gotten alot of snow the last week. If we didn't have that freakish 50 degree day a short while ago where everything melted, this would be twice as high.

I'm also so glad we don't have a long driveway.

I want to hear your



Sat 2/02/13 9:26am # | tweet this

Simon Baz - Green Lantern

I caught up on the new Green Lantern, Simon Baz (hailing from Dearborn, MI) this past Thursday (Issues #0, 13,14, 15, 16). I wasn't terribly impressed with the debut issue, but the characterization got better with each subsequent issue, and it's turned in a pretty good story so far. I'm still not a big fan of the mask style, but it's a good story so far. Too bad comics are released so painfully slow though. 20 pages a month (when it takes them 6 issues or 180+ pages to tell a full arc)

I want to hear your



Sat 2/02/13 9:01am # | tweet this



My Netflix account just turned into an HBO account

I watched the first 3 of 13 hour long episodes of Netflix's original series: House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey.

What a fantastically well done series so far.

Complex characters, fantastically written and shot. Really really good stuff.

I only wish that Netflix had the Star Wars franchise instead of Disney now, because this epic release-a-whole-season-at-once story telling format is so much richer than a night at the movies.

HBO may not let you subscribe to their channel without cable, but if Netflix continues to put out original programming of this quality, people won't care much about HBO. Netflix really just raised the bar with this release. If you have a subscription, stream House of Cards, if you don't have a Netflix subscription, get one, at least for the month and watch this political drama. Fans of quality television won't be disappointed.

You can also watch the first episode free online.

I want to hear your


<--Previous Month | Next Month -->