nzeldes Have you had the experience, as a child, of discovering the optical properties of oiled paper? I remember it well… I was an avid reader as a kid, and when a smudge of oil from some snack would get onto my books I’d notice that the translucent oily spot that looked darker than the paper … Read more
I recently bought this box of vitamins, and noticed it had a life size outline of the pills’ actual size. This makes sense, since the box is “safety sealed for your protection”, so people can’t see what’s inside before they buy. This reminded me (wonders of associative memory!) of something rather different, yet following the … Read more
We saw how Our car had a turn indicator lamp in the side trim, where it was vulnerable to damage. Even more interesting is the turn signal on some newer cars, which is put on the most smash-worthy part of any automobile: the side rear view mirror. And not at the base of the mirror … Read more
In recent years the freeway system in Israel is applying some pretty good leading edge technology (including truly transparent wireless toll collection that is still missing in many countries I visit). One interesting system can be seen in the Ayalon highway in Tel Aviv. This road has electronic signs that give precise real time information … Read more
When we toured Scotland we visited an ancient building with a curious design feature: it had a staircase that ran in a counterclockwise spiral, opposite to the standard design. We were told that there are a number of such buildings in Scotland, all built by the same family. Apparently the Kerr family tended to have … Read more
So, if quality is critical, how do we find the best tools? One simple method is to go for the best makers; the ones the pros swear by. In my case I did that by interrogating my machine shop teacher in university, a master craftsman with decades of experience. Basically it went like this: Me: … Read more
Just got off the phone at a teleconference meeting hosted by some service in the USA. I was impressed by the logic of the automated system, which went something like this: “Welcome to the ___ teleconference system. Please enter your passcode”. <I did> “The number you entered is <bla bla bla… all 9 digits read … Read more
Of all the everyday objects you will own, Tools deserve a place of honor, since they are the ones you use to make other objects. In fact, tools are arguably what distinguished our hominid ancestors from the animals. For my part, as a maker of things for pleasure and work, tools – the workshop kind … Read more
We got this new HP LaserJet M5035 multifunction printer/copier at my workplace that is very sophisticated and capable. It has a high res touch screen that it uses to accept our commands and to tell us what’s going on. So today it had a fault and advised me to cycle its power, which I did. … Read more
The Sony Mini-stereo on my desk has excellent sound, which is the main thing I suppose; but it has some annoying misfeatures. Take this one: what do you think happens when you hit the “Open CD Tray” button? If you said “The CD tray opens”, think again. Eventually it does, but first, the display switches … Read more
