I bought a screen protector for the LCD display on the back of my Nikon D40, and I just have to share the wonderful text on the back of the package, which reads: I’ve already expressed my incredulity at this sort of stuff; this one is just for your reading enjoyment. Incidentally, the product itself … Read more
I was visiting a hospital, and passed by a seminar room where my eye caught the items in the photo, sitting on a custom stand in the corner. Remember these? Used to be, they were so ubiquitous that they were instantly recognizable: an overhead foil projector and a circular magazine slide projector. These days, no … Read more
The day I left New York to fly back to Israel I bought, on an impulse, a CardScan business card scanner at Best Buy. I’d received all these cards from colleagues at the IORG conference, and the thought of typing all the details into my computer was depressing… Anyway, I got home, installed the software, … Read more
Another thing worth knowing is how to test a tool before you buy it. Different tools have very different methods… for example, I was saved from losing a lot of money because I knew how to test a Curta mechanical calculator before buying it (basically you start with all zeros, subtract a 1, then add … Read more
Quite off topic, but how exciting! After months of preparation, the group I co-founded is now alive and kicking! The Information Overload Research Group (IORG) is a non-profit association of researchers interested in solving theglobal problem of Information Overload. It prides itself on bringing together key people from industry, academia, consultancies and software vendors who … 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
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
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
