Paper Bits

May 2

“I’ve noticed today, that quite a few people were coming here after googling Eamespunk, and it got me thinking. What if this thing really took off? That a throwaway line by Bruce Sterling would usher in a whole new meme. Boing Boing and Wired would start posting galleries of people modding their computers with bent plywood, and then the purists insisting that they must be mass produced and maybe even modular for it to be called true Eamespunk. This says nothing for those that got into Eames before it went all punk, but there’s no point in being into anything unless it’s post post modern (two orders of simulacrum at least for kids these days). The mid century modernists would get all up in arms at all these newcomers driving up the price of second hand chairs.”

Nevolution: The Eamespunk Manifesto (via iamdanw)

Let’s make this happen.

(via iamdanw)

Apr 21

“The weirdest experience of the night: pushing a Portal button, the one I’ve seen in the game so many times, and having it behave as I’d expect: noises from the game, an iris door opening, and GLaDOS talking to me. Seeing something virtual become real with such fidelity is bizarre: it’s a tribute to Tom Wyatt (@fridgehead) that it worked so well.” Ridiculous Minigolf « Tom Scott (via iamdanw)

(via iamdanw)

Apr 1

FYI

EAMES: The Architect and the Painter is available on Netflix streaming.

I thought you should know that.

Feb 28

Brain Crack

Ze Frank on creativity, ideas, and letting go of the fear of your amazing thing not coming out perfectly because you’re going to suck at it your first time through.

You will. Suck at it.

And your thing won’t come out perfectly.

That’s ok.

Nov 17

What you’re looking at is actually the crystalline configuration of diamond, which is also the exact same configuration of the atoms in silicon semiconductors. In semiconductors, different atoms are pushed into the lattice, replacing silicon atoms, to alter the local average number of electrons, which in turn makes it possible to build diodes and transistors in high densities through a combination of technologies related to photography and, well, clay firing, which enables complex but inexpensive circuits like microcontrollers, which in turn enables low-cost 3D printers, which is where we get models like this one…

(via Thingiverse)

What you’re looking at is actually the crystalline configuration of diamond, which is also the exact same configuration of the atoms in silicon semiconductors. In semiconductors, different atoms are pushed into the lattice, replacing silicon atoms, to alter the local average number of electrons, which in turn makes it possible to build diodes and transistors in high densities through a combination of technologies related to photography and, well, clay firing, which enables complex but inexpensive circuits like microcontrollers, which in turn enables low-cost 3D printers, which is where we get models like this one…

(via Thingiverse)

Sep 20

Magnet Toy by DrWeidinger - Thingiverse

This magnet toy is great for exploring geometric shapes and the awesome power of MAGNETS. It is inspired by natural geometry and buckyballs, which are way too much fun. Unless you eat them. DO NOT EAT THE MAGNETS.

What to make my nephew for his 10th birthday: sorted.

Sep 8

The Notepad looks like an everyday yellow legal pad of paper, however each line of each page of the notepad is constructed of micro-printed text and contains the personal details of Iraqi civilian casualties. Each printed edition of 100 notepads is covertly distributed to the United States Congress. Once in circulation on Capital Hill each notepad then acts as a Trojan horse - slipping the unwanted and unacknowledged civilian body count data into official governmental archives.

Sep 1

“This idea is so cool that you’d think it came from a constructed language, and yet Arabic has actual native speakers who live completely normal lives and will not try to talk to you about Runescape.” Why Arabic is Terrific

Aug 11

Simon Pearson is making something awesome:

I’d like to make a piano which spews light, cleverly, depending on what keys are pressed. It should be fairly seamless and not overt, so the workings need to hide inside, but the basic premise is: Someone plays the keys -> Some magic processing happens -> The music is interpreted, tastefully, in light form and slips out from above the keybed, over the top of the piano and beyond. Here’s a crap drawing of what it might look like.

(A new project: making light of music » minor9th.com)

Custom Controller V2

Patrick McCabe posted this project to adafruit, and I love it:

Here is my custom controller, version 2. I made it so I can provide input to my robots and get information returned. It contains a LCD, Xbee transceiver, custom LCD Arduino micro-controller backpack, 3 button inputs, a potentiometer, and a Wii Nunchuck circuit board with joystick. The buttons will allow navigation through the menu system and sending simple commands within the menu. The Wii Nunchuck will allow for manual control of a robot by using either the joystick or through tilting action read by the accelerometer. The potentiometer will allow variables like speed to be adjusted on a robot.

controller

Why is this awesome? I will tell you why this is awesome:

It’s a versatile, clean, and insanely useful design for controlling any custom robotics or hardware you might want to make.
It’s fully documented with video, high-quality photos, and instructions. I only wish all the engineers and hackers posting their projects would work to this high a level of professionalism. Which is doubly cool because:
Patrick McCabe is a senior in high school.

Well done, and keep it up.

Jul 14

Awww, someone found my baby picture!

Jul 5

bashford:

The eagerly awaited SVK by BERG, Warren Ellis and Matt Brooker is a comic that lets you read the character’s minds with the SVK Object - a black light torch.

“It’s a story about cities, technology and surveillance, mixed with human themes of the power, corruption and lies that lurk in the data-smog of our near-future.”

You can buy it now.

So much love for SVK right now.

More thoughts later, when the brain is less non-worky. For now, I point and gesticulate wildly at this thing. Seriously, go get it.

Jun 13

iamdanw:

receipt racer (by d_effekt)

Possibly the coolest use of a receipt printer to date.

Jun 12

quartey:

“This is what PERRY does, by laminating an e-ink display onto the card; the same flow of current through the radio-frequency antenna that energizes the card’s logic also updates the display. And since e-ink is “non-volatile” — the display only draws power during a change of state — the new value ought to be legible for weeks or even months thereafter.” - Urbanscale

My mind has just been blown. I now want e-ink RFID-powered index cards, and I want them yesterday.

Jun 4

Icon’s “Rethink”: turning receipts into ‘paper apps’ – Blog – BERG

We’ve added semi-useful info-visualisation of the foods ordered based on “what the till knows” – sparklines, trends – and low-tech personalisation of information that might be useful to regulars. Customers can select events or news stories they are interested in by ticking a check box.

We think the humble receipt could be something like a paper “app” and be valuable in small and playful ways.