Category Archives: Tech

This week, the word ’round the campfire is that electric maxi-scooter manufacturer Vectrix is going under. That’s really sad to hear. The Vectrix has shortcomings common to first generation electric vehicles (limited range, limited performance, and long charge times), but as the first commercially available electric scooter, it really is a remarkable vehicle. But I’m not going to go into that. Eric Alemendral does a fantastic job summarizing the demise of the Vectrix in this post on Modern Buddy. Eric mentions the KLD E-165, which is something that I’m really excited to see come to the USA in 2010.

I’ve noticed something in the past few weeks that isn’t at all a new phenomenon, but seems hyper present in our marketplace right now: the artificial confrontation.

On Friday Palm launched their highly anticipated smartphone, the Pre, just as Apple was likely to (and subsequently has) reveal the latest version of the iPhone. So naturally, there are a flurry of tech blog articles and news source stories about “Is the Palm Pre the phone to unthrone the iPhone?”

Computer generated 3D animation has become so commonplace that it’s easy to forget just how difficult it is to work in this medium. But beyond the challenges of producing content in this digital medium, you’ve got to have some nugget of a good story. In this case, it’s a robot battle royale. Hat’s off to its creator and thanks for sharing!

Lately I’ve become a big fan of Fast Company magazine. I started reading it about a year ago and was lucky enough to receive a subscription as a birthday present this year. Fast Company is one of those rare tech-savvy publications that isn’t antiquated by the time it makes it to print. Its mix of technology, the business of technology, and how innovation can and does affect our global society is consistently insightful and interesting. I especially love how I …

I really appreciate this video because it’s about a subject that really does matter: internet comments. One of the things that motivated me to start this blog in the first place was a string of really nasty comments in a conversation I was trying to have online. The future of using the internet is going to be tightly bound up in actually being yourself online. The days of anonymously spewing ad hominem bile at whoever you like without consequence are hopefully numbered. In the mean time, here’s a funny lesson on web etiquette.

Minnesota Public Radio is easily the best NPR affiliate I’ve ever listened to. Not only is their schedule of NPR, PRI, BBC, CBC and in-studio programming superb, they offer three distinct listening options — MPR News, MPR Classical, and The Current. This avoids the trap so many NPR stations fall into where they schedule 3-4 hours of news or discussion during the day and fill the rest with classical music or jazz. I also have to give MPR credit for having one of the least annoying pledge drives in all of public broadcasting. Rather than harp on and on about specific numbers, they’ve learned that people are going to give what they give. So instead of asking for specific pledge amounts, Minnesota Public Radio does a member drive. They set goals on the number of contributing members they’ll add to their ranks at each drive, regardless of what each member gives. This drive, they’ll be adding me. Not that NPR doesn’t already deserve my financial support, but this app is above and beyond.

I own an ancient and evil digital clock radio. It has a tape player, an alarm, and at times a radio. The radio hates me. The clock set controls loathe my very existence. This clock and I hate each other with an ancient and reverent passion. It’s done well waking me up for at least a decade, but begrudgingly I’m sure. These days it’s finally outright refused to do is play a radio station with any sort of reliability. What’s more, it mocks me. As I move about the room, the volume and tuning fight with each other — a screaming match of deafening static and distorted NPR. The time has come for a change.

If you’ve never heard the Stebel Nautilus horn in person, it’s difficult to describe. “Loud” is insufficient. Sure it is loud – very loud at 148 db. The two-note tone created by the Nautilus could better be described as “piercing” or even “pseudo-deaffoning.” Both are great qualities in a scooter horn. If you’re looking for a great way to get that absent-minded cager’s attention, look no further. You’re likely to startle the cell phone right out of their hand.