Things I’ve Learned About the World
There aren’t a lot of absolutes in life, but here’s some wisdom you can take to the bank (I may add to this list).
- Never get involved in a land war in Asia
- Measure twice, cut once
- Don’t sue The Oatmeal
- Wipe front to back (thanks Mal!)
- Don’t shit where you eat (thank mom!)
- Don’t get in the middle of a holy war
What have I missed?
The Ubiquity of Porn & Mobile Apps
“When did apps become like porn?” The delightfully crazy lady ask.
The tired traveler stared back at her with a look of befuddlement.
She laughed, “Ok, that wasn’t clear… I mean, there’s like a porn for everything you can imagine… And the things you can’t. When did apps become like that?”
So that was an except of my interaction with a stranger on the shuttle from the San Francisco Airport to my hotel back in September (I wrote most of this weeks ago and then forgot to finish it). I had just arrived in Palo Alto for the Quantified Self Conference. Back to the crazy lady’s question sans third person…
After she asked the question I pondered it seriously for a moment, came up with my answer, and the asked myself, “does she really want me to answer her?” The expression on her face scream that she was dead serious.
“When did apps become like porn? I’m not really sure of the exact day and time; it’s been a couple of years. But… I’m pretty sure that both porn and apps became so widespread for the same reasons:
- Low cost technology
- Low barrier to entry production
- Free tutorials
Pretty much anyone can afford a computer, mobile, and a camera. The software to produce code and edit film ranges from dirt cheap to free, and there are free tutorials all over to learn how to do it… Also, tripods. They helped too.”
To cap it all off, this conversation was set to a cultish radio preacher ranting about the impending end-times… Which is in part the fault of ubiquitous porn. It was an interesting ride, made all the more surreal by days of sleep deprivation.
Bodyform Proves, It’s Content That Matters
In response to this much “liked” Facebook post, the “CEO” of Bodyform took to YouTube with a hilarious, and entertaining yet very empathetic (to their actual customers, not whiny dudes) video response.
Genius. It’s fun, and delightfully British.
But here’s what you might have missed. Click through to the Bodyform YouTube Channel… It’s unbranded.
Gasp!
Now I’m sure that this will change rather quickly, but it’s important to take note.
Bodyform saw a unique opportunity to connect with people online in a fun and engaging way, and they did it. And they didn’t let the details get in the way of good content. Where many companies would spend months debating whether it was ok to be on YouTube; and spend more months debating the mundane design details of the Channel’s header design; and still more many months producing dry content that will neither excite, nor offend anyone; Bodyform just made something great and let it loose into the wild.
This is a valuable lesson for all companies.
Quality content wins.
(Via AdWeek)
World Maker Faire New York 2012 (Geek Event)
Looking for…
- a renewed love of technology and geekery?
- a fun time?
Well my friend, then you must come to World Maker Faire New York.
If you think that Americans don’t make things anymore…
Then you must come to World Maker Faire New York.
If you think you’ve seen all that technology has to offer us, or that the people who commercially implement technology are unscrupulous…
Then my friend, you must come to World Maker Faire New York.
Maker Faires happen all over the country, and they feature the work of DIYers. Everything from robotics to 3D printing, homemade prosthetics for amputees, knitted items, baked goods, greeting cards, a giant fire-breathing metal dragons made from truck parts, the Sashimi Tabernacle Choir (I hope they come back)… and all manner of other crazy, useful, useless, and incredible things.
It really shoots fire from its mouth.
3D printed glasses
Mechanized metal Archangel wings, yes, like the X-Man
Your’s truly riding a handmade bike for paraplegics. You steer by shifting your weight.
Bring your kids, wallet, and child-like sense of awe.
Not sold yet?
I’ll be there at the FUBAR Labs table displaying some stuff that I’ve been working on in my spare time.
World Maker Faire New York
New York Hall of Science, Queens, NY
Saturday, September. 29, 2012 – 10am – 7pm
Sunday, September 30, 2012 – 10am – 6pm
Vintage AOL Coasters
Here’s a fun fact for you.
Did you know that in 1998, all coaster CD production went towards manufacturing AOL coasters CDs for weeks?
“When we launched AOL 4.0 in 1998, AOL used ALL of the world-wide CD production for several weeks. Think of that. Not a single music CD or Microsoft CD was produced during those weeks.” -Reggie Fairchild, Product Manager for AOL 4.0 (Quora)
“Get Optimized,” indeed.
I’ve been helping my parents clean out their basement, and found my some of the install CDs that I used as coasters in college. I hope I can find more of them as we keep cleaning. They make me smile.
(Via BoingBoing)
Let’s Finally Build Nikola Tesla a Museum
Matthew Inman of “The Oatmeal” fame discovered a superpower in June when he was very wrongly sued over calling out a website that was copying his work (Before & After). It turns out that he can bend the Internet to his will, and generate huge amounts of money for good causes (in addition to writing funny as hell comics).
Inman has decided to use these powers for good, having just launched an Indiegogo campaign to purchase Nikola Tesla’s old laboratory, known as the Wardenclyffe Tower, so it can be turned into a museum.
In the time it took me to donate $50 (which wasn’t long), the campaign raised over $1,000. In the time it took me to write this post, the campaign has picked up an additional $12,000.
You want to donate! Trust me.
This campaign is going to work, and it’s going to be one of those groundbreaking moments in history. This shit will be in history books a century from now. You want to be a part of it.
Plus… Tesla was the king of the alpha geeks and should have a damn museum. It’s a travesty that he doesn’t have one already… But I digress.
If that isn’t enough, there is another organization looking to buy the land so it can rip down the lab and put in… you guessed it… shopping!
If you already know how amazing Tesla was, go donate!
Don’t know how badass the man was? Read up! Then go donate. This is an easy decision.
“Speak, Friend, and Enter” – Door Mat
I moved. Again. Last time to escape a bad neighborhood that turned worse. This time because my now former landlords tried to rent me an apartment that was infested with bedbugs.
I’m now both bedbug and murderer free… It’s been a weird Summer.
Now that I’m moved into the new, new place I’ve had to completely refurnished (my furniture was bedbug collateral damage), but I kept a bit of the budget to add some new geekery to my humble abode.
Behold! My Lord of the Rings door mat.
I it found on Etsy, and it makes me smile every time I come home.
Creator DamnGoodDoormats was even kind enough to indulge my request of adding in the commas… Because while they aren’t there in Dwarfish, they are there in English and Elvish… And this kind of shit matters to me more than it should.
Anyway, DamnGoodDoormats makes lots of cool door mats, and is very responsive to unusual requests. You should check his stuff out.
