infomancer» Gadgets

Coffee Grinders

infomancer — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:19:09 +0000

My latest obsession is electricity-free gadgets that will still work in the event of an apocalypse and utter destruction of the electricity grid. In the event the apocalypse should come in 2012 and I survive, I think I should be at my most alert state in order to determine how best to survive. To achieve this, I will need caffeine.

Now, I’m not a coffee drinker – my caffeine source of choice is tea. But my girlfriend is a coffee drinker. And when we survive the apocalypse, I want her to be alert and non-cranky as well (Is there anything worse than waking up in a nuclear winter with a cranky girlfriend? Probably not).

So, I’ve been checking out manual coffee grinders. The tried and true box grinders and hoppers (such as the Zassenhaus walnut closed hopper above) are cute, but not really my style. For those of you who like the vintage look for yourselves, this site seems to have a regular selection of vintage coffee hand mills.

Here are a few that are bit closer to my aesthetic:

[images via Moritasse, Red Rooster, Amazon, Sweet Maria’s]

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Interesting Tidbits

infomancer — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:47:50 +0000

I believe it’s been established by now that I like odd tidbits of information and infographics. While perusing the Visual Aid website earlier today, I came across some very interesting tidbits, indeed (kangaroo rats can live 4 years without water!).

These aren’t exceedingly gorgeous, by any means. But I had absolutely no idea Optimus Prime was so short. Megatron is a full 12’ taller. And nearly everyone looks positively tiny next to Godzilla!

These insects are just creepy. A 22” long stick insect? 4” beetle? 13” spider?! What are you supposed to do if you encounter one of these? I hope to never be in such a situation.

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Biking Gets Easier

infomancer — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:01:25 +0000

Easier to plan, anyway. No more fumbling with the giant paper map your local biking organization publishes; Google has unleashed biking directions! Now you really have no excuse for avoiding biking to work / school / wherever you spend your days.

I expected some hiccups as I played around with it, but I couldn’t find any. The directions route me to the best (safest) route, whether I want to go downtown or ride the trails out past the suburbs.

In fact, I’ve been finding trails I didn’t even know existed! Apparently it’s possible to ride from Milwaukee to both Madison (85 mi) and Chicago (94 mi) almost entirely on dedicated bike/pedestrian trails.

Even my tiny hometown, with its one lonely (albeit very long) trail is included.

Right now it seems it’s not possible to use street view along with the biking information, but hopefully that will be rolled out in the future as well.

You can thank Rails to Trails for all this. And maybe while you’re checking out their site, you might want to throw a donation their way. A worthy organization with which my dad has been involved for several years, they’re the ones that are responsible for that one long trail in my hometown.

Happy trails!

[via 8,000 other blogs]

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Curiosities

infomancer — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:30:01 +0000

I’ve always wanted to be the kind of person who can go into a second hand store and score an amazing piece. Sadly, when I go into these stores, I’m overwhelmed not by the amazing furniture, but by the amazing smells. My visits tend to end with swift exits and held breath.

So I love when I come upon places like Agent Gallery in Chicago, where they curate the objects, and the chances of retrieving something neat are much higher. As a boon, I can sit in the comfort of my own home and shop without musty/moldy smells.

I have a love for old machines and curiosities. I have no idea what the machines above do, but aren’t they pretty?

Curiosities like these are always more enjoyable with a background story, though. I have a feeling my girlfriend (a total science geek) might like the spectrometer above. It’s fascinating to think how all the things they do on CSI were done when they had to use machines like these.

And if you are or know a cigar aficionado, you’ll probably love this cigar press. There are even some cigars still in the press.

If, however, you’re more into something a bit creepy, perhaps you should check out this set of glass eyes or practice dental models. (shiver)

[via A Continuous Lean]

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Beam Me Up

infomancer — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:40:41 +0000

My dreams may soon come true. Back when I was a young’un in college, I used to wish I could teleport, rather than walk the cold, blustery mile to French class at 8 am. Someday, I may be telling my descendents about this, as they complain about how slow their teleporter is. Kids these days, I swear…

Now, I don’t understand quantum mechanics. And apparently, even if you think you understand it, you don’t (according to Richard Feynman). But it doesn’t take a genius to understand that teleportation is pretty freaking cool. Even the U.S. Air Force is looking into it.

Apparently, it’s been possible to teleport information for nearly two decads. But now a Japanese scientist has figured out how to teleport energy, as well.

Simple!

Sure, they’re talking about energy. But surely it can’t be too long before humans can teleport as well, right? Or, as this guy points out, the robots we send into space in place of humans.

[via Inhabitat | experiment image via LiveScience]

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Phantom

infomancer — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:35:35 +0000

I am obsessive about phantom loads (you know, the electrical devices that suck power even when they’re not on?). I wake up in the middle of the night and unplug my phone charger. And my girlfriend’s. I use power strips for everything. I’m perhaps bordering on having certifiable issues.

So I have been looking for something that would ease my mind about these phantom loads. And yesterday, it came to me via Unplggd. (insert heavenly music here)

Oh, it is so beautiful. I would have settled for an ugly one, but this just rocks my world. Each module has one outlet on the rear, allowing you to plug in your device and wrap any excess cord around it.

When one of the devices enters standby mode, the surface starts to light up, showing you that it’s wasting power. After 3 minutes, if you don’t turn it off, the device, known as the EDF Energy Saving Adapter, will.

Sadly, this beauty is not available yet. And if/when it does become available, I’m not sure if it will be available in the States and work with our electrical system. So, I guess until then I’ll just have to keep dreaming.

Or, in this case, stop dreaming and keep waking up to unplug my chargers.

[images via Gilles Belley]

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