At the urging of a friend I picked up the first in the Necroscope books by Brian Lumley. For the first chapter or so I have to say I was not impressed at all. I had a hard time getting around his writing style and the story seemed a little hokey. This judgement was not helped by the cover art which is a bit on the cheap side.
After a few chapters I started to really enjoy the story line. It switches between two main characters stories and includes an interesting take on vampires and other supernatural powers. If you are into Lovecraft then I would say this is definitely along that route. Though not one of Lumleys Lovecraft themed books it definitely pulls from that style. Check it out!
I have always loved these anthologies! They have turned me on to a lot of new and quirky writers. They are also one of the best last minute books to take on a plane. I am always so stressed before taking long plane rides if I don’t have a book ready to read. I never want to gamble on something I don’t like and be stuck the whole time with just that book. Taking multiple books goes against my travel light philosophy. But the Nonrequired series really fits the bill. Always a great selection of stories. Some long, some short. Some light and some serious. Don’t like what you’re reading, skip to the next one. It’s genius. If you have not tried one out yet I would recommend 2007 or 2006. Happy reading!
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Kate Hartman, an artist, teacher and member of the Interactive Telecommunications Program at Tisch School of the Arts. Kate works in a variety of mediums from simple analog wearable projects that explore how we communicate with ourselves to Arduino powered devices that let our plants Twitter their needs. What most draws me to Kate’s work is the way it combines practicality with playfulness and whimsy. Botanicalls, for instance, is a boon to those of us who regularly murder the most robust houseplants due to lack of attention. Kate’s device enables our usually stoic and inanimate green friends to reach out to us when they need help (I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!). Her Muttering Hat project instantly reminded me of a garment that might be worn by a little Hoo from Hooville. But it also serves as a wearable illustration; a garment that gives us an opportunity to get some distance from thoughts that may be immediately overwhelming and even assist us in sharing those thoughts with others.
Kate Hartman creates new tools for expression through innovative and playful applications of technology. Her individual and collaborative projects span the fields of telephony, electronics, fashion, and art. She holds a B.A. from Bard College in Film and Electronic Media and a Masters from New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program.
A few weeks ago I made the purchase of a 1971 Honda CB350 motorcycle. I have been riding a Genuine Stella scooter for about a year now and decided it was time for an upgrade. I have always loved the look of bikes from the 50’s 60’s and 70’s and decided that the CB350 was going to be my target. I came to this decision based on a few factors. First being price. These bikes are easily found for between $1000 and $2000. Secondly I wanted to be able to work on the bike and not have to spend all my time tracking down parts. The CB350 is one of the best selling motorcycles of all time and has a huge tuner community behind it. There are certain parts are not always easy to find but for most everyday problems you can find the part and someone who knows what to do with it.
When I bought the bike it was having some problems with the engine racing, I thought it would be a good first problem to solve. When I got it home I immediately consulted my Clymer Manual and removed the air filters and carburetors. I spotted the first problem immediately. There is a rubber diaphragm assembly usually called the Slide Diaphragm or the Vacuum Piston that had torn. This is responsible for lifting and lowering a needle that controls the flow of gas in the carburetor, it was torn on both cabs and needed to be replaced. Aside from the that the left carb was completely gunked up and the jets on both carbs were not set to the factory specs. So I immediately began scouring the internet for parts and advice and got most of it taken care of except for two snags. The rubber diaphragms are extremely delicate and upon installing the two replacements I managed to puncture both. An expensive mistake. Secondly the carb rebuild kits I ordered came with two slow jets that did not fit into my carburetor. The company I bought them from has no idea why.
Right now I am stuck waiting for replacement diaphragms, once they come I’ll be able to see if I solved the engine racing problem. Until then my living room smells like gasoline and coffee table is covered in tiny brass parts. Kind of nice actually…
Last week I got a chance to talk with two cofounders of NYC Resistor, Eric Skiff and Bre Pettis. NYC Resistor, located in Downtown Brooklyn, is a hacker space that is home to 30 artists, designers and technologists who bring a mixed bag of skills and interests to this eclectic space. The vision according to their wiki is to “Build a group of hackers who work on projects together to increase awesomeness.” Aside from serving as their studio, the group also opens the space up to the public for Craft nights that happen every Thursday. Various technology classes are also offered and are taught by members and visiting specialists.
The DIY revolution is taking on a new shape as rapid prototyping technology becomes more accessible to the general population. This service has been available since the late 1980’s but is notoriously expensive and generally only used by companies and professionals. Today there are groups of individuals who are looking to lower the $20,000 entry fee and producing an open source 3D printer for approximately $500. There are several types of different machines capable of taking a design from hard disk to object. I hope to illustrate a few of these technologies and show how they are being made to serve the individual rather than the corporation.
First I’d like to touch on the Laser Cutter. These are machines starting around $8,000 for basic models that are capable of cutting some light thin sheet materials. The more expensive models can cut a larger variety of materials and thicknesses but can also begin costing $20,000 and up. There is a lot you can do with one of these machines but you need to remember that it only cut’s sheet materials so making a 3D object requires some kind of construction technique or layering. Read the rest of this entry »
Dave Caputo is a tech geek graphic designer who loves making stuff. He loves to learn and teach and is currently trying to do both of those things. Click here for more.
