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 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.

Check out more of Kate’s work at: www.katehartman.com

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… 

Website: http://www.nycresistor.com/

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. (more…)

What can I say, I am in love. When I was going to buy a netbook 2 months ago this is the idea that kept me from making a purchase. I have been dreaming of this gadget since I got my iPhone. Touch screen + Tablet Size + Long Battery Life = Perfect Device. This device from the company Always Inovating boasts 10 - 15 hours of battery life with an 8.9″ screen and the device is always on. The longer battery life can be attributed to the fact that there is a battery in the keyboard section and in the screen section. Huh?

I guess I didn’t mention that the screen detaches from the keyboard completely. It even has magnets on the back so that it can be affixed to the refrigerator. Just keep it away from those external hard drives and iPods. The device can supposedly run just about any mobile OS incuding Googles Android.

I would rather drop the change on this device than a Kindle and with a $299 price tag I think I just might. The release date for the Touch is scheduled for May or June of 2009. I am hoping to see a lot more of these devices coming out in the near future. It is a new form factor for an industry that previously was focused on the 3 inch screen size of mobile products and the larger 12 - 17 inch screen size of netbooks and laptops. I think the key players now, especially after the iPhone and G1 are going to be low power to give longer battery life and a bit more screen realestate for your fingers to dance over.  Fingers crossed.

When I think of American craft I think of quilts, strange wooden dolls to hide whisky in and a good sturdy broom. I do not, however, think of knives, at least not until now. The name Cut Brooklyn has been tossed around a lot lately and I was surprised to find out that it is the studio of Joel Buiekowirz who produces hand made kitchen knives.

So from my understanding of the current articles written about Joel, he gets a piece of steal and cuts the knife shape. He then sends out the knife for it’s heat treatment.

The heat treatment is the part that really determines the finished quality of the knife’s steal. When you are working with steel there is a balance that needs to be struck between how hard it is and how brittle it is. For knives this is very important because the blade edge is so delicate. You need it to be hard so that it can retain it’s edge but not be so hard that it cracks away. So what Joel does by hand is shape and sharpen the knife as well as apply and form the handle.I am wrestling with whether to put in an order for one. On any given day my Wusthoff performs admirably and a Global 7-Inch Santoku seems like a logical addition to my cutlery set. Is the added price of Mr. Buiekowirz knives worth it? The easiest thing to site, though the most difficult thing to justify monetarily, is the “buying local” hand made appeal of this object. Having that unique item that was made within a few miles of your apartment makes want to order one of these pretty little pieces. The balance is always an important factor as well though I have not had a chance to hold one in person so it’s hard to say. Right now the few hundred dollars I would save on a Global is making me feel like that is the better buy. If you have a few hundred extra to spend and you use your knife constantly then the Cut blade may be the way to go. I hear he offers life-time service for free on all of his blades as well.

I finally made it out to IgniteNYC, I had missed the previous two and was excited to get a taste of this popular NYC tech event. I have to say though that it was a bit of a let down and I was not the only one. After starting extremely late the evening opened with a game show called “Know your Meme: The Game Show! Pwn, Win, or Fail!”. There was a lot of inside jokes flying around that still got a few chuckles despite losing a most of the crowd. I had my own interpreter there to clue me on on the bashing of one of the contestants, Rex Sorgatz, by the opposing team made up of Michelle DeForest (Next New Networks), Bre Pettis (NYC Resistor), Caroline McCarthy (CNET), Irene Polnyi (Internetfamo.us), and Tim Shey (Next New Networks).Team Sorgatz(Bre Pettis, Caroline McCarthy etc.) ended up winning, or should have, it was all very confusing. With a convincing team performance of Souja Boy and Bre Pettis giving the crowd a mouthful as he reenacted Christian Bales rant they quickly established themselves as Experts in “All Things Internets”.

I did not end up staying for the talks because they were running very late but I did enjoy what I saw and I am looking forward to the next one.Here are some photos from the event that I took and some more from Brian Van Nieuwenhoven.