Kuru-Kuru Nabe

Enter Kuru-Kuru Nabe, the self-stirring pot.

Why would anyone want a self-stirring pot? Think about it. Anyone who has had to prepare lunch or dinner while having to pay attention to other pressing matters (READ: multitask) would immediately know how easy it can be to burn food simply due to unintentionally NOT stirring the pot.

With the hectic lives that many people live today, I think that this is not an uncommon occurrence in the kitchen. That’s why I think Kuru-Kuru Nabe is brilliant.

The self-stirring pot is the brain child of a Japanese inventor – not really surprising, is it? While he does not seem to want the fame (we can’t seem to find his name), his invention is so simple that it is almost amazing.

The strength of the self-stirring pot is in its shape. The run-of-the-mill pots that we see in every kitchen are plain. Most of the time, at least.

On the other hand, Kuru-Kuru Nabe has fluted sides following a precisely calculated angular pattern. As you can see from the photos, the fluted sides pave the way for the liquid in the pot to follow a natural flow, thanks to convection. Thus we have the self-stirring action.

It seems that the principle can work, although I have a feeling that for certain dishes, nothing will beat manual stirring. Here’s a cool video of the self-stirring pot, though.

Via

Shippin

In these problem-ridden times, being able to make a extra here and there is no little thing. And with the online platforms that allow people to do business, it is no surprise that more and more people are getting into the activity.

For big businesses, the usual issues with ecommerce are not that big of a deal, but for the individual sellers and smaller businesses, these issues may come with a higher weight.

This is where platforms such as Gumroad come into the picture, and together with services such as Shippin, online selling and buying is made easier for everyone involved.

Gumroad is an online platform which offers people the possibility of creating or conceptualizing products and services and selling them. The platform is perfect for those who do not have a lot of technical knowledge and those who do not have a lot of spare time to pay attention to the technicalities. All that you need to do, really, is to pay attention to what you are selling, and you’re good to go.

Where does Shippin come in handy?

If you are selling an electronic product, there really is no issue as you do not have to worry about shipping details of the customer. However, if you want to sell an actual product, that is, a product that needs to be physically delivered to the customer, you need a way to get their details.

That’s where Shippin helps out. It is a free service that gives you the ability to create shipping and contact forms with ease. And yes, it does not cost you thing. If you are looking at making some money by selling online, do check this out!

Anthony wearing Blue Ear

For this little boy (and his family) in New Hampshire, though, I am pretty sure that Marvel is the ultimate in superheroes.

Anthony Smith is a four-year-old boy who has medical conditions, including total deafness in his right ear and some hearing loss in his left. He has been using a hearing aid, but as things go with little boys, he just suddenly didn’t want to wear the device anymore.

His reason? Superheroes do not wear hearing aids.

Parenting perspectives aside, how do you argue with a little kid about superheroes not wearing hearing aids?

Fortunately, Anthony’s mom seems to be quick on the ball. After hearing her son reason his way out of wearing his hearing aid, she got in touch with the guys at Marvel Comics via e-mail. To be honest, I am actually surprised that they got back to her. Just imagine the volume of e-mails they must receive!

In any case, the Marvel’s response is brilliant. They sent back an image of Hawkeye, who suffers from 80% hearing loss. This was in reply to Anthony’s mom asking for an example of a superhero who uses a hearing aid.

It gets better. Marvel created a new superhero just for Anthony. They call him Blue Ear, and guess what? He is named after Anthony’s hearing aid, Blue Ear.

Now isn’t that a lovely story? Here’s a video featuring Anthony, his mom, and Blue Ear.

Via

Child Shadow Art

Even if you are not all that into art, I think that you will still be able to appreciate this shadow art by Yamashita. Born in Japan, but now a New York resident, the artist takes common place objects and plays around with shadow and light to come up with artwork that can easily blow your mind.

The image above features numbers carved out of wood. With a single light source, Yamashita was able to create the silhouette of a child. How he was able to picture that in his head, I have no idea!

Here’s another brilliant piece of shadow art, which incorporates the Japanese art of origami.

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Origami Shadow Art

And if you think there is only one use for building blocks, think again!

Building Blocks Shadow Art

For more of his awesome work, visit Kumi Yamashita’s web site. Prepare to spend some time in awe.

You know, the end of the world? Zombiecalypse?

The Walking Dead has been over now (albeit temporarily) for a while, and I guess I am suffering withdrawal symptoms. Thank goodness we got a heads up about this infographic about zombie-proofing your home. And it doesn’t stop there: it will help you stay alive.

I think the infographic was made for a home security company, so it might very well be a publicity stunt, but that does not take away from its interest value. C’mon, it tells you about zombie-proofing your home! Who wouldn’t want to have all the details in one handy image?

Here’s where you start zombie-proofing your home. You need six lines of defense.

1. First line of defense: 450-500 yards from the house; land mines and motion sensors
2. Second line of defense: 350-400 yards from the house; 10-foot chain link fences and razor wire bishes
3. Third line of defense: 250-300 yards from the house; 15-foot by 10-foot trench lined with stakes
4. Fourth line of defense: 150-200 yards from the house; 10-foot high concrete wall topped with razor wire
5. Fifth line of defense: 50-100 yards from the house; attack dogs – special ones
6. Last line of defense: 10-25 yards from the house; YOU

I think that is pretty detailed, but there’s a huge problem I see here: it requires a lot of space around the house. I don’t know if it’s just me, but if you do not have all that yardage to create the first several lines of defense?

I suppose you can focus on the house itself. The infographic also gives details on zombie-proofing the house from the inside. Take your pick: steel plates for doors and windows, explosives, backup generators, floodlights, blackout curtains, and escape tunnels.

So here’s the ultimate guide to zombie-proofing your home.

Stay alive.

Source

Stop Motion Mario

That’s exactly how I felt when I watched this stop motion Super Mario video, and as silly as it may sound, I had to watch it several times.

You might be thinking, so what’s can this particular stop motion Super Mario video give you that you can’t get from other videos featuring the music?

One, the entire set is made of paper. You can totally see that from the video, and while you might not think it makes a difference, once you watch the video, you will see what I mean.

Two, the video has a nice twist to it, one which I will not say anything more about as I do not want to ruin your viewing experience.

The video is created by YouTube user Mystery Guitar Man, also known as Joe Penna in real life. He has gained some recognition thanks to his videos – 2 million viewers strong. After watching one of his latest creations, I think you will see why.

One last thing: he sometimes invites people to be part of his production. If you want a slice of his pie, I suggest following him on his YouTube channel.

Here is the stop motion Super Mario video in its entirety.

The chances are that you are not really aware of just how much time you allot for this activity. With access to movies being available to practically anyone, at any time, I have no doubt that we all spend more time watching movies than we think. While that is probably not an issue, the topic of movie piracy definitely is a big one. Especially if you are on the producing side. Understandably, those on the consumer side may have a different perspective.

Now I am not advocating illegal downloading, but there is no doubt that there are many things going for downloading movies. There are even ways legally download movies.

This post, however, is all about taking a look at the most pirated movies of all time. Earlier this year, the guys at meoble¹ published an infographic giving us the numbers on the movies that have been pirated the most. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing for the movies, that is not for me to decide.

What I find interesting, though, are the movies that made it to the list. Here are the movies that made it to the list, in decreasing order.

1. Avatar
2. The Dark Knight
3. Transformers
4. Inception
5. Hangover
6. Star Trek
7. Kick Ass
8. The Departed
9. The Incredible Hulk
10. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

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Here is the infographic together with the relevant figures.

Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of All Time

I don’t know about you, but in spite of the number of downloads, it seems that the earnings of the movies didn’t suffer all that much. Another observation is that a good number of the movies in the list are the kinds of movies that you would actually want to watch on the big screen. Does that mean that people actually go to the theater, and then download movies at a later date?

I really wouldn’t know, but this infographic makes me want to watch Kick Ass again.

1. meoble

We seem to have this idea that plastic bags are bad, and the reusable bag movement has become so big that more and more supermarkets have totally done away with plastics. But is it really justified? Does doing away with plastic bags really make a huge positive impact on the environment?

That is what the BBC article talks about, and at the end of the day, the surprising result is that one has to keep using those reusable bags hundreds of times in order to beat plastic bags (carbon footprint-wise). I highly recommend the article for practical reading.

Moving on, I am assuming that you guys are all tech savvy, and that hopefully, you are also leaning towards making your own little contributions to the environmental cause. After all, we are all inhabitants of this planet, and saving it can only benefit ourselves.

Aside from that “little” issue about plastic bags and reusable bags, is there anything that can be applied to our technology-infused life?

One thing popped to mind immediately: online shopping.

I do not have solid proof here, but logic tells me that online shopping just might be a good alternative to actually heading out to the malls all the time to make your purchases. Don’t get me wrong – there are a lot of businesses who already contribute to the environment somehow by implementing policies that lower their carbon footprint. A

However, considering logistics mainly, online stores may have a big plus. With the use of technology such as retail POS software, these virtual stores not only offer convenience, but they also help cut down on energy consumption (among other things) as opposed to brick and mortar stores.

These are only some of the things that I can think of that we (tech savvy or not, actually) can do to show environmental awareness. What about you? What are those little things that are part of your routine?

HBO's Game of Thrones

On the other hand, there were some who were apprehensive about the very same fact. The reason, however, was that there might be a lot of people just joining the TV series bandwagon without truly appreciating the books.

Who cares at this point? Both books and TV series are at a level of awesomeness that no one can overlook!

From characters to plot to casting to lines to the score – Game of Thrones is just something that gets your blood pumping in so many ways. And speaking of the score, I think that the opening music for the TV series is one of the best best created.

It is not surprising that the Game of Thrones theme has been performed and re-arranged in so many ways since the series first came out. Not too long ago, I even dug a little and found several videos of the then existing renditions: Game of Thrones Theme Song Covers.

What I have for you today is another cover, but with technology more integrated than ever: the Game of Thrones theme on eight floppy drives.

How cool is that?

Sure, it is not as impressive musically as the heavy metal version. It might not make your heart swell with emotions like the violin cover. One thing I can assure you: this Game of Thrones theme song rendition will make you miss the good old floppy drive.

Enjoy!

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iPod Nano magnets

Ever had the problem of how to hold your Nano, or where to place it, securely?

If you’re simply sitting or lying down while listening to music, there really shouldn’t be any issue. However, if you are the kind who uses the Nano while walking, jogging, running, cycling, or whatever it is that you like doing, then you probably have had your share of shopping for wristbands, straps, and other contraptions to hold the mp3 player in place.

Now, if you are anything like me, you probably have not found the perfect holder. I have just settled for using the built-in clip – for the life of me, I cannot imagine wearing a HEX band or something similar. This guy from Gloucester County had a totally different idea, though: magnet implants on his arm!

Depending on how you want to look at it, Dave Hurban can be a hero or a dumba$$. The guy is a tattoo artist by profession, and he embarked on a project which he labeled “iDermal”. The idea is straightforward: embed magnets on his arm so that they will hold his iPod Nano in place.

Hurban explains that his iPod Nano magnets are not that uncommon at all, at least in the world of body piercing. Apparently, these magnets are called micro-dermal anchors, which are about 5 mm.

As for their effectiveness, it looks like Hurban has hit a gold mine. He says that using his iPod Nano magnets, he has been able to run – even go to the gym – and the mp3 player did not even slip.

So, silly or brilliant?

Via NJ

Spider Guitar - 3D Printed

If you are the same way, then you will like the idea of the Spider Guitar, which is a 3D printed guitar. The idea is “owned” by Olaf Diegel, a mechatronics professor at Massey University. What a mechatronics professor does exactly – don’t ask me!¹

Diegel used to only dream about his 3D printed guitars, but thanks to the development of 3D printers – and the fact that his school is fortunate enough to have several desktop 3D printers – the professor was able to create real guitars, albeit rather small. The limitation, obviously, is the size of the printers. However, Diegel is already looking forward to the possibility of the school having a large-scale printer before the year ends.

Diegel’s 3D printed guitars are adorned with various designs, including butterflies. And yes, they do work. The idea is to use the 3D printers to form the body of the guitar, and then to fit wood inside to form the core. This is important for the tonality of the musical instrument. The wooden core can be made of a variety of wood such as mahogany and maple.

Naturally, the rest of the guitar’s parts need to be fitted after the 3D printing process as well. (Think strings, neck, etc.) Here’s the great part: you can buy Diegel’s 3D printed guitars at www.odd.org.nz. You can even go as far as to order your own design – in the future.

Via PhysOrg

1. Wikipedia on mechatronics

Wi-Fi Wallpaper

If you are tired of having people leeching off you, you will love what a team of researchers from Grenoble Institut Polytechnique and the Centre Technique du Papier (France) have developed: Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper.

The researchers may or may not have had their own experiences with Wi-Fi thieves, but they seem to be passionate about keeping homes more secure. Sure, the first step is to make sure that you have a strong password, but just in case that is not enough for you, you just might be able to purchase this Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper some time next year.

Dubbed Metapaper (how creative), the Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper will be manufactured by Ahlstrom, a materials company based out of Finland. According to PCMag, Metapaper will be able to block signals in the range of 2.45 – 5.5 GHz. If you are worried about the wallpaper messing with other signals in your home, though, there is no need. The wallpaper has been designed so as to not interfere with devices such as TV, radio, and mobile phones.

Here’s another piece of good news, especially for those who are also concerned about aesthetics. The Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper can be used as a first layer on walls. If you do not like how it looks, or if it does not match the rooms, you can easily paint over it without messing with its effectiveness.

Would you go as far as to purchase Metapaper, or do you think its superfluous?

For sure, the answer will depend largely on the habits of the user, but you might just be surprised to find out how much people actually patronize mobile apps. As a result, the fact is that being a mobile app developer might not really be as glamorous a life as some might think.

BGR recently posted an infographic titled “Wake Up Call“, focusing on the truth behind success with mobile apps. It might not be as easy as one would think!

Here are some interesting numbers.

• 80% do not generate enough revenue to support a standalone business
• 59% do not generate enough revenue to break even on development costs
• 68% earned $5,000 or less with their most successful app
• Top earners spend 14% of their time on marketing
• $30,000 – or thereabouts – is the average amount spent by top earners on marketing

Bottom line? It seems that mobile app developers need to spend in order to earn money. It is not that surprising, is it? One, that is an age old concept in business. Two, there are countless mobile apps in the market that one has to do something extra to get the word out about their app.

Here is the full infographic.

So are you still dreaming about making it big in the mobile app scene? You might want to take these things into consideration, on top of your brilliant idea for an app. Sometimes, brilliance might not be enough to make you money!

Kopimism Wedding

Information is holy and copying is a sacrament. Information holds a value, in itself and in what it contains, and the value multiplies through copying.

I honestly didn’t think I would hear much more about the new religion. However, it seems that they are not going anywhere just yet. If anything, the Church of Kopimism might just be at the beginning of spreading its wings. Believe it or not, they just held the first Kopimism wedding!

Below is the video of the first wedding that the church conducted. It was between an Italian man and a Romanian woman. And, as unclear as it may seem to me right now, a Kopimist wedding is also bound by the similar rules they apply to sharing. Exactly what sharing love in this kind of marriage is, I am not sure. But watch the joyful and historical union below.

What do you think of Kopimism? Would you be tempted to join their ranks?

Via Torrent Freak

Sheldon Doppler Effect

Seriously, though, the Doppler Effect refers to the phenomenon that is observed when the source of a sound (or any other wave) is moving with respect to an object. That object could be you. The result is a perceived change in the intensity of the sound as the source keeps on moving.

There are many applications of the Doppler Effect, and one of the newest applications which may be of particular interest to you guys is gesture control for computers.

A research team, composed of people from Microsoft and the University of Washington, has developed a system wherein the user can use hand gestures to initiate simple commands instead of using a mouse. For example, move your hand a certain way, and you can imitate the clicking of a mouse button. The cool thing about the system is that it does not require special hardware. With your usual microphone and speakers, and the Doppler Effect, of course, you can have fun waving your hands around.

Here’s something that is even more fun: the team was able to use the Doppler Effect system to play Tetris without touching the keyboard or mouse! Not exactly a “Look ma, no hands!” moment, but you know what I mean!

For now, the set of commands that can be used effectively with the system is rather limited. However, it will not be surprising to see this technology develop and actually be used in everyday computing, don’t you think?

Via PhysOrg
Image via SheldonCooper.org

comic archetypes

Then there’s such a thing as low-brow advertising.

What exactly is low-brow advertising? By definition, low-brow refers to something or someone who lacks taste or intellectual interest. It is not that difficult to apply that adjective to many advertising campaigns these days, is it?

That’s exactly what the guys at Top Marketing Schools did when they conceptualized this funny infographic titled “The Art of Low-Brow Advertising.” Now I was not part of the creation process, but who is to say that there is no pun intended in choosing that title?

The infographic gives specific examples of low-brow advertising, most of which will make you chuckle – at the very least. Some you may find distasteful, but if you keep an open mind, you won’t take them to heart.

From babies (they’re so cute that they can get away with practically anything) to gratuitous physical humor (face licking good!) to animals (again the cuteness factor is heavily played upon) to sexual innuendo to fear – you might not recognize or remember all the commercials that are referred to, but a little googling will help.

Here’s the full infographic to start off your Monday on a funny note. Please click on the image if you want a larger view.

Weight Hacking

Geeks and physical activity are strange bedfellows. Geeks like sitting in front of their computers or whatever gadget they prefer. Geeks are overweight.

I know this is not always true, but this is the premise of the guy behind Weight Hacker, a book in the works which some of you might find interesting.

Like many geeks, I grew up playing D&D, hacking on computers, watching TV and reading a lot of science fiction books. And like many geeks, I was overweight, rarely got exercise and ate poorly. At my heaviest I was 225lbs, and at 5? 7? I fell squarely into the “obese” category.

Whether or not you agree with the stereotype, if you need to shed some pounds using a “different” method, you might want to check out Weight Hacker, the site where it all started.

What can be interesting about the concept is that it does not bring a new set of fashionable diet and exercise tips. Instead, Weight Hacker takes on an approach that might be more effective for certain patterns of thinking. Again, we risk riding upon the back of stereotypes, but the idea is this.

Weight Hacking is simply an operating system for nerds that shows them easy ways to incorporate better eating and sound nutrition into a geeky lifestyle. It also explains how geeky passions like playing games, surfing the Web, reading, and a love of gadgets can be some of the best tools to lose weight and get fit.

Nerd. Geek. It doesn’t matter much, I think. What is important is if you want to take on this approach and if you engage in the above activities a lot, and you think you need to work on your health.

What do you say? Check it out?

BIG JAMBOX

Enter Jawbone, the company that has made a name for itself with JAMBOX, a portable speaker that has wireless capabilities PLUS a rich sound.

To be honest, I have not tried out a JAMBOX myself, but from what I have been reading, it does a pretty good job for a portable speaker. You can hold one with a single hand and still get hi-fi audio, so it seems. With the success of the JAMBOX, Jawbone has decided to go one step further and announce a larger version: the BIG JAMBOX.

The BIG JAMBOX promises to deliver as good a sound as its little sibling, maybe even better. The cool thing about the BIG JAMBOX is that it is compatible with most devices that are Bluetooth-enabled. Think iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and many Android phones. Of course, devices using the standard audio jack also works with the speaker.

The BIG JAMBOX comes in three colors: Graphite Hex, White Wave, and Red Dot. It measures in at 10.1 inches long, 3.2 inches wide, and 3.7 inches high. As for the weight, it is a nice 2.7 lbs. Not too heavy for considering the (supposedly) awesome sound it delivers.

I would like to get my hands on this baby, but it is only available on a preorder basis at the moment. Oh, and it does come at a price – $299.99. If you are in the market for a portable speaker, though, this might be a good option.

Dalek at MIT

You don’t believe me? Take a look at that photo again.

That was taken by Chris Devers, a Flickr user, at the Stata Center in MIT. Yeah, he is a real person, and he did not merely Photoshop that familiar figure into the picture.

Who is responsible for this awesome attack? No names have been pinpointed, except for Chris saying “hackers” have placed the Dalek on the roof of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. How apt! Here are a couple more photos to prove that the Daleks have indeed landed.

Apparently, this is not the first time that elements from Doctor Who have paid MIT a visit. In August of 2010, no less than the TARDIS was spotted in the campus. Its visit to the school was excellent timing – at the start of the Rush/Freshman Orientation. Can you imagine being a freshman at that time? Lucky students!

For more photos, check out Chris Devers’ Flickr stream.

In a recent study conducted by dnx, a digital marketing agency, the terms techno-addict and digitally dominant have come up, both referring to individuals whose lives revolve around communication via text, email, video calls, and other digital means.¹

However, just because you use your smartphone, tablet computer, laptop, or desktop computer a lot for your communication needs, it does not necessarily mean you are digitally dominant, does it? Furthermore, it is not necessarily a bad thing if you use those devices heavily.

The problem arises when digitally dominant equates to such figures as going 48 hours without speaking to other people face to face. On a regular basis.

Now stop for a moment and analyze your habits. How long do you go without seeing another person’s face in real life?

The study involved 1,000 British adults, 16 percent of whom were found to be digitally dominant. On top of using personal digital devices for communication, these individuals also professed their preference of dealing with automated services. For example, instead of dealing with a human ticket collector, they prefer to “encounter” an automatic barrier. They also prefer to get food from a vending machine rather than, say, a lunch lady. Unsurprisingly, digitally dominant people also do most of their shopping online. With the amount of online stores today, this is only understandable, yes?

So, are you digitally dominant? Are you worried about its implications, or do you think it’s all part of human progress?

Photo via mrcbrown

1. Source

Ugly Meter

It is rather sad, if you think about it, but yes, there is an app that will give you feedback about your looks. It is called the Ugly Meter.

The brainchild of Jo Overline and Ryan Allen, Ugly Meter is an iOS app with the tagline “When your friends won’t tell you the truth, the Ugly Meter will.” That is more than enough to give you an idea just how sad the concept is, isn’t it?

Still, believe it or not, the Ugly Meter has reached #3 in the App Store. That’s #3 top paid and #3 top grossing app.

What the Ugly Meter does is simple. It takes a picture of you (or anyone else for that matter) and then rates the photo from 0 to 10. Since the app has the word “ugly” in the name, I guess it is logical to have 10 as the number for ugliest and 0 as “very sexy indeed”.

I can see how the app can bring a little fun, but it is also very easy to see how things can go totally wrong. As a matter of fact, parents and educators already have voiced their concerns over the app. You know just how cruel a teenager’s life can be. Now if you are way beyond your teen years, and you still need the Ugly Meter to boost your confidence, then I suggest that you seek some help. If, however, you are with a bunch of close friends who can take as much as they dish out, it’s a whole different story. Add a shot or two of tequila into the mix, and you just might have something to really laugh about.

Available at the App Store for $0.99. iPhone and iPad compatible.

Chocolate Gun

If you appreciate the beauty of guns but don’t want to dive into the controversy that surrounds it, you might want to check out a different version instead. An edible version that just might give you more pleasure than cold steel.

Enter chocolate weapons.

Chocolate Weapons gives you the ultimate near death (by chocolate) experience, something that you are not likely to forget. They have a wide array of weapons and ammos – all made of mouthwatering chocolate. How much better can it get?

To match that gun shown above, you can hoard bullets of all sorts. This set of chocolate bullets is simple, but the vintage tin does catch the eye.

Chocolate Bullets Vintage Tin

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shotgun Shells

Chocolate Grenade

Check out more of these chocolate weapons AND buy enough to get you through difficult times at Chocolate Weapons.

Organ Donor Keychains

How about organ donor key chains?

I think that’s as different as you can get from the usual souvenirs that you find at every gift shop. The organ donor key chains are the creation of David Foox, a very talented artist based out of New York City. These organ donor key chains were released as part of a limited edition project, and they come in cute little packaging.

Organ Donor Keychains Packaging

Lungs Organ Donor Key Chain

If you are a staunch believer of donating your organs when you pass away – given that they are healthy, of course – then these organ donor keychains are the perfect accessories, don’t you think?

They are available at Street Anatomy for only $10. The bad news is that the organ donor key chains are sold out. Then again, if enough people make a demand for them, you never know!

FitDesk Pro

Enter the FitDesk PRO.

This product caught my eye as I was doing my daily rounds, as it provides the opportunity to get some exercise while working. Call it laziness. Call it multitasking. I think it’s the perfect chance to make the most of your time!

The FitDesk PRO is actually just an attachment which you can fit into your existing bike. Whether you are a cyclist who has his own road or mountain bike, or you have an exercise bike which you do not have time to use, the FitDesk PRO can serve as your go-to exercise and work machine.

The attachment is compatible with most bike handles, ensuring that you do not have to buy a new bike to use. Check out the FitDesk PRO in action.

While I love the idea of having something like this, there is of course the issue of space if you live in a tiny condo or apartment. There is also the question of the price, as the FitDesk PRO does not come cheap. Its regular price is a whopping $129.99, and the discounted price is still considerable at $79.95. Also, you have to remember that this is just the attachment – you still need your own bike!

Still, if you have the money, and you really need some exercise indoors while churning out your daily writing work, then this might be the solution that you have been looking for.

Old Books

I am pretty sure that I am not alone in this. In these days when even those who like the feel and smell of (paper) books are looking to e-books, the yearning for the old books smell still has a strong following. But have you ever thought about the scientific explanation for this?

With all the studies and research projects going on, it is not surprising that a group made it their mission to find out why exactly old books emit that odor. At the University College, London, researchers have found out that hundreds of volatile chemicals are released from the paper into the air. These are the incorporated into the process of making the paper used for the books, as well as the printing process. These chemicals are slowly released over the years, hence the old books smell.

The video below gives the details about the old books smell, and suprisingly (or not), the aroma is described as “combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness”. Mustiness is totally expected, isn’t it? But what about vanilla? Maybe that’s why the old books smell is so attractive. After all, vanilla does smell good!

Here’s the video for your viewing pleasure. Don’t blame me if you suddenly dig out your old books from storage!

Source: Open Culture
Photo via guillermogg