Joel Runyon writes about "An Unexpected Ass Kicking," intellectually speaking, which he received in a Portland coffee shop from Russell Kirsch—the 80-year-old man who invented America's first internally programmable computer. Kirsch isn't a big fan of Apple products.
"Do things that have never been done before," says guy who invented computer
Internet Archive turns on Flash emulation, already has 1000 items to check out
Adobe Flash was the language of choice for a generation of game developers, helping kickstart an indie revolution on the still-young web of the 1990s and 2000s. But it withered on the proprietary and insecure vine, and both web browsers and Adobe have now canned it, threatening countless games and interactive presentations with the memory… READ THE REST
Earliest known photograph of a tornado
This photo was taken on April 26, 1884 and is the earliest known shot of a tornado (compare to the second-earliest). It appears to be a 3D or stereographic image, too, but my effort at recreating the 3D effect (below, as a two-frame GIF) doesn't seem particularly impressive. Modern meteorologists consider Adam's photograph to indeed… READ THE REST
Edwardian home electrical wiring was scary stuff
The advent of electrical lighting and appliances came with a lot of trial and error, meaning a lot of injuries, destruction, and death before things got standardized and safety-tested. In Edwardian times, for instance, each electricity producer chose their own voltage and method of delivery, among other unnerving practices. Take a deep dive into the… READ THE REST
Save half off a 1-year Sam's Club membership and get some free food!
Saving money has always been important. However, you could make the case that every instance of saving a dollar these days has never been more important. Meanwhile, we're all trying to limit our exposure to the outside world as well. So, if you can hit a big warehouse store, load up on every household essential,… READ THE REST
These vibrant colored pens are also ultra-powerful magnets–and a fidgeter's dream come true
Who doesn't want fun things to play with on their desk? The problem is that too many fun toys make it look like you're not doing any work. So, the trick is to find functional, seemingly innocent-looking items that can satisfy all your fidgety idle hand needs. If you need more useful, yet fun entertainment… READ THE REST
The PowerUp 4.0 attaches a computer brain to your paper plane
If you want to engage in some joy this holiday season, we have the perfect gift for your fun-loving family member, or even for yourself…you can now effectively turn paper airplanes into drones. For those who have spent countless hours meticulously folding aerodynamically pure paper planes that can slice through the air like a real… READ THE REST