Aug 23
While Google’s word definitions may literally be a little odd at times
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Aug 15
Slingshot psycho Joerg Sprave has done some of his best work
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Aug 09
You know all that sawdust you’re left with when hacking through a piece of lumber? It’s a minor inconvenience for carpenters, but a huge problem for electronics manufacturers cutting expensive materials like silicon wafers on the microscopic scale. So researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have found a way to make incredibly precise ultra-thin saws from carbon nanotubes covered with an outer layer of lab-grown diamonds.
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Aug 09
Senic Wants To Revolutionize Measurement, Starting With A Smartphone-Connected Laser Distance Meter
Posted in: Today's Chili
New hardware startup and Y Combinator Summer 2013 cohort member Senic is launching pre-orders for its first product today, a laser rangefinder like the ones sold in hardware stores around the world and used every day by contractors and DIY enthusiasts. The difference is that Senic’s device uses Bluetooth Low Energy to communicate with iOS and Android devices, recording measurements instantly and syncing them to the cloud.
The use of a cloud-based platform for collecting and storing measurement data, as well as Senic’s plans to expand their hardware catalog to include a number of different hardware devices, including micrometers, gauges, and other tools that builders and engineers use regularly in their work. Senic co-founder Toby Eichenwald explained that he got the idea working for his father’s company in Korea, and learned from its customers that the measurement industry was essentially “stuck in the 80s.”
“We build precise, sensitive devices for smartphones,” Eichenwald said. “The product that we’re working on right now is the worlds’ smartest laser distance meter. It’s directed to two big groups right now, so we’ve made one app that’s directed at do-it-yourselfers and consumers (a floor plan app), and for our B2B customers we’re doing a price quote app so that electricians or heating guys for instance can walk into a building, enter the price-per-feet of their systems and quickly generate a quote.”
The laser distance meter they’re building has a 200-foot range, is accurate up to 0.075 inches, is water and dust resistant and features single button operation. It will retail for $149 in stores, but is available to pre-order customers through the Senic website starting today for just $99. The Floorplan app for iPad (Android support coming soon, now that Android 4.3 supports Bluetooth Low Energy) allows a user to record length and width measurements and build a model in the software, and then rooms can be dragged and positioned next to each other to mimic the actual floor layout. The Price quotes app outputs an invoice that can be emailed, and offers in-app customer sign-off for approving work orders.
“We’ve talked to a lot of architects, engineers and really big firms here in the Bay area to see what problems they’re going through, and that’s why we’re focusing on apps first because they solve the biggest problem,” Eichenwald said. “People in the building industry are under huge money and time pressures, and anything that can save them a lot of time and make their lives easier is so valuable to them.”
Senic is looking to ship in the beginning of November, with an idea first production run of around 500 to 1,000 units, and Eichenwald says that they’re fully ready to go to production, unlike a lot of Kickstarter or other crowdfunded products at this stage. The laser rangefinder is just a start, too, and eventually firms could use Senic products for all their measurement needs, which could result in a completely new resource in terms of aggregate, cloud-based data from the building and construction industry.
Aug 08
With replicators in every room, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise technically didn’t need to cook anything while away on their missions. But such technology is well beyond our grasp at the moment, and the daily task of prepping meals is thankfully made slightly less mundane when you’ve got the Enterprise in hand to flip flapjacks.
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Aug 07
The one tool you don’t want to skimp on when equipping a kitchen is a knife. A high-quality sharp blade can make cooking and food prep considerably more enjoyable, but so can a set of novelty kitchen knives that look like sheathed miniature samurai swords.
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Aug 06
When you’re floating in space, it pays to be prepared, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the International Space Station packs a pretty impressive tool kit. Those obsessed by workshops and making, prepare to drool.
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Jul 22
Imagine you’re the police. Imagine you’re in your police car. Imagine eating a donut. Imagine complaining about life to your partner. Imagine seeing a car with two obviously blown tires drive by. Imagine pulling that car over. Imagine seeing that the driver driving the car was using a makeshift steering wheel made from… locking pliers. Imagine how hard you would laugh.
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Jul 20
You never want to be stranded without your tools, especially if you are in the middle of nowhere. And what’s middle-of-nowhere-er than the vacuum of space?
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Jul 12
If you’re attempting to outfit a kitchen with a limited budget and even less space, Joseph Joseph has put together this lovely nine-piece Nest kit that stacks like a matryoshka doll for easy storage. The $150 set includes two stainless steel mixing bowls with non-slip bottoms, a fine mesh sieve, a large colander, and five plastic measuring spoons ranging from a teaspoon to a full cup.
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