Cool Tools Show

Seth Godin enlightens us this week with an unexpected assortment of tools that will have you exploring the deepest recesses of your subconscious while, at the same time, enriching your hobbies and lifestyle.

Lifehacker founder and ThinkUp co-founder, Gina Trapani introduces us to a few web based apps that offer elegant design and features well worth their minuscule price-points. Fans of an uncluttered web experience will rejoice to hear what Gina offers up in this installment of the Cool Tools Show.

Robot Turtles creator Dan Shapiro recommends inventions and innovations that offer a surprisingly valuable experience for their price. If you’re looking for high value on a shoestring budget, you won’t be disappointed by Dan’s picks. Shownotes here

Blogger and Author, David McRaney introduces us to some lesser known creative solutions to life’s tiny nuisances that will help you untangle your wad of keys, opt for a better YouTube experience and explore the future of musical experimentation.

This week AJ Jacobs, bestselling author and journalist, shows us how he rids himself of life’s common nuisances and hazards like an untied shoe, a noisy environment or a half hour wasted in traffic so he can focus on larger pursuits, like bringing the world together in one great big family reunion. AJ reminds us that we are all cousins and encourages all of us to explore just how we are related by hitting up some of his favorite genealogy resources. Oh, and we’re all officially invited to The Global Family Reunion on June 6th, 2015. Don’t forget the potato salad! This week AJ Jacobs, bestselling author and journalist, shows us how he rids himself of life’s common nuisances and hazards like an untied shoe, a noisy environment or a half hour wasted in traffic so he can focus on larger pursuits, like bringing the world together in one great big family reunion. AJ reminds us that we are all cousins and encourages all of us to explore just how we are related by hitting up some of his favorite genealogy resources. Oh, and we’re all officially invited to The Global Family Reunion on June 6th, 2015. Don’t forget the potato salad! Show Notes: http://kk.org/cooltools/?p=22363

Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad, lets us know how his analog tools and hobbies even out the frantic pace of modern, wired life. His high-tech offerings are especially reflective of his desire to use cutting-edge inventions as tools for personal development. From the whimsical to practical, ancient technology to barely breaking innovations, there’s something in this week’s show for just about everyone.

Editor in Chief of Shelter Publications, Lloyd Kahn shares with us many useful and varied tips, ranging from how to get the most out of your camera lenses, to alternative activities for the senior surfer. Above all, Lloyd is committed to researching the best possible tools and products for any purpose and doesn’t disappoint with this lineup of excellent picks.

Author of the new book, Borg Like Me, Gareth Branwyn tells us about the set of household tools he inherited from the former occupants of his house that have proven their usefulness and longevity over the years. In this episode we discuss what makes these tools so special and how we all can prepare to pass on our household’s best suited tools to the next generation of homeowners.

Tim Jenison, Founder of NewTek and star of Tim’s Vermeer, a critically acclaimed documentary about his discovery of a possible tool used by hyper-realist painters throughout history, takes us behind the curtain this week to see what tools made this investigation possible. Show notes and links to everything we talked about are here: http://kk.org/cooltools/?p=22126

CEO and Founder of Creative Good, Mark Hurst brings a laundry list of Cool Tools to our show this week. Our highly productive discussion yields tips on how to properly rinse your text, type most efficiently and how you might casually pick up Mandarin Chinese in your spare time.

Howard Rheingold is a critic, writer, teacher, and artist; his specialties are on the cultural, social and political implications of modern communication media such as the Internet, mobile telephony, virtual communities, digital media and learning, and online co-learning. He joins the Cool Tools podcast this week to discuss how his budding interest in woodworking has enriched his creative projects and led him to amass a whole new arsenal of cool tools. In this episode, Howard shows us a thorough list of must-haves for any beginner in woodworking or circuit tinkering, as well as some quality-of-life items to cultivate a healthy working environment.

In this entertaining second installment of the Cool Tools podcast, Clive Thompson, author of Smarter Than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Minds for the Better, discusses the problem with laptop calculators, a surprising use for uncommonly bad tools, and what we all can do to stop stock photos from ruining the internet… all while introducing us to some terrific cool tools.

In this inaugural episode of The Cool Tools show, we pick the brain of guest David Pogue, founder of Yahoo Tech, for some lesser-known tips, tools, and life hacks. We move from discussing productivity apps, to office products, to kitchen appliances.

https://vimeo.com/65929310 Welcome to episode 3 of Cool Tools' Show and Tell podcast! This time, I had a video hangout with: Brian Heater, the Director of Media and Senior editor for Engadget, where he writes features, covers news and hosts the show and podcast. He’s written for Spin, Wired.com, The Onion, The New York Press, The Daily Beast, Entertainment weekly, Boing Boing, and elsewhere. His new podcast is called RIYL -- and he says “it's mostly just an excuse to interview people I think are cool.” He lives in Queens with a rabbit who was once featured on Boing Boing. and… Sean Michael Ragan, the technical editor for MAKE magazine and a long time contributor to Make’s online and print outlets. He edits the weekly "Toolsday" column online, as well as the Toolbox section of the print magazine. Brian and Sean showed and talked about eight different tools they love. Check them out at Cool Tools.

Welcome to the second episode of Cool Tools’ Show and Tell podcast! Last week, Camille Cloutier-Hartsell and I had a video hangout with Joshua Glenn and Oliver Hulland. We showed each other 18 different things we love, including books, kitchen tools, games, apps, and gadgets. Since this is a show and tell, I recommend that you watch the HD resolution video here so you can see the things we talked about. But it’s also available as an audio podcast subscription (Here’s the iTunes subscription link). Or, you can listen to or download this episode through Soundcloud. Toggl - Time tracking web application. Small Demons - Find references to people, places, and things from books. Camp-Microbust - Tiny air pump for backpackers. Pencil Extender - Use your pencil down to a stub. Fuji Instax Mini 8 - Surprisingly useful instant picture camera. Small light box - Illuminated backlight for tracing. F1 Seat Pak - Seatback-friendly travel bag. Vintage UMCO aluminum tackle box (model P-9) - Multi-compartment, two-sided. No longer being made but sometimes available on eBay. Coleman CPX6 High-Tech LED Lantern - Runs on 4 D batteries, or can use the interchangeable 6V CPX6 rechargeable battery pack (sold separately). Runs cool! Risk: Legacy - Great new spin on the classic board game. Aqua Mira - Water treatment drops for camping. Edible Wild Plants - Excellent guidebook to foraging your meals. Foraging Basket - Available at World Market stores Hotel Tonight - Last minute discount hotel stays. and more!