Cool Tools

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414: Michael Garfield Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

Paleontologist-Futurist Michael Garfield works in mind-jazz across genres to help navigating our world of accelerating weirdness and cultivate the curiosity and play for people to thrived in it. Host of Future Fossils, former Digital Media Strategist for The Santa Fe Institute and host of Complexity Podcast, former Community Manager for The Long Now Foundation and Research Analyst for a stealth Mozilla AI spin out, his latest project Humans On The Loop examines agency in the age of automation through conversation, music, essay, social weaving, and the rearing of bespoke language models.

LINKTREE SUBSTACK YOUTUBE TWITTER

TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 1:01 – Boss RC-505 mkII Loopstation 16:53 – Brunton Transit pocket compass 25:47 – Black Diamond Storm 500-R headlamp 33:17 – FLUXX by Looney Labs 42:14 – Humans on the Loop

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VdHo_mkIAkc

For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/michael-garfield-paleontologist-futurist/

To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7

413: Doug Burke Dec 13, 2024

Show notes

Mr. Burke is a serial entrepreneur. Mr. Burke has over 34 years of enterprise software company management and start-up experience and has worked for 11 software and technology services companies. Mr. Burke is a father of 3 kids and husband to his lovely wife, Irina.

WEBSITE

TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 0:31 – Leatherman Skeletool 6:13 – Samsung Galaxy Ring 14:26 – Kindle Paperwhite 19:27 – SimpleNote 23:17 – Cognitive Medical Systems

For show notes and transcript visit: https://youtu.be/gKYcYmR9Eok

To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7

412: Christina K Dec 06, 2024

Show notes

Christina K. is a home organizer based out of metro Vancouver area. She helps the neurodivergent to the neurotypical find space and peace in their home whether virtually or in person. She also in a previous life was a marketing coordinator helping small and big businesses in the tech space find their voice in a loud world. When not working you can find her baking, watching educational YouTube or collecting too many squishmallows.

WEBSITE INSTAGRAM

TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 0:38 – Snackle Box 4:57 – Finch 9:50 – Buy Nothing Facebook Groups 15:21 – Apple Password Manager

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Vy8sEYZLDw8

For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/christina-k-home-organizer/

To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7

411: Chordophony Nov 29, 2024

Show notes

Based in Texas, Chordophony, is a software engineer by day who moonlights as a music technologist and sound explorer. He has developed innovative devices and software to facilitate sonic creation and streamline production workflows. Chordophony is an avid collector and enthusiast of music-related tools and instruments.

Social Media Links:Instagram.com/chordophony Twitter.com/chordophony

TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 0:45 – Bluetooth MIDI Footpedal 8:18 – iPad Air as musical instrument 13:45 – AUM 20:10 – Custom Hybrid Pedalboards (aka CHyPboards)

Watch on YouTube For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/chordophony-music-technologist/ To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7

410: RJ Andrews Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

Data storyteller RJ Andrews is obsessed with data graphics. He helps organizations solve high-stakes problems with visual metaphors and persuasive graphics. He recently produced designs for The White House, Google, and MIT. RJ's newest book is "Info We Trust: How to Create Value with Data Graphics." He is also author of "Florence Nightingale: Mortality and Health Diagrams" and other works. Learn about all publications at Visionary Press. RJ lives/works in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco.

Links: Newsletter X Profile Bluesky Profile

TOOLS:0:00 – Intro 0:47 – Cheap book cradle (airplane neck pillow) 2:30 – Weighted bookmark 9:00 – Bendable neck reading light 12:58 – Giant desktop bookstand 20:43 – Visionary Press 20:43 – Info We Trust

Watch on YouTube For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/rj-andrews-data-storyteller/ To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7

409: Julian Bleecker Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

Julian Bleecker, Ph.D., is an accomplished engineer and author with a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, an MSEng from the University of Washington, and a Ph.D. from UC Santa Cruz. He founded Near Future Laboratory in 2005 and OMATA, a one-person innovative hardware product design studio, in 2014, which he sold in 2022. Julian has written It's Time To Imagine Harder and co-authored The Manual of Design Fiction. He also wrote the influential essay, Design Fiction: A Short Essay on Design, Science, Fact and Fiction. His engineering expertise and innovative work in Design Fiction have significantly shaped creative practices worldwide.

Near Future Laboratory Podcast LinkedIn Instagram

TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 0:34 – Baofeng 5RM Multi-Band Ham Radio 7:43 – Make Playing Cards 17:08 – Sendy.co and Instructions 24:23 – Astro + Netlify

Watch on YouTube For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/julian-bleecker-engineer-and-author/

To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7

408: Mac Moss Sep 13, 2024

Show notes

Mac Moss is an Idaho based graphic designer who operates his own one man studio known as mm.s. Heavily inspired by science fiction and the American West, his work has naturally drifted into predominantly the outdoor industry. Outside of work, Mac races competitively at ultra marathon distances. TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 1:29 – Solar Awareness / Lumos Sun Tracking App 11:27 – Hori Hori Garden Tool 14:41 – Sodastream Hack 21:51 – Quanta Vinyl Streaming 30:11 – Getty Pacific Standard Time exhibit 30:35 – The Ecology Center LINKS: Instagram: @macmoss.studio Website: macmoss.studio Watch on YouTube For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/mac-moss-graphic-designer/ To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7

407: David Rager Sep 06, 2024

Show notes

David Rager is an accomplished Creative Director with over two decades of experience in design leadership, brand building, and environmental experiences. As NASA's current Creative Director, he oversees the agency's visual brand and iconic Graphics Standards Manual and is responsible for reintroducing the NASA Logotype (Worm). Previously, Rager led teams at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Disney, the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, and the New Museum, and co-founded Weekends, a design studio operating between Paris and Los Angeles.

TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 1:29 – Solar Awareness / Lumos Sun Tracking App 11:27 – Hori Hori Garden Tool 14:41 – Sodastream Hack 21:51 – Quanta Vinyl Streaming 30:11 – Getty Pacific Standard Time exhibit 30:35 – The Ecology Center

Watch on YouTube For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/david-rager-creative-director-at-nasa/ To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7

406: Danny Kim Aug 30, 2024

Show notes

ABOUT DANNY KIM: 20+ years of vehicle architecture & prototype development. Inventor w/ 65 issued int'l patents, 22 USPTOs. Focus of HBS case study: Industrial design & sustainable transportation. Former Land Rover mechanic, machinist, woodworker, welder, and vehicle integrator. Reed College, UCB, RISD, & Media Lab.

LINKS: LIT Motors Wefunder Flickr Instagram YouTube

TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 1:19 – 48″ Margining steel lead screw shaft Rockwell 52 (AKA Handy File) 7:48 – Spectrum 375 Plasma Cutter (1/2″ lightsaber "Scissors') 14:35 – Edwards 65 Ton Ironworker 16:07 – Miller MIG Welder 23:58 – Maybe cardboard would be a prototyping tool 23:49 – LIT Motors prototype

Watch on YouTube For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/danny-kim-inventor/

405: Aishwarya Khanduja Aug 23, 2024

Show notes

Aishwarya Khanduja is the founder of a stealth entity working to solve wicked problems through lenses of complexity, markets, and power. She's spent the majority of her career thus far being a founder or supporting founders. Her companies span biotech, ed-tech, and the future of work. She writes a weekly letter, essays, technical primers, and other musings on aishwaryadoingthings.com. TOOLS: 0:00 - Intro 1:08 - Hero 329 pen: https://geni.us/jcjsKx 8:48 - bamboo book stand: https://geni.us/mPf9 11:06 - tetr app: https://tetr.app/ 16:30 - vestoj: the journal of sartorial matters: https://vestoj.com/buy/ 24:20 - The Analogue: https://www.theanalogue.group Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/R-CNQMPVXxE For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/aishwarya-khanduja-social-and-health-tech-innovator/ To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7

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