2015-05-10

Notes.

An actual request: Zach and I will be working all Memorial Day weekend on assembling production quantities (2100 units!) of The Public Radio. And we need help! If you're in NYC and want to learn about hardware and Kickstarter fulfillment, give me a holler! We've got a bunch of open shifts, all of which come with lunch, and we'll guarantee some good conversation while you're there.

Last week two big things happened: We built the first pre-batch of Pubic Radios, and I got a new (and fully functional) 3d printed titanium seatmast topper - which is now on its way to Germany to be tested.

^ Both of these things are a big deal to me.

Pathfinding.

• Hawaii is voting to go 100% renewable by 2045.
• Being apart from your significant other, and figuring out how to still feel close.

Building.

• McMaster-Carr released an iPhone app. So far, I like it.
• Laser headlights have the potential to be really cool. Audi and BMW have been working on them for a while, and Audi's claims about what theirs will do (selective dimming, projecting additional information on the roadway, etc) are super futuristic and also kind of believable.
• Why 3D printed shoes still aren't a thing. TL;DR: Some really good reasons.
• Alpha case is a (usually very thin) oxidize layer that forms when titanium is heated above 480°C. It's very hard, brittle, and (as I can attest from my recent experience tapping 3D printed titanium parts) *very* difficult to cut.
• Gallium nitride power transistors are getting cheaper than silicon.

Logistics.

• The FAA is going to allow some companies to violate the mandate that drones must be flown within line-of-sight of a human operator. The first three permits to do so were given to PrecisionHawk (to study farmland), BNSF (to inspect rail beds), and CNN.
• A good overview of how (and why) all the "sharing economy" companies (e.g. Uber) are flouting labor laws.
• This is intuitive now, but self-driving cars will free up a *lot* of real estate.

Evaluation.

• A short and really astute description of what Kickstarter really is: A system for distribution of risk. I totally agree with this perspective, and think Kickstarter's role in the product development ecosystem is really important.
• Microsoft is seeming cooler and cooler these days.
• Buzzfeed's analysis of #talkpay, the twitter meme in which people published their own salaries.

Stuff that doesn't fit into my dumb/arbitrary categories.

• I *really* like that someone forked our idea for The Public Radio.
• ...And meanwhile, an early backer of our Kickstarter campaign recorded a video of him unboxing his Public Radio Maker Kit. It's really endearing.

And.

The first of Wait but Why's series of interviews with Elon Musk.