Where does he get those wonderful toys?
If it doesn’t start there automatically, my favorite line from the 1989 Batman is “Where does he get those wonderful toys?” (at 1:17 into this trailer). It’s just such a perfect description of how I find geek tools to be both empowering and entertaining.
A friend recently asked if I had any links to share and I thought I’d start the new year with a list of some of the blogs that I read. My hope is this provides that answer to your question about my toys (yes in this fantasy, I am Batman).
Mental Floss – Some blogs are on my reading list just for me. I almost never plan on sharing anything I find on Mental Floss (it’s my guilty pleasure) but often the factoids and trivia I pickup here filter their way into my conversations. I feel like I owe them a permanent footnote after my banter but as I’m not going to end each sentence with “fact provided by Mental Floss”, this shoutout is going to have to do. My favorite fact to date?
In Dom Perignon’s day, bubbles were considered a serious wine flaw, and the good monk actually went to considerable lengths to eliminate them during his 47 years as cellar-master.
Check it out and enjoy.
Flowing Data – The lovely graphs and well… data make this site a truly fascinating read. I’m certainly not a visualization fanatic, but I adore the beauty of this rapidly growing field. Maybe the blog’s author won’t appreciate it, but it appeals to the same parts of me that enjoy shopping at Muji or the Apple store.
Lifehacker – The brain child of Gina Trapani, Lifehacker has developed into one of the most vast compilations of useful information on the web. I can’t count the number of times I’ve searched (on Google) with the terms “Lifehacker” and my query (like best chat client). It’s just a fantastic way to get at the old stuff. Moreover, what makes me really jealous is that the new stuff is good too… These little nuggets will sit in your brain until needed. Here’s a recent article that I thought exemplified the best of the blog:
Weburbanist – Although this is the noisiest site I’ve ever seen, the RSS feed is bearable and worth a read. The point seems to be featuring gorgeous photography and design and the blog succeeds most of the time. Sometimes it’s not my cup of tea but it’s often at least entertaining. Here’s a taste:
Gizmodo – You cannot love gadgets and not be drawn to Gizmodo. The site really doesn’t need much of a description – they review the coolest, newest stuff and tell us all the gory rumors. Interested in hearing about the much hyped mac tablet? Check Gizmodo. Want someone simply to tell you which gadgets are hot? Read this article:
That’s probably enough for now. Remember to use Google Reader to maximize your blog reading experience!
Enjoy
~ab
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