low-tech

Awesome DIY cell phone has universal appeal

This DIY cell phone created at MIT manages to have something for just about every major contemporary subculture or hipster subset I can think of.

Nerds and tinkerers? Check. Wooden case for the steampunk set? Check. Huge antenna for the retro, skinny-jeans-wearing set? Check. Big buttons for the fat-thumbed and Luddite crowd? Check. Rugged design for outdoorsy types? Check.

The folks at the MIT Media Lab created this prototype with an SM5100B GSM Module that takes a standard SIM card and a custom circuit board. The screen will take you back to the last century at 160x128 pixels and the laser cut wood and veneer enclosure is just one of many possible exteriors, given the availability of 3D printing. While far from a smartphone, voice, texting, and other slightly old-school functionality is possible. All told, the parts cost between $100 and $150.… Read more

9 low-tech accessories for your high-tech car

You have your high-tech smartphone paired to your high-tech ride. Now you want to make them work together and keep them working as safely and efficiently as they can. Sometimes there are high-tech solutions to enable that level of functionality, for example Bluetooth wireless connectivity, iPhone integration, or OBD-II interfacing technologies. However, in many cases, you may find yourself relying on good, old-fashioned low-tech solutions.

Jumper cables, cassette adapters, and tire pressure gauges--these are just some of the unsung heroes of the car tech world. These low-tech wonders have been around for much longer than the USB ports and touch-screen … Read more

Cutting board cleans up nicely

Cutting boards are the low-tech workhorses of the kitchen. As well they should be--if you are repeatedly taking a knife to other kitchen gear, chances are it won't be lasting long in your kitchen (and you should probably seek help). In the case of the cutting board, it's a kitchen essential designed to take it. While they come in different types of materials, they all pretty much do the same thing; offer a consistent surface for cutting meats and vegetables. If a cutting board can do this simple task, it usually will suffice. However, it's nice when … Read more

Yahoo falls into $12 range, Dow enters 8,000 territory

Yahoo fell into the $12-a-share-range Thursday, marking the second consecutive day its stock tumbled to a new low.

The Internet company dipped as low as $12.47 a share during intraday trading, before ending the day at $12.65 a share--down just over 8 percent.

Each time Yahoo's stock drops into a new dollar range, analysts have noted that the border crossing serves as a psychological landmark for investors.

On Wednesday day, Yahoo crossed the $13-a-share threshold. Fear and loathing seem to have taken hold of its stock, with analysts panning the company's prospects in display advertising, given … Read more

Sound Garden accessible again

Upon moving back to Seattle in 2000, one of my favorite discoveries was the Sound Garden, a public art project built by Doug Hollis in 1982 and 1983. It's on the grounds of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which adjoins Magnuson Park, a huge Seattle park that used to be a naval air station.

The Sound Garden consists of 12 towers, each with an attached contraption consisting of a hollow metal pipe and a metal fin or rudder. The rudders catch the wind off Lake Washington, and the contraptions rotate around the central pole of each tower … Read more