#2 - Everything Random
Welcome to the second edition of Everything Random. A regular post of links, articles, notes, ideas, and everything random living rent free in my head (and my open browser tabs). Hopefully you find them interesting. Some of these topics I'll explore further in future posts.
Quick Links
I am going to call this the Industrial Design Edition of Quick Links. I’ve always been a fan of good industrial design. When a company has put an equal amount of effort into function and form. A well designed product, feels like one you’ll use for a lifetime.
Meet Analogue Pocket. A multi-video-game-system portable handheld. A digital audio workstation with a built-in synthesizer and sequencer. A tribute to portable gaming. Out of the box, Pocket is compatible with the 2,780+ Game Boy, Game Boy Color & Game Boy Advance game cartridge library. Pocket works with cartridge adapters for other handheld systems, too. Like Game Gear. Neo Geo Pocket Color. Atari Lynx & more. Completely engineered in *two FPGAs.
No emulation.
I have only recently discovered Analogue, but they are quickly becoming a favorite for industrial design. The Pocket is a modernized Nintendo Game Boy, with a lot of bells and whistles added. The original Game Boy is my favorite gaming device, and one I carried everywhere with me. It’s really easy to tell from the design and features, that the people behind this really enjoy gaming.
Did you have a Game Boy or other portable gaming device? Let us know in the comments.
Blending style and utility, the Nano was made for the city. It’s the smart choice if you’re looking for convenience and need to cut around town quickly. The conscious choice if you’re looking to minimize your carbon footprint. The stylish choice if you’re looking for something with class.
Bandit9 describes it’s designs as… “Coveted by museums and collectors, Bandit9 produces futuristic vehicles at the intersection of science fiction and art through modern engineering and state-of-the-art technology.”
That’s a pretty accurate description for the automotive design company. They produce only a few products (if any) each year and have a strong focus on environmental and sustainable designs. Many of their products look straight out of a science fiction movie.
We made it, Now you can too.
Back when we started, we made our own computer cases to fit our own builds using a laser cutter, high density board and spray paint. It worked, but after a couple of literal computer crashes later, we turned to a lighter and sturdier design using aluminum. It's not a ground-breaking pc case, but we like it, and use it everyday. Now we'd like to share it with you.
The computer case above is called “computer–1” and ships in a flat pack that you assembly. It’s small, light, durable, and upgradable. Pretty much everything you’d want in a desktop case.
Teenage Engineer has been around since 2005. They are most known for their audio equipment. And I highly recommend you check out the designs they have on their website.
Beyond making their own products, they also do hardware design for other products. One particular product I’m a fan of the design is the Playdate from Panic. If you haven’t seen this bright yellow handheld gaming device, check it out. I wasn’t planning on having two portable gaming device in this newsletter… but here we are.
Learned Something New
Multipotentialite
I was recently introduced to the term multipotoentialite from someone that self identified that way. A term I had never heard before, I was obviously intrigued.
I was given a link to the TED Talk, Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling by Emilie Wapnick.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Well, if you're not sure you want to do just one thing for the rest of your life, you're not alone. In this illuminating talk, writer and artist Emilie Wapnick describes the kind of people they call "multipotentialites" -- who have a range of interests and jobs over one lifetime. Are you one?
The concept is not new (polymath, renaissance person, jack/jill of all trades, etc.) but Emily presents it in a fun and engaging way. She even has a book and website, Puttylike, dedicated to the topic. It’s a rabbit hole I highly recommend going down if you feel any connection to the TED Talk.
Living Rent Free
Three Year Old by Eric Church. This is an older song that come back in my head every so often. It’s from the Mr. Misunderstood album, which is one of my all time favorite records (and I’m not a big country fan).
If you have kids, you’ll relate to this song. Do you have any songs that just instantly makes you remember you kid(s)? Let me know in the comments.
That wraps up Edition #2 of Everything Random. Want to discuss further? Please leave a comment for discussion.