Cool Tools
Technology Podcasts
In each episode of the Cool Tools Show, Kevin Kelly and Mark Frauenfelder talk to a guest about some of his or her favorite uncommon and uncommonly good tools they think others should know about.
Location:
United States
Description:
In each episode of the Cool Tools Show, Kevin Kelly and Mark Frauenfelder talk to a guest about some of his or her favorite uncommon and uncommonly good tools they think others should know about.
Language:
English
Episodes
404: Adam Hill
3/15/2024
Adam Hill (He/Him) is a dad who loves science, cooking, math, engineering, skepticism, espresso, and politics! He has been a teacher, an engineer, and now a software business analyst. Curiosity now and forever!
TOOLS:
0:00 – Intro
0:46 – Burley Bee Bike Trailer
5:20 – Nanofoamer Pro
12:07 – Magsafe wallet
16:22 – Eat Your Books
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xFTW8E6aSVI
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/adam-hill-software-business-analyst/
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form.
Duration:00:33:26
403: Mia Coots
3/8/2024
Mia Coots is a Senior at Nokomis Regional High in central Maine and an amazing presenter for the Student Leadership Ambassadors of Maine for the Department of Education.
LINKS:
http://SLAMShow.org
TOOLS:
0:00 – Intro
0:53 – ATEM Mini Switcher
7:50 – Rode Wireless II Mics
15:22 – MuteSync
18:50 – Canva
Watch on YouTube
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/mia-coots-student/
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7
Duration:00:32:42
402: Josué Moreno
3/1/2024
Josué Moreno, a Spanish composer and sound artist, has made Finland his home, where he inspires the next generation of musicians as a teacher at the prestigious Sibelius Academy’s Music Technology Department. Known for pioneering Urban Sonic Acupuncture, Josué seamlessly blends the vibrancy of live electronic compositions with the innovative realms of Computer-Assisted Composition and Generative Arts. Since 2017, he has been creating interactive soundwalking experiences through cutting-edge phone applications and guided sonic acupuncture exercises broadcasted through engaging radio shows. Josué Moreno’s work is an invitation to reshape how we engage with the sounds that surround us.
LINKS:
Website
YouTube
TOOLS:
0:00 – Intro
1:02 – Roland Mobile Cube
10:39 – Max Music Software
25:08 – Overleaf
33:01 – Ulysses
Watch on YouTube
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/josue-moreno-composer-and-sound-artist/
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form.
Duration:00:52:04
401: Kern Kelley
2/16/2024
Kern Kelley is a Technology Integrator at Maine School Unit #19. Starting his teaching career in New Zealand, he has provided support to educators for over two decades and conducted professional development across the globe. He advises a student produced technology show for the Maine Department of Education at MLTI.me and brings his student presenters, the Student Leadership Ambassadors of Maine to numerous conferences around the world and authored the Google Apps Guidebook.
TOOLS:
0:00 – Intro
0:45 – Air Rocket Launcher Educational Kit
9:44 – Creality CR-30 3D Mill Infinite Z Belt Printer
16:33 – GoPro Hero 10 (used with High Altitude Balloon Launches)
21:57 – DJI Mavic Pro 3
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rx09sOuX9Uk
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/kern-kelley-technology-integrator/
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7
Duration:00:32:40
400: Rich Edwards
2/9/2024
Rich Edwards is the CEO of Mindspan Systems, which helps community financial institutions transform themselves with data-driven strategies and technologies. Rich has worked extensively with banking, insurance, and financial services clients worldwide during his career. He has led product strategy in data center automation and artificial intelligence, including the launch of IBM Watson Developer Cloud. Rich has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served as an engineering officer in the US Army. You can follow Rich on Twitter @richedwards.
TOOLS:
0:00 – Intro
0:35 – Uni Core mechanical pencil
7:05 – Scotch tape runner (extra strength)
14:43 – Making a 1993 factory car phone fully functional today (a triumph in defeating obsolescence)
17:01 – Matter, turn any webpage into an audio book (great Evernote companion)
Watch on YouTube
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/rich-edwards-ceo-of-mindspan-systems/
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form.
Duration:00:42:17
399: Brent Deverman
2/2/2024
Brent Deverman founded and sold a China-based internet startup providing services to tourists and English speakers based in Shenzhen, China. With over 20 years of experience in software development, analytics, digital transformation, and e-commerce development, Brent has also executed technical projects for HSBC, CNN, DFS, and AIA. He graduated from Michigan State University with a dual degree in Computer Science and East Asian Studies.
Personal Website
LinkedIn
TOOLS:
0:00 – Intro
1:22 – Rust
7:20 – Readwise
12:47 – Minaal Carry on Bag 3.0
19:47 – Slate AX Travel Router
Watch on YouTube
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/brent-deverman-consultant/
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form.
Duration:00:36:41
398: Chris Butler
1/26/2024
Chris Butler is a chaotic good product manager, writer, and speaker. He has extensive experience in product management leadership at Microsoft, Waze, KAYAK, Facebook Reality Labs (aka Meta), and Cognizant. He is now Group Product Manager in Google’s Core Machine Learning team. He is also the co-founder of The Uncertainty Project a community focused on decision making and strategy.
LINKS:
LinkedIn
The Uncertainty Project
Chris Butler's product, strategy, randomness, adversarial, and AI/ML talks
Twitter
TOOLS:
0:00 - Intro
1:43 - Delegation Poker cards
12:10 - Work Kit of Design Fiction
29:46 - The Decider app
34:24 - Flipper Zero
44:32 - The Uncertainty Project
Watch on YouTube
For show notes and transcript visit
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form.
Duration:00:54:23
397: Bud Thorpe
1/19/2024
Bud Thorpe is a long time photographer, a life long educator, and former paramedic. He and his wife specialize in creating artwork of dogs (and their well behaved families). They run the Dog Art Gallery in historic Portsmouth New Hampshire. He teaches studio lighting for photographers online at The Master Lighting Course. His website is BudThorpe.com.
TOOLS:
0:00 – Intro
1:03 – Knipex 12 62 180, Self Adjusting Wire Stripper
8:47 – Snap-On TMS4E 1/4″ drive Speeder
17:49 – Titanium AAA Flashlight by Maratac REV 5
25:21 – Volty Switch Keychain Multimeter
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BSZNulvab54
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/bud-thorpe-photographer/
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form.
Duration:00:48:52
396: Davey Rogulich
1/12/2024
Davey Rogulich is a Stagehand and Maker from Albuquerque, NM. He has toured internationally with Tricklock Theater Company and throughout the US with “Blue Man Group” and “Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan!”. He is currently the Technical Director of NDI New Mexico at The Hiland Theater in Albuquerque and the owner of Davey Craft & Tools. His hobbies include woodworking, leather working, aircraft restoration, collecting tools, and caring for orchids in his greenhouse. You can find Davey on Instagram @daveycraftandtools.
TOOLS:
0:00 - Intro
1:03 - Knipex 12 62 180, Self Adjusting Wire Stripper: https://www.kctool.com/knipex-automatic-wire-insulation-stripper-awg-24-10/
8:47 - Snap-On TMS4E 1/4" drive Speeder: https://shop.snapon.com/product/Speeders%2C-Chrome-(1-4%22)/1-4%22-Drive-16%22-Speeder-Drive-Handle/TMS4E
17:49 - Titanium AAA Flashlight by Maratac REV 5: https://countycomm.com/collections/aaa-flashlights/products/polished-titanium-maratac-aaa-flashlight-rev-4
25:21 - Volty Switch Keychain Multimeter: https://pcpoodle.com/products/volty-switch-keychain-multimeter-leatherman-compatible
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r9C9Y0rKD1c
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/davey-rogulich-stagehand-and-maker/
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7
Duration:00:40:26
395: Mike Harris
12/15/2023
Mike Harris legal assistant, bookworm and amateur photographer who likes the surreal and the silly. Mike writes a newsletter called ThinkTrove, where he wrangles the week's wonders.
TOOLS:
0:00 - Intro
1:02 - Fidget cube: https://www.antsylabs.com/collections/fidget-cube
5:34 - MyNoise.Net: https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/japaneseGardenSoundscapeGenerator.php
11:46 - Inoreader: https://www.inoreader.com
16:44 - Periodically: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.periodically
22:11 - ThinkTrove: https://www.thinktrove.org
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5Lxj2u4CjPg
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/mike-harris-legal-assistant/
Duration:00:28:37
394: Casper Kelly
12/8/2023
Casper Kelly is a writer/director of weird TV and movies including the viral short Too Many Cooks and the 2023 horror movie Adult Swim Yule Log. His website is casperkelly.com and he's on Twitter and Instagram @heycasperkelly.
TOOLS:
0:00 - Intro
0:43 - Chromadepth glasses: https://geni.us/cbvJf
4:53 - Mage.space: https://www.mage.space
21:51 - Tiny Habits; https://bjfogg.typeform.com/to/QXc0WJ?
25:04 - Focusmate: https://www.focusmate.com/
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mQ-ynOLZNgg
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/casper-kelly-writer-director/
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7
Duration:01:14:49
393: Marc Payne
12/1/2023
Marc Payne is an IT specialist working for the Federal Government. My passion is flipping items via thrift stores, yard sales and retail arbitrage on Ebay and Amazon. You can find Marc on Twitter @houseofpayne.
TOOLS:
0:00 - Intro
2:24- Index cards: https://geni.us/Jc1f7
7:54 - Box resizer: https://geni.us/xGGHI
12:34 - Scotty peelers: https://geni.us/qUEr9Dy
17:12 - 3” packing tape dispenser: https://geni.us/fBjclC6
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uVCwU78XimE
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/marc-payne-it-specialist/
Duration:00:40:02
392: Theodore Gray
11/17/2023
Theodore Gray is a co-founder of Wolfram Research and creator of the Notebook user interface (since lovingly copied by Jupyter Notebooks). He is the author of several books and iPad apps including the NYTs best-seller The Elements, and writer/director of Disney Animated (BAFTA award winner and Apple's iPad App of the Year 2013). His latest book is TOOLS, which is all about his favorite tools.
Website: https://theodoregray.com
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/k2eZ4W7VgYs
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/theodore-gray-co-founder-of-wolfram-research-3/
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7
Duration:00:58:41
391: Tom Robertson
11/10/2023
EDITOR NOTE: Due to technical audio issues, this episode might sound better for those listening at 1.5x or 2x speed.
Tom Robertson is an IT professional, currently leading IT at FreshBooks out of Toronto, Canada. Tom has a background in theatre, and has written and produced several shows in the Toronto area. In his spare time, he enjoys computer related hobbies, and has built a retro arcade cabinet, a kitchen display, and during Covid wrote an automated newsletter summarizing Covid numbers for his home province of Ontario. His website is tommertron.com.
TOOLS:
0:00 - Intro
1:40 - Ryobi Inflator: https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ryobi-18v-one-high-volume-power-inflator-tool-only-/1001063829
7:43 - Partake Non-Alcoholic IPA: https://drinkpartake.com/collections/beers/products/ipa-ca?variant=40002665611469
11:16 - Anker GAN Prime Charger: https://www.anker.com/products/a2148?ref=ganprime_top_itemlist&discount=WS7D5ZM242
15:26 - Dakboard: https://dakboard.com/site
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uw1vvpwFeHI
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/tom-robertson-it-professional
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7
Duration:00:31:59
390: Miles Hunter
11/3/2023
Miles Hunter is a UX researcher, based out of Seattle but originally a Brit. Learning to woodwork. I enjoy restoring things, everything from old tools to video and photos.
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mileshunter/
TOOLS:
0:00 - Intro
0:53 - Evaporust rust remover: https://www.evapo-rust.com/evapo-rust-remover/
5:29 - Incogni - personal information removal service: https://incogni.com/
10:17 - Japanese 'paper clam' for clipping together papers more securely than a paperclip: https://geni.us/siEAg0
14:34 - Topaz Video AI - video enhancement tool for slow resolution video: https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-video-ai
22:35 - Miles Hunter’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/aboutmiles
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XpUiFkeUGCY
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/miles-hunter-ux-researcher/
Duration:00:29:26
389: Will Walker
10/27/2023
Will Walker is a lead human interface designer at Google, working on wearables, digital assistants, generative AI and conversational controls. His design career has spanned across interfaces for hybrid digital maps, 3d printers and volumetric scanners to leading the design of exotic running shoes. He paints, hikes, plants and rennovates a victorian with his daughter, partner and shiba in San Francisco and sunny Oakland CA. You can find him on Instagram @wr_walker and on Twitter @walkerwill.
Website: www.willwalker.design
TOOLS:
0:00 - Intro
2:00 - Supercritical dryer for making aerogels: https://www.tousimis.com/critical_point_dryers/MEMS_drying_system.html
13:40 - Paint shaver pro for historic plaster restoration: https://paintshaver.com/paintshaver-pro/
23:18 - Abacus for finite element analysis for design of structural gels or foams:
https://www.3ds.com/products-services/simulia/products/abaqus/
32:49 - Form 3 resin printer for biohacking or making ceramic slip cast molds: https://formlabs.com/store/refurbished-3d-printers/refurbished-form-3-package/
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MitjxPvqF6s
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/will-walker-lead-designer-at-google/
To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/qc496XB6bGbrAEKK7
Duration:00:49:56
387: David Buxton
10/20/2023
David Buxton is a tech founder based in London, UK. He loves making stuff, especially with software. He's also a qualified pilot and a pretty good cook.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmrbuxton/
Website: https://hrharriet.com
TOOLS:
0:45 - Workflowy: https://workflowy.com
12:54 - Tern GSD e-bicycle: https://www.ternbicycles.com/uk/bikes/472/gsd
19:47 - Langchain (LLM dev framework): https://python.langchain.com/docs/get_started/introduction.html
27:29 - Leuchtturm Line a Day journal: https://geni.us/v0B7C5k
35:43 - Harriet AI HR assistant: https://hrharriet.com
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dp4IcBImx-U
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/david-buxton-tech-founder/
Duration:00:56:55
387: Asa Hillis
10/13/2023
Asa Hillis is a furniture maker who lives in Silicon Valley. He is known for creating pieces of furniture that have a timeless quality. Asa combines traditional and modern techniques, including CNCs and 3D printers, to craft his furniture from wood and metal. He is currently managing Behind The Tech Labs in Los Gatos, CA. When he is not working in the shop, Asa enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, and standard poodle.
Website: asahillis.com
Instagram: @asahillis
TOOLS:
1:00 - Wixey digital angle gauge: https://geni.us/f20Hgi
6:42 - Surge leatherman: https://geni.us/a7sz91
14:49 - Festool domino: https://www.festoolusa.com/products/domino-joining-system/domino-joining-machines/576419---df-500-q-plus-us#Overview
25:44 - Shaper Origin: https://www.shapertools.com/en-us/
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MOH98lczKFM
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/asa-hillis-furniture-maker/
Duration:00:45:35
386: Natalie Buda Smith
10/6/2023
Natalie Buda Smith is Director of Digital Strategy at the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. Her career spans three decades in design, technology, and culture. The Library of Congress serves millions daily in their pursuit of researching our rich cultural archives, understanding U.S. legislation, and serving our nation's creative communities through Copyright.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliebuda/
TOOLS:
0:00 - Intro
1:09 - Newspaper Navigator: https://news-navigator.labs.loc.gov
6:55 - Citizen DJ: https://citizen-dj.labs.loc.gov
11:44 - Library of Congress photo library: https://loc.gov/free-to-use
16:39 - Lib guides: https://guides.loc.gov
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NAShjOghAWo
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/natalie-buda-smith-digital-strategy-director-at-library-of-congress/
Duration:00:30:03
385: Arun Venkatesan
9/29/2023
Arun is a product designer, engineer, photographer, and writer. Most recently, he was co-founder and product designer at Carrot Fertility. He writes at arun.is.
TOOLS:
0:00 - Intro
0:49 - BMI 40b x4 tape measure: http://www.bmitools.com/ads/products/categories/steeltapemeasures/window-tape.html
6:26 - BMI Inklinat level: https://www.bmi.de/en/products-spirit-levels-682-inklinat.php
10:00 - Merco packing tape dispenser: https://mercotape.com/products/merco-dtn
15:00 - Pinecil soldering iron: https://www.pine64.org/pinecil/
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Mu8HC75K78M
For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/arun-venkatesan-product-designer/
Duration:00:27:00