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April 30,2012- Gore Place: Waltham MA... |
This past Saturday was kind of cool, but very sunny. After running some errands, we thought we would see if there was anything happening which would get us outside. A few years ago, we went to a Sheepshearing Festival in Waltham MA. As it turns out, the festival was on until 5 PM.
The timing was perfect as it was just a little past noon and if we hurried and cleaned up, we could hop into the Boxster and be there with plenty of time remaining.
The festival was in full swing when we arrived. Parking was free (out in a big field) and there was plenty of it. The only drawback was there is only one entrance so there was a bit of a bottle-neck. As this was the 25th time for this particular festival, the organizers have worked out the logistics the best they could. They had cops directing traffic to ensured things kept flowing. We only had to wait a little bit before making our way onto the fair ground. Next year, to avoid the congestion, we may park at one of the auxiliary lots and... [more] - Gore Place: Waltham MA
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April 27,2012- The ones we use... |
After having had the pleasure of trying out dozens of different kinds of iPad accessories over the last two years, we realized that some get used way more often then others. It's not that the ones which don't get used aren't any good, it's just that we have finally settled on a way we use the iPad and some of those accessories better fit with our "way." Those accessories are:
We found ourselves using the iPad most often for the following tasks: checking email, looking up something on the web, and writing short articles. Where we are doesn't change how we use our iPad, but it does change how the iPad is set up. When we are at our desks, we like the iPad on a stand so it doesn't take up much desk space. We looked at a few stands and after using them for a while, we found Innopocket's HexaPose UStand to be the one we used most. The stand is stable and the grip on the iPad is sure. Putting the iPad on and taking it off is fast and simple. Another reason why we like the stand is that it blends well with the look of the rest of our Apple gear :-)
We used to have a protective film on the front of the iPad, but the GorillaGlass is so good that scratches have not been an issue for us. The iPad screens have been "naked" for the past year and a half and have remained scratch-free. The back of the iPad is another story. We protect it using a... [more] - iPad Accessories: The Ones We Use
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April 26,2012- iPad Keyboard... |
When the iPad first came out, we thought pairing it with a physical keyboard was a silly idea. We wrongly assumed the iPad's virtual keyboard would meet the occasional typing needs of most users. When we found ourselves typing more and more on the iPad, we wanted to see more of the screen than the virtual keyboard allowed. The tradeoff of carrying a physical a keyboard for more screen space was worth it to us. However, having tried many of the keyboards sized to pair with the iPad (Zaggmate, Logitech, Sena, ThinkGeek, Brando), we realized they all were flawed. The fundamental problem was that their size made them too uncomfortable for extended use, and by "extended," we mean for anything more than a few minutes of continuous typing. So we went looking for a better solution.
After trying a few different full-size keyboards, we realized that the best one to pair with the iPad was actually Apple's own Bluetooth keyboard. We do not mean the one with the 30-pin USB dock Apple created specifically for the iPad, but the... [more] - iPad Keyboard: Apple Wireless
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April 25,2012- BPG in the Spring... |
Boston is a beautiful city any time (Spring, Fall), but there is something extra special about it in the Spring. The rain last weekend had things blooming everywhere. We intended to go back to the Arboretum to see what else had popped, but instead went down to the Boston Public Garden (BPG) and said "Hi" to the ducklings.
The Boston Public Garden, America's first public botanical garden, was established in 1837. The design (lots of color, showy blooms, etc) was heavily influenced by the Victorian style of gardening. The garden's large series of formal plantings and the lagoon are maintained by... [more] - Boston Public Garden in the Spring
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April 24,2012- After The Rain... |
Some areas of the East Coast got hammered by the weather over the weekend, but the few inches of rain that fell in New England was much needed and very welcomed. In the RainyDayGarden, plants such as the wisteria and the Japanese Maple responded enthusiastically.
We were hoping to take advantage of the early Spring and get some of the seedlings into the ground earlier this year, but the lack of rain had us worried. While the basil seedlings are still quite small, the bean sprouts will be ready to go into the ground in another week or so. We have been... [more] - After The Rain
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April 23,2012- Shobu Aikido: Spring Gasshuku... |
Readers may be wondering why we were kind of quiet last week. The reason was that many of us were at the Shobu Aikido Spring Gasshuku. A Shobu Gasshuku only happens four times a year, and we try to attend when possible. These 3-day-long seminars are very different from regular practice in that they bring together students from all over. Many of the attendees were from other parts of New England--western MA, Vermont, Maine--but there were also Aikidokas from New York, Las Vegas, and even Quebec!
The three days (four if we also count the Thursday night class) of intensive training is different than attending regular classes in that it gives the instructor (Sensei Gleason in this case) the time to teach something over the course of a few days. It also lets the students maintain a focus that is... [more] - Shobu Aikido of Boston: Spring Gasshuku
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April 19,2012- Brain Hack #28... |
Many people have the impression that being creative is a talent: some people have it, some people don't. However, neurobiologists have a greater understanding of how the different parts of the brain interact with each other, and have realized something. The state of mind which fosters creativity is something which can be induced, exploited, and yes...hacked! In fact, people have been doing it for years.
A few years ago, we came across a few books (Mind Hacks, Mind Performance Hacks) on mind-hacking. The books are a great source of cool things one can do to the brain without the use of chemicals and their associated side-effects. Whenever we have some time on our hands, we flip through the books and select something to try. We, of course, are no strangers to... [more] - Brain Hack #28: Onar
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April 18,2012- Spring At The Arboretum... |
The Arnold Arboretum is a fantastic place to visit any time of the year (Spring, Fall, Winter). However, if we could only go once a year, then Spring would be it. While the colors of Fall at the Arboretum are spectacular, somehow we would still prefer the blooms of Spring.
We stopped by today to see how things were going and got quite a surprise. We knew the plants at the RainyDayGarden were a few weeks early this year, but the effect was entirely different at the Arnold Arboretum. Plants currently flowering are the magnolias, cherries, forsythia, early azaleas, redbud, Japanese andromeda, and many more. Go here for an interactive map of... [more] - Spring At The Arboretum
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April 17,2012- Macro In The Garden... |
The weather forecast for Marathon Monday was spot on: the mercury climbed to over 80º. While the steamy temperature was a challenge for the marathoners, the plants in the RainyDayGarden loved it.
The heat sped everything up. The daffodils, which had been blooming, perked up. The yellow tulips, which hadn't even turned yellow the day before, started to bloom. Even some of the irises got into the action. We took advantage got in some practice on shooting close-ups and... [more] -Macro In The Garden
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April 13,2012- RDG Update... |
A month ago the temperature hit 80º+, but like any aberration, it returned to the seasonal norm quickly enough. Those few days of warm weather in March jump-started all of the perennials in the RainyDayGarden and everything is about two weeks ahead of schedule. The only thing still lagging is the rain. Currently, the rain gauge is registering about 7" less than what should have fallen by now. Fortunately, a little bit of rain (and hail!) finally showed up yesterday. The plants really needed it as they were pretty parched!
Plants like the daffodils have been blooming since the end of March. A few tulips are starting to show some color and we expect to see one open in the next day or so, especially if the 75º forecast for... [more] -Mid-Spring Update
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April 12,2012- Manual Espresso Machines... |
There are three basic components to an espresso maker: the coffee holder, the water heater, and the high-pressure pump. After the coffee is ground to an appropriate fineness, it is added to a holder (portafilter) and tamped down to remove any air pockets. Heated water (190º-200º) is then forced through the coffee to create the espresso drink. We have two fully automated machines (Jura Z7, Gaggia Vision) in our office which take care of everyone's daily coffee needs. The automated units make pretty decent espressos, but how do they measure up to drinks made from the single-purpose espresso units? We have always wondered, but we will wonder no more.
The interns did some research, and found (and acquired) two espresso machines (Gaggia Classic, Saeco Aroma ) that are perfect for our little taste-test experiment. Both the Gaggia and the Saeco look to be very well-constructed units. The Gaggia was from Importika, an awesome source for caffeine-related machines and accessories. The Saeco we got from EverythingKitchens.com. They have a fantastic low-price guarantee, free shipping, and are... [more] -Manual Espresso Machines: FirstLook
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April 11,2012- SKB/Vixen Installation... |
Yesterday, we took a FirstLook at the waterproof case from SKB. Today, we will show how simple it was to create a custom-fit insert using the Pick-n-Pluck foam that came with the case, for the two pieces of Vixen equipment we want to protect.
We had to decide how best to layout the pieces inside the case. We removed two of the three foam layers so we could better understand how depth played in the layout. We worked through the various combinations to see what would work best. Things to consider are the space between the pieces and whether the items would bang against each other if... [more] -SKB/Vixen Installation
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April 10,2012- SKB i-Series Waterproof Case... |
When we took the Vixen Polarie mount and the Polar axis scope to L.A., it was easy enough to pack it in the carry-on case. That got us to thinking that we should get a dedicated case to protect the mount and the polar scope for when we use it in the wild. There are a couple of well known makers (Pelican, Storm, Otterbox) of ruggedized cases suitable for such a situation. We have looked at many of them in the past, and normally we would have gone with something from one of them. However, a while back a reader told us about a company called SKB after reading our DIY article about retrofitting a Pelican case. We had never heard of SKB, so we investigated.
SKB got its start in 1977 making guitar cases in a small garage in Anaheim, California. Today, SKB is a leader in the design and manufacture of molded polymer cases that are used in a wide range of... [more] -SKB iSeries Waterproof Case
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April 9,2012- NYIAS 2012: Pure Electric Vehicles... |
One thing is certain, oil is a finite resource and one day it will be gone. With $10/gallon gas possibly in our future, electric-powered vehicle's time may come sooner rather than later. Car makers have been demo-ing pure electric-powered vehicles (PEVs) at NYIAS for many years and show goers have been teased with futuristic concept cars and prototypes, but none of them were available to the consumers. Last year, a few (Nissan LEAF, Chevy Volt) companies finally began selling models which can actually purchased.
While each generation of e-car has seen significant improvements in battery life and driving range, there are still many issues (cost, refueling time, etc) to be addressed. As the majority of commuters drive less than 50 miles total each day, electric cars builder such as Ford have made the 100-mile range their... [more] -NYIAS 201: Electric Vehicles
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April 5,2012- NYIAS 2012: Porsche Boxster... |
The Boxster (Type:986) was introduced to the world in 1997. Even though the Boxster is an entry-level Porsche, it was a chance for Porsche engineers to start with a clean slate. What emerged was a two-seater sports car suitable for year-round driving, even in New England. In the intervening fifteen years, this affordable Porsche has developed a large and devoted following. There are car clubs and online forums (986, PedrosBoard) dedicated to the mid-engine roadster. The appeal is understandable. The Boxster is great looking, well-engineered, and incredibly fun to drive. We have had ours for over 10 years and can't imagine driving anything else.
The Boxster has seen a couple of significant updates since its introduction. The first (Type: 987) was back in 2005. With a bigger engine and some cosmetic and mechanical refinements, the 987 addressed some of the requests and lessons learned from the 986. A more powerful engine gave the car more snap off the line and agility when maneuvering. At the start of 2012, Porsche unveiled the next generation of Boxster (Type: 981). This time around, Porsche went... [more] -NYIAS 201: Electric Vehicles
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April 4,2012- NYIAS 2012... |
The RainyDayGarage folks make the trek to NYC every year for the New York International Auto Show (NYIAC). While the show does not open to the public until Friday, they drove down on Tuesday to catch the two-day press-only event.
Attending Press Day is a much more enjoyable way to see the show for a couple of reasons. First, as the show hasn't officially opened, there is no wait to get inside, and once you do, the floor traffic is very light. Second, the vendors are... [more] -NYIAS 2012
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April 2,2012- Kata TLB-300 PL... |
Shooting with a long zoom or telephoto lens is a challenging task, but the dramatic photos (hawk, tiger, peacock) you get are often worth the effort. The problem is that a good lens in the 300mm range or longer tends to be big, heavy, and unwieldy. Bringing one along on a hike is not something one would want to do...until now. The folks at Kata Bags (our favorite camera bag company) have designed a few backpacks (TLB-300 PL, TLB-600 PL) specifically for photographers who wish they could take their monster lens with them on their treks.
Today we are going to take a FirstLook at the Kata TLB-300 PL. The TLB-300 PL is a special purpose bag designed to safely transport a long telephoto lens with a body attached. Like other Kata bags built to carry large camera equipment, this bag is well padded and offers substantial protection for the gear inside it. However, unlike those bags, this one was designed as a backpack. Similar to a large backpack, this backpack has an internal frame, comfortable shoulder straps, and a waist belt. Unlike a large camping backpack, this unit is not a... [more] -Kata TLB-300 PL FirstLook
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