The best of Public Access Vol.14: Giving thanks
Today is Thanksgiving day in the United States, when folks gather round a table to eat, drink and appreciate all the people in their lives. Here at Public Access, we want to give thanks too -- to all of you out there who have contributed articles, shared stories and stayed eagerly glued to our Public Access home page. We really, truly could not do it without you, so hey, thanks!
Since it launched in June, Public Access members have published over 275 stories on everything from their first screen names to playlists, how-to's to opinion pieces. We've had GIF parties, we've shared our favorite apps, we've interviewed Lil Jon, argued over Star Wars, and given back up advice. But we've just gotten started on making Public Access the very best place on the internet for stories on the ways in which technology, the internet, gadgets and devices, entertainment, and science intersect with our lives -- and there is much more in store.
Next week there's some big, big news happening so stay close to the home page! Also, if you're a Public Access member keep an eye out for a survey from us. We'll be sending out a link you can use so to weigh in on what you like about Public Access, what isn't working well for you and what you'd like to see more of. If you'd like to reach us in the meantime, you can email us at: publicaccess@engadget.com. If you want to contribute to Public Access, then sign on up here.
Recommended Reading
"I think that the reason so many of us love Star Wars so much is because it creates a different world. It's just nice to suddenly find yourself in a world full of droids, podracers, stormtroopers, and Gungans. The idea of a universe where a great struggle between two different sides of the force takes place is somehow enthralling. But the memory of the movies that inspired that world in our imagination starts to fade as the movies begin to get older, and the universe too begins to disappear."
Read the rest of Is a Star Wars Reboot Good for the Fans?
"But what happens to that understanding when you take away a key sense – your sight? When learning how to count, you learn that six is greater than three. Imagine how hard it is to then be told that one sixth is less than one third, without being able to see it explained and drawn out in front of you? 3D printing allows for fractions to be taught in a physical sense, giving vision impaired students the opportunity to feel rather than see that the printed object representing one third is indeed larger than the object representing one sixth."
Read the rest of How to Make Math Tangible With 3D Printing
"For many good reasons—but most typically related to cost—the deployments of a new technology are often done in a more limited way than what the technology could potentially enable. While the business analyst side of me understands why those decisions are made, the performance geek side of me is often disappointed."
Read the rest of The Best New Notebook May Not Be a Notebook
Your dose of inspiration
This is where we usually give details on the latest Public Access assignment topics, but this time we're going to try something else -- Instead, here are some of the topics, gadgets and news that the Engadget editorial team have been discussing and chatting about amongst ourselves: Goat GIFs and how we love them, whether or not this facetious Buzzfeed article is dumb, the impressive Gundam Thunderbolt trailer, canned wine for men, Drake being Canadian, the Poco Supercomputer Raspberry Pi gadget and the Commodores. Got something to say about that? You know what to do.
