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Recommended Reading: The legend of the TI-84 Plus
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. The Unstoppable TI-84 Plus: How an Outdated Calculator Still Holds a Monopoly on Classrooms by Matt McFarland, The Washington Post Chances are pretty good that you've come in contact with a TI-84 Plus of some kind during the course of your education -- if you're been schooled in the last 10 years. The calculator debuted back in 2004 and it still has a firm grasp on the education market today. This piece takes a look at what that foothold means when compared to other devices' market share, and how a new Silver Edition looks to keep the advantage with Texas Instruments in the foreseeable future.
Recommended Reading: The (second) rise of virtual reality
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. The Rise and Fall and Rise of Virtual Reality by The Verge Unless you've been under a rock the last couple of years, you've read some collection of words about the return of virtual reality at the hands of Oculus and others. Thanks to a multifaceted interactive piece from the folks at The Verge, you can get caught up on the technology's history, its current state of affairs, VR in pop culture and more. Heck, there's even a look at a step-by-step process for building a simple, 3D-printed headset for an iPhone.
Recommended Reading: An MIT engineer's coffee quest
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Can Blossom's MIT-Enhanced Brew Win Over Skeptical Baristas? by Danielle Sacks, Fast Company The quest for the perfect cup o' joe has led to some rather amazing new brewers over the last few years, and the same goes for this MIT engineer's creation. The Blossom One Limited is a brewing unit that gives the barista complete control over all aspects of the process, except for the actual roasting of the beans. Water temperature, coffee dosage, grind, immersion time and more can be tweaked during the search for the best combination. Creator Jeremy Kuempel notes how coffee is more complex than wine on a genetic level, so he sought to make a unit that could showcase the unique properties of different varieties. Oh yeah, the ability to calculate perfection will cost your coffee shop $4,950.
Recommended Reading: Healthcare.gov, Edward Snowden and Square's struggles
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. The Billion Dollar Web Site You Paid For by Larry Seltzer, ZDNet By now, you've likely heard details surrounding the botched rollout of Healtchcare.gov meant to expedite the process of US citizens signing up for the Affordable Care Act. Well, the government has sunk a billion dollars into the site so far, and a recent Government Accountability Office report took an in-depth look to see exactly what went wrong. Of course, the project was slated to wrap up on launch day last October, but is now said to be in development until the end of the year.
Recommended Reading: 'Guardians of the Galaxy' makeup magic
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Under the Skin of "Guardians of the Galaxy" with Makeup FX Wizard David White by Scott Pierce, Fast Company If you're into getting a peek behind the scenes at some movie magic, Fast Company caught up with FX artist David White to discuss Guardians of the Galaxy. Specifically covering the makeup special effects, White chats about Marvel, key characters and the process of making aliens.
Recommended Reading: Snapchat celebs and the birth of Auto-Tune
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Snaps To Riches: The Rise Of Snapchat Celebrities by Ellen Huet, Forbes There's no denying the popularity of the disappearing-photo prowess of Snapchat. So much so that companies are paying proven snapping pros to leverage their screen-swiping art. Brands like Taco Bell and Major League Soccer see the ephemeral content as a new way to reach a demographic that's prone to ignoring more traditional marketing. Forbes sits down with Shaun McBride, or "Shonduras" as he's know in the app, for a look at how the tactic has taken hold and how it's building celebrities through little more than trendy social sharing.
Recommended Reading: 'Lucy's' bad science and space movie inaccuracies
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Lucy's Based on Bad Science, and 6 More Secrets About the Film by Angela Watercutter, Wired A quick Google search will reveal quite a few articles pointing out the inaccuracy of the main premise of Lucy. By ingesting drugs stuffed inside her belly by traffickers, a woman is able to access not just the 10 percent of her brain regular humans can supposedly access, but also the other 90 percent. That whole 10 percent figure is of course a myth, but that didn't stop Luc Besson from using it as the base for his fictional narrative. Besson uses his knack for creating great female leads with some out-of-order storytelling to make the whole thing a bit more believable, and Wired has a quick rundown before this weekend's debut.
Recommended Reading: Gauging the smartwatch craze and skin listening
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Does Anyone Outside Silicon Valley Even Want a Smartwatch? by Kevin Roose, New York Magazine Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); The first wave of smartwatches has its popular entries (ahem, Pebble), but widespread adoption has yet to take hold. With Google's Android Wear initiative, new options bring closer ties with the operating system and improved aesthetics. But is that enough to attract the masses? Do people really want an extension of their phone as a wrist-worn device?
Recommended Reading: Google Glass in the courtroom and 'Bill Walsh College Football'
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Today's Tech: How a California Personal Injury Attorney Uses Google Glass by Nicole Black, Above the Law Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); We've seen everyone from medical school students to airline staff using Google Glass. Heck, even lawyers are jumping on board. California attorney Mitch Jackson is using Glass in his practice to record witness interviews and depositions to be viewed later. Jackson touts the potential of Google's spectacles in the jury selection process, especially when his consultant is across the country, and how useful the Evernote add-on is for easy case-file notations.
Recommended Reading: Colombia's high-tech World Cup training and testing Facebook
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Colombia's High-Tech Advantage in its World Cup Match Against Brazil by Matt Hartigan, Fast Company Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); Colombia certainly faced an uphill climb against Brazil at the World Cup, and the side turned to tech to increase its chance of winning throughout the tournament. During training, the Colombian national team leveraged Catapult: a wearable GPS system that maps players' bodies in three-dimensional space to gauge the "load" placed on each athlete. Among a host of other features, the sensors transmit data to coaches and staff instantly at a range of up to 250-300 feet. Soccer isn't the only sport using the system either, as the San Antonio Spurs implemented the system to track basketball prospects ahead of last week's NBA Draft.
Recommended Reading: An Android future and Microsoft's quantum computing think tank
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Google's Grand Plans: A Conversation With Larry Page and Sundar Pichai by Farhad Manjoo, New York Times Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); In case you've been snoozin' all week, Google's annual dev conference took place in San Francisco whilst you were napping. During the 2014 installment of I/O, the folks from Mountain View detailed plans to take Android beyond phones and tablets to places like smartwatches, TVs (again) and even inside your next automobile. Shortly after the keynote, New York Times' Farhad Manjoo sat down with Android lead Sundar Pichai and CEO Larry Page to discuss Google's immediate future, spanning multi-device experiences, health data, the connected home and more.
Recommended Reading: the theory of disruptive innovation, the curse of Xanadu and more
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. The Disruption Machine by Jill Lepore, The New Yorker !function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); There's a lot of different theories about how markets evolve, but that of disruptive innovation has proven quite popular over the last several decades. But if you ask Jill Lepore of the New Yorker it's an incomplete theory. While it's more than capable of explaining why businesses fail it doesn't really account for more complex changes. It's not like the theory of evolution, it's merely "an artifact of history." But it's still an interesting prism through which to view everything from the shift to 5.25-inch floppy disks to the downfall of the American auto industry.
Recommended Reading: sexist video games and origins of forensic science
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Is 'Assassin's Creed' Sexist? Is Link a Girl? And More Fun Questions From This Year's E3 by Emily Yoshida, Grantland Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); The sad truth is, if Samus (the heavily armored hero in Metroid) made her debut today, her big reveal would probably be just as shocking today as it was in 1986. While attitudes towards women -- even in the decidedly male-dominated world of gaming -- have matured, putting a female protagonist in a video game is still something of a rarity. (And, if you believe representatives of Ubisoft, something of a technical challenge... but that feels disingenuous.) Emily Yoshida shares what it's like to be a woman at E3, perhaps the most testosterone-drenched tech convention of the year.
Recommended Reading: Beer genetics and Kinect physical therapy
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Strange Brews: The Genes of Craft Beer by William Herkewitz, New York Times Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); White Labs has been providing professional and home brewers with the requisite yeast strains that they need for proper fermentation for years. Now, the suds-focused laboratory has gone a step further by creating the first genetic map for the yeasts. The company has sequenced DNA from over 240 strains from all over the globe, reading the 12 million molecules that compose each line by line. Not only will direct comparisons be an option, but also discovering exactly how the mapping translates to the final taste and the overall brewing process.
Recommended Reading: will.i.am's Beats payday and bringing The Last of Us to PS4
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Behind the Scenes, a Frontman Awaits a Payday by Daniel Roberts, Fortune Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); By now, you've heard about all the money that Dr. Dre stands to pocket when the alleged Apple buyout is announced. What you may not know is that another popular musician stands to pocket a handsome sum as well. William Adams, aka will.i.am, is an equity partner in Beats Electronics and has lent a hand toward the brand's rise over the last few years. Fortune's Daniel Roberts takes a look at Mr. Adams' tech ventures and his relationship with the headphone maker -- the latter of which could spell a big payout for the artist/businessman.
Recommended Reading: 'Console Wars' and inside the 9/11 museum
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. The Rise of Nintendo: A Story in 8 Bits by Blake J. Harris, Grantland Pocket Nintendo has had a tough go of it lately, and now there's a book that chronicles the battle between the company and Sega for top billing in the living rooms of the US. If you haven't splurged for Blake J. Harris' Console Wars just yet, there's a lengthy excerpt from the work over at Grantland. "By 1990, Nintendo of America had sold nearly 30 million consoles, resulting in an NES in one out of every three homes," Harris writes. Sure, there's certainly more to be gleaned of the history from the full-length publication, but there's more than enough to whet your appetite until you can purchase a hard copy or e-book.
Recommended Reading: Star Wars visuals and Square's data gold mine
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. The Man Who Literally Built Star Wars by Jeremy Singer, Esquire Pocket Esquire sits down with Star Wars set decorator Roger Christian to find out what it was like to literally build the visuals for George Lucas. During the course of the chat, we discover that the interior of the Millennium Falcon was constructed from scrap airplane metal, the challenge of the garbage compactor, the inspiration for Hans Solo's blaster and the creation of the first lightsaber.
Recommended Reading: Sound, noise and Xbox in Hollywood
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Sonic Boom by Megan Garber, The Atlantic Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); Over the course of centuries, our notions of sound and noise have changed dramatically, and technology has played a large part in that. Through the lens of a Bourbon Street uproar and the history of ordinances, The Atlantic's Megan Garber hashes out the transformation. There's a look at how municipalities might design urban areas to cater to the public's varied sonic sensibilities and how appliances are built to sound a certain way when in use.
Recommended Reading: Game of Thrones' costume clues, women in tech and the legacy of Jim Ross
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books dealing with subjects that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Deciphering the Hidden Messages in "Game of Thrones" Costumes by Rebecca Greenfield, Fast Company Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); Game of Thrones starts back up this Sunday with the season 4 kick-off. Chatting with Fast Company, costume designer Michele Clapton offers up some tidbits on what viewers can glean from this season's character's costumes upon further inspection. You'll get a closer look at Daenerys' iconic blue dress with its scale-like pattern and what the golden hand that Jamie Lannister is due to receive this season says about his sister Cersei.
Recommended Reading: Double Fine's Tim Schafer and the synths that shaped modern music
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books dealing with the subject of technology that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Tim Schafer Is Happier Now by Stephen Totilo, Kotaku Pocket!function(d,i){if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement("script");j.id=i;j.src="https://widgets.getpocket.com/v1/j/btn.js?v=1";var w=d.getElementById(i);d.body.appendChild(j);}}(document,"pocket-btn-js"); Kotaku's Stephen Totilo caught up with Tim Schafer of Double Fine (formerly of LucasArts) to chat about his nearly 25 years of making video games, Broken Age and what's on tap for the immediate future. Of course, there's a bit of Grim Fandango chatter too, in the conversation with the game developer that remains "focused on coming up with original ideas and trying to get them made."
