Clik here to view.
Fiskars Pruning Saw
I’m a backpacker who takes only the essentials; my three-season multiday pack weight without food and water is around 11 pounds. This saw still finds its way into the pack. It weighs about 8 ounces,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Surefoot Foot Rubz
The Surefoot Foot Rubz ($5) is a massaging ball that has given me relief from aching feet caused by ballroom dance lessons. You massage your feet by gently rolling the knobby ball under them. You can...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wyze Cam
I ran across this great low-cost high-functionality security camera a few months ago. Having grown disenchanted with the pricey subscription fees for my pricey Nest Cams, I found this great tool to be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hand Pumped Hydraulic Log Splitter
This log splitter ($115) was an impulse purchase at Harbor Freight, but has reliably split my knotty, gnarly oak firewood for 5 years now. Even large trunk rounds split easily with a bit of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What’s the Best Type of E6000 Glue?
E6000 Craft Adhesive, 3.7 Fluid Ounces ($7) E6000 High Viscosity Adhesive – 3.7 fl. oz. ($7) 12 Snip Tip Applicator Tips for E6000 Craft Glue ($6) E6000 Craft Adhesive Mini (4 Pack) ($7) High...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Michael Kupperman, Author of All The Answers
Our guest this week is Michael Kupperman. Michael is an artist and writer in Brooklyn whose work has appeared in or on The New Yorker, Fortune, The New York Times, Nickelodeon Magazine, Forbes,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Best Maker YouTube Channels/Temi/Listen Notes
Check out our new Recomendo book! 550 of the best recommendations from the past two years. Best Maker YouTube Channels Most of my discretionary media time is spent watching YouTube. I derive immense...
View ArticleClik here to view.
8-in-1 Film to Digital Converter
I have a large archive of film dating back to the 1970s. Black and white negatives and color slides. I have an Epson scanner with film holders, and while it does a good job, it can take a long, too...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Footprint Plumbers Wrench
The Footprint Wrench ($25) was designed in 1875, by 1958 they had made 10 million pairs and to this day they are being made to the same design in the UK. The tool may be old but it is still regularly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Vu Ryte Adjustable Document Copy Holder
I’ve had the Vu Ryte Adjustable Document Copy Holder ($43) for about four years. It’s very helpful when copying a lot of text into one’s computer from a document or book. It’s for use with a desktop...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bose Color Bluetooth Speaker
I’ve had the Bose Color ($129) for three years and it has given me magic sound powers. Relative to its size, it is the loudest, clearest speaker I’ve ever seen. I use it nearly every day while I’m...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Jen Schachter, Multimedia Maker
Our guest this week is Jen Schachter. Jen is a multimedia maker and a mastermind of interactive art projects, including a giant light-up sign for the Obama White House, a wooden parking validation...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dual scale tape measures/Gmail tips/Papier
Dual scale tape measures In my ongoing campaign to make myself literate in metric (used everywhere in the world except the US), as much as possible I try to measure only in metric. I got a Komelon dual...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Digital Recomendo
The Cool Tools website focuses on handy, useful, proven tools. But a lot of great stuff that Mark and I come across are not really tools. We created the Recomendo email list for this purpose. Every...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mpow M5 Bluetooth Headset
I spend a ton of time in the office on video and phone calls. Not surprisingly, I’ve spent a ton of time trying different headsets. After years of disappointment (looking at you, Plantronics Voyager...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Micro USB Adapter Connector
One of these ($4 for 5) came bundled with a USB Flash drive I purchased. Insert one end into the male USB plug of the Flash drive, and the other end is micro USB compatible, so it can plug into your...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Software-Defined Radio
While doodling around in YouTube, some videos bubbled up about SDR – Software Defined Radio. It’s an amazing topic. If I don’t screw up the explanation: Rather than a whole lot of radio receiver...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Screw and Nut Grabber
I came across this Screw and Nut Grabber ($8) in the impulse buy section during a Christmas shopping trip to a Lee Valley retail store. When I saw it sitting in the jar on the counter I hoped it was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Titanium Coated Utility Shear
This Titanium Coated Utility Shear gives both power and precision when cutting sheet metal. This past summer it was a huge help for fine cuts on complex corners and angles as we wrapped building...
View ArticleClik here to view.
L-288AMBT Portable Radio
I’m a radio fan: I don’t have a TV and I enjoy the public radio news reports, more factual and less tainted, and I discover new music through the local radio stations, we even have some pirate stations...
View Article