TwelveSouth, a firm specializing in Mac-oriented periphs and gadgets, has created an ingenious solution for the traveling audiophile: a subwoofer that creates good to very good results out of your tinny MacBook Pro speakers. Powered by a simple USB adaptor, this 5x5-inch box boosts not just bass but overall tone, mood and presence. It makes for very satisfying listening to even the most raucous noise you can throw at it, and gives symphonic heft to quieter music you didn't realize needed it. Installation is anxiety-free: plug in the speaker, … [Read more...]

Image via WikipediaFrom the first verse to Peru's previous national anthem: For a long time the oppressed Peruvian Dragged the ominous chain; Condemned to cruel servitude He moaned for a long time in silence. But as soon as the sacred cry of "Freedom!" was heard on the coasts, He shook off the indolence of slavery, He raised his humiliated neck...Cue Eddie Izzard routine: we'd like to hear the lyrics from the LOSING song ("No, wait, go back one..."). (from Tuesday's Wall Street Journal). Related … [Read more...]

Image via WikipediaDavid Thomson's 25 Best Spit Nails in the new edition of his New Biographical Dictionary of Film: Leonardo DiCaprio: "Beginning to look a touch puffy ... that touch of fey magic he once had has slipped from his face." Ben Affleck: "Boring, complacent and criminally lucky to have got away with everything so far." Tom Cruise: "The worst of the spoilt brats of Hollywood." Hilary Swank: "Pretty, dull, ordinary and incapable of lifting the film clear of a sanctimonious mud." Angelina Jolie: "The carnal embrouchure that is her … [Read more...]

Favorite new cloud tools: pinterest, social bulletin boards, more and more addictiveworkflowy, a place to make quick and dirty lists in outline formpaprika, more involved but very useful sugarsync, icloud, 3 gigs of free auto-storage, auto-syncingpinboard.in, delicious mirror solutionlibrary.nu, the new gigapedia.org, books in pdf formatRelated articlesDeteroirata X:3 (artsjournal.com)Friday Deteroirata X:2 (artsjournal.com)Bargain bookshelf--No instructions included (ask.metafilter.com)Crash course in HTML manipulation from … [Read more...]