Living

Jul 28, 2012 3:41 PM   Yesterday's Olympic opening ceremony was a hallucinatory ode to western history, questionable British music, a giant baby, David Beckham's body, and—amid the athletic sprawl—one of the greatest geeks of all time. During one strange portion of the ceremony that honored technology's role in turning us into phone-gazing status zombies, the action abruptly broke away to a 57-year-old Brit at a table with an antique NeXT computer and monitor. He clearly was not on any judo team. And then, in French and English he was introduced—"Ladies and gentlemen, the inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee." The crowd roared like a javelin just went through Hitler in effigy. They were cheering for a guy who created the web, not some gorgeous Danish sprinter—a computer scientist! A nerd! And still, a world hero. It was one of the few moments in the ceremony that gave me chills, as I watched a bootleg BBC stream based on technology the man had cr...

Jul 22, 2012 1:00 PM   Do you deal with visiting family members during the holidays that more than overstay their welcome? This year try putting them up in one of these Podtime tubes, they'll quickly get the message that maybe they should have booked a hotel instead. They're not exactly ideal for those who suffer from claustrophobia, but as a way to maximize the occupancy of a given space—while still giving everyone a bit of privacy—they're actually not a terrible idea. What's most impressive is that they actually arrive flat-packed for easy transport and storage. Multiple units can be stacked on top of each other like a set of bunk beds, and while the base unit will set you back over $2,100, it can actually be customized with added amenities like LED lighting, a lockbox for luggage, a TV and DVD player, and even a rudimentary sound system with alarm. So come to think of it, these actually might be more luxurious than some apartments. [Podtime via Firebox] View the or...