worship the glitch
This is Eric Mortensen's blog. He works @ Blip and lives in Brooklyn.
from the archives: 04/06/2006
by Hans Proppe
from the archives: 10/26/2008
Coffee Is Supposed To Be Hot!
Arguably, the most important piece of the coffee-making puzzle is temperature. And the number one thing that is neglected on consumer coffee makers is temperature. Some espresso machines do it right. French presses can do it right. Vacuum pots and inexpensive manual drip devices do it extremely well. But, with one exception, every single consumer drip coffee maker comes up short when it comes to temperature.
Machines costing over $300, by companies like Kitchen aid, Krups and Cuisinart, all miss the target temperature of 195-204 degrees by 25 degrees or more. Only Technivorm’s machines meet the standards of the Specialty Coffee Association of America and Europe regarding time and temperature required to extract full flavor from coffee beans. These machines meet ISO-9001 quality standards and are built by hand using recyclable or fully degradable materials. They are meant to last for decades.
And all Technivorm models retail for under $300. It’s both remarkable and quite absurd that countless vendors sell inferior, poorly built machines for significantly more.
This has been one of the most popular posts on my old blog for years. I thought it was worth updating a bit, so here’s a slightly revised version.
A lot of people have their computers and other electronics into devices they think are surge protectors. Often, they’re just glorified extension cords. I once had a power surge fry my cable box while sparing other devices plugged into the same strip. While I had a real surge protector, it wasn’t exactly the highest quality. Sadly, I knew this and ignored it. Fortunately, the cable company swapped out my box with no questions asked.
Howstuffworks has some tips for surge protector buyers:
On a listed surge protector, you should find a couple of ratings. Look for:
- Clamping voltage - This tells you what voltage will cause the MOVs to conduct electricity to the ground line. A lower clamping voltage indicates better protection. There are three levels of protection in the UL rating — 330 V, 400 V and 500 V. Generally, a clamping voltage more than 400 V is too high.
- Energy absorption/dissipation - This rating, given in joules, tells you how much energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. A higher number indicates greater protection. Look for a protector that is at least rated at 200 to 400 joules. For better protection, look for a rating of 600 joules or more.
- Response time - Surge protectors don’t kick in immediately; there is a very slight delay as they respond to the power surge. A longer response time tells you that your computer (or other equipment) will be exposed to the surge for a greater amount of time. Look for a surge protector that responds in less than one nanosecond.
I might add that, while it is important to check the stats of these things, it’s even more important not to get sucked into the outrageous claims and high prices of the products your local home electronics salesman will try to sell you. They often look very fancy, but seldom match your needs.
Still want more info? Scroll down to the bottom of this post to fully understand the dangers of cheap surge protectors.
Do you just want me to tell you what surge protectors to buy? OK. Here are three reasonably priced products that I can personally vouch for:
- APC PER7T - Protects seven devices - $10
- Belkin BZ111200-06 - Protects and conceals 11 devices, including up to five wall warts. - $24
- Belkin Mini Surge Protector - Protects 3 devices + 2 USB ports w/ no cord - $15
Corrupt, a web-based tool built with Processing, will corrupt visual data for you. If you care to upload an image, Corrupt will break it for you.
More glitchy goodness @ blog.worshiptheglitch.com/glitches
Chair by Spanier
3D Images Without Glasses
Stereo photography, when combined with overlays and cellophane glasses, creates an off-kilter blue and red illusion that is commonly associated with 3D images. But this same style of photography, when converted into a two-frame animation, can create a similar illusion without the glasses or the unnatural colors. Jim Gasperini creates 3D art in this manner and produces images of Burning Man, among other things. This “wiggle” effect is quite powerful and adds a quirky element to the images as well.
Recorded in 1958 at the Beat Hotel, rue Git le Coeur, Paris, on a UHER 4400 reel-to-reel recording machine, this record documents Brion Gysin’s important experiments in cut-up and recording technique.
Says Gysin:
“I made it to show Burroughs how, possibly, to use it. William did not yet have a tape recorder.
Very soon after that, Burroughs was busy punching to death a series of cheap Japanese plastic tape recorders, to which he applied himself with such force that he could punch one of them to death inside a matter of weeks, days even.”
