Minimal Universe

Minimal Universe collect posts from our favorite minimal-related blogs listed on the right.
  • The Future



    The Future



  • Geeklets - Share and vote on Geeklets for GeekTool

    Geeklets - Share and vote on Geeklets for GeekTool:

    Looking for some handy little pluggins to spice up Geektool? Here you go.

  • possessions != security

    For most people, one of the most difficult obstacles to getting rid of possessions is the feeling of security they attach to possessions.

    Having possessions, for many, gives them a sense of security.

    This is just one of many emotional attachments that people have to possessions, but security issues are the biggest for many, and until you address this, you’ll probably always have an issue with possessions.

    Some examples of security issues:

    • Having a closet full of clothes means you’re prepared for any situation.
    • Having a big home means you’re prepared to host any event, ward off any type of weather, hold any type of possession, accommodate any size family you might have in the future.
    • Having a car means you’re prepared for any emergency.
    • Having a shed full of tools means you can deal with any break down in the house or car.
    • Having the latest gadget (i.e. the iPad) means you’re up to date with the latest technology, and won’t be an out-of-date dinosaur.
    • Having a hand-held computing device (i.e. the iPhone or Blackberry or iPad) means you can work anywhere, and be in contact at all times.

    And so on. Most people have possessions for these kinds of security reasons and more.

    But do possessions really provide security, or is it an illusion?

    Often we don’t really need those possessions as much as we might think, and even when we do have them, we’re not as secure as we might think. Consider:

    • If you track what clothes you actually wear over the course of a year, you find that you never needed your “just in case” clothes and you only wore certain clothes that you like or really need. The extra clothes can be eliminated without any loss of “security”.
    • People in smaller homes are no more susceptible to anything, and by eliminating space they eliminate waste, lower debt, and force themselves to make important choices about what possessions are needed.
    • Even without a car, you can do everything you need using bikes, walking and mass transit, especially if you reduce your needs. And for real emergencies, there’s the ambulance, which is better than driving yourself anyway.
    • You don’t really need the latest gadget. What you’ve been using will work just fine for you, and when you really need to upgrade, you’ll know it.
    • You don’t really need to be connected all the time, everywhere. In fact, there was a time when you were never connected to the online world (not that long ago) and (gasp!) you survived. You can do it for an hour or three until you get back to your computer.

    Let go of the need for possessions by realizing you don’t need them for security.

    Consider the worst possible case, and ask youself: 1) what you might do in that case without the possession; 2) how likely this worst case is; and 3) how bad it really would be if the worst case happened.

    Then try living without the possession, knowing what your back-up plan is, and see if life is really that scary without the illusion of security.

  • Ceramic Speakers

    Simple, great material usage and good performance these Ceramic Speakers by Joey Roth are perfect for pairing with an aluminum laptop, iMac, or similarly minimalist turntable.

    Made from porcelain, wood and cork, Roth chose the materials not only for the aesthetic appeal they add to desktops, but also because porcelain’s density and “acoustical deadness” rivals that of wood or plastic enabling the cone shape. The upshot contrasts the thoroughly contemporary mix of textures and colors with a four-inch silhouette that conjures gramophones of the past.

    San Francisco based designer Joey Roth blew our collective minds way back in 2007 with his conceptual Felt mouse. We hope to see some more beautiful work from this great designer.





  • why i won’t be buying an ipad

    Because I don’t need one.

    —

    Honestly, I’m sure it’s the future of computing, the most beautiful computer ever, the coolest thing since Pulp Fiction, the world’s best gaming platform, the vehicle for some of the most amazing apps ever (already there are drool-worthy ones available) and I don’t doubt I’ll get one eventually. My wife will probably get one.

    But I didn’t need an iPad last month or last year, and I will venture to guess (I could be wrong) that I’ll be just as happy, fit and productive without the iPad.

    The iMac and Macbook Air I bought two years ago are working brilliantly and fulfill my every computing need, and probably can for at least 2-3 more years. I’ve resisted buying an iPhone for several years because I don’t need one (despite their ultimate coolness), and the iPad is another way cool gadget I don’t need.

  • iPad First Impressions

    OK, I think I have had enough time with the iPad now to share some first impressions. Keep in mind that these are based upon a few hours of sporadic usage and hence they are a lot more jerk then knee. Also, this was written entirely on the iPad in landscape orientation on my lap.

    • Holy Moses is this thing fast! I mean, the first thing I imagine any iPhone user will think after using this for a few minutes is how BadAss™ the next iPhone will be if they use a similar A4 chip as they do here.

    • That speed comes with a side advantage that I did not put much thought into before today — making the device disappear. The experience is so natural and reflexive, the only thought that comes to mind is “Yes. This is the way computing should have always been”. After only a few seconds you are suddenly flying around the interface with such speed and grace that you forget the interface completely. It is simply an extension of you.

    • The keyboard is entirely useable and comfortable to me. Especially in landscape orientation. The whole “lean back a bit and cradle it in your lap” experience works quite well. So does the “hunched over looking down at the thing” experience. In other words, if one is not careful this will produce a whole new range of ergonomically induced syndromes. Keep in mind that I am a “two finger” typist and generally don’t have issues on keyboards of different sizes and types your milage may vary.

    • Many, many of the apps are far better, more useable and more natural than either their desktop or iPhone counterparts. While that is certainly true of many of the built in ones, it is not exclusive to them. Twitterific for iPad is far better than any other version. The Kindle app is even better than the Kindle itself, let alone on the iPhone or Desktop. Instapaper is an absolute dream. The list could go on. I really believe this is also related to the speed and fluidity of the iPad and how these apps simply behave in ways that are natural and intuitive.

    • Some short term investment advice – The future is in microfiber! Short of that, if you have been thinking about starting a business that sells cleaner for the iPad screen, now is the time.

    In all, I am beyond happy with the iPad. It not only lives up to the hype, it exceeds it.

  • What we believe in.



    What we believe in.



  • The D-Premier

    What at first glance looks like the sleekest of weighing scales, the D-Premier is actually a piece of high-end, hifi kit.

    This wall-mountable unit, produced by French audiophiles Devialet, comprises of both stereo pre- and power amplifiers and a DAC.

    It packs 480 watts of power and connects to a number of multimedia devices via HDMI, Toshlink, XLR and RS-232 ports among others. It is also wifi compatible. There’s obviously a lot of tech packed in under the under the hood.

    The remarkable thing about this unit, however, is how it looks. Plenty of hifi equipment aimed at the top-end of the market, particularly amplifiers, look like they want you to know they exist; so much so that you can’t fail to notice. They can be monstrous behemoths, sometimes to fit all the required components in, but mainly to fuel their ego. They have that look about them. The look that says: ‘Turn me up to 3 and I will rip your face off.’

    As for the D-Premier, it doesn’t convey that image at all. It’s aluminium housing is less than 45mm thick and it is only 32cm high. It’s understated, desirable and cool. Anybody got a spare £10,000 available?





  • Cory Doctorow, You Are a Consumer, Too - Freedom - Gizmodo

    Cory Doctorow, You Are a Consumer, Too - Freedom - Gizmodo:

    There is absolutely nothing about the iPad that portends the end of innovation, tinkering, programming, design. If that were the case, there wouldn’t be 150,000 applications on the App Store right this second. So what if you can’t make iPad programs on an iPad. I don’t complain I can’t make new dishwashers with my dishwasher.

    Joel Johnson responds to Cory Doctorow with an equally smart argument. (via DF)

  • 50FT iPad Starter Pack : fiftyfootshadows.net

    50FT iPad Starter Pack : fiftyfootshadows.net:

    Wallpapers for your shiny new Moses Tablet from the messiah of desktop wallpapers.

  • IPad not just pretty screen, some say - TwinCities.com

    IPad not just pretty screen, some say - TwinCities.com:

    “What I needed was greater flexibility and portability — The iPad will serve me well in almost every situation I can think of.”

    Yep, more shameless self-promotion. Here I am again in The Saint Paul Pioneer Press (my hometown paper) in a piece by Tech Reporter and all around great guy Julio Ojeda-Zapata talking about my move to make the iPad my main daily machine.

    I know most of you still think I am crazy. Perhaps. Perhaps like a fox. We will see.

  • "Lorem iPad dolor sit amet, consectetur Apple adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod incididunt ut labore..."

    “Lorem iPad dolor sit amet, consectetur Apple adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua Shenzhen. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud no multi-tasking ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip iPad ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor iPad in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse CEO Steve Jobs dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Windows 7 ha ha ha. Excepteur sint occaecat battery life non proident, iPad in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.”

    - Lorem iPad (thx Kottke)

  • Why I won't buy an iPad (and think you shouldn't, either) - Boing Boing

    Why I won’t buy an iPad (and think you shouldn’t, either) - Boing Boing:

    Gadgets come and gadgets go. The iPad you buy today will be e-waste in a year or two (less, if you decide not to pay to have the battery changed for you). The real issue isn’t the capabilities of the piece of plastic you unwrap today, but the technical and social infrastructure that accompanies it.

    In the midst of all the iPad hype you need to hear another point of view. And no one delivers a more persuasive counter-argument than Cory Doctorow. Unsurprisingly, that argument centers around freedom, openness, fairness, consumption and waste. Paradoxically, it is just as much What We Believe In as What We Believe In.

  • Romolo Stanco’s Hi-Fi House

    Splendid white and glossy. A modernist space with hot fuchsia-magenta touches. Dazzling. The Hi-Fi house in Piacenza, Italy is architect Romolo Stanco’s home.

    The concept is intriguing. Sculpted furniture, the Flap sofa by Edra in magenta breaks the straight lines of a troublesome, rectangular space. On one side, the narrow, floating stairs climb to a loft sleeping area with an irregular ceiling. You might consider not looking sideways when you go up. On the other side, a built in, long structural seat is not parallel with the slightly rotated, kitchen block and furniture.

    Expressive elements, passionate color. They serve as visual dynamics to help create a fun, rotational movement in a symmetric space. Challenging gravity force? I am amused.






  • Future Tense: Should you buy an iPad?

    Future Tense: Should you buy an iPad?:

    A little something called the iPad debuts tomorrow. Is it for you?

    A little shameless self promotion. I’m on American Public Media’s Future Tense this morning talking about the iPad. Click the link above to listen.

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