Cool Tools
394 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 58 ratingsIn each episode of the Cool Tools Show, Kevin Kelly and Mark Frauenfelder talk to a guest about some of his or her favorite uncommon and uncommonly good tools they think others should know about.
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Episodes
205: Jane Friedman
December 20, 2019 19:40 - 33 minutes - 25.2 MBOur guest this week is Jane Friedman. Jane is a full-time freelancer who reports on the publishing industry for outlets like Publishers Weekly, as well as her own newsletter, The Hot Sheet. She’s especially known for helping authors understand the rather opaque business of making money at writing. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram ad YouTube @janefriedman. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/jane-friedman-publishing-consultant
204: Mark Krawczuk
December 13, 2019 21:01 - 31 minutes - 24 MBOur guest this week is Mark Krawczuk. Mark works as a freelance producer/project manager, who leads teams of developers and creatives to make digital stuff for big companies. In his free time, Mark likes to incite street events and other creative collaborations, as well as help others with their creative projects. You can sign up for his newsletter at: http://www.krawczukindustries.com/. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/mark-krawczuk-creative-instigator
203: Melissa Kirsch
December 06, 2019 18:37 - 35 minutes - 26.4 MBOur guest this week is Melissa Kirsch. Melissa is the editor-in-chief of Lifehacker, as well as the author of The Girl's Guide and the co-host of Lifehacker's podcast, The Upgrade. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/melissa-kirsch-editor-in-chief-of-lifehacker
202: Dan Slaski
November 29, 2019 17:00 - 26 minutes - 20.2 MBOur guest this week is Dan Slaski. Dan is a product designer, Ironman triathlete and blogger of all things digital manufacturing. By day, he tackles crazy engineering problems and puts machines in some of the world’s harshest environments. By night, he plots to share STEM awesomes through nefarious activities like 3D printing ninja stars and 3D scanning PEZ dispensers. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/dan-slaski-product-designer/
201: Alice Bradley
November 22, 2019 18:48 - 25 minutes - 19.7 MBOur guest this week is Alice Bradley. Alice is the deputy editor of Lifehacker and co-host of Lifehacker’s podcast, The Upgrade. Alice is also co-author of the book Let’s Panic About Babies and her stories and essays have been featured in numerous magazines and anthologies. You can find her on Twitter @finslippy. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/alice-bradley-deputy-editor-of-lifehacker
200: John Hodgman
November 15, 2019 20:00 - 44 minutes - 33 MBOur guest this week is John Hodgman. John is a writer, performer, former PC, once the resident expert on the Daily Show, and now the author of two books of non-fake facts and true stories from his life, Vacationland and Medallion Status. You can find him at Twitter @hodgman and on Instagram @johnhodgman. For show notes visit: john-hodgman-author-of-medallion-status
199: Jesse Genet
November 08, 2019 16:30 - 27 minutes - 21.2 MBOur guest this week is Jesse Genet. Jesse is the co-founder and CEO of Lumi, which helps e-commerce brands manage their custom packaging. Before that, she was the creator of a DIY product called Inkodye, which launched on Kickstarter. She's been an entrepreneur for 10 years and lives in Los Angeles. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/jesse-genet-co-founder-of-lumi
198: Gareth Branwyn
November 01, 2019 19:04 - 32 minutes - 24.6 MBOur guest this week is Gareth Branwyn. Gareth has been writing about DIY technology, media, and culture for over three decades. He's a former senior editor of Boing Boing, a founding contributing editor to Wired, and the former editorial director of Make: Magazine. He's the author of 10 books, including his most recent, Tips and Tales from the Workshop. He currently regularly writes for HackSpace, Boing Boing, and Better Humans. He's currently writing a book about his life-long obsession with...
197: Emily Nussbaum
October 25, 2019 15:58 - 33 minutes - 25 MBOur guest this week is Emily Nussbaum. Emily is the television critic at The New Yorker, the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism and the author of “I Like To Watch: Arguing My Way Through The TV Revolution.” You can find her on Twitter @emilynussbaum. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/emily-nussbaum-tv-critic-for-the-new-yorker/
196: Seth Godin
October 18, 2019 15:30 - 37 minutes - 27.8 MBOur guest this week is Seth Godin. Seth is a 19-time bestselling author, a blogger, an internet pioneer and a teacher. You can find out more at seths.blog. For show notes visit: http://kk.org/cooltools/seth-godin-bestselling-author/
195: Mark & Kevin of Cool Tools
October 11, 2019 19:59 - 27 minutes - 20.8 MBOur guests this week are ourselves. We share some of the tools we’ve been using and liking lately. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/kevin-and-marks-four-favorite-tools
194: David Moldawer
October 04, 2019 18:03 - 38 minutes - 28.7 MBOur guest this week is David Moldawer. David is a Brooklyn-based writer and book collaborator who spent more than a decade as an acquiring editor in New York City publishing. He also writes a weekly newsletter for nonfiction authors and experts who aspire to be authors called the Maven Game. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/david-moldawer-writer
193: Carla Sinclair
September 28, 2019 14:21 - 25 minutes - 19.4 MBOur guest this week is Carla Sinclair. Carla is an author, freelance writer and editor, and co-founder of boingboing.net. She’s written 5 books, including Girl Genius, which will be released in November. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/carla-sinclair-author-of-girl-genius
192: Rob Walker
September 13, 2019 16:00 - 33 minutes - 25.1 MBOur guest this week is Rob Walker. Rob is the Human Resource Columnist for Lifehacker.com, and a longtime contributor to the New York Times and many other publications. He's on the faculty of Products of Design graduate program at the School of Visual Arts, and his new book from Knopf is The Art of Noticing, 131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration and Discover Joy in the Everyday. You can find him on Twitter and Medium at @notrobwalker. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/ro...
191: Susie Bright
September 06, 2019 16:00 - 48 minutes - 35.5 MBOur guest this week is bestselling author Susie Bright. Susie is a pioneering preeminent feminist sex writer and legendary audio producer. She’s also reached peak satisfaction as a guest editor of Boing Boing, and early member of The Well. Susie is one of the world’s most respected voices on sexual politics, as well as an award-winning author and editor who’s produced and published thousands of the finest writers and journalists working in American literature and progressive activism today. Y...
190: Nik Schulz
August 30, 2019 16:00 - 21 minutes - 16.8 MBOur guest this week is Nik Schulz. Nik wears many hats. He's contributed illustrations to magazines including Wired, Fortune, and Popular Science. He was actually the first illustrator for Make magazine. He's also a furniture maker, automotive illustrator, and an overlander. He lives and works on Orcas Island in Washington State. You can find him on Instagram at @nikschulzillustration. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/nik-schulz-illustrator
189: Jordan Bunker
August 23, 2019 16:00 - 22 minutes - 17.9 MBOur guest this week is Jordan Bunker. Jordan is a freelance engineer, designer, artist, and prop-maker based out of Oakland, California. He’s also a former Make: magazine technical editor and BattleBots robot builder. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram at @TensorFlux. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/jordan-bunker-former-tech-editor-for-make/
188: Lillian Karabaic
August 16, 2019 16:00 - 38 minutes - 28.3 MBOur guest this week is Lillian Karabaic. Lillian is the host of Oh My Dollar!, a weekly syndicated financial advice radio show and podcast for covering the kinds of modern money issues that aren't represented in the mainstream media. Her book, A Cat’s Guide to Money, just went into its second printing. She eats 3 tacos for breakfast every morning. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/lillian-karabaic-host-of-oh-my-dollar/
187: Jeremy Kirshbaum
August 09, 2019 15:00 - 45 minutes - 33.3 MBOur guest this week is Jeremy Kirshbaum. Jeremy is a researcher, strategist, and entrepreneur. He splits his time between West Africa, China, and California, where he is from, partnering with people to build new things, innovate, and explore. He does this through action research, design, and a variety of creative media. He is a proud research affiliate at Institute for the Future, a research affiliate of the Shenzhen Open Innovation Lab, and a research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Immersive St...
186: Michelle Hlubinka
August 02, 2019 17:16 - 35 minutes - 26.8 MBOur guest this week is Michelle Hlubinka. Michelle has made a career of promoting playful learning through people-centered uses of technology in schools, museums, and neighborhoods. She spent most of the past 12 years at the forefront of Maker Media’s efforts in education, establishing key kid-focused programs—Young Makers, School Makerspaces and School Maker Faires—and running Maker Camp. In short, she is a maker of makers, and also a maker herself. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/coo...
185: Dan Shapiro
July 26, 2019 16:00 - 29 minutes - 22.7 MBOur guest this week is Dan Shapiro. Dan is the founder of Glowforge, the 3D laser printer. He's also the creator of Robot Turtles, the board game that teaches programming to preschoolers. He wrote Hot Seat: The CEO Guidebook, and his latest hobby is throwing his wife and twin 10-year-olds in dungeons with dragons. You can find him on Twitter @danshapiro. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/dan-shapiro-founder-of-glowforge/
184: Rob Beschizza
July 19, 2019 15:00 - 36 minutes - 27.6 MBOur guest this week is Rob Beschizza. Rob is the Managing Editor of Boing Boing and the Founder of Txt.fyi, and effectively invisible publishing platform and low-key internet cult. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/rob-beschizza-managing-editor-of-boing-boing
183: Oliver Hulland
July 12, 2019 15:00 - 35 minutes - 26.4 MBOur guest this week is Oliver Hulland. Oliver is a former editor of Cool Tools, after which he ended up pursuing a career in medicine. He's currently a third-year resident in emergency medicine at Yale University. When not working in the emergency department, he enjoys spending his time foraging for mushrooms and wild plants. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/oliver-hulland-emergency-medicine-doctor/
182: Richard Kadrey
July 05, 2019 20:19 - 27 minutes - 20.9 MBOur guests this week is Richard Kadrey. Richard is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sandman Slim supernatural noir series. Sandman Slim was included in Amazon’s “100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime.” Some of Richard’s other books include The Everything Box, Hollywood Dead, and Butcher Bird. He’s also written comics and is a photographer. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/richard-kadrey-nyt-bestselling-author-of-the-sandman-slim-series
181: Kirsten Dirksen and Nicolás Boullosa
June 28, 2019 18:26 - 33 minutes - 25.3 MBOur guests this week are Kirsten Dirksen and Nicolás Boullosa. Since 200, Kristen and Nicolas have been producing *faircompanies, a web series that’s evolved to become one of the most comprehensive archives of compact homes and simple living (including lean urbanism, self-sufficiency, smart gardens, craftsmanship, and philosophies of life. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/kirsten-dirksen-and-nicolas-boullosa-faircompanies
180: Stephen Wolfram
June 21, 2019 09:00 - 36 minutes - 27.1 MBOur guest this week is Stephen Wolfram. Stephen is the creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha and the Wolfram Language; he’s the author of A New Kind of Science; and the founder and CEO of Wolfram Research. Over the course of nearly four decades, Stephen has been a pioneer in the development and application of computational thinking—and has been responsible for many discoveries, inventions and innovations in science, technology and business. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/step...
179: Dave Rome
June 14, 2019 18:54 - 27 minutes - 21 MBOur guest this week is Dave Rome. Dave is a gear editor and content strategist at CyclingTips.com, a premium online cycling publication with the mission to share the beauty of cycling. Dave was a previous editor at the UK publication BikeRadar.com, and has been involved in the bicycle industry for over the past decade. As a bike mechanic, Dave is a self-confessed tool nerd, and often writes in-depth reviews and features about hand tools for DIY cyclists and mechanics. For show notes visit: ht...
178: Cameo Wood
June 07, 2019 18:13 - 35 minutes - 26.6 MBOur guest this week is Cameo Wood. Cameo is an EMMY nominated filmmaker. She is also a former tech founder, founded an urban beekeeping store, was the first to perform Turing’s Original Imitation Game experiment, and has completed grad programs in Egyptology and Medical Neuroscience. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/cameo-wood-filmmaker
177: Adam Savage
May 31, 2019 18:15 - 50 minutes - 36.4 MBOur guest this week is Adam Savage. Adam has spent his life gathering skills that allow him to take what's in his brain and make it real. He's built everything from ancient Buddhas and futuristic weapons to fine-art sculptures and dancing vegetables. Today, Adam hosts and executive produces MythBusters Jr. as well as a brand-new series, Savage Builds, which premieres on Science Channel in June 2019. He also stars in and produces content for Tested.com, including behind-the-scenes dives into m...
176: Ziya Tong
May 24, 2019 17:00 - 29 minutes - 22.1 MBOur guest this week is Ziya Tong. Ziya is an award-winning science broadcaster, best known for her work with Discovery's flagship show, Daily Planet, as well as NOVA ScienceNow and Wired Science on PBS. She is the author of the forthcoming book The Reality Bubble, the Vice Chair of the World Wildlife Fund Canada, and a supporter of the Extinction Rebellion. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/ziya-tong-author-of-the-reality-bubble
175: Sean Michael Ragan
May 17, 2019 17:45 - 28 minutes - 21.4 MBOur guest this week is Sean Michael Ragan. Sean is the author of three books including The Total Inventor's Manual, which is on sale now at Costco, Sam's, and all major book retailers. He’s also a former editor of and longtime contributor to MAKE Magazine and MAKE online. You can find him on Amazon, Medium and Instagram. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/sean-michael-ragan-author-and-former-editor-of-make
174: Joshuah Bearman
May 10, 2019 20:34 - 28 minutes - 21.6 MBOur guest this week is Joshuah Bearman. Josh is Epic’s cofounder and CCO and has written for Wired, GQ, the New York Times Magazine, Harper's, and is a regular contributor to This American Life. Josh has written about meteorite hunters, deranged private investigators, jewel thieves, surfing smugglers, and the metaphysical implications of being the world's greatest Pac Man player. He was a finalist for the 2014 National Magazine Awards, and his work has been anthologized in various Best Americ...
173: Guy Kawasaki
May 03, 2019 20:51 - 34 minutes - 25.6 MBOur guest this week is Guy Kawasaki. Guy is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online graphic design tool. He is also a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz and an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business. He was the chief evangelist of Apple and a trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/guy-kawasaki-chief-evangelist-of-canva
172: Tina Roth Eisenberg
April 26, 2019 09:00 - 31 minutes - 23.7 MBOur guest this week is Tina Roth Eisenberg. Tina is a Swiss born, raised, and trained graphic designer. In 1999, she came to New York City for a three-month design internship and never left. Over the past 13 years, Tina started numerous side projects that have organically turned into businesses. A creative co-working community called FRIENDS, a global monthly lecture series called CreativeMornings, a simple to-do app called TeuxDeux, and Tattly, a high-end temporary tattoo shop. She lives in ...
171: Donald Bell
April 19, 2019 17:32 - 30 minutes - 23 MBOur guest this week is Donald Bell. Donald creates tool review videos for Cool Tools. He also hosts a weekly YouTube show called Maker Update, which collects interesting projects, news, tips, and tools for the Maker community. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/donald-bell-maker-update
170: Terri Schweitzer
April 12, 2019 09:00 - 33 minutes - 24.9 MBOur guest this week is Terrie Schweitzer. Terrie is the editor of Better Humans for Coach.me, and on the weekend she’s a professional bubble entertainer with Big Top Bubbles. She loves unconventional adventures and spent two years working with cashew farmers in Ghana, has been a goat milker, and counts hawks with Golden Gate Raptor Observatory. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/terri-schweitzer-editor-of-better-humans
169: Robert Stephens
April 05, 2019 09:00 - 26 minutes - 20.4 MBOur guest this week is Robert Stephens. Robert is the founder of The Geek Squad and former CTO of Best Buy. The Geek Squad turns 25 this year, employing over 24,000 people. A native of Chicago, he now lives in the Bay Area. He has read the Cool Tools book back-to-back at least 5 times. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/robert-stephens-founder-of-the-geek-squad
168: Liz Kruger and Craig Shapiro
March 29, 2019 09:00 - 32 minutes - 24.3 MBOur guest this week is Liz Kruger and Craig Shapiro. Liz and Craig have been married for 26 years, writing together for 20. Most recently, they were the executive producers and showrunners of the CBS sci-fi thriller Salvation. Together they’ve written and/or produced, dozens of projects including the sci-fi thriller Extant starring Halle Berry, Necessary Roughness on USA network, and Girlfriends Guide to Divorce on Bravo. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/liz-and-craig-executive...
167: Om Malik
March 22, 2019 09:00 - 27 minutes - 20.8 MBOur guest this week is Om Malik. Om is a partner at early stage venture firm, True Ventures. Prior to becoming an investor, he started GigaOm, a technology blog and covered technology and its impact for over two decades. Om loves technology, its possibilities and writes about its impact on his blog, Om.co For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/om-malik-partner-at-true-ventures
166: Mark Stramaglia
March 15, 2019 19:49 - 33 minutes - 24.8 MBOur guest this week is Mark Stramaglia. Mark is an experimental musician and digital artist. He creates games and audio software under the name Bludgeonsoft, and produces and performs music and art as Wizard Master and Operation Re-Information. His current project is Vilmonic, an artificial life, evolution, and genetics sandbox game and virtual world. Vilmonic is available now, on Steam and Itch.io. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/mark-stramaglia-experimental-musician-and-digi...
165: Bonnie Burton
March 08, 2019 19:41 - 36 minutes - 27.3 MBOur guest this week is Bonnie Burton. Bonnie is a Los Angeles-based author, who writes books and comics about sea monsters, Wookiees, mean girls, crafts, magical things, robots and aliens. Her books include Live or Die?: Survival Hacks; J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World Movie Magic: Amazing Artifacts; Crafting With Feminism; Star Wars Craft Book; Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars; Girls Against Girls; Pros and (Comic) Cons; Womanthology and more. She's on Twitter at @bonniegrrl. For show notes vis...
164: George Dyson
March 01, 2019 18:36 - 29 minutes - 22.2 MBOur guest this week is George Dyson. George divides his time between building boats and writing books, and some fo the books he has written include Project Orion: The True Story of the Atomic Spaceship, Darwin among the Machines: The Evolution of Global Intelligence, Turing's Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/george-dyson-writer-and-boat-builder
163: Elon Schoenholz
February 22, 2019 20:18 - 34 minutes - 25.9 MBOur guest this week is Elon Schoenholz. Elon is a former guest editor of Cool Tools and has been working as a commercial photographer documenting art and architecture in L.A. for the past 20 years. He’s a husband and father, gardner and an avid cyclist, and a founding member of the LA County Bicycle Coalition. He raced cyclocross for three seasons, without ever breaking the top 10. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/elon-schoenholz-commercial-photographer
162: Tommy Honton
February 15, 2019 21:53 - 32 minutes - 24.2 MBOur guest this week is Tommy Honton. Tommy is a Los Angeles-based experience designer who specializes in weaving interactivity and game mechanics into narrative storytelling. Across the United States, he’s produced interactive and immersive work for audience sizes ranging from 1 to 80,000. He’s also the co-creator and designer of the critically-acclaimed escape room Stash House and co-founder of the interactive exhibition Museum of Selfies. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/tomm...
161: Madeline Ashby
February 08, 2019 19:30 - 32 minutes - 24.6 MBOur guest this week is Madeline Ashby. Madeline is a futurist and science fiction writer living in Toronto. Her most recent novel, Company Town, is available from Tor Books. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/madeline-ashby-science-fiction-writer
160: Steven Leckart
February 01, 2019 21:04 - 23 minutes - 18 MBOur guest this week is Steven Leckart. Steven is a writer, director, and investigative journalist. He has written a handful of documentaries, including SILICON COWBOYS, and has contributed to various magazines including Wired, Esquire, Men’s Health, Maxim, and Popular Science. Steven is also the co-author of Cabin Porn, a New York Times bestseller about hand-built architecture. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/steven-leckart-writer
159: John Park
January 25, 2019 23:03 - 29 minutes - 22.5 MBOur guest this week is John Park. John is a professional maker. He builds creative technology projects, tutorials, and videos for Adafruit Industries. John hosted the Emmy-nominated Make: Television show on American Public Television. Prior to joining Adafruit, John worked in computer graphics, including twelve years in animation at Disney. John is an amature circus aerialist, and a synthesizer enthusiast. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/john-park-professional-maker
158: Dan Pink
January 18, 2019 23:52 - 41 minutes - 30.7 MBOur guest this week is Daniel Pink. Daniel is the author of four New York Times bestsellers on work, business, and psychology. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into 39 languages. Dan was also host and co-executive producer of “Crowd Control,” a National Geographic TV series about human behavior. His latest book is When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/daniel-pink-nyt-bestselling-author
157: Jen Schachter
January 11, 2019 22:40 - 26 minutes - 20.5 MBOur 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 robot, and a monumental 3D-printed sculpture of Rosie the Riveter. You can find her product reviews in Make Magazine, her epic collaborations with Adam Savage on Tested.com, and her tool manuals in fabrication shops in Baltimore. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/jen-schachter-multimed...
156: Michael Kupperman
January 04, 2019 21:28 - 24 minutes - 18.6 MBOur 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, Playboy, Heavy Metal, McSweeney’s, DC, Marvel, Vice, Saturday Night Live, Adult Swim, and Comedy Central, and six of his own books. All the Answers is his first serious book. For show notes visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/michael-kupperman-author-of-all-the-answers