[Miłosz Bolechowski wrote in to tell me that using Automator to change the date was silly because all of it can be done in Keyboard Maestro](http://www.fabryka-pikseli.com/2012/11/28/keyboard-maestro-i-data-w-nazwie-pliku/). This is a really complex version, but does work much faster than using Automator (my method). I actually had no clue just how easy it was to grab files…
[Miłosz Bolechowski wrote in to tell me that using Automator to change the date was silly because all of it can be done in Keyboard Maestro](http://www.fabryka-pikseli.com/2012/11/28/keyboard-maestro-i-data-w-nazwie-pliku/). This is a really complex version, but does work much faster than using Automator (my method).
I actually had no clue just how easy it was to grab files from Finder in Keyboard Maestro, so this is incredibly helpful to me long term as well.
Thank you to Miłosz Bolechowski. This is awesome.
*(You’ll probably need to translate the page, but the last link in the post is a zip to download the macro.)*
[Craig Mod in, what I am sure will become a point of reference for a lot of tablet-only publishers, has this to say about publishing on the iPad](http://craigmod.com/journal/subcompact_publishing/#sub_clarity) (via [Shawn Blanc](http://shawnblanc.net/2012/11/mod-publishing/)): >I’d be shocked if there weren’t a dozen other publishers prepping to launch similar magazines. Or, even better: someone building a system by which…
[Craig Mod in, what I am sure will become a point of reference for a lot of tablet-only publishers, has this to say about publishing on the iPad](http://craigmod.com/journal/subcompact_publishing/#sub_clarity) (via [Shawn Blanc](http://shawnblanc.net/2012/11/mod-publishing/)):
>I’d be shocked if there weren’t a dozen other publishers prepping to launch similar magazines. Or, even better: someone building a system by which anyone could launch a Newsstand app like The Magazine — for minimal cost with minimal complexity.
*(If you are at all interested in the future of publishing, then Mod’s essay is a must read.)*
When Marco Arment first told me about his idea for The Magazine it was pretty obvious that it would be amazing to have such a tool for publishing in the hands of individual writers.
And it appears I am not alone in that thinking. [Here’s David Heinemeier Hansson on the matter](http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3333-publishers-shouldnt-be-app-developers):
>Apple should save its customers from these cruddy experiences by either putting out something like iMagazine Creator (ala iBooks Creator) or find a better way to get existing HTML magazines on the iPad.
[And Heinemeier Hansson’s fellow co-worker Ryan Singer on the matter](http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3334-tablets-are-waiting-for-their-movable-type):
>Now is a great time for another Movable Type. Writers would love a way to push serialized content straight to tablets, and the experience would be a boon to readers.
This is a rare case where everyone is correct. Apple, readers, and writers would have a win if a simple, yet effective, tool were to come out that any writer could use to:
– Publish a periodical to the iPad.
– Allowed for paid subscriptions.
– Control over design.
– Downloads in the background.
Most of the hard parts are in place for Apple, now *we* just need the tool to put the content in the frameworks.
My personal vote, would be for a system where you design the “app” one time (setting all the outlines as you do with any blog) and from there you just push content to it via something like MarsEdit. I would not only love to use that, I’d pay a premium to use such a tool.
[Some common questions about my knife philosophy](https://brooksreview.net/2012/10/pocket-knife/), answered. ## What blade shape do you prefer? A few people have asked about what my preference is on [the shape of the blade](http://www.knife-depot.com/knife-information-112.html). Overall I like the standard ‘drop point’ shape. It find it most comfortable to use and highly versatile. The most common offering besides a…
[Some common questions about my knife philosophy](https://brooksreview.net/2012/10/pocket-knife/), answered.
## What blade shape do you prefer?
A few people have asked about what my preference is on [the shape of the blade](http://www.knife-depot.com/knife-information-112.html). Overall I like the standard ‘drop point’ shape. It find it most comfortable to use and highly versatile.
The most common offering besides a drop point is the tanto — which I believe is mostly popular because it looks pretty cool. I’ve only had one blade that was a tanto, and I found it frustrating to use at times.
## Why not spend more money?
A lot of people want to know why I am staying under $100 and why I am not willing to pay for the best knife I can find. This is a good point as it is a break from the norm for me. Typically I’d never hesitate based on price, but I feel differently about spending big money on an EDC knife.
First, I view EDC knives as a tool. Because of this the most important aspect is utility. Secondly, I never want to be hamstrung over when and where to use my knife because I paid a lot of money for it.
There are a lot of instances where I will use my knife that could easily damage the cutting edge of the blade, or snap the blade all together. Things like cutting close to metal, or against metal, and prying are all things I would never do with an expensive knife.
Those scenarios don’t come up every day, but when they do I never want to feel like I can’t just use the knife as a tool to get the job done. I figure that one of those scenarios will come up a year where the knife is damaged, and I want to know that I can afford to replace my knife if it does get irreparably damaged. If I don’t feel confident I can afford to replace the knife, it is far less valuable to me as a tool.
For me, that means keeping the price under, or close to, one hundred dollars. This should vary based on your budget — there are some great knives to be had in the sub-fifty dollar range.
## What about the folding utility/box knives?
I have a couple of these and they are very popular with people that work in construction, but I think they are a very bad EDC choice. I have a few reasons I think these are a poor choice:
1. The blades are brittle. Yes the blades are sharp and cheap to replace, but they are very brittle and it is unlikely that you will want to carry extra blades with you.
2. These knives are typically bulky, this allows for changeable blades, but is also a weight and size factor.
3. This type of knife blade is disposable. These blades also cannot be sharpened and they are therefore a poor choice for a lasting knife. Even when a typical EDC is dull, you can still use the blade however, when a utility knife blade is dull it’s pretty much worthless — I’ve seen utility blades lose their point entirely. These blades are cheap and so is the steel used to make them — they don’t last long even if you rarely use your knife.
Overall these knives are not a good all around choice.
## Will you check out XZY knife I have, or want to buy?
[Charlie Demerjian, writing for SemiAccurate, on the death spiral that he sees Microsoft in](http://semiaccurate.com/2012/11/14/microsoft-has-failed/): >The problem is that if you are locked in with a choice of 100% Microsoft or 0% Microsoft, once someone goes, it isn’t a baby step, they are gone. The majority of the article I actually found uninteresting, but well written.…
[Charlie Demerjian, writing for SemiAccurate, on the death spiral that he sees Microsoft in](http://semiaccurate.com/2012/11/14/microsoft-has-failed/):
>The problem is that if you are locked in with a choice of 100% Microsoft or 0% Microsoft, once someone goes, it isn’t a baby step, they are gone.
The majority of the article I actually found uninteresting, but well written. The above quote though is a fascinating view point about how the Microsoft empire works.
Demerjian points out that once you leave one Microsoft product, you have no need for any *other* Microsoft product. So if you leave office, you can easily leave Windows, Windows Server, Exchange, etc. I had never thought about this, but it is a very interesting statement.
For the most part I’d agree with Demerjian, however I don’t think it is that easy to apply universally. If it is company policy, or a cost issue, then yes the statement holds.
But what about someone like, well, me?
I run my company. I make the purchase decisions. I am a dedicated Apple user. I just bought Office 2011 for Mac.
Why?
It’s true that 99% of the time I use Pages and Numbers. However Excel is the killer tool. There are simply things that I cannot easily accomplish in Google or Numbers without Excel. Furthermore, when negotiating contracts, it’s nice for everyone to be on the same software for consistent tracking of changes.
So my curiosity now is whether I am the edge case, or the status quo for business users on Macs. I am thinking I am in the latter group.
[Over the long weekend the developer of iTorch contacted me encouraging me to try the latest, fourth, version of the iTorch app.](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itorch-pro-flashlight/id392550196?mt=8) The claim was that iTorch had been made to be the fastest gun, umm flashlight app, in the west. [So of course I had to try it given all my past searching](https://brooksreview.net/2012/08/flashlight-iphone/). What…
[Over the long weekend the developer of iTorch contacted me encouraging me to try the latest, fourth, version of the iTorch app.](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/itorch-pro-flashlight/id392550196?mt=8) The claim was that iTorch had been made to be the fastest gun, umm flashlight app, in the west.
[So of course I had to try it given all my past searching](https://brooksreview.net/2012/08/flashlight-iphone/).
What I found is that iTorch is incredibly fast. It really isn’t even a challenge (the free version is just as fast). And while I don’t like the icon, or UI, as much as I do in Lighty — the bottom line is that speed is far more relevant to me than design of a flashlight app.
To get an idea of how fast iTorch is, just launch your current flashlight app, quit, now relaunch. That relaunch speed — that’s just about how fast iTorch is.
I’ve added it to my home screen, replacing Lighty.
“Yes, but the original iPad sells more than all other competitors combined. Either buyers vastly prefer 10″ tablets, or buyers vastly prefer iPads.” — Watts Martin
“Yes, but the original iPad sells more than all other competitors combined. Either buyers vastly prefer 10″ tablets, or buyers vastly prefer iPads.”
[Sam Barillaro purchased the Hard Graft flat pack for the retina MacBook Pro 15″ and he wasn’t impressed.](http://thetechedit.com/2012/11/why-i-returned-the-hard-graft-flat-pack-for-15-retina-macbook-pro/) [I really like mine](https://brooksreview.net/2012/10/flat-pack-2/). Barillaro has some very good comments on the flaws of this bag, but one I want to point out doesn’t strike me as accurate. Barillaro says: >The shoulder strap is attached to the…
[Sam Barillaro purchased the Hard Graft flat pack for the retina MacBook Pro 15″ and he wasn’t impressed.](http://thetechedit.com/2012/11/why-i-returned-the-hard-graft-flat-pack-for-15-retina-macbook-pro/) [I really like mine](https://brooksreview.net/2012/10/flat-pack-2/). Barillaro has some very good comments on the flaws of this bag, but one I want to point out doesn’t strike me as accurate. Barillaro says:
>The shoulder strap is attached to the bag at a ninety degree angle. There is no hinge, so the strap can’t move around depending on where your holding your bag.
That’s actually not true. On all the smaller Flat Packs this is true, the strap is stitched in the 90° position, however on the retina MacBook Pro 15″ Flat Pack Hard Graft added a hinge. Here’s a picture of that hinge from my review:
The strap hinge.
Now it doesn’t seem like a hinge at first, you have to wiggle it to get it moving initially, but it is a hinge. Hard Graft had this to say about it when they announced the bag:
>It has two simple inside pockets and a nifty new detail – the straps have a secure screw hinge which makes it possible to adjust them to fit to the carry position that feels best for you.
That came from the email announcement that was sent out from Hard Graft. So while all of Barillaro’s points are very good, the hinge one is not accurate (unless I misunderstood what he was saying somehow).
One last thing I would note is that Barillaro doesn’t like that a charger doesn’t fit well in the bag — I agree — however I have also found that I rarely need a charger for my computer. Your mileage will vary on that aspect, but I think, with most modern Macs, that carrying a charger is more a safety net than a necessity.
[Thomas Brand has a great post about his watch, an Omega, that is (in his own words) the nicest thing he owns](http://eggfreckles.com/notes/bond-watch/): >With the exception of my computers, I own very little in the line of luxury. I do not own a car, my TV has always been small, my home is just an apartment…
[Thomas Brand has a great post about his watch, an Omega, that is (in his own words) the nicest thing he owns](http://eggfreckles.com/notes/bond-watch/):
>With the exception of my computers, I own very little in the line of luxury. I do not own a car, my TV has always been small, my home is just an apartment on a busy street. I bought my Bond Watch because it is the best I could afford, and hope it lasts long enough to pass onto a future generation.
It seems that more and more people aren’t wearing watches. I always have, and I think you should too. The Omega that Brand is talking about is a great watch, but currently out of my price range.
A really good watch — like anything else — is something that you really enjoy wearing. [I currently wear this Tissot everyday](http://www.amazon.com/Tissot-T-Classic-Locle-Leather-T41-1-423-53/dp/B003P5K2N2/ref=sr_1_4?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1353530745&sr=1-4&keywords=tissot++Le+Locle) and really like it. ([Though I think I may want to get the bracelet for mine instead of the leather band](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000JKWXCO/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).) When it comes to watches, do yourself the courtesy of buying a nice automatic watch so that watch batteries are something you never have to deal with. The added bonus to an automatic is that if you don’t wear it, it stops ticking ((Meaning you have to set the time and wind the watch to jumpstart it, not meaning it stops working all together.)) , so you have sufficient encouragement to always wear your watch. I feel naked without my watch.
In case you are wondering: I use my watch to tell the time and date. ((I know, revolutionary.))
Instead of putting on a bunch of items that we would all love to own for ourselves on a list, here’s some stuff that may be handy to buy for other people. ((Let’s emphasize the “may” portion.)) ## Disaster Kit Items In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, I am sure there are more than a…
Instead of putting on a bunch of items that we would all love to own for ourselves on a list, here’s some stuff that may be handy to buy for other people. ((Let’s emphasize the “may” portion.))
## Disaster Kit Items
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, I am sure there are more than a few people in your family that would very much appreciate items that will help them stay safe in case of another disaster.
Personally I’d start with buying people a nice flashlight. I’ve mentioned a [couple](https://brooksreview.net/2011/10/amazon-item-surefire/) [before](https://brooksreview.net/2012/04/amazon-fury/), but they are pricey and likely not something that others would appreciate — not to mention they require hard-to-find batteries that make them a poor choice for disasters. [So let me introduce you to the Fenix E11 LED flashlight](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005GW8UC2/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20). Some key features: runs at 105 lumens (that’s pretty bright) for eight hours off of just one AA battery and it is waterproof up to 6.5 feet of water. So in a flood, in rain, and in the dark this is great option to have at your disposal. The bonus part about this is that flashlights are handy even if you aren’t in the middle of a disaster.
Since we are talking about being prepared for wet weather, [may I introduce you to the dorkiest thing that I own: Outdoor Research’s Seattle Sombrero](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003P8QOV8/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20). Personally I have the forest color. Now this is a rain hat, but you have a hood on your jacket, so why buy this? Well it is awesome. That’s why. You have full peripheral view, a dry head, a warm head, and it won’t easily blow off like so many other hoods. Seriously dorky, seriously great in the rain. I swear by mine.
Since I brought up Outdoor Research, [I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the Neoplume Jacket — as it may just be my favorite jacket I have ever owned](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B008WPAUHI/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20). It works great as a base layer under a rain shell, or as just a cold weather jacket. I love this thing — this is an updated version of the one I own. I wear mine most days from October to April.
The last disaster related item I will share with you is something that isn’t likely to be a great gift for everyone, but is awesome none-the-less: [Coghlans Fire Paste](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0045E120Y/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20). This is basically napalm in a tube. Squirt it on some fire wood, light it, and boom you have fire. I know how to make a fire, but that doesn’t mean I want to dick around with a fire all the time — sometimes you just want a warm fire, and when you want that, Fire Paste is what you need.
## I’m the Tech Guy/Gal in the Family, I Have to Buy Gadgets
[I’d start by giving out a Doxie, the Go is the one I own a few of and they are great](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0053TRH2M/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20). I use them for mobile employees and at home. [Doxie has the new One scanner coming out too](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B008ASBFM6/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20), that looks like an even better option for a parent. A scanner is one of those things that you don’t think would be handy, until you actually have one and then you can’t get by without one.
[If you want a no-brainer gadget, the Apple TV is about as good as it gets](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B007I5JT4S/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20). Even if someone has one already, they’ll likely be pretty happy sticking another one on a different TV.
[Now, even though I don’t own a new one, I wouldn’t hesitate to give out a Kindle (not the Fire) to anyone in my family](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B007OZNZQ0/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20). It’s a great gift for people that are more low-tech as the learning curve is nice and easy. Not to mention it is a device that really doesn’t fail — so the support on it is also minimal for you. Just don’t be a jerk: buy the version without the ads — I mean “special offers”.
## The Last Ditch Things
Let’s say you just want to give someone a really solid gift, but they are impossible to buy for. [For that situation I present Mont Blanc’s Meisterstuck Classique Gold Rollerball](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00154QD60/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20). I’ve had mine for over a decade. Yes, people don’t write as often anymore, but that’s all the better reason to write with something great when you do write.
Now, if that is out of your price range, [I re-present to you Air Swimmers](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005FYEAJ8/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20). My dad bought these for all of us last year and they are flipping awesome. Don’t get it for someone that can’t follow assembly instructions as you do have to build them — oh and you need helium to fill them — but they are really fun. Did I mention they are also cheap? They are.
—
I’m sure other’s will have more comprehensive options and guides out soon, but I wanted to offer you some (mostly) unconventional choices.
*(This post is a part of a series on Keyboard Maestro, [see more here](https://brooksreview.net/tag/KM-SERIES/).)* This macro will allow you to select any file in Mac OS X and append the current date to the end of the file name. It is all done with one keyboard shortcut and no need to get to the editing…
*(This post is a part of a series on Keyboard Maestro, [see more here](https://brooksreview.net/tag/KM-SERIES/).)*
This macro will allow you to select any file in Mac OS X and append the current date to the end of the file name. It is all done with one keyboard shortcut and no need to get to the editing file name mode. This is very useful for versioning files if you work outside of a version control system — or if you get a lot of files with the same name (images are one I constantly add this info to).
*What you need: Keyboard Maestro and Automator.*
## How To
We need to start in Automator and build a new workflow.
1. Open Automator and when prompted to create a new file select `Workflow`.
2. In the search field to the left, search for the action named `Get Selected Finder Items`. Drag that to the pane on the right.
*This action will tell Automator that we are working with the files you have selected and only those files.*
3. Search for another action named `Rename Finder Items` and drag it to the right pane. When prompted to add an action to copy the file first select `Don’t Add`.
Once you have this action in there you will be presented with a multitude of options to consider. Here’s how I have mine setup:
The final Automator action, that adds the date and the time.
There’s some important things to note:
– Be sure to use spaces, dashes, or underscores for the separators so that you don’t break non-Mac tools (other operating systems and websites hate the forward slashes).
– You have four options of the date to grab: Created, Modified, Last Opened, Current. All the options work as expected, but the first three may not always result in the date you intended it to, for that reason I stay with the current date.
– `Use Leading Zeros` just means that August will be represented as `08` instead of `8`. I recommend turning this on for a more consistent file length.
4. Now you just need to save the workflow somewhere you remember and somewhere that you will not move it. (I have a dedicated Dropbox folder that I keep these workflows in.)
5. Open Keyboard Maestro and create a new Macro (CMD+n).
6. Set the trigger to `This hot key:`. Next you will need to click on the field below to record your new keyboard shortcut, personally I chose: `Control+Shift+Command+R`. Make sure `Is pressed` reads after the shortcut.
7. Next click to add a new action and search for `Execute an Automator Workflow`. Drag that action to the pane on the right to add it.
8. Click the button with the ellipses on it (the three dots) and select the workflow that you just saved in step 4.
You are now done. With a file selected you should be able to press your keyboard shortcut and have the date appended to it.
Final macro in Keyboard Maestro.
*Note: Pressing the shortcut more than once on any file will keep appending the date, be careful.*
## Advanced
You may have noticed that Automator doesn’t actually allow you to append the Date **and** Time to a file name — at least not in one fell swoop. This is easily added by opening the workflow back up in Automator and making these tweaks:
– Add another copy of `Rename Finder Items`, again selecting `Don’t Add` when prompted.
– Change the format from the date, to the the time and adjust settings to your liking.
This will now append the date first, followed by the time, and then the file extension. If you want the two reversed, simply drag the Time action above the Date action.
The nice part is that we don’t need to change anything in Keyboard Maestro and can keep playing with tweaks until we find the mix that is right for our intended use.
[Charles Kenny for, the horribly designed, Businessweek overviews why the TSA’s overbearing bullshit kills more Americans than it saves (hint it causes more people to drive, which is more dangerous) and culminates with this outstanding thought](http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-18/how-airport-security-is-killing-us): >That’s not to say TSA employees bear responsibility for making the roads more dangerous—they’re just following incentives that reward…
[Charles Kenny for, the horribly designed, Businessweek overviews why the TSA’s overbearing bullshit kills more Americans than it saves (hint it causes more people to drive, which is more dangerous) and culminates with this outstanding thought](http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-18/how-airport-security-is-killing-us):
>That’s not to say TSA employees bear responsibility for making the roads more dangerous—they’re just following incentives that reward slavish attention to overbearing and ambiguous rules over common sense.
While this is a great quote, particularly the last ten words or so, I think it is inaccurate. It is true that you can apply the adage that TSA employees are only enforcing rules that they had no hand in making, but that’s a cop-out and actually not an accurate picture of what is happening.
Taking the porno-scanners out of the equation, most of the complaints about the TSA are the fault of the individual employees (or their lack of training):
– Inconsistent application and interpretation of rules. (e.g. Breastmilk, toys, books about war.)
– Power trips and ego stroking (e.g. “Because I said so”)
– Lack of care. (e.g. C4 that wasn’t found until a *return* flight.)
I actually have no problem with the idea of airport security, but I have always believed that a far more professional agency should be in charge. My vote has always been for the FBI to be in charge because FBI agents are well trained and smart. Which is the polar opposite description that you would use to accurately describe TSA officers.
[Jeff Atwood loved his Surface so much he went out an purchased a Lenovo Yoga 13 laptop that also has a touch screen](http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2012/11/touch-laptops.html): >It’s a nice laptop. You could do far worse, and many have. In the end, the Yoga 13 **is just a nice laptop with a touchscreen slapped on it.** I was particularly…
[Jeff Atwood loved his Surface so much he went out an purchased a Lenovo Yoga 13 laptop that also has a touch screen](http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2012/11/touch-laptops.html):
>It’s a nice laptop. You could do far worse, and many have. In the end, the Yoga 13 **is just a nice laptop with a touchscreen slapped on it.**
I was particularly interested in this post because I almost hit the buy button on this exact laptop about twenty times since I [last posted a link to Atwood](https://brooksreview.net/2012/11/atwood-rt/). That’s not a joke.
I very much was willing to go all-in and try Windows for a month, just because I think there is something interesting going on there. If you think there is something interesting happening, then you need to read Atwood’s thoughts on this laptop.
After reading this post I am glad I didn’t buy this laptop, because honestly I am going to hold out for a Surface pro and give that a go. I don’t want to use Windows, but I am open and willing to use any device that makes my life easier and a Surface Pro, quite honestly, may be a great tablet for me at our office. ((Assuming it can natively run our Windows based software that we use.))
“Respecting shared public space is becoming as quaintly archaic as tipping your hat to a lady, now that the concept of public space is as nearly extinct as hats, and ladies.” — Tim Kreider
“Respecting shared public space is becoming as quaintly archaic as tipping your hat to a lady, now that the concept of public space is as nearly extinct as hats, and ladies.”
When I was first contacted about this, I had two thoughts:
Nooo! Don’t change something that is great.
Sweet! A mesh back!
So I was a bit torn. What I can tell you is that the bag I alreadythoughtwas the best bag you could use, just got better.
The mesh back alone makes it an instant upgrade. When I took my Smart Alec to Macworld last year, my back was constantly warm. It felt like something was heating the bag internally, but it was just a lack of air circulation to my back. The new mesh back solves this, and does so wonderfully. It’s a minor change that makes the bag a lot better to carry for long periods of time.
Of the other changes, they all make a noticeable difference:
It is easier to zip the top closed — a one-handed affair at times now.
The bag does indeed pick up less cat hair, much to the dismay of my two cats.
I look forward to seeing the modular pockets for the bag, but overall this is a solid update. Oh, and if you were waiting to order, do so now because the price goes up next week — I am certainly going to upgrade.
[Dalton Caldwell in his excellent post about the pivot that Twitter is doing, sees this as the “new” Twitter](http://daltoncaldwell.com/twitter-is-pivoting): >Important content is mostly created by media companies, whether they are blogs, television, radio or movies. A little further down he says: >The Discover tab is the future. Rather than forcing normal users to make sense…
[Dalton Caldwell in his excellent post about the pivot that Twitter is doing, sees this as the “new” Twitter](http://daltoncaldwell.com/twitter-is-pivoting):
>Important content is mostly created by media companies, whether they are blogs, television, radio or movies.
A little further down he says:
>The Discover tab is the future. Rather than forcing normal users to make sense of a realtime stream, they can see what content is trending.
I think Caldwell is right, and if you get any value out of Twitter that should piss you off. Why?
Here’s what Caldwell is thinking: all original content is by big companies that have partnered with Twitter to use Twitter as an announcement platform, all users just talk about what these things mean, and trends are what you look at — now that of course means that everything in trends is not really a trend, just chatter about what will effectively be ads. Yay, Twitter!
This is essentially the systematic destruction of a once valuable and far reaching tool. Twitter is pivoting from a communication tool that regimes sought to shut down in times of revolt, to a tool that in those same times of revolt regimes will embrace and pay to use Twitter to spread propaganda.
Again: yay Twitter!
[Here’s Harry Marks on the matter](http://curiousrat.com/home/2012/11/19/h0m1bl3xig5zjikm9tlrdbjk5vwep3):
>According to Twitter’s website, the Discover tab is “What’s happening now, tailored to you.” Well, last I checked, I wasn’t really interested in Justin Bieber’s date at the AMAs, nor Notre Dame football. These seem more like advertisers throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks.
The entire thing reeks of [this](http://www.adkeeper.com).
[Jonah Spangenthal-Lee’s guide to legal marijuana use in Seattle, posted on the Seattle Police Department’s website](http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2012/11/09/marijwhatnow-a-guide-to-legal-marijuana-use-in-seattle/) is fantastic, including a `TL;DR` version: >Please note that the initiative says it “is unlawful to open a package containing marijuana…in view of the general public,” so there’s that. Also, you probably shouldn’t bring pot with you to the…
[Jonah Spangenthal-Lee’s guide to legal marijuana use in Seattle, posted on the Seattle Police Department’s website](http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2012/11/09/marijwhatnow-a-guide-to-legal-marijuana-use-in-seattle/) is fantastic, including a `TL;DR` version:
>Please note that the initiative says it “is unlawful to open a package containing marijuana…in view of the general public,” so there’s that. Also, you probably shouldn’t bring pot with you to the federal courthouse (or any other federal property).
It’s been pretty interesting in Washington since the initiative legalizing marijuana was passed. King and Pierce county prosecutors applied the law retro-actively and dropped hundreds of pending marijuana cases. The local news has been reporting on such conundrums as:
– Should parents smoke weed in front of their kids?
– How do you teach kids drugs are bad, when drugs are legal?
– Legalizing marijuana will add $68 million to the anti-drug campaigns for children, will that help?
– What happens if you are caught with marijuana in another state, but were bringing it to Washington to smoke it?
I mean, it really has been bang your head against the wall stupid around here.
When you stop to think about it, legalizing marijuana really isn’t that big of a deal ((As in, people were already using it, this doesn’t change much.)) , but it does change the marijuana market here in Washington. No longer is it a black market, now it will be a gray market drug as people will soon realize it’s not that easy to purchase (there are no stores yet, but I have been contacted to put some in buildings I manage) legally.
The far more interesting question is for employers and employees — as most companies have anti-drug policies. So just as you can’t be drunk on the job, you also can’t be stoned on the job. Yet with alcohol, it’s a simple test to determine if you are drunk right now — weed stays in your system much longer. So now the question is, when you are hurt on the job and you get drug tested: does marijuana count?
Of course this is all moot if the Federal government decides to enforce federal laws banning it.
[David Heinemeier Hansson has penned an extraordinarily beautiful bit of prose about the path of Twitter](http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3328-twitters-descent-into-the-extractive). I love his concluding thought: >Winter might be longer this time around, but inevitably Spring will return That’s a fascinating sentiment, especially on the heels of the news that [Peter Chernin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Chernin) is now on the board of Twitter. Twitter…
[David Heinemeier Hansson has penned an extraordinarily beautiful bit of prose about the path of Twitter](http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3328-twitters-descent-into-the-extractive). I love his concluding thought:
>Winter might be longer this time around, but inevitably Spring will return
That’s a fascinating sentiment, especially on the heels of the news that [Peter Chernin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Chernin) is now on the board of Twitter. Twitter is a company that has “sold out”, but the interesting thing is they didn’t recently sell out — no — Twitter sold out a very long time ago and it is only now that we are beginning to pull our heads out of the sand and realize that.
I used to say that it would be easy for Twitter to start making money, but that was back when Twitter was used as a communications tool. Now Twitter is nothing more than a shouting match, with Twitter corporate doubling the volume of the highest bidder.
[This post from Kontra about Siri and the future of semantic searching has made the rounds](http://counternotions.com/2012/11/12/siri-future/), with good reason too as it is a compelling and interesting post. I can’t help but think that it is interesting how much catching up Google is trying to do in this area right now, when it always has…
[This post from Kontra about Siri and the future of semantic searching has made the rounds](http://counternotions.com/2012/11/12/siri-future/), with good reason too as it is a compelling and interesting post. I can’t help but think that it is interesting how much catching up Google is trying to do in this area right now, when it always has seemed that *interpretation* has always been the one thing that we all knew would take computers from being great, to amazing boosts to productivity and happiness. It’s then astonishing how far behind Google is in this respect — not that Siri is that far ahead.
While reading this post it occurred to me that one of the reasons that Android will never be as useful to me is because I just don’t trust Google. Because of that lack of trust I go out of my way to avoid their services — and because of that an Android device is exponentially less useful to me.
Kontra:
> That’s why you see Google, for example, buying the world’s largest airline search company ITA, restaurant rating service Zagat, and cloning Yelp/Foursquare with Google Places, Amazon with Google Shopping, iTunes and App Store with Google Play, Groupon with Google Offers, Hotels.com with Google Hotel Finder…and, ultimately, Siri with Google Now.
This is why my Nexus isn’t that great for me: I refuse to use these services from Google, whereas Apple products work better for me because I trust Apple services (not to work, just to be more private).
So as I think about the future, I have to wonder how bad this ultimately will be for users. If I buy 100% into the Apple culture and 0% into Google, everything will be fine until I want to switch from Apple to Google. At that point, how do I recreate all this backlog of data for Google to then be useful for me? As Google would be starting with me as I just came into existence.
Would it even be possible, or would I be stuck with a crappy service until I rebuild all that data one point at a time in Google?
This could really suck, as the lock-in potential is huge for whomever gets ahead and stays ahead.
[Now that I have gone over why you should carry a pocket knife everyday](https://brooksreview.net/2012/10/pocket-knife/), I think it prudent to look at some options of knives *to* carry everyday. As I said in my last post on the matter: what is best for me, what is best for Clint Eastwood, is *not* going to be what…
[Now that I have gone over why you should carry a pocket knife everyday](https://brooksreview.net/2012/10/pocket-knife/), I think it prudent to look at some options of knives *to* carry everyday. As I said in my last post on the matter: what is best for me, what is best for Clint Eastwood, is *not* going to be what is best for you. So best not to think of this as telling you what to get, but giving you a starting point.
This is the kind of search that you could spend your entire life on and still not find *the* pocket knife. So it is a search that I embarked on while knowing this, being willing to settle, and with a set of general criteria to guide me.
Up and until a few months ago I was very happy with the knife I was carrying everyday. It was simple, sturdy, and reliable. What I began to notice though was that the thumb wedge used to deploy the blade was — I believe — wearing holes in my pockets. I have about four pairs of pants with holes in the pockets in identical spots and best I could tell this knife was causing it (not from the blade). So I needed something better, something that wasn’t so hard on my pants pockets.
## My Criteria
I started this search months ago, and here is the baseline criteria I laid out:
– Had to be under ~$100, so the [coveted Chris Reeve Small Sebenza](http://bladereviews.com/chris-reeve-knives-small-sebenza-21-review/) is out of the picture (for now).
– Could not have a thumb wedge that could potentially wear holes in my pockets.
– Had to be sturdy enough, that should the worst case scenario happen, I would feel confident in using the knife in the wild to survive.
– Had to look great. Whereby I mean it needed to have a discernible personality that I liked. (Dangerous, sleek, tactical, old-timey, etc.)
That was it. Since I was buying a lot of knives I spread this over many months — testing each knife as my daily carry for at least a week. Many of these knives are by [SOG](http://sogknives.com), which isn’t the best knife maker out there, but is a personal favorite of mine given the location of their company.
## The Knives
### SOG Fielder
[I previously reviewed this knife](https://brooksreview.net/2011/11/fielder/), and my thoughts on it still stand. It is a nice looking knife with average blade steel. It isn’t my personal choice for an everyday knife, because of the weight and size. It’s also not a knife I would want to take out in the woods to rely on for survival. That said it is a solid around the house / sitting on your desk type of knife.
That’s where it has been used since I reviewed last.
([Buy it on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004LF01GS/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).)
### SOG Toothlock
This is a very interesting knife. The locking mechanism is also used as the deployment mechanism — and this blade can be deployed very quickly with a slight flick of the wrist. The shape of the blade is a reversed curve — that is great for certain tasks but makes sharpening with the wet stones I use a bit more of a challenge.
Overall this is a nice knife but is very angular and large — too much so for it to sit comfortably in my pocket. It is not uncomfortable in my hand, but it is just another solid knife — not what I was looking for. I wouldn’t feel screwed if I was stuck in the woods with this knife, but again not my first choice among this group of folders.
([Buy it on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0069E80L2/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).)
### SOG Flash I (partially serrated)
I used this as my everyday carry for quite a while, but switched away because I found the knife to be too small and the serrations too annoying for everyday use. It’s inexpensive, light, and discrete to carry — a good knife to have if you aren’t sure about carrying a knife everyday.
Do yourself a favor and get the non-serrated blade. This knife uses SOG’s assisted open technology, so it flicks open expeditiously when encourage by a nudge from your thumb — which means there is a safety you have to disengage. The safety isn’t as cumbersome as it sounds, you get used it in very quickly and can leave it off if you prefer. Personally I find this knife much too small for my preferences — certainly not something I would want to rely on in the woods and even too small for most things I did on a daily basis.
([Buy it on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000AQABOY/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).)
### SOG Twitch II
This is the knife that I think is wearing holes in my pockets. I really like this knife — it’s solid feeling, a good size, a nice blade.
I really like this knife — so much so that it’s now my go-to knife when I have to dress up in a suit, but can no longer be an everyday for me given my need to not stitch up my pockets weekly. The knife is smooth and sleek, and has a heft to it that makes it feel solid in your hand. It is, again, not a blade I would want to rely on in a life or death scenario, but it is certainly a better option than the Flash I. I’ve found it to be an ideal size for me for a daily carry, both in length and the thickness of the handle.
If only it didn’t have that thumb wedge for deployment — which is assisted and happens very quickly.
([Buy it on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001WC73K/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).)
### SOG Trident (partially serrated)
Ah, the first SOG knife I ever purchased. This is a much larger knife and one that I typically carry when hiking. I like just about everything about this knife, but as an EDC it is far too large. I also worry about carrying an EDC that has a v-cutter, a notch that allows you to slide in thin material to cut without having to deploy the blade (seat belts in emergencies), as I worry that such a grove would suck in something that I wouldn’t want against the blade — like car keys.
This is a fantastic outdoors knife, but not so much when it comes to an EDC. It is just too large to carry in most of the pants that I wear without it being noticeable and uncomfortable. I’ve put this knife to the test many times and it has yet to fail me. The deployment is assisted, so again it is fast, and the overall balance of the knife is very nice.
([Buy it on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00020BNW2/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).)
### Spyderco, I have no clue what
I was given this knife as a gift a very long time ago. It has a fully serrated blade and is more of a decorative knife than anything else.
It looks neat, but that’s about it.
I feel like this is a knife that a villain in a bad superhero movie would carry and threaten innocent women with, thus becoming the lynchpin of a pivotal scene in the film. Or something like that.
### Beretta, Who knows what.
I remember buying this knife, I think I was in high school, I thought it was the coolest knife I had seen at the time. I still like the looks of it, but since the day I bought this knife it has been a bad knife for me.
Forget that it is partially serrated, or the fact that the blade is, again, hollowed out for a cool pattern. No the failure of this knife is that I have never once been able to actually open it with one hand. Drives me nuts. This blade is still razor sharp, because even though it is over a decade old, I haven’t used it.
### SOG Spec Elite I
When I purchased this knife I was expecting not to like it, but I found it for a very good price. What surprised me is that I instantly liked the knife. The long sleek blade, the handle that fit in my hand perfectly, everything seemed great.
It has incredibly smooth and fluid opening, the double sided lock release is a nice touch for a lefty like me.
The only problem: it is really too big to carry, well, at all. I didn’t find a single pair of pants I owned that this knife comfortably fit in. Yet, I still really liked it. If you are the type to carry a knife in a tool bag, or stashed in your car — this is an awesome option. I really like the knife, just not as an EDC, as it is solid and handles well. I’d have no qualms being stuck in the woods with this knife.
([Buy it on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000JJJ5SK/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).)
### SOG Spec Elite Mini
My love for the Spec Elite I, sent me looking to see if the knife is made in a smaller version — it is. This is the smaller version, and it is really great. Instead of shrinking the knife, it’s like SOG took one inch off the blade and handle length — keeping the thickness, tapering, and width all the same. The result is a chunky little knife that still feels great and moreover feels incredibly capable.
I’d not worry one bit if this were the knife I was stuck in the woods with, even though it isn’t a large knife. The unfortunate part is that I found it too bulky to carry in any pants lighter in weight than jeans — which for me is a non-starter.
Even so, I almost stopped looking at this point because I liked the knife so very much, but I felt compelled to check out more options — I still wanted perfection and this knife wasn’t there for me.
([Buy it on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005Z2CPVK/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).)
## CRKT M16-02Z
[Patrick Rhone praised this knife](http://patrickrhone.com/2012/09/06/columbia-river-knife-and-tools-m16-02z-knife-review/), [which made me order it instantly](https://brooksreview.net/2012/10/amazon-knife/). As I posted before this is a very solid knife, with two fatal flaws for me as an EDC.
1. It is too long and too thick.
2. The locking mechanism is much too finicky for me, as the mechanism has a safety to *close* the blade.
While many of the SOG knives I have listed have safety’s, they are solely on the opening action — seems odd to me that you would have a safety on the closing action. That said this is one tough little knife, feels absolutely rock solid.
It doesn’t have a thumb wedge like the Twitch, but it does have a nub for your thumb to press on, and that nub is very rough — I just can’t get into that type of opening action. This is another of the knives that I would feel fine with in the woods, and works well in an everyday situation. However I can’t get by the size and the closing action of the knife.
([Buy it on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000WAC7RM/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).)
### Ontario RAT-1
When I ordered this knife I knew it would be too large for an EDC, but I was [so excited to learn about it](http://bladereviews.com/ontario-rat-1-review/) and see the low price, that I couldn’t resist.
It’s everything I expected it to be: the most solid folder knife that I have ever held.
The ergonomics are great, the build is superb. This is a knife that would likely not make me miss one of my fixed blade survival knives if I had to survive with it — it’s that nice.
For an EDC though this is just much too large, but it will be my new hiking knife — without a doubt. There’s just one issue that I have with the knife: the liner lock is very cumbersome to use left handed — and I am left handed. I can close the knife fine right handed, but when held in my left hand it is a two handed job. Again, not a deal breaker, but not the greatest. I am hoping that with wear that liner lock eases a bit so that I can close the blade using my left hand easier.
I made a stink out of the closing action of the CRKT because an EDC needs to be deployed and put away with ease — that’s how you use an EDC. However when I am out in the woods I am typically not constantly pulling out a knife and stowing it back away. In the woods if I pull out my knife it is out until my task is completed — less back and forth. This is why the RAT 1 works great as a hiking knife, despite the liner lock issues.
([Buy it on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0013ASG3E/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).)
### SOG Aegis
I was very hesitant about buying this knife, but I was determined to find a great knife. I’m glad I bought this knife. It is very solid, not in the way that the Ontario is, but for a light knife it feels sturdy. The knife, is just (again) far too large for an EDC.
But the blade, oh do I love this blade shape. I don’t know what it is about the blade, but it looks both menacing and delicate at the same time. I really love it. So much so that I struggled to try and make this knife work as an EDC for me. Ultimately the knife is just too large to work.
The blade shape is great in use and deploys lightening fast with the assisted opening. The closing is a bit tough, but I think with age it will break-in nicely. Ultimately I would be concerned with this blade in the woods, given how thin it feels. This is likely completely unfounded, but I feel like this blade would snap under heavy use — again I am probably way off on this assessment.
([Buy it on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00137ETQA/ref=nosim&tag=brooksreview-20).)
### SOG Aegis Mini
With the Aegis out, I purchased the mini Aegis in hopes it would be everything I wanted. The moment I first held this knife I was in love. It is surprisingly light, retains the same shape of the blade that I love from its older brother. Yet, this Aegis fits very comfortably in my pocket.
I think this is *the* EDC knife for me — at least of all that I have seen and tried so far. So let’s look at my criteria against it to see how it stacks up:
– Under $100, check. It is $40 on Amazon.
– No thumb wedge, check. Thumb studs only.
– Sturdy enough for outdoor survival? Half-check. The knife feels sturdy, but the frame has no metal which is worrisome to me. The blade is also delicate feeling — enough that I wonder just how it would hold up if really stressed. Therefore my main outdoor concern is in durability when pushing the knife to the limits. Otherwise I would have no qualms.
– Looks? Check. I went with the matte black metal finish, and it looks fantastic. Much meaner than the all silver Aegis that I own.
So the knife gets a 3.5 out of 4 — not too shabby. Most other knives were non-starters. This is the knife I am going with for now.
([Buy it on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/SOG-Specialty-Knives-AE-22-Straight/dp/B004WN5844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353088583&sr=8-1&keywords=aegis+mini).)
## The Search
The SOG Aegis Mini suits me very well. It’s from a local company, and meets most all of my needs — certainly all of my normal everyday needs. Every knife I tested (exception to the Spyrderco and the Beretta) were very good knives — you can’t go wrong with any — but most are just too large or too small. So as the saying goes, the Aegis Mini was just right.
I have more knives on the way to test from a couple of other brands — I’ll report back on those comparing to the Aegis Mini, as it seems like it might be a tough one to beat.
### Note
[I am selling some of the knives that I don’t wish to hang on to, here](http://store.brooksreview.net/). They will all come sharpened and ready to go, but all are used.
