Cool Tools

In 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.

414: Michael Garfield 12/20/2024

414: Michael Garfield Paleontologist-Futurist Michael Garfield works in mind-jazz across genres to help navigating our world of accelerating weirdness and cultivate the curiosity and play for people to thrived in it. Host of Future Fossils, former Digital Media Strategist for The Santa Fe Institute and host of Complexity Podcast, former Community Manager for The Long Now Foundation and Research Analyst for a stealth Mozilla AI spin out, his latest project Humans On The Loop examines agency in the age of automation through conversation, music, essay, social weaving, and the rearing of bespoke language models. TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 1:01 – 16:53 – 25:47 – 33:17 – 42:14 – Watch on YouTube: For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/34522350

413: Doug Burke 12/13/2024

413: Doug Burke Mr. Burke is a serial entrepreneur. Mr. Burke has over 34 years of enterprise software company management and start-up experience and has worked for 11 software and technology services companies. Mr. Burke is a father of 3 kids and husband to his lovely wife, Irina. TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 0:31 – 6:13 – 14:26 – 19:27 – 23:17 – For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/34400125

412: Christina K 12/06/2024

412: Christina K Christina K. is a home organizer based out of metro Vancouver area. She helps the neurodivergent to the neurotypical find space and peace in their home whether virtually or in person. She also in a previous life was a marketing coordinator helping small and big businesses in the tech space find their voice in a loud world. When not working you can find her baking, watching educational YouTube or collecting too many squishmallows. TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 0:38 – 4:57 – 9:50 – 15:21 – Watch on YouTube: For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/34291030

411: Chordophony 11/29/2024

411: Chordophony Based in Texas, Chordophony, is a software engineer by day who moonlights as a music technologist and sound explorer. He has developed innovative devices and software to facilitate sonic creation and streamline production workflows. Chordophony is an avid collector and enthusiast of music-related tools and instruments. Social Media Links: TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 0:45 – 8:18 – 13:45 – 20:10 – (aka CHyPboards) For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/34184515

410: RJ Andrews 10/25/2024

410: RJ Andrews Data storyteller RJ Andrews is obsessed with data graphics. He helps organizations solve high-stakes problems with visual metaphors and persuasive graphics. He recently produced designs for The White House, Google, and MIT. RJ’s newest book is “Info We Trust: How to Create Value with Data Graphics.” He is also author of “Florence Nightingale: Mortality and Health Diagrams” and other works. Learn about all publications at . RJ lives/works in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco. Links: TOOLS:0:00 – Intro 0:47 – (airplane neck pillow) 2:30 – 9:00 – 12:58 – 20:43 – 20:43 – For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/33588627

409: Julian Bleecker 10/11/2024

409: Julian Bleecker Julian Bleecker, Ph.D., is an accomplished engineer and author with a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, an MSEng from the University of Washington, and a Ph.D. from UC Santa Cruz. He founded Near Future Laboratory in 2005 and OMATA, a one-person innovative hardware product design studio, in 2014, which he sold in 2022. Julian has written It’s Time To Imagine Harder and co-authored The Manual of Design Fiction. He also wrote the influential essay, Design Fiction: A Short Essay on Design, Science, Fact and Fiction. His engineering expertise and innovative work in Design Fiction have significantly shaped creative practices worldwide. TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 0:34 – 7:43 – 17:08 – and 24:23 – + For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/33409432

408: Mac Moss 09/13/2024

408: Mac Moss Mac Moss is an Idaho based graphic designer who operates his own one man studio known as mm.s. Heavily inspired by science fiction and the American West, his work has naturally drifted into predominantly the outdoor industry. Outside of work, Mac races competitively at ultra marathon distances. TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 1:29 – 11:27 – 14:41 – 21:51 – 30:11 – 30:35 – LINKS: Instagram: Website: For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/33014152

407: David Rager 09/06/2024

407: David Rager is an accomplished Creative Director with over two decades of experience in design leadership, brand building, and environmental experiences. As NASA’s current Creative Director, he oversees the agency’s visual brand and iconic Graphics Standards Manual and is responsible for reintroducing the NASA Logotype (Worm). Previously, Rager led teams at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Disney, the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, and the New Museum, and co-founded Weekends, a design studio operating between Paris and Los Angeles. TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 1:29 – 11:27 – 14:41 – 21:51 – 30:11 – 30:35 – For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/32900667

406: Danny Kim 08/30/2024

406: Danny Kim ABOUT DANNY KIM: 20+ years of vehicle architecture & prototype development. Inventor w/ 65 issued int’l patents, 22 USPTOs. Focus of HBS case study: Industrial design & sustainable transportation. Former Land Rover mechanic, machinist, woodworker, welder, and vehicle integrator. Reed College, UCB, RISD, & Media Lab. LINKS: TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 1:19 – 48″ Margining steel lead screw shaft Rockwell 52 (AKA Handy File) 7:48 – Spectrum 375 Plasma Cutter (1/2″ lightsaber “Scissors’) 14:35 – Edwards 65 Ton Ironworker 16:07 – 23:58 – 23:49 – For show notes and transcript visit: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/32801662

405: Aishwarya Khanduja 08/23/2024

405: Aishwarya Khanduja Aishwarya Khanduja is the founder of a stealth entity working to solve wicked problems through lenses of complexity, markets, and power. She's spent the majority of her career thus far being a founder or supporting founders. Her companies span biotech, ed-tech, and the future of work. She writes a weekly letter, essays, technical primers, and other musings on . TOOLS: 0:00 - Intro 1:08 - Hero 329 pen: 8:48 - bamboo book stand: 11:06 - tetr app: 16:30 - vestoj: the journal of sartorial matters: 24:20 - The Analogue: Watch on YouTube: For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/32662472

404: Adam Hill 03/15/2024

404: Adam Hill (He/Him) is a dad who loves science, cooking, math, engineering, skepticism, espresso, and politics! He has been a teacher, an engineer, and now a software business analyst. Curiosity now and forever! TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 0:46 – 5:20 – 12:07 – 16:22 – Watch on YouTube: For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please . /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/30278013

403: Mia Coots 03/08/2024

403: Mia Coots Mia Coots is a Senior at Nokomis Regional High in central Maine and an amazing presenter for the Student Leadership Ambassadors of Maine for the Department of Education. LINKS: TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 0:53 – 7:50 – 15:22 – 18:50 – Watch on For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/30258283

402: Josué Moreno 03/01/2024

402: Josué Moreno Josué Moreno, a Spanish composer and sound artist, has made Finland his home, where he inspires the next generation of musicians as a teacher at the prestigious Sibelius Academy’s Music Technology Department. Known for pioneering Urban Sonic Acupuncture, Josué seamlessly blends the vibrancy of live electronic compositions with the innovative realms of Computer-Assisted Composition and Generative Arts. Since 2017, he has been creating interactive soundwalking experiences through cutting-edge phone applications and guided sonic acupuncture exercises broadcasted through engaging radio shows. Josué Moreno’s work is an invitation to reshape how we engage with the sounds that surround us. LINKS: TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 1:02 – 10:39 – 25:08 – 33:01 – For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please . /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/30179448

401: Kern Kelley 02/16/2024

401: Kern Kelley is a Technology Integrator at Maine School Unit #19. Starting his teaching career in New Zealand, he has provided support to educators for over two decades and conducted professional development across the globe. He advises a for the Maine Department of Education at MLTI.me and brings his student presenters, the Student Leadership Ambassadors of Maine to numerous conferences around the world and authored the Google Apps Guidebook. TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 0:45 – 9:44 – 16:33 – (used with ) 21:57 – Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rx09sOuX9Uk For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/kern-kelley-technology-integrator/ To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/29960848

400: Rich Edwards 02/09/2024

400: Rich Edwards is the CEO of , which helps community financial institutions transform themselves with data-driven strategies and technologies. Rich has worked extensively with banking, insurance, and financial services clients worldwide during his career. He has led product strategy in data center automation and artificial intelligence, including the launch of IBM Watson Developer Cloud. Rich has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served as an engineering officer in the US Army. You can follow Rich on Twitter . TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 0:35 – 7:05 – (extra strength) 14:43 – (a triumph in defeating obsolescence) 17:01 – (great Evernote companion) For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please . /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/29846643

399: Brent Deverman 02/02/2024

399: Brent Deverman Brent Deverman founded and sold a China-based internet startup providing services to tourists and English speakers based in Shenzhen, China. With over 20 years of experience in software development, analytics, digital transformation, and e-commerce development, Brent has also executed technical projects for HSBC, CNN, DFS, and AIA. He graduated from Michigan State University with a dual degree in Computer Science and East Asian Studies. TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 1:22 – 7:20 – 12:47 – 19:47 – For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please . /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/29742313

398: Chris Butler 01/26/2024

398: Chris Butler Chris Butler is a chaotic good product manager, writer, and speaker. He has extensive experience in product management leadership at Microsoft, Waze, KAYAK, Facebook Reality Labs (aka Meta), and Cognizant. He is now Group Product Manager in Google’s Core Machine Learning team. He is also the co-founder of The Uncertainty Project a community focused on decision making and strategy. LINKS: TOOLS: 0:00 - Intro 1:43 - 12:10 - 29:46 - 34:24 - 44:32 - To sign up to be a guest on the show, please . /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/29651583

397: Bud Thorpe 01/19/2024

397: Bud Thorpe Bud Thorpe is a long time photographer, a life long educator, and former paramedic. He and his wife specialize in creating artwork of dogs (and their well behaved families). They run the Dog Art Gallery in historic Portsmouth New Hampshire. He teaches studio lighting for photographers online at The Master Lighting Course. His website is . TOOLS: 0:00 – Intro 1:03 – 8:47 – 17:49 – 25:21 – Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BSZNulvab54 For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/bud-thorpe-photographer/ To sign up to be a guest on the show, please . /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/29548753

396: Davey Rogulich 01/12/2024

396: Davey Rogulich Davey Rogulich is a Stagehand and Maker from Albuquerque, NM. He has toured internationally with Tricklock Theater Company and throughout the US with “Blue Man Group” and “Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan!”. He is currently the Technical Director of NDI New Mexico at The Hiland Theater in Albuquerque and the owner of Davey Craft & Tools. His hobbies include woodworking, leather working, aircraft restoration, collecting tools, and caring for orchids in his greenhouse. You can find Davey on Instagram @daveycraftandtools. TOOLS: 0:00 - Intro 1:03 - Knipex 12 62 180, Self Adjusting Wire Stripper: 8:47 - Snap-On TMS4E 1/4" drive Speeder: 17:49 - Titanium AAA Flashlight by Maratac REV 5: 25:21 - Volty Switch Keychain Multimeter: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r9C9Y0rKD1c For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/davey-rogulich-stagehand-and-maker/ To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/29446753

395: Mike Harris 12/15/2023

395: Mike Harris Mike Harris legal assistant, bookworm and amateur photographer who likes the surreal and the silly. Mike writes a newsletter called , where he wrangles the week's wonders. TOOLS: 0:00 - Intro 1:02 - Fidget cube: 5:34 - MyNoise.Net: 11:46 - Inoreader: 16:44 - Periodically: 22:11 - ThinkTrove: Watch on YouTube: For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/mike-harris-legal-assistant/ /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/29066428

394: Casper Kelly 12/08/2023

394: Casper Kelly Casper Kelly is a writer/director of weird TV and movies including the viral short Too Many Cooks and the 2023 horror movie Adult Swim Yule Log. His website is and he's on Twitter and Instagram @heycasperkelly. TOOLS: 0:00 - Intro 0:43 - Chromadepth glasses: https://geni.us/cbvJf 4:53 - Mage.space: 21:51 - Tiny Habits; 25:04 - Focusmate: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mQ-ynOLZNgg For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/casper-kelly-writer-director/ To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/28965343

393: Marc Payne 12/01/2023

393: Marc Payne Marc Payne is an IT specialist working for the Federal Government. My passion is flipping items via thrift stores, yard sales and retail arbitrage on Ebay and Amazon. You can find Marc on Twitter @houseofpayne. TOOLS: 0:00 - Intro 2:24- Index cards: 7:54 - Box resizer: 12:34 - Scotty peelers: 17:12 - 3” packing tape dispenser: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uVCwU78XimE For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/marc-payne-it-specialist/ /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/28875218

392: Theodore Gray 11/17/2023

392: Theodore Gray Theodore Gray is a co-founder of Wolfram Research and creator of the Notebook user interface (since lovingly copied by Jupyter Notebooks). He is the author of several books and iPad apps including the NYTs best-seller The Elements, and writer/director of Disney Animated (BAFTA award winner and Apple's iPad App of the Year 2013). His latest book is , which is all about his favorite tools. Website: Watch on YouTube: For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/28662008

391: Tom Robertson 11/10/2023

391: Tom Robertson EDITOR NOTE: Due to technical audio issues, this episode might sound better for those listening at 1.5x or 2x speed. Tom Robertson is an IT professional, currently leading IT at FreshBooks out of Toronto, Canada. Tom has a background in theatre, and has written and produced several shows in the Toronto area. In his spare time, he enjoys computer related hobbies, and has built a retro arcade cabinet, a kitchen display, and during Covid wrote an automated newsletter summarizing Covid numbers for his home province of Ontario. His website is . TOOLS: 0:00 - Intro 1:40 - Ryobi Inflator: 7:43 - Partake Non-Alcoholic IPA: 11:16 - Anker GAN Prime Charger: 15:26 - Dakboard: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uw1vvpwFeHI For show notes and transcript visit: To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/28575823

390: Miles Hunter 11/03/2023

390: Miles Hunter Miles Hunter is a UX researcher, based out of Seattle but originally a Brit. Learning to woodwork. I enjoy restoring things, everything from old tools to video and photos. LinkedIn: TOOLS: 0:00 - Intro 0:53 - Evaporust rust remover: 5:29 - Incogni - personal information removal service: 10:17 - Japanese 'paper clam' for clipping together papers more securely than a paperclip: 14:34 - Topaz Video AI - video enhancement tool for slow resolution video: 22:35 - Miles Hunter’s Linktree: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XpUiFkeUGCY For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/miles-hunter-ux-researcher/ /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/28502774

389: Will Walker 10/27/2023

389: Will Walker Will Walker is a lead human interface designer at Google, working on wearables, digital assistants, generative AI and conversational controls. His design career has spanned across interfaces for hybrid digital maps, 3d printers and volumetric scanners to leading the design of exotic running shoes. He paints, hikes, plants and rennovates a victorian with his daughter, partner and shiba in San Francisco and sunny Oakland CA. You can find him on Instagram @wr_walker and on Twitter @walkerwill. Website: TOOLS: 0:00 - Intro 2:00 - Supercritical dryer for making aerogels: 13:40 - Paint shaver pro for historic plaster restoration: 23:18 - Abacus for finite element analysis for design of structural gels or foams: 32:49 - Form 3 resin printer for biohacking or making ceramic slip cast molds: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MitjxPvqF6s For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/will-walker-lead-designer-at-google/ To sign up to be a guest on the show, please fill out this form: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/28425473

387: David Buxton 10/21/2023

387: David Buxton David Buxton is a tech founder based in London, UK. He loves making stuff, especially with software. He's also a qualified pilot and a pretty good cook. LinkedIn: Website: TOOLS: 0:45 - Workflowy: 12:54 - Tern GSD e-bicycle: 19:47 - Langchain (LLM dev framework): 27:29 - Leuchtturm Line a Day journal: 35:43 - Harriet AI HR assistant: Watch on YouTube: For show notes and transcript visit: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/28370930

387: Asa Hillis 10/13/2023

387: Asa Hillis Asa Hillis is a furniture maker who lives in Silicon Valley. He is known for creating pieces of furniture that have a timeless quality. Asa combines traditional and modern techniques, including CNCs and 3D printers, to craft his furniture from wood and metal. He is currently managing Behind The Tech Labs in Los Gatos, CA. When he is not working in the shop, Asa enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, and standard poodle. Website: Instagram: @asahillis TOOLS: 1:00 - Wixey digital angle gauge: 6:42 - Surge leatherman: 14:49 - Festool domino: 25:44 - Shaper Origin: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MOH98lczKFM For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/asa-hillis-furniture-maker/ /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/28301312

386: Natalie Buda Smith 10/06/2023

386: Natalie Buda Smith Natalie Buda Smith is Director of Digital Strategy at the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. Her career spans three decades in design, technology, and culture. The Library of Congress serves millions daily in their pursuit of researching our rich cultural archives, understanding U.S. legislation, and serving our nation's creative communities through Copyright. LinkedIn: TOOLS: 0:00 - Intro 1:09 - Newspaper Navigator: 6:55 - Citizen DJ: 11:44 - Library of Congress photo library: 16:39 - Lib guides: Watch on YouTube: For show notes and transcript visit: /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/28105904

385: Arun Venkatesan 09/29/2023

385: Arun Venkatesan Arun is a product designer, engineer, photographer, and writer. Most recently, he was co-founder and product designer at Carrot Fertility. He writes at . TOOLS: 0:00 - Intro 0:49 - BMI 40b x4 tape measure: 6:26 - BMI Inklinat level: 10:00 - Merco packing tape dispenser: 15:00 - Pinecil soldering iron: Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Mu8HC75K78M For show notes and transcript visit: https://kk.org/cooltools/arun-venkatesan-product-designer/ /episode/index/show/cooltoolsshow/id/28086746

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