Archive for the ‘Gadgets’ Category

Cut-throat shaving and the unexpected

Posted: 14th January 2012 by graham in Gadgets, My life

Some things I thought were predictable but I have been taken by surprise by some things in my adventure with cut-throat razor shaving (cut-throat = straight razor in USA). I had a holiday recently and not needing to rush out in the mornings I was able to take a little more time to think more [...]

At first glance these razors appear rough, crude and primitive to a Western eye. That of course is to allow our ignorance to lead us to miss the point. The traditional Japanese razors are produced to look elegant in their simplicity. It is as though the maker rejoices in the beauty of the metal’s texture, [...]

They should go into production and produce them in reflective material. They would be a great piece of wearable art as well as a safety feature at night time. I want one!

Getting used to my straight razor

Posted: 28th November 2011 by graham in Gadgets, My life

This morning I used to my Ford & Medley straight razor. I am still trying to get used to it though. I have discovered that my skills at shaving with a DE razor, gained over many years, do not seem at all transferable. It still takes me too long. It turns out my razor is [...]

Help: Recovering data from an old dvd

Posted: 28th November 2011 by graham in Gadgets, Linux

So is it possible? I know that they deteriorate with age due to the effects of light on the core material. Is it possible to read an old one by using an old (and therefore slow) dvd drive? Any comments appreciated.

The SpyLamp looks like an ordinary LED rear light. Inside though, is GPS technology. It works using a pay-as-you-go mobile phone SIM card and a motion sensor. The stolen bike can then be tracked online using Google Maps. It costs £125, though it will also require the occasional top up of the pay-as-you-go SIM card. [...]

Well, perhaps not quite like that. My latest Ebay buy is a straight razor made by Ford & Medley of Sheffield long ago. It caught my eye because the price was very low despite the description that it was unused and in ‘as new’ condition. This seemed almost unbelievable for a razor about 100 years [...]