Wiser Web Wednesday – a semi-regular link to posts of interest from around the web, by those far wiser than myself:

 

Daily Coffee News
As suggested in this post, coffee batch brewing has evolved in many areas with the possible exception of reinventing the actual brewing process itself. Whether or not it needs reinventing is perhaps another matter, however the Ground Control brewer by Voga Coffee is aiming to do precisely that.

Every time you eliminate all the water from the grounds, you establish a new solid-liquid phase partition equilibrium. In advanced chemistry labs, this technique is used to enhance extraction efficiency. This addition of new, fresh solvent to dried grounds essentially ‘re-starts’ the extraction, putting you at the beginning of the extraction curve. You can get at all the flavor you left behind in the prior brew cycles, but also remove all the brewed coffee from the grounds before it ever gets to the point of the extraction curve where bitter tannins are significantly pulled out.

An interesting approach, and as always, the proof will in the cup:
Voga Coffee Readies Ground Control, a Reinvention of Commercial Batch Brewing

Also from Daily Coffee News

This new release grinder from Baratza only needs to work as well as their reputation and grinders which precede it to be a hit.

To this point, conical burr grinders have always functioned with a stationary outer ring burr and a rotating conical inner burr. The Etzinger Mechanism works oppositely. The inner burr is stationary, and the ring burr spins around it, driven by a proprietary direct gear-drive system Baratza has licensed from another Swiss company and tested for strength and durability

A beautiful looking machine indeed:
Baratza Reveals the Sette: One Rotating Ring to Rule Them All

 

Nick Cho on Medium
There are certainly more and more coffee brewers around these days, with another version appearing (it seems) every other day, be it on Kickstarter or by direct production.

Problem is, when the next new machine comes out, your machine has now been made obsolete because your new machine was good at being new, not good at making coffee.

A sobering thought for the new next big thing:
On designing new coffee equipment

 

Jim Seven
James Hoffmann with some high level analysis and comment on dark versus light roasting, and the overall philosophies that have developed relating to same in this current “wave”.

My point is that we are scathing to anyone who lets a roast run a little too deep, while utterly forgiving of those who make the opposite mistake. I would like that to change. I believe they are both equal mistakes, both impact the enjoyment of the end cup (though I would argue light roasting is perhaps worse as it seems to discourage consumption more. Also a painful truth: dairy and sugar do little to make a grassy, sour cup of coffee palatable…)

True enough. Even if you enjoy variety and consider all roasts are equal, there are many who consider some are more “equal” than others — a fact likely to be explained for the most part by footnote two in the post:
Lightness and Darkness in Roasting

 

The Gentleman Stationer
I’d say the following is pretty accurate in the eyes of many who are familiar with both brands of notebooks:

I always think of the Leuchtturm 1917 notebook as the fountain-pen friendly option for those who like the Moleskine aesthetic but hate Moleskine paper.

Leuchtturm is certainly a good place to start when looking for a notebook to handle a far greater variety of inks if you are currently a Moleskine user — assuming you need it to of course. Its only when the search continues you find even more options out there, such as Rhodia and Quo Vadis which Joe mentions in the post — or even this Monokaki Notebook for example.

Wherever you end up, and with so many great colours available, the Leuchtturm 1917 is well worth a run if you haven’t tried one already. A reliable source (me — in store on Monday) tells me you can pick one up for AU$31.99 from your local Dymocks, or the slim version for AU$24.99:
Leuchtturm 1917 A5 Notebook: The Fountain-Pen Friendly Basic Black Notebook

Now is also a good time to remind you Joe’s Newsletter, the Digital Divide is going from strength to strength. The current edition discusses that age-old conundrum of multitasking, in the context of Cal Newport’s theories on “deep work”. Or as I like to call it: focus.

Joe also shares his thoughts on how his analogue tools fit into the mix.

 

The Fountain Pen Quest
A pen I am certainly unlikely to ever be pulling out and using, though I agree with Ray: what a beauty.

Look at it! It’s said that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Well, the Regency Stripe is beautiful in my eyes. While I wouldn’t normally go for something so shiny, this was conservative bling.

Just enough of the shiny, which is held in check by the contrasting black. Perfectly balanced. Love it! A fantastic review by Ray as always:
Review: Sailor Pro Gear Regency Stripe

 

The Well Appointed Desk
I’m always interested in “sketchbooks” from the perspective of trying them as notebooks, given I’m certainly no “sketcher”. In this post Ana also explains the origins of the 140 gsm “cartridge paper” which I was unaware of before now.

Viewed from the reverse of the writing sample, the only show through was the Pilot Envelope pen and a bit of the panda drawing…

Sounds like an extensive and varied testing process to me:
Review: Seawhite of Brighton A5 Starter Sketchbook

 

Matt Gemmell
As I’d expect, there are more eloquent turns of phrase here than pretty much anything else you’ll read on productivity and in particular — task management systems.

And I most definitely think that if you’re using something with a load of bells and whistles that you never touch, it’s a red flag. There’s a cognitive load there, and I bet it’s a bit ego-depleting too. Like you’re playing at being an adult, and hoping no-one notices. I like simple things that I can use elementally and idiosyncratically.

Although I’ve switched over from OmniFocus to 2Do fairly recently, part of that process also involved asking myself whether or not I just needed a list rather than a task management system. I went with 2Do and it’s working well for me.

A compelling argument here though for changing your philosophy and approach — if this resonates with your thinking:
Power Unused

In addition, Matt has just re-released his 5000 word e-book: Writing in Markdown, which is well worth checking out if you already do, or are perhaps considering that format for your writing.

 

Lauren Gemmell
For peak technology awareness and analysis, you needn’t go past the Gemmell household. Here Lauren Gemmell comments on a recent episode of television’s The Good Wife, shown here in Australia on Channel 10.

We all like to think of technology being clean and separate from these human concerns, however the problem with technology is humans.

The piece also mentions diversity in technology, something very relevant to us all.

The episode makes a very clear dig at the lack of diversity in technology and how it influences the products that are built and the knock-on consequences in the real world. It is easy to forget but so important for everyone in technology to keep in mind.

The topic of diversity is also making a frequent appearance in my listening and readings around the coffee industry. That’s two out of the three broad topics I generally link to each week, and is no less important in the third.

This point is also not lost on me in looking through the origins and authors of many of today’s — and previous Wiser Web Wednesday posts:
Data Scientists: if you watch one thing this week make it this

 

Reckoner
If you have a spare $1000 to put down on a Tesla Model 3 electric car, before you do, perhaps check out this comparison by Anthony Agius with the good old Toyota Corolla.

For $60,000 that’s really the domain of a Mercedes A250, BMW 318i, Lexus IS200 or countless other entry level prestige cars I’d normally not give a rats arse about because I can’t justify the extra cost over a more conventional Toyota, Mazda, Kia or Hyundai. But a Tesla, man, I could treat myself and go against every cheapskate bone in my body.

Always an entertaining read, however also a pretty definitive and in-depth look at the potential running costs and possible savings made by owning one of these (eventually) — also, it might run longer between charges than your iPhone:
A Close Look at Tesla’s Model 3 Potential Cost in Australia

 

Macworld
Jason Snell writing for Macworld, in the context of Apple’s recent 40th birthday. Count me in as one of the late adopters, entering the ecosystem through an iPod and soon after, an iPhone 3Gs.

The Mac was so groundbreaking that it deserves a lot of credit, but the iPhone is a product that has transformed Apple. There are many, many people who never used an Apple product before they bought an iPhone

The above quote carries similar sentiment about the Mac to many who have been Apple users far longer than that:
My life as an Apple guy

 

Analog Senses
In contrast to the above, comments were made by Apple at the recent product event last month, stating the 600 million PC’s over 5 years old currently still in use was “sad”.

Writing on his blog at Analog Senses, Álvaro Serrano takes that sentiment to task, mostly likely using either his 2008 or 2010 Mac — as mentioned in the post.

Yes we all like new and shiny stuff, but replacing a perfectly working computer just for the sake of owning the latest is a luxury at best, and irresponsible at worst. In any case, there’s absolutely nothing sad about owning your machines long-term, until they reach the end of their useful life.

Certainly food for thought:
Morning Coffee

 

Fraser Speirs
In putting down my thoughts on making the decision to go with an iPad Air 2 recently, I made a point about the relative merits of the “Pro” accessories, and how they fit (or not) into the overall purchasing decision.

Teaching with, and responsible for the deployment of iPads on a 1:1 basis for a school in Scotland, Fraser Speirs makes a great point about such a decision at scale:

My problem is that, processor performance aside, many of the Pro features just aren’t that important to us. The Pencil support is the biggest one but, if that’s all that really leads us to the Pro, the effective price of getting access to, say 20 Pencils is 20x£79 for the Pencils themselves plus 120x£70 to buy into owning the iPad Pro that supports them. Is access to 20 Apple Pencils in the school really worth nearly £10,000?

Whether its 120 or one — it depends on that all important budget:
Deployment Diary: iPad Pro or iPad Air 2?

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Wiser Web Wednesday – a semi-regular link to posts of interest from around the web, by those far wiser than myself:

 

Ink & Flour
There is a lot to be said for a more focused approach in pens inked or in use at any given time, even if our collections may be increasing in overall size.

I have been itching to ink up another pen, something a little bigger or heavier, but we’ll see. I’m very pleased with using a smaller number of pens, I feel like I’m getting to know them better and getting to know the inks better as well.

It sounds like we’ll be seeing a few more pens in the collection here over the coming months, and I look forward to hearing about them:
Loadout Update: End of March Edition

 

Alt. Haven
Earlier in the year I picked up a Jinhao X750 fountain pen with some store credit at local online store Just Write, and am yet to ink it up.

I admit, the overall feel is equivalent to what I paid for it, however that of course doesn’t mean it won’t write well. If Junee’s review is anything to go by, I may be pleasantly surprised, and if I’m not, then there are always options:
Review: Jinhao X750

 

The Pen Haul
A guest post on The Pen Haul from Chris of The Penman Post, looking at the Pilot Custom 74. I like the colour of this model very much, as it reminds me of the grey, blue and transparent colour scheme of my Pilot Custom Heritage 92 – still one of my all time favourites:
Pilot Custom 74 – The Penman Post

 

The Gentleman Stationer
Having backed Baron Fig’s Squire pen fairly late in the game, I will be down the list a ways in receiving mine, though kudos to the Baron Fig team for getting things out on time as promised.

As described, the pen is medium-sized and perfectly balanced in the hand, and the refill extends using a twist mechanism that functions smoothly.

I’d normally avoid a review of a pen I have bought (or backed in this case) yet not received, for fear of reading a bunch of negatives. This time I couldn’t resist having a peek at Joe’s thoughts, which makes me just that little bit more excited about receiving that shipping notice myself:
First Impressions of the Baron Fig Squire: The Pen Is A Mighty Sword

 

The Pelikan’s Perch
Appearance and design a 10/10? Agreed.

Each pen produced has a somewhat unique finish but all are beautiful. The vibrant blue swirls evoke a sense of water flowing amongst the earthy deep browns to create a visually stunning piece.

Simply a stunner — great pen, great post, great pics:
Review: M800 Grand Place (2016)

 

Piktochart Blog
Although I miss the Dot Grid podcast, Will Fanguy’s new gig at Piktochart seems to be going pretty well.

There’s still the hurdle of taking a template like ours (and we have almost 500 of them) and making it work for you. The good news is that with some imagination and a bit of dedicated effort, you can turn something good into something great. The best part is your kids will know you made it. Maybe now they’ll stop giving you a hard time about stealing someone else’s Powerpoint.

Although I’m not a teacher, a few valid points for the business world in this post, where we’re all just stealing each other’s Powerpoints anyway:
3 Tips for Easy and Engaging Classroom Visuals

 

Pinboard Blog
I’ve never used IFTTT to any great extent, however one action I do use is to send archived articles from Pocket as links to Pinboard. That being said, when this recipe ceases to function, that will most likely be the last of my IFTTT usage.

For users left stranded, I recommend taking a look at Zapier or Botize, which offer a similar service, or at one of the dozens of new sites that will spring up next week to capture the market that IFTTT is foolishly abandoning.

For anyone looking for an alternative, it appears there are a number of them out there.

An interesting read on the other side of the story from the creator/operator of Pinboard:
My Heroic and Lazy Stand Against IFTTT (Pinboard Blog)

 

MacStories
This was one of those apps I downloaded some time ago and never really got around to using, however as you’ll read in this post, a recent update is probably as good a time as any to get in and give it a run.

While I’ve been using Copied to move bits of text and screenshots between devices with iCloud, DeskConnect’s simpler approach, 30-day automatic deletion, and integration with documents will work just as well for a lot of people – especially for those who can’t stand the unreliability of AirDrop between iOS and OS X or who just want a quick way to send a file from an iPhone to an iPad.

In my limited time using the app, transfer is indeed fast and reliable.

Worth a look:
DeskConnect Brings Fast File Transfers Between iOS and OS X

 

Asymco
Interesting reading — well if, of course, you are interested in this type of thing — on the next 40 years of Apple.

Combining the history of customer creation and customer preservation with the value obtained from each customer implies that the next 40 years will be about creating another large tranche of customers whose willingness to spend on whatever Apple creates will be relatively unchanged.

A couple of things struck me when reading this post. One was the overall shipments of Windows PC’s over the time period of the review. Yes, I acknowledge that trend is declining, however it was an awful lot of sales and market share over a long time.

Also, think about what devices we may be using in 40 years time, and how we evolve to that point from where we are now. Boggles my mind a little:
The Next 40

 

The App Factor
Probably not something I’d bother doing, however yet another of those little hacks made possible by Launch Center Pro.

Launch Center Pro, which lets you choose what apps you get access to through 3D Touch actions. I’ve chosen to take advantage of this by using it as a way to launch my most used media apps; Rdio (RIP), Sonos, Music.app, and Pandora

LCP seems to be the glue that holds many a workflow together:
3D Touch tips: Using Launch Center Pro as a media controller

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Wiser Web Wednesday – a semi-regular link to posts of interest from around the web, by those far wiser than myself:

 

Three Staples
Upon first glance I thought this was simply a Kakuno customisation initiative — an extension of the “whimsical and colourful design” of the pen, which Jinnie describes in the post.

Although the cracked caps are a little concerning, I am sure there are more than a few completely undamaged Pilot Kakunos now sporting embellished caps since this post was published.

Three out of three staples for both vision and execution. I like it:
Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen Caps

 

The Pen Haul
Cody of The Pen Haul writes about becoming a pen addict. Like many, it began a long time ago, yet accelerated and expanded with the assistance of the internet and discovery of the online pen community.

Although the stories always interest me, I always find it interesting to read about the pens which dot the path of these journeys:
How I Became a Pen Addict

 

The Gentleman Stationer
The Pelikan Stola III definitely caught my attention when I first saw some images online, and Joe’s review certainly doesn’t discourage my interest. This pen actually reminds me of the Tombow Object fountain pen in my collection, which I wrote about a year or so ago.

Pelikan markets this pen as “a modern writing device for a successful start into the business world.”  If that’s their goal, Pelikan has largely succeeded, though the relatively short barrel, inability to post, and the lack of any variety in nib size will probably limit the size of the audience who can use this pen for a true daily writer.

Personally, were I to use it in my “business world”, I finer nib choice would go a long way:
Pelikan Stola III: A New Entry Level Contender?

 

The Pen Addict
I admit to having never been a fan of “word cloud” type patterning — particularly so with my pens. This one? Well, I must admit topic might just trump my usual preference. The texture and antique bronze trim just about seal the deal.

The build quality, form and function of the Retro 51 is, of course, a given. Indeed – I like it.
Retro 51 Coffee Tornado Review

 

From the Pen Cup
Although the nib grind is the hero of this story — what a great looking pen as well.

I’m trying to make 2016 the year of fewer acquisitions and more/deeper use, so it finally seemed like the perfect time to send this pen off to Dan Smith, The Nibsmith, for some nib magic.

To me, that is a sound strategy, and better yet — some mighty fine execution as far as I can tell:
High Praise: An Architect Grind by Dan Smith

 

David Hewson
I must admit I’ve found the Ulysses iPhone app pretty handy for adding a few hundred words to draft posts here and there, as well as putting these links together while sitting on the bus during my daily commute.

Although I could be capturing this text anywhere and adding it later, removing one step from the process makes it infinitely more efficient and convenient.

One essential in my view is that you need to be able to read, edit and make entries on a phone. A lot of the time I have thoughts about the book I’m nowhere near a computer. I need to be able to get them down quickly and have the results synced back to all of the places I want to access them

Author David Hewson writing about another use for this type of convenience — keeping a book diary:
Writing a book diary in Ulysses – David Hewson

 

MacStories
Early yesterday morning saw a fairly subdued Apple event, which included the release of the smaller 5s-by-design, 6(ish)-by-nature iPhone SE.

Macstories is a great one stop shop for all the news and announcements, as well as looking a little deeper into the new products.

Clearly the descendant of the iPhone 5s, the new iPhone SE comes in a very similar form factor, but now packs nearly the same power and feature set as Apple’s flagship iPhone 6s

Having jumped from an iPhone 4s to the 6 upon its release 18 months ago, I am not about to return to the smaller phone, however I do believe the from factor still has considerable merit, and it sounds as though there is a market for such a device:
Apple Announces New 4-Inch iPhone SE

The real reason for my early morning yesterday? To hear about the upcoming addition of the smaller 9.7 inch Pro to the iPad line. Over the past 12 months, I’ve been particularly surprised by the proportion of writing I do when away from home, most of which occurs on my iPad mini 2 — a fantastic device in its own right.

I have however been looking forward to returning to the slightly larger form factor, and the added advantage of split screen capability. A combination which narrows my choice to either the iPad Air 2, 9.7 inch Pro, or of course the larger iPad Pro.

Federico Viticci writes in a review of the new device:

Apple is positioning the 9.7-inch iPad Pro as a smaller version of the bigger iPad Pro that comes with some unique benefits because of its higher portability. The improved display, for instance, with True Tone capabilities directly relates to the fact that more people carry around a 9.7-inch iPad than they do with a 12.9-inch device.

That said, as someone who uses a bigger iPad Pro as his only computer every day, the changes to the display brought by the 9.7-inch model don’t sound as compelling as fast charging, USB 3 transfer speeds, and the additional screen real estate of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

In some ways I’d agree with the above sentiment, however portability is key here for me, and the precise reason I moved from an iPad 2 to the mini in the first place. It won’t be much of an adjustment returning to the 9.7 inch size, and the added benefits I see for my writing workflow I’m very much looking forward to.

Read more on the Macstories review here:
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro: Our Complete Overview

Pardon…? Oh, the Air 2 or the 9.7 Pro? Newest and shiniest does have its place dear reader — indeed it does.

Before I move on, one more thought: there has been a little hand wringing online about the camera bump on the rear of the device. While I hardly use the camera on my current iPad (with the exception of scanning a few documents), I also cannot remember the last time it lay flat on its rear surface while I used it. For me and how I use an iPad? The bump won’t even get a second thought.

 

The Telegraph UK
With a headline like the one below, why would we panic, I mean — wait..what!

Experts say the shortage could last 10-15 years, and push up prices considerably

Don’t panic, but we might be running out of Scotch whisky

Though another article would suggest we need not worry — the French have it covered:

Nicolas Julhès, head of the Distillerie de Paris, said: “Within 15 years the world’s best whiskies will be French. We will be able to stop copying the Scots to bring a real French style. We have the greatest specialists on the ageing who have always worked in wine and cognac.”

Umm… there remains a 15 year gap in there:
Whisky could soon be France’s national drink

 

Perfect Daily Grind
If there is one main aim of adding water to grounds and brewing coffee, it is extraction. An interesting look into the principle of measuring said extraction through TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) via a refractometer

This tends to be between 18-22% extraction, yet each coffee is individual and has a different character. Merely aiming for this golden range, without evaluating its impact on the coffee’s taste, will leave you doomed to failure

Of course, it follows that if there is one main aim of drinking the coffee you have just extracted, it is taste:
Coffee Science: What Is TDS and Why Should You Care?

 

FRSHGRND
Speaking of extraction, one way of achieving the result you are seeking is though even grind particle size — something the Rafino Kickstarter project aims to assist with.

Frsh Grnd take a look:
Rafino Coffee Sieve

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Wiser Web Wednesday – a semi-regular link to posts of interest from around the web, by those far wiser than myself:

 

Pens! Paper! Pencils!
What appeals to me most about systems such as the Atoma or Arc is the ability to reorganise the page order at will — something I typically find quite useful for larger projects.

What makes it not quite perfect: while the system is good, the paper can come unstuck now and then if you’re careless turning the pages. There’s also something lovely about writing in a good quality hardcover notebook that you don’t get with this.

Ian has done a pretty good job in sourcing a great value alternative, which incidentally appeals to me even more:
Atoma and Arc Notebook Systems

 

Alt. Haven
Junee reviews a pretty good-looking and well performing entry-level pen, in the Platignum Studio.

An affordable and colourful offering from a brand I haven’t really seen a great deal written about before:
Review: Platignum Studio

 

Crónicas Estilográficas
After seven years of blogging on mainly vintage pens, some thoughts from Bruno Taut on some of the changes that have occurred over that time — particularly as the actual pens become more difficult to acquire.

The conclusion of all this is that writing about pens and, particularly, about vintage pens is a bit like shooting ourselves on the foot. But somehow I enjoy it—the writing, not the bullet.

Thanks to blogs like this one, the information is certainly a little easier to find, but the pens themselves? Perhaps not:
Side Effects

 

Ink and Ben
Ben Elijah with some thoughts on encryption, and an interesting take on perhaps improving your own.

It’s important to make a difficult, mature decision about the compromise you’re prepared to make between the convenience you want and the security that you need. Right now, I want more security and I’m prepared to tolerate less convenience.

So, I’ve decided to experiment with taking my task system partially offline. So I’ve retired my OmniFocus installation and work from paper.

Whether you are talking simple organisation, or something as important as encryption, we all make trade offs in what we use and how we use it. In case you were wondering, the possibility of loss or theft of a physical notebook is also acknowledged:
Upgrading to Paper

 

Laughing Squid
These great looking postcards have a complete picture only when stained with the ring from a cup of coffee — just don’t waste too much finishing off your masterpiece.

Better yet, send me one and I’ll finish it off myself:
Adorable Postcards That Are Only Completed When You Stain Them With a Coffee Ring

 

MacStories
Yes — another blurb from me on Ulysses.

I’ve been using Ulysses on my Mac (and subsequently my iPad) since 2014’s NaNoWriMo, and have not needed to look elsewhere. It has all the features I need, and beyond that, it simply suits me, the way I write, and what I then do with said writing.

One of the significant ways Ulysses stands out and earns its price tag is with a variety of feature, power, and polish in the vein of what I’ve already mentioned, spread throughout the app. In my experience with nearly every app you could name, you’ll be hard-pressed to find much of this elsewhere.

With Ulysses for iPhone now released, read a comprehensive review on Macstories.

Ulysses for iPhone — you complete me:
Review: Ulysses 2.5 for iPad and, now, iPhone

 

Macsparky
One of the reasons I love Ulysses so much is its suitability for all my writing, large or small. Don’t take my word for it though – David Sparks is infinitely more qualified to comment than I:

It lets you collect bits of text together and organize them, reorganize them, hide them, delete them, write them over again, and generally carry you through all the angst that comes with large writing projects. I currently have 2 books half-written in Ulysses and several long legal briefs and letters.

Collecting bits of text? Absolutely, these weekly links are now collected as seperate sheets via the Ulysses iOS extension; tweaked a little; then merged into this post.

Brilliant:
Ulysses Version 2.5 — MacSparky

 

Open Culture
My high school years through the 80’s were in no small part accompanied by a New Order soundtrack.

Not played quite like this though:
New Order’s “Blue Monday” Played with Obsolete 1930s Instruments

 

Colossal
While we’re on music — not really sure how to explain this one.

…the Wintergatan Marble Machine, a hand-cranked music box loaded with instruments including a circuit of 2,000 cascading steel marbles. As the devices cycles it activates a vibraphone, bass, kick drum, cymbal and other instruments that play a score programmed into a 32 bar loop comprised of LEGO technic parts. The marbles are moved internally through the machine using funnels, pulleys, and tubes.

That will do it. Certainly worth a look:
This Ludicrous New Instrument Makes Music with 2,000 Marbles

 

The New Industrialist
A post which although not its specific intention, goes a long way towards explaining why we are so passionate about our side interests.

We may even have an organisation chart that shows that someone is now an ‘Improvement Champion’, ‘Project Champion’, ‘Lean Facilitator’ or some other title. They have been touched by the Magic Wand!

I know them well. Someone, please save me… please?:
Why Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma And Other Improvement Projects Fail

 

The Fix — MistoBox Blog
You could do worse than cherry picking a few of these items for a home coffee brewing setup:
Inside Peek: MistoBox Director of Coffee’s Favorite Coffee Gear

 

The Barista Hustle
A new page on The Barista Hustle looking to create the resource for links to articles on all things coffee, many of which would otherwise be scattered about the Barista Hustle Facebook page.

Matt Perger in the Barista Hustle newsletter describing the page:

Brew recipes, research papers, blogs, videos; you name it, I want The Guide to have it. Soon it’ll be a one stop shop for anyone looking for anything to do with coffee.

A great resource in the making:
The Barista’s Guide to the Galaxy

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Wiser Web Wednesday – a semi-regular link to posts of interest from around the web, by those far wiser than myself:

 

The Pencilcase Blog
Making a pen display cabinet like this one is certainly an impressive feat. Filling it with hand-made inlays as well? Even more amazing.

Wow! Job well done I’d say:
Tinkerink: Making A Pen Display

 

The Gentleman Stationer
I put down a few thoughts about my blue Custom Heritage 92 a little while ago. It is a pen which remains one of my absolute favourites, and I cannot see that changing any time soon. Looking at the orange model in this review gives me an inkling I may want another someday.

Pilot makes a “FM” nib (or a Fine-Medium), which is the perfect width for me to use as a daily writer. On more absorbent paper, the FM nib leans more to the medium side; on Rhodia or Clairefontaine, the nib writes more like a Western fine.

Judging by the review, Joe quite likes it as well:
Pen Review: Pilot Custom Heritage 92

Without making this a Gentleman Stationer link-a-thon, Joe also wrote a great post outlining some resources to encourage and inspire the analogue side of your life, which of course should assist in balancing the digital we all have our heads buried in a lot of the time:
10 Resources to Help You Improve the Digital-Analog Balance in Your Life

Oh — and incidentally, this ties in well with Digital Divide, a special monthly edition of the TGS Newsletter Joe will be sending out, addressing that very analog and digital balance.

Ok I’m done now. Moving on.

 

The Ink Smudge
Although you’ll find many reviews of the TWSBI Eco through an online search (which should always begin at Pennaquod of course), I particularly thought this was an apt description for such a pen:

What I mean by beginner pen isn’t necessarily the first pen, but the pen you get when you aren’t afraid of buying a whole bottle of ink.

Or perhaps the one you get to try out a stub nub:
Review: TWSBI ECO 1.1 Stub Nib

 

The Pelikan’s Perch
A great early scoop on a possible limited edition Pelikan M1000 coming this year.

Thanks to an anonymous source out of Japan, we may just have our first look at the rumored but as yet unannounced Pelikan M1000 Raden Sunrise.

Looking at it (though I’d never be in the market to buy), this is one of those pens I’m not sure if I like it or not. Whenever this situation arises, with time it often hits me one way or the other.

For now, I’ll reserve my decision:
News: M1000 Raden Sunrise

 

John Scullen
A nice overview of Spark, an email app for iOS which seems to be quite popular at the moment — and for good reason. Like many others, I switched over during the twilight of Mailbox and have stayed on since — both on my iPhone and iPad.

Everyone has a different approach to email, so flexibility is important. There’s not much that you can’t configure in Spark

Agreed, there is certainly scope for customisation so, however for me, it is also just an attractive, functional app that suits how I deal with email:
Spark: The Innovative Way To Fly Through Your Email

 

9to5Mac
Speaking of Spark, here is a list for going a little deeper into the details:
How-To: 50 getting started tips for new Spark users

 

Macdrifter
Most of us need to redact and/or annotate screenshots on iOS from time to time.

While there’s a wealth of options on the Mac for image annotation, there are very few complete options on iOS.

A great idea — why not go with a fairly powerful app when you do need one?
Redaction and Annotation With Pixelmator for iOS

 

Daily Coffee News
A phenomenon not unique to used coffee capsules I’m sure. Still, an unsurprising yet no less unfortunate scenario:

When the pods are not visible in the trash or recycling bin, people care less.

Compounding things is the popularity of capsule machines and the subsequent volume of waste produced. A simple “solution” it appears is not about sustainability, but simply invisibility.

As consumers are we really that simplistic and it must be said — disappointing in our attitude?
The ‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’ Solution to the Capsule Sustainability Problem

 

Perfect Daily Grind
An interesting discussion on improving the criteria for identifying the ripest coffee cherries for harvesting. Looking at factors such as colour change, pulp softening, sugar content and aromatic compounds, the study resulted in an interesting finding:

We compared the color of the 1,000-day lots to their cupping score and found a strong correlation. In fact, we found it to be the most significant out of the three variables

That’s right, the highest correlation with cupping scores was found in the colour of the coffee cherry — something readily identifiable by an experienced harvester, and in many ways the traditional means of assessing fruit:
Coffee Science: How Can We Identify & Improve Cherry Ripeness?

 

The Guardian
A plausible explanation from two of the world’s largest coffee companies: Nestlé and Jacobs Douwe Egberts?

…both companies – whose brands include Nescafé, Nespresso, Dolce Gusto, Coffee-mate and Senseo – admit that while they do not buy beans directly from “blacklisted” plantations where human rights abuses are known to take place, they cannot rule out that slavery-like conditions may exist in their supply chain

Or an overlooked issue perhaps not addressed until it had to be:
Nestlé admits slave labour risk on Brazil coffee plantations

 

The Fumbally
What happens when someone in a cafe thinks: “Surely there’s something we can do with the milk we tip out of these jugs all day”.

We get about 1kg of cheese from 8 litres of milk which we then season and mix with herbs and spices for our sandwiches and specials, or give it to our baker to use in some of the cakes as a cream cheese substitute.

Nicely done:
Fresh cheese from waste milk

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