The Yaw ClockGreg Klein, a mechanical engineer, was designing antenna tooling one day when a new Kickstarter idea was born: The Yaw Clock, an analog clock with sharp, modern features. Klein is a Santa Monica resident with experience in mechanical and systems engineering for the defense industry. His clock, however, is more modern art than modern warfare. It is stark and stylish, all hard edges and straight lines. There are no numbers on the clock, though it’s likely to be purchased more as a technological piece of art than a timepiece.

The Yaw Clock, to be available in black and white, is precision cut from cast acrylic, which is a robust plastic used in electric guitars, aquariums, police vehicles and motorcycle helmets. The Yaw Clock’s material resists scratches and, in the words of its creators, “provides a fantastic medium to fabricate quality products.”

“Having worked with this material professionally, our team members are familiar with its capabilities as well as how to machine it. The

Feedly
Google just announced they will be shutting down Google Reader, a free RSS reader, on July 1. If you’re panicking about the many blogs and sites you follow via RSS feeds, here are some alternatives to Google Reader you can try right now.

Feedly

This is a free RSS reader that actually syncs with your Google Reader that works on the web and iOS, Android, and Kindle. One of my favorite things about Feedly is the layout and design – it’s a simple and clean layout that is easy to navigate. Also, you can login right now with your Google Reader and see how your current feeds look on the site. If you’re worried that you will have to recreate all your feeds on Feedly after Google Reader disappears, don’t fear because Feedly has you covered and your feeds will be on your account if you sync your accounts before Google Reader shuts down.

Newsblur

Newsblur

This is a web, mobile and tablet friendly RSS reader that lets you add up to 64 sites for free. If you want unlimited access and extra features,

It really doesn't matter what kind of smartphone you rely on for work or play -- be it an iPhone, Android, Windows Phone or BlackBerry -- the more these pocket-sized computers can do, the more pressure it can put on the battery.

If you're finding your smartphone is petering out before you're ready to, consider some of these following tips to squeeze more battery life between charges.

Dim the screen

Turn down the brightness of your smartphone screen a good deal as it will help preserve battery life. This can be found in the Options or Settings menu. You'll get used to the dimmer screen after a short while. On a related note, also set your screen to turn off after a minute or so of inactivity.

Turn off radios you don’t use

Unless you need them, turn off as many of your phone's wireless radios as you can, as it can also drain your battery. This includes GPS, Bluetooth, NFC and Wi-Fi. Or, in a pinch, turn off all radios, including cellular connectivity, by selecting the "airplane mode" –

Far Cry 3If you haven’t played Far Cry 3 in awhile it’s time to go back. Ubisoft has released a new patch for the game – one of 2012’s best shooters – and it’s free. The patch is now live for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC.

“Based on community feedback gathered by the Far Cry 3 team, the features added or tweaked by this patch are an ongoing effort to respond to players and give them more reasons to re-visit Rook Islands, to improve their skills with tougher challenges, and to re-discover the Far Cry 3 world,” said a Ubisoft spokesperson.

There are new elements for the single player and multiplayer campaign, but the one that’s sure to get the most attention is the new ability to reset liberated outposts after beating the game. I’ve played through Far Cry 3 twice. Each time my favorite part was finding new ways to liberate the enemy outposts. The game rewards you for creativity and stealth, awarding a ton of XP if you can take down an outpost undetected. The idea of going through the

Despite what Kermit the Frog laments, being green can be easy.

Oh sure, we love our electronics -- with an average of 40 gadgets plugged into sockets at any one time – but a few simple suggestions can greatly reduce our power consumption in the home.

The following half-dozen tips can help you become more energy efficient, which is good for the environment and your wallet.

Unplug

Simply unplug the gadgets from the wall when you're not using them, or when your devices have finished charging up. For example, your smartphone's battery is probably fully charged after 45 minutes, so why do you leave it plugged in overnight? Often referred to as “standby power” or “vampire power,” electronics plugged into the wall can still consume a lot of electricity -- even when turned off.

Zero-watt switches

New power strips can also cut off electricity to some of its outlets -- ideal for when you're going on vacation, for example -- while other outlets on the power bar maintain the connection to the

Tea kettleThere is nothing on the following list of kitchen machines that is revolutionary. In fact, the principals behind the products featured here are ancient. The performance and ingenuity of these products, however, are what make them special. Brewing tea, sharpening knives and making the perfect espresso can be done for less money and fuss by those of us inclined to old school tools such as loose tea steeping baskets and sharpening steels. For those that like efficient gadgets, these products are for you.

Personal Tea Kettle
I gave up coffee about six months ago. I’d been a 3-cup-a-day man for decades. When I switched to herbal tea I found that the one thing I missed – aside from the flavor and caffeine of coffee – was the ritual. You can make coffee with a variety of tools – French press, a percolator, drip machine – that all have a satisfying ritual in the build up to your beverage. For me, boiling water and pouring it into a mug with a tea bag in it wasn’t nearly as satisfying.

That

Tomb Raider screenshotIn a previous post, we told you five things you didn't know about the new Tomb Raider game, that hit the shelves on March 5th for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. Now we follow up with five things to love about the game, which updates the venerable franchise with skill and style.

The new Tomb Raider is a true reboot – an origin story that recasts Lara Croft as a frightened but determined teenager, shipwrecked on a menacing island at the dawn of her archeological career. The designers have put a heavy emphasis on storytelling and character, which gives the varied gameplay elements a surprising resonance. Deliberate choices with the camera work and cut scenes encourage you to identify closely with the young Ms. Croft.

The designers have also sprinkled in new features such as quick time events, scavenging and limited RPG elements to keep the texture varied. Below are five particular highlights from the new Tomb Raider.

Tomb Raider screen shotCreative platforming: As returning players know, Lara Croft is

Chances are you're aware of Draw Something, a popular mobile game that challenges players to paint a picture with their fingertips, while other online players must guess what it is.

While not a game, per se, DrawQuest for iPad is also a fun app that lets you draw on your touchscreen tablet -- but it focuses more on sharing your works with a like-minded community.

You can download it for free from the App Store here.

Every day you're given a quest to complete a partially drawn image. For example, you might be asked "What is she walking?" and you'll see an image of a girl holding a leash with an invisible pet. Or you're asked "Who's on the money?" beside a green bill with a blank oval in the middle to sketch your creation. Other examples are "Create your own superhero," "Give him a cool hairstyle" or "What's under the bed?" You get the idea.

To get going, you're presented with a few tools, including a paintbrush, marker, pencil and eraser, as well as a color wheel. Just like Draw