Metro Reviews: Superhero Workout, Diablo III, Swing Copters
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of Aug. 25th Life On Earth By E. O. Wilson iBooks/iTunesU Five Stars This free text book series is exquisite. It brings to life a high school biology course from a prominent teacher using animated, talking diagrams, demonstration videos, and interactive experiments. It’s one thing to clearly... Read More
Virtual Reality-Aided Surgery, Baby Trackers, And Homemade Electric Play-dough
This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… Severely anxious about having knee surgery, Josefa Ramírez has become the first person to enter virtual reality during the operation as a way of coping. By sending her into a virtual night time world using the Oculus Rift VR... Read More
Metro Reviews: Edgar Allen Poe, Tom Hanks, Forks Over Knives
Here’s my Metro News review for the week of Aug. 18th Riddle of the Black Cat By J.W. Rinzler iBooks/Kindle Three Stars Edgar Allen Poe’s famous detective, Auguste Dupin, takes on the insanity defense in this animated retelling of one of Poe’s darkest tales. Stellar voice acting and imaginatively possessed illustrations offer wonderfully grisly hysterics.... Read More
Metro Reviews: Grumpy Cat, Godus, Forrest Gump
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of Aug. 11th The Grumpy Guide To Life By Grumpy Cat Kindle/iBooks/Kobo Three Stars “Never lead”, advises Grumpy Cat in this book of self-woe, “always follow. It’s easier to trip someone from behind”. Filled with captioned cat photos, this guide to nurturing your inner grump deconstructs themes... Read More
Battling Internet Trolls With Science, Miss Possible Dolls, And Audacious Tech Art
Jump to the 1:30 mark to listen. This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… Representing the US as a finalist in Google’s upcoming Science Fair this september will be 14 year-old Trisha Prabhu and her anti-cyberbullying programs. Her software can analyze a message before it’s posted... Read More
Metro Reviews: Jules Verne, Sharknado, Under Armour Women
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of Aug. 4th 80 Days By Jules Verne & inkle Studios iPad/iPhone Four Stars By mapping the pages of Jules Verne’s classic novel to an interactive globe you get to choose where valet Passepartout and his master travel, how they spend their money, and what strange encounters... Read More
Bicycle Safety, Colour-Changing Fashion, & Cycling Apps
Skip to the 1:20 mark to listen. Men are three times as likely to take up bicycling as exercise or for commuting to work as women and tend to travel four times farther when they do. This is the pattern in the West (UK, US, Canada) and the main reason for the declining interest in... Read More
Metro Reviews: And The Mountains Echoed, Flower Power, The Last of Us
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of July 28th. And the Mountains Echoed By Khaled Hosseini Kindle/iBooks/Kobo Five Stars Travelling from one likeable character to another, Hosseini poignantly charts a series of reprehensible events across the globe and down through family generations. A companion website, EchoProject.ca, matches the book’s pages to interactive illustrations,... Read More
Make, Learn, Sell. My Interview With Traditional Maker Space, The Shop.
Make. Learn. Sell. That’s the motto of The Shop, a cool maker studio here in Toronto started by two childhood friends. Michelle Organ and Marissa Maislin gave our tech expert Kris Abel such a great interview that we felt we had to share the whole thing here. To explore more visit www.theshoptoronto.ca/
Toronto’s Maker Spaces & Creating Jogging Music With Imogen Heap
This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… Jonathan Moneta and Jacquelyn van Kampen are from a team of instructors and designers that run The Make Lab, an innovative Maker studio in Toronto with a large number of 3D printers, a laser cutter, and an electronics workshop. Anyone, regardless... Read More
Metro Reviews: Seconds, Guardians of the Galaxy, Glow Nurture
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of July 21st Seconds By Bryan Lee O’Malley Kindle/iBooks Five Stars Katie is a chef so drawn to the control of her kitchen that she’s made her restaurant her home. She becomes tempted to replay her life when mysterious forces test her destructive impulses. The creator of... Read More
Personal Robots, Roti Robots, Robtic Fingers, And 3D Printed Ice Cream
This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… Cynthia Brazeal has invented a family robot called Jibo, a social little guy who can greet you, take pictures, manage your messages, connect people, and play educational games with your kids. She’s bringing it to market with a price... Read More
Metro Reviews: Atlas Shrugged, Magic The Gathering, SeaWheeze
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of July 14th Atlas Shrugged The Amplified Edition By Ayn Rand iPad Four Stars Beautifully presented, this enhanced study guide edition of Rand’s industrial thriller expands on its underlying philosophy with notes, quotations, videos, interviews, a biography, and a timeline. It’s helpful in understanding the book’s theories... Read More
Google Science Fair Winner Todesco, Remote Control Contraception, And Mind-Reading Google Glass
This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… 17 year-old Hayley Todesco from Calgary has invented a more efficient way to detoxify Calgary’s oil sands. Her bioreactors will take decades instead of centuries to sustainably clean up the oil failings pools. She’s beat out her fellow Canadian... Read More
Metro Reviews: Five Fables, Indiegogo, Mountain
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of July 7th. Seamus Heaney: Five Fables By Robert Henryson iPad Five Stars Billy Connolly (Brave, Lemony Snicket) narrates this Scottish retelling of Aesop’s moral fables, collected and translated by Nobel Prize-winner Seamus Heaney. The old Scots performed these tales of animal trickery and rascality with a... Read More
Segregation In eSports, Free Summer Camp For Kids, & Hi-Tech Jewelry
This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… Sasha Scarlett Hostyn is a top competitor in the world of professional video game competitions and just one of the names put forward by fans who were outraged this week when an eSports tournament made their main tournament male-only... Read More
Metro Reviews: George R. R. Martin, Monty Python, Valiant Hearts
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of June 30th Rogues By George R. R. Martin & Gardner Dozois Kindle/iBooks/Kobo Five Stars The savagery the Game of Thrones series is known for can be traced back to one man, prince Daemon Targaryen, whose tale is included here amongst a collection of short stories... Read More
Metro Reviews: Dear Luke, Richard Avedon, Broken Age
Here’s my Metro News Reviews for the week of June 23rd. Dear Luke, We Need To Talk, Darth By John Moe Kindle/iBooks/Kobo Four Stars This collection of humorous memos, letters, and text messages imagine the off-screen interactions of our favourite movie characters, where the shark from Jaws keeps a therapy diary and the Walking... Read More
White House Women Inventors & Google’s $50 Million To Help Girls Code
Jump to the 1:30 mark to listen. This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… Beatty Robotics 14 year-old Camille and 12 year-old Genevieve Beatty have co-founded their own robotics company where they create a wide variety of walking, flying, and wheeled creations as well as museum-quality... Read More
Metro Reviews: Neil Gaiman, Borderlands 2, Wine & Cheese
Here’s my Metro Canada News reviews for the week of June 16th. The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains By Neil Gaiman iBooks/Kindle Four Stars This is illustrated folklore. A tale amongst the old, dark ways through human weakness and life lessons that leave you haunted. But this is performance too, with Gaiman’s... Read More
Hi-Tech Dresses, Humorous Health Apps, Nutella 3D Printer
Skip to the 1:23 mark to listen. This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… As part of her graduate thesis, NYU student Xuedi Chen has designed a dress made of a material that will slowly become transparent as you share more and more information about... Read More
Metro Reviews: Maleficent, Tomodachi Life, Saying When
Here’s my Metro Canada News reviews for the week of June 9th. Maleficent: The Official Multi-Touch Book By Walt Disney Studios iBooks Three Stars A refreshing acknowledgement of the faerie tales behind Walt Disney’s films, this Maleficent tie-in includes a copy of Charles Perrault’s 1697 version of Sleeping Beauty and a timeline going back to... Read More
Modern Mary Shelley, Artist Grows Replica Of Van Gogh’s Ear
This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… American Bioartist Diemut Strebe has done the extraordinary. She has 3D printed a living replica of dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh’s ear (the one he cut off) using DNA from one of his descendants to grow new cells that... Read More
Metro Reviews: Tolkien’s Beowulf, Watch Dogs, Hello Vino
Here’s my Metro Canada News reviews for the week of June 2nd. Beowulf: A Translation And Commentary By J. R. R. Tolkien Kindle/iBooks/Kobo Four Stars It’s the oldest-surviving story in the English language, an epic poem of trolls, dragons, and heroes. Published for the first time, Tolkien’s scholarly translation makes it easier to understand while... Read More
3D Printed Fruit, Adafruit Kits, And eBooks Of Forbidden Knowledge
This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… From liquid nitrogen popcorn to helium-filled apple balloons, celebrity Chefs love to experiment with technology in their kitchens. A woman in the UK has come up with a way for such Chefs to print their own organic fruit in... Read More
Engineering Girls And Wikipedia Women On What She Said
This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… “Girls Like To Read, Boys Like To Build” – that’s the insight gleaned from entrepreneur Debra Sterling as to why girls avoid educational toys that might inspire them to take up careers in engineering and architecture. Her answer is... Read More
Metro Reviews: Mozart Project, Thomas Was Alone, Bounden
Here’s my Metro Canada News reviews for the week of May 25th: The Mozart Project By James Fairclough & Harry Farnham iBooks Five Stars A mind-blowing, definitive look at Mozart’s music and genius, this eBook is astonishingly alive with sheet music, letters, paintings, timelines, and child prodigy performances. Seven leading scholars showcase his pianos and... Read More
Metro Reviews: Mario Kart 8, Governor General’s Awards, Salute The Desk
Here’s my Metro Canada News reviews for the week of May 19th. The Performing Arts In Canada: A Celebration By Governor General’s Performing Arts Award iBooks Three Stars Using timelines, short films, and acceptance speech videos to transform an awards ceremony into an interactive book is a fantastic idea. True, the Governor General Awards are... Read More
Holographic Chocolate, 3D-Printed Make-Up, And The Women Inventors Behind Them
This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… Grace Choi is taking on the $55 Billion makeup industry with a personal 3D printer that can create customized makeup shades in seconds. It uses FDA-approved materials from the same sources that all the big cosmetics companies use. The... Read More
Metro Reviews: Circa 1948, Mario Golf Tour, Joy Of Cooking, BitGym
Here’s my Metro News Canada reviews for the week of May 12th. Circa 1948 By Stan Douglas & The NFB iPad/iPhone Three Stars Like a ghost in the past drawn to the voices of the living, this exploration of post-war Vancouver offers 44 historically-researched eavesdropping tales of immigrants, newlyweds, war vets, and politicians discussing anxieties... Read More
Metro Reviews: Mom In The Movies, Child Of Light, Record Run
Here’s my Metro Canada News reviews for the week of May 5th. Mom In the Movies By Richard Corliss Kindle/iBooks/Kobo Four Stars Where have all the movie moms gone? This rich, engaging exploration mourns their recent fading from modern screens by reminding us of their past diversity as protectors and peacekeepers, martyrs and matriarchs, victims,... Read More
Metro Reviews: Window On Eternity, Cook’s Illustrated, Kirby Triple Deluxe,
Here’s my Metro Canada News reviews for the week of April 28th. A Window On Eternity By E. O. Wilson Kindle/iBooks Four Stars Amongst grandfatherly story-tellers, Wilson is superb. The esteemed biologist captures the grand story of Mozambique’s National Park, a place tied to humanity’s origins and now recovering from Civil War destruction, before whispering... Read More
Metro Reviews: Creativity Inc, Trials Fusion, Windy
Here’s my Metro Canada News reviews for the week of April 21st. Creativity, Inc. By Ed Catmull & Amy Wallace Kindle/iBooks/Kobo Four Stars How Pixar learned from their private mishaps to earn a reputation for perfection is a fascinating journey recounted here by co-founder Ed Catmull. He puts you into their discussions and it’s thrilling.... Read More
Metro Reviews: ROM Stories, Family Guy, Easter Breakfast
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of April 14th. Every Object Has A Story By The Royal Ontario Museum iBooks Three Stars Here we have twenty-one museum artifacts artistically interpreted through creative photography and an anthology of short stories by notable authors including Charlotte Gray, Wayson Choy, and Robert Bateman. Although entertaining, somehow... Read More
Tinkerbots Building Blocks Record The Way Kids Play
Imagine if your toys had a record button so they could remember the way you play with them. This is the premise of Tinkerbots, a new robotic building block system that allows you to design creations with moving parts. Each toy you build includes a set of camcorder-like buttons, so making them obey your commands... Read More
Metro Reviews: The Massey Lectures, LEGO The Hobbit, Jean Paul Gaultier
Here’s my Metro Reviews for the week of April 7th. The Massey Lectures By House of Anansi Press iPad Three Stars This iPad art book elegantly packages the recordings and transcripts of the CBC series into an eBook collection where fans can take notes, join online discussions, and access free interviews. Lawrence Hill, Margaret Atwood,... Read More
What She Said: Beauty Technology And DNA Privacy
This week Kris Abel introduces What She Said’s Christine Bentley, Sharon Caddy, and Kate Wheeler to… Katia Vega is a computer scientist in Brazil who is pushing the boundaries of wearable computing by exploring smart materials for new forms of conductive make-up, facial triggers, and artificial nail sensors. Here’s a video of her latest project... Read More
Google’s Balloon Network No Joke, Travels The World In 22 Days
Everyone thought it was an April Fool’s joke, when nearly a year ago Google announced that they would offer internet access through a system of balloons. Yes, balloons, the wibbly-wobbly, drifting-bobbing helium-filled kind that give up to the winds if you let go of them for just a second. Everyone thought it was crazy, and... Read More
Metro Reviews: Infamous Second Son, Ravensburger, Strava
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of Mar 31st. Skulls & Bones: El Inglés Goes Missing By Jay Malinowski Kindle/iBooks/Kobo Three Stars In this first novella from Bedouin Soundclash singer Jay Malinowski, a weathered box gives up a collection of letters between an old sea dog and the granddaughter he left behind in... Read More
Facebook’s Futuristic Plans For Virtual Reality Headsets
With Facebook’s $2 billion acquisition of virtual realiy company Oculus VR making headlines several people have asked me to explain the story right from the begining so here you go. If you’re already familiar and simply want my thoughts, feel free to skip ahead to “Facebook Buys In”. What Is Virtual Reality? You can tell... Read More