Counting at $20 per second
May 25, 2017 5:41 PM Subscribe
Apple designer Marc Newson made a $12,000 hourglass filled with nanoballs.
I don't entirely understand why, but I immediately do not like the people who would purchase and proudly display such an item. Perhaps it is because it would be more about the 12k spent on a fidget toy, and less about the "art".
posted by smidgen at 5:51 PM on May 25, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by smidgen at 5:51 PM on May 25, 2017 [7 favorites]
Is purdy. Me want.
posted by Capt. Renault at 5:59 PM on May 25, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by Capt. Renault at 5:59 PM on May 25, 2017 [6 favorites]
"nanoballs"
"At a factory in an undisclosed location in Europe (sorry, we've been sworn to secrecy)"
"Likewise, there is a pair of white gloves in each package, and we suggest using them to avoid leaving fingerprints."
Well, they nailed the breathless Apple marketing vomit alright.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 5:59 PM on May 25, 2017 [34 favorites]
"At a factory in an undisclosed location in Europe (sorry, we've been sworn to secrecy)"
"Likewise, there is a pair of white gloves in each package, and we suggest using them to avoid leaving fingerprints."
Well, they nailed the breathless Apple marketing vomit alright.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 5:59 PM on May 25, 2017 [34 favorites]
I am so glad I'm not the only one annoyed at the misuse of nano.
In other news, I do actually enjoy the sort of domain-wall phenomenon among the balls as they move about; several different regions each of which is closely packed, but then there's an edge between two such regions (presumably due to the close-packing requirement being affected by the shape of the glass). It's a neat sort of crystal-ish thing to look at.
posted by nat at 5:59 PM on May 25, 2017 [11 favorites]
In other news, I do actually enjoy the sort of domain-wall phenomenon among the balls as they move about; several different regions each of which is closely packed, but then there's an edge between two such regions (presumably due to the close-packing requirement being affected by the shape of the glass). It's a neat sort of crystal-ish thing to look at.
posted by nat at 5:59 PM on May 25, 2017 [11 favorites]
It would be interesting to make a scaled up version of this with couple gallons of BBs.
posted by MikeWarot at 5:59 PM on May 25, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by MikeWarot at 5:59 PM on May 25, 2017 [5 favorites]
According to ebay, 1.2 million 0.7mm ball bearings would cost about $7000.
posted by Pyry at 6:02 PM on May 25, 2017 [11 favorites]
posted by Pyry at 6:02 PM on May 25, 2017 [11 favorites]
Each is numbered "1 of 100" just below the "HODINKEE" signature on one side, with Marc Newson's signature on the opposite side.
That's not how numbering works though
posted by theodolite at 6:10 PM on May 25, 2017 [42 favorites]
That's not how numbering works though
posted by theodolite at 6:10 PM on May 25, 2017 [42 favorites]
Apparently the hole that the nanoballs fall through has to be so precise that only a human eye can get the job done. A measurement device would harm the glass, according to Hodinkee.
Meh. I'm no optical engineer, but I work with lots of people who are ... Making optics that can accurately place and measure features down to 7 nanometers (billionths of a meter), or about 70 atoms.
I call bullshit.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:11 PM on May 25, 2017 [28 favorites]
Meh. I'm no optical engineer, but I work with lots of people who are ... Making optics that can accurately place and measure features down to 7 nanometers (billionths of a meter), or about 70 atoms.
I call bullshit.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:11 PM on May 25, 2017 [28 favorites]
660,000 nanometers in diameter
No, see, they're not nanometer balls, they're just nanoballs. So, at .66mm each, they're one billionth of a standard SI ball. You know, that 410-mile-wide steel ball they constructed where Kansas used to be.
posted by sysinfo at 6:16 PM on May 25, 2017 [71 favorites]
No, see, they're not nanometer balls, they're just nanoballs. So, at .66mm each, they're one billionth of a standard SI ball. You know, that 410-mile-wide steel ball they constructed where Kansas used to be.
posted by sysinfo at 6:16 PM on May 25, 2017 [71 favorites]
Metallic Bead Hourglass
Regular price:$39.00
Sale price: $19.99
posted by theodolite at 6:18 PM on May 25, 2017 [33 favorites]
Regular price:
Sale price: $19.99
posted by theodolite at 6:18 PM on May 25, 2017 [33 favorites]
I'm doing just fine with my current desk toy.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:24 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:24 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
The (macro) stainless ball bearings I've tested either accidentally or on purpose have been ferromagnetic; I've assumed because ferromagnetic stainless steel can be made harder more easily.
But these must not be, because if they were, exposure to a strong magnetic field would leave them with significant residual magnetism, and I think that would mean you could destroy this thing with an average rare earth magnetic toy or refrigerator magnet, since if those bearings stuck to each other much more at all, they wouldn't go through that tiny opening.
posted by jamjam at 6:24 PM on May 25, 2017 [5 favorites]
But these must not be, because if they were, exposure to a strong magnetic field would leave them with significant residual magnetism, and I think that would mean you could destroy this thing with an average rare earth magnetic toy or refrigerator magnet, since if those bearings stuck to each other much more at all, they wouldn't go through that tiny opening.
posted by jamjam at 6:24 PM on May 25, 2017 [5 favorites]
0.66mm is on the order of a nano... megametre, I guess.
posted by Wolfdog at 6:26 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Wolfdog at 6:26 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Our cats would break that thing within a week.
posted by octothorpe at 6:26 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by octothorpe at 6:26 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Or, you could get an Esington Glass hourglass for $80 that uses the same damn beads and has the same damn shape. (they used to have cheaper ones, but apparently no longer. I got one for $49, and it's a tasteful art object, and does work fine as a 20 minute timer.)
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 6:27 PM on May 25, 2017 [17 favorites]
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 6:27 PM on May 25, 2017 [17 favorites]
I can offer a link that is sort of an antidote to the attitude of that guy:
'The Art of Making a Nixie Tube.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxL4ElboiuA
It's long and perhaps even tedious (although the intro gives you the basics). The guy is charmingly obsessed. He documents his multi-year effort to resurrect a lost manufacturing process (which also involves glass blowing among many other techniques). No pretentious blathering is required, just astonishing feats of industry and art creating stunning artifacts.
posted by cron at 6:29 PM on May 25, 2017 [14 favorites]
'The Art of Making a Nixie Tube.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxL4ElboiuA
It's long and perhaps even tedious (although the intro gives you the basics). The guy is charmingly obsessed. He documents his multi-year effort to resurrect a lost manufacturing process (which also involves glass blowing among many other techniques). No pretentious blathering is required, just astonishing feats of industry and art creating stunning artifacts.
posted by cron at 6:29 PM on May 25, 2017 [14 favorites]
I know a guy who did scientific glass blowing that was considerably higher tolerance than this (he made fractional distillation heads, among other things). Vacuum isn't the hardest thing in the world to do either. He made me more difficult pieces for roughly 1/10 this asking price. This ain't all that and a bag of chips, technically.
The metal beads, perhaps. I don't know anything about making those. But I do know that I can buy precisely-sized latex and mineral balls in the $100-$1000 range too. So I don't know.
But then, these things are never about what they cost, but about how they make you feel. Paintings cost only a few hundred to make too. If they're worth a dozen kilobucks to certain folks, who am I to argue?
posted by bonehead at 6:30 PM on May 25, 2017 [7 favorites]
The metal beads, perhaps. I don't know anything about making those. But I do know that I can buy precisely-sized latex and mineral balls in the $100-$1000 range too. So I don't know.
But then, these things are never about what they cost, but about how they make you feel. Paintings cost only a few hundred to make too. If they're worth a dozen kilobucks to certain folks, who am I to argue?
posted by bonehead at 6:30 PM on May 25, 2017 [7 favorites]
What is the polar opposite of a nano-douche?
posted by nevercalm at 6:38 PM on May 25, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by nevercalm at 6:38 PM on May 25, 2017 [4 favorites]
I watched the video, and read the dude's justification for the $10K price tag.
A 'multi-sensory experience'. Really? It makes noise as the ball bearings rattle through the oh-so-carefully eyeballed opening. The movement of the bearings follow physical laws that are indeed elegant, but this self-satisfied douchelord acts as if he wrote them.
This is bullshit. Refined, concentrated, upper-middle-class bullshit. This object will be gathering dust on the mantles or desks of 99 other overpaid assholes, and I'll bet they'll all parrot this dude's cloying, pretentious spiel, to anyone who'll listen. Or has to listen.
It's not even a proper hourglass, it's a goddamn ten-minute glass.
But yeah, it's pretty.
posted by KHAAAN! at 6:38 PM on May 25, 2017 [13 favorites]
A 'multi-sensory experience'. Really? It makes noise as the ball bearings rattle through the oh-so-carefully eyeballed opening. The movement of the bearings follow physical laws that are indeed elegant, but this self-satisfied douchelord acts as if he wrote them.
This is bullshit. Refined, concentrated, upper-middle-class bullshit. This object will be gathering dust on the mantles or desks of 99 other overpaid assholes, and I'll bet they'll all parrot this dude's cloying, pretentious spiel, to anyone who'll listen. Or has to listen.
It's not even a proper hourglass, it's a goddamn ten-minute glass.
But yeah, it's pretty.
posted by KHAAAN! at 6:38 PM on May 25, 2017 [13 favorites]
It's needless bullshit, but then so is any form of timekeeping that isn't a $5 quartz watch from CVS.
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:47 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:47 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
I feel like people are jaded and missing the point, that these are beautiful patterns that form in this hourglass with the little balls, and $12,000 seems the cheapest way to get them off the shelf so far. I respect it.
posted by oceanjesse at 6:48 PM on May 25, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by oceanjesse at 6:48 PM on May 25, 2017 [5 favorites]
Our cats would break that thing within a week.
This sounds like something you would read in a New Yorker strip about wonky ways to measure art and fuck me if the strip wasn't posted on an article about children's ass cancer or something equally unimaginably sad.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 6:50 PM on May 25, 2017 [4 favorites]
This sounds like something you would read in a New Yorker strip about wonky ways to measure art and fuck me if the strip wasn't posted on an article about children's ass cancer or something equally unimaginably sad.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 6:50 PM on May 25, 2017 [4 favorites]
I don't know if this is as bad as ass cancer.
posted by bonehead at 6:50 PM on May 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by bonehead at 6:50 PM on May 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
They should call it "This Is Why Xcode Is Crashing So Much"
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:52 PM on May 25, 2017 [14 favorites]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:52 PM on May 25, 2017 [14 favorites]
Like nanoballs through the $12,000 hourglass, this is the bullshit of our lives
posted by Flashman at 6:52 PM on May 25, 2017 [55 favorites]
posted by Flashman at 6:52 PM on May 25, 2017 [55 favorites]
I mean, it's expensive and I don't particularly want one besides, but there's a remarkably loud contingent of anyone who will immediately jump to hating anything that even vaguely seems to be A Nice Thing for its own sake, as though mechanical watches should be priced based on the weight of the metal used to make them.
Let other people do what they want to, with their own time and money. If you're going to get outraged, why not get outraged about something even vaguely meaningful?
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:53 PM on May 25, 2017 [18 favorites]
Let other people do what they want to, with their own time and money. If you're going to get outraged, why not get outraged about something even vaguely meaningful?
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:53 PM on May 25, 2017 [18 favorites]
stop calling everything small nano, you buzzword-fondling fucktards--lalochezia
Shego: Nano? What's 'Nano'?
Drakken: [facepalm] Nano. Tiny. Mini.
Shego: Why don't you just say "mini" then?
Drakken: 'Cause nano sounds about a hundred times better!
From Kim Possible
posted by eye of newt at 6:57 PM on May 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
Shego: Nano? What's 'Nano'?
Drakken: [facepalm] Nano. Tiny. Mini.
Shego: Why don't you just say "mini" then?
Drakken: 'Cause nano sounds about a hundred times better!
From Kim Possible
posted by eye of newt at 6:57 PM on May 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
It wouldn't raise an eyebrow if it was in an art gallery:
Each Bead a Life, 2017 Interrogating and disrupting the inherent liminality of linear time, this is a profound meditation on impermanance.
posted by Sebmojo at 6:59 PM on May 25, 2017 [18 favorites]
Each Bead a Life, 2017 Interrogating and disrupting the inherent liminality of linear time, this is a profound meditation on impermanance.
posted by Sebmojo at 6:59 PM on May 25, 2017 [18 favorites]
who will immediately jump to hating anything that even vaguely seems to be A Nice Thing for its own sake, as though mechanical watches should be priced based on the weight of the metal used to make them.
I mean, as someone who both covets after a nice mechanical wristwatch and has a passing affection for vintage fountain pens along with a smouldering affection for small well built models/sterling engines... I'm more than willing to admit that I feel, deep down, that those nice (but thoroughly frivolous for the most part) a bit of guilt regarding said items/purchases. I make the justification that these items have utility as well as a built for life construction and that's something to appreciate and honor as opposed to our disposable society of today...
But that doesn't mean that people who look at $12k hourglasses, $450k cars, $12.7 million dollar paintings and what not are wrong in that there's something to dislike, and perhaps hate, about things like that insofar as that they exist in a world where children across the planet die from lack of clean water or, for that matter, while people of another color live across the city in poverty and abuse due to other shitty things that life has thrown at them.
I dunno, maybe that got too meta too fast, but I certainly wouldn't be able to defend my possessions in the face of a concentrated/educated assault, I have to make peace with that.
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:02 PM on May 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
I mean, as someone who both covets after a nice mechanical wristwatch and has a passing affection for vintage fountain pens along with a smouldering affection for small well built models/sterling engines... I'm more than willing to admit that I feel, deep down, that those nice (but thoroughly frivolous for the most part) a bit of guilt regarding said items/purchases. I make the justification that these items have utility as well as a built for life construction and that's something to appreciate and honor as opposed to our disposable society of today...
But that doesn't mean that people who look at $12k hourglasses, $450k cars, $12.7 million dollar paintings and what not are wrong in that there's something to dislike, and perhaps hate, about things like that insofar as that they exist in a world where children across the planet die from lack of clean water or, for that matter, while people of another color live across the city in poverty and abuse due to other shitty things that life has thrown at them.
I dunno, maybe that got too meta too fast, but I certainly wouldn't be able to defend my possessions in the face of a concentrated/educated assault, I have to make peace with that.
posted by RolandOfEld at 7:02 PM on May 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
I kind of like it.
It's not twelve thousand dollars worth of "like" by any stretch, but the sound is indeed nice, and the way the patterns emerge, fracture, and shift really is pretty nifty.
And the point Newson makes about the loss of skilled, scientific glass-workers is an important one. Years ago, I got to interview Thomas Hession of G. Finkenbeiner for a class project, and I was completely stunned to learn about the contraction of the bespoke, technical glass-making trade, and about the volume of knowledge and skill that may soon be lost to us all.
(G. Finkenbeiner, by the way, is one of the vanishingly few makers of glass harmonicas left in the world. Per the website, prices start at just under nine grand, and given that we're talking about twelve thousand dollar hourglasses, that now sounds just ridiculously cheap.)
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 7:02 PM on May 25, 2017 [9 favorites]
It's not twelve thousand dollars worth of "like" by any stretch, but the sound is indeed nice, and the way the patterns emerge, fracture, and shift really is pretty nifty.
And the point Newson makes about the loss of skilled, scientific glass-workers is an important one. Years ago, I got to interview Thomas Hession of G. Finkenbeiner for a class project, and I was completely stunned to learn about the contraction of the bespoke, technical glass-making trade, and about the volume of knowledge and skill that may soon be lost to us all.
(G. Finkenbeiner, by the way, is one of the vanishingly few makers of glass harmonicas left in the world. Per the website, prices start at just under nine grand, and given that we're talking about twelve thousand dollar hourglasses, that now sounds just ridiculously cheap.)
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 7:02 PM on May 25, 2017 [9 favorites]
I briefly considered buying one yesterday, but then thought, "No. That's a year's rent."
My Marc Newson cocktail shaker is one of my favorite (and most-used!) items.
One day, when I'm rich, I will get me one of these damn hourglasses.
posted by dobbs at 7:04 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
My Marc Newson cocktail shaker is one of my favorite (and most-used!) items.
One day, when I'm rich, I will get me one of these damn hourglasses.
posted by dobbs at 7:04 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Nah, my phone tells time.
posted by officer_fred at 7:04 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by officer_fred at 7:04 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
I've assumed because ferromagnetic stainless steel can be made harder more easily.
Yep, the less magnetic stainless steel is the softer it is. Once you get to 416 magnets really don't stick any more but you also don't want to be making nuts or bolts out of it.
posted by Bringer Tom at 7:15 PM on May 25, 2017
Yep, the less magnetic stainless steel is the softer it is. Once you get to 416 magnets really don't stick any more but you also don't want to be making nuts or bolts out of it.
posted by Bringer Tom at 7:15 PM on May 25, 2017
It would be interesting to make a scaled up version of this with couple gallons of BBs.
Now I'm thinking about ridiculously-scaled hourglasses. I want one filled with bowling balls.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 7:16 PM on May 25, 2017 [19 favorites]
Now I'm thinking about ridiculously-scaled hourglasses. I want one filled with bowling balls.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 7:16 PM on May 25, 2017 [19 favorites]
It's hard to tell from the video, but I think this might be a $12K ASMR machine.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:40 PM on May 25, 2017 [8 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 7:40 PM on May 25, 2017 [8 favorites]
I want one filled with bowling balls.
I was so sure this would already be a thing, but sadly, no. On the flip side, If people would just stick to my SI-standard ball measurement, we'd only need one hourglass. We might need to mine asteroids to make it, but it would be beautiful.
Until octothorpe's space cats broke the thing and obliterated us.
posted by sysinfo at 7:48 PM on May 25, 2017 [7 favorites]
I was so sure this would already be a thing, but sadly, no. On the flip side, If people would just stick to my SI-standard ball measurement, we'd only need one hourglass. We might need to mine asteroids to make it, but it would be beautiful.
Until octothorpe's space cats broke the thing and obliterated us.
posted by sysinfo at 7:48 PM on May 25, 2017 [7 favorites]
“I’d like another Faberge egg, please.”
“Sir, don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
“I’ll TELL you when I’ve had enough!”
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:50 PM on May 25, 2017 [12 favorites]
“Sir, don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
“I’ll TELL you when I’ve had enough!”
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:50 PM on May 25, 2017 [12 favorites]
Clock of the Short Now
posted by davebush at 7:52 PM on May 25, 2017 [8 favorites]
posted by davebush at 7:52 PM on May 25, 2017 [8 favorites]
If you made a sufficiently tall hourglass, you would in fact only need one ball inside it.
posted by Joe in Australia at 7:57 PM on May 25, 2017 [29 favorites]
posted by Joe in Australia at 7:57 PM on May 25, 2017 [29 favorites]
No, see, they're not nanometer balls, they're just nanoballs. So, at .66mm each, they're one billionth of a standard SI ball. You know, that 410-mile-wide steel ball they constructed where Kansas used to be.
The SI ball is clearly a unit related to volume, which means 1 nanoball has a diameter that is only 1/1000 of the diameter of 1 ball---so the SI ball is 66 cm in diameter.
HOLY SHIT. Guys, I think I may know what that 'orb' in Saudi Arabia was....
posted by BlueDuke at 7:59 PM on May 25, 2017 [7 favorites]
The SI ball is clearly a unit related to volume, which means 1 nanoball has a diameter that is only 1/1000 of the diameter of 1 ball---so the SI ball is 66 cm in diameter.
HOLY SHIT. Guys, I think I may know what that 'orb' in Saudi Arabia was....
posted by BlueDuke at 7:59 PM on May 25, 2017 [7 favorites]
One day, when I'm rich, I will get me one of these damn hourglasses.
Following Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick's breadcrumbs above, shows you can get something from an old kickstarter project that's to my eye goddamn indistinguishable for 80 USD: the Esington Glass.
In fact, looking at the timelines here, I'm confused if Rudy Marsh's 2014 product isn't the original and the one sold by HODINKEE, dated 2017, is the copy. Even down to the framing of some shots used in the two product videos.
posted by bonehead at 8:13 PM on May 25, 2017 [15 favorites]
Following Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick's breadcrumbs above, shows you can get something from an old kickstarter project that's to my eye goddamn indistinguishable for 80 USD: the Esington Glass.
In fact, looking at the timelines here, I'm confused if Rudy Marsh's 2014 product isn't the original and the one sold by HODINKEE, dated 2017, is the copy. Even down to the framing of some shots used in the two product videos.
posted by bonehead at 8:13 PM on May 25, 2017 [15 favorites]
"HODINKEE" is word-play for "Hoodwinked".
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 8:20 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Xyanthilous P. Harrierstick at 8:20 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Well I thought it was pretty interesting to see the patterns the balls made and hear the sound, but I guess that makes me a tool of the ruling class oppressing the masses? I'd wonder though if eventually the balls would cause any scratching on the glass over time?
posted by Carillon at 8:23 PM on May 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Carillon at 8:23 PM on May 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
lmao they're selling an $80 kickstarter toy at 15,000% markup
That's why their factory location is 'undisclosed'
posted by theodolite at 8:24 PM on May 25, 2017 [7 favorites]
That's why their factory location is 'undisclosed'
posted by theodolite at 8:24 PM on May 25, 2017 [7 favorites]
Punchability: Achieved.
posted by mhoye at 8:27 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 8:27 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
All these moments will be lost in time, like nanoballs in rain.
posted by mbrubeck at 8:29 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mbrubeck at 8:29 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
What is being an Apple designer like? What does their working day consist of? What is it about being an Apple Designer that makes this sort of thing possible? What kind of cachet does being an Apple Designer give you? What's their office like? Is it filled with stuff like this? Who cleans it? What's the cafeteria like? What is the experience of this kind of working life?
Speaking as someone who has a houseful of Apple products. I can't bridge the gap between my (admittedly awesome) job and someone who has "Apple Designer" on their resume.
posted by monkeymike at 8:36 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Speaking as someone who has a houseful of Apple products. I can't bridge the gap between my (admittedly awesome) job and someone who has "Apple Designer" on their resume.
posted by monkeymike at 8:36 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Marc Newson was hired by Apple in September 2014 for part-time consulting work. The only products I'm aware of him contributing to are some Apple Watch bands (duplicating one of his preexisting designs) and a special red Mac Pro sold for charity. The position is basically an excuse for Jony Ive to hang out with his buddy and toss some money his way. He is hardly a "legendary Apple designer."
posted by designbot at 8:54 PM on May 25, 2017 [16 favorites]
posted by designbot at 8:54 PM on May 25, 2017 [16 favorites]
"the object"
posted by gurple at 8:56 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by gurple at 8:56 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Digging a bit more, the Marc Newson website notes the design date (presumably) as "2015".
I can't really verify if I have the timeline straight here, but the resemblance between Newson's design and Marsh's Kickstarter project is remarkable.
posted by bonehead at 9:09 PM on May 25, 2017
I can't really verify if I have the timeline straight here, but the resemblance between Newson's design and Marsh's Kickstarter project is remarkable.
posted by bonehead at 9:09 PM on May 25, 2017
You know who else has nanoballs?
posted by msalt at 9:29 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by msalt at 9:29 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Yeah, but only one of them...
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:43 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:43 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
The hourglass times 10 minutes.
Um... I'm guessing it's common to have hourglasses that don't measure an hour, but it just seems weird to me to not call them something else.
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:14 PM on May 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
Um... I'm guessing it's common to have hourglasses that don't measure an hour, but it just seems weird to me to not call them something else.
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:14 PM on May 25, 2017 [3 favorites]
I've heard of waists described as "hourglass-shaped," but the video contains the first instance I've ever noticed of an hourglass being described as "waist-shaped."
Is that a retronym?
posted by The Potate at 10:14 PM on May 25, 2017 [10 favorites]
Is that a retronym?
posted by The Potate at 10:14 PM on May 25, 2017 [10 favorites]
there's a remarkably loud contingent of anyone who will immediately jump to hating anything that even vaguely seems to be A Nice Thing for its own sake, as though mechanical watches should be priced based on the weight of the metal used to make them.
Expensive mechanical watches have attained timepiece sainthood now that the haters have moved on to smartwatches.
posted by fairmettle at 10:20 PM on May 25, 2017
Expensive mechanical watches have attained timepiece sainthood now that the haters have moved on to smartwatches.
posted by fairmettle at 10:20 PM on May 25, 2017
Um... I'm guessing it's common to have hourglasses that don't measure an hour, but it just seems weird to me to not call them something else.
That $80 Esington Glass version times out at 25 minutes.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:40 PM on May 25, 2017
That $80 Esington Glass version times out at 25 minutes.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:40 PM on May 25, 2017
dang people!
I too find this absurdly expensive yet oddly compelling. However, it's less than half the price of the first one he designed back in 2011. Bargain!
And that kickstarter seems like a potentially acceptable substitute if they could figure out what they are selling. It says "solid steel nanospheres" in the description, but the order box says "plated silica nanospheres". One of these things is not like the other...
posted by inparticularity at 10:41 PM on May 25, 2017
I too find this absurdly expensive yet oddly compelling. However, it's less than half the price of the first one he designed back in 2011. Bargain!
And that kickstarter seems like a potentially acceptable substitute if they could figure out what they are selling. It says "solid steel nanospheres" in the description, but the order box says "plated silica nanospheres". One of these things is not like the other...
posted by inparticularity at 10:41 PM on May 25, 2017
That $80 Esington Glass version times out at 25 minutes.
Who the heck wants a 25-minute egg?
posted by aubilenon at 10:52 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
Who the heck wants a 25-minute egg?
posted by aubilenon at 10:52 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
I too find this absurdly expensive yet oddly compelling. However, it's less than half the price of the first one he designed back in 2011.
There was also less than half the piling on in MeFi's first thread on it.
posted by fairmettle at 11:01 PM on May 25, 2017
There was also less than half the piling on in MeFi's first thread on it.
posted by fairmettle at 11:01 PM on May 25, 2017
There's a difference between being able to buy every little frivolously expensive thing you want and spending a relatively large amount of money on something you are really, really into. Frequently, these are the same people we are talking about, but I could imagine there are lot of people for whom this object is beautiful and profound. A lot of middle class people can afford $10,000 for a classic guitar or $25,000 for a Harley Davidson, or $4,000 for an automatic winding mechanical Swiss watch.
A hatred for economic disparity does not necessarily detract from the appreciation of a finely crafted object made another human.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 11:04 PM on May 25, 2017 [7 favorites]
A hatred for economic disparity does not necessarily detract from the appreciation of a finely crafted object made another human.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 11:04 PM on May 25, 2017 [7 favorites]
The Esington one is actually superior because it uses nano spheres instead of just balls.
I'll get my wallet out when I see one full of pico dodecahedra.
posted by Segundus at 11:40 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'll get my wallet out when I see one full of pico dodecahedra.
posted by Segundus at 11:40 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
There's a difference between being able to buy every little frivolously expensive thing you want and spending a relatively large amount of money on something you are really, really into.
And then there's buying something and paying 150 times what you could buy it for under a different label, presumably because the farcically huge markup and marketing BS hacks your mind into making it all seem somehow desirable.
It is for this reason - their evil mind wizardry - that most marketing people should be loaded up into rockets and fired into the sun. I am sure, though, that it it were attempted, they would somehow manage to convince others to take their place on board the doomed spaceship, and would probably even sell tickets for the maiden voyage of the I.S.S. Solar Oblivion.
posted by darkstar at 11:46 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
And then there's buying something and paying 150 times what you could buy it for under a different label, presumably because the farcically huge markup and marketing BS hacks your mind into making it all seem somehow desirable.
It is for this reason - their evil mind wizardry - that most marketing people should be loaded up into rockets and fired into the sun. I am sure, though, that it it were attempted, they would somehow manage to convince others to take their place on board the doomed spaceship, and would probably even sell tickets for the maiden voyage of the I.S.S. Solar Oblivion.
posted by darkstar at 11:46 PM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
And then there's buying something and paying 150 times what you could buy it for under a different label
Ahh Metafilter, where you cannot post anything cool unless it's the knock-off version produced in China by people who make five cents an hour.
I think the entire rest of the world wants to have a word with us about "economic inequality"...
posted by danny the boy at 12:24 AM on May 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
Ahh Metafilter, where you cannot post anything cool unless it's the knock-off version produced in China by people who make five cents an hour.
I think the entire rest of the world wants to have a word with us about "economic inequality"...
posted by danny the boy at 12:24 AM on May 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
Like maybe the solution to economic inequality isn't a knee jerk devaluing of craftsmanship and beauty...
Or endorsing the theft of intellectual property...
Or demanding labor be worth nothing...
posted by danny the boy at 12:29 AM on May 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
Or endorsing the theft of intellectual property...
Or demanding labor be worth nothing...
posted by danny the boy at 12:29 AM on May 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
What is being an Apple designer like? What does their working day consist of? What is it about being an Apple Designer that makes this sort of thing possible? What kind of cachet does being an Apple Designer give you? What's their office like? Is it filled with stuff like this? Who cleans it? What's the cafeteria like? What is the experience of this kind of working life?
Haha, just like any other job really, you get in at 8.30, maybe a few minutes late if the kids were difficult to get off to school, haha, then you fire up the old computer, google a few random things and sell a kickstarter hourglass at a 9 million percent markup.
Then: lunch!
posted by Sebmojo at 12:44 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Haha, just like any other job really, you get in at 8.30, maybe a few minutes late if the kids were difficult to get off to school, haha, then you fire up the old computer, google a few random things and sell a kickstarter hourglass at a 9 million percent markup.
Then: lunch!
posted by Sebmojo at 12:44 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Well, since he designed virtually the same thing back in 2011, it seems like he wasn't ganking from the Kickstarter but from himself. So it's more like fire up the old computer, like, literally the old computer, copy those 2011 files from the hard drive and resubmit. It's not like people or Google remember 6 years ago, right?
posted by jacquilynne at 1:01 AM on May 26, 2017
posted by jacquilynne at 1:01 AM on May 26, 2017
You know what else works in hourglasses? Sand.
posted by Paul Slade at 1:28 AM on May 26, 2017
posted by Paul Slade at 1:28 AM on May 26, 2017
I'm thinking about the opposite of time. That's the moment when it unknowingly descended into parody.
posted by quarsan at 1:34 AM on May 26, 2017
posted by quarsan at 1:34 AM on May 26, 2017
What is the experience of this kind of working life?
85% of it is attacking an old MacBook or iPhone with a tube of epoxy and sealing over ports.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:44 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
85% of it is attacking an old MacBook or iPhone with a tube of epoxy and sealing over ports.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:44 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
fairmettle: "There was also less than half the piling on in MeFi's first thread on it."
Since then the 1% has gotten twice as rich.
posted by chavenet at 2:51 AM on May 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
Since then the 1% has gotten twice as rich.
posted by chavenet at 2:51 AM on May 26, 2017 [4 favorites]
I'm a bit surprised that a $12,000 knick-knack is getting so much attention, given that we're constantly surrounded by unexplainable, inexcusable excesses. Not at all surprised that an Apple designer is behind this.
Meanwhile in other news: the poor are getting poorer. Perhaps a clever marketing slogan could improve their lot. How about
Poverty: a multi-sensory experience that cannot be communicated in words.
posted by she's not there at 3:05 AM on May 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
Meanwhile in other news: the poor are getting poorer. Perhaps a clever marketing slogan could improve their lot. How about
Poverty: a multi-sensory experience that cannot be communicated in words.
posted by she's not there at 3:05 AM on May 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
It is for this reason - their evil mind wizardry - that most marketing people should be loaded up into rockets and fired into the sun.
That's a little harsh. There is promising research regarding nipping psychopathology in childhood. Surely similar techniques could be applied with children who demonstrate marketing tendencies.
posted by she's not there at 3:10 AM on May 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
That's a little harsh. There is promising research regarding nipping psychopathology in childhood. Surely similar techniques could be applied with children who demonstrate marketing tendencies.
posted by she's not there at 3:10 AM on May 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
Do you want to increase entropy and accelerate the heat death of the universe? Because this is how you increase entropy and accelerate the heat death of the universe.
posted by loquacious at 3:10 AM on May 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by loquacious at 3:10 AM on May 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
And since it only lasts 10 minutes, you need six of these... for the low low price of $72,000. But act now and we'll add additional value to your pretentiousness by charging you $84,000.
posted by Nanukthedog at 3:41 AM on May 26, 2017
posted by Nanukthedog at 3:41 AM on May 26, 2017
Can it really be called an hourglass if it only measures ten minutes?
posted by Thorzdad at 3:50 AM on May 26, 2017
posted by Thorzdad at 3:50 AM on May 26, 2017
Can it really be called an hourglass if it only measures ten minutes?
It must measure nanohours, which would mean that one nanohour = 10 minutes or soething.
posted by koolkat at 3:52 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
You want to know why I'm offended so deeply by this whole situation? I'll tell you. It's simple. It's personal.
My mother worked as a waitress and bartender, most of her life. Her annual income, I repeat, her annual income, was roughly equal to the price tag of this goddamned thing. I value her life, her labor, and the suffering she sacrificed a hell of a lot more than some multi-millionaire's tchotchke. The very idea that a whole year's worth of being servile to a bunch of mean, stinking, belligerent, dumb-assed drunks is even remotely equal to an over-engineered, overpriced, rich man's desk accessory-- the sheer injustice of it burns inside of me with a heat that you simply would not believe.
Income inequality, class warfare-- those aren't distant, abstract concepts to me. Those are real, tangible things I have to step over, under, and around, every goddamn day of my life. And when one of them slaps me in the face, like this stupid fucking hourglass...
Well, pardon me if I get a little snarky.
posted by KHAAAN! at 4:09 AM on May 26, 2017 [18 favorites]
My mother worked as a waitress and bartender, most of her life. Her annual income, I repeat, her annual income, was roughly equal to the price tag of this goddamned thing. I value her life, her labor, and the suffering she sacrificed a hell of a lot more than some multi-millionaire's tchotchke. The very idea that a whole year's worth of being servile to a bunch of mean, stinking, belligerent, dumb-assed drunks is even remotely equal to an over-engineered, overpriced, rich man's desk accessory-- the sheer injustice of it burns inside of me with a heat that you simply would not believe.
Income inequality, class warfare-- those aren't distant, abstract concepts to me. Those are real, tangible things I have to step over, under, and around, every goddamn day of my life. And when one of them slaps me in the face, like this stupid fucking hourglass...
Well, pardon me if I get a little snarky.
posted by KHAAAN! at 4:09 AM on May 26, 2017 [18 favorites]
Here's some REAL gold nanoballs.
(A resolution test sample for my SEM)
https://twitter.com/umbrella_office/status/868064309921943552
Note the magnification is 50kX. The SEM will go as high as 2000kX, but the images will be a bit fuzzy.
posted by Homemade Interossiter at 4:23 AM on May 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
(A resolution test sample for my SEM)
https://twitter.com/umbrella_office/status/868064309921943552
Note the magnification is 50kX. The SEM will go as high as 2000kX, but the images will be a bit fuzzy.
posted by Homemade Interossiter at 4:23 AM on May 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
According to ebay, 1.2 million 0.7mm ball bearings would cost about $7000.
The second picture in that link. Precision ball bearings. Garnished with what appears to be fresh basil. Why?
This brings up so many questions. Is this an edible product? Is it an edible product for robots? If so, then why the basil? Are robots fond of basil on their bearings? Are tiny precision bearings a robot snack or more of a main course like rice or millet?
that's to my eye goddamn indistinguishable for 80 USD: the Esington Glass.
Well, the price is less terrible, but... I'm not sure if it's any less weird or kooky or overpriced. If I worked in an office and I had a coworker "time blocking" all day long with a metal ASMR rain stick I might go bonkers. Just get a silent, affordable sand hourglass already. You can, you know, look it or place it in your field of view. Or set a timer on, hey, your phone?
Also, between the Esington and the even less expensive metal bead version I don't see them displaying the same fascinating crystal structures and packing behavior as the massively overpriced art object one. (Which, you know, can be had for as little cost as a carton of BBs and maybe a cardboard box or a dinner plate.)
I'm going to put on my moldy wannabe industrial designer and art production hat, now, and attempt to dig a rude shallow grave in the desert for Marc Newson's version of this project:
Assuming that displaying this dynamic crystal packing behavior is a central aesthetic of this project, the flatness of inside of the glass is crucial, especially on the inside ends, but having consistent angles and surface flatness inside the funnel segments would also be very important. The angle of repose of the ball bearings as it interfaces with the angle of the walls as well as any imperfections inside the funnel segments would interfere with the self-ordering behavior.
Tonality and sound textures seem to be a nearly equally important design goal. This tonality will be defined by material selection, size, vessel wall thickness, the velocity of the falling bearings and how many pass through per unit of time.
And last - one of the design criteria appears to be ludicrous cost for bragging rights, so let's do this.
My proposed execution is this:
Replace the steel bearings with something entirely non-ferrous. Option A could be ceramic bearings, ceramic alloys, even natural or artificial crystals like ruby or sapphire. (I'll rule diamond right out just for being cliche.) Option B could be more exotic metals like titanium, liquid/amorphous metals or even exotic ultrahard cobalt alloys like Stellite.
The liquid/amorphous metal probably wins just for sheer high tech factor combined with making for a much more dynamic display since the liquid metal bearings would have a fantastic amount of bounce off of each other and any given hard surface. It would also be fantastically expensive. You would likely have to produce liquid metal bearings by forming them from droplets of metal in a drop tower and then precision sorting them to size and a given tolerance. (And let's not even talk about precision grinding Stellite alloy bearings, which, uh, work hardens.)
Next replace the blown glass with an epitaxially grown crystal or full melt optical glass chosen for hardness, precision and tonality. Machine/grind the crystal or glass to optical precision using traditional industrial optical lapping and grinding processes. Polish all surfaces to full optical clarity. This would be at a minimum a three piece construction involving a double-ended funnel with two geometrically flat end pieces. The entire assembly is joined with high strength UV curing optical adhesives, effectively creating a visually/optically clear object that appears to be completely seamless down to the refraction index.
The interior angles of the hourglass, the thickness of the walls and the height are a balance of the angle of repose of the size, weight and friction of the bearings, the velocity of impact on the bare glass as the first bearings fall and physically tuned for resonance and tonality.
Last, this should be a precision time piece. There's an exact number of bearings in each unit. From the time the first bearing tinks off the empty glass to the last ball, say for easy observation and precision, exiting the bottom of the fistula through the narrow of the funnel is a precise, calibrated amount of time down to a second or fraction of a second. (Ideally this would mean you'd put the device under a vacuum, but that would probably do weird things to the sound.)
The feed tube between the hourglass halves should be able to be honed in the crystal or glass precisely enough to reliably permit a single file stream of ball bearings so that they drop one at a time. Without ever jamming. Because that's how hard we're going to roll.
Put that on your desk and flip it.
posted by loquacious at 4:28 AM on May 26, 2017 [8 favorites]
The second picture in that link. Precision ball bearings. Garnished with what appears to be fresh basil. Why?
This brings up so many questions. Is this an edible product? Is it an edible product for robots? If so, then why the basil? Are robots fond of basil on their bearings? Are tiny precision bearings a robot snack or more of a main course like rice or millet?
that's to my eye goddamn indistinguishable for 80 USD: the Esington Glass.
Well, the price is less terrible, but... I'm not sure if it's any less weird or kooky or overpriced. If I worked in an office and I had a coworker "time blocking" all day long with a metal ASMR rain stick I might go bonkers. Just get a silent, affordable sand hourglass already. You can, you know, look it or place it in your field of view. Or set a timer on, hey, your phone?
Also, between the Esington and the even less expensive metal bead version I don't see them displaying the same fascinating crystal structures and packing behavior as the massively overpriced art object one. (Which, you know, can be had for as little cost as a carton of BBs and maybe a cardboard box or a dinner plate.)
I'm going to put on my moldy wannabe industrial designer and art production hat, now, and attempt to dig a rude shallow grave in the desert for Marc Newson's version of this project:
Assuming that displaying this dynamic crystal packing behavior is a central aesthetic of this project, the flatness of inside of the glass is crucial, especially on the inside ends, but having consistent angles and surface flatness inside the funnel segments would also be very important. The angle of repose of the ball bearings as it interfaces with the angle of the walls as well as any imperfections inside the funnel segments would interfere with the self-ordering behavior.
Tonality and sound textures seem to be a nearly equally important design goal. This tonality will be defined by material selection, size, vessel wall thickness, the velocity of the falling bearings and how many pass through per unit of time.
And last - one of the design criteria appears to be ludicrous cost for bragging rights, so let's do this.
My proposed execution is this:
Replace the steel bearings with something entirely non-ferrous. Option A could be ceramic bearings, ceramic alloys, even natural or artificial crystals like ruby or sapphire. (I'll rule diamond right out just for being cliche.) Option B could be more exotic metals like titanium, liquid/amorphous metals or even exotic ultrahard cobalt alloys like Stellite.
The liquid/amorphous metal probably wins just for sheer high tech factor combined with making for a much more dynamic display since the liquid metal bearings would have a fantastic amount of bounce off of each other and any given hard surface. It would also be fantastically expensive. You would likely have to produce liquid metal bearings by forming them from droplets of metal in a drop tower and then precision sorting them to size and a given tolerance. (And let's not even talk about precision grinding Stellite alloy bearings, which, uh, work hardens.)
Next replace the blown glass with an epitaxially grown crystal or full melt optical glass chosen for hardness, precision and tonality. Machine/grind the crystal or glass to optical precision using traditional industrial optical lapping and grinding processes. Polish all surfaces to full optical clarity. This would be at a minimum a three piece construction involving a double-ended funnel with two geometrically flat end pieces. The entire assembly is joined with high strength UV curing optical adhesives, effectively creating a visually/optically clear object that appears to be completely seamless down to the refraction index.
The interior angles of the hourglass, the thickness of the walls and the height are a balance of the angle of repose of the size, weight and friction of the bearings, the velocity of impact on the bare glass as the first bearings fall and physically tuned for resonance and tonality.
Last, this should be a precision time piece. There's an exact number of bearings in each unit. From the time the first bearing tinks off the empty glass to the last ball, say for easy observation and precision, exiting the bottom of the fistula through the narrow of the funnel is a precise, calibrated amount of time down to a second or fraction of a second. (Ideally this would mean you'd put the device under a vacuum, but that would probably do weird things to the sound.)
The feed tube between the hourglass halves should be able to be honed in the crystal or glass precisely enough to reliably permit a single file stream of ball bearings so that they drop one at a time. Without ever jamming. Because that's how hard we're going to roll.
Put that on your desk and flip it.
posted by loquacious at 4:28 AM on May 26, 2017 [8 favorites]
OH! But imagine the noise and spectacle of them rushing around the inside of a Dyson Vacuum.
posted by Homemade Interossiter at 4:29 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Homemade Interossiter at 4:29 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Paul Slade: "You know what else works in hourglasses? Sand."
I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.
posted by octothorpe at 4:36 AM on May 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.
posted by octothorpe at 4:36 AM on May 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
He is hardly a "legendary Apple designer."
That's pretty obvious because the hourglass doesn't arbitrarily stop some balls getting through the gap for policy violations while letting or actually helping other favored balls with even larger policy violations through.
posted by srboisvert at 5:30 AM on May 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
That's pretty obvious because the hourglass doesn't arbitrarily stop some balls getting through the gap for policy violations while letting or actually helping other favored balls with even larger policy violations through.
posted by srboisvert at 5:30 AM on May 26, 2017 [3 favorites]
"Apparently the hole that the nanoballs fall through has to be so precise that only a human eye can get the job done." - yea, sure
posted by NotSam at 7:13 AM on May 26, 2017
posted by NotSam at 7:13 AM on May 26, 2017
FTFY.
Costs generally determine the quantity of goods produced. The price is then determined by the demand at that quantity. There are always confounding factors in any specific scenario but that's generally it.
Put another way, no matter how dumb it seems, they wouldn't charge it if they couldn't get it.
This product is clearly for people with more money than sense. Meaning that whoever buys one has a LOT of money, very little sense, or some mix of both.
posted by VTX at 7:21 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
The six-month waiting list is because the first production run was bought up by Bond villains.
posted by The Card Cheat at 7:22 AM on May 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by The Card Cheat at 7:22 AM on May 26, 2017 [6 favorites]
So, is this a Veblen good?
I mean, I imagine the $80 Kickstarter unit sold way more than 100 units. But I'm wondering if they were, say, $699, they might not sell as well as they do at $12k. Because at $699, you're just thinking 'well, and iPhone would be more useful' but at $12k, you're like 'ooh, art!'
posted by jacquilynne at 7:27 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
I mean, I imagine the $80 Kickstarter unit sold way more than 100 units. But I'm wondering if they were, say, $699, they might not sell as well as they do at $12k. Because at $699, you're just thinking 'well, and iPhone would be more useful' but at $12k, you're like 'ooh, art!'
posted by jacquilynne at 7:27 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Poverty: a multi-sensory experience that cannot be communicated in words.
Because it's a State Of Mind, according to a US government expert.
posted by achrise at 7:37 AM on May 26, 2017
Because it's a State Of Mind, according to a US government expert.
posted by achrise at 7:37 AM on May 26, 2017
That's my thinking too Jacquilynne.
My first thought reading through Loquacious's comment was that it's a fun thought experiment but the real money is doing the same thing but figuring out how CHEAP and easy to build you can get and still end up with the same product.
If you can create the same aesthetic and tone experience and can mass produce the thing with cheaper materials you could make a TON more money. At $120 a piece you only need to sell 10,000 of them to match the expensive one and that's assuming the same margins.
posted by VTX at 7:37 AM on May 26, 2017
My first thought reading through Loquacious's comment was that it's a fun thought experiment but the real money is doing the same thing but figuring out how CHEAP and easy to build you can get and still end up with the same product.
If you can create the same aesthetic and tone experience and can mass produce the thing with cheaper materials you could make a TON more money. At $120 a piece you only need to sell 10,000 of them to match the expensive one and that's assuming the same margins.
posted by VTX at 7:37 AM on May 26, 2017
So tired of Apple designers and engineers doing moderately interesting things that get breathlessly hyped in all the media. I eagerly await the day that this brand association is so diluted that nobody tries to use it as a selling point. And where are Apple's lawyers? If I promoted my side project as built by a $FAMOUS_COMPANY engineer, I think I would get handed a case and desist and my manager would want to have a talk.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 7:56 AM on May 26, 2017
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 7:56 AM on May 26, 2017
The ten-minute version was $13K in 2011 and it's only $12K now. Think of the savings! You'd be a fool not to snap one up at this price!
posted by fedward at 7:58 AM on May 26, 2017
posted by fedward at 7:58 AM on May 26, 2017
A lot of middle class people can afford $10,000 for a classic guitar or $25,000 for a Harley Davidson, or $4,000 for an automatic winding mechanical Swiss watch.
No actual middle class person can afford that kind of item, only the kind of "middle class" people who actually make a multiple of the median income but enjoy pretending that they aren't wealthy.
posted by Kwine at 7:59 AM on May 26, 2017 [8 favorites]
No actual middle class person can afford that kind of item, only the kind of "middle class" people who actually make a multiple of the median income but enjoy pretending that they aren't wealthy.
posted by Kwine at 7:59 AM on May 26, 2017 [8 favorites]
I'm trying to figure out how much it would actually cost to make a timer in the shape of an hourglass using nanometer sized balls. Going by this page, 200g of glass balls would cost $2020. I'm assuming that the weight does not include the solution they are suspended in and that they can flow through an appropriately sized hole easily enough. The glass itself is trickier, there are no places that sell tubes that are less than 500 micrometers in diameter that I could find. I'd like for 1-10 micrometers, as I bet getting anything smaller is probably impossible. That would require contracting out to a laboratory glass company, my guess is that they would cost at least an order of magnitude more than these pretenders. And when you're spending that much money, you can probably use gold or something instead of glass for your falling balls.
Anyway, this guy made the mistake of not thinking small enough. Or big enough. True nano-scale hourglasses would be incredible, and he has failed.
posted by Hactar at 8:24 AM on May 26, 2017
Anyway, this guy made the mistake of not thinking small enough. Or big enough. True nano-scale hourglasses would be incredible, and he has failed.
posted by Hactar at 8:24 AM on May 26, 2017
Truly this is the "I Am Rich" app of non-mechanical timepieces.
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:28 AM on May 26, 2017
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:28 AM on May 26, 2017
And most of the middle class folks I know think spending that much for any of those things is kind of silly.
There are several companies that make guitars similar to the popular "classic" models (Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul, etc.) that are just as good for under $1,000.
Several manufacturers make motocycles similar to every model of Harley that costs less and is every bit as good in every objective sense.
There are several computers within arms reach of me nearly at all times with more accurate clocks than a Swiss time piece. I'm sure I can get a very nice bracelet for $2,000 (including watches that maybe aren't as accurate).
Like, I know people who have made purchases like that and I try hard not to laugh in their faces as they tell me about it.
Maybe it's a midwest thing or maybe it's just the people I know but we don't care about stuff that has a high price tag, it's things with a high VALUE that impress me.
posted by VTX at 8:29 AM on May 26, 2017
There are several companies that make guitars similar to the popular "classic" models (Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul, etc.) that are just as good for under $1,000.
Several manufacturers make motocycles similar to every model of Harley that costs less and is every bit as good in every objective sense.
There are several computers within arms reach of me nearly at all times with more accurate clocks than a Swiss time piece. I'm sure I can get a very nice bracelet for $2,000 (including watches that maybe aren't as accurate).
Like, I know people who have made purchases like that and I try hard not to laugh in their faces as they tell me about it.
Maybe it's a midwest thing or maybe it's just the people I know but we don't care about stuff that has a high price tag, it's things with a high VALUE that impress me.
posted by VTX at 8:29 AM on May 26, 2017
Do you want to increase entropy and accelerate the heat death of the universe? Because this is how you increase entropy and accelerate the heat death of the universe.
I'm going to print out a copy of this comment and carry it around with me, since it applies to literally every single thing anyone could ever do.
posted by aubilenon at 11:30 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm going to print out a copy of this comment and carry it around with me, since it applies to literally every single thing anyone could ever do.
posted by aubilenon at 11:30 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Let other people do what they want to, with their own time and money. If you're going to get outraged, why not get outraged about something even vaguely meaningful?
I had this notion too, which made me slightly reluctant to post my comment. But no, It's not really outrage -- it's simply not liking people who buy this kind of thing.
It's a life experience thing -- just like I'm going to make negative a-priori judgements about people with balls on the back of their unnecessary pick-ups, and feel ok with that. I'm going to judge buyers of this item as well, and feel just fine, thanks.
posted by smidgen at 11:49 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
I had this notion too, which made me slightly reluctant to post my comment. But no, It's not really outrage -- it's simply not liking people who buy this kind of thing.
It's a life experience thing -- just like I'm going to make negative a-priori judgements about people with balls on the back of their unnecessary pick-ups, and feel ok with that. I'm going to judge buyers of this item as well, and feel just fine, thanks.
posted by smidgen at 11:49 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Oh, and the fact that this is a rip off of an $80 device meant to actually get work done (timeboxing), makes my distaste even more precious and wonderful.
posted by smidgen at 11:53 AM on May 26, 2017
posted by smidgen at 11:53 AM on May 26, 2017
It'll look nice next to your Juicero.
posted by spilon at 11:54 AM on May 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by spilon at 11:54 AM on May 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
I'm going to print out a copy of this comment and carry it around with me, since it applies to literally every single thing anyone could ever do.
True, that, but hopefully it's obvious I'm being more subtle than that. There's trying to keep your own thermodynamics generally warm, and then there's polishing millions of tiny ball bearings because you want to sell an overpriced hourglass.
posted by loquacious at 12:08 PM on May 26, 2017
True, that, but hopefully it's obvious I'm being more subtle than that. There's trying to keep your own thermodynamics generally warm, and then there's polishing millions of tiny ball bearings because you want to sell an overpriced hourglass.
posted by loquacious at 12:08 PM on May 26, 2017
Do you want to increase entropy and accelerate the heat death of the universe? Because this is how you increase entropy and accelerate the heat death of the universe.
You sure you didn't mean to post this in the blockchain thread?
posted by achrise at 1:17 PM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
You sure you didn't mean to post this in the blockchain thread?
posted by achrise at 1:17 PM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
an old kickstarter project that's to my eye goddamn indistinguishable for 80 USD: the Esington Glass.
Uh... yeah, this looks more than just a little bit like the 12-grand timer from the Apple designer. Like to almost no distinction at all, right down to the "nanoball" nomenclature. And was made earlier.
Am I missing something here?
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 1:20 PM on May 26, 2017
Uh... yeah, this looks more than just a little bit like the 12-grand timer from the Apple designer. Like to almost no distinction at all, right down to the "nanoball" nomenclature. And was made earlier.
Am I missing something here?
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 1:20 PM on May 26, 2017
As mentioned above, Hodinkee's Marc Newsom hourglass is basically just a new edition of a previous Marc Newsom hourglass designed for Ikepod in 2011, well before the 2014 Kickstarter project. The $80 Kickstarter project is a knock-off of the Newsom, not the other way 'round.
posted by mbrubeck at 3:39 PM on May 26, 2017
posted by mbrubeck at 3:39 PM on May 26, 2017
And was made earlier. Am I missing something here?
The bit about the Newson having designed the hourglasses in 2011, for Swiss watch maker Ikepod? (And perhaps all the people complaining about the cheap one being crap and the seller not replying to their messages over at Kickstarter?)
posted by effbot at 3:41 PM on May 26, 2017
The bit about the Newson having designed the hourglasses in 2011, for Swiss watch maker Ikepod? (And perhaps all the people complaining about the cheap one being crap and the seller not replying to their messages over at Kickstarter?)
posted by effbot at 3:41 PM on May 26, 2017
And for the completionists, here's a making-of short for the original hourglasses, and an article (in german, but google translate does a decent job with it).
posted by effbot at 4:00 PM on May 26, 2017
posted by effbot at 4:00 PM on May 26, 2017
Maybe it's a midwest thing or maybe it's just the people I know but we don't care about stuff that has a high price tag, it's things with a high VALUE that impress me.
People don't always buy expensive things to impress other people. And maybe this is a cosmopolitan thing, but VALUE is different for different people. Sometimes more is spent because something else is more valued, like time.
As for looking silly–hey, I eat avocado toast for breakfast. (It's actually knekkebrød, but nobody can tell the difference anyways)
posted by FJT at 11:46 PM on May 26, 2017
People don't always buy expensive things to impress other people. And maybe this is a cosmopolitan thing, but VALUE is different for different people. Sometimes more is spent because something else is more valued, like time.
As for looking silly–hey, I eat avocado toast for breakfast. (It's actually knekkebrød, but nobody can tell the difference anyways)
posted by FJT at 11:46 PM on May 26, 2017
I have an hourglass I got from aliexpress.
It lasts the full hour, and the sand is purple, so it's somewhere above four times as good as this.
posted by pompomtom at 12:48 AM on May 27, 2017 [3 favorites]
It lasts the full hour, and the sand is purple, so it's somewhere above four times as good as this.
posted by pompomtom at 12:48 AM on May 27, 2017 [3 favorites]
It's actually knekkebrød, but nobody can tell the difference anyways
Sounds like you either need to get your toaster adjusted, or find a new knäckebröd supplier.
posted by effbot at 5:29 AM on May 27, 2017
Sounds like you either need to get your toaster adjusted, or find a new knäckebröd supplier.
posted by effbot at 5:29 AM on May 27, 2017
It's a life experience thing -- just like I'm going to make negative a-priori judgements about people with balls on the back of their unnecessary pick-ups, and feel ok with that. I'm going to judge buyers of this item as well, and feel just fine, thanks.
This has stuck in my craw for a couple days, but it's taken me that long to figure out (what I hope is) a non-inflammatory way to address what bothers me about it.
The $12K hourglass is an objet d'art that sits squarely on both sides of the sublime/ridiculous line. It is undeniable that artisan craft went into the making of it (it's hand blown glass of high clarity, made to high precision) but it's also undeniable that the whole "nanoballs" thing is risible on the face of it. Is it more ridiculous because it's an utterly impractical implementation of a practical object? Maybe.
But anyway. I don't like the idea of setting a socially acceptable price for art/craft/whatever* this is. To do so is to get into an argument about the nature of art, the value of craft, or the implications of patronage. I studied for years to be an opera singer, and that's a really expensive art form that serves no useful purpose at all (except to be art). It only survives at the largesse of wealthy patrons. Who am I to judge how they spend their money?
* (I'd come down on the side of craft if I had to, but since it's overtly commercial I'd also raise an eyebrow if I saw it, along with its $12K price tag, at the Renwick).
posted by fedward at 10:49 AM on May 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
This has stuck in my craw for a couple days, but it's taken me that long to figure out (what I hope is) a non-inflammatory way to address what bothers me about it.
The $12K hourglass is an objet d'art that sits squarely on both sides of the sublime/ridiculous line. It is undeniable that artisan craft went into the making of it (it's hand blown glass of high clarity, made to high precision) but it's also undeniable that the whole "nanoballs" thing is risible on the face of it. Is it more ridiculous because it's an utterly impractical implementation of a practical object? Maybe.
But anyway. I don't like the idea of setting a socially acceptable price for art/craft/whatever* this is. To do so is to get into an argument about the nature of art, the value of craft, or the implications of patronage. I studied for years to be an opera singer, and that's a really expensive art form that serves no useful purpose at all (except to be art). It only survives at the largesse of wealthy patrons. Who am I to judge how they spend their money?
* (I'd come down on the side of craft if I had to, but since it's overtly commercial I'd also raise an eyebrow if I saw it, along with its $12K price tag, at the Renwick).
posted by fedward at 10:49 AM on May 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
What happens when the copper coating starts to wear off of the balls?
posted by Splunge at 6:29 AM on May 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Splunge at 6:29 AM on May 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
The hourglass times 10 minutes.
Um... I'm guessing it's common to have hourglasses that don't measure an hour, but it just seems weird to me to not call them something else.
Egg timers?
posted by Splunge at 2:12 PM on May 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
Um... I'm guessing it's common to have hourglasses that don't measure an hour, but it just seems weird to me to not call them something else.
Egg timers?
posted by Splunge at 2:12 PM on May 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
Where this thing crosses the line into absurdity and id deserving of derision to me is that most of this seems to have been done because it's expensive.
They didn't figure out the best way to create this experience or the product and then let that determine everything else. They figured out what experience they wanted to sell and then figured out the most expensive way to package that experience. To me it seems like it costs $12,000 only so that other people who know this thing costs $12,000 will see your $12,000 hour-glass and know that you spent $12,000 on it.
The value is in signaling to others that you're able to spend $12,000 on a fancy hourglass, not that this hourglass is cool for engineering, physics, or material science reasons. It is those things but only because for $12,000 it had fucking better be cool.
I don't have a problem with the folks who see this and think it's cool but wince at the price tag. That's the sort of person who might know it's frivolous to buy a $700 hourglass that does the same thing but $700 is what it takes to have a cool hourglass so they'll indulge 'cause they think it's super cool. They'd buy the $700 hourglass despite the price. The person buying the $12,000 is buying because of the price tag, the rest is almost inconsequential. As was said up thread, it's a Veblen good. It deserves mockery for that fact alone.
posted by VTX at 6:58 AM on May 31, 2017 [1 favorite]
They didn't figure out the best way to create this experience or the product and then let that determine everything else. They figured out what experience they wanted to sell and then figured out the most expensive way to package that experience. To me it seems like it costs $12,000 only so that other people who know this thing costs $12,000 will see your $12,000 hour-glass and know that you spent $12,000 on it.
The value is in signaling to others that you're able to spend $12,000 on a fancy hourglass, not that this hourglass is cool for engineering, physics, or material science reasons. It is those things but only because for $12,000 it had fucking better be cool.
I don't have a problem with the folks who see this and think it's cool but wince at the price tag. That's the sort of person who might know it's frivolous to buy a $700 hourglass that does the same thing but $700 is what it takes to have a cool hourglass so they'll indulge 'cause they think it's super cool. They'd buy the $700 hourglass despite the price. The person buying the $12,000 is buying because of the price tag, the rest is almost inconsequential. As was said up thread, it's a Veblen good. It deserves mockery for that fact alone.
posted by VTX at 6:58 AM on May 31, 2017 [1 favorite]
folks who see this and think it's cool but wince at the price tag
I think a nice hourglass is cool.
As I mentioned: you can get a cool hourglass experience, that lasts an hour, in a colour of your choosing, for about 1% of the price of this thing. Presumably someone with a monstercable stereo fed by oxygenfree kettlecables will disagree with me here, because I have.... oh, I dunno... clotheyes?
Sorry, I've buggered this keyboard. Please insert hyphens as appropriate.
posted by pompomtom at 8:22 AM on May 31, 2017
I think a nice hourglass is cool.
As I mentioned: you can get a cool hourglass experience, that lasts an hour, in a colour of your choosing, for about 1% of the price of this thing. Presumably someone with a monstercable stereo fed by oxygenfree kettlecables will disagree with me here, because I have.... oh, I dunno... clotheyes?
Sorry, I've buggered this keyboard. Please insert hyphens as appropriate.
posted by pompomtom at 8:22 AM on May 31, 2017
sysinfo: "You know, that 410-mile-wide steel ball they constructed where Kansas used to be."
Have you read Thomas Franks's book, "What's the Matter With Giant Steel Ball?"
posted by Chrysostom at 9:56 PM on June 3, 2017 [3 favorites]
Have you read Thomas Franks's book, "What's the Matter With Giant Steel Ball?"
posted by Chrysostom at 9:56 PM on June 3, 2017 [3 favorites]
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