How a Simple Door Lock Works

Ever wondered how locks work?

A few months ago I came across a sturdy, abandoned door on the streets of Brooklyn. I ended up carrying it home, and using the door to make a painting. I removed the handle & lock on the door - finding a supporting structural cylinder. I liked it so much that I put it on a chain, and I’ve been wearing it around my neck for the past few weeks.

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Since the door lock’s inner workings are simple, yet interesting, I thought I would take the opportunity to explain how a basic cylinder door lock works.

1. A key enters the lock shaft. If the key is the correct shape, and properly solves the “puzzle,” then the pins are properly aligned and turning the key also turns the cylinder. If the key is the wrong shape, the pins prevent the key from turning.

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2. When the cylinder turns, it also turns a “cam” that is attached to the cylinder.  The cam pulls a bolt in laterally through a second cylinder, allowing the door to open. When the bolt is extended into the frame of the door, the door cannot be opened, and is locked.

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I am fascinated by simple technology that solves everyday problems. Whenever I can, I like to take the opportunity to disassemble the components that fit together to solve a problem & figure out how they work.

 Let me know if you thought this was as cool as I did, and if there is anything else you’d like to see me dissect!

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Can a tablet/laptop combo save Apple?

Yesterday I was chatting with my colleague Erez Barkai (CTO of YouNow) about AAPL’s declining stock (currently at $446/share), and how they need to develop a new product, rather than squeezing the extra juice out of existing product lines.

He suggested an idea for a new product, although I’m pretty sure that Apple wouldn’t go for it. Nevertheless, I thought it was a cool idea to explore, so I made a sketch of it below.

The idea is this: a tablet / laptop combo, where each component has separate operating systems, but when connected, they function on one OS. 

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Components:

  1. Keyboard (with it’s own hard drive & OS) acts as a port for the tablet
  2. Tablet - acts like a monitor when connected to the keyboard (turns off it’s own OS), but acts as a fully-functioning tablet when separated from the keyboard.

NOTE: The idea to combine a laptop & tablet is not quite novel. There are other convertibles on the market, like the Lenovo Yoga Ideapad 13, and the HP Envy x2 (which actually seems very similar to this idea). The main idea here is not adding a peripheral to a tablet, but rather added functionality & a separate, advanced OS when connecting the keyboard.

While a convertible tablet/laptop has advantages (like cost efficiency), the ability to separate the pieces introduces issues like durability concerns, and it seems hard to pull off elegantly. And if we are talking about Apple, it’s likely they wouldn’t make anything like this (not really their style, and maybe not in best interest, considering potentially cannibalizing other product lines).

What are your thoughts on a 2-in-1 laptop/combo? Would you buy one, let alone use it?  And what is Apple working on next… a phablet?

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Imaginations: Elegant Floating Orb of Light

a candle-lit lamp, levitated by repellent magnetic forces. two concentric quasi-spheres ensconced together to form a floating orb of light. the gently capricious flame dances around the spherical glass body, at once romantic and enchantingly graceful.

simple in its form and elegant in its execution.

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A Few of My Art Pieces

I make art from time to time - It’s something I can’t help but do, really. Recently I’ve been into found objects, wood, denim and installation art. Here are a few of my pieces that I’ve documented.

Feedback is welcomed.

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“A Learning Process”
— a collaboration with Quinnton Harris —
acrylic, oil stick, mixed media on a wooden door
—2012—

“Untitled (Giacometti)”
acrylic, mixed media on canvas
—2012—


“Stymied Development Encroaches on Reason”
wood, paint
—2011—

“You Are What You Eat”
acrylic, oil stick & mixed media on canvas
—2010—

“Pecado”
oil stick & acrylic on canvas
—2010—


“Animal Spirits”
acrylic, found objects, mixed media on canvas
—2010—

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Flex the Muscles of Your Imagination.

Each day I try to conceptually invent something new, useful and imaginative - no matter how outlandish or impossible my ideas may seem at first glance. Since I haven’t actually built prototypes for these ideas, they’re not quite inventions - so I call them imaginations.

I start by taking myself mentally to a place of calm and solitude where I can think without interruption. And in this isolated space, I am able to focus my mental energies on invention.

I’ve thought of a variety of imaginations, but some of the most viable include:

  • rubber-like flexible eyeglasses that you can put in your pocket
  • shoes you can easily slip on (that aren’t slip on shoes)
  • a one-handed computer keyboard (think joystick / baton style).

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one of my sketches: “eyeglasses you can put in your pocket”

By actively engaging with my “inner-inventor,” and giving my mind more opportunities to find creative solutions, I am training my brain to be nimble and prolific, while imagining a future that I have created.

I think I will start to share some of my imaginations in more depth on my blog. Until then I will keep imagining the future. Stay tuned & start actively using your own imagination!

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