Before I depart, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to what is objectively one of the best communities online. My editorship, and the three years of tools I was lucky enough to write, edit, and publish on a daily basis, has been defined by the knowledge, creativity, and know-how of the thousands of committed community members who read and write reviews. You have built Cool Tools into an unparalleled resource, and I am proud to have played a part.

And for that matter, I wholeheartedly believe that there is no one better suited to harness the collected brain trust of the Cool Tools community than Mark Frauenfelder. As a former (and future) reader I eagerly look forward to what he has in store.

Finally, thank you, Kevin, for giving me the opportunity to edit this site for the past three years. It’s been a blast!

Cool Tools began as a mail list that I started in 2000, and formalized into a website in 2003. Every weekday for the past 10 years we have posted a rave review of a useful tool. But the site has always been a secondary moonlighting job for everyone involved. While we have faithfully published daily reviews, there are dozens of other cool things we have not done. There’s no Cool Tools podcast, no Meetups about cool tools, no longer in-depth articles, no “best of” page. But there should be.

One of Cool Tools’ long-time fans is Mark Frauenfelder, a frequent contributor here of tool reviews. As a reader Mark was unsatisfied with the missing parts of Cool Tools. Now he will be joining me to renew this site and elevate its potential. We’ll be working as partners, trying new things, and optimizing what already works. Included in this upgrade will be a “Best-of” book in paper.

Mark has been editor-in-chief of MAKE magazine, and he is the founder of bOING bOING magazine, co-founder of popular Boing Boing blog, and formerly an editor at Wired, where we worked together. He will take on the title of editor-in-chief. Even though I make my living reporting on the newest of the new, Mark is constantly showing me stuff I knew nothing about. Mark was the first to tell me about this cool thing called eBay, and he was also the first to point me to blogs when there were only a dozen or so, and the first to alert me to podcasts at their birth. As readers of Boing Boing and MAKE realize, Mark has an uncanny ability to find new cool things and to detect big things while they are still small. His curiosity is immense, unwavering, and child-like. He is confident enough about the important things that he is not afraid of whimsy. He likes to keep things fun, and is serious about play. He is committed to making his own, trying stuff, and keeping everything honest and transparent. And sharing all that he learns. (Mark has his own take on this announcement on Boing Boing.)

I think we’ll make a good team for the next 10 years of Cool Tools.

I’d like to thank Oliver Hulland who has been expertly editing the Cool Tools website for the past 3 years. His love for the finest crafted and most utilitarian objects can be seen in the high quality of the reviews and tools on this site in recent years. Oliver was an avid reader of Cool Tools who stepped up to editorship out of passion for the site. He is a spelunker, EMT, and is now headed to med school. Oliver will continue editing the Best of Cool Tools book, now in progress.

As always, what should we feature that we haven’t already?

With over 2,500 reviews in the archive it’s high time we revisit some of the older tool reviews. In order to jump start the process, we’re holding a contest for the top two reviews of an existing tool in our archive. If you’ve had reviews published in the past feel free to update and freshen up your own reviews.

As usual, the author of the most publishable review gets to select a prize from the Prize Pool and will be published the following week. So tell us what you love! The contest will be open until Wednesday August 8th.

Remember, a great Cool Tool review is a story that includes the following five parts:
1) a succinct description of what the tool is,
2) how it changed your behavior,
3) why Cool Tools should run the item,
4) why it is superior to other things, and
5) why we should believe you.

Help us stay up to date by dusting off some of our older reviews!

This is not a cool tool. This is a fictional graphic novel. It is not a tool at all. It does not belong in Cool Tools. So why am I disrupting the flow of cool tools by posting it here?

Ten years ago I, Kevin Kelly, started Cool Tools as a private email list. Right now I am working on a best of Cool Tools book, which as you can guess, is the best cool tools reviewed in the last ten years. There are a lot of them, and the book (in paper!) will be huge. I hope to finish it by the end of this year.

But in the meantime, I have just released another book I have been working on for the last 8 years. This is a graphic novel, called The Silver Cord. It is about quantum intelligence, astral travel, and robots who need a soul. Since you enjoy this KK website, there’s a good chance you would enjoy this book.

I am not selling the book (at least the non-paper versions). You can download the entire 210-page graphic novel for FREE. There is also a comic book CBZ file available, also for free. And there are several free web versions. (There is a paper version available from Amazon, but that one is not free.)

The Silver Cord has gotten some good reviews on Boing Boing and other places, but it is not the whole story. There is an unfinished second half. So while I hope you immediately go and read the free book, I also hope a number of you will want to read the finish so badly that you’ll join our Kickstarter campaign to fund the concluding book.

Kickstarter IS a cool tool. This is a website that allows fans to fund the future projects of artists or creators they like. Fans pledge different levels of support (say $10, or $25, or $100) and in return they are rewarded with various ingenious and project-appropriate items. In the case of The Silver Cord, I am offering printed copies of the finished books, and well as incorporating the names or faces of high-level funders into the story. The way Kickstarter works, the money from the pledges is not “cashed” unless the pre-specified goal amount is raised. That way early supporters can be sure that their funds will go to completing the project, and not be squandered on a partial project.

But that means there is a deadline. So there is another reason I am posting about this project. I have only 2 days to complete the funding goal for The Silver Cord. I am reaching out to any fans I might have. If you have enjoyed Cool Tools over the past ten years, you may also enjoy this techno-epic. And if you have enjoyed the epic Silver Cord, I hope you will join our fund for the concluding part. And if you have already pledged I hope you will share this campaign with your friends and fans.

Thanks, and now we’ll return to our normal programming.

We’ve had some excellent submissions as of late, and I’m hoping to extend the trend!

Best introductory, weekend welding gear?
Need a starter set of most common nuts, bolts, screws. Any good deals?
An economical home windmill? Small-scale hydropower for streams?
Affordable, high-functioning walkie talkies?
Best mechanical stud finder?
Best introductory guide/setup for beekeeping?
Backyard smoker?
Predator proof chicken coop?
Introduction to hydroponics?
Automatic chicken plucker?
The ultimate walker for an elderly person?
A decent vacuum-cooking cookbook for amateurs?
The best digital critter cam?
Updated graphics tablet?
Best dehumidifier for a moldy basement?
Best pressure cooker for canning?
Rain barrel?
High BTU propane stove?

We’re also looking for tips!
What are the essential things to do before moving into a new house or apartment?
How can one safely remove an ant infestation?

Help us find the best stuff out there and submit some reviews!

With summer heating up it’s about time we held a call for submissions. This time help us find the best tools for outdoor cooking and eating. Do you have a grill you fire up every fourth of July? What about camping cookware? We’re interested in hearing about tools that have seen you through thick and thin and have come out on top when eating or cooking outside the kitchen. Here are a few ideas of things to get you going, but any and all reviews will be considered.

What’s the best tool for grill cleaning and maintenance? Do you know of an affordable quality smoker? What about the best charcoal or gas grill for a first time owner? Tongs? Barbeque supply catalog? Mailorder meat?

What do you rely on to start fires? What do you use to cook with while backpacking?

What’s the most effective method for keeping the bugs at bay when outside? Best bug spray?

Do you have a favorite barbeque cook book? Essential spices and rubs?

What patio furniture lasts longest? How do you maintain it?

What are the best lawn games? Frisbees? Pool toys?

As always, think out of the box and look to our archive to see if a tool has been reviewed before. Finally, the most successful reviews are ones that do more than talk about how a tool works. Instead, explain what problem the tool solved, and how the tool you’re reviewing is better than others like it. Often times the best reviews are story-like in structure, so feel free to write a bit more.

What’s the best battery-less oral thermometer?

Does anyone have pointers or tips on buying an affordable metal detector?

Where can I find a bio-feedback machine for home use?

What tool should I be using to lift heavy (200 lb +) objects out of the trunk of my car?

Does anyone have recommendations for a good travel bag for my gadgets?

What’s the best key ring or keychain available?

Any help finding a superior glue gun?

What’s the most efficient in-cabinet wine rack?