By John Carpenter Chicago Tribune The well-dressed older British gentleman sipped cappuccino and popped the occasional berry into his mouth, sitting in a discreet corner of the Peninsula Hotel lobby as he quietly remembered his days as an angry young punk. There was no mistaking Elvis Costello, with his dark suit and Buddy Holly frames. But anyone who was at the Riviera Theatre back on Dec. 3, 1977, when he and his Attractions ripped through a 13-song, 40-minute set for their Chicago debut, surely would not have recognized the total… Read more Elvis Costello never wanted to be a pop star, but it happened →
By John Carpenter Chicago Tribune All Ben Klimesh ever wanted was to be a big-league ballplayer. So there was a twinge, even eight years later, as he looked back to the day he was cut from his high school team. “I remember walking home and, you know, crying,” the 6-foot-4 right-hander from Wilmette said. “You’re a junior in high school. Making the varsity team is your whole life.” He paused to eat some of his breakfast, a pile of scrambled eggs and bacon with whole wheat toast, leaving the greasy… Read more Cut from high school team, Klimesh now works his way through Reds system →
By John Carpenter Chicago Tribune When the Art Institute of Chicago‘s Madhuvanti Ghose was a young girl, she traveled from her native Calcutta with her mother to the town of Nathdwara, where they visited the small colony of artists known for their exquisite depictions of Krishna as a young boy. They were Pushtimarg, a Hindu sect devoted to Shrinathji, a ‘living embodiment’ of the most beloved deity in the Hindu faith. Their art was offered as adornments in the shrine, and some of the artists worked in studios dating to the… Read more ‘Gates of the Lord’ opens a new view of Krishna art →
By John Carpenter Blue Sky Reporter Everyone knows this picture: Parent or babysitter sits in a coffee shop staring at a smartphone, while a baby sits gurgling in a stroller. Those who’ve been in those trenches are perhaps less likely to judge, knowing that the space between joyful bursts of smiling baby talk includes vast, numbing stretches of infant-parenting boredom. But experts say there’s a deeper problem brewing. “It’s a huge issue,” said Dana Suskind, an author and associate professor of pediatric surgery at the University of Chicago, referring to device-distracted parents.… Read more Is your technology hurting your child’s development? →
By John Carpenter Blue Sky Reporter Let it be known to one and all: When given the chance to sit down and talk innovation with an entrepreneurial legend over a beer, Blue Sky answered the call. Boston Beer Co. founder Jim Koch — creator of Sam Adams and thus the Godfather of the American craft beer movement — was in town Thursday to judge a homebrew contest at Binny’s Beverage Depot in Lincoln Park. We sat down with him at Timothy O’Toole’s in Streeterville. His advice for startup types can be summed up… Read more Sam Adams founder: People don’t drink the marketing →
By John Carpenter Blue Sky Reporter You’ve read that Ashley Madison user data supposedly has been posted online, and you’re: a) a cheater who’s freaking out; b) a suspicious spouse itching for a fight; or c) a divorce lawyer daydreaming about that yacht you’ve always wanted. But just how easy is it for regular folks to find this stuff? Pretty easy, if you know what you’re doing. Some experienced users say they have found the data, and they’re circulating easy-to-use search tools. To read the rest of this story, published in the Chicago Tribune August… Read more Think twice before trying to download Ashley Madison data →
By John Carpenter Blue Sky Reporter The books are closed on Gramovox’s $1.6 million Kickstarter campaign for its vertical record player, and CEO Pavan Bapu is determined not to become the next Central Standard Timing. CST, another million-dollar Chicago Kickstarter campaign, failed to deliver all but a handful of its would-be “world’s thinnest watches” and is now out of cash. Bapu said Gramovox has its ducks in a row, along with a West Chicago assembly partner ready to start cranking out the turntables to more than 4,200 Kickstarter backers and any others who… Read more Gramovox Floating Record set for production as $1.6 million Kickstarter ends →
By John Carpenter Blue Sky Reporter We might have to wait a few years to see driverless semis, but “platooning” could be just around the corner. If you’re of a certain age, close your eyes and picture the 1975 novelty hit film “Convoy.” Then take away the frightening over-reliance on the reflexes of drivers called “Pig Pen” and “Rubber Duck.” Soon platooning technology will allow trucks to line up in a train-like row, spaced about 40 feet apart, automatically braking and accelerating as a unit in response to the lead driver… Read more Navistar: Cool tech and truck convoys →
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