Yea or Nay? A Wooden Chef’s Knife

The Germans know a thing or several about engineering and materials, but this Kickstarting knife has me squinting. It’s called the Lignum//Skid and is made by a team of designers and metal smiths in Magdeburg, Germany. Its clear selling point is the unusual use of wood integrated almost completely throughout the blade.  The blade is made from high carbon steel, inset into a slim Robina or walnut wood body. This looks bold, while capturing the warm touch and claimed anti-bacterial properties of oiled wood. Cleaning is a simple clean water affair, and upkeep is just periodic re-oiling. It’s obviously unwise to run it through a dishwasher, but that’s true of many nice knives. It’s been through both stress testing and field testing with real chefs, which should be perfunctory, particularly with a name like lignum . The form of the handle itself is a lovely shape, and they’re even offering damascus steel levels. They also claim that their minimally-described process produces far less carbon than traditional steel knives, and are off setting the remainder with a tree planting initiative. So that’s nice. But does that gap trap food? And seriously, how on earth do you sharpen this thing in the long run? Other than while drinking:

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Yea or Nay? A Wooden Chef’s Knife

Atlassian Acquires Trello For $425M

An anonymous reader shares a TechCrunch report: Atlassian today announced that it has acquired project management service Trello for $425 million. The vast majority of the transaction is in cash ($360 million), with the remainder being paid out in restricted shares and options. The acquisition is expected to close before March 31, 2017. This marks Atlassian’s 18th acquisition and, as Atlassian president Jay Simons noted, it is also the largest. Just like with many of Atlassian’s other acquisitions, the company plans to keep both the Trello service and brand alive and current users shouldn’t see any immediate changes. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Atlassian Acquires Trello For $425M

Samsung EV battery offers 500km range with 20 minutes of charge

By the time 2021 rolls around, a number of major car makers will have a varied selection of electric cars available . Developments in battery technology will dictate the range and features that these cars can offer, but Samsung wants to give consumers a brief insight into what will be available at the start of the next decade. Samsung SDI, the Korean conglomerate’s lithium ion and renewable division that provides power for auto giant BMW, today announced a “next generation” battery that offers 600 kilometers (373 miles) of driving and can be “fast charged” in just 20 minutes. The high density battery is designed to provide 500 kilometers (310 miles) of range or 80 percent of capacity in the time it takes for a quick roadside coffee break. For reference, that’s more than what the average fully-charged Tesla Model S currently offers. Instead of fitting cars with more battery cells, which in turn adds weight, Samsung hopes that by delivering smartphone-like fast charging, consumers won’t suffer from range anxiety and will be able to drive longer distances without lengthy top-ups. That wasn’t the only announcement Samsung SDI made today at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2017. The company also confirmed an improved “21700” cylindrical battery, a large shotgun shell-shaped cell with “improved energy density, power and performance.” Major EV makers, like Tesla, are focusing on the 21700 — named after its 21mm diameter and 70mm length — which confirmed recently that its Gigfactory had begun full production of its own lithium-ion battery cells developed in partnership with Panasonic. Source: Samsung SDI

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Samsung EV battery offers 500km range with 20 minutes of charge