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FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
just detect
Metal detecting is where chance, skill and superstition collide. The chances of landing in the precise spot where something of value was dropped several hundred years ago are small, but can be improved with astute planning and top-notch equipment. Superstition, according to a detectorist friend of mine, appears when you find something significant. “Your detector can end up becoming a good luck talisman,” he says. “Owners trust their machines and get very nervous if they need repair.”
As I discovered, those links start growing as soon as you open one. Many of the devices I test HTSI can be mastered in minutes; not so a metal detector. Nigel Richardson’s book. The accidental detectorist he accurately describes those early stages as “like reading a cookbook and not knowing what ‘peel’ or ‘boil’ means.” You only begin to understand the meaning of the numbers on the screen with practice, and idiosyncratic beeps are a language that must be learned through a process of research and disappointment.
All that said, Minelab (based in South Australia) does a good job of smoothing out that steep learning curve. Decades of experience in detecting military mines have been channeled into its range of “coins and treasures” products, among which is this Elite model. As with any detector, its coil pushes radio frequencies into the ground and gives you a reading every time they hit something, but the Elite’s Multi-IQ feature works over a wider frequency range and actively helps you discriminate between iron, copper, silver, etc. Selectable search modes optimize readings for open fields, parks and the beach (it’s water resistant to 5m).
Minelab says one customer in Europe found a military tank while searching underwater, and another helped unearth the Chew Valley treasure, a cache of 11th-century pennies now worth £4.3 million. To be honest, I’d be happy with a silver coin hammered with the head of a long-forgotten monarch. I continue to sweep my backyard in anticipation.
Look! Still no hands
The history of the theremin is fascinating, from its accidental invention in St. Petersburg around 1920 by Leon Theremin to his unrequited love for his first virtuoso, Clara Rockmore. Here it clashes endearingly with the Stylophone, another unorthodox electronic instrument of yesteryear. Insert six AA batteries and you’re done; The proximity of the antenna to your hands controls the pitch, and getting used to its quirks requires a lot of patience. But there is an additional oscillator that is more easily controlled (with a slider), which feels quite similar to the Stylophone. The two can be combined with delays and vibrato to create vastly evolving soundscapes.
A portal to retro gaming nirvana
There’s nothing stopping you from playing retro games on your Android phone, but the Pocket Micro (actually an Android device housed in a sleek chassis) feels more like an authentic Nintendo DS or Game Boy Micro experience, with its D- pad, joysticks and ABXY buttons. The Android version of Ayaneo also gives you plenty of customization options to perfect your adventures. It does not come preloaded with games and you will need to download emulators to be able to play your games from other platforms. But once it’s up and running, it’s powerful and flexible enough to handle everything from most PS2 titles to mid-’80s ZX Spectrum games.
The girl with the pearl headphones.
In 2010, fashion designer Thakoon Panichgul produced a jewelry collection for Tasaki called Balance, based on a row of five pearls set along a gold bar. To celebrate the jeweler’s 70th anniversary, that design has served as a springboard for its first foray into technology: these wired headphones. Developed in collaboration with Japanese audio firm Acoustune, it features a 10mm dynamic driver and a diaphragm made of Myrinx, a medical-grade polymeric biomaterial used for artificial skin, and delivers refined sound to match. Composed of Akoya pearls and brass with 18K gold vermeil, it is available exclusively at London’s Tasaki Selfridges pop-up until the new year.
Holy shit, Batman
Batman’s car, then vibrant red, was dubbed the Batmobile in the pages of Detective Comics in 1941. Over the decades, it has evolved radically, going through countless iterations and acquiring multiple lethal weapons systems. Health and safety considerations no doubt prevented the latter from being included in this Warner Bros.-authenticated (though not roadworthy) replica of the “Tumbler” Batmobile, but it otherwise adheres closely to the design that appeared in the Tumbler trilogy. Dark Knight. It comes with jet engine simulation and a smoke screen delivery system. Your main concern will be to stay away from the rocket-propelled grenades launched by the Joker.