reading

Cute and useful gift ideas that are upgrades to common household items are the topic of this Ask MetaFilter post, highlighted as a Best Of. via MetaFilter

Uncommon Path provides a list of gift ideas that give back, encourage spending time outdoors, or benefit charitable causes. via Uncommon Path – An REI Co-op Publication.

Olivia Potts explores the history and cultural impact of the slow cooker, from its start as a bean cooker to its modern-day place in kitchens. The article also dives into the appliance's popularity and resurgences throughout the decades, even exploring the online communities that have formed around it. via Longreads

Venkatesh Rao's two-volume essay collection, "The Art of Gig," about independent consulting and life in the gig economy, is available now. via Ribbonfarm Studio.

Matt Webb of Interconnected is experimenting with a clickable mind-map to better organize his blog's archive of past posts. via Interconnected

Venkatesh Rao analyzes Elon Musk's Twitter takeover, calling it "The Muskening," and arguing both Musk and Twitter are experiencing a "mutual collapse." via Ribbonfarm Studio