iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Looking back at these predictions after a couple of days, it seems like the machine learning models are coming out on top.

NOAA map from 10am Friday, showing likely landfall of hurricane Isaias near Pensacola

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Batting left handed for the Sox

A taxidermied raccoon wearing a White Sox batting helmet and holding a baseball bat, spotted in a Galena IL storefront

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I'm halfway through this book but I don't know which half

Catherine Lacey's "The Möbius Book", laid out to show that it's front and back covers are indistinguishable

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Precision testing of noodles from Barilla America shows that they are still manufacturing the inferior noodles of the past, with a spiral angle of only about 29°. Sadly, the future of rigatoni has yet to reach American shelves. (2/2)

Photos of seven randomly sampled tubes of pasta with overlays showing the angles of the spirals, averaging 28.7 degrees.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Barilla has a patent on "Pasta with a Novel Form," basically rigatoni but with ridges that spiral between 45° and 58°. They claim that these more tightly wound spirals make for better-tasting pasta. I wanted to see if this advanced technology was available to American consumers. (1/2)

Front page of Barilla's patent, US 10542767, with a drawing of a short pasta tube with spiral ridges.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Hard to believe that, five months ago, this was a field of smoldering ashes

Photo of a burned-out field from March. No vegetation is visible.

Photo from the same vantage point in August, with wildflowers 5-6 feet tall.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

In a June 2023 email from Martin's office, it seems that the reuse was a part of the developer's original proposal.

Application Summary: The owner is seeking a zoning change to convert the existing 4-story building south of the tracks, and to replace the existing 2-story building on Eastwood to the south with a new 6-story mixed-use building. View a detailed summary of the proposal, including renderings, at www.aldermanmartin.com/development.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

"Meat-based flours" for making "breads, bagels, tortillas, pastas, dumplings, crackers, and the like." Patented yesterday. US Patent 12708121

Patent drawings of muffins made with powdered chicken instead of plant-based flour.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

They would never cover up the face of my spirit guide, "Twink Jesus"

A posted sign for "Twink Jesus Youth Group," which seems to be a comedy show

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

"Direction Indicator for Pushable Transport Objects" US Patent 10363864

Patent drawing of two people with shopping carts on a collision course.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

The local English pub is already overflowing (not shown: a long line of patient optimists extending to the left)

Photo of AJ Hudson's pub, flying the English flag, with people milling around outside

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

An apparatus for swaddling a baby, patented this week. US 12672680

Patent drawing of a baby zipped into a dramatic hourglass-shaped outfit.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

"Systems and Methods for Detecting Drug Based Impairment" US Patent 12672820, issued this week

Cartoonish patent drawings of generally sinister-looking people with breath tubes in their mouths to test for drugs.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Spotted this morning in North Center

Photo of a yeti (the creature, not the cooler) adorned with American and pride flags in the sidecar of a scooter.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

An athletic shoe for doing Kegels, patented yesterday.

Complete front page of the patent entitled "Device for Posture Correction and Kegel Exercise," because people sometimes think I make these up. There is a drawing of a shoe with a sort of twisty heel, which presumably encourages you to engage your pelvic floor to avoid falling.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

A neural interface for bionic prostheses, patented today by MIT. US 12667471

Patent drawing of a nude, partly see-through bionic man with a pensive expression and a thought bubble reading "I feel her hand."

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

The latest in hoodie technology: a drawstring that's actually a hose (20) between a vape pen (32) and mouthpiece (34). US Patent 12648599, issued Tuesday

Patent drawing of a hoodie with vape components on either end of the drawstring.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

I was enjoying this small urban prairie until two blackbirds attacked. I did not know that birds can hiss!

Photo of a tall old catalpa tree in bloom.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Bears territory, according to iNaturalist

A map of Midwest states, showing that Illinois is free of bears

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

A secure graduation cap for "individuals with curly or voluminous hairstyles." US Patent 12588729

Patent drawing of a smiling woman wearing a graduation cap.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

These classics may have been in your folder: the "Animal Toy" and the "Method of Swinging on a Swing"

Front page of a patent for an "animal toy" that is clearly just a stick.

Front page of a patent on a method of swinging sideways on a swing.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

US Patent 10750723 is this but for zebrafish.

Patent drawing with closeup of stripes on zebrafish fins.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

This is the plot of Brainstorm (1983), starring Christopher Walken and Natalie Wood. (US Patent 12623047, issued this month)

Patent drawing with the heading "Replicating Mental States," illustrating brain waves being transmitted via computer from a "Donor" to a "Recipient."

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

The Chicago River this morning along Horner Park.

Photo of a small river bordered on the left by trees and on the right by a field of yellow wildflowers.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Re-usable toy wounds for children. Patented this week by Melissa & Doug. US 12623159

Patent drawing of a forearm with a press-on wound.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

"Ring-shaped sausage and method for manufacturing same" US Patent 12622447, issued yesterday.

Patent drawing of an ouroboros of minced meat, one end of the sausage consuming the other.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

"Garment with Wipe Zones" Good idea for exercising, or great idea for snacking? US Patent 12575625 (Nike)

Patent drawing of shorts with rectangular "wipe zones" of absorbent fabric over the legs.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

"Device With Adhesive to Aid in Depilatory Wax Removal" US Patent 12611023

Patent drawing of someone using their oversized hand to wax their hairy misshapen leg.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

"Shoulder-Mounted Platform System" US Patent 12610923

Patent drawing of a cat, staring out of the page, resting on a platform mounted on a person's shoulder.

Another view of the cat on the shoulder platform, revealing that the platform resembles a hoverboard deck.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

A 1785 taxonomy of disreputable folks.

Photo of a list of "23 orders" of rogues, such as "priggers of prancers," "fraters," "jarkmen," "bawdy baskets," and "doxies."

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

A trucker hat, but the logo part is actually a "beer shotgun tool." US Patent 12604940

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

"Hat with an Opening for Hair" US Patent 12604939

Patent drawing of a baseball cap with a sort of poof coming out of the top. The poof looks like the hair of a Simpsons character but is actually part of the hat meant to hold your ponytail high.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Floral cone of shame, patented yesterday. US 12604867

Patent drawing of a dog wearing a "cone of shame" but the cone is made of separate overlapping petals.

Patent drawing of the "cone of shame" on its own, resembling a lotus flower viewed from above.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Languid hot dog, Uptown today.

Fiberglass sidewalk sculpture of a hot dog sleeping on a couch.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

A pre-rolled cigar that you can break open and refill with your "own special tobacco." Patented by "Blunt Wrap USA" US 10517324

Patent drawing of someone twisting open a cigar so they can refill it.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

"Rage Relieving Device," patented this week. (A desktop pad that plays a recorded sound when you punch it.) US 12599826

Patent drawing of the "rage pad," which resembles a small wrist rest.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

A cord to keep you from losing your cordless earbuds, patented yesterday. US 12599222

Patent drawing of AirPods attached to a looped cord.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Antlers show, then a quiet walk home on a warm, breezy night. 10/10 Chicago experience

Peter Silberman on guitar, lit by purple stage lights.

Neon sign for "Golden Apple Open 24 Hours."

Incandescent sign and whimsical mural for Cafe Tola.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

"Spacecraft Landing and Recovery Inflation System" US Patent 10479533 (Boeing)

Patent drawing showing a time series of a space capsule deploying a parachute, dropping its heat shield, inflating airbags, and landing.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Patented today: enlisting beavers to help extract water-soluble minerals from the ground. US 12593744

Patent drawing of four beavers gnawing at vegetation next to a stream.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

NASA's 2020 patent on a new method of getting to the Moon. (Designed for probes, not for crewed missions.) US 10696423

Three patent drawings outlining a route to the moon. The route initially overshoots the moon by a large margin.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

"Uplifted Hands Assist Device for Praying Like Moses" Patented today. US 12588778

Photo from patent of a man standing with arms extended upward. His arms are supported by a set of straps rigged to a backpack.

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Jeff Steck @jefstec.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Yes! (Pic taken last night)

Mural of Dolores Huerta on a brick wall.

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