Make your own images

Lars, a TFR reader, notified me that NASA stopped updating its Worldview just a few weeks ago due to budget cuts. Agh! That’s what I get for leaving a post in drafts… I suppose you could still use it for historical geographical info?

That said, we have a fun little throwaway tool this week. I’ve been working on the second edition of my book, which includes little icons for tips, exercises and so on. Some time in the past few years I found AutoDraw, a Google Labs AI tool that turns your doodles into professional looking icons.

First, you sort of play a game of Pictionary with AutoDraw. It guesses what you are trying to make, then gives you a royalty-free version of it. As you can see, it thought my lightbulb was anything from a stoplight to a hot air balloon.

That betrays my drawing skills, but also shows how versatile AutoDraw is – especially if you are trying to make a specific logo, such as a yearly roundup of tools (something I struggle with every year!).

A short but fun one for this spooky week. Don’t forget to doodle, reporters!