Handpicked Software

Don’t be a flake; Make-a-Flake. It’s harder than you think, but it’s also a great way to get your mind off the cold.

Actually, it isn’t that cold here (in Petaluma, California). Still, this site, developed by Look and Feel New Media and sponsored by Jockey, is a fun example of Flash. You can make your own snowflake or visit the gallery to see just how flakey people can be. You can download your snowflake—or any flake from the gallery—as a JPEG or EPS file. You can even have your unique snowflake turned into an art stamp. The self-inking stamps are only $9.95 to $19.95.

Here’s flake #7117342:

Are snowflakes really unique, as we’ve all been taught in elementary school (at least that was the line at Vernor Elementary in Detroit, where I was schooled in the creative arts and simple arithmetic)? According to David Ropeik, a science journalist, the answer isn’t so simple.