Archive
Several years back, Colin Furze built a bicycle with a frame made from springs. In the interest of trying something different, Well Done Tips created a bike with wheels that have trampoline springs instead of spokes. It took some clever engineering to keep the wheels together, but riding on those bouncy wheels looks like another
This dramatization is based on the true story of Ted Kaczynski, who led the FBI on a 17-year manhunt after mailing and delivering a series of bombs that killed and injured many people. It takes us inside the early days of this intelligent killer’s mind, including a series of psychological experiments that might have influenced
Damascus steel is made by folding layers of metal to produce unique organic patterns. Glass artist Jacob Barfield used a similar technique to make a Bowie knife out of glass. He started by heating layers of blue and white glass and folded the molten glass onto itself. After shaping the blade on a sanding wheel, he
Industrial robots often use simple grippers for picking up objects. Mimic Robotics’ M1 is a humanoid hand for precision factory automation. Its 15 degrees of freedom and opposable thumb mirror human anatomy, helping it learn tasks via demonstration. Its tendon-driven hand can hold up to 25 kg, while being sensitive enough to detect a 50
Replikey makes digital key fobs that display a custom 3D avatar of your vehicle. Each Replikey has a tiny full-color touchscreen you can use to spin and admire your ride. Simply upload photos of your car, truck, SUV, or motorcycle to their website, review the preview image, and in a few weeks you’ll have a
MathMotion used computer simulations to show how different kinds of crank mechanisms work. The surprisingly relaxing animation demonstrates 12 designs, including sliders, yokes, cams, escapements, and linkages, assembling each piece by piece before setting it in motion to reveal the geometry and mechanical principles behind it.
Filmmaker Nik Arthur’s short Witness: An Organima Film, uses macro photography of various organic objects as a canvas for animation. From rocks to wood to water to leaves, each brief vignette reminds us to slow down and look more closely at the everyday things that surround us.
Saving Sizemore is a powerful documentary about the turbulent life and career of actor Tom Sizemore. Known for his roles in Saving Private Ryan, Heat, and Black Hawk Down, Sizemore struggled with addiction, fractured relationships, and abusive behavior. The film explores his successes, failures, the harm he caused, attempts at redemption, and his final years.
TitanStraps are multipurpose tie-down straps. Each strap resists UV rays, extreme temperatures, oils, gas, and other solvents, while its buckle is made of aircraft-grade aluminum. It comes in a variety of strengths, lengths, and colors. The Industrial Strap has a 70 lb. load limit, while the Utility Strap has a 60 lb. load limit. Sold
Apparently tired of printing things, Skirk 3D decided it was time to give his 3D printer a second purpose by turning it into a musical instrument. By modulating its stepper motors at just the right frequency, it can produce musical notes. But getting his Bambu Lab A1 printer to play the insanely fast tune “Rush
Rallying the troops: Subaru has massively tweaked its 2.5L four banger for 2009, which now pumps out a full 41 hp and 18 lb-ft. over last year. That’s a total of 265 hp and 244 lb-ft of torque.
Hot on the heels of Dell’s Studio Hybrid, Shuttle’s SLK4800 ($300) steps up from the value K4500 ($200) with the addition of an optical drive and dual VGA/DVI outputs. Standard: Linux; Vista +$180.