Next to Iron Man’s repulsors and Spider-Man’s web shooters, the most iconic piece of equipment in the Marvel universe has to be Wolverine’s adamantium claws. More a part of his anatomy than actual weapons, these claws (three on each hand) have varying origins. In some forms of media, Wolverine has adamantium claws grafted onto his…

Recently, we covered how commercial vinyl records are made by a processing plant. However, what if you could make your own records from the comfort of home? Eager to go vintage vinyl and migrate more music from digital to analog, Seth Nicholas Johnson of Haunted Birthday Records shows an easy way to make homemade records:…

It isn’t difficult to grow plants when you have your own garden, but what if you live in a cramped apartment? Not everyone has the space to get their green thumb on, so Chilean industrial designer Lorenzo Vega thought it would be useful to make a modular planter which makes use of otherwise unused vertical…

We all know how Google Search works: type in something you want to know and Google magically collates everything about it on the Internet in less than a second. But did you know Google Search has an option to easily view 3D content? By clicking the “View in 3D” button at the bottom part portion…

Months ago, when the thought of a pandemic was just a whisper and inkling in our minds, a press release or blog post announcing a 3D printed glove remover might not have ever caught our attention. In fact, some might think among all the novel inventions a glove remover ranks pretty low on the invention…

Back in the day, the best way to make an injury-induced wheelchair ride cooler was to either paint the chair or slaps stickers all over it (it’s a fact that hotrod flames make a wheelchair go faster). Nowadays, however, you have options, including one that’s able to take you just about anywhere: The Ziesel has…

It has been a very long time since Vikings roamed the land. Back in the late 8th to late 11th centuries these Norsemen were masters of hunting, raiding, and trading. But they could do almost none of these things without the proper tools, so it only made sense that their smithing techniques were just as…

Remember those ridiculous abominations on wheels in the mid to late 2010s called “hoverboards”? Oh, what’s that? They’re still around? *Shakes head* So you remember they don’t actually hover? I know, it’s 2020. Where are our priorities? To poke fun (we think) at the wheeled monstrosities, YouTuber The Q creates a monstrosity of his own.…

You can’t go wrong making your own DIY dowel table. With it, you can stack countless things, have a place to eat, or simply kick your legs up on it after a long day, or, yeah… MAKE OTHER THINGS. Using 1” dowels, a stack of 2x4s, some 4x4s, and barrels of glue, Rob from Make…

Now I’m not a smoking man, but even I can see the use of a pocket lighter for various situations. Apart from lightin’ up, a portable flame lets you illuminate dark areas, start a survival fire, or provide quick cauterization of a small wound if you happen to get jabbed in the middle of nowhere.…

Truth be told, I never quite understood e-bikes. I mean, why have an electric-powered bike when a traditional bike provides exercise and less manufacturing and electronic waste? Then again, used as a daily commuter, any extra power would be welcome. Plus – and this is a big bonus – an e-bike helps you avoid public…

There’s are a couple of reasons why computer keyboards are made from plastic and not wood. 1) Wood doesn’t lend itself to mass manufacturing like plastic does and 2) the amount of abuse and hand oils absorbed by the wooden keys would wear faster than the myth of George Washington’s wooden teeth. But that won’t…

Kids these days will never appreciate how good they have it. Smartphones with built-in computers? Bah, back in the day we had to be content with clunky boxes, big screens, and a wad of wires. Even then our computers wouldn’t connect to ‘World Wide Web’ without a dial-up connection. Ah, the good ol’ days, right?…

I can’t quite call myself old enough to have experienced the golden age of the phonograph, ya know since they date back as early as the mid-1800s.  But with the (continual) resurgence of vinyl records, now with the age of hipsters and vintage music enthusiasts, I figure this would be a nice opportunity to see…

Designers, artists, and 3D professionals across different industries know there’s nothing better than a powerful computer that cuts through your processes like warm butter. Whether it’s 3D CAD, animation, video production, or complex simulations, a computer with hardware and software tailored to the work you do makes work life that much better. And that’s MAINGEAR’s…

Weeks-long isolation brings out the creative juices in us all, but for Japanese Twitter user and cardboard enthusiast koshiyoda, she’s using her powers for one of the most important people in her life: her son. Yes, A Cardboard Laptop After seeing his older brother (who is in junior high school) take part in an online…

It’s hard to take a break between long computer sessions, whether it’s because you’re “in the zone”, finishing a personal project or slammin’ pixels for project deadline. But with MagnetCubes, I think we’ll find ways to jump off the computer an hour or five for some good ol’ fashion play. MagnetCubes Modular Magnetic Blocks To…

“If you’re a big fan of robots, would you ever consider having one inside your stomach?” This is the question you have to ask yourself before committing to Ankon Medical Technologies’ Gastric Endoscope Capsule. You may think this tiny thing is just like any edible capsule, but in reality, it’s actually a magnetically controlled robot…

As any child or household cat would tell you, the joy of getting something new breaks down as follows: 10% the actual product, 90% the box it comes in. In an effort to reduce its environmental footprint, Samsung Electronics is introducing new “eco-packaging” boxes for its large TVs, starting with their Serif, Frame, and Sero…

Created by Alexey Pajitnov and released in 1984, the original Tetris video game was never meant to be analog. Featuring endless falling blocks that would dissolve once a solid horizontal line was formed, you can only imagine how difficult it would be to translate the game into a world where things don’t just disappear. So,…

In these tough times, people are scrambling to stay healthy and safe. Naturally, this means staying at home. But when necessity (i.e. the need for groceries) calls, there’s no other choice but to go out and brave the crowds in order to get what you need. But how can you get your supply of face…

If you’re cooped up for the weekend with naught to do, here’s a simple experiment in electromagnetism you can make with your quarantine buddies/family using a couple of neodymium magnets, some copper wire, and a AA battery. While you’re at it, use it to teach the kiddos about the wonders of electromagnetism™. Let’s watch: So,…

Here’s something you don’t see everyday: using a hundred iPhone cases, guitar maker ArtMayer has effectively created a guitar body worth thousands of dollars. But does it shred just as well as any guitar? Let’s find out! 1. Strip and Glue the iPhones Just to be clear, these aren’t brand new iPhones he’s using. Most…

3D printed structures have already made their way into the world of architecture with 3D printed houses to change our word and inspiring future 3D printed houses for other worlds. Now, the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), the Barcelonan experimental and experiential center is making strides (pun intended) into the public construction sector…

If you ever thought your tent was a little too small and uncomfortable to enjoy the outdoors, then this RV/Tiny Home option from Haaks Camper may spark your interest. Designed to fit on the back of a specialized Fiat Ducato, this two-story, pop-up camper doubles as a tiny home that can detach to provide a…

The biggest problem with glow-in-the-dark and other types of luminous paints are how they lose their luminescence over time. With exposure to sunlight and the inevitable passage of time, these paints eventually lose their ability to project colors in the dark, eventually turning it into just another streak of dull paint. Instead of giving the…

By now you’ve heard it’s important to stay in shape during these trying times, but I bet you haven’t taken it as far as former military police officer, Zachary Skidmore. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced his local gym to shut down, Skidmore needed a way to get some exercise. But rather than risk breaking social…

For those unfamiliar with the term, “hydro dipping” is a unique form of graphics application that allows you to apply a hydro film to a 3-dimensional object. The Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) film, floating on the surface of a water tank, wraps the object as it is dipped into the tank. Much like you would with…

Nerf Guns: half awesome fun, half picking up foam bullets. Fact of the matter is, the color schemes are about as menacing as a rainbow. With bright colors and a chunky frame, you Nerf-emies will see you comin’ a mile away. But what if you could paint your toy gun arsenal to make it strike…

Though the world has yet to see what this year’s PlayStation 5 will look like (it’s still set to arrive sometime during the holidays), the folks at Sony were kind enough to unveil the thing you’ll be gripping for hours on end: the brand-new DualSense controller. How can the oringinal design of a controller be…

He’s been at the designing gig for quite some time now, so you know when designer and product maker Eric Strebel recommends tools, it carries a little weight. Eager to help both new and experienced designers alike, he recently listed seven tools which he personally finds indispensable when working on a project: 1. Digital Calipers…

One reason we like to feature the process behind the design is how it breaks down what may otherwise seem complicated. For maker Jimmy Diresta, the process is an artform in itself. His videos are a soothing, manufacturing-noise-only, time-lapse of a project from beginning to end. It’s no less the case in his build of…

When you spend all day making complex design projects, it’s can be nice to just sit back, relax, and go with something a little simpler. Tired of the over-sophistication of house products, Chilean product designer Lorenzo Vega saw fit to create a house fixture which is just as simple as its function. Enter the Lámina…

Apart from fancy dance moves and uncanny wit, the ability to solve a Rubik’s Cube has established how eclectically cool a person is for… at least the past 40 years. But what if you knew your cube so well, you could make it solve ITSELF. Japanese designer Takashi Kaburagi of Human Controller has spent the…

When I was younger, I believed in the all-healing capacity of the Band-Aid. Small cut on the hand? Band-Aid. Large gash on the knee? Band-Aid. Swarmed by eels in the South Pacific. Band-Aid. Took a while, but I finally realized that not every injury can be fixed by a simple piece of adhesive plastic. Thankfully,…

For those who don’t have the knowledge or ability, changing a flat tire can be a real hassle. It may not be so bad in a parking lot, but when you’re in the middle of a highway with cars zipping past, it can get a little stressful. Instead of popping out all excited and changing…

There’s nothing worse than going to an Asian restaurant with no idea how to use chopsticks. For shame. Sure, you could do the sensible thing and ask for a spoon and fork, but something in the back of your head says, “That’s just bad manners!” YouTuber The Q is back at it again, this time…

If you’re a fan of The Simpsons, you may have heard of a little show called Futurama. Made by Matt Groening, the same creator of those yellow folks from Springfield, Futurama ran for 140 episodes and featured a cryogenically preserved human being who wakes up 1,000 years in the future. One of the things he…

It’s been used to recreate beloved animated picture structures and to teach children various skills, but now Reporters Without Borders, a non-profit organization dedicated to the right of freedom of information, and BlockWorks, a dedicated team of Minecraft designers, animators, and architects, are using Minecraft with another goal in mind: press freedom. In countries where…

Everything looks cute when it’s miniaturized. But when it’s made out of LEGOs is jsut LOOKS PLAIN AWESOME. YouTube creator The Brick Wall specializes in making LEGO Technic builds, and his newest set demonstrates the magic that is a fully functional firewood factory – complete with a delivery truck and log splitter. How is wood…

We’ve featured Michael Grab’s work in the Friday Smackdown before, but we wanted to take a closer look at his process and share more of his work. At the very least, his work is inspirational. At most, it could provide ideas about how you approach your own design problem. Michael is a balance artist –…

It may not be as common in our uber-CGI world of today, but back when digital effects weren’t so realistic, using animatronics and puppetry was the best way to get a fictional or non-fictional beast into your movie without having to train it. The velociraptors in Jurassic Park, Gremlins, Yoda from Star Wars – these…

If you’re a skateboarder like myself, you know how awesome it feels to fly down a hill. But you know what stinks? Going up that hill. With no momentum or pedal of any sort, skateboarders have little choice but to awkwardly push themselves up or (ugh) walk. In an attempt to remedy the propulsion problem…

YouTube creator Kiwami Japan is famous for making hand-made knives using materials that odd, rare, and not exactly sharp to begin with. He’s made knives out of Amazon boxes, aluminum foil, and even family-friendly gelatin. In another one of his fascinating videos, he makes a knife from a single piece of solid wood. And not…

If you still have some of those old beer kegs from your college days, then you must really have a penchant for nostalgia. “Those things will come in handy someday.” Oh, I know, and I’ve got the PERFECT project. Apart from smelling like decades-old beer, those things are heavy, take up a lot of space,…

Despite being cheaper than the Xbox One or PlayStation 4, the place where the Nintendo Switch really gets your money is in the peripherals. Extra controllers, charging docks, and yes, even cartridge containers are sold separately from the base console and total just as much (if not more) than the Switch itself. We’ve covered our…

To be a good – nay, GREAT – artist or designer, you need to see the beauty in everything – a sunset, a yapping dog, a wad of lint. Some people make deceptive paper sculptures. Others make wallets out of rocks. But no matter what they use, you can bet the end result is something…

You might not recall the man’s name, but you’ve surely seen his work somewhere online. Felix Semper, a self-taught Cuban-American artist whose claim to fame is sculpture, doesn’t sculpt wood or stone; he sculpts paper. In a recent interview with WPBT2, he provided some insight into the process behind the paper sculpting that took him…

You’ve seen those fake, hollow rock hide-a-key products, but how cool would it be to use a real rock? And, taking it one step further, what if you could add a zipper and turn it into a money pouch? Well, according to avid creator The Q, all it takes is a zipper, some small power…

We’ve not seen enough Tesla Model S mods. But that’s about to change. Determined to make the smallest Tesla car ever, Austin Blake of YouTube channel austiwawa took a child’s Tesla Model S Radio Flyer and fitted it with a go-kart engine to make what he calls the “Teskart”: After taking the mini Model S…