With so many cool things coming out each week, it can be hard to wade through all the rock-awesomeness. With ‘Cool Tools’, we’ve done the hard work for you.

This week we saw a sleek wood handlebar that rivals any midcentury furniture piece, an incredible self-sustainable planter, a handy new 3D sketching app for iPad, how to make a hot glue gun with found materials, a montage of the best VFX in the history of cinema and more…

Ready? Let’s go!

This week we look at:

DESIGN

LENKR Type-B Handlebar

des02

“A perfect unit made of two exclusive materials: Each wooden handlebar is milled from a solid piece of walnut, supported by a high-quality aluminum core. “

Mygdal Self-Sustaining Ecosystem

des01

“Mygdal is its own self-sustaining ecosystem where it mimics sunlight causing plants to perform photosynthesis – meaning, it requires no work from you. It’s the perfect planter because plants can grow undisturbed for years without you having to water them and they can grow in places that get zero sunlight.”

APPS

Blocs Wave

app01

“Blocs Wave is a music creation app designed to inspire new musical ideas. Easily combine original professional sounds across a wide array of genres. Tweak your sounds using beautiful touchable waveforms, and make your ideas even more unique. Record your vocals and instruments, and bring your ideas to life within minutes.”

Gravity Sketch

app02

“Making 3D creation fun, free and enjoyable. With Gravity Sketch, create beautiful 3D models in a matter of seconds. Characters, planes, spaceships, furniture, glassware, rings, pendants everything that you build can be 3D printed in plastic, metal or ceramics.”

DIY

Hot Glue Gun

DIY01

“Hi, there, my dear friends, in this video I am going to share a striking idea with you on what to do if you should not have a hot glue gun at your hand.”

Resin Copies of 3D Printed Objects

DIY02

“It’s really not difficult to get started!”

ROCK AWESOMENESS

Code 8 – Short Film [2016]

YouTube video

“A desperate young man possessing special powers clashes with a militarized police force after committing a petty crime.”

Every Best Visual Effects Winner. Ever.

“For the 1927/28 Academy awards, the award was for engineering effects. There was no award again until 1938 where it was called a special award “for outstanding achievement in creating special photographic and sound effects. The very next year the award was combined with sound effects and called the Award for Special Effects. It wasn’t until 1963 that the award became the Award for Best Visual Effects (which it is still called today). It was given every year from 1963 to present, with the exception of 1973. Hope you enjoy!”

And there you have it!

Send your cool tool finds to smoth@www.solidsmack.com, sign up for our newsletter there in the sidebar or ask us a question in the comments or via email about diy, design, tech or anything else. Smoth would love to help.

Author