Mondays might not be your favorite day of the week, but the good news is that we’re all in this together ladies and gentlemen. As purveyors of prime Grade A web content, the SolidSmack crew has done some of the heavy-lifting to make sure you get your Mondays started on the right track. Welcome to The Monday List. Every Monday, we link you up with some of the most insightful, informative, and socially-relevant stories to keep tabbed, bookmarked, reading listed, pocketed, or what have you to get your week started on the right foot. Be sure to check in each week for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight…

Cherished by writers, designers, illustrators, and other creative professionals for its soft dark lead and unique flat eraser, the Blackwing 602 is worth trying at least once—but be forewarned: you may never go back to plain old #2 pencils again. Originally manufactured by the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company from 1934 – 1988, the Blackwing brand was acquired by California Cedar Products Company in 2008 and reintroduced to a new generation of creatives in 2012. And now, you can score your own 12-pack of the legendary pencil for just 23 bucks. Palomino Blackwing 602 Pencils 12-Pack — $24.95 Features: One pack of 12 Palomino Blackwing pencils Pencils feature a soft and…

Don your favorite bathrobe, cream that coffee and get comfortable with this week’s SolidSmack Weekend Reader. The Weekend Reader features a handful of the most interesting articles featured on the ‘Smack over the past week ranging from tips and tricks to inspirational designs, processes, and more. So lay back, relax and take a load off while reading the top stories on SolidSmack this past week. Oh and uh…don’t forget to shed some much-needed sunlight on your face, too. This Self-Taught Engineer Built His Own ‘Flying Car’ From Scratch While multi-million dollar companies are trying to bring the flying car dream into the real world, one ambitious Filipino man has already…

What would you do if the humble business you owned suddenly got funded by…I don’t know…10,000,000 US Dollars? A lot of options come to mind (a few involving Olympic-sized pools filled with ice cream) but for Auterion – the startup drone software company who actually won said funding – their plan is to solve the problem of incompatibility between drones and the various services they provide. The funding comes via venture companies Tectonic Ventures, Lakestar, Mosaic Ventures, and Costanoa Ventures, all of whom clearly have faith in Auterion’s work. Founded in November 2017, Auterion has since soft-launched their PX4-based operating system in attempts to create a unified standard that companies…

Having a place to jot down your ideas when inspiration strikes is a must for any designer or engineer. Yet, finding the ideal (durable!) scratchpad to keep in your pocket (or close by) at all times isn’t always easy. Which is why we love the Rollbahn pocket memo from Rollbahn. Featuring a gold metal cover (yep—really!) and tearaway gridded pages, this edition of the iconic Japanese notebook is the perfect fusion of simplicity and function. Rollbahn Gold Metal Cover Pocket Memo Book (Gridded Pages) — $12.00 Features: Made in Japan 112×138mm Durable Metal Cover Elastic Enclosure Perforated Tearaway Pages PURCHASE VIA AMAZON Affiliate purchases help support SolidSmack through a small…

You wouldn’t think it at first glance: “Come on, a hairdryer of all things?” But look past the nozzles, diffusers, and concentrators and you’ll find something with far more value. It goes without saying that the gold inlays of the Dyson Supersonic hairdryer are pretty expensive, but what’s even more priceless is the art of gilding said gold. For the uninitiated, gilding is a process by which an artisan applies flattened gold leaves or powders onto solid surfaces like wood, metal, or stone; thereby giving them a distinct golden sheen without being made of the heavy (and expensive) metal. Considering not everyone can afford such an expensive material to be…