Seeing as the gaming community spends the majority of their time in front of a desk or television sitting down, it’s usually their gluteus maximus which get the most exercise. But when you’re sucked into a game of Overwatch, Battlefield, or DOTA 2, chances are you won’t have the luxury of thinking about small things like personal hygiene, body posture, or how your derriere is slowly falling asleep amidst your killstreaks. Gaming chairs are nothing new. These large, cushioned thrones cradle a person’s most sensitive parts as their master remains entirely still for hours on end, standing up only to go to the bathroom or refill their Doritos stock. But…

When it comes to mechanical pencils, not all are created equal. And with rOtring, this couldn’t be truer. Ideal for sketching, writing, and drawing, the iconic rOtring 800 Mechanical Pencil features an ergonomically enhanced full metal body, with centered weight balance and a comfortable non-slip knurled grip for long work periods without discomfort or fatigue. Featuring a “Twist and Click” retractable mechanism of the entire sleeve and lead, the rOtring 800 Mechanical Pencil can easily go from pocket to sketch without worrying about damage or lead breakage. Quite frankly, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better mechanical pencil for this price. The rOtring 800 Retractable Mechanical Pencil — $24.53 Features:…

We’ve said it time and time again, but the Raspberry Pi is just so dang cool and we believe all designers and engineers should have one in their toolkit—if not on their desktop. While there is a bit of a slight learning curve, it’s nothing that today’s designers and engineers can’t handle on a leisurely Saturday. So why not start now? The Raspberry Pi Mastery Bundle includes 8 courses to get started creating your very own Amazon Echo or even a KUKA-like robotic arm for your desktop (how’s that for office bragging rights). Throw in any of your own 3D printed housing designs, and the opportunities are limitless! For a…

Welcome to a new series called ‘Shop Talk’, where Dan Slaski interviews people in the thick of product development business, who make the magic happen and turn their ideas into reality. Have an interview suggestion? Send it in. Watching over the Washington DC area is a dynamic duo of hardware entrepreneurship known as the Red Blue Collective. They are daring designers, creators of community, heroes of hustle, senseis of startups, leviathans of launch, and captains of Kickstarters. SolidSmack has exclusive access to unveil their masks and reveal the secret identities of these caped fabricators. Shop Talk: Red Blue Collective An interview with Callye Keen Dan Slaski: Who is Red Blue Collective and…

Barring martial arts, American football is certainly one of the most violent sports out there. I mean, why would you go out of your way to tackle somebody at full speed when you know he’s running headfirst into you with the same idea? Broken bones sprained ankles, concussions – these are risks every player takes whenever they play. Thankfully, a wide range of safety gear has been developed over the years, taking past players’ mistakes and injuries and turning them into research for the next piece of lifesaving equipment. The ZERO1 is a new type of football helmet designed to absorb the impact of a collision by locally deforming itself…

While there used to be a painful shortage of inspirational design sketching books out there, these days, design students and those looking to refresh their skill set may, in fact, have too many to choose from. The good news is, there’s something different to learn from each—so go ahead and build out that library. Among other design sketching book favorites, we love the broad variety of sketching styles presented in Sketching. While the book is ideal for any design student or classroom, many professionals and design studios will also likely learn a thing or two from the wide variety of sketching styles and form examples presented within the book’s eye-popping…