In general, a good camping backpack should be lightweight, rugged, and fit properly—while luggage should be spacious, easily portable, and able to withstand the rigors of baggage handlers. A new design from Atlas Sabbatical combines the two in the form of Atlas- a backpack that transforms for different phases of a trip. Atlas Sabbatical designed their pack using a detachable trolley system that turns the platform from a wheeled suitcase to a lightweight pack with 70L worth of storage. On the backpack side, the system is ergonomically designed with adjustable shoulder and waist straps that allow you to maximize weight loads. Instead of opening from the top, the pack is…

The concept of remodeling a home constantly never dies out. From writing on your bedroom walls as a kid to choosing which fixtures to hang in your house as an adult, the appearance of your dwelling can tell visitors just how creative (or boring) you are as a person. Still, it can be quite costly. Given how much (quality) furniture and paintings are worth, you’ll need to spend quite a lot of money to regularly change your interior design. KARVD wood panels try to work around this expensive problem by making its backplates and panels removable and rotatable. Instead of buying different panels or constantly replacing them, these square plates…

When it comes to side projects, hours become days, days become weeks, and weeks can often become months or years. But what if getting a minimum viable product created could happen on a Saturday…assuming you aren’t building a flying car? Many successful entrepreneurs have been touting the benefits of the 1-Day MVP—a one-day, all-out sprint to go from fresh idea to app or hardware prototype. Sure, some projects may take a little more energy and time than others, but having the process and infrastructure in place to successfully glide ideas along is what counts the most. Which is exactly the premise behind the 1-Day MVP 2.0 online training course; one…

Founded in 1959 as a professional tool manufacturer to support Japan’s burgeoning manufacturing industry, Trusco—a combination of the words “Trust” and “Company”—is still manufacturing some of the best toolboxes, today. While their stripped-down design makes them a must-have for many design aficionados, the pressed steel boxes are ridiculously useful for just about anything—tools or not. Still manufactured in Fukui, Japan, Trusco toolboxes now come in more sizes than ever—capable of whatever storage challenges you throw at them. Trusco Toolboxes (Various Sizes) — $11.50 – $171.12 Features: Steel body, formed for extra strength Versatile sizing for specific storage solutions Double-hinged construction for smooth opening Dividers included Equally useful in the home,…

We stopped by Circuit Launch in Oakland, California to get a tour of this electronics hardware co-working space and its toys. They boast 31,000 square feet of space, mechanical and electronic prototyping tools, VR and mixed reality studios, educational opportunities and, at the time of our visit, about 80 members/quirky HW nerds. If you want to see it all for yourself, you can “download your consciousness” into a mobile robot and tool around the space on a guided tour. It can all be done without physically traveling to the facility. In our video, CEO of Circuit Launch, Alex Dantas steers and speaks through the robot as an example. He also…

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. Cory Sokolowski is the owner and operator of Crossline Creations, a 7,000 square foot northern Virginia based wood and metal shop specializing in fine woodworking, electro-mechanical interactive fabrication, laminated furniture, and quality carpentry.  Cory is a master craftsman, workhorse, and general badass. Cory doesn’t sleep, he waits. Crossline epitomizes the ideal vendor.  The kind that makes your life easier. The kind of vendor you trust because they consistently deliver and take quality to the…