There were scattered reports of Mackbook Pro users covering themselves in ash and eating gallons of ice cream earlier this week with Lenovo’s announcement of their new ThinkPad P1 ultralight mobile workstation. Ultralight mobile workstation. Yeah, I just used those words together in a sentence – TWICE. First though, I admit, ‘Ultralight’ is my word for their new laptop. (Lenovo just calls it their ‘thinnest, lightest and sleekest mobile workstation’.) But after eating fish & chips and getting my greasy hands all over a production unit one sunny Texas afternoon, a mobile workstation with these specs, at this weight, has all the fight in being able to wear those words.…

Infiniti’s 2019 QX50 is the first vehicle in their lineup to feature their VC-Turbo (Variable-Compression) engine that can change compression ratios on the fly for increased fuel efficiency. Standard automobiles typically have a single compression ratio that is expressed in a form such as 10:1, which compares the maximum to the minimum value of cylinder volume as the piston travels throughout its cycle. Simply put, higher loads require lower ratios to maintain efficiency, and vice versa. The engine works using a computer that signals an electric motor that moves an actuator arm to shorten the reach of the pistons inside the engine, which lowers the compression ratio during times when…

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—like a drone—and the opportunities are limitless! For…

Rather than forcing chunky peripherals on your head or hands via VR or AR, real holograms are the stuff of science fiction: true interactive displays which humans can interact with on a more personal level. The day when such a display would come to fruition was thought to be right up there with flying car tech – meaning it would never happen. Well, you might want to take a closer look at the Looking Glass – a holographic display which uses lightfield and volumetric technologies to bring the science fiction fantasy to reality. This thing is the real deal. Instead of having groups of people take turns using interactive hardware,…

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 — $32.71 Features:…

Sure, everybody and their grandma loves Pixar’s Toy Story, which came out a mind-boggling 23 years ago. Since then, two more sequels (and an upcoming fourth movie) have capitalized on the wonders of computer animation and the fear (or joy) of having your childhood toys come to life. YouTube creator Rihito Ue is no Pixar alumni, but he does make a number of toy models come to life using stop motion animation, camera effects, and a lot of imagination. Just take a behind-the-scenes look at one of his Gunpla (short for “Gundam plastic model”) videos: What’s particularly amazing is how he manages to make it look like the video is…