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…

A spray of foam exploded out the sockets of the metal chewer’s rusted neck seams. It was the first time he’d laughed in centuries. Before he had finished devouring any more of the pickled light orbs though, there was a job to do. It was time to get to work, hunt down, and capture these links. Alexandr Iwaac – Paint over renders, keysketches, and speedpainting with finished ship and scene pieces throughout. Nobe – The three-wheeled car/trike is launching. Top speed – 68 mph. 0-60 in 5.9 seconds. Fully charged in two hours. This is the video. Project Wingman – There just are not enough flight sim games, and this…

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. Behind the Design: Bram Ramon’s Watch Engravings Engraving isn’t just for little league trophies or IT departments; for Bram Ramon, it’s an evolving art medium. Ever since he started working on fine…

Fans of inflatable bouncy castles and comfy car seats have reason to rejoice because 3D-printed inflatables are now a thing! Created by the minds at the Self-Assemble Lab of MIT and BMW, these inflatables adapt and transform by themselves to suit your comfy needs. Dubbed “Liquid Printed Pneumatics,” these silicone materials take on different shapes depending on how much air pressure is pumped into them. While this would no doubt bring improvements to the balloon animal industry, the guys behind these printed inflatables are planning to put the materials to more practical fields, such as car seats. With this technology, having a seat which adjusts itself based on user preference…

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 (Gridded Pages) — $12.14 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 commission…

I’m reading a brief analysis by Gartner’s Pete Basiliere on how 3D printing could affect business models. Business models, of course, are critical devices for the successful operation of a business. They define how money is spent and collected based on the creation and distribution of value to clients. Companies without business models are not long for this world. Basiliere correctly points out that the business models we’ve long been familiar with are a product of the technologies employed by businesses for a century: mass manufacturing and the pursuit of efficiency led to a world where “all products are the same”. But he points out that 3D printing could shake…