Washington DC is not known for a being a manufacturing town, which is why I was so surprised when I first heard that TechShop was opening a location here in Spring 2014. When I went on a tour I was smiling ear to ear in wide-eyed disbelief. Had I won a golden ticket? How is this massive warehouse full of hi-tech machines opening in such a high rent area? It seemed too good to be true. It was like a vegan burrito and cold brew coffee cart started following me around for no reason. How and why is this happening? Am I at the center of an elaborate prank? Wait.…

When it comes to kitchen tools, some things are worth investing in for the long haul. Sure—a good knife and cutting board set definitely make that list. But so does a great cast iron skillet—arguably one of the most versatile kitchen tools you’ll ever own. But like so many other tools both in the workshop and the kitchen—no two are created equally. With a patented octagonal “multi-pour” design and an ultra-polished surface, this cast iron skillet from Portland, Oregon-based FINEX is the searing machine of your dreams. While many other cast iron skillet designs don’t feature a separated handle from the pan, FINEX has implemented an ergonomic “speed cool” spring…

It was only a matter of time before robots got a 21st century upgrade. No longer do they fumble around on quadrupedal legs or struggle with more dexterous tasks. Now, these robots can grab objects, traverse uneven terrain on two legs, and now, even leap up to dangerously tall heights. We all knew this was coming; we just didn’t expect it to come so soon. Watching Boston Dynamics’ bipedal Atlas in action is downright scary when you realize these hulking pieces of metal and electronics are catching up to the capabilities of the most physically-fit human beings. The robots’ control system coordinates arm, torso, and leg movement to increase the…

It’s not always easy to juggle multiple hats in the design and engineering worlds—but if there is a common language that will likely end up saving you a lot of time and frustration down the road, it’s having g basic knowledge of visual communication. While nobody can become an Aaron Draplin overnight, having a strong grasp on the fundamentals of color theory and layout could easily make or break your projects—particularly when communication specific details to stakeholders. Thankfully, you don’t need to go back to design school to get started with leveling up your visual communication game. From setting up an Adobe Creative Cloud environment to building a portfolio website,…

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. Each Monday, we’ll 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. Be sure to check in each Monday morning for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight from the source of your favorite homegrown ‘Smack.…

A long time ago, I learned I could use my campfire charcoal to filter any questionable water sources if no other water was available. Not surprisingly, charcoal can have a profound effect on softening ordinary tap water, too. London-based design firm Black+Blum recently designed an interesting (BPA free) water bottle to take advantage of a specific type of charcoal called Binchotan, which has been used for cooking and filtering water since the Edo period (1603). The secret of the charcoal is its ability to soften water, add minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium and absorb certain chemicals such as chlorine. It accomplishes this due to the numerous tiny pores…