Few examples of product packaging have had an upcycling history quite like the iconic Altoids Tin. From wallets and first aid kits to even a mini bbq stove, the applications people have come up with for repurposing the cheap tin containers are as wide-ranging as they are ingenious. And in the age of DIY electronic hacking, it’s only natural that the latest comes in the form of a portable video game system. Created by hardware hacker sudomod, mintyPi 2.0 is the second iteration of a Raspberry Pi-powered Altoids tin featuring updated design features and the Raspberry Pi Zero W—a critical update that adds Wi-Fi functionality to the Curiously Strong mints…

This week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist knocks you in the pop sockets with head-boppin’ groove tuneage to help propel you through the work week in style. Whether you find yourself inking markers until they’re dry, grinding material through a bandsaw, or working that 3D geometry all day, consider these fresh tracks as a tool for your process. This week we’ll start things off with the classic “Odessa” from Caribou and work our way through tracks from Baseball Gregg, River Gazer, Vacations, Monster Rally, and others before wrapping up with “Pumpkin” from Islands. Have suggestions? As always, let us know what you listen to, what you want to hear and what…

For the hardcore pen fanatics out there, the ability to accommodate a particular type of ink refill can make or break the purchase of an otherwise perfect pen. Further, few people enjoy being locked into a propitiatory refill—forced to buy only one particular kind of ink. Enter the Ti Pocket Pro—a titanium pen that adjusts to over 80 different kinds of refills from a wide range of manufacturers. “Refill tip diameters vary from one manufacture to the next,” explains the pen’s co-creator, Chadwick Parker. “So, if you want a versatile machined pen that can accept multiple refill brands, you’re typically stuck with an oversized pen tip opening and a refill…

For an industry responsible for wrapping material around a human foot for athletic performance purposes, it’s been a long hard road for shoe manufacturers to take 3D printing seriously as a viable form of bespoke manufacturing on a grand scale. And while companies ranging from Under Armour to New Balance have been keeping pace, it is Adidas who has reached the finish line in what is sure to be an interesting test run of running shoes made through additive manufacturing methods. Utilizing Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis technology (CLIP)—a process that allows for the mass production of previously impossible midsole geometries for the unique needs of every athlete and customer—the Futurecraft…

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.…

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 ten stories on SolidSmack this past week. Oh and uh…don’t forget to shed some much-needed sunlight on your face, too. ABC and Mattel Partner to Create a ‘Shark Tank’ for Toy Inventors In a new spin on the Shark Tank show format, where inventors and budding entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to…