Virtual Reality applications are booming thanks to the onset of VR/AR headsets like Oculus, PlayStation VR, HTC Vive and Samsung Gear VR. Those companies allowed others to develop software that immerses you in a different reality where you can explore and (in some cases) interact with 3D renderings of just about anything. Outside of gaming, more VR dev companies are turning their attention to other industries, such as architectural and product design, with developers catering to them using new software platforms that allow their clients to view their models in a 3D environment. One of those emerging companies is New York-based InsiteVR that recently received $1.5 Million in Seed Round…

From ridiculously complicated product lifecycle management scenarios to some of the most futuristic manufacturing tech ever seen, few industries are quite like the aerospace industry. While we may be a few years off from some really, really futuristic stuff trickling down to Coach—and even, First—Class, it’s safe to say that we’ve come a long way where aircraft design and manufacturing is concerned. And there’s no better way to further understand this than to take a look back at how airplanes used to be designed—like, nearly 100 years ago. In this epic recently-unearthed footage, we get a 45-minute play-by-play of aircraft manufacturing from 1918 that documents everything from gathering raw materials…

It’s hard to believe that CES is already behind us in the new year, and with it, a slew of new products and technologies that you likely won’t need for yet another year (Alexa! Drones! OLED TVs!). Okay, so maybe you actually do need an Alexa-enabled device for ordering barrels of cheeseballs and toilet paper automagically. Yet — for those of us who spend upwards of double-digit hours in front of a screen during the day, the Altwork Station just might be the most useful of the bunch. Presented at the annual show in Las Vegas last week, the Altwork Station is a $5,900 (hey, it’s a write off) combination La-Z-Boy…

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 tracks as a tool for your process. This week we’ll start things off with “Fever” from Night Panther and work our way through tracks from Amason, Attaboy, Jon Bap, Tristen, and others before wrapping up with “Clay Pigeons” from the one and only Michael Cera. Have suggestions? As always, let us know what you listen to, what you want to hear…

Office lighting just got 10x and a bag o’ corn chips cooler thanks to the son of famed vacuum designer Sir James Dyson. His son, Jake Dyson, set out to redesign a much needed replacement to the inconsistent, or flickering, or glaring, or otherwise headache-inducing lighting found in most office spaces around the world. Enter the CU-Beam–an modern LED suspension lamp capable of directing light up, down or both and running for decades. IF you recall the Ariel LED suspension light from 3 years ago, this will look all too familiar. Jake has made some strides since then along with the release of the CSYS task light. The CU-Beam fixture…

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.…