Doom is arguably the quintessential first-person shooter that spawned one of the most popular video game genres of all time. The game is loaded with an array of traditional and futuristic weapons to decimate demon hordes–shotguns, machine guns, plasma rifles and even a chainsaw are at the player’s disposal. However, one so over-the top-weapon is sought after above all others, for delivering maximum carnage–the BFG (use your imagination for the acronym). The game’s publisher, Bethesda Softworks recently teamed up with MyMiniFactory and designer Kirby Downey to bring the iconic weapon into the real world with a massive life-sized replica. The gun was actually commissioned by Bethesda for a contest held…

Our make-something-practical-out-of-anything contributor, Cabe Atwell, just posted his first in a series of ‘Engineering THE WALKING DEAD’ infographics on Element14. With it, I’m pretty sure he’s solved the problem in creating a solution to perpetual motion. ZOMBIES. More specifically, Zombies on treadmills. The idea is brilliant I tell you. All the energy we can capture, plus a substantial increase in treadmill manufacturing. Plus all the jobs that go along with maintaining a zombie energy facility. Brilliant. There’s one problem with this though. BRAINS. Though disputed, I’m fairly certain zombies need brains to keep moving. If not to consume, to activate the virus. Otherwise, they just hang out in bars and…

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.…

We barreled down the street, jumpjets and engines spinning pushing dust through the alleyways and sewer grates. There was too little time to escape, adjust footing and fold another clip into the arm canon, but somehow we did it, and in one single action, fired upon the beast with these links. Tolazzi Swann – Concept artist and illustrator from France with a surreal, dream-like style and a wonderful range of value and color. GO! 3 – Nigel Sylvester is at it again in the next episode of his POV life as BMX rider. This time from Tokyo. Stranger Things poster – Kyle Lambert breaks down the process of how he…

After nearly two years of beta testing, IrisVR recently released their VR platform products, Prospect and Scope, which are now available to the public as version 1.0. As you can imagine, the apps go beyond simple gaming applications, allowing users to 1) push their 3D models to VR quickly and 2) explore their 3D creations in a virtual setting. For example, imagine being able to model something up, drag and drop the native file into the software and instantly view your model in virtual space. IrisVR is making that happen. Architectural firms are already using Prospect and Scope to evaluate and share their new designs. Marmon Mok Architecture has proven…

Take that last swig of cold coffee and check this out. Vectary, the online 3D modeling platform, is now out of beta. We took an early look at Vectary in September. Right after that, in October, they surprised us announcing a Seed round of $2.5 million, led by BlueYard Capital (here’s why), and a move of their HQ to Brooklyn, New York. To catch you up on the platform. Vectary aims to combine mesh modeling, subdivision modeling and parametric design–all apparent from the interface layout and initial features and toolset. The Vectary UI is a beautiful, wide open environment with your modeling Tools to the left, your model Objects to the…