Posts Written by Lambert Varias

Jef of Two Moose Design recently got into whiskey and bourbon, so he decided to make a fancy whiskey cabinet. Not only did he make it out of walnut, he also gave it a pair of tambour doors. The piece de resistance is the mesmerizing wavy pattern that he applied on the doors using a CNC machine. The wood grain and finish pair beautifully with the pattern.

Alongside video games, it’s only been about a decade since anime went mainstream. But it has a rich history, including behind the scenes, as YouTuber arikendo reveals in his overview of anime studios. From legends like Ghibli and Toei to upstarts like ufotable and Bones, a lot of talent and hard work have gone into our favorite anime shows.

8Bitdo’s new Retro 18 is the numpad version of its Retro Mechanical Keyboard. It also doubles as a standalone calculator, complete with a segmented LCD display. It comes with Kailh Box White V2 tactile switches, but you can easily replace those if you want. Like the keyboard, its colorways are inspired by the C64, IBM Model M, Famicom, and NES.

A 93-year-old grandma and her friend set out to get her money back from a phone scammer in this heartwarming comedy. Thelma pokes fun at action movie tropes while tackling the struggles of the elderly to remain independent. June Squibb (who is actually 94 years old!) plays the lead role alongside the late Richard Roundtree. Premieres 6.21.24.

If you’re wondering what on Earth that watch Lewis Hamilton had at the Monaco Grand Prix was, it’s actually a proof of concept. It’s a one-of-a-kind Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 that IWC made to showcase Ceralume, its luminous ceramic material. Amazingly, IWC claims that Ceralume watch cases can glow in the dark for more than 24 hours.

Lots of Minecraft fans have tried making the game’s crafting table with LEGO. The official version is here but with lots of welcome surprises. The table itself is only partially enclosed, with space for the five included mini-build modules that depict 12 biomes. The set also comes with eight microfigures, as well as stickers with phrases from the game.

Flavor Lab shares this straightforward tutorial for making Red Bull. It doesn’t look and taste exactly like the energy drink, but the key ingredients are all here: caffeine, ginseng, and taurine. It’s probably only the first one that matters, but that’s what Red Bull has. At least they’re all fairly easy to get. Now go out there and sponsor the kids at your local skate park.

A24’s Talking Heads tribute album Everyone’s Getting Involved turned out to be a mixed bag. But it did give us this wonderful cover from Ohio’s indie rock legends, The National. Matt Berninger’s distinctive tired-but-still-fighting voice and the weighty drums give the song a more somber and nostalgic vibe. We actually like it more than the original.

Sideway Signs makes officially licensed replicas of the New York City Subway signs. Each replica is made of MDF wood and is painted, stenciled, and screenprinted by hand. They come in three sizes (17″, 24″, and 34″) and include a hanger for mounting. If you want something smaller, check out the shop’s art prints.

Part of The North Face’s new summer Lightrange collection, the Lightrange Summer Hoodie is versatile enough for the unpredictable Spring weather, too. Made of 89% recycled polyester, the Lightrange finish helps it block UV rays and dry quickly. It also has thumbholes to stay in place even if you’re running. It comes in either khaki or white.

(PG-13) With a title like that, you know you’re in for a bloody treat. Inspired by the modern action classic The Raid, Kill is about an Indian army man who secretly follows the love of his life aboard a train to try and stop her arranged marriage. But things go from tense to all-out mayhem when bandits hijack the train. Premieres 7.4.24.

Kiara’s Workshop made this awesome Pokéball that doesn’t just look like its video game counterpart both outside and inside. It also mimics the failed catch animation where the ball beeps and cracks open before closing itself back up. Its 3D-printed shell probably can’t take a beating, but you shouldn’t throw anything at wild animals anyway.

(PG-13) Mullet Mad Jack is a roguelite first-person shooter with ’90s anime aesthetics. Instead of having limited health, you have only 10 seconds to play. You must kill enemies to keep topping up your timer. It also has a mode with no timer if you just want to enjoy the animated story scenes at your own pace, as well as a randomized endless mode.

Chilkey is going after Keychron’s throne with the ND75. The polish and features that you get for its price are unbelievable. It’s a fully assembled 75% mechanical keyboard with a well-made screw-less aluminum case. It connects via USB-C, Bluetooth, and 2.4 GHz wireless. It has three mount options, pre-lubed stabilizers, and even a tiny screen for settings.

If it can keep your gaming rig cool, it can definitely do the same for you. The NV-FS1 is a modular desk fan that uses Noctua’s legendary NF-A12x25 PC fan. Its unorthodox airflow amplifier focuses the output from the fan while keeping noise to a minimum. Its stand allows you to pivot the fan to any angle, and has screw mounts and zip-tie slits for mounting.

(PG-13: Language) Polyphonic elucidates what many music lovers have known deep down: genres are fading into a natural and inevitable death. With instant and affordable access to music from different cultures and eras, it doesn’t matter if you can’t define the music you like because you’ll most probably enjoy a little bit of everything.