Posts Written by Lambert Varias

Forget Airdrop and Nearby Share. If you need to transfer files across different operating systems, check out LocalSend. It’s a free, open-source app that lets you send and receive text, files, and entire folders between desktop computers or mobile devices, as long as they’re both on the same network. It works with Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android.

You don’t need to be Ranni’s lackey and trek all over The Lands Between to get your hands on this bad boy. Though you may need to farm for its cost and the shipping fee. Panda Studio’s officially licensed life-sized resin replica of the Dark Moon Greatsword from Elden Ring is a crazy 59″ long. Limited to 88 units.

Accented Cinema neatly sums up the fundamental difference between Godzilla films: “American Godzilla is about Godzilla; Japanese Godzilla is about Life.” Giant monsters beating the crap out of each other can indeed make for a fun movie. But Japan’s Godzilla films show that the kaiju’s ultimate power is helping people reflect on real-world catastrophes.

Yolopark’s upcoming Transformers G1 action figures are way too good for their price. The AMK Pro Series Optimus Prime and Megatron action figures have sweet battle-damaged paint jobs on their metal and plastic parts. They’re both about 8″ tall and come with lighting effects, weapon accessories, and a display stand.

Wooting’s new 80% gaming keyboard has the same instant reset Hall Effect switches from the 60HE. But the 80HE also debuts a new setting that can further reduce mistakes and allow for rapid multiple inputs. The 80HE can be set to detect multiple key presses but activate only the one that was pressed furthest.

Balatro is your next gaming addiction – but not because it’s a poker game. It merely uses the card game’s hands as a starting point, and then it quickly goes off the rails. Like fellow indie hit Vampire Survivors, this fast-paced roguelike keeps you hooked with lots of shiny rewards that will help you rack up scores on the edge of math.

Pike Trail’s bestselling Pocket Blanket weighs just 6.9 oz yet expands to a 60″ x 56″ surface. That’s big enough to allow four adults to sit comfortably. It’s made of ripstop polyester and is waterproof, sandproof, puncture-resistant, and tear-resistant. When it’s time to pack up, you can fold it in seconds into its nylon spandex bag.

The latest version of the Boox Palma is shaped like a smartphone, making it easier to take with you and read one-handed. It has a 6.13″ 824 x 1648 eInk touchscreen, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, a microSD card slot, a USB-C port, a built-in speaker, and connects via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. It runs Android, making it equally great for listening to music and podcasts.

Inspired by Bernard Werber’s eponymous fantasy novel, Empire of the Ants is a photorealistic real-time strategy game. You play as 103,683rd, the heralded savior of their ant colony. Build and expand your anthill, conquer other territories, and befriend and fight other forest creatures. Coming to PS5 in 2024.

Outdoor Vitals’ aptly named Shadowlight long trail backpack weighs less than 2 lb, including its frame and hip belt, but it carries up to 35 lb. It’s all thanks to the brand’s proprietary ripstop fabric. Its straps, hip belt, and removable back panel were all designed to be as ergonomic as possible. It’s available in either 45L or 60L capacities.

The new Hopara 2 hiking sandals combine comfort, green materials, and rugged construction. They have an adjustable heel strap and quick-toggle lace for ease of use, a water-repellent recycled knit upper, a recycled Cordura mesh overlay to block debris, and a grippy outsole paired with a comfortable sugarcane topsole.

Uncrate and DC Comics teamed up with some of the best clothing and accessory brands to create the Wayne Enterprises collection. They feature subtle branding in the form of Bruce Wayne’s company’s logo and emphasize style and class over vengeance. Standouts include a leather folder, a brass and leather punching bag, and translucent gray sunglasses.

Unlike most compact multitools, Fetos Studio’s JOAT (Jack of All Trades) can be completely disassembled. This lets you decide which parts to take with you. You can even bring just the key loop. Its titanium modules include a screwdriver with two magnetic bits, a wrench, a pry bar, a blade, and a bottle opener.

Tech journalist and print historian Glenn Fleischman teamed up with other experts to create How Comics Were Made: A Visual History from the Drawing Board to the Printed Page. The book takes readers through 130 years of newspaper cartoons with the help of high-resolution original art, newspaper reproductions, and interviews with cartoonists.

Are skins or DIY paint jobs not good enough for your already pricey Apple Pencil? Well, the madmen at ColorWare would be all too happy to take your money. Their take on the obvious color scheme for the second-generation iPad stylus is, as expected, completely overkill in terms of both quality and price.

“If you wanna know what you look like, just ask me, and I’ll tell you.” A young woman struggling with body dysmorphia and eating disorders meets a man who’s too nice for his own good. This straightforward yet refreshingly sincere drama tackles the blurry line between love and dependency. Premieres 4.5.2024.

MSI joins the growing handheld gaming PC market that Valve’s Steam Deck blew wide open. The Claw A1M is powered by an Intel Core Ultra laptop chip. It has a 7″ 120Hz 1080p IPS touchscreen, Hall Effect joysticks and triggers, and a Type-C Thunderbolt 4 port that supports up to 65W charging. It runs Windows 11, but it also lets you install Android apps.

TED-Ed Animations shared this enlightening illustrated overview of how coffee spread and affected societies, cultures, and places all over the world. Learn about the first farms in Ethiopia in the 14th century, the first coffeehouses in London in the 17th century, the rise of coffee breaks in the US in the 50s, and more.

Leica’s follow-up to its SL2 camera is smaller, lighter, and has a much larger hand grip, making it more comfortable for extended use. The SL3 also has a new, hand-built full metal housing rated IP54 for water and dust resistance. The 60MP hybrid autofocus shooter also debuts Leica’s clearer and more intuitive touchscreen user interface.

Konami dusts off the ’80s run-and-gun classic for today’s generation. While Contra: Operation Galuga mainly offers new graphics and audio to the NES arcade shooter, it also has a few new stages and enemies and adds a four-player arcade mode. It’s time to steal lives from your kids.

For over 40 years, legendary music producer Rick Rubin has been helping a diverse array of artists create their seminal and most significant works. The Creative Act: A Way of Being sees Rubin share his observations on creativity and how being creative isn’t about what you make but how you see the world.

YouTuber gimbo compiled OMD Chile’s hilarious TV commercials for Cristal beer from 2003. The ads were spliced within broadcasts of the original Star Wars trilogy, complete with costumes or backgrounds that make it appear that the characters were reaching for the beer. The campaign was repeated during airings of American Beauty, Gladiator, and Notting Hill.

“It’s living on your own after kids and a wife. It’s the question you ask in the middle of the night.” New York City’s soft rock sibling band Infinity Song broke out with their sarcastic hit Hater’s Anthem. But the latest single from their debut album Essentials is a melancholic earworm about the dull pain that inevitably grows and gnaws at us.