Musician Jamie Dupuis has demonstrated his mastery of the 20-string harp guitar with his performances of Where Is My Mind and Boulevard of Broken Dreams. In this clip, he takes on the warm and enveloping vibes of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon, a track that has given us chills every single time we’ve heard it played.
Say what you will about Never Gonna Give You Up, but the 1987 pop hit has kept musician Rick Astley in the cultural zeitgeist for decades. And he’s actually really, really good. During the BBC’s Radio 2 in the Park 2023 concert, Rick and his band crushed it with a live performance of his cover of Foo Fighters’ Everlong.
Advancements in display tech enable some pretty immersive experiences, like that storm simulation spa we checked out a while back. In this video from custom LED display maker JYVisions, they show off a party room wrapped in screens on all sides to surround viewers in moving images. That splashing water effect is awesome – it also might make us vomit.
Mountain bike athlete Jono Jones and his pal Olly Wilkins followed Mountain Bike Nomad along one of the craziest trails we’ve ever seen. Donning headlamps for illumination, the trio took their bikes through the dark and narrow passageways of an abandoned Slovenian lead mine. Jono says this was just a short section of the ride.
Nicolas Cage stars in this A24 flick about a college professor who suddenly finds himself popping up in everyone else’s dreams. The comedy propels the remarkably ordinary man into the spotlight and leads him to new relationships and experiences. Drops 11.10.2023.
We haven’t checked in with musician Smooth McGroove in a little while, but the talented A Cappella vocalist is still getting his groove on. Nintendo fans will love his multi-track cover of Koji Kondo’s main theme from Super Mario 64, otherwise known as Bob-Omb Battlefield.
Kings Wild Project makes original playing cards with artful designs. The Eternal Order of the Fez deck is illustrated with intricate imagery inspired by a vintage Shriner’s deck. The tuck case and cards are embellished with conical red hats, scimitars, camels, snakes, stars, and the number 13.
AtGames teamed up with developer Zen Studios to create a home pinball machine with a 32″ 4K playfield, a 24″ digital backglass, and an 8″ scoreboard. It’s got a plunger, tilt and nudge sensor, and optional SSF. The Addams Family machine drops first, with 15 games and access to a download store. Pre-orders start 9.22.23 with a deep early-bird discount.
W&M Levsha shows how they made a cool gizmo that takes the place of a 6-sided die. The brass gadget is about the size of a pocket watch and has a lever that spins a flywheel that’s engraved with six dice faces. When the lever pops up place, a mechanism stops the wheel to reveal a random number.
Hot on the heels of Asteroid City, Wes Anderson is back with a 39-minute short film based on a Roald Dahl story. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar follows a wealthy man (Benedict Cumberbatch) who masters a unique skill after hearing about a guru who can see without using his eyes. Coming to Netflix 9.27.2023.
The Tumbler from The Dark Knight trilogy is our favorite Batmobile. After making a version of Tim Burton’s Batmobile, Minimaus Crafts shows us how he cut up soda cans, folded them, and glued them together to form a metal model of Bruce Wayne’s awesome Bat-vehicle. You can download a free template to build your own if you’re up for the challenge.
Blender Studio shows off more of what’s possible with their CG software with a slapstick animated short film. Combining 2D and 3D techniques, Rik Schutte’s Wing It! introduces us to a brilliant inventor (who happens to be a cat) and the dopey dog who might ruin his hard work. As a Blender Open Movie, you can download the production assets used to create the film.
Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite, The Lobster) applies his offbeat style to this movie about a mad scientist (Willem Dafoe) who brings a young woman back to life. But Bella (Emma Stone) is anything but the well-mannered lady of the times and runs off on a wild adventure with a slick and rakish lawyer (Mark Ruffalo). We’re getting a Tim Burton vibe here.
Hexcup is a beer pong set that uses hexagonal cups, reducing gaps and making it easier to set up oddly shaped racks. The cups are top-shelf dishwasher safe, have reinforced corners, and have grooves on their base so they won’t slide around on a wet surface. Each set comes with 22 cups and three balls.
The guys at Airportag sell some of the best gifts for travelers. Among their wares is an extensive collection of travel journals. The hardcover journals feature imagery inspired by baggage tags, boarding passes, airport codes, diagrams, passport stamps, and some humorous designs. Available in 4″ x 6″ and 6″ x 8.5″ sizes.
Chickity China, the Chinese chicken. Postmodern Jukebox and vocalist Emma Smith take on the Barenaked Ladies’ 1998 track One Week, revamping the fast-talking pop hit in the jazzy style of a 1940s lounge act. It’s another brilliant performance from Scott Bradlee’s retro cover band.
Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, and Norm Reedus star in this fictional movie about the members of a 1960s motorcycle club and the drama that ensues as the club becomes increasingly violent. Written and directed by Jeff Nichols (Midnight Special, Mud), The Bikeriders rolls into theaters on 12.1.2023.
These limited-run six-sided dice from CountyComm are precision-machined from a lightweight, phosphorescent material that can glow for up to 24 hours. Like other glow-in-the-dark stuff, expose them to direct sunlight or a UV light source for the brightest and longest-lasting effect. They’re sold in sets of two.
Singer, engineer, and Indian Idol contestant Nachiket Lele has incredible vocal skills. While his performances aren’t traditional, to begin with, they’re not exactly metal. Musician Andre Antunes amped things up to 11 by adding a System of a Down-inspired guitar track. For comparison, here’s Nachiket’s original, unedited performance.
Can a ukulele really make heavy metal music? Well, in the hands of Charles Berthoud, this ukulele bass sure can. Bored with the standard instrumentation in metal tracks, the musician decided to create a multi-layered song that uses the uke bass for every one of its sounds, including drums, synth, and even lead guitar with a bit of pitch shifting.
Cedar Point’s Magnum XL-200 is one of the world’s most beloved roller coasters. CoasterWriter shows off a backyard replica of the thrill ride, built using K’nex construction toys, and dubbed the “Magnum XL-300.” Johnny from 3D Coaster created the detailed 3D-printed coaster car replica. Be sure to take the POV ride too.
Love the music of the 1980s? Then, put on your headphones, crank up the volume, and hit play on this double feature. Musician Martin Miller and his bandmates performed this stellar two-part medley featuring tracks from Van Halen, A-Ha, Tears for Fears, Europe, Depeche Mode, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, U2, and more.
The Galactic Senate scenes in the Star Wars prequels weren’t always the most captivating, but the Senate chamber was an impressive set piece. A team of LEGO builders created this incredible Minifig-scale replica of the chamber. Christoph, Tobias, Hendrik, René, and Markus built the main structure, while attendees of a LEGO conference each made a pod.