Awesome Tech

One of the reasons that smartphones have been so popular for shooting video is their size. This viewfinder kind of defeats that, but it does provide pro-quality focus and framing tools, magnifying your screen, blocking out sunlight, and immersing you in your shoots. A hinged door on the bottom provides quick touchscreen access.

ThinAir3D is an expert at 3D modeling and 3D printing. After designing a realistic model of a fire hydrant with a hidden stash box, he printed it using Protopasta’s iron composite PLA filament, which allowed him to apply a realistic rust finish. The 3D model is available on Cults3D. Also, we want his Sticky Note Bot on our desk.

The GoPro Hero 11 Black has a larger image sensor to record higher quality images with a bigger field of view. HyperSmooth is improved and adjusts the amount of stabilization based on activity. Plus, new Night modes let you shoot light trails. It comes with an Enduro battery that lasts up to 38% longer than previous batteries.

Google is working on an AI-powered system that can take a single photograph and allow you to fly into a synthetic world. Infinite Nature uses machine learning to extrapolate hidden areas and areas outside of the image, while increasing the resolution of details. Two Minute Papers explains this fascinating technology.

If you’ve ever wondered how they make the wire mesh material used in screens for doors and windows, wonder no longer. This video from Hebei Kaiye Machinery Equipment Co. shows us how a computer-controlled machine takes thousands of strands of stainless steel wire and weaves them into a screen pattern.

Upgrade your iPhone photography without resorting to digital filters. Developed by Pan’s Scheme, the Snap Filter attaches to the back of Magsafe-compatible iPhones, adding a snap-on frame for pro-quality analog filters. Options include colorful lens flares, stars, a softening black mist, and a set of neutral density filters.

The latest Moog theremin has a five-octave range and improved bass response. It can also be used as a pitch, volume, and gate controller for modular synthesizers. It has a hardwood cabinet and quick-release brass-plated antennas, and can produce some amazing sounds – as demonstrated by The Octopus Project.

The Apple Watch Ultra is built for extreme adventures, with military spec durability. It has a 49mm titanium case with a flat-screen and sapphire crystal. Its larger battery means 36 hours between charges, and its dual-frequency GPS offers waypoint marking and backtrack features. Night mode makes it easier to read in the dark.

Nerdforge previously built a computer that looked like a medieval house. Now they’ve gone in the opposite direction by creating this awesome work of art – a gaming PC that looks like a neon-lit cyberpunk city. After finishing the exterior, they flew from Norway to Canada to let Linus Tech Tips trick out the insides of the rig.

If you’re like us, you’re faster and more accurate using a mouse than a trackpad. Venatron’s Magnito lets you carry a mouse wherever you go by magnetically attaching to laptops and tablets. The mouse has Bluetooth wireless connectivity and a slimline, ambidextrous design. It also doubles as a remote for presentations.

What is my purpose? You flip the cheese. The JNJ RF6 robot has one job to do. It rolls down the aisle of a cheese cave, grabs wheels of cheese, brushes off their outsides, flips them over, and puts them back on their shelves. It performs this task 96 times per hour, maintaining up to 5000 wheels of cheddar per week.

With the help of his gigantic 3D printer, maker Ivan Miranda built a ridiculously overpowered toy weapon. It uses a pair of powerful motors and belts to quickly load balls into its hopper, then blows them out the front using a ducted fan like the ones used in leaf blowers.

This adorable little turntable doesn’t play tiny vinyl records, but it does let you listen to music from your smartphone via its internal speaker and a Bluetooth wireless connection. It measures just 4″ L x 4″ W x 1.8″ H and comes in either white or yellow.

This unique turntable deftly blends modern and retro design. In addition to its belt-drive turntable, it has a built-in clock with a vintage Nixie tube display. It has a built-in speaker and supports 33, 44, and 78 record playback speeds. It’s also got an RCA output for connecting to an external amplifier and can be used as a Bluetooth speaker.

rerunthe80s takes us back in the time machine to remind us of sounds most of us haven’t heard in decades. From analog televisions to VCRs to video game systems, see how many of them you can guess with your eyes closed. We scored 15 out of 19.

After 98-year-old Lillian read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, filmmaker and creative director Chris Carboni interviewed her to ask some questions about the book. He then used interpretive AI technology to create images to accompany Lillian’s amusing and endearing descriptions of the story and its characters.

Engineers need to simulate earthquakes to make buildings and other structures safer. Tom Scott headed to the University of Texas to check out the T-Rex, a mobile test rig that can produce massive vibrations in the ground. Combined with sensors, it can measure the stiffness of soil thousands of feet beneath the surface without digging.

DJI latest drone is designed for first-person view flights. It captures 4K/60 fps video with a super-wide angle lens and works with DJI’s FPV Goggles 2 and a motion controller for pilot immersion and easy flying. A built-in propeller guard lets you safely fly in tight locations, and the drone self-corrects if it bumps into something.

VCRs might be obsolete technology, but they still featured some pretty smart engineering. That’s why illustrator and educator Jared Owen put together this in-depth look at the mechanisms that lie behind the VHS cassette flap. It’s cool to see how VCRs loaded and unloaded tapes without tangling them… most of the time.

The Shrimp is a minimal gaming keyboard from Nordic Game Supply. It includes only the 25 keys most used in FPS gaming, using Gateron G Pro mechanical switches. It has assignable multimedia dials at the top, RGB backlighting, and a detachable magnetic wrist rest.

When it comes to showing the power of small lasers, popping black balloons is one of the most effective demonstrations. With the right kind of reflector system, laser beams can be guided to hit precise targets, so they can pop numerous balloons in sequence like in this satisfying short video using a Wicked Lasers LaserCube.

Cars in racing games don’t have the most realistic-sounding engine sounds. AngeTheGreat’s Engine Simulator not only can replicate the mechanisms and physics of a car engine, but it also produces realistic procedurally-generated sounds. You can grab the source code for Windows on GitHub.

During their 28 years together, Daft Punk used lots of synthesizers and electronic equipment to make their music. But as far as we recall, tesla coils were not in their arsenal. Thankfully, we have Franzoli Electronics, who used his high-voltage noise-makers to play an awesome cover version of Around the World.