THE BEST Tech

Builder Tom Stanton attached a long vertical LED light bar to his drone, and managed to fly it horizontally to capture some cool long-exposure images. His design is based on Ivan Miranda’s light bar, but you might be able to pull off something similar with a Pixelstick.

Adafruit Industries produces some really nifty components for making electronic gadgets. In this video, they show how their NeoPixel LED strips can be used with a one-way mirrored sheet, acrylic, and some 3D-printed bits to make an infinity mirror you can toss in your pocket. Build details and parts list here, and the source code is here.

Amazon announced a bunch of new gadgets for 2020, including this home security camera that can fly around your house. The drone cam sits on its base until needed, and can be remotely piloted to investigate concerns and possibly scare off intruders. It’s not available yet, but you can register your interest on the Ring website.

Other fitness trackers simply track steps and movement, but the AURA band can also measure your body composition, using bioimpedance sensor tech. It can provide data on fat, muscle, and bone percentages, as well as help to track hydration, and they more typical calorie, step, and heart rate data.

Science education channel Kurzgesagt teamed up with storytellers Wait But Why to create their first official mobile app, an interactive plaything that lets you view the relative size of things in the universe. Swipe left to zoom in. Swipe right to zoom out. Then tap on objects for fun facts about them. Available on iOS and Android.

With the launch of iOS 14, Apple users can finally add widgets to their home screens. Combined with loading icons via the Shortcuts app, you can give your device a whole new look. We particularly love the clean black and white minimalism of Traf’s custom 80-icon set, which looks great against a dark- or light-grey background.

Maker jbumstead is intrigued by devices that can store information, so he built a machine that can read data stored on large wooden discs. Similarly to a CD player, the machine uses lasers, photodiodes, and an circuit to decode and play back text messages stored on the discs. Check out the full build details on Instructables.

This high-tech training tool helps anyone learn to play the guitar. The 18″ long digital instrument features real guitar strings and works with a companion app to play sounds and provide feedback on your performance. The 2020 edition has an updated tactile d-pad, a matte finish, and spring-loaded strings for added realism.

Add a kickstand to almost any bare phone or phone case with Spigen’s U100 universal kickstand. The minimal metal stand is perfect viewing content in landscape mode, and attaches securely with 3M adhesive. Spring tension holds it open, while a magnet holds it closed. Comes in black, silver, or rose gold.

This impressive piece of computer-controlled machinery from Germany’s J. Neu can take straight pieces of metal tubing, and bend them to its whim. We’re not getting the accompaniment of The Godfather music, but maybe it’s a threat that the machine will bend you like a pretzel if you go against it.

This tabletop speaker features iconic Marshall amp styling, with the usefulness of a built-in Amazon Alexa voice assistant. It has a 30-watt class-D amplifier, Airplay 2, Bluetooth, and Spotify Connect capability, and you use them to create a multi-room audio system. A Google Assistant version is also available.

Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, xD, Premiere… these are just a few of the Adobe apps we use on a regular basis. But as Humtog points out, there are over 50 different programs that Adobe makes, some that overlap with others. His 10-minute video does a great job explaining what purposes each one is best suited to.

HC Gamerlife’s over-the-ear gaming headset cranks out big, dynamic sounds, and are built with longevity in mind. Gamers rave about their sound quality, comfort, and build quality. They feature a metal frame, real leather ear pads, and come with a removable mic for online chats. Save 45% in The Awesomer Shop.

Keep an eye on your house with this Wi-Fi-enabled security camera from Sinji. It can automatically pan and tilt to follow movement and can send notifications to your phone when movement is detected. It captures recordings on a microSD card (up to 128GB), has an infrared night vision mode, and two-way audio capabilities.

Designer agepbiz has been creating a series of fun 3D-printable models which can be stored inside of a matching toy egg. Each one is designed to be printed in place, without the need for support structures. You can download the models to print your own over on Cults.

After building a high-end gaming PC into a desk, Matt of DIY Perks realized the illusion is completely ruined when placing a monitor on top of it. So he made a hidden ultrawide display that stows inside of a matching wood veneer and aluminum bookshelf. Now he just needs an invisible keyboard and mouse.

Get the best recordings on the road with this dual dashcam. It captures 1080p HD images of both the road ahead and your car’s interior. Its GPS logger can record the date, time, location, and speed as well. It also has night vision and can send video directly to your mobile device via Wi-Fi. Save 15% in The Awesomer Shop.

The Daft Punk track Lose Yourself to Dance has some great robotic vocals that were created with an electronic talkbox effect. StarvingGOGO was able to replicate the sound using a Nintendo Game Boy running LSDj to play the melodies, and a tubeless talkbox gadget called the ElectroSpit ESX-1 he’s wearing around his neck.

Another year, another GoPro. The HERO9 Black shoots 5K video and 20 mp stills. It has a front-facing selfie monitor, improved battery life, upgraded stabilization with 360º horizon locking, 1080p live streaming, and an available Max lens mod for an even wider angle perspective. The HERO8 Black is still available for $299.

This fascinating factory machine sits along a conveyor belt as it waits for individual items to arrive on the scene. It then lowers a series of suction-powered grippers to grab each one, then shuffles them along to the next stage in the packing process. The video is also perfectly looped, so you can just sit and watch it all day.

Firefighters need every advantage they can get. Sam Cossman of Qwake Technologies met with Adam Yamaguchi of The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation to show off the mask his company has developed which can overlay high-contrast outlines and heat signatures of objects even when they’re obscured by smoke or darkness.

Stop-motion animator LEGOEddy ran one of his 15 fps animations through a tool called DAIN, which converted his original video to a buttery-smooth 60 fps. The software not only interpolates frames but is able to properly handle depth-of-field and occlusion (objects hidden behind others.) Learn more on Two Minute Papers.

LG’s unique smartphone has a main POLED 6.8″ display that can swivel 90º, revealing a second touchscreen that can be used to display another app or controls. Its front-facing camera hides in a pop-up module, so there’s no notch. It’s packed with HD cameras, and it offers a slick gimbal-style stabilization mode. More here.

Audio experts Focal teamed up with automaker Bentley to create these ultra-luxe, closed-back cans. They feature full-grain leather, an aluminum yoke, diamond-motif grilles, along with the Bentley wings logo and copper accents. Their 1-5/8″ drivers kick out rich and dynamic sounds with deep bass and clean mids and highs.

Next time you’re throwing a party, kick out the biggest and best audio with JBL’s oversize Bluetooth sound system. It cranks out a massive wall of sound via its two 6.5″ woofers and three 2.25″ tweeters, and can run for up to 18 hours on battery. It’s also got mic and guitar inputs, and you can pair two together for true wireless stereo.

This versatile laptop bag from Moose Designs not only has lots of pockets and straps for organizing small items, but its main section also opens up to provide a stable work surface for your computer and easy access to accessories and office supplies in its removable workstation panels. Holds up to a 15.6″ laptop.