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.
(PG-13: Language) Every band has its fans and detractors. There I Ruined It created this song for people who don’t like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The track was made using AI tech to emulate Anthony Kiedis’ and John Frusciante’s vocals – but this version of Snow (Hey Oh) has some new (and improved?) lyrics.
To follow up on his bicycle that runs on diagonally-mounted tracks instead of wheels, The Q is showing off another unusual bike design. This one rolls along the ground on tracks that lie flat on the surface. It looks more stable than the first design – but there’s more rolling resistance, so it needed a huge center gear to provide enough torque to move it.
This tactical writing instrument from Valtcan is made from lightweight, durable titanium. It retracts with a satisfying bolt-action click and incorporates a tungsten glass breaker on its tail end for emergencies. It takes Schmidt P900, Fisher Space Pen, and Valtcan 2V refills and comes in black and space grey finishes.
Alex Aliume creates psychedelic artworks that glow brilliantly under UV light. These intricate, hand-painted images go far beyond ordinary black light posters. Among his trippy pieces are these kinetic sculptures that reveal hypnotic patterns as they rotate. You can reach out to Alex on his website if you’re interested in purchasing one of his original pieces.
Piloti’s handcrafted Drift shoes are tuned for driving. Their Roll Control 2.0 heels distribute force throughout your heel for smooth acceleration, braking, and clutch operation, while a soft forefoot provides precise pedal feedback. Padding in the tongue, heel, and collar and an impact foam layer provide all-day comfort behind the wheel or walking.
This pragmatic belt caddy is ideal for carrying pocket tools, compact flashlights, pens, and other everyday gear. It’s made from genuine leather and compatible with belts up to 45mm (1.77″) wide. This Awesomer Shop deal gives you two of these sheaths for a special discounted price.
Zootility’s credit card-sized stainless steel multi-tool fits in your wallet and packs a Phillips screwdriver, four wrenches, a bottle opener, chip clip, phone stand, and a comb. It also doubles as a minimal wallet when combined with a rubber band.
We’ve seen guitars made from unusual materials, but this is the first one we’ve seen that was made from leaves. Gitara Maker was inspired to create the guitar after seeing fallen leaves on a camping trip. He built the guitar’s body by stacking flattened layers of leaves with clear resin, shaping it with a scroll saw, and applying top coats for a shiny finish.
This bold wristwatch from Dufrane Watches features a black case with electric blue details. Its Swiss Sellita SW330 automatic movement has a 42-hour reserve and includes a GMT hand. Blue C3 SuperLumiNova on the hands makes it easy to read in the dark. We love how the rippled blue face looks beneath its double-domed sapphire crystal.
The versatile Vertex Pouch from Alpaka provides lots of space and organization for your gadgets and gear. The sling-style bag has numerous compartments, made easily accessible beneath a magnetic flap and a flat bottom for desktop use. It comes in two sustainable fabrics: Axoflux POLY600D and X-Pac RX36, both with a durable ripstop nylon interior.
Anyone who follows the adventures of James Bond knows that he likes his martinis shaken, not stirred. But now we know that 007 also prefers to put his cocktails on coasters, thanks to this silly sequence of scenes digitally doctored by Dogfoody. He’s got a license to protect coffee tables from condensation.
Dreamfarm is known for its unique kitchen gadgets with silly product names. The Fluicer is an easy-to-use citrus fruit squeezer that folds flat to save drawer space. Its hinged design provides plenty of leverage and extracts the maximum quantity of juice by squeezing both the outside and inside of fruit.
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.
Nutshell makes sturdy coolers that fold down to just 6″ thick for storage. Their standard model holds up to 36 cans and insulates using coconut husks. This sustainable material can outperform foam, keeping ice frozen for up to 48 hours. Its exterior is made from upcycled and recycled textiles. Nutshell is offering a 24% discount for a limited time.
This wall-mounted grizzly bear bottle opener pops open beer and soda bottles with its mighty incisors and canines. It’s made from long-lasting cast iron with a natural rust finish. Available from Stag Provisions, as part of their cool barware collection.
Victorinox’s special-purpose knife is a great everyday carry for wine lovers. It’s got a 5-coil corkscrew that’s long enough to cleanly extract corks, a straight-edged locking blade, bottle opener, and a foil cutter. Its wooden handles are available in olive or walnut, and can also be engraved.
The makers of the HyperCube infinity light are back with two new conversation pieces. The app-controlled HyperHedra and HyperPyramid are triangular mirrored structures illuminated with hundreds of colorful LEDs inside. Thanks to their angled frames, the 11″ tetrahedron and 15″ pyramid produce even more kaleidoscopic patterns than the cubes.
Small vehicles, known as tuk-tuks, are popular in many places around the world. Atom Things takes us on a tour of Tez Raftar, a factory that builds these auto rickshaws. The production process includes welding together a steel frame, fitting and painting body panels, and installing a drivetrain, electrical system, windshield, cargo bed, and seats.
This impressive backpack from Nashville’s Loyal Stricklin has plenty of room for all of your everyday essentials. It’s handcrafted from waxed canvas with leather accents and antique brass hardware. Features include a large main compartment, a padded 16″ laptop pocket, a deep zippered front pocket, dual water bottle pockets, and a mesh padded back.
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.
Not to be confused with the Maglite flashlight brand, Moonside’s MagLight is designed to provide a colorful source of illumination for smartphone photography. The compact RGB light is encircled with bright RGB LEDs and can produce 16 million different colors, controlled by an iOS or Android app. It also works as a MagSafe-compatible wireless power bank.
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.
