Photo credit: Darren Britton
If you were one of the first 2,000 people to pre-order a Google Pixel 4 in the UK, a cereal box probably showed up at your doorstep. This isn’t your typical supermarket cereal box though, as the front lists some of the smartphone’s new features, most notably the upgraded camera, complete with astrophotography functions, and Motion Sense. Apparently, you also get unlimited Google Photos storage. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Jordi Koalitic via Peta Pixel
Photographer Jordi Koalitic from Barcelona is known for “creative photography,” and not just for the locations, but rather how he creates the shot. To be more specific, he uses practical effects, or a special effect produced physically, without computer-generated imagery or other post production techniques. This could range from using simple objects to photographing things from unusual angles. Read more for a video compilation and additional information.
Matt Thompson, a professional woodworker from Michigan, is known for his wacky creations, including a beer-dispensing Adirondack chair, but his latest project may be the most unique of all. Simply put, it’s a wooden Rube-Goldberg-inspired chair that not only massages the back, but can even pour you a glass of wine. For those who don’t know what a Rube-Goldberg machine is, it’s basically one designed to perform a simple task in an indirect and overly complicated way. Read more for a video and additional information.
Photo credit: Nicolas Boullosa
Former photojournalist Dan Price decided to leave his career and live underground in rural Oregon, and he’s been there for over 20 years with no interest in returning to the hustle and bustle. Simply put, he was worn out from the never-ending rat-race in 1990, and had an epiphany after reading a 1974 book called Payne Hallow about the simple lifestyle.
Not a fan of racing games, or just haven’t played Need for Speed? It’s a racing game franchise published by Electronic Arts and focuses on street racing, primarily tasking players to compete in various types of races while evading the local law enforcement in police pursuits. The first game, The Need for Speed, was released in 1994, and the most recent, Need for Speed Payback, hit stores during 2017. One auto enthusiast decided to use their Sony A7 III mirrorless camera to recreate some of these races in real-life.
Photo credit: Johnson Furniture
Johnson Furniture may not be the first to create expanding tables, but they most certainly refined the idea. George was inspired by the work of Robert Jupe, who made the first expanding circular dining tables some time during the 1830’s. He’s created a table where the expansion leaves are stored within the body of the table, and rise up automatically as it rotates. Read more for a video of one of them in-action.
Photographer Andrew Levitt teamed up with videographer Jacob Phillips and landscape photographer Taylor Gray to recreate every pre-installed Apple MacOS wallpapers of California landmarks in just one week. For those who don’t use MacOS are have just started to do so, OS X versions were named after big cats until OS X 10.9 Mavericks, as that update marked when Apple officially switched to using California locations. Read more for a video and additional information.
Trace Wilson, a 25-year-old Star Wars fan from Richmond, Virginia, USA, was born without his right hand, but found a geeky solution by attaching a lightsaber in place of his missing limb. Simply put, the lightsaber parts are made by Saberforge and the adapter that enables him to connect it to his forearm was custom designed by Trace. He created the design, 3D printed a prototype and then Saberforge machined the final version out of metal. Read more for a video and additional information.
Twitter user “Tsukuru-San” might be an Amazon Prime member who has accumulated a large number of empty boxes, but instead of throwing them out, he transforms them into anime / video game weapons. These aren’t some miniature sculptures that you put on display, but rather functional creations that make for great social media posts. His latest creation is the centipede blade, which is able to retract / extend on command, from Tokyo Ghoul used by the character Kureo Mado. Read more for videos and additional information.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and that holds especially true for this group of teens from Nigeria. These group of eight from northern Nigeria have now become social media stars for making science fiction movies using a broken smartphone. They call themselves the Critics Company and started this whole journey back in 2016 using special effects they learned from YouTube videos. Read more for a video and additional information.