As a college sophomore, Angus Willows set himself an ambitious task: Design a better coat hanger. In Willows’ eyes, the incumbent objects were flimsy, disposable, and ill-suited for holding a wide variety of clothing items. …
The Matthews Air Climber: Raises Heavy Loads 25 Feet Using an Air Compressor
Pipe Lighting, the German company that makes inflatable LED fixtures, has revolutionized the film production lighting game. The company’s lightweight offerings require minimal rigging compared to heavier predecessors, cutting down on production time and improving …
Better Than Foam: Fluid-Filled Earplugs for a Perfect Fit
Foam earplugs are a cheap solution for hearing protection, but they can become itchy and uncomfortable. A startup called Paxauris has developed something they reckon is better: Fluid Earplugs. They’re made of medical-grade silicone and, …
A Folding Vise for Work Vans
For the traveling tradesperson, a vise can be a handy thing to have. However, vises as we know them are objects that you bolt to a workbench. And in the work vans common in Europe, …
Materials Have the Power to Move a Lot of Things
This post is presented by the K-Show, the world’s No.1 trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry. Visionary developments and groundbreaking innovations will again lead the industry into new dimensions at K 2025 in …
Chemistry vs. Sexual Assault: A Date-Rape-Drug-Detecting Skin Sticker
It’s disturbing that something like this even had to be invented, but this is the world we live in. Researchers at South Korea’s Sungkyunkwan University have developed a skin-borne sticker that can detect Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), …
Twelve South’s Minimal MagSafe Charger
This PowerBug is a handsome, minimal MagSafe charger by Twelve South, a South-Carolina-based tech accessories brand. It cleanly eliminates the power cable all wireless chargers require, and is ideal for locations with counter-height outlets, like …
Just Stunning: Fabian Oefner Creates Paintings Without Canvases
This striking Volumen series of sculptures/paintings is by Swiss artist Fabian Oefner. He has somehow captured two-dimensional brushstrokes in three glorious dimensions, forever freezing them within a block of resin. “I have always been fascinated …
A Solar-Power-Harvesting Tonneau Cover for Pickup Trucks
Because solar panels are easiest to manufacture flat, cars are a pretty poor substrate for them. However, pickup trucks—often seen as a symbol of energy guzzlers—actually provide the perfect platform. Most pickup trucks have beds …
Crowd Control Barriers Turned Into Furniture
This Bultan seating is by Maximum, a French furniture brand whose raw material is industrial and municipal waste. This design started with crowd-control barriers (a/k/a Vauban barriers), specifically their design flaw. “One damaged part, and …