DRONING ON
People race drones and take it very seriously
Drones are everywhere these days, but the Drone Racing League (or DRL if you’re feeling cool) is something entirely different. Pilots in the DRL race purpose-built drones via first-person-view headsets at speeds north of 160 km/h through abandoned malls and sports arenas. They’re able to navigate thanks to a series of illuminated gates that look straight out of classic video games.
ESPN and Sky Sports have started televising the races, and tournament prizes have been as high as $1M. Expect to see a lot more drone racing in the years to come.
• The 2017 Season is Here (YouTube, 01:00 watch)
• The Sport of the Future (YouTube, 01:00 watch)
INDESTRUCTIBLE UMBRELLAS
Blunt Classic
Rain season is here and I can’t recommend this umbrella enough. Yes, an umbrella. But hear me out: if you’re still using the one with the broken arm that you stole from a restaurant two years ago (like I was before this), it’s time to ditch it. There is a better option, and it’s Blunt Umbrellas.
I’ve been using the Classic for about a year now, and it’s amazing. It’s impossible to invert, won’t poke your friends in the eye (hence the name), and the way it opens with a pop is oddly satisfying.
SAY GOODBYE TO CARTRIDGES
SNES Classic
If you were lucky enough to grab a new SNES Classic on September 29, well, you’re lucky. The new, miniature version of the classic video game console sold out everywhere in one day.
Similar to the NES Classic that Nintendo launched last year, the SNES Classic comes with 21 pre-installed games—no need to blow out dusty cartridges—as well as two original controllers (wired, of course). This version of the system also includes a brand new Rewind feature, allowing you create up to four suspend points per game. All in all, not a bad deal for $80.
• The Super NES Classic Edition (Nintendo)
• Super Nintendo Classic Edition review: the perfect way to play 16-bit classics (The Verge, 07:00 read)
MORE ROCKET STUFF
Fly anywhere on Earth in less than an hour
Elon Musk and his super SpaceX squad held another presentation recently to announce their revised plans for colonizing Mars. Code-named BFR, for Big Fucking Rocket, the updated vehicle will be used to establish a new Mars base, 100 passengers at a time. Oh, and it will also be able to fly people between any two points on Earth in under an hour. Passengers will hop on a ship, sail out to a floating launch pad, board a rocket, blast off at speeds of 27,000 km/h, enter suborbital space, reenter the atmosphere, then touch down again.
The company has already started development, with the aim to complete a pair of BFRs by 2022. The first two rockets will send materials and equipment to Mars. Then in 2024, when the Hohmann transfer window reopens, allowing the shortest distance of travel between Earth and Mars, SpaceX wants to launch four more of its interplanetary spacecraft, two of them with passengers. That’s when the colony would begin to take shape (or so goes the plan).
• BFR | Earth to Earth (YouTube, 01:57 watch)
• Making Life Multiplanetary (YouTube, 43:28 watch)
THRICE IS AN UNDERUSED WORD
Apple Watch Series 3
Apple held their annual September press event this month, and while the focus was mainly on the new iPhones, they also introduced a new Apple Watch. What’s unique this time around is that the watch has cellular capabilities baked in. That means you can ditch your smartphone and venture outside with just the watch. In a weird way that may actually make you feel less connected to the digital world, and more connected to the real world around you.
There’s a great breakdown by traditional watch blog Hodinkee that explains why this may be the version of the Watch that gets you to jump. Check it out below.
• A Week On The Wrist: The Apple Watch Series 3 Edition (Hodinkee, 07:57 watch + 15:00 read)
HIIT IT
Seconds Pro
After switching up my workouts to be at home instead of the gym, I was searching for something to keep me on track. After trying a few options, Seconds Pro ended up being my favourite. Even though it has a fairly utilitarian interface, it’s a really powerful and customizable interval timer with great readability during your workout.
You’re left to find your own HIIT, tabata, or circuit-style training regimen online, then you input each day's workout as a series of sets and exercises. The app will keep track of where you’re at, display a colour-coded timer, and even speak out the next move. It really helps with the motivation side of things, without becoming annoying. And if you’re an Apple Watch user, there’s an app for that, too.
BOMBS FOR DAYS
Germany is still full of bombs
It’s been 72 years since WWII, but bombs are still being discovered every day in Germany. From 1940 to 1945, British and American bombers dropped 1.35 million tonnes of bombs all over the country. Roughly 15 are uncovered every day, or 5,500 every year, including unexploded bombs, weapons with shells, grenades, mines, and ammunition.
On September 3, Around 70,000 people had to leave their homes for a few hours after a 1.4 tonne Wohnblockknacker (block buster) was found in Frankfurt. The bomb was discovered near the city centre, only 2.5 km from a dense shopping area. Thankfully, that one was diffused without incident.
Check out the article below for more about the daily hunt for bombs in Germany. It’s pretty interesting.
• Everything you need to know about WWII bomb disposals in Germany (The Local, 06:00 read)
• Frankfurt WW2 bomb defused after mass evacuation (BBC, 04:00 read)
MODERN DAY MEDIEVAL ARMOUR
Project Invincible
Founded in 1991 under a different name, McLaren Applied Technologies started off creating core parts for high-end supercars like the McLaren F1 and Mercedes SLR. And that makes sense, since they’re owned by the same parent company as the famed McLaren Automotive. These days, they work on a seemingly infinite range of projects across industries like sports, health and wellness, defence, motorsports, and automotive.
Project Invincible, however, is entirely unique. “Client X” approached them with an unusual request: to create a wearable garment that would help protect vital organs after surgery. It also needed to be subtle enough to wear under a dress shirt. That led to the creation of a personalized, space-age armor shield made with a bunch of composite materials nobody will ever be able to remember. It acts like a rib cage, protecting the heart and lungs by distributing any unexpected impact away from that part of the body to a series of gel pads. Pretty cool.
• Project Invincible - McLaren Applied Technologies (YouTube, 05:16 watch)