As the Oculus Quest may be the first virtual reality headset for some people, we share our picks for our 10 favorite games and apps from the launch lineup. In addition to these essential experiences, we also discuss and recommend additional titles that are worth trying. What are you enjoying in VR right now?
Adam Savage’s One Day Builds: Scratch-Built Spaceship!
Adam takes us through another spaceship model build, this time utilizing his trusty vacuum former, sheet styrene, and years of experience from his special effects modelmaking days. As the spaceship takes shape, Adam introduces several new tools and tips for this kind of modelmaking, and shows the versatility of this kind of build.
Adam Savage’s Maker Faire 2019 Talk and Q&A!
The full hour of Adam’s annual Sunday sermon from Bay Area Maker Faire 2019, including the question and answer portion after the talk!
Episode 501 – How It All Began – 5/23/19
For our 501st episode, we’re joined by special guests Will and Gary, who started this podcast with us back in 2010. The five of us recount our favorite memories from the past nine years and reflect on the beginnings of Tested and what the worlds of technology, pop culture, and virtual reality looked like back then. Here’s to the next 500!
Self-Solving Rubik’s Cube Robot!
This self-solving Rubik’s Cube robot was one of the coolest things we saw at Maker Faire 2019. Its creator Takashi Kaburagi shows us how it works and we take a peek beneath the tiles to see its robotic core. Watch it come alive and perform a solve!
Sunday Sermon – Still Untitled: The Adam Savage Project – 5/21/19
Show and Tell: Foam Starter Projects
Tested contributor Bill Doran (Punished Props Academy) stops by the studio to share a few of this recent foam builds: a Judge mask from Far Cry New Dawn and dragon egg. These are examples of great starter projects for fabricating with foam, and Bill shares a few tips for getting organic textures on these surfaces.
Offworld: The Black Hole (1979)
From Disney’s The Black Hole to Interstellar, we discuss the portrayal of Black Holes in science fiction films and the misconceptions popular media has spread about this astronomical phenomena. Fatima Abdurrahman from UC Berkeley’s Department of Astronomy joins us to explain the science of Black Holes and how storytellers can exploret them in film!
Sophy Wong’s Wearable Tech Projects!
We meet up with Sophy Wong, who incorporates technology and wearables in her many projects, from light-up jackets to an awesome spacesuit. Sophy shares the making of her pieces, how she weaves lights and sensors into soft materials, and gives some recommendations on how to get started.
HP Reverb VR Headset Review!
We test and review the HP Reverb, a Windows Mixed Reality headset that has the sharpest display we’ve seen so far in a consumer virtual reality headset. We compare its clarity to the displays of the original Rift and Rift S, in games like Rec Room, Space Pirate Trainer, and Elite Dangerous. This resolution bump is truly impressive, though the headset isn’t without its faults.