Adam Savage has been operating Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot for a few months, getting to know the ins and outs of its capabilities. While more projects with Spot are in the works, Adam today answers questions about how Spot works, showing core features like how it’s manually controlled to how it can autonomously navigate planned missions. Its different gaits are mesmerizing!
How Adam Savage Is Filming Himself in Self-Isolation
We shot this piece last month before going into shelter-in-place, in which Adam shows his custom-assembled lightweight iPhone stand he put together to film himself during weekend builds. But now that he’s alone in the cave all the time, this rig is proving essential for Adam to document his builds in isolation as well as livestream every week. Hope it helps in giving you inspiration to make your own cameraphone rigs!
The Good Guys Wear Masks – Still Untitled: The Adam Savage Project – 4/7/20
Adam gives us an update on how his finger is healing, talks about his weekend of making masks at home, and we all find comfort in binging 30 Rock. Plus, the different ways we’re coping while bunkering down with family, and how to find time for distractions and still find joy all around us.
Adam Savage Explains His Scary Hand Injury!
Adam talks through how he recently injured his hand in a scary accident involving his workshop lathe. It was an intense experience he’s still recovering from, and even talking about it is unsettling!
Adam Savage Answers Your Questions! (Live Q&A, Part 3)
While sheltering-in-place, Adam is livestreaming every week to work on builds and take questions from the Tested community! In the third part of the Q&A session from 3/31/20, Adam talks about using laser cutters, the props in his cave, storage ideas, and Boston Dynamics’ Spot! Join the Tested Discord server to ask questions next time!
Adam Savage Answers Your Questions! (Live Q&A, Part 2)
While sheltering-in-place, Adam is livestreaming every week to work on builds and take questions from the Tested community! In this second Q&A session from 3/31/20, Adam talks about underapperciated tools, his ruler tattoo, regaining motivation for projects, and how he’s coping in isolation. Join the Tested Discord server to ask questions next time!
Slow Mo Guys VR and The Room: A Dark Matter Review!
We chat with Gavin Free of The Slow Mo Guys to learn about their new VR mini-series that lets you watch their experiments in stereo VR180. Joey and Gavin compare notes about the interesting production challenges of filming and editing immersive video, and we marvel at the custom Phantom Flex 4K rig The Slow Mo Guys put together to capture their experiments. Plus, Norm reviews The Room: A Dark Matter, which is one of the best puzzle games made for VR headsets!
Adam Savage Answers Your Questions! (Live Q&A, Part 1)
While sheltering-in-place, Adam is livestreaming every week to work on builds and take questions from the Tested community! In this first Q&A session from 3/31/20, Adam shows off some tools and artifacts from the shop, talks about skills he’s planning on learning, and gives advice for beginning makers! Join the Tested Discord server to ask questions next time!
Tested From Home: How To Find Tardigrades In Your Backyard!
Ariel recommends a project to do while you’re sheltering-in-place at home: exploring the microscopic life that’s living in your backyard or local environment. Testing three kinds of microscopes, Ariel demonstrates how to find Tardigrades and other microscopic organisms with household materials. Water bears make great company! Check out Ariel’s Life Under the Ice project at https://lifeundertheice.org/
Episode 545 – One Neat Zoom Trick – 4/2/20
This week, we discuss the performance of AMD’s new Ryzen 4000 mobile processors, Intel’s response, and how it shakes up the high-end laptop world. Plus, home theater ediquette, support for art house cinemas, the Dragon’s Lair movie adaptation, and new hope for Star Trek: Voyager fans. Stick around to the end for more Picard finale spoiler-talk!