Cool Hunting Video: Alex Reben

An alumni of MIT's Media Lab and NASA, this artist applies his engineering skills to create robots

In a room piled with resistors, circuit boards and projects in various states of completion, we spoke with talented artist and engineer Alex Reben about his body of work. Reben—an alumni of MIT’s Media Lab and NASA—has moved away from his traditional line of work to apply his engineering expertise to his art. Often exploring the blurred lines of human-machine interaction, Reben’s work is incredibly …

Test Drive: 2015 Porsche Macan S and Macan Turbo

Off-road and on the track with the all-new model to see if it lives up to its badge

Brand extensions are tricky. Sure, businesses always want to expand their reach and attract new customers, but veer too far from the core mission and you frustrate your fans and alienate the true believers. For as many successful examples of the business maneuver (the iPhone, Yamaha motorcycles, Virgin Airlines) there are more failures (Paula Deen Kids Furniture, Men’s Vogue, Virgin Water Purifiers, McPizza). These days, …

Studio Visit: Jólan van der Wiel

The experimental Amsterdam designer shows the strengths of using gravity as a medium

With its large weighted wooden frame, pulleys and ropes aplenty, Jólan van der Wiel‘s experiments into gravity as a natural design force is a perfect example of The Netherlands’ process-driven design ethos. An extension of the work by those rogues at Droog and the provocative Marcel Wanders, his work is driven by a transparent creative streak, and progressive use of materials and production methods. The …