Silver paint catches every ray of sunlight across the smooth curves of this 2006 Aston Martin DB9. A linear actuator tilts the front fascia forward on hinged brackets. Twin assemblies shaped like miniguns slide into view right behind the grille. Propane and oxygen tanks stored in the trunk feed these devices so they shoot real flames when activated. Smoke canisters mounted on the rear subframe release thick clouds for equally dramatic exits. These effects turn the car into a rolling tribute to James Bond without any actual weapons involved.
Tito of Macho Nacho Productions recently shared details on a pair of adapters that push the Nintendo GameCube into new territory for game storage. Creators Makeo and Silver Steele built the USB Dolphin in two distinct forms to let owners load games straight from modern USB devices. One version plugs into the SP1 port on the underside of the console for a tidy appearance. The second version fits directly into the memory card slots labeled A or B. Each adapter connects the GameCube to USB storage such as SSDs or ordinary thumb drives through Swiss homebrew software.
Art lovers searching for a meaningful summer project will enjoy the LEGO Ideas Vincent van Gogh The Starry Night set, priced at $136 (was $170). This 2,316-piece model turns the 1889 painting into a three-dimensional display that captures the original’s swirling energy in brick form. The project began as a fan submission on the LEGO Ideas platform. Designer Truman Cheng translated the famous canvas into a build that uses clever layering instead of flat mosaics.
Messier 51 (M51) is located around 31 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. Astronomers call it the Whirlpool Galaxy because of the elegant way its spiral arms extend outward from the center. NGC 5195, a smaller companion galaxy, interacts with it, helping to sculpt its sweeping characteristics. Recent observations have focused on one stretch of a spiral arm where stars develop in huge groupings. Infrared photos from the James Webb Space Telescope now reveal details hidden inside dense clouds of gas and dust.
