A grid of small mirrors stands there, waiting for light to hit them. Then, in perfect harmony, each mirror tilts and swivels around its own axis. Reflected rays move across a neighboring wall or floor. Lines, forms, and full-fledged animations appear to hover in midair when light spots combine to form them. Time Sink Studio created the Living Mirror, which transforms ordinary sunlight or a spotlight into programmed doodling.
Pour-over coffee is the way to go for many people; it’s a clean, flavorful cup that hits the spot in a way that automatic drip coffee can’t. The whole point is that slowly dripping water over fresh grounds brings out nuances and subtleties that an automatic coffee machine will rinse right down the drain. However, standing there waiting for the water to flow with a gooseneck kettle is about the most tedious thing you can imagine.
Photo credit: Studio Link-Arc | Tian Fangfang
Deep within Yunlu Wetland Park in Shundes, south China, there’s a building that blends in with the trees and water, making it difficult to see from a distance, despite being right across from an island where thousands of egrets have made their home. Studio Link-Arc completed this museum a year ago, resulting in a space that serves as both a learning center for all things wetland as well as a great place to observe local wildlife.
Every year, millions of passengers board a Boeing 777 and settle into their seats as the plane gently climbs to cruising altitude. Even the most experienced flyers are unlikely to consider the tiny little box of electronics and sensors that work tirelessly to make the air inside the plane safe to breathe.
Winter storms (or just everyday life) arrive unexpectedly, leaving homes in darkness. That’s when the Anker 521 Portable Power Station, priced at $129.99 (was $199.99), comes to the rescue as a portable power station that keeps the essentials running without taking up a lot of room.
A game developer named Rebane has thrown a curveball at foldable phone owners. His creation, Foldy Bird, is a very clever clone of the infamous Flappy Bird experience that allows gamers to control the little pixelated bird by opening and shutting their device.
Valve has been teasing a Steam Machine comeback, but a group of enthusiasts have discovered an interesting alternative in repurposing outdated hardware from the wild west of cryptocurrency mining. ASRock’s BC-250 boards first appeared in mining rigs, jammed into server racks to fit as many units as feasible.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope got 2026 off to a fantastic start by capturing another breathtaking glimpse of the Westerlund 2 star cluster, a wild and wacky collection of stars buried inside the Gum 29 nebula in the constellation Carina, 20,000 light years away. The image of this starry panorama, released on December 19 as ESA’s final Picture of the Month for 2025, displays what JWST’s NIRCam and MIRI cameras were able to capture in infrared, providing a good look at an area around 6 to 13 light-years across and filled with thousands of stars.
