Camping was once a way for people to experience life without the modern marvels of technology. That’s still an option today, but some prefer unfolding their portable ovens and making sure that their phones remain charged. With the rise of glamping and festivals, people are now packing more than just their traditional camping gear, as The Guardian details: 

“People are making things a bit more bespoke,” said Mike Attwooll, product buyer at the camp shop Attwoolls. “You go out for the day and back to your base at night and it’s like home.”

Ten years ago electrical hook-ups were unusual, but now they are the norm, he said, as campers look to plug in phones and run equipment they would previously have left behind. He had recently seen photos of someone holding a film night in their tent using a mini-projector, he said.

James Warner Smith of the website Cool Camping said technology had brought modern campers a whole range of choices. “Some guys have developed a folding pizza oven that you can take with you. It does rotisserie chicken too,” he said. “There’s a no-electricity coffee maker, and there are quite few stoves that have USB ports in them so you can charge your phone while you are cooking.” 

Image via The Guardian

Do you get frustrated when you can’t defeat the AI player in chess? It seems that your opponents are always one step ahead of you. While we make mistakes, computers can master games; they're able to run enough simulations to anticipate every move of the player. That’s how they’re able to defeat a normal player, and why some of us groan in frustration. Popular Science details the history of how machines are able to beat humans at their own games. Check the full piece here.  

image via Popular Science

It’s always fun to see the development of automobile designs. Seeing how far companies and developers have taken one of mankind’s helpful tools can also give us an insight on what trends the manufacturers have taken into account during the creation of these cars. Automobile Magazine features the different concept cars from the 1980s, when America was starting to take off economically. Check the full piece here. 

image via Automobile Magazine

Montreal-based graphic designer Olivier Bruel has done a mashup that is a welcoming distraction. Bruel has combined several well-known logos, such as Google and Lego, and the results are strange but fascinating. Creative Bloq has more details: 

Perhaps the most enjoyable of Bruel's designs are the most incongruous. We're not sure Peta and Metallica are often used in the same sentence, but the logo for Petallica (above) is making us imagine all sorts of head-banging heavy metal songs about small, furry animals. 

You can enjoy more of our favourite examples below, and find the full, strange collection on Bruel's website. For more marvellous mashups, take a look at these fun Disney NBA logos.

image via Creative Bloq

Well, sort of. Russian artist Roman Booteen modified a 1921 U.S. dollar coin to feature a glove, a sword, and a surprising mechanism. His carving on the coin is exceptional, as the coin now features a metal armor glove with decorative, hand-engraved details. The additional charm in this piece of art is from a hidden mechanism when a hidden button is pressed, as My Modern Met detailed: 

The glove is holding onto a sword that seems to be plunged into the side of the coin. The piece is already impressive as a still sculpture; however, once the hidden button on the outer edge of the coin is pressed, the metal components come to life. An integrated spring allows the fingers of the glove to move, as if it’s gasping the sword’s handle.

image via My Modern Met

Who wouldn’t dream of going on a much needed vacation every now and then? Unfortunately, due to the current pandemic, that isn’t much of an option. That doesn’t mean we can’t take a break! Minjin Kang and Mijoo Kim of MUE Studio created some vibrant, minimalistic worlds in their series called ‘Visual Escapism, Somewhere in the World 2020.’ The artists aimed to create dreamlike dreamlike spaces that are architecturally rendered in 3D. Check out more pieces from the series here. 

image via We And The Color

Street art isn’t just the optical illusion we see drawn on roads or pavements, some are in the form of different object displays, like a colorful row of umbrellas over a street. National Geographic features different kinds of street art from all over the globe. Check all the images here. 

image via National Geographic Kids

It’s good to reuse old items in order to reduce waste! These old shipping containers were turned into a luxurious hotel. The Geneseo Inn was a collaboration between architecture firm Ecotech Design, winery owners Steve Crass and Ted Plemons, and CRATE Modular. Each room in the hotel is made of two shipping containers joined at the center, as Euronews detailed: 

“The design was inspired by the vineyard itself,” says Walter Scott Perry, founder of Ecotech Design. “The most compelling attribute of this project is the use of modular components, in combination with recycled materials.”

“The structures become truly integrated with their environment. Both container units and the vineyard itself have been recycled.”

All of the other materials have been locally sourced and are either recycled or environmentally friendly. A green roof and solar panels will also be added in the future..

Inside, the ceilings and floors are made from wood and agricultural materials that were previously used by the winery.

image via Euronews

Do you have any old family photos that are looking worse for wear? It’s expensive to hire photography studios to restore old photos, so why not restore it on your own? Anyone who’s interested in restoring old photos can do it with Photoshop and Lightroom. Light Stalking shares some tips and tricks on how to restore old photos. Check the full piece here. 

image via Light Stalking 

Talk about a beautiful coincidence! Photographer Sarah Bethea was able to take a photo of the setting sun lining up with a glacier cave in Southern Iceland. The light from the sun made the interior of the cave look like glowing amber. PetaPixel has more details: 

The Oregon-based photographer witnessed this phenomenon in December 2017. It’s said that the Sun only lights up the glacier cave in this way once or twice a year.

“The light of the sunset striking the ice made it glow like amber for just a few minutes,” Bethea writes. “I expected these ice caves to be beautiful, but this was quite a surprise. Nature never fails to amaze.”

image via PetaPixel

You’ve heard of do-it-yourself projects on a smaller scale, get ready for DIYs on a bigger scale. Hello Wood presents the Kabinka, a simple and modern small-batch cabin. The Budapest-based creative architectural and design studio took cues from local rural architecture design. The Kabinka is made for those who want to build a weekend home, as Designboom detailed: 

‘the tiny house movement, which bursted into hungary a few years ago, unites those who favor a more conscious way of living and building,’ comments hello wood. ‘there is a growing number of people enamored with holiday homes and unique houses close to nature, who are looking for an intimate place to disappear to when on vacation and hello wood’s newest, reasonably priced, charming cabin, kabinka, is sure to resonate with them. it can be used as a great weekend home or a private work space, but it is also a perfect option for companies in need of a community space or meeting room.’

kabinka is available in four different sizes — from 12 to 20 square meters. inside, users can fit a tea kitchen, bathroom, couch and stove. with sustainability in mind, the cabin has been built applying a low-energy consumption and environmental focus, resulting in a structure that is greener than one built with non-renewable materials and conventional technologies

image via Designboom

The MIMIC e-bike is a crouching-jungle-cat bike designed by Roman Dolzhenko. It looks like it came straight out of Tron Legacy. The bike has a dual-lamp headlight at the front, as if they are the bike’s eyes, as Yanko Design details: 

Outfitted with what looks less like a body and more like armor, the MIMIC e-bike comes with a rounded, Tron Light Cycle-inspired form with rounded elements and just an overall absence of straight lines or sharp edges. The e-bike has a dual-lamp headlight fitted on the front, looking almost like a menacing pair of eyes, and a dashboard that lays flush against the e-bike’s curved panther-esque body. Wakanda Forever!

Other noteworthy details include a cantilever seat, inverted handlebars with the brake levers facing the rider, and a three-hexagon logo on both the front and back wheel, a detail that pays tribute to Daniel Simon, designer of the Tron Light Cycle, who uses a similar hexagon insignia to mark his designs.

Do you think this e-bike can be the king of Wakanda’s sweet ride? 

image via Yanko Design

If you hate wearing slippers at home but also hate going barefoot, you might want to consider an alternative: sock shoes. FitKicks is a pair of super durable socks made from water-resistant athletic material, and they give you all the slip-on comfort of wearing socks around your house, but with extra support and grip. This popular $20-footwear has over a thousand reviews, as Southern Living has more details: 

In theory, thanks to a sturdy rubber sole, they can also be just as useful for those pursuing active ventures like yoga and kayaking as they are for when lounging about the house, ice cream bowl in hand.

One reviewer raves, “I have four pair already and have my eye on another pair…I don’t like wearing shoes I’ve worn outside the house inside the home. These can be easily washed, so they are perfect.” Another shopper on her fourth pair says, “They’re addicting!” Proceed with caution, folks.

image via Southern Living

Collecting vintage jewelry is a difficult task. The market for these prized jewels are enormous, and some people might not know what to actually buy for their personal collection. Some would ask consultants to help them build their collections and obtain some rare pieces. Forbes asked jewelry expert Jill Heller to give some tips on what to look out for: 

Buying vintage jewelry is an investment that can take a lot of time and research. It’s an intimidating process for people who don’t know the ins and outs of the business, so that’s where a jewelry consultant like me steps in. I tell my clients what’s worth spending money on and what’s not, and I help them build the right collection. I’m also their connection to a network of vintage dealers all over the world who give me access to exclusive pieces that aren’t available to the public.

image via Forbes

Sometimes we can’t decide what to wear in or outside our homes. When undecided, some people turn to astrology for guidance. While it isn’t scientifically proven, there’s no harm in following horoscopes! Did you know that your zodiac sign can influence your style? Nylon has the details: 

Goxip, a fashion and beauty search platform, partnered with astrologer Francesca Oddie to uncover why certain signs gravitate toward certain trends.

"Your horoscope affects what you wear since your horoscope reflects and defines your tastes. It defines your psychology and is your DNA," said Oddie in an official statement, provided by Goxip. "It's just intrinsic to who you are and the way you make decisions. The best way in life to be fulfilled is to really, really live out the truth of your horoscope."

Goxip has also picked out the most popular trends best suited for each sign.

Check out what you should look for based on your zodiac sign here. 

image via Nylon