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The Art of Television Repair
After moving to the United States from Taiwan, Chi-Tien Lui used his background in electronics to open his own shop in Manhattan in 1969. Artist, directors, and musicians flocked to his shop to test out the latest video equipment. Today, Lui uses his decade of knowledge to maintain and repair this vintage machinery to help preserve priceless art for museums like the Smithsonian and MoMA.
Making Sesame Street
For fifty years, Sesame Street has been in production at the Astoria Studios in Queens, New York City. The show created children's television and has had a huge impact that spans generations. Business Insider goes backstage with Sesame Street's executive producer Ben Lehmann to find out what it takes to make a season of the show.
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Fabio Wibmer's Fabulous Escape 2
Mountain biking takes place in the mountains — but not the snow-covered kind in Saalbach, Austria. The pro biker's latest escapade finds him outrunning the police with huge jumps, rooftop gaps, and an impressive helicopter entrance.
The Final Year
The changing of administrations after an election is one of the most chaotic times in government. There can be a total change of policy and personnel involving potentially thousands of people — and the race is on as the outgoing administration tries to cement its policy in the face of an incoming one. HBO had unprecedented access to the last year of the Obama administration as they prepared to hand over the reins of government while trying to keep all their work over the last eight years from being undone.
True Facts About Frogfish
After a three-year hiatus, Ze Frank returns and he's brought his nature mockumentary series along with him. The "True Facts" revival kicks things off with an in-depth look at the masters of disguise, Frogfish.
Racing Lines Explained
The fastest way around a race track isn't the shortest. A proper racing line is all about momentum and carrying it into the straights for maximum speed. Chain Bear F1 has this great explainer on racing lines and why they have little to do with geometry.
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Machine Era Titanium Wallet
After years of fine-tuning their original, Machine Era has perfected their wallet with an even slimmer, lighter model. Made from aerospace grade titanium that's been coated with a black DLC PVD coating, your cards and cash are held in place with an elastic band, and its slim, ultralight profile is ideal for front pocket carry. The wallet, which holds up to seven credit cards, is also RFID-blocking, keeping the card chips secure from hackers. A small opening in the back allows you to quickly access items with the swipe of a thumb or open bottles with the flip of a wrist.
Length: 3.4" / Width: 2.25" / Thickness: 0.28" / Weight: 0.6 oz
Casper Wave
The result of three years of research and millions of data points, the Casper Wave is a breakthrough in mattress design. Underneath its handsome exterior, you'll find the new, proprietary Natural Geometry System. It uses five layers of foam to mimic the natural contours of your body at 36 specific points, adjusting naturally to your shoulders and hips without sacrificing support, and keeping your spine properly aligned. Like the original, it uses open-cell foams to keep you cool at night. Designed and assembled in the USA.
Presented by Casper.
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The Rain
Stay dry. That's the best advice for the survivors in The Rain, a Danish project coming to Netflix. A virus carried by the rain has wiped out nearly all of Scandinavia, and the few people left must band together to survive. The series debuts May 4, 2018.
King of the Night
New York City has an illustrious history of chess, and Imad Khachan is the proprietor of Chess Forum, the last chess shop in town. An immigrant with no family, Imad is "the father of everyone," in his own words. This intimate look inside Chess Forum shows the importance of community in a world where face-to-face gatherings are becoming far too infrequent.
The Truth About Space
There are a lot of rumors and half-truths surrounding space and what it's really like to be out there. Chris Hadfield was the first Canadian to walk in space and has been there three times, making him a bit of an expert on the subject. Chris refutes some of the biggest myths surrounding living above the atmosphere and even confirms a few in this question-and-answer session with WIRED.
Venom
Make that four Marvel films in 2018. Although not a part of the official universe, the Spider-Man spin-off will begin a string of shared storylines by Sony-owned Marvel characters. The movie will follow the origins of the Spidey anti-hero with Tom Hardy portraying Eddie Brock as he transforms into Venom. Also starring Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed, the film is slated for release October 5, 2018.
The Trademark Touches of Edgar Wright
Director Edgar Wright has been making some of the sharpest comedy films for over 15 years. With 2004's Shaun of the Dead up to Scott Pilgrim Saves the World, Wright has made the snap-zoom, whip-pan, sight gags, and match cut a part of his directorial vocabulary. TIFF takes a look at what makes an Edgar Wright film an Edgar Wright film in this supercut.
Sharp Objects
Big Little Lies director Jean-Marc Vallée is heading another miniseries for HBO. Based on the book by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, Amy Adams returns to her hometown after a series of gruesome murders. The journalist has a history of self-harm after suffering from the death of her younger sister. Consisting of eight episodes, Sharp Objects will premiere in July 2018.
Westworld's Drone Hosts
The season two premiere of Westworld introduced a new host to the show's world — the drone host. Their faceless, skinless design is exceedingly creepy, which is exactly what the creators were going for. Take a look behind the scenes at how the drone hosts were created, and how the actors inside the suits brought them to artificial life.
Safe
Michael C. Hall is taking the law into his own hands once again in a new series for Netflix. After his daughter goes missing, the Dexter star begins to search for her and uncovers the dark secrets of the people living in his gated community in the process. The show will begin streaming May 10, 2018.
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Keeps Hair Loss Products
We don't like to talk about it, but 2 out of 3 guys start losing their hair by age 35. Keeps know that the sooner you take action, the better, and gives you access to the only two FDA approved hair loss products for about $1 a day. To get started, go to their website, answer a few questions, and a doctor will send the right hair loss medications for you. The first month is free, and there's no easier way to keep the hair you still have.
Presented by Keeps.
Drinkfinity
It can be tough to get enough water every day. Drinkfinity helps ease the task by turning plain H2O into a mood-boosting beverage. Made with a mix of dry and liquid ingredients, each pod contains vitamins and minerals that have different benefits. Some are infused with green coffee bean extract to jumpstart your day or chamomile and lemongrass extracts for that relaxing moment. But one thing you won't find is any artificial flavors or artificial sweeteners. There's also the feel-good aspect of knowing that each pod contains 65% less plastic than a 20-ounce drink bottle.
Presented by Drinkfinity.
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Endless Energy and Black Hole Bombs
A spinning black hole could provide enough energy to power civilization for trillions of years — and create the biggest bomb known to the universe. Using the rotation of a black hole to supercharge electromagnetic waves could create massive amounts of energy or equally massive amounts of destruction. Kurzgesagt explains what it would take to harness a black hole and the potential risks of the process.
2001: A Space Odyssey
50 years ago, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey turned what was capable in film on its head. Revolutionizing special effects, telling a story unlike any other, and helping to lay the groundwork for the portrayal of outer space in films to come, 2001: A Space Odyssey is a cinema masterpiece. For the first time since its release, a new 70mm film print has been made from the original negatives and will be presented in a series of limited viewings for the anniversary of this legendary film.
Prince / Nothing Compares 2 U
In 1984, Prince and the Revolution were rehearsing at the Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse in Eden Prairie, Minnesota for an upcoming tour. During practice, Prince launched into what would become a massive hit for Sinead O'Connor six years later — Nothing Compares 2 U. The amazing composition has just been released for the first time, a reminder of how amazing a songwriter Prince was, even when he wasn't in front of an audience.
Playing 37 Guitar Pedals At Once
There comes a time of existential crisis in every guitarist's life where you look down at the pile of steel boxes and writhing mass of cables at your feet and think, "What am I doing?" Fuzz, compressor, delay, distortion, overdrive, modulation — there's a pedal for every occasion and eventually you wonder how it could have gotten to this point. Steve Onotera recently had this problem and set out to solve the only way he knows how — by playing all 37 of his pedals at once.
The Government Grows Weed
Yes, the US government grows weed. In one place. Under strictly controlled circumstances. The University of Mississippi is the only place in the country that has a DEA license to grow marijuana for research purposes, and they've been doing it for 50 years. Mashable sat down with Dr. Chen, Director of the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, for the inside story of the government's history of growing pot.
Cigar Factory Storytellers
In 1865, a Cuban cigar factory owner came up with the idea to have someone read to his workers as they rolled cigars, as an in-house education program. The idea caught on with other factories, and the tradition continues to this day.
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Deadpool 2
Forget the Justice League or the Avengers. Deadpool is assembling his own team of superheroes. Dubbed the X-Force, the band of misfits goes head to head with the time-traveling cyborg Cable. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, T.J. Miller, Brianna Hildebrand, Zazie Beetz, and Stefan Kapičić, the sequel is scheduled for release May 18, 2018.
Rick Astley Sings With Choir! Choir! Choir!
He's not just a meme anymore — Rick Astley is making a comeback. Rick has popped up on stage with the Foo Fighters, is writing all new material, and now he's in New York with Choir! Choir! Choir! The group made a video asking Rick to come in for a session, and this is how it went down.
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The Camera Trademarks of Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad revolutionized television. Not just with its characters and storylines, but also the visuals used by Vince Gilligan and cinematographer Michael Slovis. The series can be summed up by four major camera trademarks — wide-angle shots, time-lapses, POV, and wide and closed shots. In this video, ScreenPrism breaks down these techniques and how they affected the way we watched the show.
20 Years of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill's recording career lasted less than a decade, from The Fugee's Blunted on Reality to 2002's MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. Yet that in that short time span, she managed to inspire generations of artists with a mix of vintage soul and thoughtful lyrics. Nerdwriter lets the artist and her music speak for itself in this short documentary covering how her music still resonates two decades later.
Porsche Icons
Few automakers can match Porsche's success on the road, on the track, or off of either. If it can be won, Porsche has won it. From purpose-built race cars to the won-everything 911, Porsche has one of the most iconic lineups ever. Take a walk down memory lane and look at some of the most successful Porsches in the companies history.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and B. D. Wong return to Isla Nublar but more importantly, Jeff Goldblum is returning to the franchise. Set four years after the previous film, the others work in an effort to save dinosaurs from a second extinction after a volcanic eruption threatens their lives. Derek Connolly and Colin Trevorrow return as writers, while J. A. Bayona steps in as director. The film is slated for release June 22, 2018.
10 Years of Marvel Studios
Iron Man released a decade ago — and changed the course of movie history. The film marked the start of 10 years of Marvel films that have only gotten bigger, right up to 2018's Black Panther. This short retrospective takes a quick look back at how the MCU got started, and where it's headed for the future.
Speed Record on El Capitan
Deemed unbreakable, climbers Brad Gobright and Jim Reynolds did the impossible by surpassing the speed record for El Capitan. The duo scaled Yosemite's infamous rock wall in just 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 44 seconds, beating the old record by just 4 minutes. In this time-lapse, Tristan Greszko condenses the impressive feat down to an enjoyable 5-minutes.
