The US National Institute of Standards and Technology sells a variety of "standard reference materials" for calibrating equipment and developing new measurement techniques. There are a number of curious products available, including item SRM 1546a: cans of "Meat Homogenate," sold in a four-pack for $1,064. Inside the generic packaging is a carefully measured "mixture of pork and chicken products blended together in a commercial process."

However, if you're a vegetarian and seeking protein, you might prefer to purchase item SRM 2387 from the NIST: three jars of peanut butter for $1,069.

Outdoorsy stuff is taking advantage of interesting fabrics, like this one-way see-through hunting blind. They even work in the rain if you tap them. Seems way better than the tents with metal poles we had back in the day. Image: YouTube / Primos Hunting READ THE REST

Samsung claims to have developed an "Ultra Thin Glass" for its new Galaxy Z Flip foldable smartphone, signalling scratch resistance and durability beyond that of similar products. But tests conducted by Zack Nelson using a Mohs Hardness Testkit [Amazon] — a set of styluses made of different materials — show that it is no more… READ THE REST

It's historically been tough and slow-going to 3D print objects made from multiple materials. Now, Harvard researchers developed an ingenious nozzle that enables the 3D printer to spew out eight different materials at the resolution of a human hair. To demonstrate the system, they printed fantastic flexible origami structures and even a "soft" robotic millipede… READ THE REST

We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Remember the days when telling time didn't require you to remember to charge anything each night? Well, those old timepieces didn't allow you to check the weather, read texts, or keep… READ THE REST

We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. There are holidays that simply inspire shopping: Christmas, Halloween, Easter … and National Knife Day?  Yep, National Knife Day (aka August 24) is here, and it's an opportunity to celebrate one of the… READ THE REST

We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. There's hardly anything better than a beautiful wristwatch, but sometimes the price can make you want to run the other way. And if you're a student who needs to keep track of the time… READ THE REST

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