STUFF: News, Technology, the cool and the plain weird

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MANIGOD CHALET

Tucked away in the French Alps is the Manigod Chalet. Converted from a 1833 farmhouse, elements of the original 19th century cabin were preserved by enlisting the help of local craftsmen and the use of weathered wood for beams, ceilings and floors. A beige and brown color palette provides a rustic warmth, while cement tile kitchen floors and a Bourgogne stone fireplace add contemporary elements to the interior. An abundance of windows can be found on all three floors, offering 180-degree views of the snow-capped mountains.

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Aston Martin DB11 Unveiled: Bigger, Faster, More Powerful

James Bond has a new car. The successor to the iconic Aston Martin DB9 — and the one-off DB10 — has been revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, and the DB11 is a significant redesign; a new twin-turbocharged V12 engine, and a lighter aluminium bodyframe, mean that the company’s newest car is simultaneously its most powerful and most efficient.

The DB11 is longer, wider and slightly taller than the DB9, but that means more room inside — wider door entry space, more headroom and legroom, and even mounting points for two child seats in the rear. There’s that distinctive Aston styling across both the outside and inside, but like many of its luxury competitors the DB11 has stormed into the information age with a fully digital 12-inch LCD for the instrument cluster, as well as an 8-inch display in the centre of the dash for in-car satellite navigation and media.

There’s an extensively redeveloped engine under the DB11’s bonnet — last year’s 5.9-litre naturally aspirated V12 has been ditched in favour of a 5.2-litre, twin-turbocharged V12 developing 447kW and 700Nm of torque at maximum evolution, making the DB11 Aston Martin’s most powerful production DB-model vehicle ever. The car will sprint 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds, and will head to an electronically limited top speed of 320km/h. It’s also the first Aston with electric power steering, as well as torque vectoring for equal power distribution between the rear wheels.

It’s efficient, too, with stop-start for the engine in traffic and on-demand cylinder deactivation during light-duty driving, effectively cutting power and fuel consumption on half the V12’s cylinders down to an inline six-cylinder. That trend of effiency continues, too, with smarter aero bodywork both in the curlicue near the front wheels — which disperses high-pressure air and keeps the front of the car planted — and a “virtual spoiler” in the rear fed by intakes behind the rear side windows which Aston Martin calls the AeroBlade.

Price? Not cheap, but not outrageous — Aston Martin is forecasting £154,900 in the UK, €204,900 in Germany and US$211,995 in the United States, with deliveries starting in the fourth quarter of this year.

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Astronaut Scott Kelly Made It Safely Back To Earth

After almost a year in space aboard the International Space Station, yesterday NASA astronaut Scott Kelly began his descent back to Earth along with cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Sergey Volkov. You’ll be pleased to hear they made it back to Earth safe and sound.

NASA has announced that the trio landed in Kazakhstan at 3:26pm AEDT on March 2 — or 10:26am on March 2 in Kazakhstan time. Despite plummeting 400km at speeds of up to 27,300km/h, the journey home went smoothly.

The safe arrival back on Earth sees Kelly set two American records, having chalked up the most consecutive days in space, at 340, and most days in space cumulatively at 520. Meanwhile Kornienko has racked up 516 days in space and Volkov an impressive 548.

These sustained missions are being used to investigate how the human body responds to long-term visits to space. That will include direct comparisons between Scott Kelly and his twin brother, ex-astronaut Mike Kelly.

View of Mikhail Kornienko through the window of the Soyuz-TMA-18M.

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This Terrifying Skyslide Just Won Observation Decks

With LA’s Wilshire Grand to be crowned as the new tallest building west of the Mississippi, you might expect the former tallest building west of the Mississippi to just sulk into oblivion. No way! The US Bank Tower is one-upping every observation deck on the planet with a soon-to-be-vomit-covered slide. ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING.

Curbed LA has the details on the “skyslide,” a 10.97m glass slide that will allow to visitors to travel from the 70th to the 69th floor. ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING:

Called the Skyslide, the chute will be made of clear glass four inches thick, sit about 304.80m above the ground, and totally one-up other observation decks that just have that scary all-glass platform that creates the illusion of standing on air (like the one at Chicago’s Willis Tower).

The skyslide should be open in a few months and will require a separate ticket for access — that’s $US25 ($35) to get to the observation deck and an extra $US8 ($11) to slide down a piece of glass for three seconds, even though you’ll probably close your eyes the entire ride. But I’m guessing right now that getting tickets to this thing will not be easy. Especially since they will have to spend so much time fishing out the people who faint.

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COPPER CANYON RESTAURANT IN MEXICO

Look out below! Mexican architecture firm Tall Arquitectos just released some renderings of Bire Bitori, the stomach turning (no we’re not talking about the food) cliff side restaurant and cocktail lounge. The concept embeds the establishment within the rock face of the heart-stopping landscape high above Mexico’s Copper Canyon, quite literally altering the “atmosphere” of the dining experience.

If that wasn’t enough, the rendering proposes including a glass bottom to the dining room floor. While not for the faint of heart, the cantilevered restaurant would provide world class panoramic views of the canyon surrounding the building and the famous Basaseachic Falls. No telling when this architectural feat will come to fruition, though when it does, better believe we’ll be there sipping on a couple mile-high manhattans.

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BOOMCASE U.S.S BOOMER

Take that Putin. Leave it to the good ol’ U.S.A to convert a vintage Russian Army Ammo Box into a pumping boombox. Formally used to house 7.62 Russian ammo, the U.S.S Boomer is made of solid wood now with over 100 watts of power and two 5.25” Peal woofers. Also featured are two dome tweeters and one flat mid-range speaker.

All told, with the U.S.S Boomer you get a frequency response of 55hz-20,000hz, all held within the 16”x14”x6” classic ammo box that weights under 14 pounds. Each BoomCase is rechargeable and boasts a battery life of over 18 hours on a full charge. They also come equipped with a battery meter so there are no unwelcome interruptions during playback. And for those wireless users on the run, shoulder straps and Bluetooth wireless capabilities are available for an additional $35 and $45 respectively. Available for $745. [Purchase]

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ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST & WRAITH BLACK BADGE TRIM

This year’s Geneva Show has given auto makers a chance to flex their muscles, showcasing some of the latest and greatest from their range of vehicles. Rolls-Royce is joining in on the festivities, pulling the curtain back on their all new “Black Badge” models.

Offering up the beloved Ghost and Wraith models in a deep, dark, black paint job, they’re billing the Black Badge release as one for all of the disruptors who are looking to “change the world in their own way”. Capitalizing on the never ending trend of head to toe blackness, both luxury models receive a blacked out grill, boot lid finisher, and exhaust pipes – resulting a stellar finish that’s sure to turn some heads. The luxury car company didn’t just stop with darkening the chrome, though – all four wheels are made out of composite carbon fiber, and the body is painted with what they are saying is the darkest black ever used on a production car. The brand also reworked the interior dash with aluminum-threaded carbon fiber, but it wasn’t just about making these things look good. Rolls wanted these beauties to perform as well.

Both vehicles have seen a bump in power, with the Ghost’s 6.6-liter V12 engine now pumping out 603 horsepower and 620 lb-ft of torque. The Wraith produces a few more ponies with 623 HP and 642 lb-ft of torque, while both models benefit from a butter smooth 8-speed automatic transmission. This means you’ll be able to tap into all of that power without sacrificing a comfortable ride. Prices haven’t been released for this model yet, but you can expect them to cost a pretty penny.

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2016 MORGAN EV3

Steampunk hipsters rejoice. British carmaker Morgan Motor Co. unleashed the ultimate retro machine at this year’s Geneva Motor Show with the EV3, the manufacturer’s first electric vehicle. Blending modernist virtues with vintage cosmetics, the EV3 is based on the company’s existing petrol-powered Morgan Three-Wheeler. Here, instead of a gasoline engine under the hood lies a liquid-cooled 46 KW electric motor powered by a 20kWh battery.

Now while this battery pack doesn’t sound like it packs a lot of punch, its lightweight body (1100 lbs) enables it to hit 0-60 in 9 seconds and a top speed of 90mph. Upon closer inspection of the EV3, you’ll notice the design inspiration from classic aero engine cars and motorcycles of the 1930s. Also featuring an off-centered headlight, observers are hard pressed to believe this three-wheeler was built in the 21st century. But then again, they did like the style before it was cool. Production is set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2016.

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Mars levitating wireless hi-fi speaker

Meet Mars, a levitating wireless hi-fi speaker. The levitation Bluetooth speaker system features a sub-woofer base and a UFO shaped floating tweeter (Mars Craft) that floats elegantly in space producing the mid to high-end sounds, and spanning sound a full 360 degrees. The craft will land on the base when the battery dies out and will start charging with built-in wireless capabilities. The flying-saucer style speaker is also portable and can be used separate from the sleek base, so you can take it wherever you like and stream to it through the Bluetooth connection. Its also magnetic, so itll stick to your bike or car, plus, its waterproof to three feet!

[MIKA27]

LA COLOMBE DRAFT LATTE

It's not easy to acquire a true latte without traveling to a coffee shop or firing up an expensive machine at home. But now, you get maximum taste that requires minimum effort thanks to La Colombe's Draft Latte. Each latte comes in a 9 ounce can that is ready-to-drink and features the same texture and foam that you'd get from your local barista. The blend includes an all-natural blend of cold-pressed espresso, milk, and 2 grams of cane sugar. Best served cold with a shelf life of up to 180 days.

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STUMPTOWN GRAND CRU COLD BREW

Made with highly sought-after El Puente Gesha beans, the new Stumptown Grand Cru Cold Brew is a coffee experience unlike any other. When brewed with traditional methods, this rare variety offers a flavor reminiscent of tea, with notes of both bergamot and tropical fruit. By cold brewing it, Stumptown created something even more unique, with a bright, crisp flavor and notes of orange blossom and papaya, and a sweet finish that brings to mind crème brûlée. It comes in 750ml bottles, and is available exclusively in Stumptown cafes for a limited time.

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Lazareth's 4.7L V8 Motorcycle Is A Beautiful Monstrosity

Well, it’s completely clear now where Batman buys his motorcycles. French manufacturer Lazareth has just unveiled the LM 847, its latest, seemingly impossible creation. Sure, it looks like someone was trying to build a car, got bored 10 minutes in and just stuck all the good bits together, but boy, it’s hard not to be impressed.

Before you ask, yes, that big chunk of machinery in the middle of the LM 847 is a 4.7 litre, 32-valve V8 engine from Maserati. It can put out 470 horsepower (350kW), putting a lot of cars to shame.

I have no idea how practical this 400kg behemoth is to ride — all I can conjure are images of the rider floating in mid-air as the bike zooms off at near light speed down the highway.

From what I can tell, the LM 847 isn’t available to purchase, in fact, the impression I get is that it’s more of an experiment than anything else. I wouldn’t be surprised if it simply exploded as soon as the ignition key was turned.

For more pictures, including close-ups of the hardware, hit up the bike’s page on the Lazareth website.

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NINTENDO 3DS LL FAMICON EDITION

Though the universal popularity of Nintendo began to wane with the new millennium, that doesn’t mean those who were present still don’t appreciate a little retro throwback tribute every now and again. Nintendo piggybacked on this notion in the past and now have come full circle with their 3DS LL Famicon edition. Built to resemble the Super NES, the retro screen will meet the double-screen handheld design of the regular 3DS LL.

The Nintendo 3DS LL, released a few years back, is slightly thinner, larger, and 7 grams lighter than its predecessor. The model increased its display size (which explains the increased dimensions) and feature secondary ZL and ZR triggers in addition to a secondary analog stick. The redesign aimed to address the control problems users were facing with the original 3DS. The throwback tribute version of the 3DS LL will be available this April for approximately $190.

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BARTON 1792 SINGLE BARREL BOURBON

The Barton 1792 Distillery takes its name from the year Kentucky became a state, and might be the most underrated distillery in the bluegrass. 1792 Single Barrel Bourbon is the third special release from Barton in the past year, but the first that is a single barrel expression. Bottled at 98.6 proof, it follows the already sold out Sweet Wheat and Port Finish special releases and will likely follow suit when it comes to scarcity as well.

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Scientists Will Finally Drill Into The Dinosaur-Killing Impact Crater In Mexico

Sixty-six million years ago, planet Earth had a bad day when a 10km-wide asteroid smashed into the Yucatán Peninsula, triggering a series of events that killed off the dinosaurs. Later this month, a scientific expedition will drill into the heart of Chicxulub crater for the very first time, seeking to learn more about the nature of that disaster.

The buried remains of the asteroid that released a billion Hiroshima bombs’ worth of energy and precipitated a mass extinction event have eluded scientific analysis for decades — in part because the region has long been locked down by the oil industry. But last year, a University of Texas at Austin-based team was awarded $US10 million for an offshore drilling plan that will drive a diamond-tipped drill bit 1500m beneath the seafloor, cutting clean through Chicxulub crater to retrieve samples. Later this month, the expedition will finally set sail.

Gravity anomaly map of the Chixculub crater impact area.

As Science News explains, the team is planning to drill Chixculub’s “peak ring”, a region of elevated rocks encircling the centre of all large impact craters. Scientists still aren’t sure why peak rings form or what they’re made of — questions the upcoming drilling expedition hopes to answer.

More exciting still are the open questions about what happened to life on Earth when a giant space rock smacked into our planet’s surface. To this day, scientists aren’t sure whether the Chixculub impact per se, or other geologic forces, sounded the dinosaurs’ death knell. One recent scientific paper argues that energy delivered to Earth’s crust during the impact ignited volcanoes worldwide, turning our atmosphere into a noxious mess for half a million years. Others cite debris from post-impact earthquakes and tsunamis as the immediate cause of death.

Geologic samples recovered during drilling could help us piece together this violent chapter in Earth’s history. They will also offer insights into how life rebounded after the apocalypse. The team plans to study living microorganisms found in rock fractures inside the peak ring that are descendants of the tiny critters that colonised ground zero after the impact. It’s possible that this death shrine gave rise to incredible new forms of life.

We’ll have some answers soon — the drilling operation is scheduled to start by April 1.

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J.K. Simmons Is Playing Commissioner Gordon In The Justice League Movie

The world might have lost its greatest J. Jonah Jameson, but at least it found itself a Commissioner Gordon that can top Gary Oldman: J.K. Simmons has been cast as Jim Gordon in DC and Warner Bros.’ Justice League duology.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news, which is obviously great. Not only is J.K. Simmons an incredible actor, but his past work in superhero movies as Sam Raimi’s Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man has proven that his moustache game is on point. It’s the sort of facial hair fit to carry on the legacy left behind by Gary Oldman, whose mustache served valiantly in the role of Gordon in the Dark Knighttrilogy.

But speaking of JJJ, it’s kind of heartbreaking that this means that what little chance there ever was of Simmons reprising his outstandingly well-cast role in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot is gone for good. It’s the Marvel-verse’s loss, but DC and Warner Bros.’ gain.

MIKA: I myself am unsure on this - Personally, Gary Oldman was brilliant as Gordon, I like Simmons but as a serious actor, not that much. I hope he can play a serious role.

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The Toyota Setsuna Is A Wooden Electric Car That Will Last 100 Years

Toyota will debut a particularly interesting concept car at Milan Design Week this year, making a point of being both environmentally friendly and emotionally valuable to the individual that buys it. The Toyota Setsuna, powered by an electric motor and with a retro open-wheel and open-cabin design, is built from Japanese wood — cedar and birch, with no nails or screws to hold it together — and is built to last a century of use.

Setsuna means moment in Japanese, and is a nod to Toyota’s notion that an owner and family will experience a unique relationship with their car over its life, and the two will evolve together — including when a car is handed down to the next generation. Wood is certainly durable — the Morgan Motor Company knows that — and Toyota wants the two-seat, electric-powered Setsuna to last for a century and be usable over that entire time.

The Toyota Setsuna’s wooden bodywork and frame don’t use any nails or screws, instead with okuri ari, or housed dovetail joints, holding panels and beams together. As well as the exterior and frame, the floor and seats of the car are wooden. It might not be the most comfortable nor practical material, but Toyota’s right in saying that it does take on a “unique character and depth” over time.

Kenji Tsuji, the Toyota engineer overseeing development of the Setsuna, said of his process: “We evaluated various ways to express the concept and selected different lumber materials for specific applications, such as Japanese cedar for the exterior panels and Japanese birch for the frame. We also paid particular attention to the sizes and arrangements of individual parts. For the assembly structure, we adopted a traditional Japanese joinery technique called okuriari3 which does not use any nails or screws.

The completed body line of the Setsuna expresses a beautiful curve reminiscent of a boat. We would also like the viewer to imagine how the Setsuna will gradually develop a complex and unique character over the years. The car includes a 100-year meter that will keep time over generations, and seats that combine functional beauty with the gentle hue of the wood.”

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A Look at the Life of the Most Gored Bullfighter in Modern History

Antonio Barrera is not a great bullfighter. As the Spanish bullfighting critic J.A. del Moral puts it in Ido Mizrahy's documentary Gored, he has no "aesthetic grace." In other words, he isn't one of the "artist" matadors with an "aesthetic purity...from another galaxy." Barrera never reaches the point where the spectacle stops being "a mere fight" and becomes "a tragic ballet of extraordinary beauty."

But he makes up for these failings with unflinching bravery. Barrera is proud to "offer his life 100 percent" every time he enters a bull ring; and, with 23 cornadas, he is the most gored bullfighter in modern history. Gored gives us glimpses of his near-death experiences: On his knees in front of a thousand-pound bull in the pouring rain; hopping around the ring with a makeshift tourniquet around his bloody upper thigh; staggering, bare-chested, bare-buttocked, bleeding from various wounds, his "suit of lights" split open at the seams by the bull's horns; on a stretcher being rushed to the ringside infirmary unable to breathe. His wife is desperate for him to give it up, but when they first fell in love she promised to never ask him to retire.

Gored tells the story of the run-up to Antonio Barrera's planned retirement from bullfighting and his final fight against a beast, aptly-named Bienvenido. After making the festival rounds last spring (including a slot at Tribeca Film Festival), Gored is now available for the public to watch online. We talked to director Ido Mizrahy about his bloody doc, and why he doesn't expect bullfighting to die out anytime soon.

How did you originally find out about Antonio Barrera? Were you a fan?

Ido Mizrahy: No, not at all. My writing partner [the journalist Geoff Gray] had become interested in this ancient spectacle of bullfighting. He met Antonio Barrera in Spain, and did a profile on him. They stayed in touch, and when Antonio mentioned he might retire, we thought it might make an interesting short film. Once we started filming, however, we realised it was a much fuller story... it wanted to be a feature-length documentary.

By all accounts, Barrera is not a particularly gifted bullfighter. What was it that drew you to him as a subject?

What was interesting to me is that he wasn't one of the gods of bullfighting. He didn't have the artistry, the duende that's expected from the great figuras, but rather he was just a human being trying to do this. His destiny was set in motion for him: his father was a failed bullfighter and put Antonio in front of the bulls when he was 7, but he just didn't have the goods. So he created his own brand of bullfighting that was really more about coming back from the dead, and became famous for it. And he had to keep that style because that was what drew people to see him.

Barrera is Spanish, but his career seems to have played out mainly in Mexico. Why is that?

Antonio felt much more welcome in Mexico for a variety of reasons, but mostly because Mexicans really appreciated what he put out there. The Spanish affición get pretty snarky about bravery. They tend to think, Of course you're supposed to be brave, that's a given. The big deal is to be an artist while you're doing it. Whereas in Mexico they seemed to be saying, We know you're not a great artist, but give us everything you've got anyway. We want to see you put your guts out there, and we'll respect you for it. Antonio could offer that.

Bullfighting is obviously a controversial subject. Were you confident audiences and critics would see beyond any debates about its morality?

We knew we were walking into fertile ground, but, in a way, that's what you want as a filmmaker. The choice of having Antonio Barrera as the protagonist, rather than bullfighting in general, was a good way of not hiding from the subject, but rather putting it at eye-level. Especially as Antonio isn't a poster-boy for bullfighting and doesn't exhibit that artistry, so you never get swallowed up by the romance. We're not trying to justify bullfighting, which is why I think lots of people who are anti-bullfighting have loved the movie, because it doesn't feel like a bullfighting film. It's about obsession, life and death, broken dreams, family.

But, as Antonio Barrera emphatically says at the end of the doc, "I am a bullfighter." He's not just "any man" dealing with these issues. Would someone like Antonio, or many of the themes arising from his story, even exist outside of bullfighting?

No, and that's exactly why bullfighting still exists. There's still a really visceral need to be around death in a controlled environment. Today news channels feed us death all the time, but that's very different. That's driven by politics, conquest—lots of other things. For us to be able to go into a controlled environment and see man try to submit nature in that way, and share in that incredibly difficult task, I think that's what keeps bullfighting relevant. Which is why there's so much pushback against it. If it was just fading away, people would let it be. But I think it still has so many fans and still exists because it satisfies something really primal.

Has making the film changed your view of bullfighting?

I find myself much more interested. A film takes a long time to make, so you have to be submerged in the subject. You have to learn to understand your subject without judging it. It didn't turn me into a fan, but I am not a protestor. To my sensibility, I don't necessarily enjoy it, but there's something about it that I totally understand now, and which tells me why it's still around.

How did Barrera respond to the film?

I have no idea. So here's the other reality about trying to make a movie about a matador: they are really tricky to pin down. He's like a bull; if you're not within his peripheral vision, you cannot reach Antonio Barrera. As close and as intimate a time as we had with him, when he's not in front of us physically, we can't reach him. As soon as we finished, I wanted his take on it before I even locked picture, but he never responded.

Was it difficult filming such crucial moments in his life?

We met him when he was making the most painful decision he's ever made. Getting gored over and over again wasn't painful for him anymore, but to make the decision to walk away from the bulls? That was really painful. To film his family in the days leading up to his final bullfight... they couldn't care less about us. We're filming people dealing with life-shattering decisions. And everyone had a stake in it: his wife, his daughter, his father-in-law. Everyone was so invested, and the camera was so low on their priority list, that we filmed the real stuff. It's a very privileged point of view, real access to something, which is incredibly rare in documentaries.

'Gored' is out now on iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon. For more information, visit the documentary's website here.

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AIRBIRDS WOOL RUNNERS

The New Zealand company Allbirds started with a simple question, why was it that no one had made a production shoe completely out of wool? The material is sturdy, it minimizes odor, regulates temperature, and wicks moisture – and since no one else seemed to be jumping on it, founder Tim Brown decided to take the opportunity to design a pair of shoes out of it.

Made with Superfine merino wool, these things are comfortable, sturdy, and stylish as hell. The shoes can be worn with or without socks, are machine washable, and are ZQ certified to be sustainably farmed. You can pick these up in either mens or womens sizes, and in a range of colors starting at $95.

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Grainworks Bicycle

Grainworks Bicycle forces us to remember or surrender to the fact that wood is still a material that causes real fascination even though we have now loads of different alloys, metals and composite fibers. Maybe it´s the respect that wood craftsmanship causes, its natural look that appeals to our memories…whatever…wood is still wood and you gotta love it. Grainworks Bicycle takes attention to detail to another level, this one man California based company, hand-makes these masterpieces, that you can choose from three different woods and finishes, get them in Cherry, Walnut or Baltic Green. Handmade but with an industrial quality build, this piece will surely make you stand out from the crowd.

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Evoke Vaporizer

When it comes to a vaporizer, you’re probably much more concerned with performance and what you can put inside than you are with the way that it looks. Fortunately for all us, we don’t have to worry about making that sacrifice any more thanks to Evoke because their vaporizer is wildly different than anything else on the market.

The first thing you’ll notice about Evoke is that the product is designed and built from the ground up to look like a modern piece of displayable tech instead of something discreet. Inside that sumptuous exterior you’ll find an induction core that generates a magnetic field to heat your material of choice evenly, which also produces the smoothest vapor. When you want to switch from dry leaf to concentrates or E-liquids, just swap in a different induction core. And if that’s not enough, you can regulate temp and dosage through an app because Evoke is a smart vaporizer.

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Zuli Smartplug

Zuli Smartplug is a new device that has the goal of optimizing your home´s power consumption, paired with an app that gives your walls´ power sockets smart management. You can manage your house´s lights, dimming them for a more relaxed ambiance or turn the power up if you need the extra light. Zuli Smartplug also enables you to manage the power consumption of your home´s appliances and thermostat. Its app can sense your presence in a room and quickly set the light and temperature you programmed. You can also check the app on your iPhone to see each appliance´s energy consumption to get a clearer sense of the power you´re using. Go green by saving energy with Zuli Smartplugs.

[MIKA27]

Hyde Designs Octavia Cafe Racer

I’ve featured quite a few different bikes, builds and mods that were heavy on futuristic styling with angular lines and a stripped down profile, but the Octavia from Hyde Designs is unlike everything that’s come before. Believe it or not, this fantastic piece of machinery is the first release from a small shop in Cape Town, South Africa, and was built in six months by Jens Henkel and a group of friends. Built on the BMW G650 X Challenge platform for its reliable 650 Rotax engine, open swingarm and frame, Octavia took on a life all its own after Hyde Designs had their way with it. The bike that looks absolutely nothing like its predecessor features a serious amount of custom work (most notably the tank and tail) and is just as much a piece of art you can ride as it is a motorcycle.

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Your Best Look Yet At Punisher And Elektra's Comic Costumes In Daredevil Season Two

Matt Murdock isn’t the only one getting an outfit upgrade when Daredevil season two drops next week. While we’ve seen both of DD’s new friends and foes in their civilian gear before, we finally have our first look at the Punisher with his trademark skull shirt and Elektra in her upgraded ninja outfit.

The new picture was released on the Daredevil twitter account this morning, presumably to head off the fact that billboards featuring the new costumes for Daredevil, Punisher and Elektra have started cropping up in cities in the US and Canada to promote the show’s return.

The billboard actually gives us much better looks at Matt and Elektra’s outfits than the official picture, seen in full below:

It’s nice to know that Punisher and Elektra’s outfits will evolve over the course of the season. Frank’s look is most recognisable from the comics. It’s not quite his supersuit, but the jacket and skull T-shirt. (Is it even a T-shirt?) It almost looks like skull-shaped body armour over a T-shirt, but it’s definitely up there in terms of iconic Punisher fashion.

As for Elektra, well, her new costume has more of her trademark red in it than her initial get-up, but it’s still a far cry from her traditional comic outfit. Which is strange, since the show pretty much nailed the Hand Clan Ninja outfit in the first season, and the Hand are showing up once more for season two. Still, it looks nice.

We’ll get to see them all in action when Daredevil returns to Netflix next week, on March 18.

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Keanu Reeves becomes a badass while training for John Wick 2

One of the many commendable aspects of John Wick were its slick, gun-fu action sequences, which were all the more impressive for being predominantly practical and for clearly showing the film's star Keanu Reeves doing most of the stunts. The actor is preparing to play the titular character once more in John Wick: Chapter Two, and a glimpse of his insane training regimen has emerged online.

Check out the amazing footage below...

The accuracy Reeves displays here with varying types of weaponry is staggering, and the fact that he's moving through this course so quickly makes it more impressive. On a more serious note, Reeves' dedication to the role is something audiences will no doubt appreciate when the film is released next year.

Directed by Chad Stahelski and starring Keanu Reeves, Bridget Moynahan, Peter Stormare, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, Common, John Leguizamo, and Ruby Rose, John Wick: Chapter Two is released in UK and US cinemas on February 10, 2017.