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Mike Newman

Managing Editor at Cool Material

8 Grilling Hacks For a Better BBQ

It's the season of charred meat. For too long you've been cooped up cooking in a kitchen; it's time to get out. That means it's time to dust off the grill. But before you go throw some patties on, consider trying one or more of these grilling hacks. Each will…

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Where to Drink Beer

Having tackled the spots chefs like to eat, Phaidon figured hungry travelers could use something to drink with all that delicious fare. Where to Drink Beer is a 480-page tome dedicated to the bars, beer gardens, and watering holes throughout the world that sling the finest suds. Flip through to…

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Cut in Half: The Hidden World Inside Everyday Objects

You could read all about how everyday products work, but sometimes it helps to actually see it. Cut in Half: The Hidden World Inside Everyday Objects shows you what's going on under the hood of many common items. Author Mike Warren and photographer Jonothan Woodward teamed up on this incredible project,…

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The Dude Abiding Kit

For some, what The Dude preached in The Big Lebowski was a religion, something akin to Zen Buddhism, only with more of an emphasis on weed and White Russians. If you subscribe to what El Duderino was putting out there, consider The Dude Abiding Kit, the perfect centerpiece for your altar…

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Samsung Galaxy Home

The Samsung Galaxy Home is the on-demand assistant for those in the Samsung ecosystem. If you are, congrats, because this is the sharpest home assistant yet, as it boasts a flower-shaped body that rests on a sleek tripod base. Galaxy Home features the Bixby assistant that phone owners are no…

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Lyd Is a Water Bottle With 360-Degree Access

Driving and trying to find the opening in your water bottle so you can take a sip is challenging. We're not sure how many others do this, but we use our tongue to feel around for the slot. It's ridiculous. Lyd is a clever water bottle that senses when your…

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The Replica Ferrari from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ Is for Sale

A glimpse of this ride and we immediately think of ditching all responsibility and hitting the open road. Why? Because this is one of the three 1985 Modena GT Spyder Californias used in the filming of everyone's favorite tale of playing hooky, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Headed to auction at…

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Airbnb Will Let You Stay Inside a Giant Snake

We've seen our fair share of unique Airbnb rentals, from insane tree houses to desert yurts. We have not seen a lot of giant reptiles you can sleep inside, however. That's changed after we came across the Nest of Quetzalcoatl, a 5-bedroom property that looks like a giant snake. Why…

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We Poured Cheap Vodka Through a Brita to See If It Would Taste Better

Everyone remembers college vodka. It came in a plastic jug with a Russian name splashed across the front. A fun stopper had to be removed before you could dump the contents into a tub of Kool-Aid. You barfed a little with every shot. Few alcoholic beverages can leave such an impression.…

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Filson Just Launched a More Affordable Workwear Line

Filson's commitment to quality means the heritage brand's goods stand the test of time. It also means those goods don't always come cheap. With the launch of C.C.F., a new line named for founder Clinton C. Filson, you can now get dependable workwear that is a bit easier on the…

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What to Watch This Weekend: Demetri Martin: The Overthinker

With cable, Netflix, and internet options, finding the best thing to watch during your downtime is difficult. Instead of flipping through menus all weekend and settling on nothing, turn to What to Watch This Weekend, a series in which we give you our pick for the best new show or…

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Creative Selection: Inside Apple’s Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs

Of all Steve Jobs's talents, it was his eye for design which intrigues us the most. If you agree, maybe skip the Walter Isaacson tome and pick up a copy of Creative Selection: Inside Apple's Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs. Ken Kocienda, a software engineer who worked…

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This House Has a Waterfall in It

There's opulent, and then there's "I have a damn waterfall in my house" opulent. Such lavishness exists courtesy of Architects49 and the outfit's aptly named Waterfall House. The highlight, obviously, is the waterfall located in the center of the house, which isn't quite Niagara Falls, but is still pretty sweet.…

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The McDonald’s Gold Card Gets You Free Mickey D’s For Life

If you're telling us that we could walk into a McDonald's at any time, grab some fries and a Big Mac, and just walk out without paying, we'd assume we were cast as the new Hamburglar. Not a bad gig, we guess, but this is actually far sweeter. McDonald's is…

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IKEA ‘Hacked’ Some of Their Classics for a New Collection

For its latest collection, LYSKRAFT, IKEA partnered with Dutch design duo Scholten & Baijings to reimagine some of the brand's fan favorites. In essence, they wanted to "hack" some of IKEA's most beloved pieces. New colors and patterns are found throughout glassware, paper products, and even armchairs, giving the collection…

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