“Watches, Stories, and Gear” is a roundup of our favorite content, watch or otherwise, from around the internet. Here, we support other creators, explore interesting content that inspires us, and put a spotlight on causes we believe in. Oh, and any gear we happen to be digging on this week. We love gear.
Share your story ideas or interesting finds with us by emailing our Managing Editor at [email protected].
Header Image Via: Peter McKinnon
You might recognize Peter McKinnon from his very popular filmmaking and photography tutorials on YouTube. The Canada based creative became a YouTube sensation from the get and currently has over one million subscribers on his YouTube channel. His success has led him to dabble in producing photography products starting with the Variable Neutral Density filter in which he partnered up with Polar Pro a few years ago.
McKinnon is back with a new product called the PM Camera Tool. The multi-purpose tool is equipped with everything you would need to efficiently manage your camera out in the field in a compact, lightweight and stealthy Swiss army knife designed package. One feature that the PM camera tool sports is a toggle switch located on the outer case body, which allows the user to easily deploy the desired tool on the side of their choosing, eliminating the headache that comes with fishing for a tool in something like a Leatherman or traditional Swiss army knife. The PM camera tool includes a Phillips and Flathead screwdriver, as well as a couple of bit-drivers that lock into place. The bit drivers are also accompanied by a set of various tool-bits that secure to the main bit-driver via magnetic touch points. Also worth noting you can tuck in an additional tool-bit inside the bit-driver so that there is no need to pull out the entire set if another sized tool is required. The cherry on top, an SD card storage slot in the case body of the PM camera tool. Unfortunately the first batch of these camera tools are already sold out, BUT there are more on the way and the plan is to have these tools available to the masses. Peter McKinnon
Back in September in 2021, New Mexico residents were shocked to see a mushroom cloud appear out of nowhere deep in the desert. If your first thought was, “there’s no way that’s a nuclear bomb.” you’re deeply mistaken as it was in fact an actual atom bomb that was detonated by director Christopher Nolan and company for his next feature film, Oppenheimer.
The movie will tell the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, otherwise known as “the father of the atom bomb.” Oppenheimer ran the Manhattan Project’s Los Alamos Laboratory which led to the first invention of nuclear weapons used during World War II. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer which in itself required two decades of research to complete the book.
A full trailer hasn’t been released yet, but the video above is an ongoing mini-trailer if you will, and gives a glimpse of what’s to come in Nolan’s next film. Universal Pictures is set to release the film in theaters in July 2023.
The app is called Quantum Mirror and it allows for Android-based Sony cameras to upload captured photos into the DALL-E artificial intelligence system. We’re sure you’ve come across the DALL-E phenomenon a few months ago in some form or another. The Quantum Mirror app works in a similar fashion, but instead of using a few words to draw up several unique images created by artificial intelligence, a photo that is taken directly from the camera is uploaded into the system and reimagined. The outcome of some examples, especially those that are strictly images containing no signage, look dreamy and indistinct. The ones with lettering however, appear to conjure up weirder examples like we’ve seen with the regular DALL-E generator. The actual exact use case for this, we really can’t explain, but check out the images below for the fun of it.
Akin to the Marvel Universe, Disney has been slowly building out different storylines for different characters in the Star Wars Universe. The Mandalorian, Boba Fett and Obi Wan Kenobi have expanded on each of their respective character stories and given us more time in the different worlds across the Star Wars galaxy. Now Disney is back with a first look at the next Star Wars mini-series called Andor. The new series takes place in a time period before the Star Wars spin-off film, Rogue One and stars none other than Diego Luna who reprises his role as Cassian Andor, a thief turned spy for the Rebellion. From the looks of the trailer, Andor seems like it will separate itself from the other Star Wars series in several ways. The different cuts have a more cinematic feel to it and looking at the bigger picture, the show lays the groundwork for a new plot that has no reliance on the older ones with the Sith and Jedi. Disney+ is set to premiere Andor with the first three episodes on September 21st.
While I’m not usually a fan of battery operated watches, there are of course exceptions. And this vintage circa 1987 Casio CFX-200 calculator watch definitely makes the exception list! I mean, does it get any more retro-cool than a scientific calculator on your wrist? I didn’t think so. Who needs an Apple Watch when you can sport this masterpiece? This example is in amazing condition, and fully functioning per the seller, and comes on the original bracelet. Best of all, it comes complete with both inner and outer box and the original instruction manuals. As a near touch, the seller stated the original battery is included (along with a new one)! Vintage LCD can be tricky as there aren’t many folks these days who repair them, so when a minty fresh, working example of a really cool model shows up, complete with box and papers, you just can’t go wrong.
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