“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: Amazon
Every October 5th, our favorite fictional British Secret Intelligence Service agent gets some love. You know who we’re talking about – Bond, James Bond. The day marks 60 years of cool cars, nifty gadgets and shaken martinis since the first Bond film, Dr. No, was released in 1962 and played by none other than Sean Connery.
There’s a bunch of stuff to look forward to if you’re a fan of the Bond brand. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, they’ve released the entire James Bond film catalog for online streaming. That’s right, all 25 films are available for your viewing pleasure. From Timothy Dalton, Roger Moore, and of course Connery, to Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, it’s certainly a way to observe how the character has evolved throughout the years. The Bond film soundtrack and score is just as iconic as the character himself. Amazon Prime also has a new documentary entitled “The Sound of 007” which reveals the genesis and history of the film’s classic tunes.
Also in celebration of 60 years, GoldenEye 007 is making its return to the video game world. Recently announced, the Nintendo 64 game that was probably in every household at the time of its previous release, will be available on Nintendo Switch Online and Xbox Game Pass. Lastly, the Lego Speed Champions 007 Aston Martin DB5 seems to be restocked on Lego.com if that was something you missed out on back in August. Happy belated James Bond Day.
Audi is bidding adieu to the R8 (for real this time) with one final screaming variant for the ages. The new R8 GT will send each of the 602 hp from the 5.2 liter V-10 to the rear wheels (thank goodness for electronic stability control), making this something of a GT2RS fighter in much more angular clothing. All 333 examples will get a quicker shifting 7-speed dual-clutch transmission allowing for 0-60 sprints in the low 3 second range. Assuming you can get the rear wheels hooked up, of course. There are carbon fiber bits and bobs throughout, including a slick rear wing that sets this particular R8 apart from any normal version of the car. This is one of the all-time great V-10 engines, and the R8 GT seems a fitting swan song to pour one out over. More on this one from MotorTrend right here.
If you remember a couple of weeks back, we covered NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test aka DART prior to its mission to hit a small asteroid called, Dimorphos, head on in an attempt to knock it off its orbit (again, don’t worry, Earth was not in any danger). Well, if you haven’t heard by now, the mission was a complete success. In a video provided by NASA, we get a frame by frame look as the DART spacecraft traveling at about 14,000 mph made its way directly towards the asteroid. Prior to its impact, DART released a smaller satellite called the LICIACube which followed the spacecraft before it made contact and will provide additional photos of what happened after the crash. As per the agency, it’s going to take a little bit of time and data research to actually see if the orbit of Dimorphos was altered in any way. Until then, this was the first successful step in testing out Earth’s planetary defense systems. We won’t spoil the video, so you’re going to have to tune in to actually see the final seconds of the DART spacecraft and the classic control room celebration that follows.
Australian based mechanical keyboard designer and producer, HIBI has opened the pre-order books for their anticipated 65% keyboard, the HIBIKI. The board gets an isolation mount with PORON foam pads and a leaf spring plate, which should make for a fabulous typing experience regardless of your switch selection. The board will ship with a wilba.tech WT65-H3-HIBI PCB (QMK and VIA supported) with Kailh hot-swap sockets. No soldering required here. This PCB supports a broad range of layouts, including a split backspace and a 7u spacebar (this is the way). The HIBIKI is being offered in 4 colorways that include brown, beige, white, and a lovely purple/blue selection called Very Hibi. The pre-order closes November 12th, with the production window estimated to be 9 months. Pricing is set at $365 exclusive of switches, stabs, or caps. Check out more about this board from HIBI right here.
Black Diamond Equipment has been outfitting climbers, skiers and outdoor enthusiasts like myself since 1989. But when I think of Black Diamond, I can’t help but specifically envision their durable headlamps. I currently own a couple and they’ve kept me company on countless nighttime adventures, as well as chores around the house and trips abroad where a light source is much needed when fumbling around in an Airbnb in the dark. It looks like I might have to add another Black Diamond headlamp to the gear quiver since they’ve announced the release of their new R-Series Headlamps. The Storm 500-R is the same dependable and waterproof headlamp, but now uses a rechargeable Lithium ion cell as a power source. The new Storm 500-R headlamp fully charges in just under 2 hours and will recharge over a thousand times over the course of the lifespan of the Lithium cell. It’s also worth noting that Lithium ion cells tend to work better in colder temperatures than traditional Alkaline cells. The Storm 500-R retails at $74.95, a small premium to pay for a headlamp that’ll probably be the last one you’ll buy. Check out the new collection at Black Diamond Equipment.
Latest Review
