The HyperBounce sneakers use a series of balloons on the outsole to give you a spring in your step

Quite similar to what Nike did with the Joyride sneakers, which used a beanbag-inspired outsole filled with tiny squishy beans, the HYPERBOUNCE concept by Alexander Ordonez explores using the inherent ‘bounciness’ of spheres by adding a series of balloons to the outsole. Not only do the balloons help activate your foot’s pressure points, but they also add an extra spring in your step as you walk, giving credence to the name, HYPERBOUNCE.

Ordonez, a New Jersey-based footwear designer, created the HYPERBOUNCE as an experiment to push the boundaries of performance footwear by integrating new technology with vivid design aesthetics and product stories. “I strive to create futuristic aesthetics while keeping each design rooted in feasible functionality”, mentioned Ortonez.

The shoes come with what I like to call a Black Panther aesthetic, sporting a dark gray exterior with purple accents that glow on the inside, much like the Vibranium nanites in the Black Panther suit that glow when they absorb kinetic energy. Although the HYPERBOUNCE sneakers are purely conceptual at this point, it would be extremely cool to see the purple accents and balloons on the outsole glow as you run or walk in them!

Designer: Alexander Ordonez

Audemars Piguet’s stunning Black Panther Flying Tourbillon watch pays tribute to Wakanda’s King





No, it isn’t powered by vibranium…

Luxury Swiss timepiece brand Audemars Piguet surprised us this week with the release of the Royal Oak “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon, a watch that’s decidedly Wakandan in its spirit and sports a crouching King T’Challa on the watch’s face, poised right above a glorious tourbillon. Created in partnership with Marvel, the watch features a 42mm body made from sandblasted titanium with a black ceramic bezel, within which sits the watch’s crown jewel – a miniature figurine of the Black Panther crafted from white gold before being hand-engraved and meticulously painted with stunning attention to detail. For the watch aficionado, however, there’s also a flying tourbillon located right under King T’challa, complete with the Audemars Piguet logo.

The Royal Oak “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon looks a lot like something Shuri would cook up in her Wakandan lab. It uses the signature black, purple, and silver color combination, while also using textural elements and patterns that help it look the part. The hands on the watch face closely resemble the fang-necklace seen around the Black Panther suit’s neck area, while the exhibition back uses a low-poly pattern quite similar to the one seen in the film’s artwork. The miniature figurine on the front looks stunningly realistic, with a laser-engraved microtexture on the suit, while the rest of the details are hand-carved and hand-painted to absolute perfection. Adding dynamism to the front of the watch is that tourbillon, which completes one full rotation every minute. Flip the watch over and its exhibition back showcases an in-house 3Hz hand-wound caliber 2965 movement with a 72 hours power reserve. Glareproofed sapphire crystal panels sit on the front as well as the back, and give the watch 50m of water resistance. The watch comes affixed with a purple rubber strap, and you can even grab yourself an additional black strap, swapping it out to give the watch a more serious demeanor.

The Royal Oak “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon was unveiled at an online charity auction hosted by Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias and actor Kevin Hart, and a special one-off 18k white gold version of it racked up a final asking price of $5.2 million. If you don’t have that kind of walking-around money, Audemars Piguet is producing a further 250 units (made from titanium) for sale across its various retail stores with a slightly more modest price tag of $162,000.

Designers: Audemars Piguet X Marvel

Limited to just 250 pieces, the watch retails for a cool $162,000 a pop and is available upon appointment. I guess you’d have to be Wakandan royalty to be able to afford these.

The Black Panther miniature figurine comes realized in white-gold. There’s a video on AP’s website that showcases the intricate process behind how specialized artisans hand-carve and hand-paint each Black Panther miniature.

The back reveals the stunning hand-wound caliber 2956 movement powering the timepiece (sorry, no vibranium included!) enclosed under a stunning scratch-resistant sapphire crystal panel.

Twitter says Chadwick Boseman’s final post is the most liked tweet ever

Twitter has a new record for the most liked tweet, but it’s a bittersweet moment. The social network has confirmed (via Deadline) that the late Chadwick Boseman’s last post, the news of his death by his family, is the “most liked tweet ever.” The Bla...

If MARVEL’s Black Panther ever rode a motorbike, this would probably be it.

If it were up to King T’Challa, the MIMIC e-bike would be fitted with vibranium tech, but we’re going to stick to an electric power-train for now. This crouching-jungle-cat of a bike is a concept designed by Roman Dolzhenko. Outfitted with what looks less like a body and more like armor, the MIMIC e-bike comes with a rounded, Tron Light Cycle-inspired form with rounded elements and just an overall absence of straight lines or sharp edges. The e-bike has a dual-lamp headlight fitted on the front, looking almost like a menacing pair of eyes, and a dashboard that lays flush against the e-bike’s curved panther-esque body. Wakanda Forever!

Other noteworthy details include a cantilever seat, inverted handlebars with the brake levers facing the rider, and a three-hexagon logo on both the front and back wheel, a detail that pays tribute to Daniel Simon, designer of the Tron Light Cycle, who uses a similar hexagon insignia to mark his designs.

Designer: Roman Dolzhenko

Let Black Panther Help You Find Your Stuff with this Bluetooth Tracker and Wallet Bundle

Black Panther is smashing box office records and wowing fans, and comic book fans couldn’t be more excited. Celebrate your love of the superhero with the Black Panther Bluetooth Tracker & Wallet Bundle. Can’t keep track of your smartphone, book bag, laptop, or wallet? These are important things you really don’t want to lose. That’s where this Bluetooth tracker comes in handy.

Attach it to anything using a keyring or sticky pad. When you lose track of it, you can simply use the alert function on the Foundmi app to make the tracker’s alarm go off, telling you where your misplaced item is. The app will also record the last time and place that the app was connected to your tracker, so you can retrace your steps and locate the lost item more easily.

This bundle also comes with a printed Black Panther wallet that features card pockets, an ID slot, and a coin compartment for your spare change. Now, every time you pay for things, you can show off your comic book enthusiasm.

Get the Black Panther Bluetooth Tracker & Wallet Bundle now in the Technabob Shop. It’s on sale for $29.98 (USD) – 25% off the regular price.

What are the offerings for Free Comic Book Day?


May 2 is Free Comic Book Day across North America and 2015 offers a sneak peek into Marvel and DC's latest comic universe events.Started in 2002, Free Comic Book Day allows independent vendors the...