Tested.com (often simply called Tested) is a website and YouTube channel that focuses on

maker culture The maker culture is a contemporary subculture representing a technology-based extension of DIY culture that intersects with hardware-oriented parts of hacker culture and revels in the creation of new devices as well as tinkering with existing on ...

and technology. The company was started by Will Smith and Norman Chan in 2010, with

Mythbusters ''MythBusters'' is a science entertainment television program, developed by Peter Rees and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions. The series premiered on the Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast internatio ...

hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman joining the company in 2012. The channel has since been rebranded to Adam Savage's Tested, with Hyneman and Smith both no longer involved.

History

Making the move from Maximum PC, Will Smith and Norman Chan joined Whiskey Media in 2010 to launch Tested.com. The move allowed Smith and Chan to create content for all forms of technology, rather than being limited to personal computers. Adam Savage 2 (cropped)

Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman joined the website in 2012. Hyneman left the company in early 2016. After the end of the pair's show

early that same year, Savage increased the amount of content he was producing for the YouTube channel and the site. In April 2016, Will Smith left Tested to start his own company,

Foo VR ''The Foo Show'' was an interactive virtual reality talk show developed by Foo VR and created by Will Smith. The first episode was released in April 2016. Viewers watch the show through a compatible virtual reality headset and are able to move ar ...

. In 2016, Savage and Chan performed live stage shows titled "Tested the Show: Journeys". Some of the shows also featured Simone Giertz and chef

J. Kenji López-Alt James Kenji López-Alt (born October 31, 1979) is an American chef and food writer. His first book, '' The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science'', became a critical and commercial success, charting on the ''New York Times'' Bestseller ...

. In 2019, Tested launched a collaboration with virtual reality brand

Oculus Oculus (a term from Latin ''oculus'', meaning 'eye'), may refer to the following Architecture * Oculus (architecture), a circular opening in the centre of a dome or in a wall Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Oculus'' (film), a 2013 American ...

. The project included episodic experience in which the user was virtually placed next to a maker as they constructed a build, and featured

Rick Lyon Richard Lyon (born February 25, 1958) is an American puppeteer, actor, and puppet designer and builder. He has worked for The Jim Henson Company as one of the operators of Big Bird. He appeared on Broadway originating the roles of Trekkie Monster ...

Griffon Ramsey Griffon E. Ramsey ( née O'Connell; born April 23, 1980) is an American chainsaw carving artist known for her pop-culture wood sculptures which have appeared at the Australian Chainsaw Carving Championships and the Butler Chainsaw Carving Invita ...

, and Savage, among others. Adam Savage now serves as editor-in-chief of Tested, with the YouTube channel being renamed to "Adam Savage's Tested". Videos on the channel now focus on Savage constructing costumes and props in his workshop, as well as visiting film studios or collaborating with other makers, among other activities. Savage has visited Boston Dynamics to interact with their robots on multiple occasions, including constructing a

rickshaw A rickshaw originally denoted a two- or three-wheeled passenger cart, now known as a pulled rickshaw, which is generally pulled by one person carrying one passenger. The first known use of the term was in 1879. Over time, cycle rickshaws (also ...

pulled by

Spot Spot or SPOT may refer to: Places * Spot, North Carolina, a community in the United States * The Spot, New South Wales, a locality in Sydney, Australia * South Pole Traverse, sometimes called the South Pole Overland Traverse People * Spot (produ ...

. Several videos on the channel feature Savage donning

cosplay Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...

that conceals his identity and walking across

comic convention A comic book convention or comic-con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at co ...

floors. Savage described Tested as a "vehicle for promoting the joy in making things. I use that term as broadly as possible, whether it’s photography or film or music or theater or costume or setting up a shop, outfitting a car." In 2019, Savage and Tested were nominated for "Best Web Personality/Host" at the Webby Awards and was the People's Voice Winner in the category of "How-To & DIY (Video Series & Channels)". In 2020, Savage and Tested were an Honoree in the category of "Best Web Personality/Host".

References

{{reflist YouTube channels Websites YouTube channels launched in 2010