New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News

Dopamine bends time in our brain, making novel moments memorable

Mike McRae — Tue, 05 May 2026 07:02:29 GMT

You know the saying: Time flies when you’re having fun.

Category: Learning & Memory, Brain Health, Body and Mind

Tags: Dopamine, Brain, Time, Perception, Memory, Neuroscience, UCLA

LOCUST laser weapon scores 100% kill rate in US Navy trials

David Szondy — Tue, 05 May 2026 06:03:00 GMT

Laser weapons reached a new milestone as the US Navy tested the AeroVironment (AV) LOCUST Laser Weapon System (LWS) aboard the nuclear aircraft carrier USS George H W Bush (CVN-77), notching up a 100% kill rate against multiple aerial drone threats.

Category: Military, Engineering

Tags: Aircraft Carrier, AeroVironment, US Navy, Laser weapon

Motion-capture exoskeletons let violinists feel each others’ subtlest moves

Malcolm Azania — Mon, 04 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

World-renowned science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke (2001: A Space Odyssey, Childhood’s End) once quipped that “Any teacher who can be replaced by a computer should be.” Some people think Clarke’s statement means we should replace all teachers.

Category: Robotics, Engineering

Tags: Exoskeleton, Education, Training aid, Ghent University, Violin

Three-bedroom tiny house makes space for comfortable family living

Adam Williams — Mon, 04 May 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Designing a tiny house for a couple is one thing, but creating a home on wheels for an entire family is another challenge entirely. The Soma addresses this with a remarkably spacious layout that packs in three bedrooms and a large open living area.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home

US Army combines bunker-buster warhead with drone delivery

David Szondy — Mon, 04 May 2026 13:03:00 GMT

One of the biggest hitters in the conventional arsenal merged with drone technology, as the US Army tested a bunker-buster warhead combined with an expendable Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for field testing at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.

Category: Military, Engineering

Tags: US Army, drones, Weapons

AltoVolo gets a prototype of its spicy high-performance eVTOL in the air

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Mon, 04 May 2026 12:13:23 GMT

The last time we heard from the UK's AltoVolo, it only had renders of its grand vision for a sportscar equivalent of an eVTOL to show off. That was exactly a year ago – and it's now got a working prototype taking to the skies.

Category: Aircraft, Transport

Tags: eVTOL, Hybrid eVTOLs, Personal eVTOLs

SAIL tech lets robots perform human-scale tasks far more quickly

Malcolm Azania — Mon, 04 May 2026 11:03:00 GMT

Thanks to researchers at Georgia Tech, robots have taken several new steps towards replacing human labor – and not simply for dangerous tasks such as mining the depths of the Earth and exploring the Moon, or difficult tasks such as high-speed mass-assembly of thousands of cars.

Category: Robotics, Engineering

Tags: Georgia Tech, Georgia Institute of Technology, Humanoid

Watch: Sony's insane autonomous robot shows off 'superhuman' skills

Bronwyn Thompson — Mon, 04 May 2026 00:03:00 GMT

Flying under the radar of robot hype, Sony AI's Ace has shown off its rapid-speed learning abilities that are seriously remarkable, displaying powerful split-second decision-making while taking on some of the best table tennis players – and winning.

Category: Robotics, Engineering

Tags: Sony, Sport, Autonomous, Self-Learning, Robotic construction

Wildly slim dual-burner capsule stove brings more power to base camp

C.C. Weiss — Sun, 03 May 2026 23:04:00 GMT

In 2021, Optimus debuted the Gemini stove, a sleek, uniquely shaped dual-burner stove that split the difference between backpacking and car camping gear. The brand immediately took home several prestigious awards for its design efforts, including an ISPO Award in Europe and an Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award in the US. Now it's doubling down on what makes the Gemini stove great, debuting a Gemini II that packs over a third more power per burner while still managing to drop a couple ounces.

Category: Outdoor Cooking, Gear, Outdoors

Tags: Stoves, Camping, Cooking, Backpacking, Bikepacking, Outdoors and Camping, Katadyn

Vibrating pillow sleeve warns deaf sleepers of burglars and fires

Shirl Leigh — Sun, 03 May 2026 19:03:00 GMT

A research team supervised by Assoc. Prof. Theo Hughes-Riley from Nottingham Trent University has designed a smart vibrating pillow sleeve prototype, to alert people who are deaf to fire and burglar alarms. The device was recently presented at the Association for Computing Machinery CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, at the Barcelona International Convention Centre in Spain.

Category: Good Thinking, Technology

Tags: Nottingham Trent University, Deaf, Sleep, Alert, Hearing Impaired

224-sq-ft tiny house sleeps up to six people for under $50K

Adam Williams — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:03:00 GMT

Combining a low price with a modest footprint of just 224 sq ft (20.81 sq m), the Rasa tiny house comes with a carefully considered interior that sleeps four in comfort – or even up to six at a squeeze.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home

Review: 2026 Nissan Frontier runs with an “if it ain’t broke” philosophy

Aaron Turpen — Sun, 03 May 2026 13:03:00 GMT

The 2026 Nissan Frontier is a truck that’s equal parts stubborn old-school and new-face modernized. And honestly? That tension is exactly what makes the Frontier interesting.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Truck, Pickup, Nissan, Reviews

This mind-reading beanie could make keyboards obsolete

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Sun, 03 May 2026 09:03:00 GMT

Dictation tech for typing on your computer and mobile devices has gotten way better and more accessible over the last few years, thanks to sophisticated AI models. But an upcoming device can remove even more friction from the process of getting words onto your screen, by simply reading your thoughts.

Category: Wearables, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Brain-computer interface, EEG, Electroencephalography (EEG), wearable computing

Luxury car collection hidden inside a forest garage

Bridget Borgobello — Sun, 03 May 2026 05:03:00 GMT

Russian design studio ATRIUM has completed a private multi-use garage in Moscow. Set within a forested estate, Garage for Car Collection, is a bespoke building for a private collection of luxury and vintage vehicles. The 200-sq-m (2,153-sq-ft) garage is a modern extension to the site, and also features a home gym, office, lounge areas, practical storage, mud room, and ski racks.

Category: Architecture, Engineering

Tags: sustainable design, Architects, Fusion Garage, Tiny Footprint

BYD's upcoming hyperconvertible zooms from 0-60 mph in under 2 seconds

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Sun, 03 May 2026 00:03:00 GMT

As if it wasn't already running enough laps around its competition in the electric-vehicle (EV) world, BYD's now building a hypercar for drop-top aficionados.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Hypercar, BYD, Electric Vehicles

Ingenious unpowered sensor detects motion by generating ultrasound

Etiido Uko — Sat, 02 May 2026 20:03:00 GMT

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created a passive motion/contact sensor that detects motion using only sound. Without electricity, electronics, or batteries. The sensors are small, uniquely shaped metal tags that each emit very specific ultrasonic sounds upon contact. They are smaller than a penny and cost only a few cents each.

Category: Good Thinking, Technology

Tags: Georgia Tech, Georgia Institute of Technology, Motion sensor, Ultrasound

Ukraine’s rapid rise as an anti-drone powerhouse

David Szondy — Sat, 02 May 2026 16:03:00 GMT

In only four years after the Russian invasion, Ukraine went from being a country knocked back on its heels and scrambling for military aid to emerging as a leading provider of battlefield-tested counter-drone expertise and exporter of anti-drone weapons systems. How did this happen? Let's find out.

Category: Military, Engineering

Tags: Ukraine , drones, NATO, xxShowcase

Review: 2026 Lexus RX 450h+ is a true realtor’s car

Aaron Turpen — Sat, 02 May 2026 13:03:00 GMT

The RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid luxury SUV sits right at the intersection of pragmatism and indulgence, sipping electrons like a monk but wrapped in enough leather to make a cattle ranch nervous.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Lexus, SUV, Reviews

Switzerland is building the world's most powerful redox flow battery

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Sat, 02 May 2026 09:03:00 GMT

In northern Switzerland, a construction team is hard at work excavating a hole in the ground that will end up being over 88 ft (27 m) deep, and spanning the length of two soccer pitches. This pit will be home to Switzerland's first redox flow battery for storing clean energy – and it'll be the most powerful of its kind in the world.

Category: Energy, Engineering

Tags: Flow Battery, Battery, Redox Flow Batteries, Grid-Level Energy Storage, Switzerland, Renewable Energy

Tiny bike camper expands via slide-out to sleep 2 people + toilet

C.C. Weiss — Sat, 02 May 2026 02:07:00 GMT

Most bicycle campers just tow, but there are some that flip, that drop, that pitch and that straight blow up. The new Alpencamper adds another motion to that mix: sliding. The two-wheel towable borrows a trick from larger caravans and motorhomes, using a sidewall slide-out to expand its tiny interior enough to house a double bed comparable to what you'd find in a full-blown camper van – not bad for a little 'drop trailer that weighs less than the average adult.

Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: bike-campers, teardrop trailers, trailers, Trailer, Caravan, Bicycle, ebikes, Camping, RV, Outdoors and Camping

Just call these tiny autonomous construction robots “antdroids”

Malcolm Azania — Fri, 01 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Roboticists at Harvard and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras – very smart folks indeed – somehow entirely missed the great name “antdroids” when building the insectoid drones they call RAnts (robotic ants, which do not, in fact, rant about anything – not even against a tyrannical robotic ant queen).

Category: Robotics, Engineering

Tags: Harvard, Biomimicry, Ants, Robotic construction

Solar-boosted pedal-electric velomobile is new and improved

Ben Coxworth — Fri, 01 May 2026 19:58:23 GMT

Fourteen years ago we first heard about the Elf, a pedal/electric velomobile that could be charged via a rooftop solar panel. Well, there's a new version on the way that'll be cushier, more powerful, and able to seat a second passenger.

Category: Urban Transport, Transport

Tags: Velomobile, Pedal-assisted, Solar Powered

Forget digital keystone, this tri-laser 4K projector puts optical first

Paul Ridden — Fri, 01 May 2026 15:13:26 GMT

On the face of it, JMGO's latest lifestyle projector might look like just another boxy smart entertainment hub. But this model is reported to boast the world's first 3-in-1 optical system, and rests on a nifty gimbal stand that can adjust itself or play follow the user.

Category: Home Entertainment, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Laser, Projectors, Google TV, 4K UHD, Gimbals

Brembo distills its racing know-how into mountain bike brakes

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Fri, 01 May 2026 12:17:32 GMT

Brembo's braking equipment has graced many a champion-winning F1 racecar and MotoGP superbike over the last several decades. It's now targeting cyclists who demand serious stopping power, with a whole ecosystem of gear specifically for mountain bikes.

Category: Bicycles, Transport

Tags: Mountain Bikes, Braking, Bicycle

Humanoids will handle your baggage at Tokyo's short-staffed airport

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Fri, 01 May 2026 09:57:00 GMT

The next time you fly through Tokyo's Haneda Airport, your luggage might be taken care of by the dexterous hands of a humanoid robot.

Category: AI and Humanoids, Technology

Tags: Humanoid, Unitree, Japan, Airports, Robot, Automation

Two-person tiny house puts the affordable back into small living

Adam Williams — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:03:18 GMT

This pint-sized tiny house recalls the small living movement's humble roots by combining a very compact footprint that sleeps up to two people with a surprisingly affordable price.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home

Robotic Ripsaw M1 built to scout and draw fire for US Marines

David Szondy — Fri, 01 May 2026 02:11:27 GMT

At the recent Modern Day Marine Exposition in Washington, DC, Textron Systems rolled out a robot made to fight alongside US Marines. Called the Ripsaw M1, it's designed to act as a robotic force multiplier for the Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) and Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV).

Category: Military, Engineering

Tags: Textron, US Marines, UGV

Ford Nugget camper van floor plan upsized into chic Ducato 6-sleeper

C.C. Weiss — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 23:04:00 GMT

German camper van upstart Alcovia Vans has taken the well-known Ford Nugget multi-room camper van layout and adapted it for the ever-popular Fiat Ducato full-size van. It elevates the floor plan's versatility and comfort by adding an extra bed, trimming it all out in warm wood and felt, slatting in adjustable separation between the two "rooms" on the main floor, and adding an extra available seat to carry and sleep up to six people.

Category: Campervans, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: Campervan, RV, Camping, Outdoors and Camping

DJI announces entry-level but fully capable Lito Series drones

Maryna Holovnova — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:30:00 GMT

DJI is one of the leading manufacturers of drones for aerial photography and videography. As social media continues to grow, beginners and content creators are seeking lightweight, easy-to-use devices for short-form video. DJI’s latest releases are designed to meet that demand.

Category: Drones, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: DJI Innovations, Camera drone, Quadcopter

Brain-inspired chip could reduce AI energy use by 70%

Etiido Uko — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Replicating the brain's capabilities, an impossible task, may theoretically require thousands of H100, one of NVIDIA's most powerful GPUs. At 700 watts per chip, we are looking at power consumption in the megawatt range. The brain runs on 20 watts. Scientists have taken inspiration from this remarkable organ to create chips that could cut conventional energy use by 70%.

Category: AI and Humanoids, Technology

Tags: University of Cambridge, Memristor, Biomimicry, Brain

A vacuum company is somehow building the world's quickest car

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:57:00 GMT

You might recognize Dreame as a fast-growing electronics brand from China that specializes in vacuum cleaners. Somehow, it's found time in its busy dust-buster-manufacturing schedule to stick a couple of rocket boosters on a sportscar and engineer the living daylights out of it... to the point that it's expected to hit a never-seen-before 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 0.9 seconds.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Electric Vehicles, Concept Vehicle

The naps that are red flags as we age, backed by two decades of data

Bronwyn Thompson — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:27:37 GMT

Naps are one of life's pleasures, but as we age, they can also be an early sign of health issues we're unaware of. These findings are thanks to a groundbreaking study of more than 1,000 people who had their daytime naps tracked for up to 19 years.

Category: Sleep, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Massachusetts General Hospital, Cognitive functioning, Chronic illness, Age-Related, Diagnostic tools, Sleep monitors, Health

This cargo ebike could replace your family car but fits in your closet

Omar Kardoudi — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:27:00 GMT

Most electric cargo bikes live in garages, because that's the only place big enough to put them. JackRabbit's new MG Cargo is so slim it can live in a closet or a hallway. It will still carry your kids, a week's worth of groceries, or an adult passenger on the back – all on a frame that weighs less than a suitcase.

Category: Urban Transport, Transport

Tags: ebikes, cargo bike, JackRabbit

Compact home in Quebec brings the forest indoors

Bridget Borgobello — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:58:00 GMT

A compact residential dwelling designed by Canadian architectural firm Nathalie Thibodeau Architecte has been completed in Boileau, Quebec. Dubbed La Maraude, the home is set within a wooded site near the Maskinongé River, and dissolves the boundaries between interior living zones and the outdoors. The project invites the forest indoors through its geometric layout, emphasizing light, openness, and continuity by positioning courtyards as integral spaces throughout the home.

Category: Architecture, Engineering

Tags: Cabins, Tiny Footprint, Architects, quebec

Antarctic telescope spies alien worlds with ever-shifting orbits

Chris Young — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:46:00 GMT

Planetary systems evolve over dizzying timespans. It typically takes millions, even billions, of years for gravitational interactions to noticeably alter a planet’s orbital trajectory. This stability allowed life to take hold on Earth. It also means orbital planes are effectively fixed on human timescales.

Category: Astronomy, Science

Tags: Exoplanet, Antarctic, Orbit

VW takes aim at the uber-cool Renault 5 with the polite-faced ID.Polo

Simon Heptinstall — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:11:46 GMT

In response to a growing backlash to a decade of touchscreen overload, VW has taken a step back into traditional territory with its new electric hatchback. The ID.Polo is the first of the brand's new electric-vehicle (EV) range to revive a generic name from the ICE era. The futuristic styling of the ID.3 has been dumped and, best of all, VW has brought back tactile buttons on the dashboard.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Volkswagen, city car, Electric Vehicles

Triple-pop truck camper squeezes full base camp into short pickup bed

C.C. Weiss — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 02:50:02 GMT

Loads of pickup campers we've looked at over the years pop upward to expand interior headroom, but far fewer pop out. The all-new Roam Rider SL does both, and it pops outward twice, sliding wings out of both sides to add an additional 20 cubic feet (566 L) of interior space. The sliding continues inside, where amenities slide open and closed rather than occupying finite space permanently. Roam Rider then manages to house a deconstructed part-time kitchen, deployable interior bathroom, L-shaped seating area/solo bed, and RV king-size master bed, all fit atop the 5.5-foot short bed of pickup trucks like the Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra and Chevy Silverado.

Category: Pickup Campers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: Pickup, Truck, RV, Camping, Off-road, Off-grid, Outdoors and Camping

15-sec push-button tent airs out into big panorama

C.C. Weiss — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:04:00 GMT

Last year, South African camping trailer manufacturer AlphaGo slid off wheeled chassis and launched the impressive Cube Air Tent, a larger-than-life inflatable built to sleep up to six people. But wilderness wanderers who really want to escape daily life for the warm embrace of wild serenity might be best-served by leaving those five others behind ... back in the city.

Category: Tents, Gear, Outdoors

Tags: Tent, Inflatable, Camping, Outdoors and Camping

Wheel kit electrifies your bike – but keeps the weight way down

Ben Coxworth — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:01:42 GMT

So, you've got a perfectly good road or gravel bike, but you don't want to get "left behind" in the ebike revolution? Well, the Cyplore kit turns analog bikes electric, and it's claimed to be the lightest system to do so.

Category: Bicycles, Transport

Tags: ebikes, Cycling, Kickstarter

'Metajets' promise interstellar travel, propelled by nothing but light

Etiido Uko — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT

If an alien in the Alpha Centauri star system were craving pizza, it would take tens of thousands of years to deliver it using today’s rocket technology. According to a press release, researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a technology that could one day reduce delivery to a mere 20 years using nothing but light for propulsion.

Category: Space Systems, Engineering

Tags: Texas A&M Universty, Solar Sail

This robot is set to be your miniature AI chess partner – or coach

Shirl Leigh — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

If a fervent chess player seeking a challenging game partner doesn’t happen to live in a major city such as St. Louis, Missouri, home of the World Chess Hall of Fame, the next best thing might be SenseRobot Chess Mini. It's an AI-powered robotic chess coach/mentor and player, currently on Kickstarter.

Category: Games, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Chess, Kickstarter, Artificial Intelligence

Robovac disappears inside kitchen cabinetry when it’s done cleaning

Monica J. White — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:27:40 GMT

Bosch and Ecovacs have unveiled a robot vacuum cleaner and mop that hides inside your kitchen cabinet, merging autonomous maintenance with high-end home design.

Category: Around The Home, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Bosch, Vacuum cleaner, Automation, Ecovacs

The most dangerous place in the solar system: Not where you think

Dr. Jaroslav Boublik — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:32:00 GMT

If you had to name the most dangerous place in the Solar System, you’d probably start with the obvious suspects.

Category: Astronomy, Science

Tags: Space Junk, Orbit

Rocket-shaped skyscraper soars to record-breaking height

Adam Williams — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:14:22 GMT

Designed to resemble a rocket on a launchpad readying for takeoff, this extraordinary tower reportedly draws inspiration from a billionaire's trip to a NASA facility in the late 1960s. The building reaches a height of 250 m (820 ft), setting a new record for Morocco and making it one of the tallest skyscrapers on the African continent.

Category: Architecture, Engineering

Tags: Building and Construction, Skyscrapers, Office

Dual-iris laser projector brings theater-level blacks to home cinema

Omar Kardoudi — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:37:55 GMT

No matter how many lumens a home projector throws at the wall, dark scenes still go gray. But XGIMI thinks a pair of mechanical irises can change that, and a fresh Kickstarter campaign suggests that thousands of home cinema enthusiasts are willing to bet on it.

Category: Home Entertainment, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: XGIMI, Kickstarter, xxKickbooster, Projectors, Laser, home theater, 4K UHD

JDAM-LR strap-on kit turns dumb bombs into cruise missiles

David Szondy — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:03:00 GMT

The US Navy has successfully flight tested its Joint Direct Attack Munition Long Range (JDAM-LR) kit that turns an ordinary iron dumb bomb into an affordable carrier-based jet-propelled cruise missile with a range of over 200 nm (230 miles, 370 km).

Category: Military, Engineering

Tags: US Navy, Bombs, Boeing, Cruise missile

Japanese glamping OG blows up the rooftop tent camping space

C.C. Weiss — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 23:07:55 GMT

Years before we had ever heard the term "glamping," we already knew exactly what it was thanks largely to Snow Peak. Founded in 1958, the Japanese brand has been making glamping-grade equipment designed to be as beautiful as it is functional for decades. From base camp couches to portable low-and-slow BBQs, the company's gear is often some of the most original in its segment. So in creating a rooftop tent, Snow Peak didn't just carbon-copy of one of dozens of existing designs out there, instead sculpting out a true original with inflatable frame and signature features you won't find on other vehicle-mounted tents.

Category: Tents, Gear, Outdoors

Tags: Snow Peak, roof-top tent, Glamping, Tent, Camping, Outdoors and Camping, Inflatable

Forgotten 4x4 rises from the dead into cutting-edge Chinese brand

Utkarsh Sood — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:00:00 GMT

The original Land Rover Freelander may have died after just two generations in 2015, but that hasn’t stopped Jaguar Land Rover from reviving the nameplate now in 2026. Except it’s no longer a standalone SUV, with Chery-JLR launching Freelander as a full-fledged brand.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Chery, Jaguar Land Rover, SUV, China, Electric Vehicles

Versatile EDC multi hammer swaps claw for unexpected bonus tool

Maryna Holovnova — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:30:00 GMT

Eck Studio is a Hong Kong-based design studio famous for its everyday carry (EDC) tools and practical outdoor gear. After successfully releasing its titanium compact stove and compass/lighter combo, the company is back with another Kickstarter project: the Eck Hammer. The idea of turning a hammer into an EDC tool is all about balancing size and functionality, and this tool seems to check both boxes.

Category: Gear, Outdoors

Tags: EDC, Multitools, Titanium, Kickstarter, xxKickbooster, Wrench

Video: Shape-shifting, flapless wings trialed on experimental aircraft

Etiido Uko — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Imagine looking out the window of an airborne airplane and seeing the wing rippling and twisting. You'd probably have a mini heart attack. Yet, this is what German engineers have created: prototype morphing wings that change their shape mid-flight.

Category: Aircraft, Transport

Tags: Flight, German Aerospace Center, Transformable

LG bumps up display size and picture quality for versatile smart TV

Monica J. White — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:27:00 GMT

LG’s StanbyME 2 Max expands its portable lifestyle TV with a larger 4K display for more touchscreen real estate, but wrapped in a similar hybrid design that can be wheeled from room to room, plus battery power for cable-free entertainment.

Category: Home Entertainment, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: LG, TV, Smart TV, Portable, Wireless, Display, 4K UHD

Electrocuting coffee can identify the best brew for your buck

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:02:00 GMT

The lab techniques for accurately testing the qualities of a batch of coffee are out of reach, for even the most maniacally obsessed coffee nerds in search of the perfect cuppa joe. But what if you could instead electrocute your brew to determine if it's indeed good stuff – right in the mug?

Category: Diet & Nutrition, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Coffee, University of Oregon

Extra-wide tiny house puts the party on the roof

Adam Williams — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:57:00 GMT

This extra-wide tiny house features a remarkably spacious and open interior that sleeps two in comfort. The "Tiny Mansion" also boosts living space with a huge rooftop terrace that's more than large enough to host parties on.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home

A 2,200-year-old ship's life, charted from pollen and pitch

Jules Roscoe — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:01:00 GMT

An ancient Roman ship was repaired multiple times, with multiple techniques, and in multiple places around the Adriatic Sea before it sank, a new study suggests. The findings highlight the expansive nature of trade and technical transfer in the Roman Republic.

Category: Archaeology, Science

Tags: Ships, ancient, University of Strasbourg, Underwater, Ocean, Shipwrecks

Production EV packing sub-zero-operation sodium-ion batteries on its way

Omar Kardoudi — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:06:11 GMT

Chinese battery giant CATL and automaker Changan announced the launch of the Changan Nevo A06, the world's first mass-production electric vehicle (EV) powered by sodium-ion batteries. It's due to hit the market mid-2026, and it marks the moment a technology long trapped in the lab finally steps onto the road.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: CATL, Sodium battery, Electric Vehicles, Changan

US Navy’s new robotic refueling drone completes first operational flight

David Szondy — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:02:41 GMT

The first operational Boeing MQ-25A Stingray has taken to the sky for the first time. On April 25, 2026, the carrier-based autonomous aerial refueling plane took off from MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois for a two-hour test flight.

Category: Military, Engineering

Tags: US Navy, Boeing, Autonomous flight, Flight Tests

Woodless camper pod is a toasty tiny cabin at the 'edge of nowhere'

C.C. Weiss — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:29:41 GMT

A tiny trailer with huge ambitions, the new Skookum from Alberta-based Tactical Overland is a family trailer specced for clans with surnames like "Amundsen" and "Hillary." Because this trailer is built to push beyond the usual limits of off-roading and overlanding, making camp out of the most remote parts of Canada, even in the dead of winter. It collapses inward for travel but expands into a two-story 4-sleeper base camp with space to work, cook, shower and live your best off-grid life.

Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: teardrop trailers, trailers, Trailer, Caravan, RV, Off-road, Off-grid, Camping, Outdoors and Camping

Amazingly lifelike robofish is made for maintenance-free aquariums

Ben Coxworth — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:33:46 GMT

An aquarium can really add a touch of class to a home or business, particularly if it's got some fancy fish in it – but such fish can be very hard to keep. So, why not just buy a weirdly lifelike "robofish" like this one, that needs nothing more than a daily battery-charge?

Category: Robotics, Engineering

Tags: Fish, Biomimicry

Smart #2 micro-EV looks straight out of a video game, and it probably is

Utkarsh Sood — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT

The Smart ForTwo was a much-loved microcar that came with an array of customization options over the years, but its biggest strength was its small footprint. It practically took up half of a parking spot, and I’m happy to say its successor follows that same recipe.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Smart, Electric Vehicles, Mercedes-Benz, Geely

Donut airship with dangling cockpit is one wild but purposeful ride

Malcolm Azania — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:30:00 GMT

If you’re a longtime viewer of The Simpsons, then you know at least two things about Homer: he loves doughnuts, and he’s an absolutely terrible designer of vehicles. But that doesn’t mean no one should ever combine vehicle design with doughnuts, as French company aérOnde has shown us with its aérOnde (“Air-Round”) airship that looks like a giant, flying doughnut covered in white icing.

Category: Aircraft, Transport

Tags: eVTOL, Balloon, Airships