New Atlas - New Technology & Science News

Enclosed ebike uses retractable outriggers to keep riders on the upright

Ben Coxworth — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Fully-enclosed velomobiles may offer weather protection and an aerodynamic advantage over bicycles, but their three wheels do add weight and rolling resistance. The outrigger-equipped Manta ebike, however, takes a unique alternative approach.

Category: Bicycles, Transport

Tags: Velomobile, ebikes, Solar Powered

Electric trike uses pedal-by-wire to ditch chains forever

Omar Kardoudi — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:27:30 GMT

For more than 140 years, the bicycle chain has barely changed. Inspired Cycle Engineering (ICE), a UK-based recumbent trike maker founded in 1999, thinks it's finally time. ICE has launched PERS Chainless, a fully electric drivetrain that eliminates the chain, the gear shifter, and essentially every component that can stretch, snap, or get caked in grease. It's a world first for the industry, the company says.

Category: Urban Transport, Transport

Tags: Electric Vehicles, Drives, ebikes, Trike, Tricycle, Pedal-assisted

Is Finland's new car-free bridge the longest of its kind in the world?

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:57:00 GMT

Finland's just inaugurated its longest bridge, and not a single a car or motorcycle will ever be allowed on it.

Category: Architecture, Engineering

Tags: Infrastructure, Bridge, Finland, Cycling, urban transport, Urban Planning

Japanese air-powered pillow has surprising impact on your day

Bronwyn Thompson — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:35:32 GMT

A one-button self-adjusting pillow that gently shifts your sleep position throughout the night – without waking you – aims to eliminate the health and well-being issues we face as we become increasingly sedentary in bed as we age.

Category: Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Kickstarter, Sleep, Chronic pain, Insomnia, Health, Well-being, Brain

Robot smashes human record in half-marathon – as another self-destructed

Bronwyn Thompson — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:16:19 GMT

The era of us laughing at humanoids playing sport may now be behind us – for the most part – as a field of robots competing in a half marathon in Beijing demonstrated how frighteningly fast the technology has developed in just 12 months. Even if one model had a day to forget, smashing into pieces after tripping at the starting line, the record-setting winner is a sign of things to come.

Category: AI and Humanoids, Technology

Tags: Future Robot, Honor, Humanoid, Autonomous, Beijing, Sport, Robotic construction, China

Self-improving AI model has people talking – for good reason

Bronwyn Thompson — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:03:00 GMT

If it feels like AI is developing too fast to keep up with, a group of Chinese researchers have some bad news – because they've developed a model that "evolves" on its own, creating better versions of itself with each self-analytical loop.

Category: AI and Humanoids, Technology

Tags: Artificial Intelligence, China

Smart bike helmet buckle wirelessly shares rider info in emergencies

Ben Coxworth — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:03:00 GMT

While there are already bike helmets that provide vital wearer info in the event of a crash, they typically use electronics that must be built into the helmet. A new high-tech buckle, however, can simply be added to any existing helmet.

Category: Bicycles, Transport

Tags: Helmets, Cycling, Road Safety, NFC

New vision system trims the terror of "man overboard"

David Szondy — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:03:00 GMT

"Man overboard!" is one of the most frightening things you can hear aboard ship and the outcome is often tragic. Now, maritime technology firm Zelim has achieved official certification for its ZOE Man-Overboard (MOB) machine-vision detection system.

Category: Marine, Transport

Tags: Shipping, Safety

Review: Quality $35 headphones show this brand is no one-trick pony

Bronwyn Thompson — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:03:00 GMT

In the running for best budget headphones of 2026, OneOdio's Focus A1 Pro outperform what you'd expect from a pair that'll set you back US$34.99. While they won't outshine premium audio tech, they leave the competition in their price bracket for dead.

Category: Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Headphones, Audio, Cheap, Noise-Canceling, Music Player, Bluetooth, Wireless, Portable Audio, Reviews

Sulphur-soaked lava world is in a planetary class all its own

Elizabeth Howell — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:03:00 GMT

The floor is literally lava on a nearby exoplanet, new telescope observations show. Given its small size and strange history, one team of scientists suggests planet L 98-59 d’s molten ocean and odd atmosphere might represent an entirely new category of extraterrestrial world.

Category: Astronomy, Science

Tags: Planet, Exoplanet, Super-Earth, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Habitable zone, Atmosphere

Scandi-style tiny house packs space-saving layout into just 270 sq ft

Adam Williams — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:03:00 GMT

With its attractive wooden interior and minimalist design, the Scandi Inn wears its inspiration on its sleeve. Measuring just 270 sq ft (25 sq m), the tiny house makes the most of its compact footprint with a focus on space-saving ideas and storage.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

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

Varmint round turns NATO rifles into drone killers

David Szondy — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:03:00 GMT

With a simple switch of a magazine, the Drone Round is claimed to turn a standard NATO caliber small arm into a drone-killing weapon that combines the scattershot of a shotgun with the speed, power and rapid fire of an infantry assault rifle.

Category: Military, Engineering

Tags: US Army, drones

Review: 2026 Toyota Sienna takes minivan-ness to fat MPG levels

Aaron Turpen — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:03:00 GMT

The most versatile vehicle on the road is the minivan and, like cargo shorts, it’s often maligned for no good reason. The 2026 Sienna expands that high practicality by adding a hybrid powertrain as the default.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Toyota, Minivan, SUV, Hybrid, Reviews

Fearless rugged tablet packs projector, night vision and huge battery

Monica J. White — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:03:00 GMT

Aside from being tough as nails, rugged gadgets typically prioritize long battery life, but increasingly, newer models have been adding in specialized tools for fieldwork. A projector, for example.

Category: Mobile Technology, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Rugged, iTablet, Projectors

How on earth is this insane 525hp go-kart street-legal?

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 01:03:00 GMT

I'm not the first to ask this question, especially since sportscar maker Ariel announced the Atom 4RR nearly a year ago. But now that you can actually buy one, the idea that one of these track weapons might actually be blasting through city streets has me gobsmacked.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Racing, Ariel Atom, Go-kart

How melting ice sheets are adding more time to your day

Jay Kakade — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:05:00 GMT

The Earth’s rotation has never been perfectly stable; the spin has changed significantly throughout history. Even slight changes on the planet, from melting ice sheets to flux in the Moon's gravitational effects, can make days longer or shorter. But for most of Earth’s history, the changes were tiny and driven mostly by natural forces. Now, a new study shows that modern, human-induced climate change is accelerating this effect, lengthening days at "unprecedented" rates.

Category: Environment, Science

Tags: Climate Crisis, Global Warming, University of Vienna, Earth, Time

Adaptable film camera shoots photos in any frame size you want

Shirl Leigh — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:03:00 GMT

The VZ-6617 medium format camera, currently on Kickstarter, is a timely shortcut for the photographer eager to experiment with a range of formats for their landscape/scenic shots but hampered by the economics and restrictions of shooting one size at a time.

Category: Photography, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Film Cameras, Kickstarter

Now we're cooking with water! Startup offers a hydrogen-powered stove

Etiido Uko — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:03:00 GMT

Imagine slashing your cooking electricity bill by a factor of six. That would almost be as wild as cooking with water! Well, a green-tech startup from India called GreenVize says it has made both possible with a hydrogen-based cooking unit that runs on water and a little bit of electricity.

Category: Energy, Engineering

Tags: Hydrogen-powered, Stoves, Cooking, Electrolysis

This all-female fish species reproduces without sex by cloning itself

Jay Kakade — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 14:02:00 GMT

The warm waters of Mexico and Texas are home to a small fish that has produced nothing but daughters for over 100,000 years. Essentially, the offspring are the exact genetic copy of their mother, with no father involved. The fish in focus is the Amazon molly.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Marine Biology, Fish, Reproduction, Cloning

Upside-down tiny house makes room for three bedrooms and two bathrooms

Adam Williams — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 13:33:00 GMT

Tiny house builders are always experimenting with new ideas to maximize floorspace. Case in point is the Onda, which turns the usual layout on its head to provide a roomy interior that places three bedrooms downstairs, and the main living area upstairs.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

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

Renpho Eyeris Zen massager review: It's surprisingly good

Joe Salas — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:03:00 GMT

I've purchased a couple of massaging dodads in my day – the ubiquitous early-2000s "shiatsu back massager with heat" kind of thing you'd see on TV and whatnot – but those roller balls always end up just jabbing my sacrum or spine, making me more irritated than relaxed. So I gave up on gizmos of questionable quality and decided I'd continue my usual once a decade or so visit to an actual pro.

Category: Wearables, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Massager, Headset, Eye, Reviews

Looking back: The liter-class Lamborghini superbike with a Kawasaki engine

Utkarsh Sood — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:03:00 GMT

Everyone’s got a past, and Italian supercar maker Lamborghini is no different. The 80s were a weird time for the brand. Bankruptcy-led reorganization forced the exit of the founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini, out of the company, and in came French businessmen, the Mimran brothers.

Category: Motorcycles, Transport

Tags: Lamborghini, Kawasaki, Superbike, Retro

Automated filtration system promises drinking water anywhere on demand

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 03:03:00 GMT

California-based startup Vital Lyfe says its first product, a portable battery-powered filtration system, can provide safe drinking water from any source on demand – including seawater.

Category: Outdoors

Tags: Water, Salt-water, Filters, Desalination

Extragalactic Archaeology tells the 'life story' of a whole galaxy

Elizabeth Howell — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:02:00 GMT

For the first time, astronomers claim they’ve found a way to reconstruct a galaxy’s entire ‘life story’ – from a single snapshot in time.

Category: Astronomy, Science

Tags: Astronomy, Spectroscopy, UCSC, Harvard-Smithsonian, Astrophysics

Spacious single-level tiny house is built for nomadic life on wheels

Adam Williams — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:03:00 GMT

The Esther ditches the ubiquitous tiny house loft bedroom in favor of a spacious single-floor layout that sleeps up to two people. The home is built with regular travel in mind and can optionally run off-grid, allowing its owners to cut the cord and embrace a nomadic lifestyle.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

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

Soft-top surfboard splits for travel and stowage

Maryna Holovnova — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Newave is a French company founded by two engineers who also happen to be avid surfers. They’ve experienced firsthand the hassle of traveling with a bulky surfboard and paying extra fees for oversized luggage, so in 2023 they set out to solve this problem by designing modular boards.

Category: Boats and Watersports, Toys, Outdoors

Tags: Kickstarter, Surfboard, Modular

Battery-boosted Mercedes super-saloon pushes closer to 600-mile range

Simon Heptinstall — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:07:27 GMT

Mercedes has given its poshest electric saloon, the EQS, a mid-term refresh – showing exactly where the auto world’s current battleground is focused. Forget style, power, speed. Selling big EV sedans is now all about range.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, Electric Vehicles

Focused microwaves allow 3D printers to fuse circuits onto almost anything

Omar Kardoudi — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:23:00 GMT

Engineers at Rice University have cracked one of printed electronics' most stubborn problems: how to cure freshly printed conductive ink without destroying the delicate surface underneath.

Category: Electronics, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Rice University, Printable Electronics, 3D Printing, Circuit, microwave

Tiny house trades portability for a more spacious interior layout

Adam Williams — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:02:00 GMT

The Lukas tiny house isn't a great fit for would-be nomads since it doesn't have wheels and needs to be transported by truck. However, what it lacks in portability, it more than makes up for with a spacious interior that sleeps four in comfort.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

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

Great white sharks may never have vanished after all

Toluwalogo Niji-Olawepo — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:32:00 GMT

In April 2023, local fishermen off the coast of eastern Spain, incidentally caught something massive within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Genetic analysis confirmed its species as Carcharodon carcharias, the great white shark.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Marine Biology, Sharks, Spain

Shoot ultra-smooth 4K at 240 fps with DJI’s newest pocket-sized gimbalcam

Monica J. White — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:57:00 GMT

Smartphones have taken on much of what compact cameras offer, but dedicated pocket cameras still have an edge when it comes to stabilization, control, and creator-focused features. DJI is continuing to refine this space with the Osmo Pocket 4, the latest iteration of its handheld gimbal camera line.

Category: Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: DJI Innovations, Gimbals, Cameras, 4k

Low-protein diet shifts fat tissue into burn mode

Michelle Falci — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:28:00 GMT

Not all body fat is created equal. There is white adipose tissue, which stores excess energy, brown adipose tissue, which burns energy, and a third category known as “beige” fat. This type of fat can emerge from white fat under certain conditions and take on the energy-burning properties of brown fat, making it a compelling target for obesity research.

Category: Obesity, Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind

Tags: Weight Loss, Weight, Diet, Protein, City of Hope, McMaster University, Keio University

Surprisingly slim battery powers your fridge during hours-long outages

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:03:00 GMT

Bluetti's stuffed a large-capacity home backup battery – designed specifically to keep your fridge running when the power goes out – into a compact shape that's easy to fit and forget right in your kitchen.

Category: Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Backup, Electricity, Battery, Storage, Bluetti

World-first eVTOL transition flight for Vertical Aerospace

David Szondy — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:14:27 GMT

Vertical Aerospace has scored a world-first as its full-scale tilt-rotor eVTOL completed a two-way piloted transition between vertical helicopter mode and horizontal airplane mode during a single continuous flight while under regulatory oversight.

Category: Aircraft, Transport

Tags: Vertical Aerospace, eVTOL, Flight Tests

Does the brain really make its own DMT? New study ignites debate

Kayleigh Long — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 03:32:00 GMT

The case for the negative

Category: Psychedelics, Medical Innovations, Body and Mind

Tags: Psychedelic Medicine, Drugs, Brain, Consciousness, Dreams

Kia Kingfisher camper van is a stylish, streamlined tiny RVing marvel

C.C. Weiss — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 02:41:22 GMT

Well, that didn't take long at all. Less than two months after teasing the first Kia PV5 pop-up camper van, Sussex Campervans has revealed its work. And while the original renderings clearly showed a tiny, well-proportioned e-camper van, the actual conversion looks even better than expected. It offers a sleek, rustic layout with sleeping, cooking, dining and even toilet amenities inside a small electric van that's already managed a 430-mile (693-km) trip on a single charge.

Category: Campervans, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: Kia, mini-campervan, electric-camper, Campervan, RV, Camping, Outdoors and Camping

Asteroid-mining microbes extract metal from rocks in space

Ivan Farkas — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 02:02:00 GMT

Humanity may be one step closer to space-mining and cosmic self-sustainability, thanks to a secret, tiny weapon: microbes.

Category: Science

Tags: Asteroid Mining, Asteroid, Metals, Microbes

Forget scrubbing in the sink – this is a full-on shoe-washer and dryer

Maryna Holovnova — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Washing shoes by hand is one of those chores that feels almost punishing: it takes time, effort, patience, and it’s not even that efficient. Tossing shoes into a regular washing machine is always a gamble. They will definitely come out clean, but there is also a good chance they will be damaged. Specialized footwear washers already exist on the market, but most of them only handle the washing part, leaving you to wait hours for your shoes to dry. Casaboom's Midishi M1 aims to solve all of these problems and is currently available on Kickstarter.

Category: Around The Home, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Shoes, Clothing, Washing Machine, Kickstarter, xxKickbooster, Cleaning

GoPro's new 8K Mission 1 camera is more than just an actioncam

Utkarsh Sood — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:18:21 GMT

GoPro just stunned all of us by announcing an entirely new line of action cameras. That’s right – the Mission 1 is a new range of GoPros that will not replace the Hero lineup. Instead, it’s a new, parallel lineup that is aimed at pro creators who want to do more than just capture action in a jiffy.

Category: Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: GoPro, DJI Innovations, Insta360, Actioncam, Mirrorless Cameras, Micro Four Thirds, Cameras, Video Cameras

Amazon's new Fire Stick HD is a no-brainer for frequent flyers

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:51:28 GMT

Amazon's latest streaming device includes a handy feature that not only makes it a cinch to upgrade your old TV at home, but also to make long days on the road less of a drag.

Category: Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Streaming Video, Streaming, TV, Amazon, Travel

Honda's sporty compact EV includes simulated transmission sounds

Simon Heptinstall — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:46:08 GMT

Honda has revealed more details about its forthcoming likeable little retro-styled compact electric vehicle (EV). Firstly, and the most confusing of all, what is it called? The answer appears to be the Super-ONE in Japan and elsewhere, but the Super-N in the UK. Whether it’s ONE or N, the super-cute little lightweight boxy city car will launch in its home market at the end of May and in July in the UK.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Honda, Electric Vehicles, Hot hatch, Kei Cars

Even more unhinged: Limited edition KTM Super Duke RR

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:03:00 GMT

As if its flagship naked motorcycle didn't already pose enough risk to life and limb, KTM's gone and upped the ante with a limited edition variant.

Category: Motorcycles, Transport

Tags: KTM, Naked bike

Shapeshifting camper van leaps beyond Swiss Army level

C.C. Weiss — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 03:38:20 GMT

Plenty of camper vans have been designed to promote Swiss Army levels of multifunctional performance, but the all-new Album from California's Vanspeed takes the theme to new heights. What looks like your typical, unassuming Mercedes-Benz Sprinter camper van from outside is actually a transforming wonder, split into multipurpose zones that fold, drop, swivel, expand and remove to do everything you need, exactly when you need it.

Category: Campervans, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: Campervan, Modular, Multi-functional, RV, Camping, Outdoors and Camping, Off-road

Sleek survival straw weighs less than 1 oz, filters water every sip

C.C. Weiss — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 23:03:00 GMT

Lifestraw is at it again. The company has made some of the world's lightest, slimmest wilderness survival filters for decades. Now it launches a new lightweight leader that makes its past releases look downright chunky ... relatively speaking. The all-new Sip Essential takes the company's longstanding personal filter straw format and halves weight, ensuring that even the lightest-traveling speed hikers and mountaineers don't find themselves up a creek without a filter.

Category: Gear, Outdoors

Tags: Survival, Camping, Backpacking, Bikepacking

Royal Enfield's first electric motorcycle lands at $3,000 in its home country

Utkarsh Sood — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 20:30:00 GMT

It’s been a while since Royal Enfield revealed its all-electric offshoot called the Flying Flea. It’s been a long way since then, with regular updates, spy shots, and launch details dropping from time to time.

Category: Motorcycles, Transport

Tags: Electric Motorcycles, Royal Enfield, Zero Motorcycles, urban transport, India

A giant cat has made itself at home inside Hong Kong’s airport

Bronwyn Thompson — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Passengers landing at Hong Kong International Airport this month will be greeted by a surprise friend waiting for them in the arrivals hall – a giant fluffy orange cat sleeping right in the middle of the bustling space.

Category: Holiday Destinations, Outdoors

Tags: Hong Kong, Cats, Airports, Art, Animals, artificial animal

'Fireproof' batteries create their own internal firewall when the heat is on

Etiido Uko — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:30:00 GMT

Years of research and development, precision manufacturing, extreme testing, constant monitoring, and dozens of failsafes all go into preventing thermal runaway in batteries. Now, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences are proposing a shockingly simple solution: batteries that simply cannot catch fire.

Category: Energy, Engineering

Tags: Sodium battery, Batteries, Fire-Proof Coatings, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Wood meets carbon for slicing through the city in style

Omar Kardoudi — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:57:00 GMT

Austrian e-bike maker Esel is bringing its stunning ash wood frames to the city for the first time with the new eUrban. The model launches with three international design awards already on the shelf – including the German Design Award 2026 – and two builds aimed at riders who want something different from the carbon-and-aluminum mainstream.

Category: Bicycles, Transport

Tags: ebikes, Pedal-assisted, Wood, Carbon Fiber, City, Luxury

A monkey ate the wrong squirrel – and started an outbreak

Jay Kakade — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:13:00 GMT

In January 2023, researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health in Germany noticed that an infant monkey known as a sooty mangabey had developed reddish skin lesions across its forehead, chest, and legs. Within 48 hours, the animal was reported dead. Over the following weeks, nearly a third of the group's 80 members developed similar lesions, and four infants died. The outbreak was caused by the mpox virus (MPXV).

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Orange Monkey, Monkeys, nature, Virus, Epidemiology

Rolls-Royce's first electric convertible is super long – and exclusive

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:42:23 GMT

Rolls-Royce has just unveiled Project Nightingale – its second electric car after the Spectre, which the company is building to order for discerning customers who enjoy driving with the top down.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Rolls+Royce, Electric Vehicles, Convertible

Used EV sales breaking records while new EVs plummet, reveals study

Utkarsh Sood — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:36:46 GMT

Strange times in the electric vehicle (EV) world at the moment. While the technology behind electric cars continues to gather momentum, the sales numbers are showing mixed results. On one hand used EV sales are nearing record growth, but new EV sales are actually in decline.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Electric Vehicles, Depreciation, Toyota, Tesla, America

Rooftop tent makes simple but brilliant improvement over all others

C.C. Weiss — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:03:00 GMT

When we first caught wind of Thule's all-new Widesky rooftop tent (RTT), we took the model name to imply a large, clear stargazing skylight on par with Inspired Overland's fully transparent roof. We had the idea of open views correct, but instead of a skylight, Thule's latest RTT encourages panoramic viewing in a different way, one we haven't seen on other rooftop tents. In doing so, it creates a high-riding space in which you'll want to spend both waking and sleeping hours.

Category: Tents, Gear, Outdoors

Tags: roof-top tent, Tent, Thule, Camping, Outdoors and Camping

Small-but-mighty flashlight packs a beam and a side panel for extra functions

Ben Coxworth — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:58:20 GMT

Some people want a flashlight to do more than just emit a forward-facing cone of light. If you're one of those folks, you might like what the multi-functional Endorol has to offer.

Category: Gear, Outdoors

Tags: Flashlights, Kickstarter, xxKickbooster

'Sweater for houses' could reduce heating bills by at least 15%

Maryna Holovnova — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:52:07 GMT

Keeping homes warm in winter is becoming extremely expensive, and many existing methods aren't always efficient. In the US alone, tens of millions of people struggle with energy costs and often have to cut back on basic expenses, including food, just to be able to afford heating. With ongoing fossil fuel dependency and climate change, traditional heating methods are not only costly but also environmentally harmful.

Category: Energy, Engineering

Tags: University of Massachusetts, Insulation, Heating

24-ft tiny house designed for comfortable full-time life on wheels

Adam Williams — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:07:00 GMT

Designed to maximize comfort in a compact footprint, the Currumbin combines a smart layout with some well-thought-out features to create a home that's suitable for full-time life on wheels. There are lots of optional upgrades available too, including an off-grid setup and an outdoor terrace area.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

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

A swivel display disguises this gaming handheld as a media player

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:04:06 GMT

Anbernic makes a wide range of portable gaming consoles whose designs leave nothing to the imagination, with the usual arrays of controller buttons alongside or below a display. With its upcoming device, it's taking a more discreet design direction, which should also make for an easier fit in your pocket.

Category: Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Gaming, Handheld, Portable Gaming, EDC

Cheeky caterpillars trick ants into treating them as queens

Jay Kakade — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:02:00 GMT

Baby caterpillars have figured out how to get themselves the royal treatment in certain ant colonies – getting carried around like precious cargo, fed on demand, guarded and being rescued from danger. But why would ants give this celebrity status to a caterpillar? The secret lies in perfect mimicry: the caterpillar copies not just the queen ant’s chemical scent, but the exact rhythm of her vibrations.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Insect, Ants, Butterfly, Caterpillar

Autonomous wing-in-ground effect aircraft has US military in its sights

David Szondy — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 05:04:35 GMT

Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport (REGENT) has completed the maiden flight of Squire, an autonomous variant of the company's Wing-in-Ground Effect Seaglider aircraft that's being pitched to the US military for logistical duty.

Category: Military, Engineering

Tags: Aircraft, Ground Effect Vehicle, Department of Defense

'Spin-flip' system pushes solar cell energy conversion efficiency past 100%

Etiido Uko — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 01:27:33 GMT

Energy can never be created or destroyed. That's basic Physics 101. You simply cannot create energy out of thin air. Yet researchers at Kyushu University in Japan say they have developed a technology that pushes the energy conversion efficiency of solar cells to 130%!

Category: Energy, Engineering

Tags: Solar Cell, Solar Power, Kyushu University, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, American Chemical Society

Hand-carry camper pod supersizes into sub-$5K squaredrop lounge

C.C. Weiss — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 20:05:57 GMT

The market for versatile, vehicle-agnostic camper pods seems to be growing. A year after the original Tusca HitchHiker emerged, it morphed into the Freedom Camper lineup from Redneck Blinds in 2025. And we've noticed an uptick in similar drop-and-drive truck/trailer pods showing up from other builders.

Category: RVs and Motorhomes, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: teardrop trailers, Camping, RV, Pickup, Truck, Outdoors and Camping, Off-road, Hunting