Features of the week
SpaceScience
Humans in space: Are astronauts obsolete?
by David Szondy
The Artemis II mission, which will return US astronauts to lunar space, has run into problems that have critics demanding NASA remove the crew from the flight for safety reasons. The bigger question is, why do we have astronauts at all?
EnergyTechnology
Big blimp uses blades to pull wind power out of the sky
by Etiido Uko
Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's ... a 20,000 cubic-meter power-generating airship, floating 6,560 ft (2,000 meters) above the ground. Introducing the S2000 stratospheric airborne wind energy system – or the S2000 SAWES.
Camping TrailersAdventure VehiclesOutdoors
Wingcube camper pod mushrooms into double-bedroom platform tent
by C.C. Weiss
One of the more out-there concepts from CMT 2026, the Wingcube is a unique style of trailerable camping pod. It folds up into a slim cube that tows comfortably on narrow roads, then more than triples its packed size into an indoor/outdoor base camp.
Boats and WatersportsToysOutdoors
World's fastest jet ski gets high-tech upgrade and stability at top speed
by Bronwyn Thompson
Sea-Doo’s RXP-X has built a reputation as an aggressive, race-inspired watercraft – one designed for pace, tight cornering and great control. Now, the RS 325 takes the model to a thrilling new level, keeping its title as the beast of personal watercraft.
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Top Stories: Transport
Solar motorcycle visor automatically tints when it's bright out
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
An Italian optics research firm might have just tackled literally the biggest issue I face while motorcycling: the sun in my eyes. Irid's liquid crystal-based technology tints helmet visors to cut glare in an instant.
Atlanta to host first fully automated on-demand public transit system
by Omar Kardoudi
South Metro Atlanta is set to become home to a demonstration pilot for a publicly accessible automated transit network using autonomous electric vehicles on dedicated guideways – promising to deliver rail-like capacity at bus-fare prices.
VW anti-camper bus smashes out MPV & cargo hauling like no other van
by C.C. Weiss
VW knows what it takes to make a great van, whether we're talking passenger or goods haulers. Its latest multipurpose van is a split-personality ID. Buzz that seats a family of five while carrying all means of cargo in a discrete compartment.
2.5-kg high-torque DJI ebike motor jumps into city commuting
by Stefan Ionescu
Up until very recently, DJI's lightweight-but-torquey Avinox mid-drive motor has been powering off-road eMTB adventures. The Revo-C from Germany's Velo De Ville high-end custom is one of the first commuter rides to bring such power to city riding.
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Top stories: Body & Mind
Oral bacteria may signal metabolic health and even contribute to obesity
by Chelsea Haney
New research shows that people with obesity host a distinct oral microbiome. The study turns our attention to the mouth as a signal of metabolic health in a shift that challenges long-held assumptions about where obesity-related biomarkers can be measured.
Just a few daily cups of coffee or tea linked to lower dementia risk
by Michael Franco
After an analysis of data from over 131,000 people, researchers found that drinking coffee and tea daily seems to guard against the development of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline - caffeine may be the key protective compound.
AI-boosted stethoscope excels at listening to our hearts
by Michael Franco
While AI certainly has its issues, there’s little doubt that it shines in terms of medical diagnostics. Now, a new study suggests it can even make the humble stethoscope an even more powerful tool than it already is for detecting heart disease.
Flame-treated sunscreen keeps the zinc but cuts the smeary white look
by Michael Franco
Zinc oxide remains one of the best forms of sun protection thanks to its ability to block both UVB and UVA rays. However, few really appreciate its thick white look – except, maybe, lifeguards in the '80s. UCLA researchers believe they have a solution.
Top Stories: Outdoor
Kia's 1st tiny camper van rolls out in slick, IKEA-like setup from USA
by C.C. Weiss
Kia has introduced an officially branded camper package for the tiny PV5 electric van. Interestingly, the flat-pack IKEA-like assemble-yourself mini-camper kit was developed in the USA, which has not yet been confirmed as a PV5 market.
Apartment-sized tiny house delivers small living without compromise
by Adam Williams
Downsizing to a tiny house usually requires some serious compromises. However, the English Garden has a remarkably roomy and stylish interior that feels more like an apartment than a traditional tiny house.
Portable smokeless fire pit doubles as a go-anywhere grill
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
This new piece of camping kit is designed to not only make it way easier to start a fire, but also keep your site free of smoke. That means you can comfortably enjoy the warmth from the flames, and even get a cookout going with minimal effort.
Sleek double-hull camping trailer raises the bar for American RV craft
by C.C. Weiss
One of the smoothest hunks of sleep-in fiberglass you'll see this year, the Awaken Morningstar looks to "wake up" an age of higher quality US Midwest-built campers. The trailer's robust dual-hulled build aims to eliminate rotting and leaking.
Top Stories: Technology
Novel wave energy/desalination system gets trialled in Barbados
by Etiido Uko
What do Rihanna, stunning beaches, and a potential 50-megawatt wave-energy project have in common? Barbados! The island nation is deploying a unique type of wave energy tech to convert its ocean waves into sustainable electricity and freshwater.
Review: Robot tennis coach is better than any human trainer I've ever had
by Bronwyn Thompson
We have certainly entered the age of AI robots doing the jobs we formerly relied on humans for. Some are yet to do it as well, but the Pongbot Pace S Pro is the best tennis coach I've had – even if it doesn't criticize my poor two-handed backhand grip.
Epson shrinks 30,000-lumen 4K projection into its smallest form yet
by Monica J. White
Epson has unveiled the EB-XQ2030B, billed as the world’s smallest and lightest 30,000-lumen 4K projector. Aimed at rental, staging, and immersive installations, it focuses on making extreme projection easier to deploy, hide, and manage.
Watch: Coyote interceptor downs drone swarms with electromagnetic weapon
by David Szondy
With a single invisible shot, Raytheon's Coyote Block 3 UAV zapped swarms of drones out of the sky in a US Army demonstration showing that a reusable drone with electromagnetic weapons is an economical alternative to explosive interceptors.
Top Stories: Science
The world’s oldest known vertebrates had two pairs of eyes
by Jay Kakade
The earliest ancestors of all backboned animals, including humans, may have viewed the world with four eyes, not just two, according to a new study. The remnants of those extra eyes persist deep in the human brain today as the pineal organ.
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