Features of the week
RoboticsTechnology
Watch this morphing robot duo walk, drive, and fly
by Michael Franco
Like something out of an early Transformers movie, researchers at Caltech have just demonstrated how a humanoid and a drone can team up to accomplish multiple forms of movement. The experiment opens new possibilities in robotic locomotion.
GearOutdoors
Double-barreled flashlight packs lasers to shine dual beams up to 2 km
by Ben Coxworth
It's double-barreled, it uses lasers instead of LEDs, and it's machined from a solid block of 6061 aluminum alloy. Come meet the Lumitwin DL700 flashlight, which belts out two converging beams up to a distance of 2 km (1.24 miles).
Wellness and Healthy LivingBody and Mind
First long-acting hair regrowth pill hailed as 'new benchmark'
by Bronwyn Thompson
A new oral drug may become the first prescription pill specifically designed to regrow hair in both women and men – and without the cardiac risks. Currently in Phase 3 trials, it could be the first new treatment for pattern hair loss in nearly 30 years
Tiny HousesOutdoors
Homesteader tiny house delivers full-time small living for under $100k
by Adam Williams
Nordic & Spruce's Homesteader is a tiny house that's well-suited to full-time living. Measuring 272 sq ft, the towable home features a spacious and light-filled interior layout that can be configured with lots of options.
Top Stories: Transport
Honda's single-cylinder thumper is dripping in retro charm
by Utkarsh Sood
Honda's CB350 Special Edition is based on the stock CB350, but differs with a unique visual motif with vintage designs on the fuel tank, side panels, and fenders. It comes in two beautiful retro paint schemes: Matt Dune Brown and Rebel Red Metallic.
Review: The 2025 Tundra TRD Rally nails that sweet spot
by Aaron Turpen
Not wanting to miss out on the sport truck craze currently happening with the Detroit 3, Toyota has debuted the TRD Rally model of the Tundra. It’s a combination of nostalgia, muscular sound, and off-road credibility.
Tilt-rotor VTOL rises from the ashes of an airshow fireball
by Loz Blain
Xpeng's AeroHT flying car unit has rebranded after an embarrassing air show fireball, and the Chinese company has announced a very Joby-esque long-range, high-speed air taxi to go along with some of its more bizarre offerings.
Report says plug-in hybrids are almost as polluting as gas-powered cars
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
A report out of Europe throws serious shade at plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) cars, pointing out that they emit nearly as much carbon dioxide emissions as gas-powered vehicles. So much for greener motoring.
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Top stories: Body & Mind
First oral GLP-1 cuts cardiovascular risk by 14% – and it's now FDA-approved
by Bronwyn Thompson
The age of the GLP-1 drug has reached yet another milestone, with the US Food and Drug Administration green-lighting Novo Nordisk's once-daily oral semaglutide pill to treat people at high risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke.
New approach shields memory from brain cancer radiotherapy
by Paul McClure
A new study offers hope for brain cancer patients facing memory loss from radiotherapy. By blocking a single immune receptor, scientists preserved cognition in mice without dulling the cancer-killing power of radiation.
Butt-breathing science goes from IgNobel Prize infamy to human reality
by Bronwyn Thompson
Scientists who won a 2024 IgNobel Prize for "discovering that many mammals are capable of breathing through their anus" have now completed a successful trial based on this, using a technique that gets oxygen into the blood via an unconventional route.
Yoga vs aerobic exercise: Which is better for heart health?
by Pranjal Malewar
A study has compared yoga and conventional exercise, looking at the impact of both on vascular function. Surprisingly, the results challenge a popular narrative, finding yoga may not be as effective as traditional workouts in boosting heart health.
Top Stories: Outdoor
Rugged hexa-drop camper rides like a small trailer, lives like a van
by C.C. Weiss
The Arkto Campers C10 caravan lives larger than the typical squaredrop, offering a complete interior ready to escape mercurial fluctuations in a hurry. The pop-up cabin feels more like you're in a pop-top camper van than a teardrop-size trailer.
Minimalist 190-sq-ft tiny house goes back to small living basics
by Adam Williams
Many tiny houses nowadays are actually more like apartments on wheels. The BTH Single, by Baltic Tiny House, recalls the small living movement's minimalist roots with a compact and simple interior that measures just 193 sq ft.
Clever plastic-free water bottle folds flat when you're done drinking
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
I love EDC gear that's designed to take up as little room as possible. The Elio water bottle is a great example of that: it can hold 25.4 fl oz when expanded, and compress down to the size of a hockey puck for easy packing or carrying on the go.
Hovering teardrop toy-hauler camper is an oddball RV that kinda works
by C.C. Weiss
Modern Buggy has been on an expansion warpath, and the new Ultimate Hauler 18 is part of its teardrop camper expansion ... kind of. This particular trailer blends together a proper teardrop pod and toy-hauling flatbed in a way we haven't seen before.
Top Stories: Technology
Why is this concept phone packing a robot arm-mounted camera?
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
Honor is hyping up a phone concept that looks too bonkers to be true – and for the moment, it is. The 'Robot Phone' has an articulating gimbal arm with a camera at one end, and the whole thing is hidden behind a sliding glass panel on the back. Why?
Lockheed's Nomad drones blur the line between helicopter and plane
by David Szondy
Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky is blurring the line between helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft with its new Nomad family of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) that combine the versatility of a helicopter with the speed and endurance of a fixed-wing aircraft.
Compact 4K projector gets real cozy with wall or screen
by Paul Ridden
Back in January, JMGO revealed what was then claimed to be the world's smallest Laser TV. The O2S Ultra has just launched globally, meaning that full details and pricing are now available.
Household turbine outputs 83% more power, even in low-wind areas
by Michael Franco
Thanks to the development of new, lightweight rotors, engineers in Germany have created a small wind turbine that excels at efficiency, even when breezes aren't blowing strongly. The development is a big step toward efficient green home power generation.
Top Stories: Science
Mutant wheat breakthrough could triple grain yields
by Ben Coxworth
Imagine if three times as much grain could be obtained from the same amount of wheat plants as is currently possible, using the same amount of land, water and fertilizer. Well, that could soon be possible, thanks to a new genetic discovery.
Egypt's Karnak temple's true age revealed after decades of mystery
by Pranjal Malewar
There is still great mystery surrounding the early beginnings of the Karnak temple. When did people first begin to settle in this area? How did the Nile river have an impact on this sacred location? New research is finally providing some answers.
Sake to the stars: Japan’s lunar brewing experiment set for takeoff
by David Szondy
They're not serving sushi on the Moon – yet – but if or when they do, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and DASSAI want sake on the table. To attain this quaffable goal, the companies are sending a rice fermentation experiment to the International Space Station (ISS).
Ancient lead exposure shaped Neanderthal and human brains
by Paul McClure
Lead poisoning isn’t just an industrial-age problem. A new study reveals our ancestors, including Neanderthals, were exposed to lead for millions of years, shaping how their brains evolved and overturning what scientists thought about our toxic history.
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