Technology, Innovation & Outdoor News
Your own personal poison-snooper as a wearable skin patch
August 17, 2026
| Malcolm Azania
An alcoholic drink will give you a buzz, but if someone laced it with something dangerous, a new poison-snooping patch will buzz your skin to warn you. It can also detect heavy metals in water and toxic aerosols, and can work as an e-skin for robots.
Stilted tiny house takes stripped-back approach to small living
August 15, 2026
| Adam Williams
This timber retreat is small on home comforts but big on simple rustic charm. Intended as a short-stay vacation home, it features a minimalist but comfortable interior that includes a netted hangout area.
1,600-hp CCGT1 is Koenigsegg's most performant track weapon ever
August 17, 2026
| Abhimanyu Ghoshal
Koenigsegg is paying tribute to one of its cars from over a decade ago, which never got the chance to tear up racetracks like it was designed to do. That show of respect comes in the form of the incredible CCGT1.
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Iris' new solar generator has a handy feature you don't often see on units like these: the ability to follow the sun around the sky. The T1 also a built-in battery to top off your personal gadgets while you're off-grid.
While many tiny homes have been trending steadily larger, this off-grid model takes things in the opposite direction. Created with mobility in mind, it would be a good fit for those wanting a nomadic lifestyle.
Three seats, one single bed, a large kitchen and a bathroom (or at least a toilet) – that's an odd, mismatched set of specs for any camping vehicle. Nevertheless, it's the exact set that underpins a new Mitsubishi Delica D:2 micro-RV from Wellhouse.
Nissan has set a new economy record, driving a Qashqai e-Power 1,230 miles across Colombia on one tank. Its special hybrid system uses a gasoline engine only to charge the batteries, offering EV-style driving without ever plugging in.
For years, Hymer has been selling what stands as arguably the most innovative camper van in all the world. This year, its highly self-sufficient Crossover series draws closer than ever before to that Venture S camper van, mirroring it outside and in.
Downsizing to a tiny house with a family is always going to be a challenge, but the Kookaburra 2.0 has been designed to smooth the process along. It features two bedrooms, a bathroom with a bathtub, and plenty of storage.
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August 16, 2026 | Bronwyn ThompsonA breathtaking ride with a view in an elevator up and down the side of a canyon has opened in a remote canyon, drastically increasing capacity. It makes what was once a six-hour round trip even shorter than 30 minutes, because of less wait time. -
August 16, 2026Microsoft Office apps have been a staple for decades for a reason — they’re dependable and they work. Take advantage of these helpful tools with a Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows license on sale now for just $19.97. -
August 16, 2026 | C.C. WeissWhen Durston launched the X-Dome 1+ freestanding tent, we knew it wasn't going to be the lightest in the series. And now it's not – the Dyneema-and-carbon X-Dome Pro 1+ debuts to claims of being "world's lightest freestanding double-wall tent."
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Health and Science news from our sister site: Refractor
Longevity has become a bit of a buzz word, and has become increasingly aligned with the tech industry. But a timely report from Harvard Medical School reminds us that we have a lot of power when it comes to how we age – and it's backed by science.
In somewhat of a surprise announcement, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first US influenza vaccine engineered from the mRNA technology that gave us one of the most administered COVID-19 shots during the pandemic.
“Remove the plank from your eye before pointing out the speck in another’s,” says a popular proverb. For millions with geographic atrophy, the speck is literal. Relief may now be coming, after a sight-restoring implant received approval for sale in Europe.
An AI present in your consultation promises better notes, less admin and more time for patients, but what exactly is being recorded, where does the data go, and did anyone really ask for your consent?
Hookworms are freeloaders that live at the host’s expense inside their gut, drinking about two drops of blood per day. This parasite could soon pay its way with engineered hookworms serving as living medicine factories.
Sixteen different PFAS compounds have been discovered in the feathers of Antarctic penguins, demonstrating that the insidious spread of "forever chemicals" now reaches the most remote wildlife on Earth.
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August 16, 2026EAST OAK’s Pitmate™ 20-Inch Tabletop Electric Smoker combines electric convenience with authentic wood-smoked flavor, offering 544 square inches of cooking space in a compact, beginner-friendly design. -
August 16, 2026 | Abhimanyu GhoshalCanada-based Edison Motors has been working on developing its own line of diesel-electric semi trucks. It's not a sophisticated auto industry player, but a tiny startup with people who know and love trucking. Here's what its vehicles are like. -
August 16, 2026 | Simon HeptinstallAlmost 2 years ago, BMW challenged students at Clemson University to build a vehicle that produced more energy than it needed. The Deep Orange 17 – or 'luminetta' – is the result of their labors, a boxy prototype EV jam-packed with solar cells. -
August 15, 2026 | Abhimanyu GhoshalMitsubishi makes only a handful of EVs across its global markets, but it's finally getting around to expanding its lineup with a beauty. Australia will get this handsome crossover – the ASX VR-e – later this year. -
August 15, 2026 | Utkarsh SoodWhile much of Chevrolet's lineup continues to chase higher price points in North America, GM’s Buick has launched its sleek, tech-laden Electra L7 sedan in China for around US$25,000 – exactly the kind of value-packed EV many US buyers have been begging for. -
August 15, 2026 | David SzondyLand-based launch sites for orbital rockets just got the flat-pack treatment as Rocket Lab announced its Global Hypersonic & Orbital Spaceport Technology (GHOST) system. The initiative packs a complete launch system into standard shipping containers. -
August 15, 2026 | Howard ArmitageOpenAI’s first real smart-home device reportedly looks like a $300 metal doughnut. No screen, plenty of sensors, a camera, and ChatGPT built in.
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Editor's Picks
Researchers in the Netherlands have created mechanical structures that strangely shrink – or more precisely, snap inward – instead of stretching outward when pulled. This 'countersnapping' behavior could find use in tomorrow's soft robots.
This week, talk of the AI bubble bursting has intensified with Google top executive Demis Hassabis throwing some fuel on the fire while discussing the release of the tech company's Gemini 3 model. He also thinks some players will weather the storm.
Bangkok-based RV and truck accessories builder Carryboy has teamed with Chinese auto badge Farizon to create one of the most compelling electric camper vans the world over. It invites campers in through a wide entry and ensures they live comfy.
Having a Swiss Army knife is all fun and games until you find yourself wanting to see in the dark, start a fire, drink water straight from a stream, or heck, even charge your phone. Enter the Lifesaber.
Toyota's Kayoibako van concept won over the 2023 Japan Mobility Show. Toyota is now talking up a Kayoibako family and showing the Daihatsu Kayoibako-K, a kei transporter that's a tiny delivery van, micro-camper, automated adventure shuttle and more.
Ultra-deep tech startup Nirvanic put on a fairly humble-looking robotics demo at Jeff Bezos's private MARS 2025 conference – but it may go down as a landmark moment both in AI robotics, and in our understanding of consciousness itself.
Australian defense company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has unveiled its Apollo High Energy Laser Weapon (HELW) that pumps out up to 150 kW of power yet can take out 200 medium-sized drones running on its own internal power supply.
"You can either go to Vegas, or you can go to The Hacienda," is what got this world-record-setting idea off the ground and into the air for a couple of months. Yep, I said months.