Technology, Innovation & Outdoor News

ESPHome Starter Kit review: From blinking lights to building a smart home

September 04, 2026 | Howard Armitage
ESPHome’s first official hardware kit makes a fiddly corner of DIY smart homes remarkably approachable, and it’s built to remain genuinely useful long after the lessons are over.

Floating data center would provide water and electricity to 32,000 homes

September 03, 2026 | Etiido Uko
Some companies build a desalination plant and call it a day; others build a data center, while others, still, build power generation facilities. One project wants to build all three …into one facility …offshore …on a movable ship.

Xiaomi’s new mid-rangers pack batteries up to 10,000-mAh

September 04, 2026 | Monica J. White
Xiaomi’s REDMI Note 17 lineup brings 7,700- to 10,000-mAh batteries to four mid-range phones, led by a Pro Max promising three-day endurance, 100W charging and up to six years of battery health for longer ownership.

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With its lack of trailer, this A-frame tiny house isn't a good fit for nomads. The home trades ease of movement for a cozy and comfortable interior that draws inspiration from traditional cabins.
Building on the design language it debuted with the new Elko knife, The James Brand packs multiple functions inside the all-new Helton EDC tool. The Helton, then, is a sleek, lightweight piece of EDC that's as easy to carry as it is to use.
Many of our most popular camper van articles of 2026 have one thing in common: the Kia PV5. Now, Kia is readying the PV7 for debut. The larger e-van will offer more space for camper equipment, but will it prove as popular a camper base as the PV5?
Developed by researchers in the US, the remarkable new treatment could one day be used to treat patients in advanced stages of dementia by restoring the brain’s ability to recover from ongoing neurodegeneration.
Radica has never been known to follow convention. Its original widened pickup cap camped like nothing out there, and its subsequent launches followed suit. The new Stargate lands as a telescopic pop-topper that becomes the most spacious Radica yet.
All too often, lubricating your bike chain ends up with you inadvertently lubing the ground beneath it, also. The Green Disc+ is designed to change that, by applying its eco-friendly lube only where it's needed. Less waste, and no mess.

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After leaving the competition scrambling with the launch of a powerful ebike drive system in 2024, DJI brand Avinox is set to do it all again with a second-generation flavor designed to beat every rival on power, torque, and weight.
The new Gazelle T4 Overland EXP tent serves as a simple, all seasons-ready camping solution. It sets up in minutes via a fast-pitch hub frame and includes enhanced adjustability, multiple climate control options, and a stabilized foundation.
Generally Honda is the major Japanese automaker pushing out a fast, ferocious new side-by-side. This time, it's Toyota, which shows a radical side-x-side that delivers an extra 50+ hp over any production SxS out there.
I spent a few nights with the Akaso Sight-300 and came away fairly impressed. My previous experiences with night vision have been with very high-end scopes, so I wasn't sure what to expect on something that costs several thousand dollars less.
While we may still not have flying cars, robot butlers or food replicators in our possession, you can now order something else you may have long dreamt of. It's called the Photon Matrix, and it uses lasers to track and kill airborne mosquitoes.
Garmin's latest Force electric motor drive might just be its most innovative yet. The Current trolling motor goes totally hands-free with a foot pedal system Garmin calls an industry first. Keep your bait in the water while cruising forward.
Britain's DragonFire laser weapon upped the ante on November 20 at the Ministry of Defence's Hebrides Range in Scotland when the high-powered, solid-state laser for the Royal Navy shot down drones flying at 351 knots (404 mph, 650 km/h).
Globally, stomach cancer is on the rise in young people, but new research shows that three-quarters of future cases could be prevented by screening for and treating a common bacterial infection: Helicobacter pylori.