Technology, Innovation & Outdoor News

Autonomous aviation system aims for pilot-free cargo aircraft

May 20, 2026 | David Szondy
A new frontier for autonomous flight appears to have been breached as Merlin, Inc. introduces its Merlin Pilot for Commercial Cargo AI-powered flight system that aims to eventually bring pilot-free flight to large cargo aircraft.

Nissan builds $14K tiny camper using crazy-versatile everyday material

May 19, 2026 | C.C. Weiss
Nissan keeps the factory camper vans coming. Its newest is built atop its smallest van, the Clipper kei van, which measures in under 3.4 meters (11.2 feet) long. To make it a micro-camper, Nissan relies on a basic household staple with which everyday DIY handymen have been familiar for ages: pegboard. The van's integrated peg panels serve as a simple, affordable means of holding up the bed and providing highly versatile storage organization for related (and unrelated) outdoor adventures.

Sub-zero survival lighter fires out lasting flame in rowdy conditions

May 20, 2026 | C.C. Weiss
The average $2 Bic lighter is great for lighting up a cigarette but not as great for lighting campfires or grills. Minnesota startup Radlight has an intriguing alternative for such outdoorsy tasks ... and for fending off hypothermia when things go south.

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The Manx R is a proper supersport, one that doesn’t feel like a retro cash-grab. Rather, a statement that the company wants to be taken seriously again – not just as a historic badge, but as a modern performance bikemaker with something left to prove.
The Byron Bay tiny house is a spacious model that's centered around an open kitchen and living area. The towable home also has multiple upgrades available, including an off-grid setup, and would be a good fit for small families.
CycloKinetics, a US propellant company, has unveiled a new family of superfuels for aircraft, missiles, and rockets that increase fuel performance by 32%. Aimed at the defense market, the fuels could allow vehicles to fly farther while carrying heavier payloads.
Winnebago's latest launch is its most ruggedly luxurious yet. Picking up where the Revel and Ekko leave off, the Arka truck camper is prepared to spend 2 full weeks at a time in the deep, dusty backcountry. Just don't expect a spa bathroom.
What better place to pull the covers off of your latest and greatest pocket camera than the Cannes Film Festival? DJI has done just that, unveiling the Osmo Pocket 4P on one of the most prestigious stages in global filmmaking.
Turkey-based upstart Shark Instruments is taking the fight to higher-end guitar makers with advanced manufacturing capabilities. Its latest industry-first feature: adjustable frets.

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Health and Science news from our sister site: Refractor
Domesticated from a now-extinct ox species around 10,500 years ago, cows have become a major source of protein, dairy, and leather worldwide. A study has now shown that cows can differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar faces.
A new study shows that some plants can enrich themselves by absorbing the essential minerals from dust through their leaves, forming an underexplored pathway that plays a major role in plant nutrition in nutrient-poor and dust-affected ecosystems.
The importance of bees for pollinating wild plants and crops is well known. If we lose the bees, we lose our food. But this is only part of the picture.
A survey found nearly 30 percent of American-registered physicians think it’s somewhat plausible that we’ll invent the ideal conditions for a brain to retain enough neural information to function well after death.
Texas-based company says its artificial egg supports the full development of bird embryos outside a biological eggshell, without requiring supplemental oxygen. The work is part of its plan to “de-extinct” birds, including the giant moa and dodo.
Is life really out there? A team of scientists from the University of California, Riverside, has devised a new statistical method that could serve as more than a cosmic thought experiment, potentially providing answers to the age-old question.

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Editor's Picks

In a demonstration not so much of marksmanship but more of the advantages of microwaves, an Epirus Leonidas directed energy, high-power microwave (HPM) anti-drone weapon has knocked 49 Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) out of the air with one shot.
Dragon Tiny Homes' Fairfax model is one of the most affordable tiny houses on the market. With a length of just 16 ft, it won't suit a large family, but it could be a good fit for a vacation home, or as a guest house.
If you've ever found yourself in a dead zone, maybe you find solace in the quiet. Or maybe you've found yourself in an emergency and help is not coming. Either way, the ability to connect if and when you need to has its merits.
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.
What does US$21,000 get you in automotive terms? Kia Soul, Chevrolet Trax, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Venue … You see a trend there, right? None of those cars is electric, and none of them are flagships by any stretch. The bZ7 is all that and more!
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.
A bacterium from the gut of Japanese tree frogs has "exhibited remarkably potent" tumor-killing abilities when administered intravenously, outperforming current standard therapies and paving the way for an entirely new approach to treating cancer.
Dinosaurs may be long extinct, but 2025 made it clear that they’re anything but settled science. New fossils, reanalyses of famous specimens and increasingly sophisticated tools have helped us learn more about how they lived, moved, fed and evolved.