Technology, Innovation & Outdoor News
Going retro: Commodore strips the smartphone back to essentials
June 22, 2026
| Monica J. White
The reborn Commodore brand has broken into the phone industry with the Callback 8020, a retro flip phone that runs 99% of Android apps through privacy-focused Sailfish OS while blocking social media and browsers for a calmer digital life.
Collapsible outhouse springs from pack to poop in under 2 minutes
June 19, 2026
| C.C. Weiss
Gazelle Tents looks to streamline base camp setup by slimming its tried-and-true hub-frame formula into a tall, sturdy bathroom/privacy tent that pitches in a mere minute and a half.
Gallery: Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year finalists
June 21, 2026
| Bronwyn Thompson
Charged with sorting through 2,129 images from more than 500 people, judges have named their shortlist of 100 pictures vying for prizes in the 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year (AGNPOTY) competition. Here are our favorites.
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Navee, a Chinese mobility brand best known for e-scooters and e-dirt bikes, just revived one of the Cold War's strangest engineering ideas, a craft called the WaveFly 5X that's half plane, half boat, and aimed it squarely at recreational riders.
The Felicia is a compact and easily towable tiny house that focuses on freedom and simplicity. The home can optionally run off-grid, making it well suited to life away from campsites and trailer parks.
One for the "why hasn't this been done before?" department: Norway has greenlit construction of the world's first ocean ship tunnel. If the final budget receives parliamentary approval, work on the Stad Ship Tunnel will begin on the country's west coast.
Bosch has launched its first hub motor, the Hub Line, targeting urban riders who want electric assist in a compact, lightweight package. Canyon and Vello are already on board, with both debuting Hub Line bikes at Eurobike next week.
Asus has taken ePaper computer monitors out of the niche market and into the mainstream with a 13.3-inch color E Ink touchscreen pairing a 35-Hz refresh rate with eye-comfort features and static images that remain visible without power.
Picture a tiny house in your mind and it probably looks a little like a cottage on wheels. However, Quadrapol's La Ruche takes a different approach and stacks its living spaces vertically like a tower.
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June 21, 2026The Kingbull Ranger combines vintage-inspired styling, a 750W motor, hydraulic brakes, dual suspension, and up to 80 miles of range. During Kingbull's 2026 Anniversary Sale, this distinctive e-bike is available for just $799. -
June 21, 2026 | Simon HeptinstallThe defining characteristics of BMW’s M cars – screaming inline-six engines, lightweight chassis and precise mechanical feedback – are about to be radically reinvented to survive the fast-approaching zero-emissions regs. Meet the M Concept Neue Klasse. -
June 21, 2026 | Omar KardoudiAn electric aircraft that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like a regular plane just completed its first piloted flight with a new full-scale prototype. Vertical Aerospace is accelerating toward commercial certification, targeted for 2028.
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Health and Science news from our sister site: Refractor
In simulations, Boston University researcher Brian Walsh and colleagues found that their system, dubbed StormWall, could halve the intensity of a geomagnetic storm.
People taking fish-oil supplements in an effort to shield their brain from Alzheimer's disease might be better off investing that money in their diet, with a two-year study finding that omega-3 pills offer no protection from cognitive decline.
The volatile seismic zone along the roughly 750-mile San Andreas Fault beneath California are "critically stressed" – a level of pressure that has reached its highest point in 1,000 years – increasing the likelihood of a big earthquake hitting the US.
Scientists have not just found a new way that aging cells drive inflammation, but have also blocked it from happening with an existing FDA-approved drug. This opens the door to an entirely new way to shield the body from age-related health decline.
Weight-loss jabs are the latest craze for shedding a few pounds. But as effective as GLP-1 drugs are, not everyone who uses them will lose a significant amount of weight. Research suggests that between 10% and 30% of patients fit into this group.
Three years on from deploying ground-penetrating radar to "spy" on one of Australia's most endangered and elusive species, scientists have learnt just how adaptable the animals are. And there's also some good news for rebuilding the population.
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June 21, 2026 | Monica J. WhiteEnya Music’s Cyber-G Pocket folds from portable Bluetooth speaker into a smart singalong instrument, using chord pads, app presets and built-in backing tracks to help casual users make music without learning to play the guitar. -
June 21, 2026 | Etiido UkoUnlike man-made solar systems, which are hampered by the sun’s fluctuations and require backup systems to even them out, leaves can harness solar energy even in low-light conditions. Scientists have developed a way to replicate this ability. -
June 21, 2026Upgrading your PC doesn’t have to come with sticker shock. Windows 11 Pro is just $9.97 during this Deal Days sale, giving your desktop a faster, cleaner interface, built-in AI Copilot, and pro-level tools — all for just ten dollars. -
June 21, 2026 | David SzondyAt this year's ILA Berlin Air Show, Airbus Helicopters unveiled its latest entry into fully autonomous flight, the U145 twin-engine helicopter. Based on the company's H145 platform, the aircraft replaces the cockpit with clamshell cargo doors, freeing up additional space for payloads. -
June 20, 2026 | Maryna HolovnovaAironox Go is a compact, fully automatic device designed to smooth clothing. It's aimed at frequent travelers who want to look presentable after a long trip but also don’t want to spend time on ironing or steaming clothes. -
June 20, 2026 | David SzondyThe United States military is plunging into the robotic future of aerial warfare with both feet as awards are issued to General Atomics and Anduril for not just the development, but the mass production of hundreds of autonomous combat aircraft. -
June 20, 2026 | Aaron TurpenThe newly-revamped Sentra is boring, sensible, comfortable, and easy to live with. Today’s market is full of splash headlines and flashy LEDs. The Sentra is just a sedan. That’s it. And that’s weird.
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Editor's Picks
The word "flying car" immediately puts visions of "The World of Tomorrow" in my head; retro-looking flashy contraptions. If you were to ask Dezső Molnár what his vision of a flying car looked like, he'd simply show you the one he's building now.
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.
The method used to brew coffee can significantly affect levels of natural cholesterol-raising compounds called diterpenes, according to a new study. It might be that the way your coffee is made is affecting your heart health.
Some people can’t get their bad cholesterol levels down, even if they take cholesterol-lowering meds. A clinical trial using a combination of existing and not-yet-released cholesterol tablets lowered bad cholesterol by almost half.
The LEO Solo just went up for preorder, pitched as an FAA Part 103-friendly (no pilot license required), single-seat personal eVTOL. It's supposedly landing in late 2025.
The new Aviator's Ember from Aerohart applies aerospace-grade materials to an age-old design, providing powerful fire-starting performance that carries lightly in a pocket. Like an engine piston, it compresses air for fast, furious combustion.
The Mysa 400 by Irontown Modular is an extra-wide tiny house that features an apartment-style interior with a spacious living area, two bedrooms, and an open design that's suited to full-time living.
Does the brain really produce its own psychedelic “Spirit Molecule” to power our dream states and near-death experiences? A new study has sparked fresh debate over endogenous DMT, and its presence – or absence – in mammalian brains.