Technology, Innovation & Outdoor News

VW's all-new California Beach camper van adds inflatable flexibility

August 11, 2026 | C.C. Weiss
Volkswagen often surprises with its annual Caravan Salon debuts, and this year it's revealing multiple world-first concepts that explore the future of van life. It starts off with a California Beach concept that packs a cabin full of inflatables.

Drone review: Vcopter Falcon Mini is unique, but can be frustrating

August 10, 2026 | Ben Coxworth
I like oddball inventions, so when I first heard about the Falcon Mini bicopter drone, I knew I had to try it out. Well, I can now say that it is indeed a quirky li'l aircraft … but you should probably just go with the HOVERAir line of quadcopters.

X-62A completes first fully autonomous air intercepts via live sensors

August 11, 2026 | David Szondy
Autonomous air combat reached a major milestone in the skies over Edwards Air Force Base, California, as the X-62A VISTA test aircraft carried out full AI air intercept missions using live sensor data rather than simulated feeds.

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If you're in the market for a V-twin cruiser with AMT, you’d barely get any options. The closest mainstream offering is Honda's Rebel 1100 DCT, which starts at around US$10,400 – but even that doesn't come with a V-twin. Enter the Rieju Coaster 407.
We wouldn't call the all-new Invento Geo multitool "revolutionary" in the sense of changing the market forever, but it does blend physical revolution into the multitool formula. The result is what could prove a quicker of switching between tools.
Tiny houses have been trending larger in recent years, but this model proves you don't need a massive trailer to create a practical home. With a length of just 22 ft, but an increased width, it manages to fit a livable interior.
At the 2025 Caravan Salon, Bürstner revealed two small motorhomes with shape-shifting interiors. This year, it's adding a new camper van that incorporates transforming features from both those series to create a new sense of space and versatility.
The MegCell Pulse is a 3D-printable robotic system that can fit on any acoustic guitar and play music you feed it in a digital tablature format. With this, you can hear compositions rendered right in front of you, no speakers necessary.
Why walk when you can ride? That seems to be the question of the day as British Army paratroopers exchange Shanks' pony for electric bikes during a combat exercise in Canada, testing the zero-emission conveyances alongside tactical drones and electronic warfare systems.

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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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Editor's Picks

Precision milling used to mean giant, pricey shop machines out of reach for most makers. You could design the "next big thing," but could you actually build it? Now you can.
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.
Shoei has just launched the GT-Air 3 Smart, the world’s first moto helmet to feature fully integrated augmented reality thanks to a partnership with EyeLights, which specializes in head-up displays and Bluetooth audio kits.
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).
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).
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.
Archeologists say they have solved the 6,000-year-old mystery of Armenia’s “dragon stones" – massive carved monoliths scattered across high-altitude slopes and pastures where no ancient settlements ever existed. It's a story of worship and water.
For ages, Earth has been known as a blue planet, a vision largely shaped by the vast oceans that cover three-quarters of its surface. But what if this wasn't always the case, and our oceans used to be green?