Electronics

New interactive, 3D-printed smart blocks are able to connect and maintain electrical conduction while transforming into new shapes. They can become video game controllers, medical-assistive tech, smart furniture, and soft-robotic grippers.

One reason we don't yet have powerful cyborgs roaming our streets is the batteries needed to power the electromechanical side. They are bulky and prone to running out of juice. Interestingly, the biological side – our bodies – run 24/7 on inherent chemical, mechanical, and electrical energy. Scientists have now developed a way to harness some of the body's energy to power wearables and implants.

E Ink's new Kaleido 4 color ePaper promises brighter whites, 50% more contrast, double the color definition and even 18-fps video. Is this the upgrade that finally makes color ePaper feel like a real magazine rather than a washed-out photocopy of one?

According to CircuitMess, we don’t understand how smartphones work because we can’t repair them or even see their components. So, how would our relationship with them change if we built them ourselves?

What happens when a device becomes so small that there’s no room left for a battery or motor? Scientists have found a way to power tiny devices and robots and make them move by using sound.

Italian designer Paolo Caviglia reimagined Lego-style bricks and found a way to give them a purpose beyond decoration. By integrating electronic adapters, he created a modular audio system that can be redesigned and customized in different ways.

Electronics nerds and indie hackers are going to love this. The Pocketbyte is an upcoming portable computer you can endlessly customize to serve as a music player, gaming handheld, or even a personal digital assistant out of the 1990s.

RedMagic has made its intentions very clear: It wants to dominate portable gaming. And the Astra 2 tablet sets the bar high, sitting in the Goldilocks zone between phone screen and full-sized tablet – and performing as good as it feels in hand.

Laser engraving custom graphics can elevate your craft projects to make them feel more polished and personalized. A new tool for the job that we've just come across – the Hanboost T1 – looks like a great entry point for beginners.

A desktop-sized 3D printer can now write working electronic circuits directly onto a broad range of surfaces without burning them. The secret is microwaves, focused with surgical precision onto a spot no wider than a human hair.

Described as a "phone-first portable wireless display," this new 15.6-inch IPS screen aims to take the effort – and the need for a network – out of mirroring tech. What's more, t'll work with almost any phone and doesn't require apps or extra setup.

The DJI Mic Mini is a small wireless mic kit that ticks most boxes you’d expect from a wireless mic in today’s times … with a tiny form factor. Now, more than one year after it's release, it' still continues to offer exceptional value for money.

Watch this video of a working Lego clock that uses gear trains, a pendulum escapement, falling-weight power, and solar-driven rewinding to operate a multi-stage calendar and billion-year counter.

Soldering frequently involves squinting at the fiddly task at hand, or performing that task under an unmoving magnifying glass. The D01 Visual Soldering Iron offers a more versatile alternative, as it's equipped with a smartphone-connected camera.

The second I picked up the CNVPros, I thought to myself, "Are they heavy? Yeah? That means they're expensive, put 'em back." The nighttime 'nocs have a bit of heft to them, and they totally feel like they should cost way more than they do.