2+ week, 1+ day ago (542+ words) When I saw that Xlaserlab " which I'd written about before with its easy-to-use X1 laser welder " had posted up a new campaign on Kickstarter and it was a UV laser, my mouth watered a little. The Xlaserlab E3 is a 10-watt (and there's a 7-watt flavor), 355-nanometer UV laser with a ridiculously tiny spot size of 0.005 mm. Do you know what else is 5 microns? Dust mite poop. Bacteria. Tardigrade toes. For comparison, the IR laser on my Falcon A1 Pro is 30 microns. And my blue diode is even wider at 80-100 microns. Good for cutting, less good for ultra-fine detail. Xlaserlab calls its E3 "16K engraving resolution." Having fought with perfect alignment and ruining plenty of good blanks from a teensy mistake in placement, I can tell you that the pain is real. And making and swapping jigs for every shape and size to reproduce items over…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (450+ words) Being able to reduce the aperture to f/4 gives you more control when shooting in brightly lit scenarios, so you can prevent overexposure, and have more objects in focus in your frame. That can come in handy when you're shooting on the beach, out in the desert, or on a ski slope. This will give you more flexibility when shooting, particularly when you consider it pairs with the Action 6's new 1/1.1-inch sensor, which should capture more light, and result in sharper, brighter images with less noise. As with the previous model, you can shoot 4K footage at up to 120 frames per second (fps). What's neat about the Action 6 is its new 4K Custom mode that lets you crop your video for landscape- or portrait-oriented output after shooting, so you've got options for framing your content for different platforms. The larger sensor…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (414+ words) Years of waiting could soon be over for Windows users who've long envied Apple's Magic Trackpad. Hyper, a California-based innovator with 20 years in the tech industry, introduced the HyperSpace Trackpad Pro on Kickstarter last month. The fundraising goal was reached within minutes of launch, so this overlooked gap in the market may soon be filled. The company claims the device is "the most advanced trackpad for Windows, offering precision, contextual haptics, and full-force sensing." It features rubber feet to prevent slipping, and a durable soda-lime glass surface. The gadget is fairly compact, measuring 166.9 x 103.4 x 13.0 mm (6.57 x 4.07 x 0.51 in) and weighing around 300 grams. The inventors promise that the trackpad's ergonomic design keeps your hand in a more natural position compared to a traditional mouse. If you spend long hours working on a computer and often feel wrist strain, the Trackpad…...

3+ day, 16+ hour ago (377+ words) Through its Tactical Technology Office (TTO), DARPA wants to move drones to the next level with its Lift Challenge " a US$6.5-million competition aimed at creating small drones capable of lifting payloads four times their weight. Drones have been big news in military and civilian aerospace circles for well over a decade. These small, semi-autonomous uncrewed aircraft that can be deployed in swarms in areas previously unsuitable for flying machines are not only promising to revolutionize war and peace, they are already doing so. What DARPA wants to do is boost the ratio by a radical order of magnitude with a rotorcraft that can lift a payload four times its own weight. It's a goal that the agency regards as plausible and to prove this, it has announced off its Lift Challenge to spur development. The requirements are simple. Competitors…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (315+ words) 3D-printed architecture has evolved from futuristic concept to everyday construction technique at lightning speed " and the pace shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. A recent example of this progress comes in the form of a non-towable tiny house that was printed in just one week. The project, named Tiny House Lux, was designed by Luxembourg-based ODA Architects " not to be confused with the other, more famous ODA. It was created in collaboration with ICE Industrial Services and its Coral Construction Technologies division for local authorities in Niederanven, Luxembourg, as a way to help tackle housing shortages. It cantilevers on a slight slope and sits on screw foundations, minimizing ground disturbance compared to traditional concrete foundations and making potential dismantling or relocation simpler later in the building's life. Roof-based solar panels provide electricity and its walls display the telltale…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (574+ words) It doesn't seem too long ago that E Ink reading devices were all the rage, but new developments don't seem to create the same buzz as before. Viwoods is hoping to change that with the pocket-friendly AiPaper Reader. Though watching movies and shows based on books provides enough of a quick hit for many people, I prefer the real page-by-page excitement of the genuine article. Or at least I did until I was gifted my first Kindle. Instead of throwing a bunch of paperbacks into my suitcase when I vacationed, I could carry a vast library in my jacket pocket. E Ink also meant that I could consume tomes for longer without my peepers complaining as much as they did when I used a regular tablet or phone. And being able to increase the size of the onscreen text allowed…...

6+ day, 2+ hour ago (479+ words) When I came across this solar-powered bike, I wondered which bikemaker could be behind it. Someone well-established like Honda or Verge? Or perhaps an innovative yet frugal Chinese brand? Well, it turns out, none of them. This ingenious breakthrough comes from an architecture and design firm. No kidding! Named MASK Architects, the firm specializes in architectural design and consultation, and engineering services. The Solaris, as the motorcycle is called, is a one-off developed as part of the firm's "Invent and Integrate" design approach initiated by its founders. The two-wheeler can produce power on its own without the need for fuel or big, heavy batteries, dense charging networks, or electrical grids. And for all that, the company seems to have managed to produce a rather acceptable design for a motorcycle that relies on solar energy. There are no permanently deployed clunky…...

6+ day, 1+ hour ago (409+ words) Imagine having your own fitness coach available at any moment, who won't charge you $100 an hour. This might now become a reality! BodyPark, a Hong Kong-based company that develops AI-powered fitness technology, has unveiled its minimalistic AI-fitness device, Atom, on Kickstarter " and if it reaches the market, we'll be left with far fewer excuses not to work out. The Atom is pocket-sized and lightweight (155 g/5.5 oz), featuring a 160-degree ultra-wide camera and a rounded display. It can be placed on any surface or even attached to a wall with a magnetic mount. The camera's sensors capture your whole body even when the device is just an arm's length away, and the tilting head automatically keeps you centered. Whether you're working on strength or mobility, prefer bodyweight training, resistance bands, or dumbbells, there are lots of options in the built-in work…...

1+ week, 21+ hour ago (272+ words) Joby Aviation's latest iteration of its autonomous all-electric S4 air taxi VTOL aircraft has made its maiden flight. The new variant aimed at the defense market boasts a turbine-electric hybrid powertrain for greater range and endurance. For years, Joby has been developing its air taxi technology with an eye on the civilian aviation market. The company's prototype has already accumulated 50,000 miles (80,467 km) of flight test miles and is well on its way to FAA certification. Now, in conjunction with L3Harris, the latest flight on November 7, 2026 at Joby's Marina, California, facility marks the latest modification of its S4 air taxi to meet the needs of military customers by upgrading the electric propulsion system with a turbine to generate electricity to keep the batteries topped up. The civilian version of the S4 has a range of 84 nautical miles (100 miles, 161 km), but if the rotorcraft is to…...

3+ week, 1+ day ago (291+ words) It may look like an ordinary satellite, but the recently launched Haven Demo is a major step toward the first commercial space station. Built by Vast, the 1,100-lb (500-kg) uncrewed spacecraft will test core systems of the planned Haven-1 outpost. Launched on November 1, 2025 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Haven Demo was one of 18 shared payloads for a variety of customers that formed the Bandwagon-4 mission. The satellite is scheduled to remain in orbit for six months during which it will carry out a series of tests to reduce the risk of failure when Haven-1 is put into orbit in May of next year. The demo will also look at emergency procedures, including those involving the Power Distribution Unit (PDU), which controls power from the solar array and battery packs. In addition to normal operation, the mission will see how the…...