Some of the world's best skis and snowboards are made from a combination of materials, including wood at the core for its strength, low weight, and shape retention. They're usually bonded together with additional layers using adhesives – but what if we stitched them together instead?
Category: Materials, Engineering
Tags: Engineering, Wood, TU Graz
Technology these days is all about making life easier, especially when it comes to chores we don’t enjoy – such as cleaning a cat’s litter box. Hong Kong-based company Petalas is trying to address this with its self-flushing litter box, which also monitors the feline's urinary health.
Category: Pets, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Kickstarter, Cats, Self-cleaning, Artificial Intelligence
The Sony a7 V is a surprisingly large step forward from the already capable a7 IV. The move to a "partially-stacked" version of the 33MP BSI CMOS sensor lets it shoot faster, boosting both burst shooting and video capabilities. It also adopts a design that can combine its sensor's low- and high-gain readout modes, offering excellent dynamic range.
Buy now:
Buy at Amazon.comBuy at AdoramaBuy at B&H PhotoA new processor allows it to deliver the latest AI-trained subject recognition modes, giving you autofocus performance to match that fast shooting and those video capabilities. However, it has some fierce competition in the do-everything full-frame sector, especially in the light of a price rise over its predecessor.
Watch the video to see what we thought after our usual extensive testing and use.
Click here to read our full, written review of the Sony a7 V
Sony a7 V review sample galleryPlease do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing; we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.
Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.When a couple with two children approached the Amsterdam-based architecture and design firm Studioninedots to design a home that would foster their connection, the company reimagined what a family home could be by throwing out the trasitional floor plan entirely.
Category: Architecture, Engineering
Tags: House, Home, Building and Construction, Family
Many high-performance electric mountain bikes can cost as much as a used car, and until now, the brands charging that much had little reason to worry. Aventon may have just given them one.
Tags: ebikes, Pedal-assisted, Mountain Bikes
A new camping trailer that's full of surprises, the 2026 Low Tow from Australia's Prattline RV looks at first to be as brand, spanking new and cutting-edge as some of the latest all-electric trailers developed in Silicon Valley. But it's actually a modern redux of a nameplate that dates back over half a century. The trailer still looks so fresh and unique today, we can only imagine how folks must have looked on the original like it floated to Earth from a far-flung planet in an undiscovered galaxy.
Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors
Tags: Caravan, trailers, Trailer, RV, Off-road, Off-grid, Camping, Outdoors and Camping
When escaped domestic pigs bred with wild boar after the Fukushima evacuation, researchers gained a rare chance to observe large-scale hybridization. New findings show that maternally inherited rapid breeding accelerated genetic turnover, quickly diluting pig ancestry in the wild population. The result offers a novel lens on how fast-breeding traits can quietly reshape wildlife genetics.
Category: Environment, Science
A slab of limestone excavated in 1984 from the ancient Coriovallum settlement in the Netherlands presented a puzzle for researchers of Roman history. Because of its distinct grooves and marks, the stone piece was believed to be some kind of board game – but obviously no rulebook was dug up to confirm this. Now, more than 40 years on, new technology appears to have solved the mystery.
Category: History, Technology
Tags: Flinders University, Games, History, Artificial Intelligence, Puzzles
The Véronique is small – even for a tiny house – and maximizes its limited space with an unusual "upside-down" layout. The towable home also boasts some interesting energy saving additions, including a passive heating system.
Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors
Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home
The Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) has just released a video of its Roadrunner robot. Although it lacks a torso, the bipedal bot more than makes up for it by rolling, stomping, stair-climbing, and even showing off while using only one of its legs.
Category: Robotics, Engineering
Tags: Future Robot, RAI, Boston Dynamics, biped
The legendary Cold War-era Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady spyplane is getting a new lease on life as BAE Systems gives it an upgraded version of the AN/ALQ-221 Advanced Defensive System (ADS) to protect the aircraft against modern radar and electronic warfare threats.
Category: Military, Engineering
Tags: Lockheed Martin, CIA, US Air Force, U2, Aircraft
The best images of the Nature Photography Contest have been decided, and we can't imagine it was an easy task for the judges – as just picking some, not all, to showcase here has been a huge challenge. A broad competition, it covers categories including birds, funny wildlife, underwater, landscapes and many more.
Category: Photography, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: nature, Animals, Wildlife, Art, Photography, Landscapes, Environment, Conservation
The theme for our March Editor's photo challenge was "Night Lights."
We asked you to share your best photos featuring artificial light sources, and you lit up the board with brilliant entries. In addition to great photos, we were impressed by the variety of geographic locations represented in this month's submissions, featuring locations from around the world.
As always, we received many more great photos than we can feature here. Our favorites, showcasing a diverse range of vision and talent, are presented in random order.
Thanks to everyone who participated in this photo challenge. If you'd like to participate in other photo challenges, you can visit our Challenges page to see currently open or upcoming challenges, or to vote in a recently closed challenge.
Breskens LighthousePhotographer: Phantogram
Photographer's statement: The Breskens Lighthouse was built in 1867 to guide ships safely through the mouth of the Western Scheldt. The tower was designed by Dutch engineer Quirinus Harder, who was responsible for several lighthouses in the Netherlands. It stands about 28 meters tall and is constructed from cast-iron plates, a modern building technique in the 19th century. The light helped vessels heading to the important port of Antwerp.
During World War II, the lighthouse was damaged by wartime actions but ultimately survived. After the war, it was restored and returned to service for maritime navigation. In the second half of the 20th century, the lighting system was modernized and later fully automated, eliminating the need for lighthouse keepers. Today, the lighthouse is no longer active as a navigational aid but remains an iconic symbol of Breskens. It is a national monument and commemorates the region's maritime history. Many visitors still come to admire the view over the Western Scheldt.
Equipment: Sony a7 III + Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art
Midnight heronPhotographer: Deutsch
Photographer's statement: Walking past the pond fountain in our community around midnight, I saw the Blue Heron standing calmly there with a lot of Canadian Geese. I said, "Don't move, I've got to get my camera." I came back, and the Herron was still there, but I didn't want the geese in the photo. I've learned shooting wildlife, Herrons don't scare off easily, but the geese do. I walked closer and said, "Hello, Geese", and they all flew away, but the Herron stayed put. I couldn't resist the night light fountain glow, silhouetting the Blue Herron. Peaceful.
Equipment: Nikon Z7 + Nikon AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm F4.5-5.6E ED VR
The last days of EdenPhotographer: Electro35
Photographer's statement: This photo shows the last days of the cinema Eden Palast in Aachen in its former glory, with its beautiful entrance area and neon signs from the 50s, before they did a renovation. Now the original neon signs are unfortunately gone, but the new sign mimics the old ones, and they built a nice lounge-style waiting area. But, of course, I miss the old look, which I particularly loved on rainy nights.
Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M5 II + Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-50mm 1:3.5-6.3 EZ
Baohua Road, Guangzhou, ChinaPhotographer: olli thomson
Photographer's statement: I spotted this alleyway off Guangzhou's Baohua Road. The bright red lights of the signs created vivid reflections on the wet streets. The red glow of the signs was complemented by the red taillight of the scooter, and even the tiny red spot of the glowing cigarette in the hand of the guy edging into the photograph.
Equipment: Fujifilm X-S10 + Rokinon 75mm 1.8 AF-FX
Time for ice skatingPhotographer: Kuzmabrik
Photographer's statement: In December, I decided to try out my new Fujifilm X-E5 camera by capturing some photos of a newly opened ice rink. The rink, illuminated by thousands of lights, is located on the riverbank and is about 1.7 km long. On that day, it was also the first snowfall of the winter, so the flakes of snow added a festive atmosphere to the scene.
Equipment: Fujifilm X-E5 + Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 R WR
Soho OdaibaPhotographer: Barry Bloom
Photographer's statement: I always look for nighttime shots in Tokyo. I found this recommendation. This is an office building with a small center courtyard – very hard to include all – I shot it with my fisheye lens from the 2nd floor.
Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II + Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO
Lamp and fogPhotographer: PuneetSood
Photographer's statement: Jersey City, NJ, USA. Taken while walking late at night in my neighborhood in March. It had almost finished raining, but there was still fog in the air, and the steam exhaust from the parking lot next to the lamp looked interesting.
Equipment: iPhone 13
Light show at Niagara FallsPhotographer: yfan
Photographer's statement: Visiting Niagara Falls in winter has become more and more popular these days. As a photographer, you will enjoy the less crowded season. The light-painted wintery falls are just so magnificent.
Equipment: OM System OM-5 + OM System M.Zuiko Digital 14-150mm f4-5.6 II
StreamersPhotographer: DrummerJim
Photographer's statement: Streamers of lights from different modes of transport illuminate the streets of Poznan, Poland. Trams, cars and bikes contribute to this ever-changing scene. Taken from my hotel window using Live-Composite mode on my camera.
Equipment: OM System OM-1 + OM System 40-150mm F4.0 PRO
Lantern exhibition at Basel CarnivalPhotographer: Andreas Graf
Photographer's statement: The Basel Carnival or Fasnacht is a major cultural event in the Swiss city of Basel. After being paraded in a procession in the early morning hours of day 1 of the 3-day festival, the lanterns are then exhibited on the central square in front of Basel Minster for everybody to see. So I went there with my camera ready, and as every year, people came flocking in to take a closer look.
Equipment: Nikon Z6III + Nikon Nikkor Z 24-120mm F4 S
Finding treasurePhotographer: knulp
Photographer's statement: During winter, you can see glass eel fishing boats from a bridge in Tokushima, Japan. They hunt for valuable baby eels using strong light. The price of glass eel was recorded at more than 2.5 million JPY (~$15,000) per kg in the 2024 season.
Equipment: Sony a7R III + Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD
Walking down the streetPhotographer: Michel Jarry
Photographer's statement: During a 2022 road trip across the United States in our motorhome, we captured thousands of images along the way. This one quickly became a favorite, taken on the vibrant Fremont Street in old Vegas under its dazzling night lights. And judging by the glance from the man on the right, she was definitely turning heads.
Equipment: Nikon Z7 + Nikon Nikkor Z 20mm F1.8 S
Main Street Turkey at midnightPhotographer: sprucemesa
Photographer's statement: I took this photo of Main Street in Turkey, Texas, after an evening photographing the Milky Way at Caprock Canyons State Park nearby. I was in the middle of the street for about 30 minutes and never saw another auto, not even the sheriff.
Equipment: Nikon D850 + Tamron SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD
Winter wedding photo with kimono, snow and gas lampsPhotographer: Kaz Tsurudome
Photographer's statement: Couple's dream winter wedding photoshoot in Ginzan Onsen, Yamagata, Japan. There are winter destinations in Japan, and then there's Ginzan Onsen, where fresh snow settles on wooden ryokan rooftops, gas lamps glow at dusk, and the entire riverside street feels like a scene from another era.
Equipment: Leica SL2-S + Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-70mm F2.8 ASPH
The protected viewPhotographer: Ouroboros66
Photographer's statement: Guy de Maupassant preferred eating in the Eiffel Tower as it was the only place where he couldn't see the darned thing. I only had a short bit of free time when I was in Paris, so I decided not to visit the tower but to find a place where I could see it.
Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 R
At the drive-inPhotographer: kitagata_kara
Photographer's statement: Taken in Universal Studios Orlando on a Halloween Horror Night, down the path from the Terminator 2 3D attraction outside of the faux 50s diner. This vacation goes down as the final one before my parents separated!
Equipment: Sony a7R II + Sony FE 35mm F2.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*
Welcoming beaconPhotographer: JeffryzPhoto
Photographer's statement: At the end of a dirty, muddy road, the neon lights of a hotel beckon to weary travelers in the Mustang Valley in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal. A portion of the road was washed out by rain just after we drove through on our way back down the mountains. Hotel Karnali in the town of Kagbeni.
Equipment: Fujifilm X-T4 + Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR II
Devil's Bridge at nightPhotographer: arizonaphotoadventures
Photographer's statement: Sedona's iconic Devil's Bridge seen far from its usual social-media moment. Instead of the daytime line of photographers waiting their turn, I captured this image during a night hike with my daughter, when the desert finally grows quiet. Using light painting, I briefly illuminated the massive natural arch against the darkness.
Equipment: Canon EOS R5 + Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM
Lighting up the polar nightPhotographer: eric87
Photographer's statement: When it's dark all day long for several months, even a single small light brings undeniable comfort to those around it. In this white winter landscape of the Lofoten Islands (Norway), lights are everywhere in the windows, providing warmth.
Equipment: Fujifilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS
Ride the big wheel!Photographer: DavidAMWA
Photographer's statement: Every year, our family goes to the Royal Show in Perth, Western Australia. The children's favorite is the side show alley with all the stalls and outrageous rides. The rotating machinery provides an excellent photographic challenge.
Equipment: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
While it seems like camera companies are willing to experiment again, it’s been a while since I’ve come across a camera with a design that really stopped me in my tracks. That changed when a friend forwarded me a Reddit post from a person named Yutani, who custom-designed what he describes as a “retro-futuristic digital camera” called the Saturnix. Friends, take a look at this gorgeous piece of camera hardware.
I reached out to Yutani, who says the camera started as a passion project purely for personal use. That changed when some friends insisted he share it, and Yutani isn’t stopping at just posting pictures of it and from it online: he also plans on posting all the information you’d need to build it yourself, along with the operating system and custom-built UI to run it for anyone to use.
And the award for most enticing buttons on a camera goes to...Obviously, the most attention-grabbing part of the Saturnix is the case. Yutani says it’s inspired by sci-fi movies and old computers in general, and by the terminals in the video game Alien: Isolation, specifically. Adding to that effect is the fact that the buttons on the camera are mechanical keyboard switches and keycaps, giving them a robust, chunky look and a satisfying mechanical click. “It honestly doubles as a fidget toy when the camera is off,” Yutani says. “Just clicking the buttons during a trip is kind of a stress reliever.”
Even after the design work, bringing it to life wasn’t just a matter of grabbing a 3D printer and hitting go. Yutani says the process involved a resin printer, ultrasonic cleaning baths, a wash station and curing oven, and a lot of time sanding and airbrushing. Most DIYers won’t be willing to spend an entire month on the exterior of their camera, and Yutani says it was the hardest part of the process, but an essential one. “For me, the design was the whole point. If it doesn't feel like a real camera in your hands, what's the point?”
The internals – the parts that actually make it a working camera – will probably be familiar to anyone who’s kept up with the DIY camera scene. It’s powered by a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, has a 2” LCD display, and uses an Arducam IMX519 camera, which has a 16MP Type 1/2.53 (23mm²) sensor and a roughly 27mm equiv. autofocusing lens.
Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.While the images it produces are about what you’d expect given those specs, anyone hoping to build a Saturnix isn’t tied to that specific module; Yutani says he “plans to add support for all major official Raspberry sensors” to the operating system, which unlocks the possibility of using the much larger Arducam Type 1/1.32 (65mm²) 64MP camera.
With that said, the pictures that Yutani has shared from the Saturnix have that classic point-and-shoot charm that’s all the rage these days. That’s even more true of the ones processed with built-in “film simulation” filters, which aim to replicate classic stocks.
The camera's UI is also custom-built; it's written in Python, running on top of a minimal Raspberry Pi OS install. Keeping it lean is important, since the Raspberry Pi Zero 2W that powers it is a mere four-core ARM chip running at 1GHz, with 512MB of RAM.Those filters are included in the camera's operating system, which has a UI that follows the retro sci-fi aesthetic, and which allows for manual control of parameters like shutter speed, white balance and ISO. It can shoot DNG Raws and JPEGs, has a histogram and exposure meter, and can transfer photos over Wi-Fi. Yutani says the interface still has a ways to go. "The UI has gone through a ton of iterations and I don't think it's anywhere near final. Once the code is public, I'm hoping the community will customize and build on it too — that's the beauty of open-source."
While DIY cameras based on the cheap and modular Raspberry Pi computers are nothing new, Yutani's is definitely noteworthy for having an incredible amount of style. It apparently took around a year to design and fully get working, a process spurred on by the desire for a small, completely personal camera without the size, weight and feature overload of modern devices. Yutani says he started to get the idea that his creation might be worth sharing when people on the street came up to ask him what he was using while he was shooting with the camera.
Yutani's plan is to release everything you'd need to replicate the camera yourself in around two weeks, as there's still some work left to do before it's ready for the general public. "I want to polish a few things first, there are some issues to fix, and I need to write a detailed build guide covering everything from printer settings to assembly. I'm also waiting on a few components to arrive, like a vibration motor – I want to add haptic feedback for a more tactile shooting experience," Yutani says. "I want to make sure that when someone decides to build it, everything just works."
That release will also include a detailed list of all the components you'll need to replicate the camera, which Yutani estimates will cost around $100. At that price, I'm almost tempted to build one myself – with the nicer, slightly more costly sensor, of course – despite my complete lack of fabrication tools or experience. Even if I don't, I'll be excited to see if anyone else does, and what little modifications they do to make it their own.
The Trax is a pragmatic, usable, and competent subcompact utility with a realistic price tag and a modern feel for everyday driving.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Simply because someone has limited mobility, that doesn't mean they should stay at the trailhead while everyone else goes off exploring. The Bowhead Ranger is the latest vehicle designed to ensure they don't get left behind.
Category: Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors
Tags: Off-road, Mobility Aid
A new civic square by design firm Lemay has been completed in Montreal, Canada. Dubbed Place des Montréalaises, the project transforms a sunken highway into a vibrant public square. In doing so, it reconnects Old Montreal to the city center, while celebrating the memory of 21 women; 14 victims of the École Polytechnique femicide (1989), and 7 pioneering women from Montreal. The square functions as both an inclusive urban space and a living memorial, combining ecological, social, and artistic interventions within a single, layered design.
Category: Architecture, Engineering
Tags: Urban Gardening, Urban Redevelopment, sustainable design
Shanghai-based Unihertz has made a name for itself in recent years with its varied lineup of rugged phones, tiny phones, and BlackBerry-style handsets with full physical keyboards.
Category: Mobile Technology, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Phone, Unihertz, Keyboard, MWC 2026, Kickstarter
It's long been known that living at higher altitudes can affect physiology, including reducing the incidence of diabetes. The reason why has evaded scientists for decades. That has changed with a new discovery that was hiding in plain sight.
Category: Body and Mind
Tags: Oxygen, Red blood cells, Diabetes
Hong Kong-based company Viperade has built its reputation around practical outdoor gear, offering a wide range of products from tactical clothing and bags to everyday carry (EDC) tools. Its latest product is a compact multitool, the VAK7, currently available for pledging on Kickstarter.
Category: Knives and Multitools, Gear, Outdoors
Tags: Kickstarter, Multitools, EDC, Titanium
