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One would think that a US$99,000 telescope requires specialist training and a thick instruction manual. But the new Hyperia from French company Vaonis flips that assumption on its head. It's powerful enough for professional observatories yet runs entirely from a simple smartphone app.Continue ReadingCategory: TechnologyTags: Tele

Think mini motos, and you’d undoubtedly think about the Honda’s mini line-up: the Cub, the Monkey, the Trail, and the Grom. But what if these bikes could get even “mini-er”? Say hello to Bluroc X-Bongo 50.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: MINI, Small-displacement,

The software and hardware that will control tomorrow's combat drones got a workout on January 18, as a General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger showed off its capability by autonomously intercepting a crewed aggressor aircraft in an air combat exercise.Continue ReadingCategory: Military, TechnologyTags: Combat, drones,

A new CRISPR-based one-off procedure that lowers "bad" cholesterol has been approved to enter Phase I human trial. If successful, it could be the first approved genetic-silencing method on the market, replacing the need for long-term medication and slashing the risk of cardiovascular disease.Continue ReadingCategory: Heart Disease, Illnesses and conditions, Body and MindTags:

We're coming up on the 100th anniversary of the electric guitar, and it's been fascinating to hear how this simple instrument has altered the landscape of music in that time. It's mostly just wire, wood, and a wee bit of electronics that doesn't even need power.Continue ReadingCategory: Music,

The Nissan Interstar van is not a pretty machine. Some might call it a searing eyesore. So to outfit an Interstar camper van into a place one could proudly call home, maybe even for a full-time van life stint, is quite a feat. Nissan conversion partner Eiffeland gets it done, carving out a rustic-modern roaming lodge with high bed, flexible lounge and warm, well-appointed ambiance that will make you forget you're living in one of the world's more aesthetically challenged vehicles.Continue ReadingC

The second I picked up the CNVPros, I immediately 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 feel like they should cost way more than they do.Continue ReadingCategory: Electronics, Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: Night Vis

This might just be the most overengineered desktop gear I've ever come across. The Naya Connect system features four devices built around a modular keyboard to upgrade your setup with all kinds of shortcuts and tactile inputs.Continue ReadingCategory: Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: Gadgets, Keyboard,

For the first time, we know more than we ever expected to know about the sex lives of the majestic beluga whale. It's complicated, to say the least, but it also shows just how strategic nature is at keeping an isolated group of animals alive.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Florida Atlantic University,

Turns out jellyfish and sea anemones – among the ancient creatures with a nervous system instead of a brain – have a very similar sleeping routine to our own. A new study published in Nature Communications reveals that these animals not only sleep but do so for the same portion of their day as humans, spending about one-third of the day sleeping. The findings also suggest that sleep evolved long before the brain to help maintain cells under stress.Continue ReadingCategory: