odd look at news on the web
New Nissan camper van is an electro-rustic wilderness lodge
25 January 2026 @ 10:17 pm
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 ReadingReview: Cigman night vision binoculars are made for the field
25 January 2026 @ 7:32 pm
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 VisFuturistic keyboard snaps on modules for shortcuts and precise input
25 January 2026 @ 4:42 pm
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, Swingers and long-game players: The wild sex lives of beluga whales
25 January 2026 @ 11:02 am
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, Jellyfish sleep just like us, and even take midday naps
25 January 2026 @ 7:34 am
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: Crazy new Ford camper van springs sideways into airy, adaptable duplex
24 January 2026 @ 10:04 pm
One of the buzziest highlights of this year's CMT camper and travel show, the new Freescape camper van combines a flexible floor plan like nothing we recall seeing before with a unique patented pop-up roof system we definitely haven't seen before. The all-wheel-drive Ford Adventure camper van is as ready to live off-grid as it is to run errands on it.Continue ReadingCategory: Campervans, Adventure Vehicles, OutdoorsThis phone is also basically a power bank for your other gadgets
24 January 2026 @ 8:35 pm
If you're tired of running out of juice for your phone, earbuds, and other doodads when you're on the go, Realme's got you. Its upcoming phone not only packs one of the biggest batteries around, but it can also fast charge your devices. Talk about earning your keep in your everyday carry!Continue ReadingCategory: Mobile TechnologyReview: $99 mic offers quality and simplicity well beyond its price
24 January 2026 @ 4:39 pm
If you've thought about upgrading your audio hardware beyond your phone, the Maono PD200W mic makes a strong case for it. It offers versatility, quality and a simplicity that isn't common with audio gear. And, just as important, it's under US$100.Continue ReadingCategory: Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: Microphone, PortablThe ship that cried wolf: Crews face an avalanche of alarms
24 January 2026 @ 4:30 pm
Sometimes safety becomes unsafe when it's carried too far. A new study by Lloyds Register reveals that ships, especially cruise ships, have so many alarms going off on the bridge that it's overwhelming crews and creating unsafe conditions.Continue ReadingCategory: Marine, TransportTags: Shipping, Alarm, Pocket Taco turns your phone into a Game Boy-style console
24 January 2026 @ 1:38 pm
You can start 2026 like it's 1990 with GameSir's Pocket Taco, a cute compact controller that transforms your phone into a handheld gaming device. We must say, it's a bold design move, considering how litigious the original Game Boy maker Nintendo is known to be.Continue ReadingCategory: Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: Nintendo,