Awesome Tech

A good work-life balance is essential for all of us. Apparently, the same holds true for robots. In this short video from Boston Dynamics, their talented ATLAS bipedal robot takes a break from working to show off its dance moves. We’re waiting for the robo-supervisor to come out and tell ATLAS to get back to work.

Chrysler looks to the future with the Halcyon Concept. The battery-electric sedan has a sleek, aerodynamic design and a minimalistic cockpit. The vehicle showcases three of Stellantis‘ next-gen technologies: STLA Brain, SmartCockpit, and AutoDrive, working in concert to improve driving experiences, whether with a human pilot or in self-driving modes.

There are a number of LED light curtains on the market, but Twinkly’s is the most densely packed with RGB lights we’ve seen. The result – more detailed patterns and animations. It uses a mobile app to display custom images and can also mirror a Windows PC screen. Available in 3.3 x 3.3-foot and 1.6 x 7.9-foot versions.

Harpist Emily Hopkins has shown us before how technology can make ordinary musical instruments more interesting. In this video, she challenged herself to make video game music with unusual sound-making gadgets. The list includes a musical Tamagotchi, a meowing cat keyboard, and a crazy motorized synthesizer.

Edelkrone’s smart tripod is as technologically advanced as it gets. It packs high-torque motors, a gyroscope and accelerometer, and can self-level on uneven surfaces. Connect your camera to its trigger port, and the tripod can change heights over time while shooting time-lapses. It adjusts from 13.4″ to 58.3″ high, lifts up to 44 lb, and offers app remote control.

An ordinary spray paint can only produce a single color. Ukrainian street artist Vitaly Tesh invented a spray can that can output numerous colors. After an earlier effort to build the system, his updated Graffiti Color Mixer 2.0 produces smooth transitions between four source colors. His custom-built remote control lets him switch colors on the fly.

The Arsenal 2 helps capture the best photos with a DSLR or mirrorless camera. It connects to your camera and uses AI tech to adjust settings based on 22 parameters, going far beyond standard auto-exposure functions. Its companion app can enhance colors from RAW images, stack photos, create multi-photo panoramas, and shoot night photos with ease.

Plasma is created by adding energy to a gas. It’s why stars glow in the sky. On a smaller scale, man-made plasma can be created with high-voltage electricity. The Plasma Channel applied this knowledge to one of the sweetest knives ever, a dual-blade weapon with plasma arcing through its center. He hopes to eventually replicate Halo’s plasma sword.

This portable light from Goal Zero can illuminate your entire campsite or yard. Its 6000-lumen head covers an area up to 300 feet across. The light sits atop an adjustable stand that telescopes from 4 feet to 12 feet tall, and its six light petals can be adjusted to provide light in all directions. Includes a hard carrying case. External power packs sold separately.

We’ve seen a bit of how Apple builds its Vision Pro headset; now we’ve got a detailed look at its insides thanks to iFixit. In this video, Lead Teardown Expert Sam Goldheart painstakingly disassembles the $3499 gadget, carefully prying off its glass front and removing countless screws, brackets, and cables. Check out more detailed photos in iFixit’s blog post.

After releasing its Atari Gamestation Pro retro console, My Arcade is now working on a handheld version of the 8-bit gaming system. In addition to coming with more than 200 classic Atari 2600 games, the Gamestation Portable will have a 7″ display, joystick, paddle, numeric, and mini-trackball controllers built right in. Drops Q4 2024 for $149.

AI Warehouse has used machine learning to train figures to walk and run. This time, they’ve given Albert the bot a much more significant challenge – climbing stairs. Before the blockhead can work on that, he must learn to plant his feet on a step without falling down. After the staircase, things get more complex with uneven terrain and an escalator.

My joystick has a first name, it’s O-S-C-A-R; my joystick has a second name, it’s M-A-Y-E-R. Hyperkin teamed up with an unlikely partner to create the wackiest game controller of the year. The hot dog-shaped Bluetooth controller works with Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Android, and iOS and is decorated in shades of bun gold, mustard yellow, and hot dog red.

Captain Disillusion’s latest educational video about video explains how the speed and way a shutter opens and closes affects still and moving images. You’ll learn how shutters work in film cameras, CCD camcorder sensors, and modern CMOS-based digital cameras. Plus, why rolling shutters cause image distortion and the tech that can minimize it.

Inline skating expert Ilia Savosin previously showed us how he gets around on office chair wheels. Now, he’s back and rolling on some other office equipment. In this brief but entertaining video, Ilia grinds some rails with computer keyboards, an LCD screen, and a laptop beneath his feet. Here’s a closer look at his keyboard skates.

For many years, prosthetics have been primitive, static objects. Thanks to modern biotechnology, people facing lost limbs can look forward to devices like this brain-controlled robotic arm from Esper Bionics. It has independently-moving fingers, a swiveling wrist, and the ability to perform fine-grained actions like picking up a knife and cutting with it.

We’ve featured the hypnotic fluid creations of artist Roman De Giuli before. In this video, he demonstrates the Emitter – a custom-engineered machine that uses stepper motors to pump and drip colorful pigments into water. The resulting designs are still organic but exhibit a rhythm and repetition not seen in De Giuli’s earlier works. Shot in 8K HDR at 60 fps.

Inspired by the Backyard Scientist’s industrial laser experiments, YouTuber Styropyro got a cheap but powerful industrial fiber laser of his own. He started by testing the 2-kilowatt laser’s cleaning and burning capabilities; then, he attached a beam-spreading lens to help light things on fire from a long distance.

When Tesla first announced the Cybertruck, the guys at Hacksmith Industries got to work building a working half-scale model of the stainless steel electric pickup truck. They recently revisited their vehicle and upgraded it with remote control and self-driving capabilities. After programming it, they challenged it to drive through an obstacle course.

DJI is best known for its high-quality videography drones. Their FlyCart 30 quadrotor is meant for delivering goods to remote locations. It can carry up to 66 pounds with a range of 9.9 miles and speeds up to 44.7 mph. DJI says it can fly in temperatures from -4° to 113° F and winds up to 26.8 mph. Its winch can also lower items into locations without having to land.

Brass instruments like the tuba and its smaller brother, the sousaphone, make some of the best sounds in a marching band. John Baylies, aka Sousasteps, upgraded his sousaphone in two ways: it controls a synthesizer, so it sounds like an electronic didgeridoo, and its bell is packed with LEDs that change in sync with the music.

This bike accessory combines two useful functions – a mount for viewing maps and information on your phone, along with a storage bag for your wallet, keys, bike tools, or other small accessories. It comes in both a top-tube mount and handlebar version. It’s waterproof and has a built-in sunshade for your phone screen.

We don’t recommend trying this at home, but if you pop a compact disc into a microwave oven and turn it on, it’ll put on a brief but spectacular light show. The Slow Mo Guys rigged up a macro probe lens and their high-speed cameras to capture the miniature electrical storm in amazing detail. Then they scrambled some eggs.