Allow me to preface the title: Longshot Space wants to build a 6-mile-long (10-km) space cannon to shoot several-ton objects into low Earth orbit (LEO). The company has already built a working proof of concept.
Tags: SpinLaunch, Longshot, Kinetic orbital launchers, Orbit, Android Launchers, Compressed Air, Cannons, Interviews
Next week marks the start of the gift-giving season in many parts of the world, so the DPReview team sat down to discuss the things people should keep in mind when shopping for the photographers and creators in their lives. We also shared personal stories of some of the best (and worst) photo-related gifts we've ever gotten.
Be sure to weigh in on our forums; have you received any great or terrible gifts, and is there anything in particular you're hoping to find this year?
Jeep is going all out to court thrillseekers with the 2026 Recon SUV. This chunky all-electric 4x4 packs a raft of features for making light work of craggy trails, along with plenty of power under the hood, and creature comforts to boot.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Jeep, Electric Vehicles, SUV, stellantis
MIT researchers have found a way to use the mechanical vibrations of sound waves to shake water molecules free from a storage medium. The breakthrough significantly speeds up the process of harvesting drinking water from thin air.
Category: Technology
Tags: Water, Atmosphere, Environment, MIT
When Verge debuted with its first hubless electric motorcycle in 2022, it created a new visual aesthetic for motorcycles. Now, almost 4 years later, the Finnish-Estonian company is still going strong, upgrading its best-selling electric motorcycle with a bunch of appreciable upgrades.
Category: Motorcycles, Transport
Tags: Hubless, Electric Motorcycles, EICMA 2025, Electric Vehicles, livewire, Zero Motorcycles
DJI's upping the ante for image quality out of its action cams with the new Osmo Action 6. It's the first of its kind to get a variable aperture, and it's got a larger sensor that should make for better photos and videos than its predecessor.
Category: Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: DJI Innovations, Actioncam, Video
A team of biologists in Australia has developed a scanning device to accurately detect exactly how potent a cannabis plant is, well before it's harvested. And no, it's not for selecting the choicest buds to get blasted with.
Category: Science
Tags: University of Adelaide, Cannabis, scanning, Handheld
It's a well-known fact that if you're trying to cool your mouth after eating spicy food, you should drink milk, not water. Bearing that fact in mind, scientists have developed an "artificial tongue" that measures food spiciness using a milk protein.
Category: Science
Tags: American Chemical Society, Tongue, Taste, Sensors, Milk, Food technology
The Kodak name has been in the news a fair amount lately, and now a new film camera featuring the brand is in the works. Kodak brand licensee Reto has shared three teasers on its Instagram, showing off the upcoming Snapic A1 camera, revealing a few details.
Reto's first post about the Snapic A1 featured a single shot of the camera, followed by sample photos claimed to be taken with the new device. In its most recent post, the company has shared a brief video of the camera, highlighting some of its features.
Screenshots of some of the features highlighted in the Reel.The Snapic A1 looks like a plastic point-and-shoot film camera with a textured handgrip and integrated flash. Reto mentions in the caption that it offers "numerous automatic functions." The video also highlights a multiple exposure function. The camera features an LCD screen that shows battery life, focus range and flash settings. It relies on zone focusing, with a ring on the front that allows users to change the zone. Reto specifies that it uses a 25mm, 3-element glass lens.
It's important to note that although Eastman Kodak is regaining control over some of its film distribution, this camera is not produced by Eastman Kodak. Instead, it's made by Reto, a Hong Kong-based company that has been a brand licensee of Eastman Kodak since 2022. Reto is also the company behind the affordable yet entirely plastic Kodak Ektar H35 line of half-frame film cameras.
Two additional screenshots of the Snapic A1 video.Reto didn't provide any details as to when the Snapic A1 might be available or how much it will cost, so we'll have to wait and see.
Regardless of how you feel about electric two-wheelers, you can’t argue about one thing: the innovation at hand. From hubless wheels to 3D-printed tech, or scooter-motorcycle crossovers to a moped with most of its body invisible, the tech has been at the forefront of e-development.
Category: Motorcycles, Transport
Tags: Yamaha, Electric Vehicles, Electric Motorcycles, Dirt Bikes, Endurance Racing, Racing, stark, KTM
Photographing the deep sky at night can be a complicated business involving specialist knowledge, expensive and bulky equipment and a good deal of patience. DwarfLab's book-sized smart telescopes have removed many pain points over the years, but the company has gone lightweight as well as compact and portable for its latest design.
Category: Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Telescope, Astronomy, Astrophotography, Amateur astronomy
Director Christopher Nolan is no stranger to epic undertakings, and his latest project pushes the limits even more. In a recent interview with Empire, Nolan said that they shot more than two million feet of film while on the set of The Odyssey.
Much of the filming for The Odyssey took place on the ocean, too. "It’s pretty primal!" Nolan told Empire. "I’ve been out on it for the last four months. We got the cast who play the crew of Odysseus’ ship out there on the real waves, in the real places. And yeah, it’s vast and terrifying and wonderful and benevolent, as the conditions shift. We really wanted to capture how hard those journeys would have been for people."
It was clear from the outset that The Odyssey was going to be a massive project. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the movie would be the first commercial feature film to be shot entirely using Imax film cameras. While Nolan has frequently used the 65mm format, including on The Dark Knight, Interstellar and Oppenheimer, he's still had to rely on 35mm film because of the practical limitations of the bulky and noisy IMAX cameras.
Nolan reportedly convinced Imax to improve its cameras and workflow for The Odyssey, resulting in cameras that are lighter and 30% quieter, along with faster processing techniques. The updates made Imax cameras more feasible to use for an entire production, including one set mostly at sea. As a result, Nolan and his production team were able to use Imax cameras for the entire 91-day shoot, producing those 2 million feet of film.
All of that film won't make the final cut of the movie, of course. But it's not Nolan's first time producing extensive volumes of film for a movie. His dedication to the format also required innovation on the set of Oppenheimer. That movie resulted in 11 miles of film, which was unprecedented. It was so much film that Imax had to develop a custom platter just to hold it all.
The Odyssey is an adaptation of Homer's epic Greek poem, telling the tale of Odysseus (played by Matt Damon) making a decade-long journey home to his wife, Penelope, after the Trojan War. Nolan told Empire that he's been dreaming of making this film for decades. He said he grew up with mythological cinematic work, but he'd "never seen that done with the sort of weight and credibility that an A-budget and a big Hollywood, IMAX production could do."
"By embracing the physicality of the real world in the making of the film, you do inform the telling of the story in interesting ways"Nolan added that the film format was especially important when telling this particular story. "By embracing the physicality of the real world in the making of the film, you do inform the telling of the story in interesting ways," he told Empire. "Because you’re confronted on a daily basis by the world pushing back at you."
There's surely plenty of work left on the production of the movie, which is slated for release in cinemas in July 2026. We'll be eagerly awaiting teasers and trailers as that date approaches.
I love when automakers let their designers go hog wild on concept vehicles, and Hyundai's Irvine, California-based team absolutely cooked with the Crater. It's a compact electric SUV with futuristic styling that looks like the sort of vehicle you'd deploy on a recon mission after touching down on a new planet.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Concept Cars, SUV, Electric Vehicles, Hyundai
Lens names can be complicated things. Companies often try to fit every detail of the lens into the name, resulting in a string of abbreviations. While Sigma isn't the worst offender, it tends to stack quite a few terms into the names of its lenses. In this article, we'll be breaking down terms specific to Sigma lenses so that you can more easily gather relevant features and technologies without having to be a Sigma engineer.
Lens format and series designationsWhile many companies list some designations at the very beginning of a lens name, Sigma keeps all of its terms after the focal length and aperture. The first acronyms refer to the lens format and, when applicable, the lens series.
DG, DC and DNLike other companies, Sigma has specific acronyms to identify whether a lens is designed for full-frame or APS-C cameras. DG is Sigma's designation for full-frame lenses, while DC is for APS-C (often called crop sensor) cameras.
DN is Sigma's term that indicates a lens is made for mirrorless cameras. Since Sigma produces mirrorless lenses for both full-frame and APS-C cameras, you may see DN in combination with either DG or DC. However, Sigma has dropped the DN on newly released mirrorless lenses, as it is no longer developing new DSLR lenses. As a result, you won't see DN on the latest Sigma lenses, even though they are mirrorless optics.
A, C, S and I The silver 'A' on the lens body means it's part of the Art line of Sigma lenses.Sigma also offers four specific lens series that focus on different capabilities tailored to various types of photographers. If you see an 'S' in the lens name, it means the lens is part of the Sports line, which, as you may guess, is made for documenting action such as sports and wildlife. The Spots lineup consists of telephoto and super telephoto prime and zoom lenses made to handle rough conditions. They offer shock resistance and more advanced weather sealing, along with customization opportunities through on-lens controls.
An 'A' means the lens is part of the Art line, which prioritizes optical performance. These lenses typically feature fast apertures and are available in both prime and zoom lens formats. Sigma says that the Art line is for those who want creative outcomes over compactness and multifunction, so they aren't as compact or lightweight as its other lens lineups.
The 'C' stands for Contemporary, which prioritizes portability and convenience. The Contemporary lineup consists of a mix of prime and zoom lenses, covering just about every focal length. However, in every format, the focus remains on keeping the lenses compact and lightweight. As a result, they are ideal for travel, casual snapshots and other similar applications.
I series lenses come in both black and silver.Lastly, the I series is the company's smallest lens lineup, consisting of just nine lenses at the time of writing. It functions as a subset of the Contemporary lineup. Like the Contemporary line, the I series is a collection of compact, mid-price, medium-fast aperture lenses. However, it differs from the broader Contemporary lineup because all the I series lenses are primes designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras. They also all feature metal construction, manual aperture rings and high-end build quality. The lenses offer retro looks and come in both silver (to match the silver Sigma BF) and black.
Lens features and autofocusWhile not always in the lens name, Sigma also has some specific terms related to autofocus and other lens features.
OS The Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG DN OS Sports lens offers optical stabilization, as indicated by the 'OS' in the name and on the lens.OS, which stands for Optical Stabilizer, is Sigma's optical stabilization technology. As with any stabilization feature, it aims to reduce blur associated with the motion of the camera. It helps obtain sharper images when using slower shutter speeds, which is especially helpful on telephoto lenses and when working in low-light conditions.
HSM and HLAIf you see 'HSM' in a Sigma lens name or description, it indicates that the lens uses the company's patented Hyper Sonic Motor for autofocus. This motor, as the name suggests, is an ultrasonic-type autofocus motor, which results in fast, quiet and accurate autofocus. It's commonly found in many of Sigma's Art, Sports and Contemporary lenses.
The Sigma 'HLA,' or High-response Linear Actuator, is its newest autofocus motor. It allows for faster autofocus performance, with more responsive subject acquisition and tracking to keep up with modern mirrorless cameras.
Lens technologyFinally, Sigma uses some proprietary lens elements that you may see mentioned in lens descriptions. Its FLD (F Low Dispersion) element mimics fluorite elements (which is what the 'F' stands for), though it is less expensive. Sigma says it is the "highest level low dispersion glass available," and it offers extra control of chromatic aberrations.
ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) is another type of glass element that reduces chromatic aberrations for better clarity and color fidelity even in challenging lighting conditions. Finally, the oldest of the bunch: SLD (Special Low Dispersion). This element is yet another that reduces optical aberrations. It was first introduced on the Sigma 50-200mm F3.5-4.5 in 1984.
If you've struggled to get a ratchet to work in a tight space, you'll appreciate a new take on the tool from Titaner. The palm-sized tool engages each sprocket with just a tiny turn and has multiple configurations for maximum situational adaptability.
Category: Knives and Multitools, Gear, Outdoors
Tags: EDC, Everyday Carry, Titanium, Tools, Kickstarter
US brain-computer-interface startup Paradromics is quickly establishing itself as a major player in the neural-device space, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) green-lighting a human trial to test its ability in restoring speech in people with paralysis.
Category: Medical Devices, Medical Innovations, Body and Mind
Tags: Brain-computer interface, Neuralink, Neuroscience, Speech, neurons, Implant, Brain Machine Interface, UMC Utrecht
Scientists have found the clearest evidence yet that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) – which nearly all of us carry for life – is directly responsible for hijacking our immune system's cells to cause lupus, a chronic disease that affects up to a million Americans.
Category: Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind
Tags: Stanford University, Epstein-Barr Virus, lupus, Virus, Inflammatory, Inflammation, Cells, The Immune System
Star Catcher Industries has set a new record for beaming power at a distance. Its Star Catcher Network technology beamed 1.1 kW of power at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida using off-the-shelf solar panel components.
Category: Energy, Technology
Tags: DARPA, Solar Power, Power
Blending ancient land-shaping traditions with cutting-edge fabrication, a new project called TreeSoil is reimagining how architecture can support vulnerable environments. Conceived through a partnership between two research groups, the Technion Institute’s Material Topology Research Lab (MTRL) and the Tree Lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, the project proposes a small but radical idea: build structures not for people, but to protect saplings struggling to survive in degraded landscapes.
Category: Environment, Science
Tags: Eco-Friendly, Agricultural, sustainable design, 3D Printing, Tree, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Weizmann Institute of Science
Narwal's flagship self-cleaning wet/dry robot vacuum is on sale for Black Friday. We've spent several months with the Narwal Flow, and while it doesn't offer any spectacular party tricks, it's the smartest, best-performing robovac we've seen.
Category: Around The Home, Lifestyle
Tags: Robot, Smart Home, Vacuum, Vacuum cleaner, Reviews, Black Friday
