Bigme’s HiBreak Dual pairs a 6.13-inch E Ink display with a secondary LCD screen, aiming to create a distraction-free reading device which also offers the functionality of an everyday smartphone.
Category: Mobile Technology, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: E-Ink, smartphones, LCD
For over a decade, Saildrone has been building extreme long-endurance sail/hybrid autonomous sea vessels for ocean data collection and mapping. Now, the company is adapting the tech to create a super-quiet, long-range sub-hunter craft.
Category: Military, Engineering
Tags: Autonomous Vehicles, Submarine
It’s been 12 years since KTM first introduced the Freeride E as a proper off-road electric. Come to think of it, KTM can actually be considered one of the pioneers in the electric revolution.
Category: Motorcycles, Transport
Tags: KTM, Electric Motorcycles, Off-road, Dirt Bikes, Enduro, stark
For decades, scientists believed that associative learning – understanding that two events are linked to each other, like a stimulus and a response – required at least some form of neural machinery. But now, a tiny unicellular creature without a trace of gray matter and living at the bottom of ponds may upend this long-held assumption.
A flat single ounce is about as light as electric inflators for camping, backpacking and all-around outdoor fun get at this point in 2026. But that's for a model built to hold its own battery. If you're willing to forego onboard battery capability for an external power source, you can dip well below an ounce into double- or even single-digit gram territory. With its all-new AP01 Nitecore bests itself with a weight of just 0.77-oz (22-g) for a micro-inflator that can fill up a sleeping pad in just over a minute.
Tags: Camping, Pump, Backpacking, Bikepacking, nitecore, Inflatable, Outdoors and Camping
After months of swirling rumors, Apple CEO Tim Cook has announced that he'll be stepping down from the position later this year. He's been in the role since 2011, after being named as successor to co-founder Steve Jobs.
Replacing him will be John Ternus, who is currently senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, responsible for leading the teams that make the hardware for the iPhone, iPad, Mac and more. In his letter, Cook describes Ternus as "a brilliant engineer and thinker who has spent the past 25 years building the Apple products our users love so much, obsessed with every detail, focused on every possible way we can make something better, bolder, more beautiful, and more meaningful."
Of course, a transition this big isn't happening in a day; Cook will remain as head of the company until September 1st, 2026, and will continue on as executive chairman. (That does mean there's a chance Ternus is the one to announce the next iPhone, as those typically debut in September; a monumental task in your first few weeks as CEO.)
Apple is a massive player in the camera industryWhile Apple is, at its core, a computer and phone company, it's also a massive player in the camera industry thanks to the iPhone. When Tim Cook became CEO, the company's flagship product was the iPhone 4, a phone with a single camera taking single-shot exposures that was nevertheless just beginning to have an impact on the sales of compact cameras. Since then, smartphones have largely taken over that market, now sporting much larger sensors, advanced multi-shot stacking and several camera modules to provide a selection of focal lengths.
We'll have to wait and see if Ternus' background in hardware leads him to make different decisions than Cook, who came from the operations and logistics side of the company. And any high-level changes in the iPhone as a camera, or the Mac as an editing platform, won't be immediately obvious starting with their next versions. But over a few years, we'll start to see the impact of having a new person in charge of what is one of the world's largest camera companies.
Fully-enclosed velomobiles may offer weather protection and an aerodynamic advantage over bicycles, but their three wheels do add weight and rolling resistance. The outrigger-equipped Manta ebike, however, takes a unique alternative approach.
Tags: Velomobile, ebikes, Solar Powered
For more than 140 years, the bicycle chain has barely changed. Inspired Cycle Engineering (ICE), a UK-based recumbent trike maker founded in 1999, thinks it's finally time. ICE has launched PERS Chainless, a fully electric drivetrain that eliminates the chain, the gear shifter, and essentially every component that can stretch, snap, or get caked in grease. It's a world first for the industry, the company says.
Category: Urban Transport, Transport
Tags: Electric Vehicles, Drives, ebikes, Trike, Tricycle, Pedal-assisted
Viltrox has announced two new full-frame lenses, a 35mm F1.8 and a 55mm F1.8. The lenses are part of its Evo lineup, which it pitches as providing essential focal lengths that are sharp edge-to-edge.
The company says the lenses have apochromatic optical designs to control the color fringing that comes from chromatic aberration. The 35mm has 13 elements in 10 groups with 2 ED elements, 3 HR lenses and 1 UA element and can focus as close as 0.34m (13.4"). The 55mm, meanwhile, is made up of 13 elements in 9 groups with a similar mix of special glass as the 35mm, minus one HR lens. It can focus as close as 0.43m (16.9"). The company says the UA element used in the lenses is the same one that's found in its flagship Lab series of lenses. Both lenses have 9-bladed apertures.
The lenses have all the controls we expect from mid-range primes. We plan to produce a sample gallery with the 55mm F1.8 soon.Both lenses use an STM motor for autofocus. They also share a similar list of physical features: a customizable FN button, a switch to change the aperture ring from clicked to declicked, and an AF/MF switch. They also have a rubber seal on the lens mount for weather resistance, and a coating on the front lens to repel water and smudges.
The 35mm lens weighs 355g (12.5oz) for E-mount – around 20g more for Z mount – and the Sony version of the 55mm lens weighs 370g (13oz), with the same delta for Nikon. Both are relatively compact at around 76mm long and have 58mm filters.
While Viltrox has long offered both F1.8 35mm and 50mm options that were similarly lightweight and compact, it's nice to see the company build out its Evo line, especially given that it's aiming to offer quite impressive optical designs. The one somewhat disappointing aspect of the launch is mount availability: both modes will be available for Sony E and, somewhat surprisingly, given recent patent litigation, Nikon Z. It would've been nice to see it also launch for L-mount, or to at least get some hint on whether it'll be available on it in the future.
The AF 35mm F1.8 Evo (also known as the AF 35mm F1.8 II) retails for $395, and the AF 55m F1.8 Evo costs $370.
Press release:
Viltrox Unveils New 35mm and 55mm F1.8 EVO Lenses for Sony FE and Nikon Z MountsEmbracing the “Photo to Cinema” Vision in an Expanding Imaging Ecosystem at NAB Show 2026
Las Vegas, NV — April 20, 2026 — Viltrox today announced two new additions to its EVO lens lineup: the AF 35mm F1.8 EVO and AF 55mm F1.8 EVO, available in both Sony FE and Nikon Z mount systems.
The new lenses will be showcased at NAB Show 2026 in Las Vegas, where Viltrox will present its theme, “Expanding the Viltrox Imaging System — From Photo to Cinema,” highlighting its growing portfolio of lenses, cinema tools, and production accessories that support creators from photography through to filmmaking.
AF 35mm F1.8 EVO Lens
The AF 35mm F1.8 EVO is designed for creators seeking a versatile, storytelling perspective. With a 63° field of view, the 35mm focal length excels in street photography, travel, and environmental portraits. A minimum object distance of 0.34m allows for detailed close-up shots, while its compact and light weight all-metal body ensures portability and longevity for everyday shooting. Fast and precise autofocus, powered by an STM stepping motor, supports both still and video applications.
Featuring a 13-element optical construction, the lens delivers sharp, high-resolution imagery from center to edge, even at its wide F1.8 aperture. Its APO-grade design minimizes chromatic aberration, ensuring accurate color and clean edges in challenging lighting conditions.
AF 55mm F1.8 EVO Lens
The AF 55mm F1.8 EVO offers a natural perspective close to the human eye, making it ideal for portraits, still life, and detail-focused imagery. A fast F1.8 aperture enables smooth, cinematic bokeh, complemented by a minimum object distance of 0.43m for close-up versatility. Its light weight balances performance with portability, and its durable metal construction is designed for reliable use and longevity in a variety of shooting conditions.
Its 13-element optical design ensures consistent sharpness across the frame, while the APO configuration effectively suppresses color fringing and preserves image clarity. Like the 35mm, it features responsive STM-driven autofocus and intuitive physical controls for seamless operation.
Brand Vision
“NAB Show 2026 marks an important step forward for Viltrox as we continue expanding our imaging system across both photography and cinema,” said Frank Fang. “With the introduction of new EVO lenses and continued development across our ecosystem, we’re excited to share a broader vision for supporting today’s image makers.”
Guided by its philosophy, “Vision to Explore,” Viltrox continues to develop tools that empower creators to push their visual ideas further, bridging the gap between photography and cinema through a connected and evolving imaging system.
Expanding the Viltrox Imaging System
At NAB 2026 Viltrox will also present a broader range of products across its ecosystem, including an expanding EVO lineup, L-mount lenses, LAB and Pro flagship optics, and cinema solutions such as the EPIC series, Raze lenses for the DJI Ronin 4D, and the NexusFocus adapter.
Attendees are invited to experience the latest Viltrox innovations at Booth 5735, which will feature live shooting environments demonstrating real-world creative applications.
Where to buy
For more information, please visit:
55mm F1.8 EVO Z
https://viltrox.com/products/af-55mm-f1-8-z
35mm F1.8 EVO Z
https://viltrox.com/products/af-35mm-f1-8-z
55mm F1.8 EVO FE
https://viltrox.com/products/af-55mm-f1-8-fe
35mm F1.8 EVO FE
https://viltrox.com/products/af-35mm-f1-8-fe
MSRP:
AF 35mm F1.8 EVO: 395 USD / 459 EUR / 385 GBP
AF 55mm F1.8 EVO: 370 USD / 429 EUR / 359 GBP
Viltrox 35mm F1.8 Evo specifications: Principal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length35 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountNikon Z, Sony E, Sony FEApertureMaximum apertureF1.8Minimum apertureF16Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades9OpticsElements13Groups10Special elements / coatings3 HR, 2 ED, 1 asph.FocusMinimum focus0.34 m (13.39″)Maximum magnification0.15×AutofocusYesMotor typeStepper motorFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight355 g (0.78 lb)Diameter69 mm (2.72″)Length76 mm (2.99″)Filter thread58 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarNo Viltrox 55mm F1.8 Evo specifications: Principal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length55 mmLens mountNikon Z, Sony E, Sony FEApertureMaximum apertureF1.8Minimum apertureF16Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades9OpticsElements13Groups9Special elements / coatings2 HR, 2 ED, 1 asph.FocusMinimum focus0.43 m (16.93″)Maximum magnification0.16×AutofocusYesMotor typeStepper motorFull time manualUnknownFocus methodInternalDistance scaleNoDoF scaleNoPhysicalWeight370 g (0.82 lb)Diameter69 mm (2.72″)Length76 mm (2.99″)ColourBlackFilter thread58 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarNoFinland's just inaugurated its longest bridge, and not a single a car or motorcycle will ever be allowed on it.
Category: Architecture, Engineering
Tags: Infrastructure, Bridge, Finland, Cycling, urban transport, Urban Planning
A one-button self-adjusting pillow that gently shifts your sleep position throughout the night – without waking you – aims to eliminate the health and well-being issues we face as we become increasingly sedentary in bed as we age.
Category: Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Kickstarter, Sleep, Chronic pain, Insomnia, Health, Well-being, Brain
Last week, GoPro announced the Mission 1 series, a lineup of what the company says are "compact cinema cameras" with Type 1 sensors, the ability to shoot 4K/120 open gate and, on one of them, a Micro Four Thirds mount. But a key part of the story was missing: the price.
Thankfully, GoPro has just announced it, earlier than expected. The standard Mission 1 will retail for $599, while the Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 Pro ILS will both sell for $699 (though, of course, it's bring your own lens with the latter). If you pay for the company's subscription service, which includes the ability to automatically upload footage from your camera to the cloud, you can get $100 off the MSRP of one of the cameras, or up to $150 off one of the accessory bundles.
If you want to get the full story on the cameras, you can read our coverage here. The prices, added to the fact that the cameras were announced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show, and that the camera's maximum bitrate was designed to meet Netflix's requirements, suggest that the Mission 1 series is less consumer-oriented than the Hero series; the Hero 13 Black retails for around $430. They also put the Mission 1 Pro ILS in competition with some other video-focused, APS-C interchangeable lens cameras, such as the Canon EOS R50V and Nikon Z30.
The company has started accepting preorders on its site for the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro, which will be available starting May 28th. The version with the lens mount is still set to arrive in "Q3 2026."
The era of us laughing at humanoids playing sport may now be behind us – for the most part – as a field of robots competing in a half marathon in Beijing demonstrated how frighteningly fast the technology has developed in just 12 months. Even if one model had a day to forget, smashing into pieces after tripping at the starting line, the record-setting winner is a sign of things to come.
Category: AI and Humanoids, Technology
Tags: Future Robot, Honor, Humanoid, Autonomous, Beijing, Sport, Robotic construction, China
If it feels like AI is developing too fast to keep up with, a group of Chinese researchers have some bad news – because they've developed a model that "evolves" on its own, creating better versions of itself with each self-analytical loop.
Category: AI and Humanoids, Technology
Tags: Artificial Intelligence, China
While there are already bike helmets that provide vital wearer info in the event of a crash, they typically use electronics that must be built into the helmet. A new high-tech buckle, however, can simply be added to any existing helmet.
Tags: Helmets, Cycling, Road Safety, NFC
"Man overboard!" is one of the most frightening things you can hear aboard ship and the outcome is often tragic. Now, maritime technology firm Zelim has achieved official certification for its ZOE Man-Overboard (MOB) machine-vision detection system.
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show is in full swing, and Nikon has joined in, releasing a YouTube video teasing new Z Cinema glass. The video, which is also co-branded with Red, also heralds "a new Nikkor chapter."
The lens(es?) is only shown in shadow, but behind it, videos of older Nikon lenses are projected. Notably, it seems like the footage largely depicts wide-angle lenses, including a fisheye model and a 12-24; whether that's a hint or a coincidence, we'll have to wait and see. The video also shows cinema-styled controls, an autofocus/manual focus switch, and a line of lenses, which could hint that what's being announced is a series, rather than a single option.
Whatever Nikon ends up announcing – currently, the video and its description contain no mention of a date – it's interesting to see that the company is working on expanding its options for pro video. It already teased late last year that it was working on cinema-focused lenses, and has released a very video-focused lens in the Z 28-135mm F4 PZ power zoom.
In the running for best budget headphones of 2026, OneOdio's Focus A1 Pro outperform what you'd expect from a pair that'll set you back US$34.99. While they won't outshine premium audio tech, they leave the competition in their price bracket for dead.
Category: Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Headphones, Audio, Cheap, Noise-Canceling, Music Player, Bluetooth, Wireless, Portable Audio, Reviews
Thypoch is showing off a groundbreaking lens at the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Show this weekend: the Voyager 24-50mm F2.8, a full-frame autofocus zoom. It's not just a first for the brand; it's the first autofocus zoom lens we've seen from a Chinese manufacturer.
While this kind of lens has seemed like an inevitability for a while, as we've seen increasingly ambitious primes from the likes of Viltrox, Laowa and Sirui, it's a bit surprising that it's come from Thypoch. The company is mainly known for manual focus primes, though its sister brand, DZOFilm, does make a range of manual focus zooms focused on cinema users.
The company isn't releasing full details for the lens yet – though stay tuned – but you can tell just by looking at it that the goal was to make it relatively compact. It's around the same size as Sony's 24-50mm F2.8 G lens, though Thypoch's lens features an internally-zooming design: this is no clone. It also has a clicking aperture ring, a customizable function button and an AF/MF switch.
The Voyager 24-50mm F2.8 is relatively compact for a fast, full-frame zoom.The brand teased this lens on Instagram a few weeks ago, but its public unveiling is exciting, as it means it's one step closer to launching. We've seen Chinese manufacturers offer very decent budget prime lenses, and even come into their own with more advanced optics, becoming a competitive force driving the traditional players to come up with interesting offerings. If the same happens for zoom lenses, 2025 may not hold the title of the most interesting year for lenses for that much longer.
We've been able to spend some time with the lens and get some sample images with it, which you can check out below. We'll go more in-depth into image quality in a future article. For now, the high-level overview is that we found it to be relatively impressive, though we noticed some softness at the edges (especially when shooting wide open) and a propensity to flare under bright lighting.
We were impressed by its build quality; the aperture ring is satisfying to turn, and the rubber coating on the zoom and focus rings makes it very easy to handle.
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.Thank you to Sony for the loan of a Sony a7R V to capture this gallery. All images were processed using our standard lens workflow in Capture One, with no vignetting correction applied.
With its attractive wooden interior and minimalist design, the Scandi Inn wears its inspiration on its sleeve. Measuring just 270 sq ft (25 sq m), the tiny house makes the most of its compact footprint with a focus on space-saving ideas and storage.
Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors
Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, House, Micro-House, Home
