odd look at news on the web
Review: 2026 Mazda3 hatchback refines a winning formula
7 February 2026 @ 6:03 pm
If you’ve followed Mazda over the years, you know the 3 has always been the brand’s emotional core. For 2026, Mazda’s latest Mazda 3 Hatchback continues that tradition, polishing the edges of a well-worn formula rather than reinventing it. What you get is a car that feels more expensive than its price tag suggests, and more alive than its rivals.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: End of the Line? Futuristic Saudi megacity facing major redesign
7 February 2026 @ 3:03 pm
There has been a lot of architecture news coming out of Saudi Arabia recently, little of which has been good. Now the jewel in the crown of the desert kingdom's ongoing transformation, the Line, appears to be facing a major rethink.Continue ReadingCategory: Architecture, TechnologyTags: Building and CoWhat's the deal with space-based data centers for AI?
7 February 2026 @ 1:03 pm
Terrestrial data centers are so 2025. We're taking our large-scale compute infrastructure into orbit, baby! Or at least, that's what Big Tech is yelling from the rooftops at the moment. It's quite a bonkers idea that's hoovering up money and mindspace, so let's unpack what it's all about – and whether it's even grounded in reality.Continue ReadingCategory: Plants that touch each other are more resilient to stress
7 February 2026 @ 11:03 am
New research has found when plant leaves physically touch each other, they seem to form a biological signalling network to warn each other about the upcoming stress. This can boost their resilience to withstand intense light, which is a common environmental challenge.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTagsOne-off special-edition hypercar honors Bugatti Veyron creator
7 February 2026 @ 7:03 am
Bugatti is marking the 20th birthday of its extraordinary Veyron with a special-edition hypercar that pays tribute to the 'mad genius' who designed it, Ferdinand Karl Piëch. But there’s bad news if you’re a billionaire car collector. The 'FKP Hommage' is a one-off, coach-built creation. And it has already been sold.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportFrontier-smashing camper hides rustic lodge inside shimmering shell
7 February 2026 @ 12:04 am
As Silicon Valley works overtime at developing camping trailers around technology platforms, fellow Californian RV badge Bowlus steps back into the spotlight to remind us why RV design has traditionally started with stylish aerodynamics and comfy living amenities, keeping the tech in the background as a complement. The all-new Endless Highways Frontier Edition takes the brand's most powerful trailer to new aesthetic heights, warming up the interior of the vintage riveted-aluminum fuselage with a rustic cabin inspired by the mountain ranches and pioneer homesteads of the American West.Futuristic concept scooter is clad in flax-based body panels
6 February 2026 @ 9:00 pm
When Bangalore, India-based electric two-wheeler outfit Ather unveiled its bold Redux concept scooter last September, it was all I could do to keep from banging down the company's doors and demanding they put it into production immediately. This stunning machine combined a number of innovative ideas and race-inspired styling, and the design went harder than any other maxi scooter in recent memory.Drones smash through 400-mph mark and keep breaking records
6 February 2026 @ 3:32 pm
Australian aerospace engineer Benjamin Biggs has just clocked 411 mph (661 km/h) with a battery-powered, remote-controlled drone. No official Guinness stamp yet, but it's faster than the current record held by South African father-son team Mike and Luke Bell.Continue ReadingCategory: Drones, Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: World's FastestCompact tiny house embraces the simplicity of small living
6 February 2026 @ 1:27 pm
With only a very compact footprint to work with, Escape sensibly hasn't tried to do too much with its eVista. Instead, the tiny house keeps things simple with a remarkably open interior layout that's more useful than its 23.6 ft (7.2 m) length would suggest.Continue ReadingCategory: Tiny Houses, OutdoorsTags: Building an20-rotor multicoptor aces test on mission to be sky's largest eVTOL
6 February 2026 @ 11:27 am
Multinational aviation company AutoFlight says its Matrix aircraft is the first 5-ton eVTOL on the planet – and it's just completed a public full-transition flight demo at the Kunshan Civil UAV Flight Test & Operation Base in China.Continue ReadingCategory: Aircraft, Transport