odd look at news on the web
Why Honda reporting its first annual loss in 70 years is a big deal
19 May 2026 @ 6:03 am
This one’s a biggie. Honda has just posted its first annual loss since becoming a publicly traded company back in 1957. And it’s not a small number either – Honda reported a staggering net loss of US$2.7 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: Honda,Dissimilar robots can 'learn' to perform tasks without needing new code
19 May 2026 @ 1:03 am
It’s fairly easy for people to learn from other people – we’ve been doing it for around 300,000 years – because we can observe, copy, and modify what they’re doing. It’s less easy for us to learn from other animals that way, because the less our cognition and bodies are alike, the harder it is to copy and modify what they do. Learning about plants, fungi, protozoa, and bacteria is easy enough, but learning from them? Forget it.Continue ReHomo erectus may have passed a genetic legacy down to modern humans after all
19 May 2026 @ 12:50 am
Sally Christine Reynolds, Bournemouth University/ The ConversationContinue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Human, Genetics, Neanderthal, Brains of hibernating squirrels could reveal new treatments for stroke
18 May 2026 @ 10:07 pm
Advances in understanding of neuron activity and adaptation during squirrel hibernation could help inform stroke treatment and recovery.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Stroke, Neurological, Reusable flosser skips disposable plastic for an EDC-style design
18 May 2026 @ 9:03 pm
Flossing regularly is great for your teeth, but the single-use plastic picks add to the ever-growing problem of household waste. A Swedish design team has a better solution, in the form of a sleek flosser that's made to last a lifetime.Continue ReadingCategory: AroThis radical approach to guitar frets could unlock your dream axe
18 May 2026 @ 7:27 pm
Turkey-based upstart Shark Instruments is taking the fight to higher-end guitar makers with advanced manufacturing capabilities. Its latest industry-first feature: adjustable frets.Continue ReadingCategory: Music, Consumer Tech, DJI's new dual-lens, 3x zoom Osmo Pocket camera is here
18 May 2026 @ 6:03 pm
What better place to pull the covers off of your latest and greatest pocket camera than the Cannes Film Festival? "By unveiling the Osmo Pocket 4P at one of the most prestigious stages in global filmmaking, DJI signals a bold evolution of the Pocket series from a creator tool into a cinematic imaging device capable of professional-grade storytelling," says the company.Continue ReadingCategory: Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: AI holograms are reinventing how we navigate airports
18 May 2026 @ 3:07 pm
Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport in New York has unveiled Bridget, a life-sized, hyper-realistic AI hologram that can hold a real conversation – answering questions about gates, baggage claims, and VIP lounges. The technology is a signal that the way we navigate airports is changing from static signs and apps to conversational digital guides, and several major hubs are already competing to define it.Continue ReadingCategory: Family friendly tiny house fits two bedrooms in a towable frame
18 May 2026 @ 1:17 pm
Despite measuring just 30 ft (9.1 m) long, the Ruby tiny house is surprisingly capable as a full-time home for a small family. It packs in a large and open living area, plus two bedrooms, each with its own staircase.Continue ReadingCategory: Tiny Houses, OutdoorsTags: Building and ConstrCaliper-style adjustable wrench accommodates every nut size on the fly
18 May 2026 @ 9:48 am
This new tool you'll want on your belt looks like a Vernier caliper, but it's actually designed to beat the traditional monkey wrench at its own game – and then some.Continue ReadingCategory: Knives and Multitools, Gear, OutdoorsTags: