odd look at news on the web
Wood scraps turn 'useless' desert sand into concrete
5 February 2026 @ 4:07 pm
A team of researchers based in Norway and Japan might soon have you walking on desert sand, no matter how far from the dunes you live. This group of engineers has developed a method to transform it into a new construction material that's perfect for pavements – and it can help reduce the need to destructively extract sand from rivers.Continue ReadingCategory: Materials, AI piano coach listens, watches and teaches in real time
5 February 2026 @ 2:01 pm
Learning to play the piano by yourself isn’t easy. There are apps that can tell you which notes you hit, but they rarely analyze the way your hands move, whether your posture is working against you, or why a passage feels awkward.Continue ReadingCategory: Music, Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: ROLI, Ice-race launch for off-road Bentley Bentayga X Concept
5 February 2026 @ 12:08 pm
The new Bentayga X Concept may change your opinion of what is generally considered an SUV best used for traversing the gravel of a hotel car park or crossing the hazards of wet leaves at the entrance to your favorite casino.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: Bentley, SUV, Triumph reveals Speed Twin 1200 Café Racer edition, but it's no Thruxton
5 February 2026 @ 10:05 am
Amid the host of electric launches in modern times, Triumph’s new motorcycle subtly reminds us of the classic bygone years … the 1960s and 70s, when a new breed of motorcycles was evolving into what we call café racers today.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: Triumph, She walks, shows emotion, holds eye contact and is warm – but she's a robot
5 February 2026 @ 5:04 am
At this stage of the robotics race, it's probably fair to assume that a few of us have a bit of humanoid malaise. After all, we've seen more funny videos of robots dropping plates out of dishwashers and taking 10 minutes to open and close a refrigerator door. And let's not even mention them trying to cook or play soccer.Continue ReadingCategory: AI and Humanoids, TechnologyTags: Every country should adopt China's ban on 'hidden' car door handles
5 February 2026 @ 4:03 am
Those car door handles that blend into the exterior door panel for a sleek look might soon be a thing of the past – and China's taking the lead in outlawing them.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: Safety, Titanium-foam blended-wing fighter smashes rivals on the spec sheet
5 February 2026 @ 2:17 am
There's a new contender for the US Navy's F/A-XX Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter program to replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and it looks like something out of Batman's hangar thanks to a peculiar triple-fuselage design.Continue ReadingCategory: Military, TechnologyTags: US Navy, FighterSelf-heating lunch box is its own portable far-infrared oven
4 February 2026 @ 9:40 pm
For anyone who's always eating on the go, you now have another option to manage hot meals while commuting without requiring the use of a microwave or toaster oven.Continue ReadingCategory: Good Thinking, TechnologyTags: Kickstarter, Food technology, Air-beam canopy completes all-inflatable amphibious day camp
4 February 2026 @ 8:03 pm
Inflate all the things. That seems to be the strategy at Bote, a Floridian inflatable watercraft company that's expanded out into inflatable lounge wares, including on-water hammocks, portable furniture and, now, sunshades. The all-new Hangout Shade series creates a perfect day camp on land or pairs with Bote's Hangout Dock floating swim platforms to sailgate the day away atop the water.Continue ReadingCategory: Gear, OutdoorsTags: $1,400 electric moto offers proper dirt-bike fun on a budget
4 February 2026 @ 5:12 pm
Why do electric bikes have to be grossly expensive and overly inaccessible? That seems to be the exact question the folks at Heybike asked. The answer comes in the form of Villain – a compact e-dirt bike priced at just US$1,399 that delivers serious performance.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: ebikes,