odd look at news on the web
Scientists produce cleaner fuel by 'catching lightning in a bottle'
22 April 2026 @ 3:55 pm
People often muse over catching lightning in a bottle, and what an amazing feat it would be. But have you ever wondered what comes next if we do it? Well, researchers at Northwestern University have bottled lightning and are using it for something just as remarkable: clean fuel. Their technology uses plasma in glass tubes to produce methanol from methane gas, a process that typically requires enormous amounts of energy.Continue ReadingCategory: Energy, EngineeringTags: Review: Wall-hugging RGB laser projector takes entertainment to the Max
22 April 2026 @ 1:07 pm
Extra-wide tiny house delivers apartment-style comfort on wheels
22 April 2026 @ 11:34 am
This high-end park model tiny house isn't intended for frequent travel. Instead, it uses its increased width to create a roomy apartment-style home on wheels that includes a spacious living area and even a porch.Continue ReadingCategory: Tiny Houses, OutdoorsTags: Latest glimpse of F/A-XX 6th-gen fighter reveals tailless design
22 April 2026 @ 4:33 am
Northrop Grumman is teasing us again with another glimpse of its candidate for the US Navy's F/A-XX fighter program. The company posted a brief video on X (formerly Twitter) that gives the most complete look yet of the 6th-Gen aircraft.Continue ReadingCategory: Military, EngineeringTags: Northrop Grumman, Pop-up camping pioneer shifts gears with ultralight pickup camper
21 April 2026 @ 11:04 pm
With the sheer preponderance of flappy, fabric-walled pop-up truck campers, hard-sided pop-up pickup camping systems feel cutting edge, even today. But they actually have a long, proud history dating back to the mid-20th century. And no manufacturer then or now has been as integral to that history as Alaskan Campers, a true pioneer that's been building telescopic-roofed pickup campers for over 60 years. Now the company takes a detour and turns its attention to a different style of camper, launching a fixed high-roof composite camper meant to save weight and expand availability to morFord Mustang GTD breaks Nürburgring record, and you can even buy one now
21 April 2026 @ 8:37 pm
You don’t just turn up at Nürburgring Nordschleife with an eye on Corvette ZR1X’s record. And who better to do it than the manufacturer who lost that record to Corvette itself? Well, Ford did exactly that with the new Ford Mustang GTD.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: Ford, Camera-equipped AI earbuds tell you what you're looking at
21 April 2026 @ 6:00 pm
Earbuds are small, which is great for comfort, but their tininess is a serious limitation for actually doing things other than letting you hear and talk. You can’t use them to fly, fry, pry, or purify. Compare them with a smartphone and they’re one-hit (two, actually) wonders, right? They’ll never even compete with a Swiss Army Knife. Pathetic.Continue ReadingCategory: Wearables, Hyundai’s Ioniq 3 supermini offers head-turning good looks
21 April 2026 @ 4:27 pm
The latest small electric vehicle (EV) to join the crowded battle for European family car buyers has arrived. It’s important, firstly because the Ioniq 3 is from Hyundai, the world’s third biggest auto manufacturer, and secondly, because it looks pretty darn cool.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: Bolt-action ratcheting screwdriver stores six bits in its revolving magazine
21 April 2026 @ 2:45 pm
Let's be honest … tools that are made to be gun-like are generally pretty childish. They can also be practical at the same time, however, which is where the rifle-inspired Dream Knight ratcheting screwdriver comes in.Continue ReadingCategory: Around The Home, Consumer Tech, Latticed supertall skyscraper will be one of USA's tallest buildings
21 April 2026 @ 12:57 pm
An ambitious new supertall skyscraper is planned for New York City – and this one's a real head-turner. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the building will be defined by an external steel lattice that forms part of its structural system.Continue ReadingCategory: Architecture, EngineeringTags: