Lifestyle
The latest news on health, home innovation, design, architecture and outdoor living.
$2K Ikea-like camper kit turns Tesla Model X or RAV4 into a micro RV
August 15, 2023
The Van Lab SUV Kit makes functional camping rigs out of popular SUVs and crossovers, from the Tesla Model X and Y to the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Inspired by Ikea furniture, the kits are shipped flat and assembled into form by the buyer.
Health & Wellbeing
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Renting ages your cells faster than unemployment or being an ex-smoker
October 10, 2023A study has found that renting privately is more strongly associated with faster biological aging than unemployment or being an ex-smoker. The findings highlight the important link between housing and health. -
Exposure to light at night found to increase risk of depression by 30%
October 09, 2023A study has found that nighttime exposure to light increases the risk of mental illness, while daytime light exposure reduces it. The findings offer a simple and effective, non-pharmacological means of improving mental health. -
AI offers improved civility for polarizing online conversations
October 05, 2023Researchers have used AI to create a way of improving the quality and civility of online discussions regarding polarizing topics by providing users with suggestions for rephrasing their comments before they post them.
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Outdoors
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Collapsible RV bed makes impromptu camper wagon out of a Subaru or SUV
October 06, 2023Pacific Adventure Works is about to make it much easier to sleep in the car. Its portable sleeper platform rolls up slim for travel and quickly builds into a fully adjustable bed that makes a camper out of an SUV or station wagon. -
Camp365 foldable RV pod grows Tesla or Ford pickup into mountain cabin
October 05, 2023Camp365 is pulling its lightweight, collapsible micro-cabin off the trailer and dropping it in the pickup bed. Its new Model T camper will be light enough for electric trucks, spreading its wings at camp to become a shelter for the whole family. -
Portable "coal-fired" propane fire pit heats camp like a wood blaze
October 05, 2023Portable LPG fire pits are a great way to get the ambiance of a campfire when you can't burn wood, but they can come up short in heat. Howl Campfires looks to solve the problem with a portable pit that spits out a wood fire's worth of radiant heat.
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Tiny Houses
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Huge True North Retreat makes space for big families and BBQ enthusiasts
October 09, 2023Canada's Acorn Tiny Homes has unveiled a new model that once again pushes the boundaries of small living. The True North Retreat will sleep up to seven people, at a squeeze, and will also feature a dedicated barbecue area accessible from the outside. -
Ecocapsule hatches next generation egg-shaped tiny house
October 02, 2023Having delivered on its initial promise of an egg-shaped off-grid tiny house, Ecocapsule now plans a new and improved model. Named the Ecocapsule NextGen, the dwelling will maintain the same novel egg-like form but in a more spacious shell. -
Nomad 30 tiny house is ready for off-grid all-weather adventuring
September 19, 2023Minimaliste's Nomad was originally conceived as an all-weather model in a smaller and easier-to-tow package. The firm has now iterated on that tiny house with the Nomad 30, which offers a new interior layout and an adventure-ready off-grid design.
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Architecture
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Tired old house goes green with masterful modern renovation
October 06, 2023Austin Maynard Architects is adept at transforming dilapidated homes into attractive modern residences. Its Helvetia project has breathed new life into an old terrace house, adding lots of natural light, an atrium and multiple garden spaces. -
Futuristic eVTOL vertiport readies for takeoff in Melbourne
October 05, 2023If we're going to reach the point of flying around our cities in eVTOLS then we're going to need infrastructure to support them. Contreras Earl Architecture has revealed plans for a new vertiport on the waterfront in Melbourne's Batman Park. -
Curving cultural center's layered roofs form "sails in a sea breeze"
September 29, 2023ZHA has unveiled plans for a new cultural district in China, with a cultural center at its heart that showcases the firm's trademark style, and is defined by a series of eye-catching layered roofs that are likened to sails in a sea breeze by the firm.
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Around the Home
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Perfecta grill uses AI to custom-cook steaks in under three minutes
October 03, 2023While some people really enjoy barbecuing, others simply want grilled meat that isn't burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. The Perfecta grill should appeal to the latter group, as it uses AI to "perfectly" cook meat in three minutes or less. -
PlanetCare closes the loop on microplastic pollution from washing machines
October 02, 2023Years before Samsung and others started tackling microplastic from machine washes escaping into the environment, there was Slovenia-based PlanetCare. Now the company has announced its second-generation external filter. -
Scandinavian design meets automated growing in the Auk indoor garden
September 27, 2023After attracting more than 15,000 growers across 10 countries since its 2021 launch, the Auk indoor garden is now on its way to the US for the promise of year-round herbs, greens and tomatoes direct from the kitchen countertop.
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Good Thinking
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Special wheelchair gets users standing and climbing stairs
October 06, 2023Most powered wheelchairs have at least two problems: they can't climb stairs, and the user has to remain in a single seated position. An experimental new robotic wheelchair, however, addresses both shortcomings. -
SOMA system will control prosthetic hand via ultrasound, not electrodes
October 05, 2023Currently, almost all powered prosthetic hands utilize electrodes that detect the user's muscle impulses and convert them into hand movements. A new system which is in development, however, should reportedly work better by utilizing ultrasound. -
Cashierless micro-store could soon pop up at EV charging stations
October 05, 2023Drivers of EVs looking to stock up on snacks while waiting for their vehicles to charge could soon find a cashier-free mini convenience store popping up at charging stations across the US courtesy of a startup based in North Carolina.
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Children
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Review: Turing Tumble lets kids build complex marble-powered computers
November 14, 2022Minnesota company Upper Story has sent us its Turing Tumble, a fascinating educational toy that quietly tricks kids into inventing binary logic computers using nothing more than tiny marbles dropping through a series of clicky-clacky plastic pieces. -
Shark Wheel proves it's cool to be square with mini electric cars for kids
June 28, 2022Back in 2013, California-based startup Shark Wheel hit Kickstarter with a very odd-looking cube-shaped skateboard wheel. Now the company has supersized the design for a pair of funky electric cars for kids – the Shark SUV and the Shark UTV. -
Infalurt warns drivers of babies forgotten in cars
March 18, 2022If a driver is preoccupied, or if there's a disruption to their routine, they can forget and leave their baby in their car – if that car then gets too hot, the result can be lethal. The Infalurt Child Safety System is designed to keep such scenarios from unfolding.
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Remarkable People
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High-tech entrepreneur Brett Adcock on Figure, Archer, and early success
October 02, 2023Brett Adcock has co-founded two companies on the bleeding edges of innovation in emerging markets: Archer Aviation, in the world of eVTOL aircraft, and Figure, in humanoid robots. We look into his background, and the startup that launched it all. -
SR-71 pilot, photographer and storyteller Brian Shul dies at 75
May 21, 2023The aviation world has lost one of its brightest luminaries. Major Brian Shul was an incredible survivor and a top gun pilot – but also a gifted photographer and storyteller, whose stories about the extraordinary SR-71 Blackbird will live forever. -
Soggy professor breaks underwater-living record in sea habitat
May 16, 2023An adventurous professor from the University of South Florida has broken the world record for living in an underwater habitat. Joseph Dituri has called the submurged Jules’ Undersea Lodge home since March 1, and intends to remain there until June 9.
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Pets
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Rubicon Dog is a pooch-holding canine booster seat
August 11, 2023Many people seatbelt their dog on car rides, but they don't want the critter messing up the seats. The Rubicon Dog is designed with just such folks in mind, as it safely secures pooches while containing their loose fur and dirty paws. -
StayrAI performs automatic water-changes so aquarists don't have to
July 10, 2023Regular water-changes are essential to the wellbeing of aquarium fish, but the task sometimes gets missed, plus it can be hard to determine how much water should be replaced, and how often. That's where the automated StayrAI Rein system comes in. -
Dog personality determined by much more than breed, study finds
May 30, 2023Often, the decision to get a Rottweiler over a Chihuahua is made based on personality. A new study has found that while the breed is an important factor, a dog’s personality is determined by a complex interaction between genetics and environment.
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Holiday Destinations
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"Hologram zoo" opens in Australia
July 26, 2023Axiom Holographics has opened a unique family attraction in Brisbane, Australia, a kind of augmented reality zoo built around a much larger version of Euclideon's multi-viewpoint 3D display tables and Unlimited Detail graphics engine. -
111 Resources, ideas & opportunities for people who can "work from anywhere"
March 23, 2023The collective mindset change that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have begun a societal revolution that may well return us to our nomadic origins. We've collected a list of resources available for those who can work-from-anywhere. -
Airbnb lets visitors haunt the halls of the Phantom of the Opera's home
February 21, 2023Airbnb regularly offers the chance to stay in one-of-a-kind places, and has now teamed up with Palais Garnier, the Paris opera house which inspired the Phantom of the Opera novel, to offer a night of luxury and a rare look behind the scenes.
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