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The motorcycle world is super hot on semi-automatic and automatic transmissions. The likes of KTM's AMT, Yamaha's Y-AMT, and Honda's E-Clutch are just the tip of the iceberg. With a patent application for a parallel-twin engine coupled to a belt-operated CVT, CFMoto now looks set to join the party.
Category: Motorcycles, Transport
Tags: CFMoto, Patent, Twin-engine, CVT, China
Asus has added a new layer of utility to the humble computer monitor by cooking in an ionizer system to purify the air around you as you work. Two Full HD models are available at launch, along with a curved WQHD flavor.
Category: Computers, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Asus, Monitor, Air quality
Happy Saturday, everyone! We've made it to the weekend, so it's time to look at some new accessories that came out this week. Today's roundup includes a battery pack for lights, a vintage-inspired smartphone case and a new mic. But first, let's check out what's on sale.
The sales Photo: Dale BaskinCanon's powerful and versatile R6 Mark II is currently on sale for $200 off. We reviewed it two years ago, and although the camera is due for a refresh, it's still a very worthy piece of equipment, especially at this price.
Buy now:
$2099 at Amazon.comBuy at AdoramaBuy at B&H Photo Image: FujifilmFor something a bit more fun (and affordable), the Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 is currently at its lowest price since the holidays. The Instax Mini 12 brought some worthwhile improvements over its predecessor, making it easier to get keepers with this fun little instant camera.
Buy now: $70 at Amazon Easier audio Photo: ShureShure's latest microphone, the MoveMic 88+, features direct-to-phone stereo microphone technology, making it faster to get to recording. Its Bluetooth connection offers a range of up to 100 feet, and there's no extra dongle or recorder necessary. It even offers four polar patterns to help you record a variety of situations.
Buy at Amazon Buy at Shure Turn your iPhone into a vintage camera Image: FotogeariPhoneographers who want something a bit more special to house their phone may appreciate the Fotogear Retro DMF Photography Kit. It's a multi-part case that looks like a vintage camera while adding control dials and a shutter to make your phone function more like a camera, too. It's compatible with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max and comes in a few different configurations. The case is available for pre-order now through Fotogear's website.
Buy at Fotogear More power Image: GodoxThe Godox BG02 Battery Grip is a powerful tool for photographers and videographers who use Godox lights on the go. The grip features a 95Wh capacity battery that is airline-friendly, extending the life of your lights when on location. It's compatible with the AD200, AD200Pro, AD200Pro II, AD300Pro flashes, ML100Bi, ML100R and FH series LED lights. You can pre-order it now through B&H.
Pre-order at B&H Back-button focusFinally, this week's educational video comes from Adorama's YouTube series Ask David Bergman. In it, Bergman discusses back-button focus, how to set it up and whether it's still worthwhile with the advanced subject detection autofocus modes on new mirrorless cameras.
The Honda NT1100 has been a roaring success since its debut in 2023. Markets like Europe and Asia’s in particular have really appreciated the sports tourer. American riders have so far been feeling a little left out, but now all of that's in the past as Honda’s 2025 portfolio for the US now includes the NT1100 DCT. What’s better is that Honda hasn’t priced it so steep that it would be out of reach for the average Joe.
Category: Motorcycles, Transport
Tags: Honda, Honda Motorcycles, Dual-clutch, Touring
China's LimX Dynamics launched a versatile bipedal robot last year with modular foot ends to walk or roll around as needed. Now the company has demonstrated its agility chops by having the squat bot hop over low fencing, climb stairs and clear obstacles with aplomb.
Category: Robotics, Technology
Tags: biped, LimX, Wheel, Agility, Self-balancing
If some speakers in your sound system were broken, you might try to compensate by cranking up the volume on the ones that still work. It turns out that the brain does the same thing when damaged hair cells in the ear lead to hearing loss – and this could be causing your tinnitus.
Tags: Hearing, Hearing Impaired, tinnitus, ear, University of Southern California
Seven months ago, Volkswagen launched its iconic California camper van into its own brand, incorporating camper products ranging from mini-camping, to everyday MPV-camping, to Grand family base camping. Now it's bringing the oldest camper van model of the new sub-brand up to 2025 standards. The only California camper van with a bathroom, the flagship Grand California gets sweeter than ever with new smarts and embellishments.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Campervan, Volkswagen, RV, Outdoors and Camping, Camping
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) is looking to completely redesign the way cargo transport is carried out in Brazil, with an ambitious HyperPort project. The aim of the project is to build a high-speed railway that carries 40-ft (12.2-m) shipping containers in a partial vacuum tube at speeds rivaling that of flight.
Category: Transport
Tags: Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Hyperloop, Cargo, shipping containers, Shipping
"The first-ever British electric sports car manufacturer." That's how Longbow, a new niche EV brand coming out of the UK, bills itself. Its first two featherweight models have been revealed, which recreate the essence of British classics like the Lotus Elise and the Jaguar E-Type.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: Longbow, Electric Vehicles, Lightweight, Tesla Motors, Lucid Motors, Lotus Elise, E-Type
A recent video from The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) profiles the prolific street photographer Jamel Shabazz with a visit to his home studio and old neighborhood. In it, Shabazz discusses his influences, philosophy and process, as well as how he began his career in photography.
Shabazz is best known for his images of people on New York City's streets and subway, capturing life in the city for the past 40 years. He began his photographic journey in 1980 after serving in the Army in Germany. Once back in New York, he used a 35mm Canon AE-1 to capture hip-hop culture in the 80s and 90s. His work includes both posed and candid photographs and clips from his studio reveal the vastness of his archive.
A key point in the video is the importance of connection for Shabazz. He explains how he would always carry a photo album with him to show potential subjects so they could see his intentions. He also gave everyone he photographed his business card so that they could call him if they wanted the photograph. "It's not about me,” explains Shabazz. "I'm just a vessel using my position to freeze time and then thaw the moments out later on so people can see them and heal, rejuvenate, or just celebrate."
This connection is particularly evident when Shabazz reunites with two men who are the subjects of one of his most iconic images, "The Righteous Brothers." He met them on the day he photographed them, and they have remained friends over the years. The three talk about what was going on at the time and how powerful the photograph is for them.
It's a short video, but it serves as an excellent reminder of the importance and power of portraiture and photography as a tool for storytelling.
Nestled in the tranquil expanse of Xiapu, Ningde City, Fujian Province – where the East China Sea meets the rugged coastline – a remarkable architectural project has emerged. The Blue Insight Cave Space, part of the Ningde "Zero Carbon Island" initiative, is an innovative creation that redefines public spaces. Designed by 3andwich Design in collaboration with Hewei Studio, this immersive underground structure transforms a simple viewing platform into a space that deeply connects with both the land and the sea.
Category: Architecture, Lifestyle
Tags: Design Museum, sustainable design, Eco-Friendly, Thermal mass, China
Some of the most intriguing videos on the internet aren't "worldwide viral sensations" … they lurk deep beneath YouTube's placid surface, where they remain largely undiscovered. A wonderfully weird little film known as Mary Worth – the Movie definitely fits in the latter category, and it has a great backstory.
Category: Remarkable People, Lifestyle
Tags: Filmmaking, comic, Art
Late last year, Chinese rugged device maker 8849 unleashed a beast of a tablet called the Tank Pad that boasted a powerful camplight and built-in pico projector. Now the Unihertz sub-brand has followed up with an adventure-ready power brick phone.
Category: Mobile Technology, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: smartphones, Rugged, Projectors, Lighting, Night Vision
A man has lived for more than 100 days with an artificial maglev heart working inside his chest. In a landmark moment, he was discharged earlier this year, becoming the first person in the world to leave the hospital with the device embedded in his body.
Category: Medical Devices, Medical Innovations, Body & Mind
Tags: Heart, Heart Disease, Heart Failure, Monash University, Artificial organs, Surgery, Transplant, Titanium
OM System's Director of Product Planning, Hiroki Koyama and VP for Brand Strategy and Product Planning, Kazuhiro Togashi, at CP+ 2025
Photo: Dale Baskin
"We are considering the new Pen concept as OM System brand," says OM System's Kazuhiro Togashi, VP for Brand Strategy and Product Planning.
We spoke at the CP+ trade show in Yokohama, Japan, and he reassured us that the arrival of the OM-3 with a Pen-F style 'creative dial' on the front doesn't close the door on the rangefinder-style series.
"There's a different concept between OM-3 and Pen-F series," he explains: "basically the Pen-F series is about ultimate beauty and the ultimate craftsmanship. Whereas OM-3's core concept is to take authentic and great creative photos."
But, he says, it's too soon to know what a future Pen might look like. "We think the camera's design must realize the concept of the product, so we don't start to decide the camera design before deciding the camera's concept: the product concept must come first."
"Therefore, we haven't yet decided if the product design for a new Pen will look like the Pen-F or similar to the E-P7 because we haven't decided on the product concept."
But what's clear is that OM System does plan to continue the Pen line.
The continued appeal of dedicated camerasWe asked Togashi what he thought makes shooting with a dedicated camera special, in a time when smartphone image quality has got so good.
"Experience is very important," he says: "There's a different kind of experience between smartphones and a camera. For example, I personally love to use a smartphone, but just to record; without any emotional feeling."
"When a user decides the moment with their camera, maybe their feelings are being moved by such an attempt: they're not just recording, there's more to it."
"It's like with professional sportsmen. They have to prepare to give their best performance during the game. They are always training before the game."
"When you get a perfect photo, you feel a win""In the case of photos, photo enthusiasts always think or calculate before taking a photograph. Before you take something, you consider the place, or you think about which position is better, or what sort of atmosphere or angle: you calculate before you take the photo."
"This is like a serious game, just as it is for football or baseball player. And when you get a perfect photo, you feel a win. 'I win, by myself' I don't know if many people can get that similar experience by taking photos with a smartphone."
And he thinks this difference should remain, even as the image quality gap narrows. "Smartphone's development speed is very high, and in the future, the difference between smartphones and camera might become very small," he says: "however the difference in experience, is a bit bigger."
We're not the company to make an enthusiast compactDespite this, and in spite of rising sales of compacts, Togashi says we shouldn't expect an enthusiast compact.
"As for the current popularity of compact digital cameras, lower-priced models seem to be selling very well worldwide, but we feel that this is a temporary trend." he says: "We are continuing to study the development of a successor to the TG series, but currently we don't have any plans to introduce other compact camera concepts."
"We don't have any plans to introduce other compact camera concepts"“As for high-end compact digital cameras, we recognize that there is a dedicated user base that remains a valued segment of the market, however, at OM System, we are focused on developing products that align with the evolving needs of photographers, ensuring we deliver the best possible innovation and performance across our lineup."
“When we were Olympus, our brand was known for high-end compact cameras like the XZ series and Stylus 1. However, since becoming OM System, we no longer carry high-end compact cameras. Instead, we focus on cameras that align with broader market needs, including those of younger generation photographers. Given the significant investment required – not only in research and development but also in reestablishing a high-end compact brand image – such a product would be challenging to make profitable.”
The TG series endures...The TG series of rugged, waterproof cameras continues to have an audience, the company says.
Image: OM System
But the TG series definitely has a future, says Togashi, because it has a dedicated user base.
"TG still survives and is well received by the market," he says: "Outdoor enthusiasts want to capture their activities and adventures. Also families look for ways to preserve special memories---whether it’s their children playing in the pool or on vacations and situations like that."
"On the other hand, professional scuba divers or climbers continue to rely on the TG series. For them, safety is very important during these extreme activities, and the TG series remains a trusted tool in these challenging environments. "
"Both types of users continue to use the TG series, setting it apart from other high-end compact cameras. Their main priorities are mobility and ease of operation, rather than smartphone connectivity. They love the operation and mobility."
...but a high-end TG would be challengingThese specific requirements might rule out a higher-end TG, he suggests
"We're always talking about the successor of the TG series and whether to add a new, higher TG line, maybe using a bigger sensor, or perhaps a TG-DSLR."
"We're always thinking about the possibilities. However, as of today we don't have any best answer to realize this concept because the requirement for TG series is very hard. For example, making a large or removable lens drop resistant is very difficult."
Also, he says, keeping the size down is important: "if we adopted a bigger sensor and we maintain the same optical zoom range, the body would need to be very big. That means such a TG would lose the mobility concept."
Togashi didn't seem enthused by our suggestion of a prime lens: "A lot of TG users' photographic needs are different from enthusiasts', so they like to use a zoom lens. They like to enlarge subjects in their photos, therefore they always use tele-zoom."
Director of Product Planning, Hiroki Koyama raises another concern: " We also give priority for close-up capability. TG can be used very close to the subject. If we choose a bigger sensor size, the close-up capability will be reduced. The current sensor size is the best balance, but we'll try to study the concept."
The OM System lens rangeOn the subject of lenses, we asked whether they believe the current Micro Four Thirds lens lineup includes all the options an OM-3 user might want.
"Still not yet," says Togashi: "We are also trying to develop small and light and bright lenses or something like that. We have space to make new lenses in the future. I can't disclose [the details], but yes."
Choosing the right lenses to add isn't always easy, he suggests: "People always ask 'will you make a pancake lens?'," he says: "but then the pancake lens sales are not so good in general. But still, we'll continue to consider it."
Interview conducted by Dale Baskin and Richard Butler, answers edited for flow.
TCL has a new twist on the portable projector called the PlayCube, which is said to be have been inspired by the Rubik's Cube, and sports a rotating side panel to support positioning flexibility.
Category: Home Entertainment, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: TCL, Projectors, Portable, Google TV, HD
Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has revealed plans for an eye-catching new skyscraper in Tbilisi, Georgia. The building's sculpted form, which twists as it rises, has a practical use, creating outdoor terrace areas for those inside.
Category: Architecture, Lifestyle
In a potentially major breakthrough for regenerative medicine, scientists at MIT have developed a way to convert skin cells directly into brain cells extremely efficiently, without needing to go through the intermediate step of converting them to stem cells first.
Tags: Stem Cells, Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS), Cells, MIT, Brain, neurons, Regenerative Medicine, Regenerative
A new study has tested innovative proof-of-concept technology that syncs electrical stimulation with rehabilitation robotics to enable individuals paralyzed after spinal injury to move more naturally. The tech should improve recovery outcomes.
Category: Medical Innovations, Body & Mind
Tags: Spinal cord injury, Paralysis, Rehabilitation robotics, Physical functioning, EPFL
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has released the most detailed map yet of what Antarctica looks like when you strip away its ubiquitous cover of ice and snow. Derived from 60 years of data, it will help scientists understand ice flows better.
Category: Science
Tags: Antarctic, British Antarctic Survey, Mapping
