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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South Australian seaweed found to have anti-skin-aging properties
September 25, 2023Bioactive compounds in brown seaweed were found to have more effective anti-skin-aging properties than commercially available anti-aging agents. The finding paves the way for more effective, natural health and skincare products. -
Suppressing negative thoughts reduces post-traumatic stress & anxiety
September 20, 2023A new study has challenged the commonly held belief that consciously suppressing negative thoughts is bad for our mental health, finding that people who did so had lower levels of post-traumatic stress and anxiety and less vivid intrusive thoughts. -
Where in our bodies do we feel love (and other emotions)?
September 19, 2023Researchers have mapped where and how strongly we experience different kinds of love, covering everything from romantic love to love for strangers. The findings shed light on how context and the object of love affects our subjective feelings of it.
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Outdoors
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Ultra-moddable camping trailer transforms from cargo crate to micro-RV
September 22, 2023VanMe turns its attention from camper vans to caravans, introducing a highly modular trailer. The Bobo cargo trailer comes with an empty interior that can be filled with VanMe's custom-fit array of camping slides, boxes and drawers. -
Introducing the Bullet Ant 2.0, a multitool pen for all occasions
September 20, 2023Building upon the success of its first-generation predecessor, the new-and-improved Bullet Ant 2.0 pushes the boundaries of multitool pens, catering to a diverse range of needs while clipping snugly in your pocket. -
Knaus' lightweight morphing RV reinvents caravan design for e-mobility
September 19, 2023Knaus has reimagined the camping trailer, developing its new Yaseo series from the ground up for EV compatibility. The trailer does more with less via a flexible multifunctional interior and uses gas-free power that can plug into the tow EV.
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Tiny Houses
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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. -
Remarkable tiny cabin isn't built to last
September 08, 2023Overtreders W has taken an unusual approach to creating its Stable Stack tiny cabin/hotel room. The structure was built using borrowed materials and is secured together with straps, meaning it can eventually be dismantled and the materials returned. -
Gaïa Tiny House goes extra wide and long to offer spacious interior
September 04, 2023Baluchon's latest tiny house is a departure from the French firm's usual pint-sized dwellings. Named the Gaïa Tiny House, it measures 36 sq m and that allows for a roomy interior layout, with enough space for a small family to live in comfort.
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Architecture
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Sand from world's deserts used to create Apple's new sculpture park
September 25, 2023Apple has made another new addition to its futuristic donut-shaped headquarters in Cupertino, California. Named Mirage, it takes the form of a sculpture park featuring hundreds of glass columns made from sand sourced from deserts around the world. -
Packed with purpose: Japanese home designed for cats and compact living
September 24, 2023Tan Yamanouchi Architects has created a unique residence that explores space-saving architectural design, combined with cat-friendly features. Dubbed Cat Tree House, the home was specifically built for its owners; a couple in their thirties with two cats. -
"Extraterrestrial" Space Crystal set to land in China
September 22, 2023OPEN Architecture has form for designing extraordinary buildings and this is set to continue with its Space Crystal. Likened to an extraterrestrial object by the firm, the museum and exhibition space will be defined by an unusual crystalline form.
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Around the Home
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SproutHub puts an automated indoor garden on your kitchen countertop
September 25, 2023Folks looking to harvest a steady supply of fresh greens from their kitchen may have limited success with pots at the window. SproutHub automates growing on the countertop, with the promise of an easy weekly harvest. -
Modular Gourmet garden can automate growing indoors or out
September 18, 2023Back in 2015, French startup Véritable hit Kickstarter with a countertop Garden designed to automate growing of fresh micro-greens and herbs. Now the company has returned with a modular system that can be tweaked for indoor and outdoor use. -
Ampera desk bike charges your gadgets while you work(out)
September 14, 2023It can be quite a challenge keeping in trim while spending much of your day sat behind a desk. The Ampera desk bike from Utah-based LifeSpan Fitness could help, while also using your pedal pumping to power a smartphone or even a laptop.
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Good Thinking
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"Mini Mansion" designed as an alternative to sleeping on the sidewalk
September 18, 2023While it's important to find homes for the houseless, the truth is that many people will stay living on the street in the meantime. The Mini Mansion is made with that fact in mind, as a portable and better equipped alternative to current options. -
Handheld device could soon keep dangerous drugs from going to prison
September 18, 2023In order to smuggle illegal drugs into prisons, people are now soaking materials like paper and fabric in such drugs, letting the materials dry, then passing them along to inmates. A new portable device, however, sees through that ruse. -
New spin on 159-year-old tech could easily visualize air leaks in homes
September 01, 2023Nobody wants to live in a drafty house, yet checking for substantial air leaks within a home can be a complex process. Scientists have now devised what could be a much easier method of doing so, utilizing a technique that dates back to 1864.
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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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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. -
Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance found after 107 years under the ice
March 09, 2022The wreck of one of the most famous exploration ships in history has been located. Using a robotic submersible, the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust has found Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance, which was crushed in the Antarctic pack ice in 1915.
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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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