While most hydration packs could be used for just about anything, they’re typically designed with activities like mountain biking or running in mind. The Duet, on the other hand, was created specifically for use at outdoor music festivals. Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the Duet is made by Chicago-based startup Grasshopper Gear. First and foremost, the pack features a screw-cap […]
Duet Hydration Pack
Anker Portable Fridge
Anker has already established itself as a major player in portable power, and now it’s used that expertise to launch a more convenient RV and camping fridge. Unlike the portable fridge/freezers that are tied to a vehicle battery or separate portable power station, Anker’s new EverFrost family of wheeled iceless coolers features integrated power. The removable lithium battery offers up […]
Knit Dema Glove
Hand edema, which is a swelling of the fingers due to the accumulation of fluid from injury or disease, is typically treated via a hand massage performed by a therapist. A new finger-massaging glove, however, may offer a less costly and more accessible alternative. Developed by a Cornell University team led by Asst. Prof. Cindy (Hsin-Liu) Kao and doctoral student […]
Improved Tsunami Warning Systems
With the aid of arms control technology and artificial intelligence, a team of scientists at Cardiff University’s School of Mathematics has developed a method that uses underwater microphones to provide early warnings of potentially deadly tsunamis. The result of earthquakes, volcanoes, underwater landslides, and other causes, tsunamis are among the most deadly of natural disasters, capable of causing widespread destruction […]
Camp Chair
Sitpack is lighting crowdfunding on fire once again. About a year after rolling to victory with a $336,000 campaign for its Octo titanium carabiner multitool, the Danish company finds itself in the midst of an even more successful six-figure campaign. This one’s for the Campster 2, a faster, lower version of the original ultra-portable Campster. The new iteration packs down to the size […]
Compostable Packaging
TIPA, a compostable packaging company, makes fully compostable bags for shipping products in multiple stages of the supply chain. Swapping out traditional plastic bags in the food and fashion industries means introducing a fully circular system that gives back to the planet instead of straining it. We wanted to better understand the role TIPA’s compostable packaging plays in this process, so we […]
Oopen Mixed Use Tower
Prestigious British firm Heatherwick Studio has revealed plans to create an unusual new tower in the Netherlands. Designed in collaboration with Barcode Architects, it will be defined by an eye-catching exterior made up of stacked cylindrical cog-like forms. The project, named Oopen, will be located in the Jaarbeursplein central square in Utrecht. We’ve no information on its exact height yet, […]
Rainforest observatory provides a green space for Bangkok
Bangkok, Thailand gained a rainforest observatory designed by HAS Design and Research. It’s called Benchakitti Rain Forest Observatory. Bangkok has 6.99 square meters of green space for each person, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Unfortunately, this is less than the nine square meters minimum recommended by the World Health Organization. The Benchakitti Forest Park rainforest observatory aims to remedy this a […]
Minimally Invasive Surgical Instruments
One of the challenges of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery lies in getting surgical instruments into the patient’s body via a narrow catheter. Scientists have set about addressing that problem, with magnetic instruments that pop into and out of shape as needed. The experimental MaSoChain (magnetic soft-robotic chain) system was developed at Switzerland’s ETH Zurich research institute, by a team led […]
Wearable Plant Patch Monitors
We may be one step closer to using technology to ensure productive, disease-free crops, thanks to the development of a multifunctional electronic patch ‘worn’ by plants that monitors for the presence of pathogens and environmental stressors. Smart agriculture, the use of innovative technology to provide information on important factors like water, soil types, and disease, has gained traction as a […]