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Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: solar jackets, floating bonsai trees, and more

At any given moment there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the Web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there – alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the Pebble clones and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting projects out there this week. Keep in mind that any crowdfunded project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

ThermalTech Jacket — solar powered jacket

Solar panels are absolutely everywhere these days. They’re on our rooftops, our smartphone cases, and even our cars — so why not put them on our clothes? That’s precisely the concept behind ThermalTech, a new breed of “smart jacket” that uses an innovative new textile to harvest energy from the sun. Unlike other solar-powered outerwear, ThermalTech doesn’t make use of any photovoltaic cells. From the outside, it looks like any other jacket — but it has a whole lot more going on under the hood.

The team behind the jacket claims that its proprietary fabric can “instantly transform[s] the sun’s rays into heat for your body.” This is a fairly radical departure from traditional coat design. Unlike your normal jacket, ThermalTech outerwear doesn’t look to trap and recycle the wearer’s body heat in order to provide warmth. Instead, this 21st-century garment absorbs “energy from indoor and outdoor light to bring warmth to the wearer” and can allegedly generate up to 18°F of heat in just two minutes, regardless of external temperatures.

Read more here.

Tylt Vü Pulse — Heart rate monitor and Qi charger for Pebble

Pebble may have kicked off the whole smartwatch zeitgeist that’s recently taken hold of the world, but now that a bunch of competitors have sprung up to steal its thunder, it’s hardly the top dog anymore. A horde of newer weareables have sprung up in its wake, and many of them offer advanced features and functionality (heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, etc) that Pebble just cant match. But Pebble isn’t out of game yet. The company purposefully kept its watches simple, and made it easy for outside companies to design 3rd party accessories that could expand their functionality. Now, that approach is finally paying off.

Tylt, a company that has made its name on wireless charging products, has risen to the challenge, and designed a smart new add-on for Pebble’s Time smartwatch. The Vu Pulse, as it’s called, is designed to snap onto your existing Pebble watch and give it two new features: Heart rate monitoring, and the ability to charge wirelessly via Qi. And the best part? It only costs about 45-50 bucks, depending on your backer level. That’s a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a totally new smartwatch.

Read more here.

Air Bonsai — Floating bonsai trees and plants

I honestly don’t know what to say about this thing. It’s a f*%king plant that defies gravity — what more do you need to know!? Sure, we could go on about how it’s designed by two Japanese entrepreneurs, and how it uses a system of magnets to make your plants hover, but that’s all extraneous information. What’s important is that this thing will make your plants float in midair, and it’s probably the coolest idea we’ve seen in months.

For the curious,  the base of the device is made from traditional Japanese porcelain, while all the magnets and other gadgetry are housed inside. The top, meanwhile, is made from a moss ball with a sponge interior, which helps the plant hold water. To make your plants float, the sponge contains a repelling magnet that counteracts the force of gravity. It’s actually a pretty simple design, and if you don’t feel like dishing out the $200 the creators are asking for on Kickstarter, you could probably just build one yourself.

Read more here.

Orison — Multipurpose, grid-connected home battery

If the world is going to switch from using dirty power sources like coal and natural gas, and transition to greener sources like solar and wind, then our homes need better power management systems. Because wind and solar don’t always provide a constant flow of power to the grid, we need ways to store power so it can be used during periods of low or limited production. That’s where Orison comes in.

It’s basically a simpler, more user-friendly version of Tesla’s Powerwall home battery — but unlike Tesla’s product, the Orison battery can plug into your wall outlet, and doesn’t require an electrician to install.  The system offers 2.2 kilowatt-hours of storage, which the company says would be enough to keep your energy-efficient fridge running for about two days if the power went out. It also automatically kicks on when there’s a power outage, and you can use the accompanying app to set schedules for charging and battery use.

Read more here.

Just in Case — Call recording iPhone case

Recording phone calls on your iPhone isn’t as easy as it should be. While there are a few app-based options, many of them require extra awkward steps to start the recording, or force you to pay a by-the-minute rate for the privilege. The “Just in Case,” a hybrid iPhone case and audio recorder that’s currently raising money on Indiegogo, claims to eliminate both of the obstacles and give users a one-button solution for recording phone calls.

Compatible with iPhone 5 or later, the Just in Case looks like your standard bulky smartphone case, except for two extra buttons: one to start and end recordings and a second to play them back. Rather than relying on an app that cuts into the call, the case opts for a comparatively low-tech solution: a small microphone placed in just the right spot to record both your voice and the sound coming out of the receiver. The microphone can also be used as a stand-alone audio recorder for in-person conversations.

Read more here.

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Drew Prindle
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
EVs top gas cars in German reliability report — but one weak spot won’t quit
future electric cars 2021 volkswagen id4 official 32

Electric vehicles are quietly crushing old stereotypes about being delicate or unreliable, and the data now backs it up in a big way. According to Germany’s ADAC — Europe’s largest roadside assistance provider — EVs are actually more reliable than their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. And this isn’t just a small study — it’s based on a staggering 3.6 million breakdowns in 2024 alone.
For cars registered between 2020 and 2022, EVs averaged just 4.2 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles, while ICE cars saw more than double that, at 10.4 per 1,000. Even with more EVs hitting the road, they only accounted for 1.2% of total breakdowns — a big win for the battery-powered crowd.
Among standout performers, some cars delivered exceptionally low breakdown rates. The Audi A4 clocked in at just 0.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for 2022 models, with Tesla’s Model 3 right behind at 0.5. The Volkswagen ID.4, another popular EV, also impressed with a rate of 1.0 – as did the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross at 1.3. On the flip side, there were some major outliers: the Hyundai Ioniq 5 showed a surprisingly high 22.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for its 2022 models, while the hybrid Toyota RAV4 posted 18.4.
Interestingly, the most common issue for both EVs and ICE vehicles was exactly the same: the humble 12-volt battery. Despite all the futuristic tech in EVs, it’s this old-school component that causes 50% of all EV breakdowns, and 45% for gas-powered cars. Meanwhile, EVs shine in categories like engine management and electrical systems — areas where traditional engines are more complex and failure-prone.
But EVs aren’t completely flawless. They had a slightly higher rate of tire-related issues — 1.3 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles compared to 0.9 for ICE cars. That could be due to their heavier weight and high torque, which can accelerate tire wear. Still, this trend is fading in newer EVs as tire tech and vehicle calibration improve.
Now, zooming out beyond Germany: a 2024 Consumer Reports study in the U.S. painted a different picture. It found that EVs, especially newer models, had more reliability issues than gas cars, citing tech glitches and inconsistent build quality. But it’s worth noting that the American data focused more on owner-reported problems, not just roadside breakdowns.
So, while the long-term story is still developing, especially for older EVs, Germany’s data suggests that when it comes to simply keeping you on the road, EVs are pulling ahead — quietly, efficiently, and with far fewer breakdowns than you might expect.

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You can now lease a Hyundai EV on Amazon—and snag that $7,500 tax credit
amazon autos hyundai evs lease ioniq 6 n line seoul mobility show 2025 mk08

Amazon has changed how we shop for just about everything—from books to furniture to groceries. Now, it’s transforming the way we lease cars. Through Amazon Autos, you can now lease a brand-new Hyundai entirely online—and even better, you’ll qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit if you choose an electric model like the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, or Kona EV.
Here’s why that matters: As of January 2025, Hyundai’s EVs no longer qualify for the tax credit if you buy them outright, due to strict federal rules about battery sourcing and final assembly. But when you lease, the vehicle is technically owned by the leasing company (Hyundai Capital), which allows it to be classified as a “commercial vehicle” under U.S. tax law—making it eligible for the credit. That savings is typically passed on to you in the form of lower lease payments.
With Amazon’s new setup, you can browse Hyundai’s EV inventory, secure financing, trade in your current vehicle, and schedule a pickup—all without leaving the Amazon ecosystem.
It’s available in 68 markets across the U.S., and pricing is fully transparent—no hidden fees or haggling. While Hyundai is so far the only automaker fully participating, more are expected to join over time.
Pioneered by the likes of Tesla, purchasing or leasing vehicles online has been a growing trend since the Covid pandemic.
A 2024 study by iVendi found that 74% of car buyers expect to use some form of online process for their next purchase. In fact, 75% said online buying met or exceeded expectations, with convenience and access to information cited as top reasons. The 2024 EY Mobility Consumer Index echoed this trend, reporting that 25% of consumers now plan to buy their next vehicle online—up from 18% in 2021. Even among those who still prefer to finalize the purchase at a dealership, 87% use online tools for research beforehand.
Meanwhile, Deloitte’s 2025 Global Automotive Consumer Study reveals that while 86% of U.S. consumers still want to test-drive a vehicle in person, digital tools are now a critical part of the buying journey.
Bottom line? Amazon is making it easier than ever to lease an EV and claim that tax credit—without the dealership hassle. If you're ready to plug in, it might be time to add to cart.

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Humanoid robots race against humans at unique half-marathon in China
A humanoid robot running in a half marathon.

You may have seen robots dancing like the music icon Mick Jagger, doing parkour, or even painting on a canvas. Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot is eagerly anticipated, while Google and Meta are also planning to enter the field. The competition in the East, however, is on a different level altogether.

China just put humanoid robots to the test in the world’s first race of its kind, where they ran alongside humans in a half-marathon. A total of 21 robots lined up for the event in the Yizhuang half-marathon, following a long spell of supervised learning on roads. 

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