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Awesome Tech You Can't Buy Yet: Submarine drones, a speed-trap solution, 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.

TrapTap — Speed trap alert module

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that speed traps are the worst. Here you are, just minding your business at 7 mph over the speed limit, and suddenly some unmarked van snaps a picture of your license plate. You don’t even get a chance you argue your way out of it — you just get a ticket in the mail a few weeks later, and are forced to either go to court or pay the fine. Its absolutely infuriating — but there’s a new gizmo currently raising funds on Kickstarter that might help alleviate the problem.

TrapTap, as it’s called, is a little electronic puck that’s designed to warn you about upcoming speed traps, red light cameras, and school zones. It’s certainly not the first device that’s ever been built for this purpose, but unlike all the apps and nav systems that are already on the market, TrapTap is designed to be simple and unobtrusive — so you don’t have to look away from the road to get alerts. The device uses a simple three color blinking system to let you know when you’re near a known speed trap or red light camera, so you’ll know in an instant what’s going on. The only issue is that the device relies on the user community for data — so it’ll only work if a lot of people hop on the bandwagon.

Read more here.

Ravean Bag — Heated sleeping bag liner

A few months ago, a little-known Utah-based apparel startup by the name of Ravean took Kickstarter by storm with a line of heated jackets. The campaign absolutely crushed its original goal, and ended up gathering well over $1 million before it finished. But that’s not even the most amazing part — somehow, these guys were also savvy enough to manufacture their product and deliver it to backers in just over three months. It was a resounding success, and now that the company has one successful product launch under its belt, it’s back on Kickstarter with yet another innovative product.

This time around, Ravean is promising to revolutionize your outdoor sleeping experiences with a line of sleeping bag liners that provide radiant heat to your core and feet. Rather than replacing your existing sleeping bag, the Ravean solution fits inside it, with zippers, drawstrings, and adjustable heating elements for the perfect fit. Each liner comes with a newly designed 12V battery that can be used to charge mobile devices while you sleep, and features a compact, curved profile that’s designed to fit the shape of your torso.

Read more here.

Lomography Daguerreotype Achromat — Artistic photography lens

Tired of the images you can capture with your stock camera lenses? Check out this badass new art lens from Lomography. This stunning piece of equipment that evokes the lost aesthetic of the world’s very first photographic optic lens from 1839 — but gives it a 21st century update so that it can work with a wide range of modern-day cameras. With the Lomography Daguerreotype Achromat Art Lens, you’ll be able to “alternate between razor-sharp images, or drape your world in silky soft focus.” Truly meant for professionals and connoisseurs of the photography field, the lens allows its user to “control depth of field in a whole new way with endless bokeh effects — which blend together colors, shapes and textures for creative expression.”

The project has already blasted past its original funding goal, and it currently sitting on over $760,000 in pledges. All the early bird backer rewards have been snatched up already, but you can still get your hands on the lens for about $500. If all goes as planned, the creators expect to finish production and begin shipping as early as December 2016.

Read more here.

iBubble — Autonomous underwater photography drone

If you want to film something from the air, you’ve got a zillion different options. There are more camera drones on the market these days than you can even fathom — but when it comes to grabbing footage under water, your options are still fairly limited. That’s where iBubble comes in. This little underwater drone was built from the ground up by a team of divers who were tired of lugging camera equipment around with them during expeditions. It’s designed to follow you around while you swim, and autonomously shoot video of your aquatic adventures — leaving you unencumbered and free to explore.

To use iBubble, you simply charge it up, strap on the accompanying wristband, drop it in the water, and start diving. The drone will autonomously stay within a pre-defined range that you set on the wristband, and use sense-and-avoid technology to steer clear of obstacles. And best of all? It’s even got automated filming modes that allow you to capture professional-looking cinematic shots at the push of a button.

Read more here.

Revl Arc — 4K action cam with built-in stabilization

Action cams have become practically ubiquitous in the past few years, but unfortunately, if you want badass action-packed video footage that’s also smooth and professional looking, you’ve gotta dish out a bunch of extra money for a gimbal or some other kind of stabilizer technology. To make matters worse, very few of these things are compact and simple to use. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an action cam that didn’t require aftermarket stabilizer tech?

Enter the Revl Arc. This compact little action cam is equipped with both physical and digital image stabilization, so you don’t even have to think about stabilizing your shots — the camera does absolutely everything for you. And it’s not slim on specs either: The Arc shoots in 4K at 30 frames per second, 1080p at 60 frames per second, and snaps 12 megapixel stills. It’s also water resistant, and comes with a huge variety of mounts for different action sports.

Read more here.

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…
Juiced Bikes sold at auction for $1.2 million, report says
The Juiced Bikes Scorpion X2 adds more power, upgraded tires, and an improved battery to the popular moped style e-bike.

Juiced Bikes, the San Diego-based maker of e-bikes, has been sold on an auction website for $1,225,000, according to a report from Electrek.Digital Trends recently reported how the company was showing signs of being on the brink of bankruptcy. The company and its executives had remained silent, while customer inquiries went unanswered and its website showed all products were out of stock. In addition, there were numerous reports of layoffs at the company.Yet, the most convincing sign was that the company’s assets appeared as listed for sale on an auction website used by companies that go out of business.Now, it appears that Juiced Bikes’ assets, including a dozen patents, multiple URLs, and the company’s inventory in both the U.S. and China, have been sold at auction, according to the report. It is likely that the buyer, who remains unknown, can capitalize on the brand and the overall value of the 15-year old company. Founded in 2009 by Tora Harris, a U.S. high-jump Olympian, Juiced Bikes was one of the early pioneers of the direct-to-consumer e-bike brands in the U.S. market.
The company had quickly built a reputation for the versatility of its e-bikes and the durability of their batteries. Over the years, the popularity of models such as the CrossCurrent, HyperScrambler, and RipCurrent only bolstered the brand’s status.Last year, Digital Trends named the Juiced Bikes Scorpion X2 as the best moped-style e-bike for 2023, citing its versatility, rich feature set, and performance.Juiced Bikes’ getting sold quickly might be a sign of what consulting firm Houlihan Lokey says is a recovery in the North American e-bike market.
The industry has had a roller-coaster ride during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: A huge spike in demand for e-bikes had combined with disrupted supply chains to create a supply/demand mismatch of “historic proportions," Houlihan Lokey said.

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Rivian gets Knight Rider spooky for Halloween
Michael Knight sitting on the hood of his car KITT in a scene from Knight Rider.

Rivian vehicles are known for giving drivers the chance to take the party on the road, whether it’s stowing a travel kitchen onboard or using its elaborate software systems to spice things up.With Halloween just around the corner, the automaker based in Plymouth, Michigan, is pulling out some treats from its bag of tricks: Rivian owners are getting a number of options to turn their vehicles into traditional spooky or full-on sci-fi entertainment hubs.A software update available on the Rivian Mobile App until November 4 provides Car Costumes, which take over the vehicle’s screen, lighting, and sound systems while in park to transform it into three different cars.Nostalgic fans of the Knight Rider TV series will be pleased with the option to turn their Rivians into the famous K.I.T.T. crime-fighting car. After choosing the option on the app, the car’s interior display system features K.I.T.T.’s diagnostics on screen while playing the original show intro music. Here's an extra treat for Rivian Gen 2 owners: The exterior light bar will feature K.I.T.T.’s iconic beaming red light while playing its scanner sound effect.No-less nostalgic fans of Back to the Future movies will also get their treat with a chance to turn their vehicle into the DeLorean Time Machine. With this option, the screen turns into the classic time-traveling interface while the audio system plays the movie’s music and acceleration sound effects. Once again, Rivian Gen 2 owners get an extra treat. Hitting the key 88 mph button will engage the car’s lighting and sound effects in the front and back of the car to whizz you through the sound barrier.For a more traditional spooky time, you can opt for the Haunted Rivian car costume, featuring eight different sound effects and three different color themes. Static and ghosts will take over your interior display.Rivian Gen 1 owners get a green animation on the outside of the vehicle. Gen 2 owners can turn the exterior light bar into whichever color option they find most frightful.

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The Nissan Rogue is joining the plug-in hybrid club in 2025
nissan rogue hybrid 2025 2024

It might have taken a while, and slumping sales of its most popular SUV, but Nissan has finally taken the step to offer hybrid vehicles in the U.S. The Japanese automaker will add a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain to the 2026 Rogue compact SUV, which should be available stateside sometime next year, Nissan Americas chief planning officer Ponz Pandikuthira told Automotive News.A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) typically runs on electric power until its battery is almost depleted, at which point it automatically switches over to using a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine. The battery can be recharged conventionally from the outside or through regenerative braking.
While Nissan has been offering popular fully electric vehicles (EVs) such as the Leaf and the Ariya for years, it has surprised many by not joining the hybrid bandwagon, especially for the Rogue. Competitors such as the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V, which do provide the part-fuel, part-electric power capacity, have seen their sales surging. Meanwhile, sales of the Rogue have slumped this year.
That’s why Nissan is partnering with Mitsubishi to start offering its first-ever electrically assisted car in the U.S. next year.
According to the Automotive News report, the Rogue will be outfitted with a similar powertrain found in the Mitsubishi Outlander. In that model, a 2.4-liter gas engine powers the front wheels, while two electric motors create an all-wheel drive system that can either work on its own or in conjunction with the gas engine. As the Outlander is able to deliver 248 horsepower, that would make the Rogue PHEV more powerful than the existing model’s 201 hp. The Outlander is also rated for 38 miles of electric driving by the EPA.
In addition, Nissan is planning to bring its non-plug-in, e-Power series hybrid technology to the U.S. in 2026. This technology, already available outside the U.S., also uses electric motors to power the wheels while using the gas engine to charge the battery.

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