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Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: E Ink high heels, a pain-relieving wearable

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 there’s 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.

PocketLab — Simple, low-cost multisensor

PocketLabScientific experimentation is easy if you’ve got access to the right tools, but for those of us without keys to a lab full of equipment, collecting and analyzing data from the physical world is often a daunting task. Stanford grad student Clifton Roozeboom (for real) aims to change that, and put cheap, easy-to-use experimentation tools in the hands of anyone who wants them. To do this, he has developed a small multisensor called PocketLab. This durable little box is outfitted with all the necessary sensor tech to measure acceleration, force, angular velocity, magnetic field, pressure, altitude, and temperature.

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Using the accompanying cloud software, you can easily analyze all the data you collect, create graphs, and integrate your data with other software. It’s everything you need to get out there and start gathering information about the world around you.

Wonder Cube — Eight-in-one keychain tool

Wonder CubeI don’t care what you’ve got on your keychain. Bottle opener, screwdriver, maybe even a little flashlight/pocketknife combo — the Wonder Cube outclasses pretty much every other keychain tool we’ve ever seen. It boasts an impressive list of functions, doubling as a 3-inch long charge/sync cable when unfolded, a smartphone stand (thanks to a micro suction cup plate), an LED light, and a backup battery charger that juices up your phone by plugging it into a standard 9V battery.

It even functions as both a memory stick thanks to a Micro USB card reader built into its USB plug. All this tightly packed into a compact (only one cubic inch) little cube that weighs just 30 grams. The project has already blasted past its original $50K funding goal, and is currently sitting pretty at well over 90K from more than 1,800 backers.

Quell — Electronic pain-relieving device

QuellThis one sounds too good to be true, and we probably wouldn’t believe it if we hadn’t given it a quick try at CES back in January. Quell is a wearable device that attaches to your upper calf and promises to make chronic pain go away within 15 minutes of putting it on. Quell’s ‘OptiTherapy’ electrode-driven technology uses non-invasive nerve stimulation to make this possible, allowing it to provide “100 percent” prescription-free relief to anyone who uses it. Creator NeuroMetrix claims that Quell is capable of relieving different types of chronic aches, from nerve pain to lower back problems.

On a single charge, the device is able to provide up to 40 hours of relief, while Bluetooth connectivity allows it to pair with an iOS device and to track your therapy sessions. It’ll be available later this spring for $250 — and it’s already FDA approved, something that’s always a good sign for any medical gizmo.

eBumper4 — Obstacle avoidance for drones

eBumper4It may not be as glamorous as building vehicles that go faster, fly higher, or shoot more beautiful images, but making drones less likely to crash into walls and people’s faces is pretty critical to advancing the technology as a whole. That’s exactly what the Panoptes team hopes to do with the eBumper4: an obstacle avoidance system that can be retrofitted onto some of the more popular consumer drones on the market to stop them from running into things. The system relies on four sonar sensors aimed to the front, top, left, and right. Once activated, the sensors then constantly monitor the drone’s surroundings.

When the system detects that the drone is approaching an obstacle and in danger of colliding with it, it takes over control and bounces it back to safety. If there happens to be objects on both sides of the drone, its self-centering feature sees the system position the drone midway between those obstacles.

Volvorii — Customizable E Ink heels

VolvoriiGood news ladies — thanks to a novel application of E Ink technology (the stuff that powers your Kindle), you might finally be able to use the same pair of heels for every outfit in your closet. Lithuanain startup Ishuu Technologies has created a new type of smart shoe called Volvorii that allows the wearer to customize its pattern whenever they want.

The bulk of the shoe is comprised of rubber and leather, but it also sports a strip of e-paper on either side, and a small Bluetooth LE module near the heel. To change the pattern, simply connect Volvorii to your iPhone or Android device, and use the accompanying app to set the pattern of your choice. Due to the nature of the technology, color options are limited to just black and white, but the number of patterns you can create are practically limitless.

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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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