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Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Giant 3D printers, one-wheel skateboards 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.

Million Mile Light — Motion-powered running light

 

What if your safety light would only stay lit as long as you kept moving? Sounds strange, but that’s exactly the concept behind Million Mile Light, a freshly-launched Kickstarter project that’s “powered by motion and engineered to never give up.” The light, which never needs a battery and, consequently, will theoretically never die, is powered by a tiny, silent, kinetic engine that allows for four ultra bright LEDs to blink with each step you take.

Kinetic chargers definitely aren’t a new thing. They’ve been around for decades at this point, and can be seen in things like self-winding watches and “shake-to-shine” flashlights. Million Mile Light uses this exact same technology, just for a different purpose. The user’s movement (in this case running or jogging) causes magnets inside the device to move. As they jostle around, these magnets push electrons through surrounding wire coils, which creating the electrical current needed for the LED lights to blink.

Read more here.

Robin — Cloud-based smartphone

As you are no doubt aware, smartphones are as common as pigeons these days — but this one is a bit different than what we’re used to seeing. What sets the Nextbit Robin apart from other smartphones is its ability to take apps, photos, and all other forms of media and store them automatically in the cloud. Nextbit is capable of moving apps that haven’t been used, freeing up space that can be used to download more apps, store more music, and take more photos.

Using the latest version of Android, Nextbit has created a program that automatically makes space for more media and apps. On top of the 32GB of onboard storage, it has 100GB of cloud storage where all of the inactive apps, photos, and videos are stored. When you want to use the app again, you tap on the app, let it download and load it up.

Read more here.

Helix — Full-size folding bicycle

Designers have been trying to perfect the “folding bicycle” for ages at this point, but generally speaking, all the compact designs that people have cooked up thus far aren’t all that great. Most of them favor smaller wheels and goofy-looking designs — but Helix aims to change that. Unlike practically every other folding bike in existence, this badboy sports full-sized wheels and a sturdy, well-balanced frame. And thanks to some brilliant engineering, it still manages to fold down into one of the most compact forms that we’ve ever seen.

When it’s all bundled up, Helix measures in at just 23 inches long, 25 inches tall, and only 9 inches wide. It’s pretty light, too, tipping the scales at just over 21 pounds. Compared to most other folding bikes, that’s pretty damn lightweight. The lack of heft comes mostly from the frame, which happens to be made of pure titanium — so you’ll never have to worry about it rusting. There’s also no paint to chip or flake off on the bike — just glorious, glimmering metal.

The Beast — Giant quad-extruder 3D printer

On the spectrum of additive manufacturing, there are consumer-level 3D printers at one end, and industrial-level 3D printers at the other — and very little in between. Consumer printers are cheap, compact, and can produce relatively small parts, but if you want to print something bigger, your only option is to upgrade to an industrial printer — which are oftentimes more expensive than your average sports car. Printing big parts (say, over a one cubic foot in volume) is still largely out of reach for consumers.

Australian outfit Cultivate3D wants to change that, and has built a badass new printer to make it happen. The Beast, as they call it, boasts a massive 18.5 x 17 x 27-inch build area — making it possible to print a wide variety of objects that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to. It’s also got a relatively high print resolution, and an unprecedented four-nozzle extrusion system that makes it possible to print four objects at once. And the best part? Even with all these awesome features, it still costs less than $1,900.

Hoverboard — Mono-wheeled skateboard

Full disclosure: this isn’t actually a hoverboard. That’s just what the manufacturer, Hoverboard Technologies, decided to call it, and it’s admittedly a bit misleading. Truth be told, it’s just a mono-wheeled electric skateboard — but it’s still pretty awesome. Instead of the traditional two wheels at the front and back, the Hoverboard features one giant rubber wheel situated directly in the center, and packs an internal motor capable of propelling the board to speeds upwards of 16 miles per hour.

While riding, its built-in gyroscope allows users to balance on the board with their feet placed on either side of the wheel. In addition to its technical specs, the hoverboard also boasts customizable LED lighting, a built-in Bluetooth speaker, and LCD readouts to give you a heads up on any pertinent alerts. According to Bigler’s website, the board is also capable of charging in just 16 minutes and allows for a ride of around ten to twelve miles on a single charge. Considering the fact it weighs in at roughly 25 pounds, we think it’s safe to say running into a dead battery with this thing would be far from ideal.

Read more here.

Drew Prindle
Former Senior Editor, Features
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

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Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

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Zoox recalls robotaxis after Las Vegas crash, citing software fix
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Amazon's self-driving vehicle unit, Zoox, has issued a voluntary safety recall after one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in a minor collision in Las Vegas. The incident, which occurred in April 2025, led the company to investigate and identify a software issue affecting how the robotaxi anticipates another vehicle’s path.
The recall, affecting 270 Zoox-built vehicles, was formally filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Zoox said the issue has already been addressed through a software update that was remotely deployed to its fleet.
Zoox’s robotaxis, which operate without driving controls like a steering wheel or pedals, are part of Amazon’s entry into the autonomous driving space. According to Zoox’s safety recall report, the vehicle failed to yield to oncoming traffic while making an unprotected left turn, leading to a low-speed collision with a regular passenger car. While damage was minor, the event raised flags about the system’s behavior in complex urban scenarios.
Establishing safety and reliability remain key factors in the deployment of the relatively new autonomous ride-hailing technology. Alphabet-owned Waymo continues to lead the sector in both safety and operational scale, with services active in multiple cities including Phoenix and San Francisco. But GM’s Cruise and Ford/VW-backed Argo AI were forced to abandon operations over the past few years.
Tesla is also expected to enter the robotaxi race with the launch of its own service in June 2025, leveraging its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. While FSD has faced heavy regulatory scrutiny through last year, safety regulations are expected to loosen under the Trump administration.
Zoox, which Amazon acquired in 2020, says it issued the recall voluntarily as part of its commitment to safety. “It’s essential that we remain transparent about our processes and the collective decisions we make,” the company said in a statement.

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