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Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Put your drone and your toothbrush on autopilot

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 new crowdfunding projects out there this week. That said, keep in mind that any crowdfunding project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Raspberry Shake 4D — compact seismograph

 

The Raspberry Shake 4D is a “professional personal Earth monitoring device” that puts you in the shoes of a seismologist, allowing you to track the Earth’s vibrations and predict earthquakes a few minutes before they occur. Building upon the success of the original Raspberry Shake (which was a resounding success on Kickstarter about a year ago), the Raspberry Shake 4D makes use of four precision sensors to monitor seismic activity, allowing users to observe all vibrations happening in their area, big or small.

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“Now it is possible to see double the range of vibrations across all dimensions (laterally and vertically) making the 4D the most powerful personal seismograph in existence,” Ángel Rodríguez, the designer of the device, claimed. But unlike full fledged seismograph machines, which generally cost thousands of dollars, the Raspberry Shake 4D costs just a few hundred on Kickstarter.

Airdog ADII — advanced autofollow drone

Back in 2014, a little-known company called Airdog launched something that would transform the drone landscape forever: a quadcopter that automatically followed (and filmed) its subject, thereby eliminating the need for manual piloting. Sure, this is a standard feature on just about every card-carrying drone that’s released these days, but Airdog was arguably one of the first to take the idea and run with it. The only problem, however, was that as soon as Airdog’s kickstarter campaign gained a good deal of attention, big companies like DJI and Yuneec adapted the idea for their own products.

But Airdog’s creators didn’t let copycats deter them. They kept tweaking, iterating, and pushing their auto-follow technology forward. Now, the fruit of that labor, the ADII, is up for pre-order on Kickstarter, and it takes auto-follow to a whole new level.

With the ADII, you can customize the drone’s flight path, altitude, and shooting style before before you even start filming. That might not sound like much, but it allows you to set up the perfect shot and ensure that your drone wont hit any obstacles, without having to manually pilot the drone. Check out the Kickstarter vid for details — you won’t want to miss this one.

IllumiSoap — motion-activated soap dispenser night light

Remember Illumibowl? That motion-activated night light that illuminates your toilet bowl when you wake up and stumble into the bathroom in the middle of the night? If not, you clearly don’t spend enough time browsing crowdfunding sites. Illumibowl is one of Kickstarter’s biggest success stories. The company behind the device mounted not one, but two successful crowdfunding campaigns, and even made an appearance on Shark Tank at one point. But the creators aren’t stopping there. This week, the company is back with yet a new gizmo.

Just as the admittedly uninspired name suggests, the Illumisoap is based on the same core idea, but instead of lighting up your toilet bowl when you walk in, it lights up your soap dispenser. The underling tech is almost exactly the same — it’s a set of multicolored LEDs triggered by a motion sensor. That way, if you should ever need to wash your hands after doing your business, you’ll never have trouble finding the soap. Sure, it’s not quite as innovative as the original, but its certainly a lot more interesting than your average night light.

Flex E-board — all-terrain electric longboard

Electric longboards are an undeniably convenient way to get around the city. They’re just as quick as a bike or a scooter, but are also small enough to pick up and take on a bus or train when a longer journey is necessary. However, they also have one pretty significant drawback: they can’t handle rough terrain very well. Anything outside of smooth pavement usually means you have to pick up your board and hoof it. But what if there was a board that could handle dirt, gravel, and everything in between?

That’s precisely the idea behind Flex E-board’s new Rough Stuff longboard. Just like every other electric skate in the game, it’s equipped with a set of powerful hub motors and some lithium ion batteries to keep them spinning — but it’s also got a few other tricks up its sleeve that make it better for rough terrain.

First, a flexible deck helps absorb bumps and other shocks. Second is the inclusion of a set of interchangeable wheels. If you know you’re going to hit some less-than-ideal roads on your way, just slap on the soft 85A convex wheels and you’ll be able to charge over gravel roads.

Amabrush — automatic toothbrush

Tired of all the squeezing, scrubbing, spitting, rinsing, gargling, and flossing required to keep your pearly whites clean? For decades now, your only recourse from this mildly laborious task has been the electric toothbrush. But while these automatically oscillating tooth scrubbers are definitely a step in the right direction, they still don’t remove all the tediousness and time consumption from the act of brushing your teeth. What if there was a way to get the same job done, achieve the same level of cleanliness, and do it in a fraction of the time?

Enter the Amabrush, the first fully automatic toothbrush that (allegedly) finishes the job in just 10 seconds, giving you more time to do … well, anything else. Here’s how it works. The device itself is essentially a big, bristly mouthpiece. You start by shoving it in your mouth and switching it on, at which point it will oscillate at a high frequency to scrub your pearly whites. While this happens, microchannels built into the mouthpiece deliver toothpaste directly to where its needed. The whole process allegedly takes just 10 seconds, and cleans your teeth just as thoroughly as normal brushing.

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…
Buick, Audi, and Nissan score top marks in latest IIHS safety ratings
2025 Audi Q6 e-tron front quarter view.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has added four more vehicles to its coveted 2025 Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ lists. If you appreciate knowing your vehicle is built with safety in mind, this update is worth noting.

Among the standout performers: the Audi Q6 e-tron, Buick Enclave, and Nissan Armada—each earning the institute’s highest honor, the Top Safety Pick+ award. The GMC Acadia also made the grade, picking up a Top Safety Pick award. For Buick and GMC, these honors mark a significant return to form, as neither brand had received IIHS awards in several years. In fact, it’s the first time since 2013 that the Enclave has been recognized.
So, how does IIHS hand out these awards? Picture a battery of tests that simulate real-world crashes—everything from small overlap front impacts to updated side crashes. To make the list, vehicles must ace (i.e., earn a “good” rating in) key crashworthiness tests, show competence in pedestrian crash prevention, and offer headlights that don’t blind oncoming drivers. For the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+, there's an extra hurdle: a “good” rating in the updated moderate front overlap test, which now factors in rear-seat passenger protection.
Improvements to the Enclave and Acadia’s headlights, introduced after January 2025, helped push them over the finish line. Unfortunately, not all models in this testing round were so lucky. The Cadillac Lyriq, Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron, Kia K4, and several Nissan models—including the Kicks, Rogue, and Sentra—fell short. Common issues? Poor headlight performance or incomplete testing.
The IIHS notes that these evaluations are ongoing. Not every vehicle released for 2025 has been fully assessed, and late-year updates can still improve a model’s score. For the full list of safety awards, you can check out the IIHS website.

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New Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical is the wild watch that was worth the wait
Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical

If you want a watch that will still be going even after your puny human body is done and dusted, then the Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical is the watch to outlast you.

Garmin has just unveiled the latest in its Tactical line-up of Instinct wearables as its toughest and most feature rich yet.

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Slate Unveils $20K Electric Truck That Transforms Into an SUV
slate 20k ev blank  roller 1 web

Slate Automotive, a new American EV startup, has just unveiled its first vehicle: a radically minimalist electric truck that can convert into a five-seat SUV. Dubbed the “Blank Slate,” the EV made its debut this week, instantly turning heads not just for its versatility but for its incredibly low price—starting under $20,000 after federal tax incentives.

Unlike Tesla and Lucid, which launched with high-priced luxury models, Slate wants to flip the model: start cheap, scale up.
At its core, the Slate Truck is a utilitarian, two-seat electric pickup designed for simplicity and affordability. But what sets it apart is its transformative potential. Thanks to a modular accessory system, the truck can be upgraded over time—including a kit that adds a rear seat, roll cage, airbags, and SUV body panels. This means buyers can start with a minimalist pickup and evolve it into a family-friendly SUV—either themselves or through Slate’s growing network of service partners.
Customization is central to Slate’s vision. Owners will be able to choose from over 100 accessories at launch, ranging from vinyl wraps and Bluetooth-ready audio systems to larger battery packs and off-road upgrades. The company encourages a DIY approach, offering tools and tutorials through “Slate University” to empower users to modify and maintain their own vehicles.
Powering the truck is a 52.7-kWh battery for up to 150 miles of range, or an optional 84.3-kWh pack targeting 240 miles. Fast-charging capabilities and Tesla’s NACS port come standard. The vehicle is rear-wheel-drive and delivers around 200 horsepower—enough for urban commuting and light-duty hauling.
What enables the low price is Slate’s stripped-down approach to manufacturing. There’s no paint shop, no stamping, and only one trim level—everything else is modular. The vehicle features steel wheels, crank windows, and a rugged plastic body designed to take a beating and still look good. It’s a rejection of the tech-saturated, high-cost vehicles dominating today’s market.
Despite the minimalist specs, Slate isn’t skimping on safety. The truck is engineered to meet top crash test ratings and comes equipped with up to eight airbags, active emergency braking, and forward collision warning.
Backing this ambitious approach is significant investor support—including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. That backing, combined with a simplified production model, positions Slate to scale quickly once production begins in 2026.
Reservations are now open for $50 at slate.auto, with deliveries expected in late 2026. Whether Americans are ready for a stripped-down, shape-shifting EV remains to be seen, but Slate’s bet on affordability and customization could make it one of the most disruptive entries in the EV market to date.

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