Skip to main content

This handheld scanner lets farmers analyze their crops in seconds

Imagine being able to scan food with a handheld device and immediately be presented information on its nutritional content. That’s the idea behind an agriculture-focused gadget called GrainSense, which does this for crops including wheat, oats, rye, and barley. By scanning these crops with a range of frequencies of near-infrared light, farmers can find out the levels of protein, moisture, oil, and carbohydrate in their grain.

“Farmers, whether arable or animal-based, live in a complicated and ever-tightening society,” Edvard Krogius, CEO of GrainSense, told Digital Trends. “The value chain is squeezing their healthy existence from both ends and — in order to survive — they need to move from traditional labor farming to precision farming. Data-driven technology has made its entrance in the traditional farming industry where big and small players are offering their efficiency enhancing solutions. A common denominator for these solutions is to get a better insight into operations and to make better decisions based on accurate information.”

Recommended Videos

The technique being used by GrainSense has been available in labs for years, but this marks the first time it’s been incorporated into a handheld device. Instead of having to send off a significant amount of grain to a laboratory and then wait weeks for a result, farmers can use the GrainSense device with a sample of only 50-100 kernels, and receive an answer in only five seconds. This data is then cross-referenced with GPS coordinates revealing where the measurements were taken, and sent to a mobile app.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The resulting insights don’t just save time for farmers; they also help make farming more efficient and proactive — since the instant feedback allows farmers to change fertilizer quantity or moisture levels as they are growing their crops, as opposed to assessing them retrospectively.

Krogius said that the GrainSense device will go on sale in spring 2018 in Sweden, Finland, and the Baltic countries. The goal is to make it available for less than 4,000 euros ($4,773). The company is also currently seeking distributors in other European markets such as the U.K., Germany, Poland, France, and Spain — although a later U.S. launch is hopefully not out of the question.

Between gadgets like this, the use of smart agricultural drones, and even self-driving tractors, the farm of 2027 could look very, very different to the one of 2017.

Luke Dormehl
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
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.

Read more
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.

Read more