TechEBlog -

A Robot Lost Its Head in the Ring During the URKL MMA Fight, It Kept Swinging Anyway

By Bill Smith July 18, 2026

Shenzhen hosted the opening night of something that had never happened before. The Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend, or URKL, brought together 32 teams from more than ten countries for full-sized humanoid robots to trade strikes inside a cage. Every team started with the same base machine from Chinese robotics company EngineAI. The T800 stands roughly five feet eight inches tall, weighs between 165 and 187 pounds, and carries 29 joints built for human-like motion. Teams then added their own armor plating and tuned the software that decides how each robot moves, balances, and reacts.

First Look at Phantom Twist, the Drone That Spins Itself Into Near Invisibility

By Jackson Chung July 18, 2026

Engineers at Northwestern University have built a small flying machine that fades from view by rotating faster than eyes can follow. Phantom Twist earns its name through a constant twist that turns solid parts into a soft smear against the sky or ground below.

Pocket-Sized Screens and Wristwatch Dreams Teased in a 1983 BBC Segment Looking at Flatter Television

By Jackson Chung July 18, 2026

Viewers who caught the January 27, 1983 episode of BBC’s Tomorrow’s World saw presenter Peter Macann lay out real hardware that tried to solve an old complaint. Television sets of the day sat deep and heavy because their cathode ray tubes needed space for an electron gun to fire straight at the screen. Macann began with a plain observation: a set flat enough to hang on the wall like a picture would free up room and change how living spaces worked. The demonstration that followed showed both how close engineers had come and how many practical hurdles still stood in the way.

Adam Savage Builds a Poker Set That Captures the High Stakes of Casino Royale

By Bill Smith July 17, 2026

Adam Savage has spent years turning movie props into objects he can actually touch and use. His earlier work on Rounders chips and a matching poker table showed how deeply he loves the gear that surrounds a serious game. This new project takes that same passion and points it at his favorite Bond film. Casino Royale features one of the most intense poker scenes ever put on screen, complete with million-dollar plaques and sky-high tension. Savage decided to build the kind of custom carrier and racks that might actually move such a set between games.

Nissan’s Elgrand Returns After 16 Years with Hybrid Smoothness and Crafted Details

By Bill Smith July 17, 2026

Nissan launched the fourth-generation Elgrand minivan in Japan on July 16. Advance orders already topped 6,000 units before sales began, a strong signal that buyers want something fresher than the long-running previous model. The new version brings a hybrid powertrain, noticeably larger dimensions, and a cabin focused on making long drives feel less tiring for everyone on board.