Columbia University’s latest engineering project is straight out of a sci-fi novel, but it’s based on a simple idea: what if robots could grow, heal and adapt by absorbing parts from other robots? They call it “robot metabolism” and it flips traditional robotics on its head, from stiff, electricity-driven machines to robots that act like living organisms, using materials from their environment to evolve.
Perplexity, known for its AI-powered search engine, has entered the browser market with Comet, a tool to rethink web navigation. Running on Chromium—the same engine as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge—Comet has Perplexity’s AI search and a sidekick assistant to handle tasks users usually do themselves.
Subaru’s new 2026 Uncharted rolled into New York City on July 17, 2025 with a whisper and a promise: to marry Subaru’s rugged, trail-ready charm with electric efficiency. Sharing Toyota’s e-TNGA platform with the C-HR, the Uncharted feels like a Crosstrek cousin but with an electric twist.
Photo credit: NASA / Carla Thomas
The X-59 rolled out of the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works hangar in Palmdale, California on July 10, 2025 and is now taxiing on its own power for the first time. This is the final step before flight for the NASA Quesst mission aircraft. Central to the Quesst mission is the X-59 which will change the way we think about supersonic travel and potentially open the skies to commercial aviation.
Logitech’s G305 LIGHTSPEED wireless gaming mouse is still touted as the best value for your money after all these years, and it’s being offered for just $29.99 (free shipping with Prime), originally $50. The mouse has a smooth, symmetrical shape that fits small to medium hands, and at 99g with a single AA battery, it’s well balanced for easy handling. Product page.
TECNO has revealed a concept phone that gives us a glimpse into the future of smartphones. The Phantom Ultimate G Fold is a tri-fold device that is the thinnest of its kind, at 11.49mm folded and 3.49mm when fully unfolded. Not available for purchase yet, TECNO calls it a concept and will be showcasing it at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona.
Google’s DeepMind team has dabbled in storytelling with The Great Voyage, a three-minute silent film that feels like a 1930s relic, built entirely by artificial intelligence. Using a collection of 1800s photographs found in a thrift store, this short uses Google’s Imagen model to spin a weird tale of adventure, with sepia-toned visuals and an AI-scored soundtrack.
