Leatherman has unveiled a fresh limited-edition version of one of its most popular multitools, and it might be the best-looking Signal yet.

The Signal Sandstorm takes the brand's outdoor-focused multitool and dresses it in a desert-inspired colour palette, ready for everything from overlanding adventures to weekend wild camps.

While the toolset remains unchanged, Leatherman has added a few premium touches to help the Sandstorm stand out.

The 420HC knife blade and saw now feature a Cerakote finish in a multi-tone camouflage pattern.

This is the same material Garmin used for its Tactix 8 Cerakote Edition, a ceramic-based coating applied to metal surfaces to improve durability, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance.

The survival-focused details that helped make the original Signal a favourite among outdoor enthusiasts are all still present.

You get a built-in ferrocerium fire starter, emergency whistle, diamond-coated sharpener, carabiner and can opener, alongside the usual pliers, wire cutters, screwdriver bits and saw.

Desert style meets campsite practicality

Perhaps the nicest touch is the inclusion of glow-in-the-dark accents on both the sharpener and ferro rod.

They should be easier to locate during late-night camp chores when you're fumbling around a tent or trying to get a fire going after sunset.

Leatherman has also created a matching nylon sheath finished in a sandy tan colour with contrasting bronze stitching.

It's a simple addition, but one that helps make the limited edition feel like a complete package rather than a quick cosmetic refresh.

It's only been a month and a half since Leatherman launched its latest colourway, with the limited-edition Raptor Rescue arriving in May 2026 in two bold new colourways to celebrate International Nurses’ Day.

Prior to that, I thoroughly enjoyed the Micra Spring colours a quarter of a year ago.

The Signal Sandstorm is available now at Leatherman US in limited numbers and costs $180 (~£136 / €158 / AU$259).

UK, EU and AU availability and pricing have yet to be confirmed.

Gadget On has unveiled the TitanSnap, a multitool system that squeezes up to 100 functions into a stack of five magnetic titanium cards. This system does not cram everything onto a single tool, but instead TitanSnap splits its features across dedicated cards that can be carried separately or snapped together into a compact deck.

Each card is designed for a different purpose. The T1 Daily card focuses on everyday jobs such as opening packages, measuring and making quick repairs, while the Outdoor card adds features including a saw, fire starter and bottle opener. There are also Fishing, Tech and Emergency cards aimed at more specialist tasks.

The Tech card is perhaps the most unusual of the bunch. Alongside small repair tools, it can double as a phone stand, cable organiser and storage holder for SIM and TF cards. The Emergency card, includes items like a bandage cutter, signalling mirror and compass-style navigation aid.

All five cards are made from CNC-machined TC4 titanium – meaning low weight, strength and corrosion resistance. Each one measures around 70 x 45mm, making it slightly smaller than a standard bank card and easy to slip into a pocket or bag. Built-in glow markers also help you find the tools in low-light conditions.

A key part of the design is the magnetic stacking system. You can carry a single card, combine a few favourites or take the entire deck, depending on the task at hand. Unlike some modular multitools, the cards don't combine to form larger tools – each one is designed to function independently.

The TitanSnap is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, where early backers can pick up the full five-card deck for £259 (instead of the final RRP of £400).

Whether anyone really needs 100 tools in their pocket is another question, but it's certainly one of the more organised takes on the multitool concept I've seen.

Summer's here and your patio is calling, so it's time to upgrade your outdoor space. We've laid out all the garden-maxxing options, from the obvious, such as relaxing, entertaining or keeping your lawn edges in check, to the less so, such as keeping yourself cool when the heat kicks in or building an outdoor gym so you can sculpt your physique and get some fresh air and Vitamin D at the same time.

Eat like kings and queens

MEATER PRO XL

Why settle for one meat thermometer when you can have four? The Meater Pro XL has built-in Wi-Fi, so you can cook meals in your oven or on the grill and get the best results every time. The four stainless steel probes have five internal sensors and one ambient sensor that reads internal food temperature and external temperature simultaneously – all without you having to open the lid of your barbecue. £329, meater.co.uk

MASTERCLASS PROFESSIONAL COOK'S BLOWTORCH

For finishing touches that take your barbecue food to the next level, you need a Masterclass Professional Cook's Blowtorch. Compact and easy to use, this blowtorch has a quick trigger ignition for instant fire to crisp up meat, vegetables and even desserts. The flame of the Masterclass Professional Cook's Blowtorch can also be adjusted for different levels of heat and char, and comes with safety features, including a display stand. £43, boroughkitchen.com

WEBER GENESIS SMART GAS GRILL

Weber's bestselling gas barbecue recently got a smart upgrade, making the popular grill better than before. With its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled digital thermometer, the Weber Genesis Smart Gas Grill can connect to the Weber Connect app for you to remotely control and monitor your food. It has sear and side burners, as well as a new Sear Zone that reaches up to 398ºC for concentrated cooking that leaves those trademark sear marks. £1,849, weber.com

GOZNEY ARC LITE

The Gozney Arc Lite takes the classic features and design of Gozney's other pizza ovens and makes it smaller – oh, and more affordable. Perfect for smaller spaces, the Gozney Arc Lite has a 12mm stone cooking surface that can fit up to 12-inch pizzas. The compact pizza oven only weighs 12kg so it takes up hardly any room in your garden, balcony or patio – but its good looks will make you want to display it proudly. £349.99, gozney.com

Tips to prepare your barbecue

Get geared up

JIMMY FAIRLY THE MATH UNISEX SUNGLASSES

Jimmy Fairly's The Math Unisex Sunglasses are undeniably fashionable, with their square frame and customisable lenses, including coloured, polarised and prescription options. The sunglasses screen out glare and UVA/UVB to protect your eyes while stylishly framing – pun intended – your face. Made from cellulose acetate, The Math Unisex Sunglasses are biodegradable so they're kinder to the environment when they break down – not that you'd ever want to get rid of them! £135, jimmyfairly.com

COLUMBIA WHISTLER PEAK WATERPROOF JACKET

The UK weather is always unpredictable, so a good waterproof jacket is a must. The Columbia Whistler Peak Waterproof Jacket is a perfect example, as its weather and temperature-proof features can help you battle a downpour and stay cool while hiking in the heat. The jacket's underarm vents are designed for increased ventilation, while the adjustable hood blocks out rain. The pockets also seal out moisture to keep your belongings dry. £270, colombiasportswear.co.uk

BERGHAUS UNISEX EVERYDAY CAP

Protecting yourself from the sun never looked better than with the Berghaus Unisex Everyday Cap. Made from nylon, this cap stays comfortable from the moment you put it on to the end of the day – we can't promise you won't get hat hair, but you certainly won't feel any pinches. It has an elastic back so it stays in place, even when you're hiking a mountain or running on the beach. £30, berghaus.com

BLUNDSTONE CLOGS

Whether you're lounging in your garden or need to make a quick trip to the bins, the Blundstone Clogs are stylish and comfortable. Made from waxed nubuck leather, these clogs are easy to slip on and make for a great gardening companion. They have a comfortable inner lining and a pre-worn finish that gives them a natural, relaxed feel – you'll even want a pair for indoors. £165, blundstone.co.uk

Entertain everyone

NINJA FIRESIDE360

Amongst its sea of air fryers, the Ninja Fireside360 is the first outdoor heater and firepit that could give the Solo Stove a run for its money. It offers 360º heat that's distributed evenly, and has the option of flames, heat or both. Propane-burning and completely smokeless, the Ninja Fireside 360 is designed to keep you and your guests warm without making anyone smell like a bonfire. $499.99 (around £368), sharkninja.com

SAMSUNG THE TERRACE

Take your garden entertainment to the next level. Available in three sizes up to 75 inches, Samsung's The Terrace is an outdoor TV that offers brilliant picture quality, even when the sun is blaring. Weather-resistant and durable, this TV can be watched come rain or shine, making it the perfect spring-summer entertainment centre for sporting and streaming events. From £2,799, samsung.com

SONOS OUTDOOR SET

A party isn't complete without music, and with the Sonos Outdoor Set you can dance and sing all night long. The set features two Sonos and Sonance outdoor speakers, plus an amp to give your garden the pumping sound it's long been lacking. It's completely weatherproof, and easy to control with the Sonos app or Apple AirPlay 2, so you can play music, playlists and even audiobooks with a tap of a button. £1,598, sonos.com

How to host a garden party

Entertain everyone

BOSE SOUNDLINK MAX

For hiking trips, camping adventures and days at the beach, the Bose Soundlink Max is one thing you must remember to pack. This portable speaker plays up to 20 hours of music, and despite its small size, it packs a serious punch with its surround sound and deep bass. Complete with a cute handle at the top, it's a handy speaker to grab and go so you're never without music even in the great outdoors. £399.95, bose.co.uk

YETI TUNDRA COOL BOX

Rather than running back and forth to the fridge to replenish drinks or grab extra sausages for the grill, the Yeti Tundra Cool Box takes care of this for you. Available in multiple sizes and colours, the box can fit a huge amount of cans and ice to keep everything cool. It even has a separate dry goods drawer, and handles so you can take it from your garden to the beach and back. £325, yeti.com

Outdoor gym

BLK BOX OUTDOOR PULL UP BAR

An essential in any outdoor gym, this outdoor pull up bar has multiple grip options so you can work every area of your arms, back and shoulders to improve your upper body. Made from steel, the bar is durable, weather and corrosion resistant, so once you've installed it on a wall, it'll stay put and continue to perform perfectly while you go from being a gym beginner to a full-on bodybuilder. £299.99, blkboxfitness.com

NORDICTRACK 24 STUDIO INDOOR CYCLE

The NordicTrack 24 Studio Indoor Cycle could be about to take Peloton's crown. This exercise bike has a 24-inch pivoting HD touchscreen that comes with thousands of workouts and classes, while also tracking your performance. It comes with 24 resistance levels to challenge your cardio, and has a built-in cooling fan for when you're really pushing it. £1,899, sweatband.com

AGAIN FASTER HEXHEAD DUMBBELLS

No gym – whether it's outside or inside – is complete without a set of dumbbells… or a whole tree of them! These dumbbells range from 5kg up to 50kg so everyone in your household can use them and build up their strength. With end-to-end steel handles, the set offers maximum secure grip, and is finished with premium rubber to protect your gym floor or lawn. £40, againfaster.eu

TECHNOGYM JUMP ROPE

Hitting your cardio goals has never been easier. While we didn't think you could make a simple skipping rope any better, Technogym proved us wrong with an adjustable design that can be customised to your height to prevent tripping or tangling. Made from rubber-coated steel wires, the Technogym Jump Rope could be the only rope you ever need. £85, technogym.com

Jazz it up

EUFY FLOODLIGHT CAMERA E340

Security and lighting come together beautifully in the Eufy Floodlight Camera E340. It keeps your garden brightly lit whilst also recording crisp video whenever motion is detected. Whether you're deterring unwanted visitors or just keeping an eye on things at night, it's set to be a smart and reassuring addition to your outdoor setup. £219, eufy.com

GOVEE OUTDOOR CHROMATIC STRING LIGHTS

If your garden needs a glow up, Govee's brand new outdoor lights are a brilliant place to start. These stylish smart lights can shift through millions of colours, set the mood for parties or simply add a warm glow to evening dinners outside. They're fun, customisable and instantly make any garden feel more inviting. $255 (around £188), govee.com

IKEA SOLVINDEN LED SOLAR-POWERED GROUND STICK

The Ikea Solvinden ground light is proof that great garden lighting doesn't have to be complicated or expensive to be effective. Simply push it into the ground and let the sun do the rest. By nightfall, it casts a gentle glow along paths or flower beds, making your garden look beautifully styled without any effort. £12, ikea.com

Chill out

LUMI POD PRO 8

If you want to turn your garden into a proper wellness retreat, look no further than the Lumi Pod Pro 8. Its upgraded insulation keeps water colder for longer, while the sleek, weatherproof design protects it in even the harshest of winds. It's a stylish way to add relaxation and luxury to your garden at the same time. £399, lumitherapy.co.uk

EGO FN1800E MISTING FAN

When the heat really kicks in, the Ego FN1800E misting fan feels like a breath of fresh air. It combines powerful airflow with a refreshing mist, instantly cooling anyone who's sat near it. Ideal for garden gatherings, it will turn even the hottest summer day into a far more comfortable outdoor experience. £399, egopowerplus.co.uk

ECOFLOW GLACIER

The EcoFlow Glacier is far more than just a cool box. This clever portable fridge and freezer keeps food and drinks perfectly chilled wherever you set up camp in the garden. Great for long barbecues or outdoor movie nights, it means you'll never have to keep running back inside for cold drinks again. £599, ecoflow.com

SHARK CHILLPILL

Hot summer afternoons are far easier to handle with the Shark ChillPill nearby. This portable 3-in-1 cooling gadget combines a high-speed fan, an ultra-fine misting pod and an InstaChill cooling plate. Designed to clip onto prams, exercise bikes or simply sit beside you, it's the kind of gadget you'll wonder how you lived without. £130, sharkclean.co.uk

CASO DESIGN ICE CHEF PRO

Nothing says summer like freezing cold drinks, and the Caso Design Ice Chef Pro will make sure you're never short of ice. It quickly produces fresh cubes whenever you need them, which is perfect for hosting and means no more constant refilling of the trays. £180, casodesign.co.uk

Smarten up

SWITCHBOT IP65 INDOOR/ OUTDOOR HYGROMETER THERMOMETER

If you're serious about gardening, knowing your garden's conditions can make a big difference. This SwitchBot hygrometer tracks both temperature and humidity, helping you understand what your plants are experiencing. It's a perfect device for gardeners who want a little more insight into their outdoor environment. £20, switch-bot.com

EVE AQUA SMART WATER CONTROLLER

Watering the garden becomes effortless with the Eve Aqua Smart Water Controller. Attach it to your outdoor tap and schedule watering straight from your phone. Plants stay hydrated without you lifting a finger, and you'll never forget to water again – a small upgrade that makes garden care far simpler. £159, evehome.com

MEROSS SMART OUTDOOR PLUG MSS620HK

An outdoor plug is a brilliant way to make your entire garden gadget setup smarter. From string lights to water features, you can control outdoor power straight from your phone or voice assistant. It's simple, convenient and might just leave your guests wondering how your garden runs so effortlessly. £40, meross.com

DWARF MINI

The Dwarf Mini is a fascinating little gadget for stargazers and nature watchers alike. This smart portable telescope can capture images of the night sky or zoom in on distant wildlife in your garden. It's compact yet surprisingly powerful, making backyard astronomy or birdwatching much more accessible. £359, dwarflab.com

NETGEAR ORBI RBE973S

A strong Wi-Fi signal in the garden can make a huge difference, especially if you work outside or stream music while relaxing. The Netgear Orbi RBE973 extends high-speed connectivity far beyond your walls, keeping everything from smart lights to outdoor speakers running smoothly without frustrating signal drops. £1,500 (two-pack), netgear.com

Keep it trim

VONHAUS CORDLESS PRUNER

Pruning trees and shrubs becomes surprisingly satisfying with the VonHaus cordless pruner. This handy tool cuts through small branches with ease, saving your hands from the strain of manual secateurs. It's perfect for quick garden maintenance and makes keeping plants neat much faster and easier. £60, vonhaus.com

HUSQVARNA 312V ROBOT MOWER

Few gadgets are as satisfying as a robot mower quietly keeping your lawn in perfect shape, and the Husqvarna 312V is a great example. Designed to take the hassle out of lawn care, it keeps grass neatly trimmed with minimal input, making it ideal for anyone who wants a pristine lawn without spending hours tweaking settings. £1,499, husqvarna.com

MAMMOTION SOLAR PANEL FOR RTK REFERENCE STATION

If you already own a Mammotion robot lawn mower system, the Mammotion solar panel is a clever upgrade to consider. It powers the RTK reference station using sunlight, reducing the need for wired power and resulting in a more energy-efficient setup. £329, mammotion.com

STIGA HT 100E KIT

Keeping hedges under control becomes far easier with this Stiga cordless hedge trimmer, especially after a winter when everything's grown a little unruly. It slices through branches with ease, helping you tidy up shrubs and borders in no time – and maybe even come to enjoy the process as well. £99, stiga.com

KÄRCHER K5 COMFORT PREMIUM PRESSURE WASHER

Everyone knows the Kärcher name, but the K5 pressure washer is the model you really need to try. From muddy patios to algae-covered decking, it blasts away dirt in seconds. You'll wonder how you ever kept your garden looking clean without it. £399.99, kaercher.com

The official ball for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has arrived, and Adidas may have just created the smartest football ever used in a professional match.

Called the Trionda, the new ball will be used throughout next year's tournament across the US, Canada and Mexico. But while the design is eye-catching enough, it's the technology hidden inside that makes this one stand out.

At the heart of the ball is a 500Hz motion sensor that tracks movement and contact in real time. Every touch, deflection and strike generates data that can be sent directly to match officials and VAR systems.

Connected-ball technology isn't entirely new. FIFA first used it at the 2022 World Cup. But Adidas has pushed things further with the Trionda, combining the sensor with a redesigned construction that uses just four panels – reportedly the fewest ever used on an official World Cup ball.

That data helps officials make faster decisions on offsides, handballs and disputed touches. In theory, it should mean fewer delays and more accurate calls. Whether that also means fewer arguments is another matter entirely.

Adidas has also focused on performance. The company says the panel layout improves flight consistency, while a textured surface aims to offer better grip and control in different conditions.

The design itself pays tribute to the three host nations. Red, green and blue graphics represent Canada, Mexico and the US, while the name combines "tri" for the three countries and "onda", meaning wave.

For most fans, the technology inside the ball will remain invisible. But when the World Cup kicks off next summer, there's a good chance some of the tournament's biggest decisions will depend on the tiny sensor hidden beneath the surface.

For most people, DJI is still the drone company.

It's the brand behind some of the best drones on the market, as well as a growing range of cameras, microphones and creator tools. Yet over the last few years, DJI has also been building something very different: portable power stations.

The DJI Power series might seem like an unusual addition to the company's portfolio at first glance, but according to Tongxi Lu, Product Experience Engineer for DJI Power, the category emerged from a problem DJI had been observing for years.

"We noticed an energy gap," Lu told me during a recent interview. "People use their drones to get the best shot, but afterwards they have to wait a long time to recharge, which interrupts the creative workflow."

That observation became the starting point for DJI Power, when the company realised that the same battery expertise it had spent more than a decade developing for drones could potentially solve a much broader problem.

More than a drone accessory

While DJI Power was initially inspired by creators and drone users working away from mains electricity, the company quickly discovered that portable power stations were being used in a much wider range of scenarios.

People were taking them camping, using them in vans and relying on them during power outages at home. In many cases, users weren't buying a power station for one specific activity at all. Instead, they simply wanted access to electricity wherever and whenever they needed it.

As a result, rather than designing products around individual activities, Lu says the team focused on what she calls "the energy gap," the moments when people need power but don't have easy access to it.

DJI isn't necessarily concerned with what happens when a device is plugged in, but it studies everything around that moment, including how people transport a power station, where they store it, how they find it during a blackout, and how it fits into their daily routine.

"We design specifically to remove the friction in those processes," Lu explained. "It's not just when you plug into the product. It's the whole process and the whole journey."

Bringing DJI's engineering culture to batteries

According to Lu, the Power division benefits from many of the same engineering resources, testing procedures and development philosophies used throughout DJI's wider business. "We brought the exact same engineering we used to build drones into the power station market," she said.

That includes expertise in battery management systems, thermal control, and fast-charging technologies, areas where DJI has accumulated significant experience over the years of developing drones and aerial imaging products.

The result is products such as the DJI Power 2000 and DJI Power 1000 Mini, the latter arguably the most distinctive model in the range, thanks to its relatively compact size.

Unlike many power stations that prioritise maximum capacity at the expense of portability, the Mini attempts to balance performance, safety and convenience in a package that can comfortably move between home, car and campsite.

Lu says that balance reflects DJI's wider design philosophy. "We focus on how people actually take the product to the exact places where they use it," she said.

The best power station is the one you don't think about

Perhaps the most interesting insight from the interview came when Lu described the fundamental difference between drones and power stations.

Drones are aspirational products that people actively engage with; they learn to fly them, share their footage online and often see them as an extension of their hobbies or creative identity.

Power stations, by contrast, occupy a supporting role. You don't buy them for enjoyment or to show them off; you simply expect them to work whenever they're needed.

"They don't want to play with the power station," Lu said. "People just use it and take it for granted." That observation has fundamentally shaped how DJI approaches the category. "The goal is to figure out how this product could enter their lives... invisible," Lu explained.

In other words, the ideal portable power station is not one with the most impressive specifications, but the one that solves a problem before you even think about it.

That philosophy also extends to product design. Despite being utility products, DJI still wants its power stations to look and feel like premium technology rather than industrial equipment.

The future could be much smarter

While today's power stations largely function as oversized batteries with displays, Lu believes the category will become considerably more intelligent over time, thanks to advancements in machine learning and LLMs.

As smart homes become more connected and artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into consumer technology, she expects user expectations to evolve beyond simple monitoring and charging.

Currently, users can check battery levels, monitor power draw and control some functions remotely. In the future, Lu imagines systems that understand context and make decisions proactively.

"I'm going out tomorrow to a campsite," she said as an example. "You need to tell me what I need in the next couple of hours and how you should manage my energy."

It's an intriguing vision, one where future power stations could become energy management assistants, helping you predict consumption, optimise charging and prepare for upcoming activities.

For now, DJI remains focused on growing awareness of the category beyond its existing customer base.

Lu admits that many DJI Power buyers still come from the company's drone and camera ecosystem, where the brand already enjoys a reputation for reliability and engineering quality. Reaching consumers who have never owned a DJI product remains one of the division's biggest challenges.

Still, if DJI's long-term vision proves correct, portable power stations may eventually become less of a niche for outdoor use and more of an everyday household technology.

And if that happens, the company believes the best products won't necessarily be the ones people notice most. They'll be the ones quietly working in the background, powering modern life without getting in the way.

The world of multi-tools has been improving and enhancing for years but this latest creation could represent a serious jump forward.

The KeyMaster 3.0 is a tool that packs in a super selection of tools in what is one of the most compact and convenient shapes yet.

As the name gives away, this is a key shaped multi-tool designed to fit on your keychain, bag, belt - anywhere you need really. Despite being compact it's titanium built and packs in a whopping 20 tools.

So this isn't a Leatherman in terms of size and weight, sitting smaller. But it's also not a keychain Swiss Army Knife, offering more at this size.

EDC Monster, the company behind this tool, started with this idea in 2023 with its 14-in-1 tool - then offered an 18-in-1 - and now has arrived at this near perfected version.

The tool uses Grade 5 titanium, precision-machined and sandblasted to a matter finish for grip. It weighs just 53.7g and stands at a key-like 74.5mm long. While this offers 20 tools, its stand-out features are the adjustable spanner, magnetic bit driver and blade holder that accepts replaceable blades.

What tools does the KeyMaster 3.0 offer?

The main feature here is that adjustable spanner that works from 0 to 16mm, which makes it good for M5 bolts to M12 hardware. Usefully, it's designed so that when in use you get real grip and purchase on the twisting action, making it genuinely valuable as a spanner.

The screwdriver system is equally well thought out with magnetic retention for a natural wrist angle and optimum torque output. You get two bits onboard that are 4mm standard, meaning you can swap out to carry the ones you are most likely to need.

The complete tool list includes: Pry bar, flathead screwdriver, mini knife, nail file, Philips screwdriver, D-ring for carrying, fishook bender, spoke wrench, adjustable spanner, adjusting KNOB, mini ruler, nail puller, firestarter, bit storage, mini saw, magnetic 1/4" bit driver, magnetic 1/6" bit driver, bottle opener, hex wrench, tritium slot, wire bender and top-drilled bit driver.

How much is the KeyMaster 3.0?

The KeyMaster 3.0 is, at time of publishing, on Kickstarter where the full price is listed at $119, but it stands at $79 for early adopters. It also points out there are only a few left at this price.

Hypershell has unveiled its new X Series lineup, a next-generation range of AI-powered exoskeletons designed to make hiking, trekking, and long days on foot feel less demanding.

The new collection includes three models – the flagship X Ultra S, the X Max S and the entry-level X Pro S – all powered by the company’s updated HyperIntuition motion-control system.

According to Hypershell, the new platform delivers more natural-feeling assistance by predicting and responding to movement in real time, rather than relying solely on pre-programmed motion patterns.

The launch also marks what Hypershell says is the world’s first TÜV Rheinland-verified end-to-end AI exoskeleton system, with the company claiming the wearable can achieve 97.5% gait synchronisation efficiency across mixed terrain.

In simple terms, that means the system’s AI-assisted movement and responsiveness have been independently tested to verify how naturally and accurately the exoskeleton reacts to human motion in real-world conditions.

Beyond human pace

Consumer exoskeletons still sit in a relatively niche category, but brands like Hypershell are trying to move the technology beyond novelty territory and into outdoor utility.

I previously reviewed the older Hypershell X Series, praising its surprisingly natural movement assistance and its ability to reduce fatigue on long hikes, even if the overall concept still felt futuristic.

If the previous-gen exoskeleton reacted quickly, Hypershell says the updated system reacts even faster – within 0.31 seconds, to be precise, which it claims is 64.5% faster than the previous generation.

To achieve this, the X Ultra S and X Max S both use the company’s new M-One Ultra motor system, capable of delivering up to 1000W maximum output and 22 N·m motor torque.

The X Ultra S uses aerospace-grade titanium alloy components and carbon fibre composite leg levers, while the full range carries an IP54 rating and operating temperatures from -20°C to 60°C.

Built around human movement

Alongside the launch, the company announced HyperLIFT, a new field-testing initiative exploring how wearable exoskeletons could support search-and-rescue teams operating in physically demanding conditions.

Hypershell says it plans to supply exoskeletons to more than 50 search-and-rescue organisations this year for real-world testing and feedback.

The company also revealed that mountaineers Adrianna Brownlee and Gelje Sherpa are using Hypershell technology during a Mount Everest expedition, underscoring the brand’s ambitions to position exoskeletons as legitimate outdoor performance tools rather than tech curiosities.

The new Hypershell X Series is now available in the US, Canada, China, and Australia at Hypershell and selected retail partners, including Amazon, Best Buy, Decathlon, B&H, and JD.com, with more regions expected to follow.

Pricing starts at $999 for the X Pro S, rising to $1,499 for the X Max S and $1,999 for the flagship X Ultra S.

DJI’s portable power station game is getting stronger by the day. The company only started putting these out a couple of years ago, but by now, DJI has quite a selection of devices for all manner of creatives. Its latest launch, the Power 1000 Mini, essentially replaces the Power 500 as the most compact station in DJI’s lineup.

It was announced in January 2026 in China, but the rest of the world, including the UK, had to wait until now to buy it. I’ve been testing it for months, and it’s my current go-to station for office work, thanks to its incredibly portable design and comparatively high capacity. If you’re a professional who tends to work in different areas at home, this is the device for you.

At the time of its launch, I wondered what the point was of having two 1kWh stations in DJI’s lineup, but I understand it now. The smaller unit won’t replace the Power 1000 v2 for home emergencies or heavier workloads, as its maximum output is well below that of the Power 1000 v2 (around 800-1,000W), but it works wonderfully for people who need a unit to charge their laptops, phones, and other small gadgets.

It certainly can’t compete with the Power 2000 in capacity and output, but it’s twice the size of the Power 1000 Mini, so it wouldn’t be a fair comparison, either. No, the new power station is for creative work only, especially for those who actually travel around with their setup or move around a lot at home, something I do. Worth the money, though? Let’s find out.

DJI Power 1000 Mini review

Price and availability

The Power 1000 Mini launched in the UK and EU on 20 April and is available to buy now at DJI UK, DJI EU and DJI AU, with prices starting at £449 / €579 / AU$799. Sadly, due to FCC regulations, the power station isn’t currently available in the US. The Power 1000 Mini is also available in bundles, some of which include different SDC cables, solar panels, etc.

Design and build quality

We often call portable power stations compact if you can carry them without a trolley, but the Power 1000 Mini is a genuinely compact station that you can move around with one arm. It weighs approximately 11.5 kg (~25.3 lbs), measures 314 x 212 x 216 mm (L×W×H), and features an ergonomic handle, all of which make it the perfect travel power station.

Five out of six sides of the Power 1000 Mini are pretty much featureless, with all inputs and outputs on the front panel. It has three fan outlets – one under the handle and two towards the front of the side panels – and the bottom has a ridged design, presumably for better heat management.

At the front, you’ll find the two AC output ports, which have a separate on/off button, a USB-C port (100W), a retractable USB-C Cable (also 100W), two USB-A ports (12W), one SDC port (DC in/out) and the AC input port. The SDC port is DJI’s proprietary connection and allows certain products, such as drones, to charge faster (up to 300W).

On the one hand, it’s totally understandable to include this, as the SDC port makes the Power 1000 Mini fit better into the broader DJI ecosystem. However, given the fewer ports available than at other 1kWh stations, it would have been nice to add more AC ports, for example.

(That said, the Power 1000 Mini might not have been able to cope with more stuffed plugged in, anyway.)

I have a small issue with the retracting action of the USB-C cable. You really have to go in with the nails to fish it out from its crevice, and the spring mechanism isn’t the smoothest, either. It’s nice to have it, though, as it’s one fewer cable you have to worry about carrying with you.

You’ll find the built-in light strip at the bottom of the front plate. These days, you’ll often find such a feature on smaller power stations (or larger power banks), and it’s nice to have it on the Power 1000 Mini, too. You can change intensity by long-pressing the light button or in the DJI Home app. Oh, and it has an emergency flashing light function.

Performance

The Power 1000 Mini uses LFP/LiFePO₄ (lithium iron phosphate) batteries, which, according to DJI, retain over 80% capacity after 4,000 cycles. The station has a 1008 Wh capacity, a smidge under the Power 1000 v2’s 1024Wh. Considering that the Power 1000 Mini is 23.5% lighter than the Power 1000 v2, it’s not a big deal.

However, the compact size comes with some caveats. Chiefly among these is the maximum power output, which is around 800W (continuous) to 1,000W (peak). In comparison, the Power 1000 v2 has a 2,600W continuous AC output, over three times that of the Power 1000 Mini.

This means you won’t be able to run a kettle and the vacuum at the same time with the small station. But as I mentioned above, the Power 1000 Mini isn’t for home emergencies, anyway, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. It does have UPS (uninterruptible power supply) mode, with the reported switching time of 0.01 seconds (≈10 ms), allowing you to plug in sensitive electronics, such as laptops.

I’d argue that UPS is more important than high power output in this specific case. The Power 1000 Mini is a station designed for creatives and prioritises portability over all-out power. Thankfully, I hardly ever have power cuts in my area (for now), and I most often use power stations to charge my laptop and phone while I work in other rooms than my home office.

This is exactly what the Power 1000 Mini is designed to do. I was happy with my Power 500 for a long time and appreciated its portability. Now, I have a power station that’s almost the same size but has twice the capacity.

Speaking of the Power 500, the new station has the same USB connection quirk as its predecessor. The Power 1000 Mini will turn back on if you have a device cabled in via USB, so you will need to unplug it first, then turn the station off. No biggie, but worth mentioning.

Also, interestingly, the Power 500 uses LFP batteries, but can only maintain over 70% capacity after 4,000 cycles, compared to 80% on the Power 1000 Mini. Clearly, advancements have been made in battery technology over the last few years. That said, I haven’t tested either enough to confirm this.

The Power 1000 Mini is quiet as a mouse, or at least it has been when powering two laptops and the odd gadgets. The fans will come on when the unit is powered via the AC input, but the white noise they generate is less than the sound the DJI ROMO makes while cleaning its pads.

Speaking of charging, the Power 1000 Mini can be charged via USB, but it’s much slower than AC charging and requires a fiddly setup, too. I have two 100W charger blocks, and by plugging the retractable USB-C into one and using a 140W cable into the other, you can theoretically achieve 200W of charging speed. It’s quite unnecessary, but available, nevertheless.

Otherwise, the station can charge from 0% to 80% in under an hour and fully charge in around 70 minutes, according to DJI. My tests confirmed this.

Verdict

The DJI Power 1000 Mini proves that a 1kWh power station doesn’t have to be bulky to be useful. It strips back the brute-force output of larger units and replaces it with something far more practical: portability. At just over 11kg, it’s a genuinely grab-and-go power station you’ll actually use day to day, not one that ends up parked in a corner waiting for a blackout.

You’re not buying this to run kettles or power tools, and it’s not trying to compete with the bigger stations in DJI’s lineup. However, the Power 1000 Mini is more than reliable for powering laptops, phones, cameras and drones, with enough capacity to last through a full working day and then some.

Of course, the lower output limits versatility, and DJI’s proprietary SDC ecosystem won’t appeal to everyone, but if you’re a creator, remote worker, or just someone who values flexibility over raw power, the trade-off makes sense.

Ledlenser makes some of the best headlamps on the market, including the excellent HF8R Signature RGB head torch, which I trail-tested last year, but this is the first flashlight from the German brand that I’ve ever managed to get my hands on. And I have been impressed – it’s right up there with the best handheld torches I’ve ever used.

The company could do with employing someone with a bit more imagination in product naming, but the people working in their technical innovation and design departments clearly know exactly what they’re doing.

Ledlenser TT3R Review

Price and availability

The Ledlenser TT3R Flashlight is available now from reputable outdoor shops and specialist websites worldwide.

In Britain, buyers can expect prices around £150, with availability primarily through online platforms and specialist retailers catering to outdoor and tactical equipment enthusiasts.

Buyers in North America will pay in the vicinity of $200 or $220, while the TT3R is available for around $250 in Australia and €160 across the EU. Head to Ledlenser for more information.

Specifications

• RRP: £149.95 (UK) / $205 (US) / €159,95 (EU) / $256.95 (AU)
• Weight (including battery): 218g
• Length: 154mm
• Head diameter: 40mm
• Tube diameter: 29mm
• Power: 3.6v 21700 Li-ion battery (rechargeable)
• Brightness: Up to 1900 lumens
• Range: 300 metres (Standard) / 80 metres (Low)
• Modes: Low / Mid / Standard / Blink / Strobe / Red / Blue
• Run time: 50 hours (Low) / 2 hours (Standard)
• Ingress rating:  IP68

Design and features

Made with a hard, anodised aluminium housing featuring a textured grip pattern, the Ledlenser TT3R Flashlight has an ingress rating of IP68, which means it is completely sealed, dustproof, and extremely waterproof.

It’s not a diving torch, but it will work perfectly fine in one metre of water for at least 30 minutes, should you need it to (basically, if you get caught out in torrential rain, or drop it into a stream or shallow river, it will survive).

A sensibly sized torch that fits nicely in your hand, the TT3R has enough weight to feel robust (or to make it useful in a self-defence situation) without being cumbersome to carry.

It also comes with a lanyard, a clip and a very robust tailor-made holster so you can wear it on your BatBelt^TM with all your other gadgets, keeping your hands free until you need to draw it and fight the night (or explore a cave, or whatever).

Technical capability

The tactical flashlight itself is made to a 'professional grade' – I’m not entirely sure what that means (other than it can be used by pros, like police and security guards), but what I do know is that the TT3R is an impressive piece of kit with a great deal of capacity.

On the white light setting, the torch offers three principal light modes: Low Power (120 lumens), which throws a beam 80 metres and lasts as long as 50 hours on a single charge; Mid Power (1000 lumens, 220 metres, three hours) and Standard Power (1900 lumens, 300 metres, two hours).

You can also set the torch to a red or blue beam, or switch the light to ‘Blink’ mode, when the unit automatically emits red or blue light impulses at regular intervals, or ‘Strobe’, which does exactly what you'd imagine.

The torch can be recharged quickly (via a USB-C cable, included), and a set of indicator lights below the head shows the battery charge level.

Instead of having to toggle through these modes using the main button, as is the case with many flashlights, you switch between settings using the rotating bezel at the base of the torch handle, which can be turned through the symbols for white beam, RB (red and blue) and lock.

You activate the flashlight using the large thumb button on the base of the handle, which also lets you set the beam to Low, Mid, or Regular (another boring name for a beam that tears the night apart).

The only thing that is perhaps missing is the ability to refine the light into a spot beam. While the throw range is impressive, it's set to wide, and you can't focus it more specifically on a target.

Performance in the field

I have been using the TT3R handheld flashlight for several months, for everything from the mundane (walking the dog during dark evenings in late winter and early spring) to the more exciting, including taking it on the first camping adventures of the year.

The range of beams and brightness settings isn’t overwhelming, but it covers everything the average outdoorsy person could possibly need in any situation, from camping and night hiking to fishing, amateur exploring, and various tasks after dark.

The removable clip can be faced forwards or backwards, allowing you to attach the torch to various things, from clothing to trees and tent lines, and direct it where you need light. The only thing missing, perhaps, is a magnetic base, which can be helpful when you’re working on or around vehicles.

The blue and red colour light options are excellent for those times when you need some light but don’t want to shatter your night vision (to read a map or locate something while stargazing, for example), or for observing wildlife without alarming it or blinding it.

Blue light will penetrate fog well and show up liquids ranging from blood to oil (it’s good for finding leaks and injured people/animals, if you happen to need that sort of capability).

The ‘Blink’ setting is good for communications, and both that and the Strobe can be used in self-defence scenarios, when the rapidly flashing light can have a confusing, blinding effect on an assailant.

For the most part, though, this is just a very good, extremely capable and reliable torch to have to hand when you’re out and about after dark. It holds its battery charge well, performs perfectly, and will survive plenty of rough-and-tumble without failing.

Verdict

Unlike many ‘tactical flashlights’, which seem to have been designed for overnight watchmen who dream of being called up into the special forces, the TT3R is relatively lightweight to carry, while still being highly functional and very capable of surviving a whole lot of knocks and drops without sustaining damage.

This simple-to-operate torch offers several bulb colours and a sensible range of beam and brightness settings, all of which are useful without risking blinding anyone you might encounter in the dark.

Ultimately, the TT3R is positively defined almost as much by what it’s not (too heavy, stupidly large, ridiculously complicated, over-specced) than by what it offers: excellent functionality, superb throw distance, ease of use, great build quality, tough finish and impressive power preservation.

Some alternatives to consider

If you do want a bit more beam for your buck, the AceBeam P20 is powerful flashlight with a long body and a stellar throw. For an even chunkier option, which is much heavier to haul around but can be positioned easier than either the TT3R or P20, check out the bazooka-like AceBeam X75.

For a smaller, but still very capable option, the Olight ArkPro is an excellent hand-held torch with a dual beam, which punches well above its weight. Or, if you’re into Everyday Carry, and want a pocket rocket of flashlight, check out the classy and brilliant little Olight Baton 4.

Before devices like the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro, astrophotography used to be a complicated and expensive hobby. A traditional setup required a heavy equatorial mount, a telescope, a camera, a laptop running specialist software, and bags of patience.

Smart telescopes have changed that dramatically. These compact devices automate much of the process, handling alignment, tracking, and image stacking.

The Seestar S30 Pro is one of the most interesting and best value examples yet. Roughly the size of a small lunchbox and weighing just 1.65kg, it’s a fully automated telescope designed to photograph galaxies, nebulae and star clusters – as well as the moon and the sun – using nothing more than a smartphone.

Its biggest appeal is accessibility. Even from a light-polluted backyard, it promises something that once required expensive equipment: the ability to capture deep-sky objects with minimal effort.

ZWO Seestar S30 Pro review

Price and availability

The Seestar S30 Pro is available to buy now directly from Seestar for £599 / $599, placing it just above the entry-level smart telescope category. It’s more expensive than its ultra-compact rival, the DwarfLab Dwarf Mini, but still far more affordable than premium smart telescopes like the Unistellar and Vaonis Vespera range.

However, it is a step up from its forerunner, the Seestar S30, which sells for £419, $399, and AU$699. That’s because while the Seestar S30 (and the Dwarf Mini) boasts 2MP (full HD) images, the Seestar S30 Pro extends that to 8.3MP (or 4K).

In the box is a reasonably good-value range of accessories, comprising the telescope, a small yet very solid tabletop tripod, and a carry case with a shoulder strap. The only thing missing that might appeal to beginners is a solar filter, while advanced users may want to invest in an equatorial wedge ball head.

Features and what’s new

At its core, the Seestar S30 Pro is a 30mm f/5.3 apochromatic refractor telescope paired with Sony IMX585 (telephoto) and Sony IMX586 (wide-angle) sensors, both capable of capturing 8.3MP images at 4K resolution. These sensors are a significant upgrade over earlier Seestar models and produce noticeably sharper images.

The main telephoto camera handles deep-sky imaging while a secondary wide-angle camera offers a huge 63-degree field of view. This enables wide-field sky photography, constellation shots and even star-trail images.

It’s used in Milky Way Mode, though it’s best thought of as ‘big sky mode’ since it can image any patch of sky. Since the brightest parts of the Milky Way are only visible from May through October in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s best used for imaging constellations, which the Seestar can go to.

The telescope also includes built-in UV/IR cut and dual-band filters, designed to suppress light pollution and isolate hydrogen-alpha and oxygen-III wavelengths, respectively. The latter wavelengths are commonly emitted by nebulae, allowing them to stand out even under city skies.

The way this smart telescope works is like any other: it uses the stars to align to the night sky, slews to a target, takes short exposures and stacks them into an ever-evolving image. There is no eyepiece. It essentially makes it possible to see objects that no optical telescope will allow you to see from a light-polluted area.

New features are largely aimed at more advanced users. Aside from the jump in resolution, there’s an EQ mode that allows much longer exposures, making faint objects brighter; the ability to download FITS files for advanced stacking and editing; and Plan Mode for scheduling multiple targets overnight.

So, yes, you can stay in bed and have the Seestar S30 Pro collect data all night. Just check the weather forecast beforehand!

Setup and use

The biggest strength of the Seestar S30 Pro is just how easy it is to use. Setup takes only a few minutes. Power on the telescope, connect to its WiFi network using the Seestar app and place it on a tripod or flat surface. Once connected, the telescope automatically scans the sky and calibrates itself using the stars it detects. Within a couple of minutes, it’s ready to start imaging.

Selecting a target is done through the app’s built-in sky atlas, which lists galaxies, nebulae and star clusters currently visible from your location (it’s worth getting this far at home the night before you head off into the wild because there are often firmware and other updates that require a WiFi connection).

Tap an object and the telescope slews quietly into position before taking a sequence of short exposures, typically around 10 seconds each. These exposures are stacked in real time, gradually revealing the object as the telescope gathers more light.

Watching a faint smudge of light slowly transform into a recognizable nebula or galaxy as the telescope continues stacking images is one of the joys of having a smart telescope.

Leave it running for longer, and the image keeps improving. Bright targets such as the Orion Nebula appear within minutes, while galaxies and faint nebulae often benefit from an hour or more of total exposure time.

Because all image processing happens inside the telescope, you can leave it running outside and monitor its progress from indoors via WiFi. You can also let your phone and the ‘scope disconnect, linking back up to it, to better check on progress.

However, it would be handy if the Wi-Fi network the Seestar S30 Pro creates were a little larger, because even a small backyard can pose problems.

Despite its small 30mm aperture, the Seestar S30 Pro produces impressively good results on bright deep-sky objects. Very bright objects, such as the Orion Nebula (M42), appear quickly thanks to automatic live stacking, while faint galaxies like Bode’s Galaxy (M81) benefit from much longer observations. EQ mode is also easy to set up if you have the wedge and a jot of patience, thanks to an in-app guide that walks you through the process.

Planetary imaging is less impressive. With a focal length of just 160mm, planets such as Jupiter appear small and lack detailed surface features — though you can still see its large moons, Io, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. Much more impressive is the moon and the sun, with craters and seas on the former and sunspots on the latter, clear and detailed.

However, where the Seestar S30 Pro really stands out is in light-polluted cities, where its combination of automated stacking and built-in filtering allows users to see the wonders of the night sky that would otherwise be invisible to any optical telescope.

Verdict

The Seestar S30 Pro makes astrophotography easier than it has ever been. With a huge increase in resolution over the Seestar S30 – and the addition of advanced features like EQ mode – it removes many of the traditional barriers to the hobby.

These include aligning telescopes to three bright stars, setting up polar alignment and tracking, and image stacking; the Seestar S30 Pro replaces them with a compact automated telescope that does almost everything for you.

Sure, it’s not good with planets, but both beginners and more advanced users will love the Seestar S30 Pro — particularly those who live in light-polluted areas. If you’re in that 70% of people, the Seestar S30 Pro is one of the easiest ways to start exploring, imaging and sharing the night sky.

Also consider

There are a few alternatives to the Seestar S30 Pro worth considering. Perhaps the most convincing is the step-down Seestar S30, which is largely identical but offers lower resolution 2MP images.

Another is the DwarfLab Dwarf Mini, an even smaller smart telescope designed for quick imaging sessions, though also with lower 2MP resolution.

Another good option for travelling light is the step-up Vaonis Vespera 2, which, like the Seestars, has a mosaic mode for shooting large sections of the night sky.

Portable power stations have become a staple for campers, vanlifers and content creators, but they’re increasingly finding a second life as emergency backup systems at home.

EcoFlow’s new DELTA 3 Classic leans into that shift by adding an automated storm-preparation feature, typically found on larger energy systems, such as DELTA 3 Ultra / Ultra Plus models.

Storm Guard monitors severe weather alerts and automatically charges the battery ahead of potential outages.

When enabled in the EcoFlow app, the system can remotely trigger charging to ensure the battery is full before bad weather arrives.

Storm-ready power without the complexity

EcoFlow has designed the DELTA 3 Classic as a simplified alternative to its more modular power stations.

Rather than supporting large expansion batteries and complex energy ecosystems, the unit focuses on delivering strong core performance in a compact format.

The power station provides 1,024Wh of capacity and 1,800W of continuous output, with 3,600W surge power (!) for appliances that require extra startup energy.

Using the company’s X-Stream technology, the DELTA 3 Classic can recharge from 0–80% in 45 minutes and reach a full charge in about one hour via AC power.

Solar charging is also supported, with up to 500W of solar input, allowing the battery to recharge in roughly 2.5 hours under ideal conditions.

Automotive-grade battery design

EcoFlow says the DELTA 3 Classic uses the same automotive-grade full-tab LFP battery cells as the DELTA 3 Max Plus, which costs three times as much.

The company claims the architecture delivers 25% more efficient power flow and lower internal resistance, contributing to a longer lifespan and improved safety.

The battery system is rated for around 10 years of use, while a built-in battery management system monitors temperature, charge levels and other parameters in real time to protect the pack.

For home users, the power station also includes a 10ms uninterruptible power supply (UPS) mode, meaning it can automatically take over during an outage and keep devices such as routers, NAS drives or desktop PCs running without interruption.

Competing in the crowded 1kWh category

The DELTA 3 Classic enters a competitive part of the portable power market alongside models like the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2, DJI Power 1000 v2 and Anker Solix C1000.

EcoFlow’s strategy here appears to be simplicity. By removing expansion options while keeping fast charging and high output, the company aims to offer a more accessible entry point into its ecosystem.

The DELTA 3 Classic is available now at EcoFlow, with a launch price of £449 (~ $595 / €519 / AU$845).

Solo Stove is best known for its smokeless fire pits, but the company has just revealed a much bigger ambition of turning itself into a full outdoor gear brand.

The US outdoor company has unveiled several new products ahead of National Backyard Day, which is celebrated in the US on March 19, including fire pits, cooking equipment and a cooler that does something most rivals can’t.

Called the Windchill, the new chill box features a built-in system that can deliver cooling air and a fine mist, effectively turning it into a portable outdoor cooling unit.

That’s a pretty unusual twist in a category traditionally dominated by passive coolers from brands such as YETI and Coleman.

A cooler that tries to do more than keep drinks cold

The Windchill combines ice storage with an integrated fan, pump and heat exchanger system designed to circulate cool air around the unit.

Solo Stove says the setup can deliver a chilled breeze and offer optional misting for additional cooling on hot days.

It’s meant to serve as both a traditional cooler and a portable outdoor comfort device, for patios, campsites, and tailgates.

That approach contrasts with most premium coolers on the market, including models such as the YETI Tundra or YETI Roadie 32, which focus primarily on insulation and ice retention.

Solo Stove’s idea is that the cooler can become part of a broader backyard setup rather than simply sitting next to the barbecue.

Part of a much bigger expansion

The cooler is just one part of a wider product launch from Solo Stove.

Alongside Windchill, the company also introduced the Steelfire stainless steel griddle, designed for outdoor cooking, and new models in the Summit smokeless fire pit series.

The products suggest Solo Stove is trying to evolve from a single-product success story into something closer to a full outdoor lifestyle brand.

That strategy echoes what companies such as YETI have done in recent years by expanding from one core product category into a much broader ecosystem of outdoor gear.

The Windchill is available now from Solo Stove US in two sizes (30 and 47 qts), priced from $400 (~£302 / €350 / AU$571).

This is the smallest smart telescope ever made. Roughly the size of a chunky portable battery, the DwarfLab Dwarf Mini is a super-compact smart telescope that lets you capture everything from spots on the sun and craters on the moon to galaxies, star clusters and nebulae, even from a light-polluted city. All you need is a smartphone.

A motorised 30mm refractor that sends light to a Sony image sensor, the Dwarf Mini is controlled entirely via the DwarfLab app. Like its bigger sibling, the Dwarf 3, it auto-calibrates on the stars it sees and then uses live stacking to reveal deep-sky objects that would otherwise be invisible from light-polluted backyards.

Add built-in filters, a new equatorial tracking mode and its tiny size, and it’s got to be one of the most accessible telescopes yet. Here’s everything you need to know about the Dwarf Mini.

DwarfLab Dwarf Mini review

Price and availability

Retailing for UK£359, US$399 and AUS$595, the Dwarf Mini is priced to compete with entry-level smart scopes, particularly the Seestar S30, which sells for UK£419, US$399 and AU$ 699.

Available directly from DwarfLab as well as via select retailers, it also undercuts DwarfLab’s larger Dwarf 3 (UK£459, US $599 and AU$ 811) and newer Seestar S30 Pro (UK£599, US$$549 and AU$820) while maintaining many core features.

What it lacks, however, is a tripod or carry case in the box – two accessories you’ll likely need from day one, though any photography tripod using a typical 1/4-inch thread will work fine.

Features and what’s new

A tiny telescope it may be, but the Dwarf Mini squeezes an impressive feature set into its tiny frame. At its core is a 30mm refractor telescope paired with a Sony IMX662 sensor — a small, sensitive and fast sensor designed to perform well under night-sky conditions.

There’s a trade-off here: high resolution is sacrificed for low noise and real-time performance, resulting in effective low-light capture in light-polluted suburban skies, but fairly low-resolution images.

As with other DwarfLab scopes, everything is done through the companion app, from selecting a target in its sky atlas to image capture and editing.

The Dwarf Mini arrives well-packaged and ready to go, with a magnetic solar filter and a USB-C cable inside, though there’s no hard case, so youwill need to add a tripod.

A DwarfLab Mini Tripod is available, but any mini tripod is fine; I opted for a Manfrotto PIXI, though I also used a much larger Peak Design Travel Tripod to give it some height and so a wider view of the night sky.

That’s useful because this scope has two cameras, wide and tele, the former able to take images of constellations and the Milky Way, and the latter for more typical close-ups. So it’s more like a camera than a telescope.

Unlike some rivals, the Dwarf Mini doesn’t rely on external filters or accessories. Instead, it features a motorised internal filter wheel with three options: dark frame, astro (broadband) and dual-band for isolating emission nebulae. These can be switched with a tap in the app, making filter selection completely seamless.

In standard alt-az mode, exposures are capped at around 15 seconds to prevent the stars from trailing as Earth rotates. However, Dwarf Mini adds a new EQ mode (short for equatorial tracking), which, once aligned with Polaris, allows the ‘scope to track targets for up to 90 seconds. That’s more than enough to significantly boost image depth on faint nebulae.

Setup and use

Setup takes just a few minutes: power it on, launch the DwarfLab app on your phone and connect to its WiFi signal. During testing, I had some minor issues with establishing a connection to an iPhone. It’s definitely worth launching the app while still connected to home WiFi before heading out because firmware updates are not uncommon.

When searching the atlas, there’s a good selection of recommended objects that are certified to be visible at the present time from your location as well as a file to store favourites and an extensive catalogue of all objects, divided up in to nebula, galaxies, clusters, planets and, amusingly, solar and lunar (just the two in that list!).

Once you’ve selected a target in the atlas, the Dwarf Mini moves its telescope up and down to plate-solve the stars and auto-align itself, and quickly slew. The scope then takes short exposures and stacks them in real time. Fast exposures on the sun, using the supplied filter, were quick and easy, with decent results on sunspots as well as time-lapse video (it also supports 1080p video capture and time-lapses during the day).

I were also impressed by the Dwarf Mini’s images of the moon, which could be a reason alone for moon gazers to invest. From a light-polluted city at night, I tried it on some classic winter sights from the Northern Hemisphere, including the Orion Nebula (M42), the Pleiades (M45) and the open cluster in Gemini (M35). It typically stacks 10-second exposures.

What is slightly underwhelming for both deep sky and solar/lunar imaging is that the DwarfLab app lacks a live stacking preview, so you can’t see the image building and improving in real time. When to stop is therefore guesswork since the app always recommends about four hours of exposure for each object.

That’s unrealistic and, besides, it’s not strictly necessary for many objects. This is in contrast to higher-end smart scopes like the Unistellar eVscope 2, which give you a recommended length of time for observing.

EQ mode, which allows for much longer 90-second tracked exposures, is more manual, but not difficult, thanks to a step-by-step guide. This mode’s value comes from objects close to the zenith – straight up – where alt-az mode causes field rotation (apparent rotation or twisting of objects).

I aligned the Dwarf Mini with Polaris, the North Star, in just a few minutes, with the Dwarf Mini tracking smoothly and producing much better results with nebula.

Look at the results in the app’s gallery, and they can seem a little noisy, but its Stellar Studio makes it simple to denoise images and add contrast, leaving them sharp and inky-black. You can even add watermarks, capture details and even an AI-generated caption.

Verdict

The Dwarf Mini delivers a unique blend of portability, simplicity and surprisingly capable deep-sky imaging. It’s not going to give you print-level astrophotography, but that’s not the point. It’s built for quick, easy imaging sessions from just about anywhere, even light-polluted cities.

A travel-friendly alternative to bulkier smart telescopes, it’s the ideal affordable first scope for an urban backyard or an upgrade for astrophotographers wanting to cut down on their gear.

All you need is two spare jacket pockets, one for the Dwarf Mini and the other for your own mini tripod. If portability is your priority and Instagram-ready images are your goal, the Dwarf Mini hits the sweet spot.

Also consider

There are a couple of key alternatives to the Dwarf Mini. The most obvious is the Dwarf 3, its larger sibling, which adds a higher-resolution sensor. It’s slightly bulkier and more expensive, but its 35mm aperture and 4K resolution make it a stronger choice for those wanting a bit more detail.

Another strong rival is the ZWO Seestar S30. Also equipped with a 30mm lens, it includes a handy tabletop tripod and similar smart features. A slight step-up again is the newer ZWO Seestar S30 Pro, launched in early 2026, which packs an 8MP sensor but is both more expensive and less compact.

Lenovo-backed energy brand Talix has announced the launch of its new Zeta power platform, a modular range of portable power products designed to tackle one of the biggest weaknesses in today’s power stations: reliance on a single “master” unit.

The Zeta Series is built around the Zeta 1kWh PD3.2 Portable Power Station, a compact, stackable unit designed for outdoor use, mobile work setups and home backup scenarios.

Unlike most modular power stations on the market, Talix says its system avoids the traditional master/slave architecture, where expansion batteries are useless on their own and the entire setup fails if the main unit goes down.

Instead, Talix claims the Zeta platform is the world’s first power station designed for true master/slave-free parallel operation.

Each unit can operate independently, delivering power on its own or as part of a stacked system, with up to four units linked together to scale capacity, output and available ports.

Where systems usually fall apart

Each Zeta power station provides 1,000 Wh of capacity and a comparatively low 300W of AC output. However, stacking multiple units doesn’t just increase energy storage but also their output.

According to Talix, linking up to four units also scales AC output to a whopping 1,200W while still allowing each module to function on its own when separated.

The Zeta 1kWh unit weighs 9.8kg and uses 'automotive-grade' LFP battery cells rated for more than 8,000 charge cycles.

Charging options include AC input, USB-C and solar, with support for up to 110W of solar input.

A built-in display shows real-time power usage and battery health, while Bluetooth app control enables monitoring and over-the-air firmware updates.

The power station supports the latest USB-C PD 3.2 standard, delivering up to 240W of bidirectional charging from a single port, alongside additional USB-C and USB-A outputs.

Beyond the power station itself, Talix is also launching a wider Zeta ecosystem, which includes a 240W PD3.2 power bank, a 240W GaN charger, a retractable 240W USB-C cable and a lightweight 100W perovskite solar panel designed to work efficiently even in low-light conditions.

All Zeta products are launching via crowdfunding platforms, with early bird pricing starting at $639 for the Zeta 1kWh power station.

Talix says warranty coverage ranges from one to three years, with ongoing firmware support planned via OTA updates.

You can check out the new Talix power station on Kickstarter.

People seem to like EcoFlow’s portable power stations, and I totally understand why. Its products are consistently praised for fast charging, reliable output and solid build quality. Both my colleagues and I – a.k.a. T3’s expert team – rate the brand’s units highly for the same reasons.

The company reached out in October 2025, asking if I was up to reviewing the upcoming DELTA 3 Max Plus, the larger sibling of the DELTA 3 Plus, which I reviewed about a year ago. That station still powers my home office setup, thanks to its compact form factor and fast UPS switch-over time.

Now that I’ve been using the DELTA 3 Max Plus, it might be time to upgrade my setup. The new unit has a few tricks up its sleeves, including Smart Output Priority and a whopping 6,000 W surge capacity, making it even better suited for general indoor use (as opposed to, let’s say, camping or emergency situations).

Even after two months of testing, I can’t say I’ve ever pushed the DELTA 3 Max Plus out of its comfort zone, which says a lot. It’s a brilliant station, especially if you buy it at a discounted price; thankfully, EcoFlow is already selling it for less than RRP/MSRP via its web store.

EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus review

Price and availability

The EcoFlow Delta 3 Max Plus is available now as part of the brand’s Max series, positioning it above the smaller DELTA 3 Plus thanks to its much larger battery and higher power output.

In the UK, it retails for £1,748, but you can grab it now for £1,399, a £350 saving over RRP. In the US, EcoFlow sells the unit for $1,899, but there is a discount now that knocks $850 off the price. In Germany, you can get the station for €1,499.

Design and build quality

The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus is bigger than the DELTA 3 Plus, but the proportions are still the same, almost a carbon copy. The handles, fans, displays and ports are laid out almost exactly the same as on the smaller sibling.

Despite its doubled capacity (to 2kWh), the Max Plus doesn’t feel excessively bulky. At just over 20kg, it’s less than twice the weight of the DELTA 3 Plus and can be hauled around a lot easier than the Dabbsson power station I keep in the garage to charge my electric bikes.

The casing feels (admittedly) plasticy but solid, and everything from the port layout to the buttons and display gives off a reassuringly premium impression. Ports are clearly labelled and logically arranged, with the majority of the output ports positioned below the small LED screen on the front of the unit.

The screen is bright, easy to read, and provides all the essential information without feeling cluttered. The three buttons above the display turn the station aon nd switch the AC ports on and off. Unlike the DELTA 3 Plus, there is no button to activate the USB ports – they seem to turn on as soon as the power station comes to life.

Speaking of USBs, the DELTA 3 Max Plus has three USB-C ports and one USB-A. One of the USB-Cs is rated to 140W, while the other tops out at 45W. The USB-A port can handle up to 18W. The rear of the unit houses the input ports and a switch that toggles the AC charging speed. The DC outputs can also be found here.

The DELTA 3 Max Plus uses LFP batteries, which are lithium units designed for safety, longevity and stability. These cells are rated to last around 4,000 full charge/discharge cycles before the battery’s capacity drops to about 80 % of its original level.

This means you can charge the DELTA 3 Max Plus more than once a day for 10 years, and it should still retain at least 80% of its original capacity. I’m 11 years and 11 months away from confirming this.

The station has no built-in lights, which, to me, indicates it’s designed for indoor use. This is further reinforced by the fact that the DELTA 3 Max Plus can be used as a backup for sensitive gadgets such as laptops, thanks to its 10 ms switch-over time, an industry-leading figure for a 2kWh unit.

Power output and related features

On paper, EcoFlow rates the unit for up to 3,000 W of continuous AC output, with a huge 6,000 W surge capacity, and in real-world use, it delivers on that claim. I managed to push it briefly past 3,000 W with a hair dryer and a kettle running simultaneously, and the unit looked absolutely unbothered.

That high output is made possible by EcoFlow’s X-Boost 3.0 technology, which allows the station to handle loads that would otherwise exceed its continuous rating for short periods. The company quotes support for devices up to around 3,900 W with X-Boost.

Another unique feature of the DELTA 3 Max Plus is Smart Output Priority, which turns the power station into something closer to a managed energy system than a simple battery. Instead of treating every outlet the same, the Max Plus lets you control different circuits independently.

Two AC outputs and one DC group can be managed separately through the EcoFlow app or directly on the unit, allowing you to prioritise devices while temporarily disabling less important ones. This means you can keep something like a fridge or Wi-Fi router running while cutting power to unnecessary accessories.

You can also define your own discharge strategy by setting a battery threshold, after which the DELTA 3 Max Plus automatically shuts down non-essential circuits once the battery drops below that level.

Better still, if total demand exceeds the Max Plus’s 3,000-watt output limit, the system disconnects lower-priority circuits first, keeping essential loads powered and preventing abrupt interruptions.

Performance

In day-to-day use, the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus performs exactly the way its specifications suggest. I ran my workstation setup, including a MacBook Air M1, my wife’s laptop, multiple smartphones and an array of wearables, and not once did the Max Plus struggle.

Where many smaller power stations, such as the lovely DJI Power 500, struggle to keep up once you start stacking laptops and accessories, the Max Plus’s 3,000 W continuous output and surge headroom meant I found it hard to push the station to its limits during testing.

I deliberately threw high-draw appliances at it, and the unit behaved almost like a mains feed. The Max Plus stays genuinely quiet under typical loads, only spinning up its cooling fans briefly (and unobtrusively, I must add) during the station's shutdown.

I tested the unit in the middle of winter with not a lot of heating on, which probably helped keep its operating temperature low, but still, the fans almost never came on when powering my home office setup. Even when the output spiked to over 3kWh for a couple of minutes, the fans remained silent. Impressive.

Charging

Charging speed is another area where the unit delivers on its promises. I confirmed first-hand that it reaches around 80% state of charge in roughly 47 minutes when plugged into AC power. The DELTA 3 Max Plus charges from 0 to 100% in 68 minutes and has a maximum AC input of 2,300W.

I only tried AC charging – I wasn’t sent solar panels with the DELTA 3 Max Plus – but that works like a charm. The fans came on now and again to keep the batteries from overheating, but overall, the station stayed near-silent during charging and certainly immediately afterwards.

Verdict

The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus feels less like a portable power station and more like a compact, intelligent home power hub. It combines genuinely fast charging, serious output, whisper-quiet operation and long-life LFP batteries into a package that’s easy to live with day to day. Features like Smart Output Priority and the ultra-fast UPS switch-over give it a level of refinement that few rivals in this class can match.

It isn’t cheap, but at discounted prices it becomes a compelling upgrade over the DELTA 3 Plus, especially for desk-side, home-office and backup use. After two months of testing, I can confidently say it’s one of the most polished, reliable and practical power stations EcoFlow has produced, and it may well become my new permanent office companion.

Should you buy it?

If you want a high-capacity power station for indoor use, home backup or desk-side power that doesn’t sound like a generator, doesn’t take hours to recharge and doesn’t feel fragile or complicated, the DELTA 3 Max Plus is an easy recommendation. It’s powerful enough to replace mains power in short bursts, smart enough to manage loads properly, and quiet enough to forget it’s even there.

VIGX has recently unveiled its latest wearable robotics project, the π6, a compact exoskeleton that promises to blend serious assistive power with an unusually futuristic feature: an AI-driven terrain camera that reads the ground before your feet touch it.

Thanks to advancements in AI/LLMs, exoskeletons have become much better at predicting movement and, therefore, assisting users more smoothly.

Most wearable exoskeletons currently available, such as the Hypershell X Pro, rely primarily on motion sensors and joint feedback, which are analysed by an on-board algorithm.

The π6 also utilises these, but adds onboard cameras and a dedicated AI processor to visually analyse upcoming terrain in real time.

Slopes, steps, and uneven ground can be identified before the user reaches them, allowing the system to automatically adjust assistance.

According to VIGX, this happens in milliseconds, aiming to make walking, climbing and long-distance movement feel more natural and less fatiguing.

The ground, pre-loaded

The π6 weighs just under 2kg and is highly portable, designed to be carried in a backpack rather than worn permanently.

VIGX describes it as a deploy-when-needed wearable, positioning it somewhere between outdoor gear and advanced robotics.

Peak output is rated at around 800W with 16Nm of assistive torque, enough to support everyday walking, hiking and extended periods on your feet.

Power comes from a modular 92Wh battery built into a belt unit, which can also double as a power bank for charging small devices.

VIGX claims the system can support up to 40km (~24.8 miles) of assisted movement per charge, depending on usage and terrain.

Of course, bold claims are easier to make than to prove. Real-world performance, comfort and reliability will ultimately decide if the AI terrain camera is a genuine breakthrough or simply an impressive demo feature.

Still, as wearable tech continues to push beyond smartwatches and smart rings, the π6 feels like a glimpse of what the next decade of personal hardware could look like.

VIGX says the π6 is expected to launch commercially in June 2026, with pricing and regional availability still to be confirmed.

The brand doesn't list the upcoming model on its website yet.

[via Notebookcheck]

DJI has expanded its growing power-station ecosystem with the unveiling of the Power 1000 Mini, a portable energy solution that bridges the gap between compact power banks and full-size power stations.

The brand has taken a similar approach to its Romo robovac, launching the new power station in China first, with an international rollout expected in the coming months.

The Power 1000 Mini is said to be a versatile middle ground for creators, travellers and off-grid power users looking for serious capacity without the bulk of larger stations.

Unlike DJI’s existing Power 1000 V2 model, which offers robust 2,000 W+ output and over 1 kWh of capacity, the Power 1000 Mini pares things back while retaining key core capabilities in a much lighter, more compact package.

It has a ~1 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) battery and a ~1,000 W-rated output inverter, powerful enough to run laptops, cameras, drones, and other mid-power devices on the go.

A fun addition is the retractable USB-C cable integrated into the chassis, which provides up to 100 W bidirectional fast charging, while traditional AC outlets, standard USB-A ports and an SDC port round out a versatile port suite.

An integrated LED light adds a useful feature for camping and low-light situations, and it also has an SOS flashing light function for emergencies.

Shrinking the box, not the battery

DJI’s original power station lineup included the compact Power 500. However, with its second-generation units, the company moved away from 500W stations into more capacious, higher-output models (see also: DJI Power 2000 review).

Now we know why: the brand has reduced the physical size rather than the battery capacity, effectively making a smaller, lower-capacity model unnecessary.

The Power 1000 Mini is reminiscent of units like Jackery’s Explorer 300D, which offer more substantial power than a typical bank but in a portable format for field work and adventure.

This could appeal to outdoor content creators, remote workers and anyone who needs dependable power away from the grid without carrying a truly heavy unit.

At launch, the Power 1000 Mini is available in China, though DJI hasn’t yet confirmed global pricing or international availability.

The debut comes amid a broader trend toward modular, varied portable energy solutions, as consumers increasingly seek flexible, off-grid charging options for both gadgets and appliances.

The Power 1000 Mini is currently available at DJI's Chinese site for ¥2499 (~£267 / $358 / €308 / AU$535).

Alongside the more traditional power hardware, Jackery also announced what might be the most charming, and arguably most futuristic, CES launch in its lineup: the Solar Mars Bot, described as the world’s first autonomous solar robot.

It’s part concept, part product, but it underlines how Jackery sees energy capture evolving over the next decade.

A solar rover with a job to do

Rather than being bolted to a roof or propped up in a garden, this is a portable power station on wheels that drives itself around, tracks the sun, and recharges using its own retractable solar panels.

According to Jackery, the Mars Bot introduces AI-enhanced computer vision, allowing it to follow its user, navigate autonomously and reposition throughout the day to maximise sunlight exposure.

When not in use, the system automatically folds its 300W panels away, making it easier to store than a traditional, fixed-panel array.

Built as part of Jackery’s wider Solar Home Ecosystem, the Solar Mars Bot is designed to complement the brand’s home backup products rather than replace them.

Embedded panels capture power, store it onboard, then deliver it wherever it’s needed, whether that’s supplementing backup power during extended outages or providing electricity in areas where there are no outlets at all.

Jackery frames it as a new product category altogether, sitting somewhere between a solar tracker, a backup battery and a household robot.

It uses modular LiFePO4 energy storage at 2kWh per module, supports AC, DC and USB outputs, and can travel at up to 1.8 m/s with obstacle avoidance and roughly 5cm of ground clearance.

Full-angle sun tracking with a 60-degree tilt helps it capture more light across the day, and Jackery suggests scenarios ranging from “home energy guardian” duties to outdoor leisure, inspection work and even rescue applications.

Looking beyond today’s power needs

Jackery also places the Mars Bot firmly in a more forward-looking context.

The company talks about powering everything from portable satellite internet like Starlink to future AI systems and personal robots, positioning the bot as a step toward mobile, self-sustaining power that actively seeks out energy rather than passively waiting for it.

Price and availability TBC. Head over to Jackery for more info.

Jackery has introduced the Explorer 1500 Ultra at CES 2026, the first model in its tougher new Ultra Series, and it’s clearly designed to bridge the gap between traditional home backup batteries and portable power stations.

The company is pitching it as a “grab-and-go” solution that still delivers serious power for storms, emergencies, overlanding, and professional work in harsh environments.

Built for the bad days

The Explorer 1500 Ultra carries an IP65 rating, meaning it’s resistant to dust and water spray, and it has been drop-tested and engineered to cope with demanding conditions ranging from sand and rain to busy workshops and off-road setups.

The unit isn't the first one to have such a high ingress protection rating. Bluetti's AC240 has the same IP65 rating, albeit it's a lot less portable than Jackery's new model.

The unit uses a titanium-alloy multi-layer structure to combine strength with relatively manageable weight, coming in at 17.5kg, which the company claims makes it the lightest IP65-rated model in its class.

Ventilation has been relocated to the base, where a turbine-style system helps improve heat dissipation and moisture evaporation, while a detachable metal outer shell and an armoured display add extra protection and a more industrial aesthetic.

Inside sits a 1,536Wh LiFePO4 battery, rated for up to 4,000 charge cycles before dropping to 70 per cent capacity.

Jackery says the Explorer 1500 Ultra can sustain loads of up to 2,000W for as long as 15 minutes, while handling surges up to 3,600W for longer than typical designs.

There’s also sub-20-millisecond UPS switching, positioning the Ultra as a realistic option for keeping essential kit running during outages, not just powering a campsite fridge.

Power where it matters

With the company’s ChargeShield 2.0 technology, Jackery quotes recharge times as low as 1.5 hours from the wall, while solar-powered charging can take around 2.5 hours when paired with up to 800W of panels in optimal conditions.

The Explorer 1500 Ultra is promoted as suitable for powering Starlink systems in remote locations, with internal testing suggesting it can keep a Starlink Mini running for up to 50 hours.

The power station features bevelled, "motorsport-inspired" corners, laser-etched textures to help items stay put on the top surface, exposed metal fasteners, and a removable shell for extra impact protection.

The model has already picked up a Red Dot Design Award, something Jackery uses as evidence that toughness and premium presentation don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Price TBC. Head over to Jackery to find out more.

Portable power has a bit of an identity crisis. Power banks are easy to carry but run out of steam the moment you ask too much of them, while power stations deliver serious capacity at the cost of bulk, noise and inefficiency.

Jackery’s new Explorer 300D is designed to sit squarely between the two, and it might be one of the most sensible portable power ideas the brand has had in years.

The awkward middle ground

Launching in the UK just before Christmas, the Explorer 300D is a compact, DC-only power station that looks more like a smart speaker than a campsite battery box.

With a 288Wh capacity packed into a vertical, 2.5kg body, it’s small enough to throw in a backpack yet powerful enough to run laptops, cameras, routers and other everyday essentials without relying on an AC inverter at all.

By skipping AC output entirely, the Explorer 300D avoids the conversion losses that plague traditional power stations.

Everything runs on direct current, which makes the unit lighter, more efficient and completely silent.

It also means the 300D plays particularly nicely with modern tech, from USB-C laptops to drones and mobile work setups, delivering up to 300W of stable DC power across three USB-C ports, one USB-A port and a 12V car socket.

The carrying handle doubles as a detachable 140W USB-C charging cable capable of supporting up to 10kg, eliminating the need to remember separate leads.

There’s also an optional shoulder strap and carry case support for people who plan to travel with it regularly, whether that’s for camping, commuting or working remotely.

Under the hood, the Explorer 300D uses an 'automotive-grade' LiFePO₄ battery rated for around 4,000 charge cycles before dropping to 70% capacity, which Jackery says equates to roughly ten years of regular use.

ZeroDrain technology helps preserve charge during storage, keeping the battery above 99% after a year at full charge, while a built-in battery management system adds protection against overcharging, short circuits and temperature extremes from –15°C to 45°C.

The unit can be topped up via USB-C, car charging or Jackery’s SolarSaga panels, with hybrid USB-C and solar charging pushing the battery to 80% in around 70 minutes under ideal conditions.

A built-in LED light rounds things off, offering both ambient illumination and an emergency flashing mode when needed.

The Jackery Explorer 300D goes on sale in the UK from 23 December 2025, priced at £169 during the early-bird period, rising to an RRP of £219 thereafter.

It comes with a three-year warranty, extendable to five years with registration.

For more information, head over to Jackery.

I spend the first few dingy months and the last dark quarter of each year testing the very best head torches and the finest flashlights on the market, and the advancement in technical capability across both categories over the last couple of years has been incredible. Lights are lasting longer, shining brighter and throwing beams ever further, but if I’m completely honest, the headlamp that has blown me away more than any other this year is one that, at first glance, looks pretty cheap and cheerful: the Dash 450 from brilliant Brooklyn-based brand BioLite.

BioLite Dash 450 headlamp review

Price and availability

The Dash 450 headlamp is available now directly from BioLite (as well as other online outlets) for a guide price of £59.95 if you’re shopping from the UK, €69.95 if you’re in an EU country and $59.95 if you’re based in the United States.

Specifications

• Weight: 78g / 2.75oz
• Max lumens: 450
• Max beam length (spot): 90 meters / 295ft
• Burn time: 60 hours on low / 3 hours on high  
• Front light modes: White spot / White Flood / White spot & flood combo / White strobe / Red flood
• Rear light modes: Red strobe / Red flood
• Water resistance: IPX4 (splashproof)
• Batteries: integrated rechargeable 1000 mAh Lithium-ion
• Headband color options: Ocean Teal / Midnight Grey / Ember Fade

What makes the Dash 450 such a Bobby Dazzler?

So, why do I love this torch so much? It’s not the brightest – the Petzl Swift RL 2 boasts a gobsmacking 1,100 lumens compared to the Dash’s maximum output of 450 lumens – nor does it throw a beam the furthest (the Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 has a night-bursting range of 125 metres).

It’s not even the most lightweight (tipping the scales at just 53g, the svelte Silva Smini is 25g lighter than the Dash) or the cheapest – you’ll get change from £30 if you buy the perfectly decent Lifesystems Intensity 300 head torch from a number of outlets.

But while the Dash 450 doesn’t top the table for any of those desirable metrics, it scores very highly for all of them. It’s a damn good all-around performer, with a light that’s more than bright enough for the vast majority of outdoor scenarios, a suite of features that make it ultra-functional for all kinds of applications.

The price tag that keeps it genuinely affordable to most people, and a super smart design that makes it ideal for everything from hiking and trail running through to family camping and overseas backpacking trips.

Smart Design

One of the most appealing features of the Biolite Dash 450 is that the battery pack and light unit are kept separate, with the former being carried on the back of the head. What’s so good about this? For starters, it means the headlamp is much better balanced than others (most head torches are very front-heavy), which is more comfortable and less fatiguing for your neck, and it means the beam doesn’t bounce about all over the place when you’re running or hiking.

This design also results in a very low-profile light unit, which works better with winter hats, and – very importantly – it facilitates a valuable safety feature: a red rear light, integrated into the battery unit, which can be set to solid or flashing, making you highly visible to vehicles and bikes on shared roads, lanes and tracks, and other trail users when you're walking or running on the rough stuff.

Functionality

The front and back units each have one easy-to-locate, easy-to-use button that activates the light and lets you toggle between modes and settings (even with gloves on).

The rear red light can be set to solid or strobe, while the front offers five modes: white spot, white flood, spot & flood combo, white strobe, and red flood. And the brightness levels of each of these settings (except the strobe) can be increased or decreased by long-holding the on/off button for one second.

Cleverly, when you turn the light off and then back on again, it ‘remembers’ what mode it was set to when you last used it, and even what brightness level the beam was on. The light can be safely locked by pressing the main on/off button for a few seconds longer; once this lock is activated, it also prevents the rear red light from coming on.

And that’s it. No unnecessary bells and whistles that will only be used by elite cave divers or specialist nightcrawlers. No need to earn an engineering degree before you can use the headlight. Just a range of truly useful modes and brightness settings that will see you right in the campsite and out on the trails.

The battery unit tells you how much power is left via a series of small indicator lights, and when the juice runs low, all you need to do is plug it in via the universal USB that comes with the torch. Easy.

Features

As I’ve just explained, sensible simplicity is the secret to the greatness of this refreshingly unflashy headtorch, but it does have a couple of features that make it extra functional. For example, despite the light unit being very thin, you can tilt the beam downwards, across a series of preset angles denoted by a clicking noise, to better see hazards and undulations on the upcoming trail.

Also, the headband on the Dash 450, now available in several colours, is reasonably comfortable and breathable (it's actually made from a moisture-wicking material). The band is easy to adjust, and the wiring connecting the battery and the bulb is integrated into the material, so it doesn’t snag on anything.

Versatility and verdict

For all of these reasons, the Biolite Dash 450 is an exceptionally versatile headtorch, which works wonderfully well whether you’re camping out with friends and family, walking the dog after dark, embarking on a fastpacking or bikepacking escapade, or enjoying some night hiking or trail-running adventures beyond the sunset. And this is why the Dash 450 has become the headlight I reach for first whenever I head out. It’s so lightweight, I typically chuck it in my pack even when I have no intention of being out past nightfall.

There’s a moment every winter when the outdoors looks irresistible, and just a little intimidating. Garmin clearly knows the feeling.

Fresh from putting inReach tech on a smartwatch for the first time with the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro earlier this year, the outdoor watch company is now doing something arguably even more surprising: turning the successor of the Garmin inReach Mini 2 into a device that behaves a lot more like the phone you can’t use off-grid.

The inReach Mini 3 Plus is still the compact, rugged SOS lifeline you clip to a shoulder strap.

But with it, Garmin has rebuilt the Mini in a way that stirs genuine curiosity: how much smartphone-like convenience can you fit into a device designed for places where smartphones absolutely do not work?

Where signals shouldn’t behave like this

The headline upgrade is obvious the moment you see it: a colour touchscreen. Garmin has never put one on a Mini-sized communicator before.

Pair that with a built-in speaker and microphone, and the device becomes capable of something new in the inReach family, exchanging 30-second voice messages, reading voice-message transcriptions when silence is essential, firing off 1,600-character texts, emojis and reactions, and even sharing and receiving photos when using the Garmin Messenger app.

For families tracking your progress from home, LiveTrack is still here, but now the colour screen can show incoming photos from loved ones, a small feature that will land emotionally for anyone who’s spent days alone on a trail.

The inReach Mini series has always been about that red-button reassurance, but the Mini 3 Plus changes the dynamic.

When you trigger an SOS, the device can now send voice and photo messages directly to Garmin Response.

These frontline responders, who’ve, according to the brand, handled more than 18,000 incidents in over 150 countries, can suddenly see and hear what’s happening, not just read a line of text.

For mountaineers, sailors or winter hikers, that’s not just convenience. It’s meaningful information that could speed up the right kind of help.

Despite the upgrades, nothing about the Mini’s durability has softened.

The 3 Plus still carries an IP67 rating, impact-resistant construction and extreme-temperature performance.

Battery life reaches a huge 330 hours in 10-minute tracking mode, making it viable for multi-day expeditions without power banks weighing you down.

Pair it with the Garmin Explore app, and you can plan routes, navigate courses or follow a track back out; classic inReach functionality, now integrated into a far more user-friendly device.

The inReach Mini 3 Plus is available today with an RRP of £439.99.

As with all inReach devices, a satellite subscription is required, with plans available on monthly or annual terms depending on how often you venture off-grid.

Head over to Garmin to find out more.

When it comes to lighting solutions, I typically prefer headlamps to torches, purely for the hands-free functionality the former offers, but with the recent leap forward in range and technical capability of the best flashlights on the market (from brands like Olight), I’m fast changing my approach. I tested the incredibly compact (and very cool) Olight Baton 4 last year, and its capability completely blew me away.

Of course it doesn’t need to be a binary decision anyway: Lightweight headlamps from brands like Biolite are brilliant for running in the dark, while technically advanced models from Petzl are superb for activities like caving. But for Everyday Carry (EDC), general camping, night hiking and myriad other outdoor activities, a compact handheld torch is perfect.

They’re almost always much brighter, with a longer throw and better glow time, and you can direct the beam more easily, and position the light wherever you like – including well away from your body. And, with the addition of a simple clip, such as the one included on the ArkPro, a handheld flashlight can be attached to a cap to transform it into a headtorch.

Suffice to say, I’ve been excited to get my mitts on the new Olight ArkPro, and it hasn’t disappointed.

Olight ArkPro review

Price and availability

Available directly from Olight and various other outlets now, the ArkPro is offered in three iterations: the standard 1,500-lumen version (as tested and described here), the 1,200-lumen ArkPro Lite and the 1,700-lumen ArkPro Ultra. In the United Kingdom, the standard Olight ArkPro has a full-price cost of £99.99, while the ArkPro Lite is £79.99, and the ArkPro Ultra will set you back £129.99.

In the United States, the standard Olight ArkPro has a list price of US$109.99 (US$79.99 for the ArkPro Lite or US$129.99 for the ArkPro Ultra), and in Australia, the corresponding prices are: AU$154.95 / AU$123.95 / AU$199.95.

Specifications

• Weight: 115g / 4.05oz (Including Battery)
• Body colours: Mat black
• Materials: Aluminum Alloy (6061)
• Settings: 4 Lights,7 Configurations
• Max lumens: 800 (spot) / 1,500 (flood)
• Maximum range: 205m / 672ft
• Run time: 14 days (Moon setting) / Pure Flood: 72 hours; Spot: 66 hours (low setting)
• IP rating: IPX7
• Dimensions: 124  x 27 x 16 mm / 4.88 x 1.06 x 0.63in
• Best for: Night hiking, camping, EDC, working after dark

Design and materials

Made with cool-touch aluminum, the ArkPro is a flat, rectangular torch designed and scaled to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand, with contoured textures to improve grip. It’s lightweight, ergonomically shaped and evenly balanced, so it doesn’t have the top-heavy feel of the traditional flashlights. This means it’s rubbish for koshing intruders (sorry security guards) but is perfect for EDC and sliding into the pocket of a coat, fleece jacket or backpack, and is very easy to carry.

The torch has a two-way clip on the underside, so it can be attached to a pocket or the peak of a cap for handsfree use. Alternatively, you could hang it from a line on the inside or outside of a tent or backpacking shelter, and turn it onto flood mode, for ambient camping lantern-like lighting.

The operating system is dead simple and highly intuitive to use. A single easy-to-locate button turns the light on (and off), and a thumb-operated dial allows you to switch smoothly through the three main beam options: white-light flood (for wide-angle illumination), white-light spot (for long range and precision) and Blue UV (for reading maps and locating things without trashing your natural night vision).

By holding the on/off button down for a few seconds, you can toggle through the brightness options for each of these beams (Low, Medium and High). A separate button on the side of the torch activates the laser, sending a highly concentrated green beam that can be used to point things out. The laser can be used independently or concurrently with the main beam. (There is no laser on the ArkPro Lite, which features a red light option instead.)

Aside from the three standard brightness settings, there is also a ‘Moonlight’ setting (activated by long-holding the main button for 1 second while the torch is off) and a Turbo setting, which you can fire up by double-clicking the main button. There’s also a Strobe function (set to the S.O.S. configuration on the ArkPro Lite), which you can turn on by triple-clicking the main button. To avoid accidentally activating any of the beams, the torch can be locked (and unlocked) by holding the main button for 2 seconds.

Indicator lights around the edge of the control dial tell you what setting the beam is on and how much charge is left in the battery. And when you need to recharge the unit, you just place it on a magnetised base connected to a Type A USB cable and plug it in. If this seems a little outdated, don’t worry, there is a Type-C USB port on the side of the torch (although no cable appears to be provided for this yet), protected by a flip-up cover. This feels like a potential weak point, but the ArkPro has been stress-tested and has an ingress rating of IPX7, which means it can be fully submerged in a metre of water for half an hour without sustaining damage.

Performance

I have been testing the new ArkPro flashlight extensively over the last month, as daylight has increasingly been squeezed between ever longer and darker nights. Mostly, I have been using the torch to light my way during night hikes and early morning excursions, but I have also called it into action for one mid-winter camping trip, when I needed all the illumination I could get my hands on. When walking, especially in technical terrain, I tend to use the clip to attach it to a cap, so I can keep my hands free. It’s easily light enough for this to work well.

I love the pocket-friendly portability of this flashlight, and have taken to popping the ArkPro into my coat or my daypack even when I’m not expecting to be caught by nightfall, and on more than one occasion it has proved very useful when I’ve encountered a cave while walking along the coastline where I live.

The range of the spotlight is super impressive for the diminutive size and small weight of the torch. It’s hard to imagine ever needing a beam with a longer throw than the Turbo setting on the ArkPro delivers. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Moonlight mode is very handy for maintaining ambient light in a small space, like a tent, and a single charge will literally last for days on this setting.

Especially on clear nights when the stars are sparkling, I like to use the UV light for quickly checking maps or locating something in my pack, without completely blowing my night vision. I’m sure it has myriad other uses (beyond this and crime scene investigations…), but I’m still exploring them.

Likewise, the laser is fun to play with (the beam of light is perfect for teasing cats) and can be really handy for directing people’s attention to things, but I’m sure some people will find far more serious applications for this feature than I. (Do be extremely careful not to let children mess around with this torch unless it’s securely locked – it might be small and innocuous looking, but it’s far from a toy and some settings can cause real damage.)

I appreciate both the battery-level indicators and the ease of recharging the ArkPro, whether from the mains or a portable power pack, but I was slightly disappointed that it didn’t come with a Type-C USB cable. My only other real quibble is that there is no lanyard.

Verdict

I rate this little pocket-rocket of a flashlight very highly for its fantastic features and advanced functionality, plus its ease of use, versatility, sturdiness, and extraordinary capabilities, all of which are even more impressive given its small size and weight. I’m not sure I would part with the considerable extra outlay for the Ultra version (which offers a brighter flood light, but no extra range on the spotlight), but the standard and Lite iterations of the torch are excellent value.

Also consider

If you’re looking for a seriously big beam with a range that can reach over a kilometre into the night, and you don’t mind carrying a bulkier and heavier flashlight, then the Acebeam P20 is an incredible piece of kit.

Alternatively, diehard Maglite fans might want to consider the compact MAG-TAC rechargeable torch, which is another everyday carry-suitable option that delivers decent light (although it lacks the versatility of the ArkPro).

EcoFlow wasn't supposed to launch its next major portable power station until next year, but in a very Black-Friday-appropriate twist, the company has pushed the button early.

The brand-new DELTA 3 Max Series officially lands today, complete with launch bundles and an extra 5% off using exclusive codes for Amazon (DELTA3MAXUK) and EcoFlow’s website (EFNEWD3MSERIES).

Shop all EcoFlow deals in Amazon's Black Friday sale

Shop the EcoFlow Black Friday sale

Originally slated for the new year, the DELTA 3 Max Series feels like the company’s biggest step forward since the DELTA Pro. The flagship DELTA 3 Max Plus (2048Wh) is the industry’s first 2kWh power station capable of delivering a massive 3,000W AC output with 6,000W surge power, according to EcoFlow.

This means you can run almost any home appliance, from fridges and kettles to microwaves and washing machines, without tripping the unit. The standard DELTA 3 Max model offers a still-hefty 2,400W output.

A power station built for both emergencies and everyday use

Beyond the headline wattage, EcoFlow has packed the DELTA 3 Max Plus with genuinely useful tech.

One of the most exciting new features is Output Priority, which lets you decide exactly which circuits stay powered during an outage (e.g., keeping the fridge on while shutting off lighting) either via the onboard controls or the app.

It can also automatically cut non-essential devices when the battery hits a user-defined threshold, preserving the remaining charge for critical appliances.

The DELTA 3 Max Plus is expandable, too, from its base 2kWh up to a massive 10kWh using EcoFlow’s Smart Extra Batteries. This is enough to keep major home circuits running for days, or to build a flexible off-grid setup.

If there’s one area where EcoFlow continues to dominate, it’s charging performance. AC charging can take the DELTA 3 Max Plus from 0–80% in just 47 minutes, thanks to X-Stream 3.0.

Solar charging supports up to 1,000W input, and the improved alternator charger can also push 1,000W, filling the unit to 80% in 95 minutes while on the road.

Even solar-plus-alternator dual charging is supported, hitting the same 0–80% level in around 51 minutes.

The station's LFP batteries are rated for a 10-year lifespan, automotive-grade CTC structural reinforcement, and over 40 layers of safety protections managed by an AI-enhanced BMS.

Shop all EcoFlow deals in Amazon's Black Friday sale

Shop the EcoFlow Black Friday sale

EcoFlow also claims whisper-quiet operation at 30 dB or lower, quieter than many fridges. For home offices or studios, the Plus model includes a 10 ms UPS mode, twice as fast as the typical 20 ms switchover, along with HID support to safely shut down NAS servers during long outages.

If you’ve considered adding a full-size portable power station to your home or off-grid setup, this early launch couldn’t have been timed better.

I’ve reviewed a variety of power stations over the years, and while I still prefer having a number of smaller power stations dotted around the home for emergency backup use instead of a single giant, I consider the new off-grid-ready Bluetti Apex 300 an exception.

Weighing in at a substantial 38kg and delivering up to 3,840W of continuous AC power from its 2.7kWh LiFePO₄ battery, this exceedingly hefty model combines immense power with long-term durability and superb expandability.

It serves two main purposes: as a competent off-grid power supply for RVs, camper vans, boats and remote properties, and as a professionally-installed home emergency backup system that’s capable of running almost every AC appliance bar, perhaps, some high-wattage ovens.

I wouldn’t call this a portable power station by any stretch of the imagination because it’s so big and heavy, but, boy, does it pack some punch. So let’s get down to the nuts and bolts and see if this is the best type of power station for your needs.

Bluetti Apex 300 review

Price and availability

In the UK, you can purchase the Bluetti Apex 300 direct from Bluetti, priced at a very competitive £1,499, or from Amazon, where it sells for £1,519. Shopping Stateside? Head straight to Bluetti and snap one up for a very reasonable $1,399 or Walmart, where it sells for the same price.

Specifications

• Power output: 3,840W
• Battery capacity: 2,764.8Wh
• Max lifting power: 7,680W
• Battery cell chemistry: Automotive standard LiFePO₄
• Battery cycle life: 6,000+ (estimated 17 year lifespan)
• AC outputs: 4 x 230V, 16.7A
• USB outputs: Hub D1 optional accessory
• DC outputs: Hub D1 optional accessory
• AC input: 230V, 10A max + 230V, 50A Max
• DC input: P050A 230V 50A high-speed charging
• Solar input: 2 x 1200W
• Charging time: Around 70 mins
• Dimensions: 525×327×320mm (20.67×12.87×12.6 inches)
• Weight: 38kg (83.78lbs)
• Storage Temperature: -20℃ to 40℃ (-4℉ to 104℉)
• Warranty: 5 years

Design

The Bluetti Apex 300 is a next-generation portable power station built for serious off-grid living, vehicle-based adventure travel and as a dependable home backup system capable of powering the vast majority of household appliances with consummate ease.

It comes with a kettle-style AC charging cable and, rather handily, a male 12V cigarette charging plug and cable for boosting the Apex 300 via your car’s alternator, albeit slowly.

There are a number of unique design flourishes that set this model apart, and chief amongst these is its expandability. And by that I mean that the unit itself doesn’t have any 12V cigarette lighter outputs or, for that matter, any USB ports.

Like the excellent DJI Power 2000 I recently reviewed, Bluetti has taken a different approach with this model and given it a modular design so users can be offered the choice to expand the unit to meet their individual needs while keeping the cost of the bare-bones unit at an affordable price point.

Hence, the only recognisable outputs on this power station are the four UK-spec 230V 13A AC outlets on the front. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, which I shall cover in more detail a little further down.

At 525mm in width, 327mm in height and 320mm in depth, the Apex 300 is a veritable brute and the biggest power station I’ve ever reviewed.

At a staggering 38kg (83.78lbs), it is also by far the heaviest model, too. In fact, it’s so heavy I can hardly carry it more than a few feet at a time and have been unable to lift it onto a table, which is hardly surprising given my spindly stature.

Thankfully, there are two sturdy handles on either side, so I would wholeheartedly recommend recruiting an extra pair of hands when moving it. Alternatively, invest an extra £219 for the Bluetti Foldable Trolley 2 (retailer link) if you plan to move this product around on a regular basis.

The Bluetti’s front fascia is straightforward. Aside from the four AC outlets, which are protected by rubber lids to keep moisture out, everything is clearly laid out. It has a big on switch and a bright 4-inch LCD monitor that’s very easy to read.

You also get an AC-on button and an Eco button, which shuts off the outputs after a period of low or no load. There’s an orange three-way switch for choosing your charging speed, from Auto to Turbo or Silent. Silent mode turns the internal fan off but charges more slowly.

Finally, an orange Magic Button can be programmed in the Bluetti app to trigger one of four functions. In the USA, this same switch changes the AC function from 110v to 240v.

Power stats

Make no mistake, this model is a genuine powerhouse when it comes to output in wattage and capacity in watt-hours. With 3,840W of continuous AC power, a huge surge/lifting power of 7,680W (required for kick-starting energy-intensive appliances like heaters and buzz saws) and 2,764.8Wh of juice capacity, there isn’t much this power station can’t run.

In fact, according to my calculations, the Apex 300 is capable of running a low-wattage heat pump tumble dryer for 1.5 to 3 hours and a standard condenser dryer for around an hour before the battery is depleted.

And speaking of batteries, this model is fitted with an automotive-grade 2.76 kWh LiFePO₄ battery with 6,000+ cycles and an estimated lifespan of 17 years! That’s a remarkable stat in my book. LiFePO₄, by the way, is a highly-regarded battery chemistry for safer operation and impressive durability. It is also far less prone to thermal runaway, which can result in overheating.

Ports

I’ve already covered the four AC outlets on the front, but if you look to the right-hand side, there are two yellow DC/PV (photovoltaic) XT60 inputs under a rubber flap, each capable of handling up to 1,200 watts of solar power with a maximum input of 60 volts and 20 amps per port.

To the right of these is a battery expansion port, which can be daisy-chained with up to six extra battery-only modules (B300K, 2,748Wh apiece), taking the Apex 300’s power capacity to a staggering 19 kilowatt hours.

As explained in the next chapter, if you purchase Bluetti’s Hub D1 module and plug it into this same expansion port, you’ll have access to the Apex 300’s missing DC outputs (two of them, from 12v to 24v), two USB-C and two USB-A outlets, along with a 12v 50amp outlet with Anderson connector for running 12v appliances when off grid.

Heading to the other side of the unit, you’ll find a standard kettle-style AC input for charging the Apex 300 via the mains from empty in 70 minutes, a circuit protector button and an earthing connector. And just to the left is one of this model’s most unique inputs, a super-fast EV charging port for charging the Apex 300 as you would an electric car. This method charges the power station in just 70 minutes from empty.

Van-life and off-grid features

This power station is ostensibly designed for two main scenarios – off-grid use and complete home integration and emergency backup. Let’s look at the possibilities it offers for off-grid use and by that I mean camper vans, caravans, canal boats, car camping and remote buildings like holiday cabins, barns and workshops.

As mentioned above, the Apex 300 is modular in design, so you will need to purchase at least two expensive accessories to make the most of it if integrating the Apex 300 into a camper van, caravan or canal boat.

The unit’s two yellow XT60 ports are designed for solar charging and/or DC charging using the supplied cigarette-style car charger. However, you’ll have much better power delivery from your car’s alternator by opting for Bluetti’s Charger 1,560W Alternator Charger (£199, retailer link), which plugs into one of the same XT60 ports.

The supplied positive/negative cable then runs directly to your vehicle’s battery terminals, allowing the alternator to direct-charge the Apex 300 whenever the engine’s running. This method of charging produces 560W of oomph – six times faster than traditional car cigarette lighter chargers.

If you use one of the XT60 ports for your roof-top solar panels (an excellent 2,400W max if both are used) at the same time as using the Bluetti Alternator Charger, you will almost always arrive at your next off-grid destination with everything fully charged and ready to roll.

Of course, once you turn the vehicle’s engine off, the alternator will no longer add juice to the Apex 300, but if it’s daylight and the sun’s shining, your parked vehicle’s onboard solar panels will still be absorbing energy from the sun. What’s not to like?

The second most valuable accessory you’ll need for van life – and indeed any other off-grid scenario – is the clip-on Hub D1 (£200, retailer link).

This clever box of tricks plugs into the Apex 300’s Battery Expansion port to the right of the two XT60 inputs and provides the ubiquitous ports missing on the front of the main unit, namely two 12v to 24v DC outputs, two USB-C and two USB-A outlets, plus two barrel connectors.

But that’s not all, because around the back of the hub, there’s yet another port – a ground-breaking 12v 50amp outlet with Anderson connector for running every 12v appliance in a camper van, caravan or boat.

Simply connect it to your vehicle or boat’s fuse board and the Apex 300 will power every onboard appliance, including lights, fridge and diesel heater. While I haven’t been able to test these two accessories, I have watched demonstration videos, and the installation process looks easy enough for anyone to accomplish.

Since the whole shebang is app-enabled, you can bury the Apex 300 somewhere in your vehicle, caravan or boat and use the app to control it. Simply run a couple of 13amp extension leads from two of the AC outputs for any 240v appliances like an air fryer, induction hob or blow heater.

Just be aware that, like all power stations, if you turn it off via the unit or the app, you won’t be able to restart it remotely using the app alone. You’ll have to turn it on at the unit.

Home-use features

The Apex 300’s expandability keeps initial outlay costs down for those who plan to use it as a simple UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) for emergency backup power during an outage. As with any modern power station, the Bluetti will kick in in milliseconds for a seamless changeover from mains to battery.

For homeowners with bottomless pockets or those with an off-grid property, the Bluetti Apex 300 can also be turned into a fully integrated whole-home backup system by using the battery expansion port to daisy chain up to six extra battery-only modules, taking the Apex 300’s power capacity to a staggering 19 kilowatt hours.

When used in conjunction with some solar panels, this setup should give you three days of off-grid use, and more if you have enough solar panels and the sun’s shining.

Bluetti app

The Bluetti app provides live input and output data and serves as the primary means of control for the Apex 300. It also provides the ability to adjust voltage settings, power lifting, child locking, and access to firmware updates, which, incidentally, have gone very smoothly indeed, with zero glitches to report.

However, as with every power station I’ve reviewed, you can’t turn it on via the app if it’s off at the source. So make sure you don’t bury it in an inaccessible place and accidentally turn it off, or you’ll need to turn it on again at the source.

Performance

I sadly wasn’t able to test this model’s camper van or whole home integration possibilities because a) I don’t have a camper van, b) I don’t have the space at home to accommodate such a large installation.

However, I have done some extensive research and watched several demonstrations, and were I to be lucky enough to own a camper van, this model would be top of my list for off-grid peace of mind.

I did, however, run a few high-draw home appliances to see how far I could push them, and I’ve been very impressed by their performance. I started off with a bang and basically loaded it with two blow heaters (1.8kW and 2kW), which took the Apex 300 to 3.3kW output (well within its 3.84kW range). Fiddlesticks.

I then added a KitchenAid kettle to see how far I could push its maximum lifting power of 7.68kW before everything cut out. This took it to 4.8kW, the fan kicked in (not loud, it must be said), but a red light came on shortly before it all cut out after 7 seconds. I was a little surprised at this, but then power lifting is designed for kick-starting an appliance before its consumption quickly backs off, and a kettle doesn’t really back off.

I then replicated a classic off-grid lunch scenario in chilly weather, using the same 1.8kW heater and a Philips air fryer for a quick snack. These two appliances consumed 3.3kW, so I added the kettle for a cup of tea, which ramped consumption to 4.3kW.

The same red warning light came on, but this time the Apex 300 stayed on throughout the entire boil. I didn’t expect that level of performance.

I can definitely see this power station being more than capable of handling a wide variety of off-grid scenarios and also having potential as an emergency backup or a fully integrated power supply system for home use. It’s that versatile.

Verdict

If you’re after a well-engineered power core that serves as a weekend companion for a camper van, the heart of a camper van or caravan’s electrical systems or the seed of a full-blown off-grid battery bank, the Bluetti Apex 300 is one of the most convincing options on the market right now.

This beast blends continuous power, LiFePO₄ longevity, fast charging and exceptional modular expansion into a package that goes a long way to reducing the ever-present off-grid spectre of charge anxiety. Just be prepared to flex your pecs when lifting it.

When I was invited to extend my stay at IFA Berlin 2025 to try out the Hypershell X Ultra “exoskeleton” and meet the team behind it, I was excited. In fact, my enthusiasm was so great that I accidentally booked the wrong return date (twice) and had to pay extra to change my flight.

However, the first time I saw it, I was perhaps a little underwhelmed. Admittedly, I was expecting an Iron Man-like suit of fusion-powered armour. But the Hypershell X Ultra isn't that; it's a compact, inconspicuous, and profoundly intelligent piece of technology that truly has to be experienced to be believed.

During my tester day of the world’s first consumer-level outdoor exoskeleton, I was taken on a short hill hike, about 30 minutes to a beautiful viewing spot above Berlin. It also involved a multi-storey staircase on a hot, sunny day.

I typically run about 3°C hotter than the average person and was bracing for fatigue. This is where I experienced the first core benefit of Hypershell’s power: effort reduction. I finished the ascent without sweating buckets or the quad burn I was expecting.

The Hypershell attaches around your waist via a load stabilising belt strap. Its smart battery is built into the rear of it, sitting comfortably at the base of your lower back. Two powerful, near-silent motors sit on either side of the hip.

Extending from the motors are two SpiralTwill 3000 carbon fibre leg levers that attach via ergonomic cuffs around the thighs, roughly 3cm (two fingers) above the knees. Despite its minimal size, the construction is futuristic and sleek. It’s not designed for manual labour, but engineered for enhancing everyday endurance.

I found the exoskeleton relatively straightforward to put on by myself, though the intuitive Hypershell App walks you through the entire process with assistive videos for each step. The adjustable hip levers feature seven incremental steps, and while the length of the carbon leg lever is one size fits all, the fit can be fine-tuned at the knee cuffs.

The app asks for height, weight, and biological gender to recommend the appropriate fit for me. Certainly, there will be tall, short and wide outliers who simply won’t fit into the exoskeleton. But on our test day, the group was diverse in shape and size, and everybody was able to fit comfortably into it.

Another thing that I took away from my test day was that it encouraged me to walk a lot more. Although I wouldn’t classify myself as a fitness person, I live an active lifestyle, walking and cycling everywhere unless it’s raining.

My average daily step count hovers between 10,000–12,000. By the end of day one of wearing the Hypershell exoskeleton, I had logged 21,874 steps, and I didn’t feel at all. I didn’t even break a sweat.

Even though it wasn’t an Iron Man suit, my first impressions on day one were exceedingly positive. But the real test was going to come when I had a chance to actually live with a review unit and slot it into my regular life.

When the Hypershell X Ultra landed on my desk for this review, the whole kit came in a polyethene foam carry case, which is laser cut to house the exoskeleton, an extra battery, USB-C charging cable, warranty card, and user manual. It’s a well-thought-out package that feels premium and robust.

Built around a SinterShell Titanium alloy frame, the device itself is impressively light, weighing approximately 1.8kg (including the battery), and it feels secure when strapped on, closer to a high-end climbing harness than a medical brace. It has that 'overkill but awesome' energy that only top-tier engineering can deliver.

For most active amateurs, the wall isn't speed; it's fatigue and impact stress on the joints. The Hypershell aims to solve this by providing motorised assistance to the hips and knees, and essentially reducing the metabolic energy required for locomotion.

Hypershell X Ultra review

Price and availability

The Hypershell X Ultra is available now Hypershell, priced at $1,999 (£1,599), while the X Pro version (with less powerful assist) can be picked up for $1,099 (£859). It is a premium, category-defining device aimed at serious tech enthusiasts, hikers, and anyone looking to minimise joint stress and general fatigue while maximising outdoor enjoyment.

Design, Build, and the Bionic Advantage

The X Ultra achieves its impressive effort reduction through precision engineering. The design is split into three main parts: the Hip Motor Module, the Thigh Cuffs, and its AI-based Motion Engine.

The Hip Module houses its quiet, high-torque brushless motors, the rechargeable battery pack, and the central AI processor. The harness is adjustable and comfortable enough for multi-hour wear, distributing the weight evenly across the hips.

The kinetic energy is transferred to your body through thin, durable carbon fibre levers connected to the Thigh Cuffs. When you step, the system uses internal sensors and the AI engine to predict your next movement (Gait analysis) and deploy micro-bursts of power to assist the lifting of your leg and the extension of your stride.

Crucial Note on Climate: The X Ultra features an IP54 rating. This means it is highly resistant to sweat, dust, and light rain/snow. However, Hypershell explicitly states it should not be worn in heavy rain or submerged. While this device significantly reduces the barrier of fatigue, it requires you to be aware of inclement weather conditions, unlike fully waterproof gear.

Long Walk and Hill Climbing (The Endurance Multiplier)

To see if the exoskeleton could live up to its promise, I replaced my standard daily and outdoor routines with the X Ultra, focusing on how it changes the feel of the activity rather than just the speed.

My most relatable test was an hour-long walk involving some significant hill climbs in a nearby park. The X Ultra’s assist is not a rigid push; it’s subtle, almost unnerving at first. It feels less like a motor and more like having your own body weight instantly reduced by 10%. It’s hard to explain, but it made me feel lighter on my feet.

To gauge this objectively, I relied on the Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale. On my control walk up the steepest section, an incline that usually leaves me at an RPE of 6 (slightly breathless) and forces me to stop and cool down at the summit, I felt the familiar burning fatigue.

When I repeated the exact same route and pace an hour later, wearing the Hypershell in Eco Mode at 100%, the experience was radically different. I maintained the same pace but felt I was operating closer to an RPE of 3, as in I could hold a conversation the whole way up without any breathlessness and wasn’t sweating at the top.

The difference in my leg muscles was even more pronounced. On a typical climb, I feel the burn immediately in my quads and calves; with the X Ultra, that familiar lactic acid sensation was delayed by minutes. My breathing was still deep, but it remained controlled and conversational, and crucially, I didn't need to break stride or pause at the top. The device provides a constant, gentle lift during the swing phase of my gait and extra push during the stance phase, making the muscles feel less like they are fighting gravity and more like they’re gliding.

The motors are inaudible outside, the only sound - if you listen closely - is the gentle whirring of the carbon fibre levers articulating. But the rustle of clothing and outdoor environmental noise masks it well. The reduction in quad and calf fatigue was immediate and staggering. I completed the hill climbs feeling energetic, not defeated, which meant I continued walking further around the park instead of turning back.

This assistive torque significantly extends the comfortable range for a person whose knees or hips might usually protest after the first few kilometres, turning what would typically be a 'max effort' walk into a comfortable saunter.

The consistent, low-fatigue output is the key to achieving the increased step counts I’ve been experiencing since using the Hypershell X Ultra, proving that this device directly translates to massive increases in weekly activity levels. This is the difference between exercise feeling like a chore and feeling like a genuine privilege.

Running Performance and Impact Reduction

Using Adaptive Motion Recognition was perhaps the most transformative experience. My typical running route felt effortlessly extended from 5K to 7K without any noticeable increase in exertion level. The Hypershell truly shines in the mid-to-late stages of a run when form starts to break down due to fatigue and the impact forces on the joints increase.

The system isn't designed to make you faster, but to make you more consistent. By providing automated assistance to maintain optimal leg lift and stride consistency, the device effectively buffers the impact forces typically absorbed by the knees and lower back. After a control run without the X Ultra, the following morning usually brought some quad ache and tightness in my shins, suggesting mild impact stress. However, after using the X Ultra for the same distance and intensity, the post-run recovery felt noticeably faster.

I found the most significant benefit was the reduction of the post-activity aches. The stiff, dull ache in my thighs and calf muscles, the biggest barrier preventing me from running again the next day, was significantly minimised. This makes the X Ultra not just an endurance enabler but also a valuable injury-prevention and recovery aid for the amateur runner.

It turns the experience of running from a pain-management exercise into a sustained, enjoyable activity. For anyone who currently struggles to run consistently due to joint fatigue, the X Ultra could fundamentally change the sustainability of their routine.

Cycling Endurance and Battery Logistics

While the Hypershell is clearly optimised for bipedal gait (walking and running), I tested its Cycling+ Mode on a commute. The results were mixed but definitely promising. It doesn't replace the motor of an e-bike, nor is it intended to, but it does provide noticeable low-end torque assistance. This proved particularly helpful when accelerating from a stoplight or when grinding up a slight incline, where the pedal stroke is the most inefficient.

For the casual commuter, the weight is a negligible trade-off for the assistance it provides. The real potential, however, lies in using the Hypershell during long, non-motorised cycle treks where muscle burnout in the glutes and quads would be significantly alleviated. If you are training for a multi-day trip or planning a cycle-and-hike adventure, the X Ultra could be an invaluable addition.

Battery logistics are simple. I got about six round-trip commutes on a single charge in mixed assist modes, which aligns closely with Hypershell’s claimed per-battery range. Since the kit includes two batteries, endurance is no longer a limiting factor for most users. The quick-release mechanism meant taking the entire assembly off post-ride was fast and unintrusive, a welcome feature for anyone transitioning quickly from a bike to a meeting or public transport.

Key Smart Features

The Hypershell X Ultra's intelligence resides in its AI Motion Engine, the unsung hero of the entire system.

Gait Analysis & AI Learning

The exoskeleton doesn't just push; it learns. It uses high-frequency sensors to analyse your unique walking or running gait, the precise angle and speed of your hip and knee articulation, and delivers power exactly when your muscles need it most. This proactive, anticipatory assistance is why the power delivery feels so organic, not mechanical. It smooths out inconsistencies in your stride before you even realise they exist.

The App Experience

The companion app is crucial. It’s where you can both select and make fine adjustments to its modes (Eco, Hyper, Transparent) and can even adjust the power it sends to each leg independently. You can also monitor battery life, and most importantly, review your effort-saving metrics in the Stats tab. While I didn't use a fitness tracker for HR data, the app's internal metrics on steps, elevation gain, and distance provided the motivation needed. Seeing objective data like the increase in steps and elevation gain over time, knowing you achieved it with less effort, is highly motivating and fosters sustainable activity habits.

Durability and Maintenance

The bionic levers are robust, and the overall construction feels high-end. Given the motor complexity, using the kit appropriately is key. Follow the guidance provided with the Hypershell and within the app. As noted, it’s not for use in heavy downpours, requiring you to remain aware of the weather, unlike fully waterproof gear.

The Wearable Workout Machine (Fitness Mode)

For those who worry that their legs might turn to mush if constantly assisted, Hypershell includes an "experimental" Fitness Mode, which cleverly flips the motor function to provide resistance instead of assistance.

This dual functionality transforms the X Ultra from a simple aid into a fully-fledged, personalised training companion. When engaged, this mode turns the exoskeleton into a wearable workout machine, creating a sensation akin to wading through waist-level water. The system actively resists hip flexion and extension, forcing your muscles to work harder during every step.

This is a phenomenal feature for anyone looking to increase their baseline fitness without having to join a gym or buy dedicated equipment. It effectively provides many of the benefits of wearing thick resistance bands, but without the awkwardness of trying to keep them around your legs while moving. I tested this mode while performing mundane tasks like housework and running local errands, and managed to develop a respectable level of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

It's a true 'passive workout' tool; I didn't even have to specifically carve out time to "work out", the resistance was subtly integrated into my daily routine, turning a trip to the corner shop into a leg-building session. This versatility makes the price tag much easier to justify.

Is the Hypershell X Ultra worth the money for the average user?

The Hypershell X Ultra is a $1,999 (£1,599) declaration that you are serious about engaging in consistent activity. It is a niche, high-end product that’s built to help people get even more from spending time outdoors.

But focusing on its core offering; for the average person who wants to get outside and extend their range without the next-day knee pain, or the hiker who wants to comfortably cover longer distances, this device is genuinely revolutionary.

It removes the two biggest physical barriers to enjoyment: fatigue and impact stress. And introduces an element of excitement to getting out that can elude some of us, especially when life is busy and getting outside feels like a chore. It’s designed to allow you to focus purely on the experience of the outdoors.

It is not just a gadget; it's an endurance enabler, an injury buffer, and an outdoor activity enhancer. It’s the closest most of us will ever get to having truly bionic legs, and for its ability to transform everyday activity from a struggle into a sustainable joy, it earns our top recommendation.

The Hypershell X Ultra is a groundbreaking piece of fitness technology, and an exciting sign of things to come.

Also consider

I have seen marginally cheaper knockoffs from Chinese online outlets. But I would avoid off-brand electronics, especially when spending on a device that I will be wearing and being active in. Buying from Hypershell, the leading brand in this field, would give me more confidence in the product’s reliability and efficacy. Until other legitimate competitors emerge, Hypershell is the way to go if you’re looking for a gadget of this nature.

The Akaso Sight-300 is being pitched as “AI night vision for the rest of us,” a handheld/helmet-mountable monocular that can pull colour and detail out of scenes that are basically pitch black to the naked eye.

Akaso claims it uses a big 1/1.79-inch CMOS sensor, a super wide F/1.0 lens and an AI image processor to brighten shadows, smooth grain and keep things sharp, instead of giving you the classic blurry green haze you associate with budget night vision.

On paper, it sounds brilliant: true-colour night vision, 4K recording, rugged housing, swappable battery. In reality, I think it largely delivers on the “see more in the dark” promise, but with some significant usability caveats, especially if you’re imagining this as a long-range wildlife or security scope.

The main limitation is optics. There’s no optical magnification. You’re basically looking at a wide, digitally enhanced feed on a little internal screen rather than through traditional glass optics, and any zoom is digital.

That means the Sight-300 is most effective at close to medium distances and loses appeal if your goal is proper surveillance, spotting animals across a field, or anything that relies on identifying subjects from range.

Get closer, though, checking out what’s rustling at the end of the garden, scanning a campsite or doing quasi-tactical building sweeps, and suddenly it makes a lot more sense.

Akaso Sight-300 review

Price and availability

At the time of writing (24 October 2025), the Akaso Sight-300 is still in its crowdfunding phase. Akaso ran the device on Kickstarter, with early-bird backers paying in the ballpark of $159–$169. Retail pricing is expected to land closer to $290–$300 once it goes fully on sale, according to Akaso’s campaign materials and early coverage.

Proper military-spec night vision, or even good commercial night vision binoculars/monoculars with optical magnification, can easily cost four figures. The Sight-300 aims to undercut that by a huge margin.

As with any crowdfunded product, delivery dates and final specs can shift, and taxes/import duties are usually extra. Akaso is already an established budget action camera brand, not a total unknown, and it’s sold previous low-light products like the Akaso Seemor-200, so this isn’t a random startup with no track record.

Build quality and ergonomics

From the outside, the Sight-300 looks like something between an action camera, and a compact monocular. The body is lightweight for what it does, roughly 260–280 grams, and rated IP65, which means you don’t have to panic if you get caught in a storm or you’re out in damp woodland.

It’s clearly designed to be thrown into a pack, clipped to a vest, or even helmet-mounted using the included bracket. Akaso actually talks about it running on a proper “tacticool” helmet setup, which tells you exactly who they think is buying this: airsoft/paintball/training nerds, farm owners doing perimeter checks, and hobbyists.

In the hand, the form factor works. It’s compact enough to stuff in a cargo pocket, and the controls are simple enough that you can figure them out in the dark. There are physical buttons to flick modes and adjust brightness, and a focus ring on the lens. That last part is a blessing and a curse. On one hand, manual focus means you can dial in clarity for the exact distance you care about. On the other hand, there’s no autofocus, so you’re constantly nudging focus.

The other thing to say about ergonomics is the view itself. You’re not looking “through” glass; you’re looking at a little display. That makes extended viewing slightly more like watching a tiny head-mounted cam feed than peering through binoculars. People online have pointed out that even at the lowest brightness setting, the screen can feel harsh, and I totally agree.

Features and performance

Akaso’s entire pitch is that Sight-300 isn’t just amplifying what’s already there; it’s actively reconstructing an image using – you guessed it – AI.

Inside is a large 1/1.79-inch CMOS sensor paired with a super-fast F/1.0 lens to pull in as much light as possible, and then a bespoke AI-ISP chip that does noise reduction, sharpening and motion blur control on the fly.

Akaso claims up to 99% colour accuracy, even under extremely low light, and says it can keep things legible down to around 0.001 lux, which is basically “moonless night” levels of dark.

In practice, that means two main experiences. Scenario one: there’s at least some ambient light (street lighting in the distance, glow from a window, a bit of skyglow). In that case, you can genuinely get surprisingly natural-looking colour video in situations that would normally just look like a black void to your eyes.

You can tell a red car from a blue car, and work out if that shape at the treeline is actually a fox. The feed feels smooth, and lag is minimal enough that you can actually move around with it, rather than treating it like a static spotting scope.

Scenario two: truly dark. No spill light, no moon, nothing. Here, the Sight-300 can still see, but footage in full-colour mode quickly becomes noisy and potentially too messy to properly identify subjects.

Switch to monochrome, and contrast jumps up, making object identification easier, but you lose the colour advantage that’s meant to set this apart from even more affordable night-vision toys. You can also pair it with an IR illuminator to flood the scene in invisible light, but the whole point of the Sight-300 is that it doesn’t need IR to see in the dark – a bit of a catch-22.

Field of view is another big talking point. Akaso quotes a 60° field of view, which is generous compared to a lot of budget night scopes that feel like looking down a tunnel. That wide view – reportedly driven by a 120° ultra-wide lens internally and then cropped to what you see – makes it good for situational awareness and close work.

The flip side is, again, magnification: there is no optical zoom. You get up to 8x digital zoom, which is basically enlarging pixels. Push that too far and detail falls apart quickly.

As a recorder, though, it’s unusually capable for the money. You can capture 4K/30fps video or 2K/60fps, plus photos, and store them on microSD – Akaso says up to 512 GB – for later.

There also doesn’t seem to be app support for the Sight-300, despite Akaso having multiple apps. This might change when the product leaves the pre-production stage.

Battery life and charging

Akaso says you get roughly four hours of runtime on a removable battery, and you can hot-swap batteries in the field or just plug in a power bank via USB-C and keep going. For something this compact and this bright, four hours of continuous use is decent.

The fact that the battery is removable is even more important than the raw number, because this isn’t the sort of device you’ll keep powered on all night like a security camera. You’ll more likely use it in bursts and then power it down.

Realistically, that means a single battery could get you through multiple nights of stop-start use, as long as you’re disciplined about not leaving it idling. Being able to top up from a standard USB power bank in the field is also very practical, especially for campers or anyone doing overnight watches.

Verdict

The Akaso Sight-300 is not a magic predator-vision helmet for (well) under $300. What it is is a genuinely interesting “see in the dark” tool that punches far above what you’d expect at this price. It’s light, weather-resistant, helmet-mountable and records in 4K.

In mild low light, it lets you pick out detail and even colour in scenes that look basically black to the naked eye, and it does it with surprisingly little lag. For close-quarters work, it absolutely makes sense.

Where it falls down is range and polish. With no optical magnification and only digital zoom, it can’t replace a true spotting scope for wildlife, long-distance farm/security work, or proper search at 100+ metres. The manual focus is fiddly, the screen can be too bright at night, and file management feels very beta (for now).

If you go in expecting affordable, close-range, mostly hands-on night vision that can also record evidence in usable resolution, you’ll be happy. If you’re dreaming of pro-grade long-distance night optics on a budget – look elsewhere.

Hedgehog, the Norwegian brand known for solving life’s messiest problems with clever design, has unveiled the Hedgehog GO, a dual-purpose dryer that works on both hair and gear.

As someone who spends a ton of time outdoors and often tests running shoes and hiking boots, the Hedgehog GO sounds like an essential gadget upgrade to ensure my footwear is always dry (and warm) when needed.

Recognised by TIME as one of the Best Inventions of 2025, the new product blurs the line between beauty tech and outdoor kit, combining professional-grade performance with real-world practicality.

The GO joins a growing family of powerful, compact tools that also includes the Hedgehog JET, a handheld blower capable of blasting air at 162 mph, strong enough to dry paddleboards, tents or bikes on the go.

Weighing just 0.77 pounds, the GO is compact enough to slip into a backpack but powerful enough to dry hair in under three minutes or boots in as little as ten.

Its custom-built 105,000 RPM brushless motor produces wind speeds over 60 miles per hour, and the device can reach temperatures up to 140°F (60°C).

Interchangeable nozzles let you switch between styling your hair and drying damp trainers, gloves, or cleats, while the built-in temperature sensor prevents overheating delicate materials.

Dry smarter, pack lighter

The idea was born in the mountains of Hemsedal, Norway, where founder Bjørn Holte wanted a faster way to dry his kids’ snow-soaked boots and mittens.

Holte, who once collaborated with the Norwegian Olympic Snowboard Team, set out to make a compact, high-performance solution that could handle both mountain adventures and daily life.

With its dual-voltage compatibility, the Hedgehog GO is as travel-friendly as it is practical at home, whether you’re warming ski boots before heading out again or freshening up shoes after a rainy run.

It’s the rare bit of tech that makes as much sense in a bathroom as it does in a boot room, and for once, drying off might actually feel exciting.

The Hedgehog GO is available now for $159/ €149/ £149 (~AU$229.69) at Hedgehog.

If you thought we were about to sit here and start telling you about a new BMW iX3 that might be in your budget, then we're sorry to disappoint . But before you get too disheartened, we do have some news from BMW that is a little bit out there.

The German car brand has teamed up with SipaBoards to create a new paddleboard (via The Robb Report), resulting in an all-electric paddleboard. Yep, we did hint that it'd be a bit different.

What you need to know about the BMW paddleboard

The BMW Tourer Electric features an integrated motor and swappable battery packs so you can get around on the water easier.

If you haven't heard of SipaBoards, it's an Australian company that has been making paddleboards for over a decade, so BMW has had some expert help in its first dabble.

In terms of design, the board looks like SipaBoard's standard Tourer, but comes in a choice of three unique patterns that have been inspired by BMW's Neue Klasse design language. That ensures they match the company's next generation EVs (the cars, that is).

It can hold up to two paddlers at once and measures 12-foot by 32.3-inches.

A silent water jet motor sits within the tail and is said to offer up to four knots of "swift, smooth acceleration". The battery system claims to offer up to seven hours of paddling time and it comes with an integrated LED light to shine on water under you. There's GPS too.

When it's not being used, the BMW Tourer Electric board can be deflated and folded into an included canvas backpack, while the integrated motor can help you inflate it back up in a few minutes when you're ready for use.

The BMW Tourer Electric is available from SipaBoards now, starting at $4,805.

Many people know DJI for its drones – a category that the Chinese tech giant dominates – but the company has also been making waves in other areas of technology, including action cameras, microphones, and power stations.

The DJI Power 1000 v2 falls under this latter category, being the second iteration of the brand’s mid-size portable power station, positioned between the compact DJI Power 500 and the larger, yet comparatively lightweight, DJI Power 2000.

The Power 1000 v2 has the same 1,024 Wh capacity but comes with several improvements over its predecessor, including higher continuous output, faster charging, improved UPS/switch mode, and more.

I came to rely on it quite a lot during the month-long testing period, not least because of its stable output and low operating noise. I used it as an intermediary station between my mains outlet and my somewhat sensitive tech equipment (e.g., MacBook), filtering ‘dirty’ electricity and keeping my gadgets safe.

In the weight of things

Although the new model is superior to the DJI Power 1000 in almost every sense, one area where the improvements took their toll is weight. The predecessor weighs a modest 13kg, while the Power 1000 v2 gained an extra kilo or so, coming in at 14.2kg.

It’s not incredibly heavy, and thanks to the well-positioned, ergonomic handle, it’s easy to transport the unit between rooms or in and out of the car.

The fans are located behind the handles and operate silently. Under normal circumstances, with only a few gadgets plugged in, you’ll hardly ever hear the Power 1000 v2. If anything, it’s easier to notice when the fans are on by a faint, warm, plasticky smell.

Ports in a storm

Truth be told, you won’t be able to plug loads of stuff in – you get two AC Outputs, two USB-C (up to 28 V, 5 A; max output power of 140 W), two USB-A (up to 12 V, 2 A), and SDC plus SDC Lite ports. It’s common for power stations this size to offer more outlets.

The orange SDC and SDC Lite ports are for DJI gadgets only. They allow you to plug drones and batteries directly into the Power 1000 v2 without the need for an AC adapter. If you don’t own any DJI drones, you effectively lose two connections straight away.

I mentioned above that the Power 1000 v2’s maximum continuous AC output has increased, which is good news if you need to power your kettle, laptop, and drone simultaneously. Officially, the v2 is capable of 2,600W, which is 400W higher than the original Power 1000.

Plugging my kettle into one of the AC ports allowed me to test it thoroughly. The kettle, alongside the MacBook and my iPhone, pushed the maximum AC output to 2,735W at one point, and the Power 1000 v2 handled it like a champion. Apart from the fan spinning up a gear, there were no signs that it was struggling.

Of course, the kettle is an extreme example, and it won’t be on for longer than a minute or so; other, less power-hungry appliances will draw less. I won’t list DJI’s official roundup of gizmos and how many times the Power 1000 v2 can charge them, but as a few examples, the station can run a fan for around nine hours, a power saw for 40 minutes, a fridge for 20 hours and a microwave oven for around 1.3 hours – all in line with what you’d expect from a 1,024 Wh power station.

Quick sparks

One area where the Power 1000 v2 really shines is charging. The previous model wasn’t slow, but the new one can go from zero to 100% in around an hour (plugged into a wall socket), which is impressive. You can charge it to about 80% in under 40 minutes, meaning less downtime and more work time – yay!

Better still, the brand claims the Power 1000 v2 will retain over 80% of its battery capacity after 4,000 cycles. This means that even if you charge the station once a day for 11 years (!), it should remain more than functional.

Another, slightly more niche upgrade is operating altitude, which has been increased from 3,000m to up to 5,000m. It might not affect many users, but if you’re in the Himalayas flying drones, you can rest assured the Power 1000 v2 has got your energy needs covered.

Speaking of using the power station in remote areas, the Power 1000 v2 now supports higher solar input, up to 1,800 W, which allows for a sub-40-minute charge time. I don’t have a solar setup at home, so I couldn’t test it, but other claims from DJI held up in testing, so I’ll take their word on solar performance.

Subtle refinements

You can control the Power 1000 v2 via the DJI Home app, which is simple enough to use, thanks in part to the power station’s straightforward design. In the app, you can monitor which ports are active and the remaining power, handy if the unit is tucked away. Software updates are also initiated from the app.

The v2 isn’t a radical overhaul, but a meaningful refinement. If your power demands are modest and you don’t use it heavily, the original DJI Power 1000 still performs well and likely delivers good value.

However, the new model is superior in almost every aspect and delivers more reliable performance over a longer period. If you often rely on a power station as a travelling creative or someone with an intermittent power supply at home, the Power 1000 v2 is the better choice.

I wouldn’t upgrade from the Power 1000, but if you have an older unit (and plenty of DJI gadgets), the Power 1000 v2 is a sterling backup power choice.

The Power 1000 v2 is available now at DJI, with prices starting at 799 GBP / 899 EUR. US and AU prices and availability are to be confirmed.

You might have noticed that the days are getting shorter (in the northern hemisphere), which can only mean one thing: torch season is upon us!

And what a way to kick off this joyous time of the year than with a hands-on review of the world's smallest LEP torch, the Vastlite Minima Bow.

I was offered a review unit back in August, and kind of forgot about it, until I started noticing that my morning commutes are a lot darker than they were a month ago.

Actually, I took the Minima Bow with me on my 5-day Welsh road trip and promptly lost it for a week or two, thanks to its compact form factor (I forgot that I had put it in the carry case of the Petzl Swift RL 2).

Once I recovered the torch, it was time to put it to the test. However, before I regale the tale, it's worth discussing what LEP is, as I appreciate that some people might not be intimately familiar with lighting terminology.

What on earth is LEP?

LEP stands for Laser Excited Phosphor, and it's a lighting technology used in some modern flashlights and projectors. It has three key benefits over your everyday LED light: a long throw (for its size), very little spill, and an excellent lumen-to-candela ratio.

What this last bit means is that an LEP torch may have a comparatively low lumen output (280 lumens in the case of the Minima Bow), but because the beam is so focused, the candela (a measure of beam intensity) is significant.

In practice, you can shine a light on objects hundreds of metres away, and in some cases, even miles away. Vastlite's hand torch isn't the longest-throwing LEP torch, but it can easily illuminate objects many streets away.

Pocket-sized power

The official number provided by the company is 750 metres (~2,460 feet, or 6.8 football fields for my American friends), which is incredibly impressive for a 36g (~1.26oz) torch that can easily fit in your pocket. It measures only 20 x 71mm (0.79 × 2.80 inches).

The Minima Bow has three lighting modes: low (50 lm), high (280 lm) and strobe (120 lm). You can switch between them by twisting the tip of the torch.

The first twist turns on the Minima Bow (it has memory, so it will remember the last mode it was in when you last used it). The second twist toggles the mode between low and high (or vice versa). Twist it twice quickly to activate strobe mode.

That's really all there is to it – the controls are quite foolproof. On the flipside, you don't get any advanced feedback on, let's say, battery status, like you do on the Olight Seeker 4 Pro (which is a much bigger torch).

The twisty control also means that you won't be able to operate the Minima Bow one-handed; there is some resistance to the movement, making it all but impossible to operate the torch without both hands free.

Battery life and charging quirks

Battery life is impressive, too: Vastlite claims the Minima Bow can run for an hour and 15 minutes in low mode, which my tests confirm. Better still, even though the torch warms slightly, it's far from too hot to handle, which was one of my concerns before I started testing it.

The 850 mAh rechargeable battery features a USB-C port on the battery body, requiring you to remove it for charging. It's not a major concern, but it could be a minor issue when you're out and about in the rain, trying to recharge the battery in your tent while also keeping it dry.

Another pain point for me was the tiny status LED on the battery. It's almost impossible to see, so you just have to guess when the battery is fully charged.

You'll get more heat when you run the flashlight in high mode – it's only really good for sporadic use, which is the case with most torches, especially compact units (e.g. Olight Baton 4). The light output also drops quickly in this mode (due to the increased heat).

Who really needs this torch?

The Minima Bow isn't cheap ($99.99/ £94 at full price), which raises the question: Do you really need a tiny torch with a long, focused beam? Most people use torches to illuminate things in front of them, and for that, a decent LED flashlight is more than enough.

The Vastilite is a more specialised tool that could help you locate objects of interest at a distance. I can see it being extremely handy for search and rescue teams and possibly even for wildlife enthusiasts, although the latter group might scare animals with such a powerful light beam.

That said, the Minima Bow is admittedly a very cool piece of outdoor tech. It's compact, powerful, and offers something other than most small torches on the market. If you're into your EDC and like the idea of having unique products, the Minima Bow might be the best upgrade for you in 2025.

The Minima Bow is available for purchase now on Amazon US, FlashlightGo, and AliExpress.

Not so long ago, the idea of strapping on a robotic frame to your limbs to help you climb a mountain would have sounded ridiculous. I mean, if you've never heard of Hypershell, it probably still does.

The brand, which specialises in what is essentially the Robocop of hiking, launched its X Series exoskeleton earlier this year - demonstrating how the tech could actually work in the real world. That model offered a 40% strength boost, reduced fatigue, and even gave users a speed assist of up to 12mph.

Now, Hypershell is back with a major upgrade. Fresh off winning an IFA Innovation Award 2025, the new Hypershell X Ultra promises to be smarter, stronger and more versatile than the last version. Designed not just for hardcore adventurers, it's slated to make hikes, bike rides, or even family outings less of a slog for anyone looking to be active.

Smarter support, longer range

The big draw here is that the X Ultra means less effort for hikers. Hypershell reckons you’ll be able to carry gear with up to 40% less strain, potentially adding 10 or 15 extra miles to a day’s hike. CEO Kelvin Sun says the idea here is to break down physical barriers so that people feel more confident taking on adventures they might swerve otherwise.

Under the X Ultra's hood is a fresh AI-powered MotionEngine that constantly adjusts support to match both the wearer's stride and the terrain. This is paired with some upgraded M-One Ultra motors, which Hypershell says will cut exertion by around 20% when walking and nearly 40% when cycling. This improves endurance in the muscles that usually tire first on long treks, it said.

Battery life has also been given a boost. There are now two packs included so the X Ultra can manage up to 60km on a single outing - more than triple its predecessor.

Any terrain will do

The X Ultra model also adds a bunch of intelligent modes to match different activities. There’s Running+ for sprinting, Cycling+ for extra torque, Snow and Dune for trickier soft surfaces, and even a Descent Assist feature, which takes the pressure off your knees on long downhills. All of this can now be controlled from your Apple Watch thanks to new Hypershell+ app support.

Despite its size and recent tech upgrades, the X Ultra is still pretty light, weighing in at just 1.8kg. This is because it's been cobbled from aerospace-grade materials, designed to shrug off bad weather. What's more, it’s had its performance put through third-party testing by SGS so it's more likely the figures aren’t just marketing spin.

When we first reported on the X Series back in January, it already felt like a glimpse of the future. But with the X Ultra already pushing things even further - shrinking the design, adding more battery life, and making it versatile enough for more than just hardcore treks - the idea of exoskeletons going mainstream doesn’t seem so far-fetched.

It might still be early days for exoskeletons, but Hypershell is starting to make the case that one day, this kind of tech could be as common as a fitness tracker.

Living off-grid doesn’t mean you have to hand-scrub greasy pans anymore.

Loch Electronics has officially launched the Capsule Solo, a compact countertop dishwasher that doesn’t require plumbing, fits on a table, and uses up to 86% less water than washing by hand.

Originally a crowdfunding sensation, Loch’s Capsule series has now gone mainstream, and the new Solo model is its most accessible yet.

Designed for tight living quarters like campervans, micro-cabins, tiny homes, rentals, and student flats, the Solo has an internal water tank, stainless steel build, and eco-friendly washing tech packed into a box no bigger than a microwave.

It’s also the only compact dishwasher on the market with a stainless steel interior, which improves drying, reduces energy consumption, and eliminates the unpleasant plastic smell that most mini washers struggle with.

The adjustable rack, high-efficiency spray system and energy-conscious heating make it ideal for solo dwellers or couples looking to reduce waste on the road.

While the original Capsule dishwasher still exists, with added perks such as UV sanitation, rinse aid, more wash modes, and optional hose connection, the new Solo is all about simplicity, portability, and off-grid practicality.

From Kickstarter hit to van-life hero

After launching as Scotland’s most successful crowdfunded product, the company is now positioning itself as a sustainable appliance brand for modern lifestyles, and its new website reflects this evolution.

We’re betting this won’t just be a hit with eco-minded apartment dwellers, but also van lifers, digital nomads, and adventurers with a 240V hookup might have just found their next essential appliance.

The Capsule Solo is available now via Loch’s official website and Amazon UK for a recommended price of £349.99/ $399.99/ €399.99 (~AU$722.63).

The Capsule model is also available at Amazon UK for £399.99/ $459.99/ €459.99.

Ledlenser has just revealed the fourth generation of its P-Series torches, a full-range refresh that doubles down on sustainability and usability without sacrificing the performance the brand is known for.

The new line-up spans 16 models, from keychain lights to professional searchlights, with two flagship models leading the charge: the P7R and P18R.

Every new P-Series model is housed in aluminium made from at least 75% recycled material, a move the company says cuts CO₂ emissions by over 90% compared to virgin aluminium.

Combined with fully recyclable cardboard packaging, this makes the fourth-gen torches the most sustainable in Ledlenser’s history, all while supposedly retaining the ruggedness and build quality the brand is known for.

The introduction of the Mode Select Ring on flagship models offers a more tactile, intuitive way to switch light modes, activate transport lock, or access the USB-C port, even with gloves on.

Flagship torches with power to spare

The new P7R revives a fan favourite with more power, better controls, and longer runtime.

This rechargeable model now outputs up to 1,400 lumens, casts light as far as 300 metres, and runs up to 90 hours on its lowest setting.

The Mode Select Ring makes switching brightness levels smooth and reliable in the field, while USB-C charging ensures quick top-ups.

For those needing maximum punch, the P18R is the powerhouse of the series.

Designed for demanding scenarios, it delivers an immense 4,500 lumens of brightness and a beam distance of around 720 metres.

It features both the Advanced Focus System, allowing seamless adjustment from floodlight to spotlight, and the intuitive One Touch Focus, which lets users switch beam profiles with a single thumb movement.

Despite its high output, the P18R offers practical runtimes of up to 40 hours and is USB-C rechargeable.

The P-Series also includes compact everyday models, rugged Pro versions, and higher-lumen Signature editions with exclusive accessories and finishes.

Prices start from £26.95 for the P3 and go up to £349.95 for the P18R Signature.

The fourth-gen Ledlenser P-Series is available now from Ledlenser and select specialist retailers.

AKASO, best known for producing some of the most affordable action cameras on the market, has just launched its most intriguing outdoor gadget yet.

The Sight-300 is a full-colour digital night vision monocular designed to work in conditions as dark as starlight, without using infrared (IR) light.

Following the crowdfunding success of its AKASO Seemor 200 smart binoculars, the company's new night vision tool is aimed at wildlife watchers, night hikers, and backcountry explorers who want clear, covert visuals in the dark without the green haze and IR glare common to older systems.

Where traditional night vision gear relies on IR illumination, the Sight-300 uses a large 1/1.79-inch CMOS sensor, F/1.0 lens, and AKASO’s quad-core AI-ISP image engine to pull colour and clarity out of near-darkness, specifically down to 0.001 lux, which is equivalent to starlight with no moon.

That means you can see and film clearly without giving away your position, making this a handy bit of kit for observing nocturnal animals or moving stealthily through a forest at night.

The AI engine isn’t just a buzzword either: AKASO claims it works to reduce motion blur, eliminate grain, and restore up to 99% colour accuracy, so you’re seeing rich detail, not noise.

Designed for movement (or mounting to your helmet)

Weighing just 260g, the Sight-300 is helmet-compatible, comes with modular mounting rails, and can record footage at up to 4K 30fps in daylight or 2K 60fps at night, with 8× digital zoom for good measure.

Two viewing modes – "Observation Mode" and "Action Mode" – let you toggle between static clarity and motion stability, while a wide-angle 120° capture lens and a 60° field-of-view display give you strong situational awareness.

It’s also IP65-rated for dust and water resistance, features a hot-swappable 3,250mAh battery, and connects via Wi-Fi for remote viewing or live-streaming through AKASO’s companion app.

The AKASO Sight-300 will launch first on Kickstarter later this year, with first shipments expected in November 2025.

Pricing is TBA, but if the brand’s past products are anything to go by, it’s likely to undercut premium alternatives by a fair margin.

Visit AKASO for more info.

Exoskeletons aren’t just for sci-fi or rehab clinics anymore.

They’re getting smaller, smarter, and much more relevant to weekend warriors and endurance athletes.

I recently tried the Hypershell Pro X, which is a huge leap forward in terms of portability and power compared to models from a few years ago.

The latest example is a modern exoskeleton, if you can call it that, is the Dnsys Z1, a lightweight, knee-mounted exosuit that promises to supercharge your lower body, reduce strain, and make big climbs feel a whole lot easier.

Joint relief meets performance boost

Weighing just 680g per leg, the Z1 delivers a staggering 900W of power via twin motors (2 x 450W), using AI to respond in real time to your movement.

There’s no manual mode switching required, and Dnsys claims the millisecond-level algorithm adapts instantly to your activity.

Battery life clocks in at up to 5 hours, with water-resistant IP54 protection and a donning time of under 15 seconds.

According to Dnsys, the Z1 can offload up to 150kg (!) of knee pressure, provide a 50% boost in muscle power, and help you walk an extra 25km or ascend 15km higher on a single charge.

Those are wild numbers for such a small wearable, and they suggest real promise for hikers, trail runners, mountain workers, or anyone who wants to go further without burning out their joints.

The team behind it includes ex-DJI, Segway and Xiaomi engineers, and this isn’t their first exosuit.

Their earlier X1 device, also AI-powered, was successfully crowdfunded and shipped, and the company has experience making CFDA-approved medical models, too.

The Z1 crowdfunding campaign launched this month, with mass production slated for September and deliveries to backers starting in November.

If it lives up to the spec sheet, this might be the most compact mobility-boosting tech we’ve seen yet.

Find out more about the Z1 at Dnsys.

The Bluetti Apex 300 quietly became one of the most successful energy tech crowdfunding campaigns of the year, pulling in over $4.8 million from more than 2,400 backers on Indiegogo.

And yet, outside of hardcore off-grid and backup power circles, it’s flown largely under the radar.

Set to go on general sale from 1 August, the Apex 300 doesn’t look all that different from other boxy battery systems on the market.

But under the hood, it offers a combination of features that make it stand out.

This includes both 120V and 240V AC output natively, meaning it can power everything from kitchen appliances to power tools and even EVs, without requiring split-phase workarounds.

It also supports full modular expansion up to around 19kWh per unit and includes dual MPPT solar inputs, a 50A generator port, and a fast 3,840W charge rate.

What likely helped push the campaign to such heights was the real-world testing that accompanied it.

Early users reported using the Apex 300 to run everything from waffle makers and 14,000 BTU air conditioners to entire off-grid setups combining solar and gas.

Others praised its minimal idle drain and smooth UPS (zero-millisecond!) switchover, an often-overlooked detail that makes it suitable for more sensitive home electronics, such as laptops.

It’s not a revolution in portable power station technology, but it is a refinement of the formula.

For the brand, whose previous power station, the Bluetti AC50B, we called a "compact powerhouse for outdoor adventures," the Apex 300 feels like a confident evolution.

It delivers high output, modularity, and reliability in a package designed to appeal to both prepared homeowners and serious outdoor users.

The official retail price is set at $2,399 (~£1,783.49/ AU$3,684.59), and shipments are expected to begin next month.

If you missed the campaign, you’ll soon be able to find out whether Bluetti’s latest gamble lives up to the buzz.

Head over to Bluetti for more information.

DJI has upgraded one of its most versatile devices – and no, it’s not a drone.

The new Power 1000 V2 portable power station is lighter, smarter, and faster than ever, and it might just be the ultimate all-rounder for camping, road trips, creative shoots or unexpected blackouts.

Hot on the heels of the flagship Power 2000, the Power 1000 V2 gets a serious performance lift: 2,600W of stable output, full recharge in just 56 minutes, and a boosted port selection including dual 140W USB-C for fast-charging laptops.

It also now supports DJI’s new Home app, allowing you to remotely monitor power levels, adjust settings, and toggle outputs in real-time from anywhere.

At just 14.2kg with a 1024Wh capacity, it’s deceptively portable and perfect for drone crews or weekend warriors alike.

DJI says it can charge a phone 57 times, power a laptop nine times, or run a refrigerator for 20 hours.

Creators can also use the SDC fast-charging cable to top up compatible DJI drone batteries to 95% in about 30 minutes, making this a must-have for all-day shoots.

Smart charging, smarter backup

The Power 1000 V2 supports grid, car, or solar input, and its redesigned Battery Management System (BMS) enhances safety even in harsh conditions, such as salt spray or high altitudes.

It now functions as a true UPS, keeping your gear powered during blackouts with 0.01s switch-over time.

Add up to five expansion batteries and you’ve got over 11,000Wh on tap.

Shipping begins this month, with prices starting from £799/ €899 via the DJI Store and authorised retailers.

DJI, best known for drones that dominate the skies, is planting its flag firmly in the world of portable power.

We reported on the rumours of the imminent power station launch just yesterday, and evidently, we didn't have to wait too long for confirmation from the brand.

The DJI Power 2000 is the drone giant’s most powerful and (relatively) compact energy solution to date. It's also the largest model from DJI and four times the capacity of the DJI Power 500.

With a 2,048Wh capacity packed into a 32.6L body, this power station is roughly the size of a mini carry-on case, yet it delivers an uninterrupted 3,000W output that can run over 99% of household appliances.

To put it in perspective, the Power 2000 can run your fridge for up to 40 hours, your projector for up to 18 hours, and your coffee machine for up to 110 minutes (that's a lot of coffee).

It can even power one of the most demanding devices in any DIY kit, an electric chainsaw, if you fancy some campsite carpentry.

Unlike traditional generators, the Power 2000 operates almost silently at under 29dB, making it a peaceful companion for vanlifers, content creators, and road-tripping families.

Four AC outlets, four USB-C ports (including dual 140W fast-charge), and four USB-A ports make it feel like a fully-fledged power strip on wheels, and it recharges to 80% in just 45 minutes via grid, or 75 minutes with solar.

For those needing even more juice, DJI lets you daisy-chain up to ten (!) expansion batteries, pushing total capacity to an outrageous 22,528Wh.

There’s also UPS support with a switchover time of under 0.01 seconds for mission-critical devices, plus an advanced battery management system with 26 temperature sensors and 21 circuit fuses for rock-solid safety.

DJI’s Power 2000 appears to be serious competition for EcoFlow and Jackery, particularly with full DJI Home app control, solar and car hybrid input options, and a price that undercuts some of its flagship rivals.

Available now from DJI with prices starting from £1,185 / €1,399.

DJI could be about to go BIG with its next portable power station lineup.

A new leak shared by DroneXL reveals what appears to be two upcoming additions to DJI’s portable energy range: the Power 1000 V2 and a brand-new Power 2000.

The latest rumours follow a series of DJI-related information leaks to the public, including details about the supposedly upcoming DJI Mini 5 Pro and the brand's first 360-degree action camera, the OSMO 360.

These larger-capacity models suggest a strategic pivot from DJI, which looks set to prioritise high-output power over ultra-portable solutions.

The leak includes product renderings and spec hints that point to a serious capacity boost, particularly with the Power 2000, which could offer 2,048Wh, doubling the Power 1000’s original capacity.

DJI’s Power 1000 already impressed users with its rapid recharging and smart connectivity features, so a V2 update with faster charging, better battery management and expanded outputs would be a welcome evolution.

Specs aren’t confirmed yet, but it’s likely the V2 will retain key features from the original Power 1000: dual 2,200W AC outputs (with up to 4,400W peak), two 140W USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and DJI’s proprietary SDC and SDC-Lite ports, which enable super-fast drone battery charging.

The current Power 1000 recharges from 0–80% in just 50 minutes, so we may see even faster turnarounds in the V2.

Portability takes a back seat

Also of interest is what DJI isn’t updating. There’s no sign of a refreshed Power 500, the brand’s lightest, most travel-friendly power station.

T3’s review of the Power 500 praised its balance of portability and performance, with its 512Wh battery, 1,000W output, and sub-7.5kg weight making it ideal for day trips and mobile shoots.

Its absence from this leak could signal a shift in consumer demand, with DJI betting that creators and pros are ready to trade lightness for longevity.

This aligns with a wider trend: users aren’t just looking for compact convenience anymore.

They’re looking for all-day power, rapid charging, and gear that can support demanding off-grid work, whether that’s drone flights, mobile production rigs, or even emergency backup for EVs and laptops.

While nothing is official yet, the Power 1000 V2 and Power 2000 could mark a turning point for DJI’s energy ambitions.

If the final specs live up to the leak, DJI may soon be a serious contender in the professional portable power space, far beyond the drone world it helped define.

Glastonbury Festival is just around the corner and that means hundreds of thousands of people will be heading to a field in Somerset to spend at least three nights under canvas. While it's important to pack the essentials, packing a little luxury will turn your camping weekend from an unknown early morning set into a headline experience.

One of the benefits of camping is getting back to basics, but there are certain things that I just don't want to give up, even when I'm sleeping in a tent. I'm not talking about a full-on premium camping experience, like those luxury hotels in the middle of the dessert, just a few bits that will make sleeping under the stars a little more palatable.

I've been camping at festivals since my mid-teens and as I've got older, I find a few extras in your bag can make all the difference – especially if it rains. So, whether you're off to a music festival or a campsite these five items should be on your packing list.

1. Portable power station

The big thing missing from a tent, in my opinion, is power. A plug socket is something you come to expect in your home, office or hotel room, but not here. That means those gadgets that you typically plug in before you go to bed just continue to drain down to nothing. There's an answer, though.

Portable power stations are essentially large batteries. Smaller ones will power your phone and laptop, while larger versions can cope with fridges, speakers and even air conditioning units. (I'd love to see a tent with air con at Glastonbury).

If you're looking for something small and lightweight, the Anker Solix C200 DC could be right up your street. Weighing just 1.9kg and about the same size as a camping light, the C200 DC has a 192Wh battery – or 60,000mAh it has five charging ports including 3 USC-C. It can charge your phone up to 13 times or also keep your drone, portable speaker, tablet or camera topped up. Plus, it costs just £109 on Amazon right now.

If you want something a little bigger, the EcoFlow River 3 Plus has a 286Wh battery and a 1200W total output. It features a 3-pin plug socket, a 12V car output, and USB-C and USB-A options.

2. Loop Experience 2 Plus

Loop earplugs are a great way to reduce noise when you're sleeping, commuting, or just trying to focus, but they are also ideal for a festival, where the big sound from that main stage could leave your ears ringing. The Experience 2 Plus are specially designed for live music events as they offer extra noise reduction when you need it. The earplugs come in four colours and come with 4 ear tip sizes to fit your ears perfectly.

These premium versions are priced £39.95 / $44.95 and are well worth the investment if you value your hearing.

3. Airbed

I'm too old to sleep on the floor, so if I'm going camping, I'm taking an airbed. This Silentnight Air Bed has a flocked non-slip cover and comes in single, double or king size versions. I'd recommend going for at least the double, even if you're not sharing a tent. The best part though is that this air mattress has a built in electric pump, so you can inflate and deflate with ease, and without a lot of puff.

Prices for the Silentnight Air Bed start from £45 for the single and up to £55 for the King size. In the US, try the Intex Dura-Beam Plus, which costs £39.95 for the twin and $52.59 for the queen-sized.

4. Bluetooth speaker

Yes, you're at the festival to hear live music but when you get back to the tent you don't want to sit in silence – and there's only so many times you can hear the campers next to you play Wonderwall on the guitar. So, a good portable Bluetooth speaker is essential in my book.

The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd gen is the perfect take-anywhere speaker. It's small but powerful and it looks great too. With great bass and excellent battery life, you'll drown out your fellow campers with ease.

The Beosound A1 3rd Gen costs £299 / $349, though you can pick up the 2nd generation model for just £158 on Amazon.co.uk or $245 on Amazon.com

5. Roof tent

A roof tent is arguably the most useful accessory you can have at a festival for a number of reasons. Firstly, provided you can get a camper van ticket, you can park your car closer to the action, and there's no need to cart your tent and belongings across the fields. Secondly, putting the tent up is a matter of seconds – just unclip, fold out and watch it rise.

Then factor in that you can use your car below as safe storage and even for extra power, and it's win-win. The only downside is climbing up and down the ladder at night, which needs a certain level of dexterity, especially on an SUV.

TentBox has some great options in a range of sizes, but the TentBox Lite XL is one of the most luxurious and has the largest sleeping area. This will cost £1,895 / $2,120, but the smaller TentBox Go starts from just £995 / $1019.

Exoskeletons have been around for a while, and not just in sci-fi novels and movies. I tried Enhanced Robotics’ Sportsmate 5 back in 2022, and even though it was an impressive piece of technology, the Sportsmate 5 was also clunky and provided little noticeable support.

When Hypershell got in touch with me about its X Series Exoskeleton, I was cautious, understandably. The last time I heard the word ‘exoskeleton’, it was regarding Arc’teryx’s incredibly expensive MO/GO pants, and I couldn’t imagine a comparatively affordable model making me feel anything but disappointed.

To my delight, the Hypershell X Pro, the mid-range offering from the brand, proved that AI-powered walking and running aides have come a long way since 2022. This exoskeleton not only recognises 10 exercises automatically (and adjusts the boost accordingly), but it has a maximum speed of 12.4 mph (20 km/h), which is firmly trail running territory.

With that in mind, I strapped on my artificial leg supports and headed for a walk in the nearby hills. Using the Hypershell X Pro was a pleasant surprise, providing noticeable support on the uphill sections. It’s certainly an expensive outdoor gadget, but it’s one of the more exciting outdoor tech launches this year – that’s for sure.

Hypershell X Series Exoskeleton review

Price and availability

The Hypershell X Series was launched in January 2025 and is available to buy now directly from Hypershell with prices from $999 (~£740.51/ AU$1,536.11). That’s for the entry-level Hypershell Go X model; the tested Hypershell X Pro costs $1,199 (~£888.86/ AU$1,843.55), while the top-of-the-range Hypershell Carbon X will set you back $1,799 (~£1,333.74/ AU$2,766.10).

Specifications

• Weight: 2kg
• Materials used: Carbon-fibre reinforced polymer, aluminium alloy, stainless steel
• Peak output: 800 W
• Max. speed assistance: 12.4 mph/ 20 km/h
• Battery capacity: 5,000 mAh (72 Wh)
• Battery range: up to 15.5 mi/ 25km
• Charge time: Approx. 88 minutes

Design and build quality

The Hypershell X Pro looks pretty much exactly like how you imagine an exoskeleton would look. It consists of a lightweight aluminium alloy and stainless steel frame with a carbon-fibre reinforced polymer trim. The adjustable hip section ends in a puck-like motor (leg lever) on both sides, which is connected to the hinged leg bits.

The unit is foldable and is compact when not in use, measuring only 430 x 260 x 125 mm. It comes in its carry case, which is a nice touch – exoskeletons can be quite dangly with all the loose parts. It’s worth noting that it isn’t the smoothest process to store the gadget back in its carry case: you almost have to sit on the case for it to close (please don’t do this).

The areas touching your body, including the hip and thigh straps, are well-padded and fastened with polymer buckles. It’s all adjustable, allowing you to find the least uncomfortable position. The padding around the hips is especially luxurious, which makes sense, as the Hypershell X Pro will press against it the most when applying torque that moves the legs forward.

The 5,000 mAh battery is located at the back. It’s quite compact considering the up to 15.5 mi (25km) range it provides. The Hypershell X Pro comes with two batteries but no charging hub, which means you can only charge one at a time, the one inserted into the exoskeleton. The optional 4-port charging hub accessory is comparatively cheap (only $59), though.

Thankfully, the Hypershell X Pro has the most straightforward user interface, consisting of just one button located on the right leg lever. It turns on and off the same way drones do: a short press followed by a long press until the battery indicator lights, featured right next to the button, all lit up in sequence.

The Hypershell+ app

The simple user interface on the exoskeleton itself is a blessing and a curse. It’s great that even those not accustomed to tech can turn it on and off; it’s not-so-great that you have to remember how many times and how long you have to press the button to change modes and assist level.

Luckily, the app where you can change the settings, is well designed and just as easy to operate. The dashboard tells you all the essential information, from how much charge is left in the exoskeleton and how fast you’re going, to which assistance mode it’s in and what kind of exercise support you’re currently receiving.

The Hypershell X Pro can recognise 10 different types of motion. These are:

• Walking
• Race walking
• Uphill (walking)
• Downhill (walking)
• Up stairs (i.e. walking up the stairs)
• Down stairs (i.e. walking down the stairs)
• Gravel (walking)
• Cycling
• Running
• Mountain (walking)

You can switch between the different sports modes manually and also turn off the automatic exercise recognition in the app.

You can choose between four assist modes: Eco, Hyper, Transparent and Fitness. Eco is the battery-saving mode and provides only moderate support. Hyper mode cranks up the assistance but also eats more battery power. Transparent mode provides no support, which, admittedly, is best for prolonging battery life.

Fitness mode is the odd one out in the sense that you can’t select it via the power button (the other three can be cycled by pressing the on/off button). As the name suggests, this mode is for exercise (e.g. squats, lunges, etc.) and provides specific movement support to reduce fatigue.

One inconvenient thing about the app is that you can’t seem to update the exoskeleton’s firmware without wearing it. The app will recognise if the Hypershell X Pro is on the charge, but it won’t allow you to update it, meaning you need to strap yourself in for updates even if you aren’t planning on using the thing at that moment.

Performance and comfort

At just under two kilos, I found the Hypershell X Pro lightweight enough to carry. The main load-bearing body part in this situation is your hips, which should be able to handle the heft. That said, the exoskeleton is noticeable, especially in transparency mode with no assistance.

That’s one of the reasons why I feel funny recommending the Hypershell X Pro. It’s true when it’s working, it provides noticeable support, but I also imagine people using it might have mobility issues (even though the company don’t advertise the Hypershell X Pro as a mobility aid).

And those people will find it harder to carry around the exoskeleton with a (potentially) dead battery. Again, it’s not a huge weight, but you’d be surprised how quickly you can burn through the 5,000 mAh battery, especially in higher assist modes. As such, it’s hard to recommend the Hypershell X Pro for trips longer than 6-8 miles (~10-13km) on uneven terrain with the assist cranked up more than 30%.

On a more positive note, the level of support offered is commendable. The Hypershell X Pro can even aid you on your trail runs, albeit only over shorter distances (up to 3 miles/ 5 km). If you think about it, that 12.4 mph (20 km/h) maximum speed assistance is quite impressive. If only the battery would last long enough for longer expeditions.

I quite enjoyed wearing the Hypershell X Pro on my test hikes, and so did my wife, although she mentioned the weight of the exoskeletons as soon as she put it on. If you have strong leg and core muscles, you shouldn’t have an issue carrying the Hypershell X Pro. But then again, do you need one if you have strong legs?

In my experience, AI-assisted exercise recognition works well. The Hypershell X Pro successfully identified uphill and downhill walks, as well as runs (although the latter might be obvious, as it’s quite a different movement from walking). I haven’t tried it for cycling yet, though. You do wonder if Hypershell will add more exercise modes (via firmware updates) at a later date.

Verdict

The Hypershell X Pro is one of the more exciting – and unusual – gadgets I’ve tested this year. It proves that exoskeletons are no longer just lab curiosities or sci-fi props. With AI-powered motion detection, four assistance modes, and a design light enough to wear comfortably on moderate treks, it genuinely adds a boost to hiking and short-distance running, particularly on hills. It even makes exercise feel a little more bionic.

But there are trade-offs. The battery life, while decent, limits you to shorter outings, especially in high-assist modes. And because the batteries can't be charged independently, you’re forced to rotate them one at a time, unless you shell out for the optional charging hub. If it runs out of juice mid-hike, you're stuck lugging it back manually, which takes the shine off the experience. It’s also a bit fiddly to store, and at over $1,000, this is far from a casual buy.

Still, for tech adventurers, early adopters, or those looking for a lightweight push on the trail, the Hypershell X Pro is a fun and surprisingly effective way to experience the outdoors in a whole new way. It’s not essential, but it is undeniably cool.

Owning a pool always looks incredibly fun on the surface, but once you scratch the surface, the reality of maintenance hits hard. Pools can be time-consuming, expensive, and let’s be honest, pretty hard to keep clean. As a result, a lot of people shy away from buying one altogether.

That said, we’re starting to see a wave of clever gadgets designed to bust that myth wide open. In a world full of smart tech and robots, robotic pool cleaners are finally having their moment, and the Dreame Z1 Pro is leading the charge.

This sleek device is a fully cordless robotic pool cleaner packed with AI-powered navigation and a beastly 8,000 GPH suction power. Using multi-sensor tech, it intelligently maps out your pool for efficient, full-coverage cleaning that’s incredibly easy at the same time.

Now, before you start thinking about the price, you’re right in thinking these robots aren’t cheap. However, the Dreame Z1 Pro is currently $400 off, dropped from $1499 to $1099 – which is a pretty good deal for all the features packed in. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a premium model with this kind of performance for less.

Unlike traditional models, the Z1 Pro uses smart sensors to dodge obstacles and adapt to pretty much any pool shape, meaning it can handle every step, corner and curve. It’s also whisper-quiet (so no annoying hum in the background) and tough enough to handle pool chemicals without breaking a sweat.

Setup is also super easy, and you’ll be able to control it through the Dreamehome app or with an underwater LiFi remote, so there’s some flexibility depending on how hands-on (or off) you want to be. With over 180 minutes of runtime, it’ll also auto-dock all by itself when finished.

So, if you’ve been finding yourself dreading the pool chores, the Dreame Z1 Pro might just be a game changer. With Dreame’s current discounts on its website and Amazon, now’s a great time to upgrade your pool routine – and spend more time enjoying the water, not working around it.

If you’ve ever spotted an intriguing-looking plant or tree whilst out on the trails and have been desperate to know what it is, AllTrails’ new ‘Outdoor Lens’ feature will let you find out right there and then.

It couldn’t be simpler to use; all you do is snap a picture of said plant or tree and then, as if by magic, the app will bring up exactly what it is – mystery solved!

But, what’s even better is that Outdoor Lens doesn’t just identify plants and trees, it can also recognise insects and even mountains. So, it’s basically like having your own personal outdoor expert right in your pocket.

It will be launching in the next few months and is one of six new features coming to the app as part of its summer update, in order to help you get the most from your outdoor adventures.

Some of these features will be free, others will be available for Plus members only, while some will be exclusive to AllTrails’ new premium membership tier, 'AllTrails Peak', (which includes Outdoor Lens).

What are the six new features coming to AllTrails?

Below are the new features that are set to launch across the AllTrails app, as well as what membership they’re included in:

• Points of interest: Helping you easily discover all the landmarks/top things to see and do on your chosen trail (even where the next toilet break is). Available to all AllTrail users.
• Community heatmap: Now you'll be able to see live trail traffic data to discover the most popular routes or quiet hidden gems. Available to Peak members.
• Custom routes: Adventure your own way by creating your very own trail route from scratch, or modify one of the app's already-existing 450,000 trails. Available to Peak members.
• Outdoor lens: Instantly identify and log plants, trees, fungi, insects, and mountains by simply taking a picture in the app. Available to Peak members.
• Trail conditions: Previously, AllTrails offered basic trail conditions (e.g. weather, run-rise/sunset times), now it offers hyper-local forecasts for temperature, precipitation, snow depth, air quality, and even mosquito activity. Available to Peak members.

How much is AllTrails’ Peak membership?

AllTrails Peak tier is the app’s new ‘premium’ membership and it costs £79.99/$79.99 per year. This will give you access to all the features in the Base and Plus plans, as well as the new features listed above.

"We built this new offering to address the needs we knew our members had, and we set out to address them in a way that wasn't just practical, but fun," says Ivan Selin, AllTrails' Chief Product Officer.

Sadly, you'll have to wait a little longer for Peak, as it will officially launch in June. However, you can sign up for early access to the membership on the AllTrails website.

Is this the most ambitious smart telescope yet? No bigger than a thick hardcover book, the DwarfLab Dwarf 3 is an instant must-have smart telescope that can shoot the sun and moon, distant galaxies and nebula, and shoot photos and videos during the day.

At its heart is a tiny motorised refractor telescope that collects light on a Sony image sensor; it's operated solely by an app and has no eyepiece. It's not unusual for modern telescopes not to have an eyepiece – look at T3's best telescope guide for more examples.

What the Dwarf 3 offers to stargazers, however, are real-time images of objects that are otherwise impossible to see with the naked eye, from distant galaxies to nebulae, both of which are increasingly difficult to see due to creeping light pollution.

It takes image after image and lays them on top of one another, using its onboard computer and 128GB hard drive. Easy to use and travel with, and incredibly impressive, here's everything you need to know about the DwarfLab Dwarf 3 smart telescope.

DwarfLab Dwarf 3 Smart Telescope review

Price and availability

Retailing for around £492, $599 and AU$ 811, the Dwarf 3 is not the most affordable smart telescope available, though it’s a close contest. Although that distinction goes to the equally small Seestar S30 at £419, $399, and AU$ 699, the Dwarf 3 is only marginally pricier and a touch smaller.

The Dwarf 3’s lack of a tripod does not help boost its value, though any photography tripod with a standard 1/4-inch thread will do the job. The Dwarf 3 has a well-made carry case with a shoulder strap and straps to secure a tripod and attach to a backpack. All in all, it’s cleverly designed for travel.

Specifications

• Aperture: 35mm/1.37 inches
• Focal length: 150mm/5.91 inches (f/4.3)
• Sensor: Sony IMX678 Starvis 2, 3840 x 2160 resolution
• Image scale: 3 arcseconds/pixel
• Field of view: 2.7 x 2 degrees
• Storage: 128GB internal memory
• Battery: 10,000 mAh rechargeable (4 hours)
• Weight: 1.3 kg/2.87lbs
• Size: 222 x 142 x 65mm/8.74 x 5.59 x 2.56 inches
• Mount: Alt-azimuth and EQ mode
• Filters: Built-in VIS (daylight, sun and moon), astro (galaxies), dual-band (nebulae)
• Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth, WiFi
• Included accessories: Magnetic solar filters, USB-C cable, carry case

Features and what’s new

A tiny telescope, it may be, but the Dwarf 3 has a laundry list of features, and some of them are very advanced for such a diminutive product. A 35mm aperture telescope with two lenses – wide-angle and zoom – the Dwarf 3 is very similar to the Seestar S30, its main competitor, but there are some key differences. Simply put, the Dwarf 3 has a larger field of view.

Something else it offers that its competitors don’t is a new EQ mode. Standing for equatorial, it means the Dwarf 3 can be (manually) aligned with Polaris, the North Star, to enable it to track objects for up to two minutes. In its standard mode, it can do so for about 15 seconds. It’s a pro feature that few will use initially, but it may give the Dwarf 3 longevity.

As well as being able to image and stack deep sky objects like galaxies and nebula (using an array of filters to mitigate light pollution) in Astro mode, the Dwarf 3 can also be used in the day, shooting photos and video in 4K quality. Talking of daylight, a solar filter, which covers both lenses and looks more like a high-grade pair of solar eclipse glasses, magnetically attaches to the Dwarf 3.

Set up and use

Getting started is painless. Out of the box, the Dwarf 3 is well-packaged and includes everything but a tripod. Setup takes minutes: power on, open the app, connect via Bluetooth and WiFi, and you’re ready to stargaze.

During the test phase, we did have a few issues consistently connecting to the Dwarf 3, which uses Bluetooth and creates its own WiFi network (we had to switch off WiFi to get it to link consistently).

The firmware updates came thick and fast but installed smoothly (it’s wise to check before you head outside, away from WiFi, just in case a large download is required).

Once it’s up and running, targets can be selected from the Atlas, its built-in planetarium app. The Dwarf 3 then plate-solves the stars to align itself before locking on to and tracking targets.

It takes short exposures and stacks them in real time, using AI to reduce noise and increase contrast and color. The images can then be downloaded as JPGs, PNG, FITS and TIFF files. They’re small but impressive and fine for sharing and social media.

It worked incredibly well at targets including the Orion Nebula, the M81 and M82 galaxies, the Horsehead Nebula and the Pleiades, the moon and, during the day, the sun. Images of faint objects (chiefly nebulae) look far better the longer you leave the Dwarf 3 to collect data.

Although you don’t need to do any post-processing, it can help deepen blacks, make the colors pop a little more, and clean up noise (as can shooting dark frames before imaging, which is crucial not to overlook). The ability to shoot a few stills – including via the Sun Track mode – and take some video during the day was welcome, too, and so easy to do.

Verdict

Heard the saying, “The best camera is the one you carry with you”? Well, it now applies to smart telescopes, too, with the Dwarf 3 not just incredibly portable but also capable of producing spectacular, albeit small, images. With such a small footprint and so easy to use, the Dwarf 3 makes a play for the title of the most enjoyable – and certainly the most portable – all-around smart telescope yet.

Also consider

There's one major competitor to the Dwarf 3. Launched late in 2024 by ZWO, the SeeStar S30 builds on the success of the larger ZWO SeeStar S50, which took the smart telescope world by storm. The S30 is smaller, almost as small as the Dwarf 3, but it has a different form factor, with a motorised arm supporting a refractor telescope with a slightly smaller aperture.

Another good option for travelling light is the Vaonis Vespera 2, which has a 50mm/2-inch aperture refractor and an excellent app. Like the Dwarf 3, it also has a mosaic mode for shooting large sections of the night sky, which automatically stitches together into one image.

Many people would argue that phones and the outdoors don't belong together. For many – myself included – spending time outdoors is all about being able to disconnect from the hustle of daily life, and appreciate the beauty nature has to offer. Can you really do this whilst being distracted on your phone? Not really.

But, let’s be honest, there are some apps, that can enhance your outdoor experience rather than hinder it, or become the experience itself. While there are a ton out there, these are three essential apps that have earned a permanent spot on my phone, and I genuinely can’t imagine heading out without them.

AllTrails

Price: Free or £34.99/$35.99 per year

Seeking out a new hike, bike, or running route in your area or beyond? Then you need to try AllTrails. What I love about it is its simplicity – you just input your postcode (or the area you’re interested in), and it pulls up all the trails nearby. With user reviews and photos, you get first-hand insight into what to expect, along with real-time trail conditions like weather and mosquito levels. While the free version offers map navigation, access to offline maps requires an AllTrails+ membership, which I personally think is worth the small cost – especially since it’s helped me out of a few sticky situations when I’ve gone off trail. Just make sure you have a power bank if you are using offline maps, it'll zap your battery!

What3words

Price: Free

What3Words acts as a safety net if you ever get lost and need to communicate your exact location. It divides the entire world into 3-meter squares, each with a unique three-word address. So, if you find yourself off-track on a trail or, heaven forbid, need to call emergency services, you can share your What3Words location, and they’ll know exactly where to find you. What's even better is that you don't need a signal to pinpoint your location – perfect for venturing into remote areas – but you will need a connection to share it with someone. It doesn’t cost a penny to use either, so it's worth the download.

My Aurora Forecast

Price: Free

Northern light sightings have become more frequent here in the UK, but I always seem to miss them – the Aurora app makes tracking sightings much easier. Similar to AllTrails, you simply enter your postcode, and it tells you how likely you’ll be able to see the Northern Lights in your area, what cloud coverage will be like, and where the best spots are to see them. You can set up push notifications too, so you never miss a sighting. It’s not an app you’ll use every day, but when there’s a sighting nearby, it ensures you won’t waste time waiting up for a display if your chances of seeing them are slim.

As a tech writer, I'm always keeping an eye on a variety of sources for the latest on upcoming products. Sometimes it’s the CSA, other times it’s apps leaking products a little too early in their sync section – which is exactly what just happened with Philips Hue’s upcoming video doorbell. However, I’ve never had a product leak come via Matter...until now.

Last updated in November 2024, the latest Matter update details have just leaked, indicating at least six companies will be rolling out Matter-compatible smart garden products in the next few months. Smart garden gear is still a bit scarce, aside from things like the best outdoor lighting and best robot lawn mowers, so this is pretty big news.

The Matter 1.5 update is expected to drop in within the next month or so, although an exact release date is still under wraps.

The November 2024 update introduced support for things like heat pumps, electric water heaters and balcony power plant devices. However, according to CyberModStudio, Matter 1.5 is set to bring irrigation systems and soil sensors into the fold too.

So far, we know companies like Gardena, Rachio, Grundfos, Grimsholm, Nordic Semiconductors, and PuzL Labs are all part of the lineup.

There’s still more to come, but you know the drill – we’ll keep you updated as soon as we know more.

Pressing the SOS button on a Garmin inReach device is a last resort, signalling that emergency help is needed.

Every year, the hiking GPS unit and outdoor watch extraordinaire releases its inReach SOS Report, revealing key insights into where and why people needed rescue in the past year – and the results might surprise you.

According to Garmin’s data, hiking and backpacking accounted for the greatest number of SOS incidents worldwide, surpassing activities like driving and motorcycling, climbing, and even rafting.

While these pursuits might not seem as inherently dangerous as extreme sports, the data suggests that injuries, getting stranded, and medical issues make backpacking riskier than many adventurers assume.

What’s putting backpackers at risk?

Garmin’s SOS data provides a glimpse into the most common reasons adventurers press the emergency button. Injuries topped the list, followed by vehicle issues, medical emergencies, and being stranded.

The unpredictable nature of outdoor environments – ranging from sudden weather shifts to altitude sickness and even wildlife encounters – adds to the dangers of hiking in remote areas.

In some cases, self-rescue was possible, with Garmin Response assisting users in nearly 12% of incidents without requiring a full-scale emergency dispatch. However, the majority of situations required external assistance, and helicopter rescues were the most common type of response.

More than just solo accidents

Another striking finding from the report is that nearly half of all SOS messages weren’t for the inReach user themselves but for someone else in their party or even a third-party individual.

While personal injuries and medical conditions were the primary reasons for SOS activations, Garmin’s report also notes an increase in wildlife-related incidents, including encounters with bears and rattlesnakes.

Furthermore, weather-related emergencies – such as wildfires, flash floods, and hurricanes – led to a higher number of distress signals in 2024, reinforcing the importance of preparation and up-to-date information before heading into the backcountry.

The latest data from Garmin underscores just how essential preparedness and satellite communication are for backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts. While the idea of hitting the trails might not seem as extreme as base jumping or rock climbing, the reality is that remote environments present unique risks that should never be underestimated.

Read the full Garmin 2024 inReach SOS Report here.

If you've ever dreamt of carving across the water like a futuristic aquatic hoverboarder, Lift Foils' latest launch is about to make that dream smoother, smarter, and – most importantly – even more thrilling.

The brand has recently unveiled the LIFT5 and LIFTX, two new eFoils designed to redefine the foiling experience with cutting-edge engineering, a surf-inspired aesthetic, and, in the case of the LIFTX, an all-new hybrid category that merges electric power with the agility of traditional surf foiling.

Touted as the quietest eFoil ever, the LIFT5 features a lighter, more streamlined board, one-touch startup, and a tool-free Lift Connect System (LCS) that makes setup ridiculously easy.

Safety and durability have also taken center stage with a double-walled battery, real-time monitoring, and built-in cooling to ensure a smooth, worry-free ride.

"The LIFT5 is not just a progression, it’s a revolution," said Lift Foil co-founder and CEO Nick Leason. "It’s the first eFoil to come standard with a click-in battery, toolless and wireless assembly, and touch-free, integrated in-line cooling."

Then there’s the LIFTX, an innovative eFoil that blurs the line between powered eFoiling and traditional surf foiling.

Designed with legendary shaper Sean Ordoñez, it blends ultralight construction with a surfboard-inspired feel, allowing riders to seamlessly switch between motorized cruising and pure wave-powered carving.

Both the LIFT5 and LIFTX will be available for pre-order starting today, February 25, with prices starting from $14,499 (approx. £11,493/ AU$22,845). For more details, head over to Lift Foil and prepare to ride the future of foiling.

Jackery’s latest portable power station, the Explorer 2000 v2, is set to redefine what we expect from portable energy solutions. With an ultra-fast charging time and a significantly lighter design, this new model is primed to be an essential companion for campers, off-grid enthusiasts, and anyone needing reliable backup power at home.

The showstopper feature certainly is the charging speed. The Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 fully charges via AC power in just 1.7 hours, putting many competitors to shame. If you’re in a hurry, you can activate flash charging via the Jackery app, which brings the battery up to 80% in a mind-boggling 52 minutes.

Thanks to its solar capabilities, it’s also an ideal option for those who want a renewable energy solution. Similarly to its smaller sibling, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2, the new model can be fully charged off-grid using Jackery’s SolarSaga modules. And for added versatility, it can also be charged via a 12V car connection.

Weighing in at just 17.5 kg, Jackery claims the Explorer 2000 v2 is the lightest and most compact 2 kWh LiFePO4 power station. The secret to this dramatic weight reduction is the company’s Cell-to-Body (CTB) technology, inspired by innovations in the automotive industry.

Beyond its size and speed, Jackery’s latest power station is built for longevity and safety. Featuring AI-powered ChargeShield 2.0, the Explorer 2000 v2 integrates no less than 62 protective mechanisms to ensure efficient power management and enhanced device safety.

The battery is also designed for long-term reliability, offering a 10-year lifespan under daily use. Even after 4,000 full charge cycles, the battery retains at least 70% of its original capacity, making it a solid investment for anyone needing a dependable portable power source.

The Explorer 2000 v2 is available now at Jackery. From February 13 to 20, the company is offering an exclusive Early Bird offer for £999, down from its RRP of £1,399. The company is also offering a solar generator bundle (which includes a 200W SolarSaga module) for £1,299 instead of the usual £1,999. US and AU price and availability TBC.