I seldom sleep in the same place for more than a couple of weeks at a time, so I'm a big fan of portable all-in-one projectors. They're small and set up quickly, making them ideal for vanlife, gaming parties, outdoor movie nights, or an evening in on the couch - but they usually sacrifice quality for convenience. Anker's new Nebula X1 projector promises to produce an incredibly bright and color-accurate 4K image with excellent sound while remaining portable and quiet.

Typically, if portability is at the top of your wish list, then sound and picture quality will suffer. Prioritize a cinematic experience and you're looking at an expensive, hu …

Read the full story at The Verge.

A shoe engineered to be made entirely from additive manufacturing will be polarizing in the first quarter of the 21st century. That's certainly been my experience wearing Adidas' new 3D-printed Climacool sneakers on the beach, trail, or in the city. I felt more eyes on my footwear than normal, with a determined flick upward to see who was brave enough, dumb enough, or fantastic enough to wear such a shoe.

I've been a fan of Adidas' 3D-printed kicks ever since I purchased a pair of its 4D running shoes a few years ago. But those are traditional multi-material sneakers with 3D printing limited to the midsoles. Adidas is taking things to the next level with Climacool - a single-piece shoe that's 100 percent 3D printed. They were teased late last year with a limited drop, but now anyone can buy them.

The rubbery lattice structure varies in density from the sole (where it's high) to the upper (low) to provide the right balance of cushion and flex. Adidas calls the shoe lightweight, but at 416 grams, it's heavier and more rigid than I expected from the photos and marketing pitch. It can be folded in half, toe to heel, but these are not the shoes I'd pack for recovery after a long hike o …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Solid-state batteries are the future. They're more powerful, compact, safe, and sustainable than Lithium-ion alternatives, but true all-solid state batteries can't be mass-produced cost-effectively. That's why Kuxiu has gone semi-solid state for what it calls the "world's safest" power bank, while calling dibs on it being a world first.

Kuxiu's $79.99 S2 Qi2 5000mAh MagSafe Solid-State Power Bank supports Qi2 for 15W wireless charging. And with a 5,000mAh at 3.8V (19Wh) capacity, it holds enough energy to charge the smaller iPhone models from zero to full about once. And despite using the truncated "solid state" in the S2 name and product page, the company confirmed to me that it's built around a semi-solid state battery and that distinction matters.

I've been carrying the Kuxiu S2 for the past few weeks. While I didn't hammer, pierce, or tear the battery apart or expose it to fire like Kuxiu did, I can at least confirm that it otherwise works as expected.

"Solid state" ambiguity

It's not just you, the battery industry itself can't seem to agree on what qualifies as a solid-state battery. There's all-solid state, semi-solid state, and quasi-solid state, to name just a few …

Read the full story at The Verge.

I remember the day: a sinewy bicycle messenger skillfully weaved through honking automobiles and came to a stop at the traffic light in front of me. But instead of dropping a foot, he balanced high above his fixed-gear pedals for nearly a minute, his crossbody bag bulging against the urgent deliveries within. That was ‘90s San Francisco, when anyone could tap into that free-wheelin’ zeitgeist by wearing a messenger bag — only conformist dorks wore backpacks.

Switzerland-based Freitag got its start in 1993 with messenger bags, and it’s keeping that spirit alive with its latest, the F685 Henry. It’s heavy, water resistant, and incredibly durable because it’s made from worn seatbelts, recycled plastic bottles, and used tarps that act as walls on European trucks. That means no two Freitag bags are identical in a world of mass-produced homogeny.

Ironically, Freitag bags are built to last despite being made from trash. A Freitag messenger bag that I purchased almost 20 years ago is still my go-to for errands around town. I expect the same longevity from the Henry, which I’ve been testing as an all-purpose gear bag for the last few weeks. That makes its $330 price point a …

Read the full story at The Verge.