TechEBlog -

Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Solar Smartwatch Survives Extreme Conditions With Weeks of Power Ready

By Jackson Chung November 13, 2026

Garmin built the Instinct 3 Tactical, priced at $349.99 (was $500), for people who need a watch that keeps working when conditions turn rough. This 45mm solar version pairs a fiber-reinforced polymer case with a metal-reinforced bezel for serious durability. The whole package meets MIL-STD-810 standards for heat and shock resistance and carries a 10 ATM water rating that covers swimming and diving. Solar models use a clear, sunlight-visible monochrome display with a two-window layout. A built-in LED flashlight sits on every model, offering multiple brightness levels and strobe modes for low-light work or simple tasks after dark.

Darth Vader’s Screen-Used Lightsaber Sells for Nearly $5-Million at Auction

By Bill Smith November 13, 2026

Darth Vader carried into the Cloud City and Death Star throne room confrontations. That figure establishes a new world auction record for any Star Wars collectible and for any screen-used prop from the franchise, clearing the previous overall mark of $3.875 million set by Tom Jung’s original poster painting for A New Hope and the $3.75 million July sale of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber paired with the severed-hand effects rig from the same Cloud City sequence.

Augmenting Smartwatch with a Rollable Tentacle Extends Daily Interactions from the Wrist

By Jackson Chung November 13, 2026

A standard smartwatch packs its functions onto a small round face that stays fixed in place all day, yet Ping-Jhao Hsu and Shan-Yuan Teng at National Taiwan University have added a mechanical tentacle that stays coiled underneath until the moment it is needed. Their prototype, shown as a demo at UIST 2026 under the name Augmenting Smartwatch with a Rollable Tentacle, keeps the entire assembly inside a 50 mm rounded casing that matches the watch diameter.

Audi’s Limited Nuvolari Supercar Confirmed for American Roads Starting at $700,000

By Bill Smith November 13, 2026

Audi has confirmed the Nuvolari for the United States, locking in an allocation of 182 examples out of a worldwide run of just 499 cars. The starting price sits at $700,000 before destination charges, taxes, or options, with first customer deliveries expected in the first half of 2028. Orders are open now through authorized Audi dealerships, though the window will stay limited.

NASA’s PROMISE Nuclear Rover Will Scout Ice and Terrain at the Moon’s South Pole

By Jackson Chung November 13, 2026

NASA confirmed this month that its nuclear-powered Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration (PROMISE) will head to the Moon’s South Pole no earlier than late 2028. The six-wheeled vehicle, built at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory from a Curiosity test-bed body, electronics, and mobility system plus spare and test parts from both Curiosity and Perseverance, is meant to scout sites and check resources ahead of any permanent human outpost.