Tech enthusiasts, this one's for you: Today's tech edition of the Best of Nice News features stories about innovations that are changing (or will change) the way we drive, focus, and experience the world around us. We can only imagine what thrilling inventions 2026 has in store. Until then, if you're hungry for more techy stories, check out Time magazine's list of the 300 best inventions of 2025.
Tech
World's First Mass-Produced Flying Car Prototype Unveiled
Klein Vision / SWNS
Eager teens reaching driving age in the next few years may be able to take their inaugural spin in a car ... in the sky. The world's first mass-produced flying automobile prototype has been unveiled, and we're ready for a ride. Created by Slovakia-based company Klein Vision, the AirCar production prototype made its public debut May 8, after making its insider debut at the 2025 Living Legends of Aviation Awards Ceremony in Beverly Hills in late April. At the event, Morgan Freeman and John Travolta presented the car's inventor, Stefan Klein, with a Special Recognition Award for Engineering Excellence. Per the company website, the AirCar is the result of Klein spending the past 20 years "converting his flying car dream into reality." The vehicle already holds a Certificate of Airworthiness and has successfully completed over 170 flight hours and more than 500 takeoffs and landings. It's capable of automatic transformation from car to aircraft in under two minutes, enabling the operator to simply drive to an airport and then take off. Learn more and watch it fly.
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Meet the Adorable App Helping People Stay Focused in a Distraction-Filled World
Focus Friend
What better motivation to stay off your phone than knowing that the longer you keep away, the longer a bean-shaped friend can keep knitting scarves and socks? This is the premise of Focus Friend, an app designed to help people overcome digital distractions via an adorable gamified experience. It turns out a cute knitting cartoon can have quite a mighty impact. Focus Friend launched in July — and a month later, the platform hit No. 1 on Apple's top free apps chart, surpassing ChatGPT, Google, and Threads, NBC News reported. And for millennials, the app may double as a delightful trip down memory lane, bringing back all the Tamagotchi vibes (minus the stress of keeping a digital pet alive). The stakes are more personal than the 90s craze, though: "It's about letting people be in control of their attention, not selling their attention to someone else," co-creator Hank Green, a popular internet educator, said in a TikTok video. Focus Friend rewards reduced screen time, as the longer a user stays focused (i.e., off their phone), the more the bean friend knits — and those knitted goodies can be traded for decorations to deck out the bean's digital room. Like other productivity apps, Focus Friend allows users to set timers and temporarily block distractions, such as social media apps.Butthe uniquedigital companion aspect makes focus feel less like a chore and more like caring for a friend. As social media creator Hannah Rae said: "It does tend to be easier for the majority of us to do the 'right thing' for something else we want to care for, rather than just doing it for our own benefit in the first place."
Tech
College Students Invent Vibrating Vest to Give Blind Pup a "Second Set of Eyes"
Gustavo Raskosky/Rice University
From Braille displays to smart canes and AI apps, visually impaired people can turn to a variety of innovative devices to help them navigate everyday life. The technology available to blind dogs isn't quite as advanced — but some future engineers at Houston's Rice University are out to change that. When Grant Belton and AJ Price approached the school seeking assistance for their dog Kunde, who lost his eyesight due to glaucoma, a student-led team took on the challenge. They designed a wearable vest that provides the pup with real-time spatial awareness without restricting his movements. Stereoscopic cameras placed near Kunde's head detect depth information that's then relayed to motors within the vest, which vibrate to inform him of nearby objects. "Kind of like giving Kunde a second set of eyes, the cameras create a depth map," Issy Tsai, an electrical engineering major working on the tech, said in a May news release. "The closer an obstacle is, the stronger the vibration on that side of the vest." Team mentor Heather Bisesti emphasized how impactful the project is — not just for Kunde, but for the undergrads themselves. "It's motivating for students to see how their work can make a direct difference in someone's — or some dog's — life." Watch the team present their invention.
Tech
The First Smart Glasses With Hearing Aids Receive FDA Clearance
PATRICK T. FALLON—AFP/Getty Images
Traditional hearing aids have competition: a new technology that combines hearing and vision solutions. Called Nuance Audio Glasses, the tech provides a "groundbreaking open-ear hearing solution seamlessly integrated into a pair of stylish smart glasses," per manufacturer EssilorLuxottica — and after receiving FDA clearance in February, the glasses are now available over the counter in the U.S. Approximately 1.25 billion people experience mild to moderate hearing loss globally, according to the World Health Organization, but many abstain from wearing traditional hearing aids due to factors like social stigma, price, and discomfort. The first software as a medical device to receive FDA clearance, Nuance Audio Glasses seek to dissolve those barriers by appealing to folks who may be hesitant to don hearing assistance instruments. "We didn't just aim to combine two medical devices — we created an entirely new smart glasses form factor to support the two human senses we depend on the most," said Francesco Milleri, chairman and CEO of EssilorLuxottica. "It is not only groundbreaking, but also incredibly accessible." Check out the "hearing glasses."
Cholesterol Conquered's Fruit Discovery
Italian researchers discovered one strange fruit that supports healthy cholesterol, without side effects or having to live on salads. This same fruit was shown to revitalize arteries after six months, improving blood flow throughout the body. A Boston doctor's video explaining which fruit and how much you need has already helped thousands — watch it below.
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