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AUTOMOTIVE Test drive: 2016 Jaguar F-Type R Convertible The British are a singularly odd bunch when it comes to things automotive. When they fail to amaze, they do an epic job of it, but when they do hit the mark, they do so with such perfection that it’s awe inspiring. The 2016 Jaguar F-Type R Convertible falls squarely into the latter camp.  read more CHILDREN Boogie Board Play n’ Trace eWriter makes space for tracing with a translucent screen Since 2010, the Boogie Board eWriter range has provided youthful imaginations with modern-day notepads for their digital doodles and sketches. Improvements since have seen the addition of onboard storage and stylish new designs, but the latest addition to the lineup may be its biggest leap yet.   read more ARCHITECTURE Dom Arquitectura's Wood Studio House is efficient, prefab, sustainable and passive Energy efficiency, prefabricated construction, sustainable architecture and passive design are all trends that we touch on regularly at Gizmag. Rarely, though, have we seen them squeezed together with such high concentration as in Dom Arquitectura's Wood Studio House.  read more ARCHITECTURE Beautiful, spiralling chapel wins 2015 Leaf Awards The winners of this year's Leaf Awards have been announced. The annual awards seek to recognize innovative architectural design across a variety of categories. The overall winner was is Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP Co. for its Ribbon Chapel project.  read more SPACE Review gives NASA's Space Launch System the tick of approval The first of three configurations of NASA's SLS, known as Block 1, has completed and passed the final Critical Design Review. This is the final review focusing on the concept and design of NASA's first man-rated launcher since the Space Shuttle and paves the way for its full-scale fabrication.  read more AROUND THE HOME Imperiali Genève's Emperador puts cardboard cigar boxes to shame The Emperador cigar chest from Imperiali Genève is a high-tech container that holds two dozen bespoke cigars and clocks in at a cool one million Swiss francs (US$1,048,000) – making this both one of the most expensive and technologically advanced cigar boxes in history.  read more MUSIC Libratone's new Zipp speakers embrace SoundSpaces flexibility Libratone recently launched its new Zipp speaker line-up, which, through the company's SoundSpaces concept, is designed to stream 360-degree audio individually or as part of a multi-room setup, be they plugged into power outlets or not.  read more COLLECTIBLES Apollo 15 watch sells for US$1.6 million A unique relic of the Space Age went on the auction block at RR Auction this week with the Bulova wristwatch worn on the Moon in 1971 by Colonel David Scott as Commander of Apollo 15 sold for US$1,625,000.   read more OUTDOORS Barefoot Caravans sleep you in a rolling egg Think "rounded caravan," and you probably think of the teardrop trailer. But a new British outfit has a different shape in mind for the towable living module. Go Barefoot molds the camping trailer into a more three-dimensional, egg-like shape in its Barefoot caravan.  read more SPACE New Horizons completes "family portrait" of Pluto’s moons  Before NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft completed its study of Pluto and continued on its way to the distant reaches of the Kuiper Belt, it took some parting images of Kerberos, Pluto’s smallest moon, completing a series of images of Pluto and its four other moons.  read more LAPTOPS Microsoft Surface Pro 4 vs. 12-inch Retina MacBook You could compare the Surface Pro 4 to several different Apple devices, including the iPad Pro and MacBook Air. Let's see how it sizes up next to Apple's slim and sexy "new" MacBook.  read more SPACE New Horizons changes course for next deep-space rendezvous NASA confirmed today that the New Horizons deep-space probe has successfully carried out the first of four course corrections for a possible rendezvous with a Kuiper Belt object.  read more ROBOTICS Talking-Ally robot works to keep your attention If you were talking to someone and they blatantly shifted their attention to something else, chances are you'd have something to say about it. Most interactive robots, however, wouldn't even notice. That's why scientists have developed Talking-Ally, a robot that knows when it's being ignored.  read more OUTDOORS Wearable airbags for ski racing move toward the start gate  The wearable ski racing airbag moves closer to the mainstream. Dainese, designer of the first wearable airbag, will get its tech on the back of World Cup racers this season, and POC launches its own version, the all-new Spine VPD 2.0 Airbag Vest.  read more SPACE Largest astronomical image yet compiled shows Milky Way in 46 billion pixels ​A team of scientists from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum have compiled the largest astronomical image of all time.  read more BICYCLES Eclipse + brings new features to Revolights bike lighting system Of all the bike lighting systems out there, Revolights is one of the most unique. Using rim-mounted LEDs, it turns the bike's wheels into head- and tail-lights. Its creators are now set to release a new version of Revolights known as Eclipse +, which adds wireless functionality to the mix.  read more ROBOTICS MUSICA project aims at getting computers and humans to create freeform jazz together Researchers from the University of Illinois are developing a computer system capable of communicating with humans through the medium of jazz. The project forms part of DARPA's Communicating with Computers (CwC) program, approaching robot communication skills from a very different direction.  read more AUTOMOTIVE Mercedes first to equip production cars with CO2 air-con Mercedes says it is will be the first carmaker to equip production models with CO2 air conditioning systems. CO2 systems are said to perform better than conventional systems and to be more environmentally friendly. The move is in response to an EU directive that comes into effect in 2017.   read more MEDICAL Researchers looking to patient gait for earlier Glaucoma detection ​A research project at Washington State University (WSU) is analyzing people's gait in an effort to spot early signs of Glaucoma – often manifested as routine bumps into obstacles, and the uneven placement of feet. The findings could one day be used as an early detection method for the condition.​  read more SPACE ESA to study rare rocket body reentry to improve predictive models ESA astronomers will be looking to the skies in November, when a piece of debris plummets back to Earth. The agency believes that by studying the reentry, it'll be able to gather data that could lead to more accurate predictions of how objects interact with our atmosphere.  read more AROUND THE HOME Modular guitar racks designed for the living room Many guitarists use a rack for instruments storage in a spare room or basement studio. But a rack in the living room? Unlikely. However, DRS Racks' modular storage system may just be attractive and practical enough to take center stage in the home's main living space.  read more WEARABLE ELECTRONICS Louis Moinet​ Vertalor wins Grand Prix of watches The Louis Moinet Vertalor tourbillon wristwatch has won this year's International Chronometry Competition – an event described as "the equivalent of five Formula 1 Grand Prix races – without a single pit stop."  read more HEALTH AND WELLBEING Home haptic feedback system could help stroke victims rebuild motor skills Although stroke victims do receive some rehabilitative therapy while at the hospital, it's difficult for physiotherapists to track their progress once they've gone home. That's why scientists are creating a system that would allow them to continue supervised therapy, via their home computer.​  read more SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR GIZMAG READERS The Sound Step Lightning 2 Provides Room-Filling Bluetooth Audio — 60% Off Soundfreaq’s Sound Step Lightning 2 is truly a next-generation Bluetooth speaker. With a dedicated sub-woofer and Soundfreaq’s proprietary UQ3â„¢ spatial sound enhancement, this hi-fi speaker delivers crystal-clear quality unheard of for a speaker of its size. In our multi-device, multi-tasking world, Lightning lets you control the music right from the palm of your hand, helping you discover, share, and enjoy new sounds daily.  read more