gizmag

SPACE
Reaching for the stars: How lasers could propel spacecraft to relativistic speeds
	In a bold but scientifically sound proposal, a NASA-founded research has laid out a roadmap toward spacecrafts with relativistic speeds for the exploration of nearby stars.  read more
MOBILE TECHNOLOGY
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge review: Next-level low-light photography and so much more
	The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge get so many things right that it's easy to sing their praises. We'll do our best to keep things interesting, despite our lack of criticism about these two near-perfect flagships.  read more
TINY HOUSES
Ex-boat builder designs unique off-grid tiny house
	Ex-boat builder and carpenter Jeff Hobbs from New Zealand-based studio Room to Move was recently commissioned to build a special bespoke tiny house for local resident Briar Hale. The 23.95 sq m (257.8 sq ft) house was built using structural insulated panels (SIPs) made from plywood and foam.  read more
COMPUTERS
Brain-like supercomputing platform to explore new frontiers
	LLNL is set to take receipt of a brain-inspired supercomputing platform developed by IBM Research. The first-of-a-kind system is can process the equivalent of 16 million neurons and 4 billion synapses while consuming just 2.5 watts of power.​  read more
ENVIRONMENT
Great Barrier Reef suffers through worst coral bleaching event on record
	An aerial survey of more than 500 coral reefs making up Australia's Great Barrier Reef has revealed that almost all have suffered severe bleaching, with the researchers labelling it the worst mass bleaching event in the Reef's history.  read more
AIRCRAFT
Flying electric scooter aces 46-minute maiden test flight
	​The German physicist behind the Evolo manned multicopter and the Volocopter 2-seater has just taken his first flight aboard another remarkable aircraft: a flying electric scooter.  read more
SPACE
Lockheed Martin begins probing Space Fence's radar tech at new test facility
	​An overhaul of the system that tracks space junk orbiting the Earth has taken another stride forward, with Lockheed Martin opening a new test site for its Space Fence system.  read more
AUTOMOTIVE
Toyota chases World Endurance Championship glory with new TS050
	Toyota has thoroughly reworked its World Endurance Championship racer for 2016, with a revised aerodynamics package and a more advanced hybrid system to keep the TS050 ahead of Porsche and Audi's hybrid Le Mans racers.   read more
SPACE
Mars drone tech sniffs out methane leaks on Earth
	NASA is testing a quadcopter equipped with a miniature methane gas sensor originally designed for testing the Martian atmosphere to seek gas pipeline leaks.  read more
COMPUTERS
New software will let you skim this article even quicker
	​It's an unfortunate fact of life for web writers … people viewing text online tend to skim through it. With that in mind, researchers have created a program that lets people skim even faster​, while retaining more information.​  read more
BICYCLES
Stem-integrated bike light stays onboard and unobtrusive
	​Headlights are essential for night-time bike commuting, but they can also be a bit of a hassle. British product designer Anirudha Surabhi Venkata set out to change that, with his stem-integrated Lumineer light.​  read more
GOOD THINKING
Solar-powered "Sterile Box" targets hospital infections in developing countries
	Rice University students have developed a solar-powered sterilization unit that is held in a shipping container. Their goal is to deploy it in areas with high rates of hospital infection. A trial in a clinical setting in Africa is scheduled for 2017.  read more
AROUND THE HOME
The Keurig of wine? This smart bottle gives you a fresh glass every time
	The Kuvée smart wine bottle is designed to serve wine by the glass while preserving the rest for up to a month.  read more
MEDICAL
Nanoparticle shows if cancer treatment is working, ASAP
	There's currently no method for detecting whether a tumor is reacting to medication until numerous cycles of therapy have been completed, but new research could change that, with a new nanoparticle treatment providing the information in as little as eight hours.  read more
ARCHITECTURE
Aurora, the interactive kinetic ceiling
	Architect and designer Behnaz Farahi has installed a kinetic ceiling at the University of Southern California that moves in response to the people walking beneath it.  read more
DIGITAL CAMERAS
Sony goes big with the RX10 III superzoom camera
	Sony has revealed its next bridge camera with a large sensor, and this one has a whopper of a zoom lens too. The RX10 III features a 20.1-megapixel 1-inch-type sensor along with a 24-600-mm equivalent F2.4-F4 zoom lens.  read more
ARCHITECTURE
Small wooden hut will make beachgoers see stars
	Stargazer's Cabin will soon be installed on a beach in Eastbourne, England. Designed by George King Architects, the beach hut will glow like a lantern and display complex star constellations on its facade.   read more
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Reining in sperm could lead to unisex contraceptive
	Biologists at the University of California at Berkeley believe they have discovered the chemical interaction that gives sperm the kick they need to penetrate and fertilize a human egg. The discovery could lead to the creation of a unisex contraceptive, and treat male infertility.  read more
AROUND THE HOME
Solar-powered system automatically opens and closes window blinds
	Opening and closing your blinds is such a trivial process that you may never have thought about automating it, but it can make your home more energy efficient and secure. A new device called the FlipFlic allows users to automate existing blinds and control them via an accompanying mobile app.  read more
LAPTOPS
Acer's new Chromebook has MacBook Air-inspired looks and 14-hour battery life
	Acer's latest Chrome OS effort brings something a little different to the party. It's still a low-end device, with many of the specs –​ and the price point –​ reflecting that fact, but the company has opted for an all-aluminum chassis, meaning that things should feel more premium this time around.  read more
AUTOMOTIVE
Toyota completes 100,000-km road test of its hydrogen-powered Mirai
	Toyota has completed a 100,000-km (62,137-mi) road test of its Mirai hydrogen-powered car. The test took place on streets, rural roads, motorways and autobahns in and around Hamburg, Germany, with the Mirai driven 16 hours a day for 107 days.  read more
SCIENCE
Researchers turn to tick spit to shut down our immune systems
	Researchers may soon be employing a substance in tick saliva to help people battle damaging, and potentially deadly, autoimmune diseases.  read more
SPACE
Mountain lake of frozen nitrogen spotted on Pluto's surface
	Former planet Pluto has turned out to be much more weird and wonderful than many would have guessed. The latest find from NASA observations shows what appears to be a lake of frozen liquid nitrogen on its surface.  read more
MUSIC
Hybrid guitar blends electric twang with acoustic pop
	Musicians needing to pick away at the strings of an electric and acoustic during the same set will usually find precious van space being given over to separate instruments. The Hybrid 55 from Michael Kelly Guitars is capable of producing either electric or acoustic tones, or a blend of both.  read more
AUTOMOTIVE
Acura MDX gets sport hybrid system, gets a new beak
	Honda's luxury offshoot looking to sharpen its identity amidst the huge number of luxury brands out there with the new Acura MDX. Setting the MDX apart from the crowd is a new sport hybrid powertrain and a new grille.​  read more
SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR GIZMAG READERS
The Lytro Illum Takes Hologram-Like 3D Photos with Adjustable Focus — Now 71% off
	Most cameras capture the position of light rays, producing your average static 2D image. But the Illum’s cutting-edge technology records the direction of these rays, generating images you can later refocus, change perspective within, or view in 3D. You can essentially revisit the scene of the photo—meaning you’ll never miss snapping the perfect shot again. read more