gizmag

DIGITAL CAMERAS StandPLUS offers an alternative to the tripod
	​Although tripods are an essential photography tool, the things can be a bit of a hassle. That's why edelkrone has introduced the simpler StandPLUS, which the company emphasizes is not a tripod.​ Read more

AUTOMOTIVE Road test: Toyota Fortuner shines off the beaten track
	he idea of building a plush, family four-wheel drive on a truck’s ladder frame might seem like an odd recipe, but it’s one that’s becoming increasingly popular. But can they compete with the ever-popular soft-roader set? We spent a week with the Toyota Fortuner to find out. Read more

3D PRINTING Siemens previews additive manufacturing on the move with 3D-printing spider bots
	A research team working in the Siemens Robotic Labs at Princeton, New Jersey, has developed what are essentially autonomous 3D printers with legs, which could work together to manufacture complex structures such hulls of ships or the fuselage of an airplane. Read more

AUTOMOTIVE Shell unveils 89-mpg Project M concept city car
	Shell is perhaps best known for producing what goes into cars, rather than cars themselves. Now, the firm has taken the wraps off a car that it says will use a third less energy in its lifetime than a typical city car and around half the energy to build and run than a typical small family car. Read more

ENVIRONMENT Connected Conservation: Using drones, sensors and Wi-Fi to stop poachers
	A new initiative is looking to make life difficult for poachers, by fitting out an African nature reserve with high-tech gear, such as seismic sensors and infrared drones, all of which is networked to keep tabs on who is going in and out of the park. Read more

AUTOMOTIVE Honda Accord Hybrid gets more power but uses less fuel
	Having just announced a hybrid version of its Clarity model, Honda has reworked the hybrid version of its Accord. Even though it's got more power than its predecessor, the new Accord Hybrid uses less fuel, and has been treated to a modest refresh in the looks department, too. Read more

ENERGY San Francisco passes law requiring new buildings to be topped with solar panels
	San Francisco has passed a law requiring all new buildings below 10 stories to have solar panels installed on their rooftops, forming part of a wider vision to generate 100 percent of its electricity via renewable energy. Read more

DIGITAL CAMERAS GoPro's six-camera, 360-degree VR rig up for preorder
	At NAB this week, GoPro opened up preorders for the Omni six-camera spherical array for capturing 360-degree video and launched a dedicated platform for sharing and viewing VR content via the web or a new app for iOS and Android devices. Read more

AUTOMOTIVE Honda to offer Clarity in fuel cell, electric and hybrid models
	Why build a green car when you can start a whole family? We just watched Hyundai use that strategy with the IONIQ lineup of hybrids and electrics, and now Honda follows suit with an expanded Clarity lineup. Read more

SPACE NASA taps Aerojet Rocketdyne for new space propulsion system
	NASA has awarded a US$67 million, 36-month contract to Redmond, Washington-based Aerojet Rocketdyne to design and develop an Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS). Read more

PETS Now you can see the world from a pet toy's point of view
	​There are already internet-controlled pet toys out there that let users play with their dog or cat when they're not at home. PlayDate, however, is different. It's a ball with a Wi-Fi-connected camera right in it, so users can watch their pets playing from the toy's point of view.​ Read more

OUTDOORS Back-packable organizer stores cooking gear and protects the flame
	While Grub Hub's original roller kitchen is a convenient way to get kitchen gear from car to campsite, no one's taking such a large unit backpacking, canoeing or bikepacking. For those kinds of activities, Grub Hub presents the all-new Cirque.Read more

OUTDOORS Minimalist snow-bike concept looks cool as ice
	Snowmobile and bike combinations come in all different shapes and sizes, but few are as dramatic as Joey Ruiter's new Snoped (pronounced "snow-ped"). Created as a "mash-up between art, design, fashion and lifestyle," what it may lack in conventionality​, it makes up for in style. Read more

AIRCRAFT Solar Impulse 2 resumes its around-the-world flight after months of delays
	After a several month long layover in Hawaii, Solar Impulse 2 is back in the air and on the way to California for the latest leg in its around-the-world journey. Read more

ARCHITECTURE Copper-clad towers in New York to be linked by sky bridge
	While a number of New York's planned buildings are exciting for their outlandish designs, such as Via 57 West and the Spiral (both by BIG), SHoP Architects' upcoming American Copper Buildings design is more understated. Its two copper-clad towers stand side-by-side and are joined by a sky bridge. Read more

SCIENCE Laser-fueled vortex creates nanotube forest
	Manipulating carbon nanotubes can be tricky, considering that their diameter is about 50,000 times smaller than a human hair. Researchers have just come up with a way to force carbon nanotubes to get in line – literally – by using electrical pulses and a vortex created by laser light.​ Read more

AUTOMOTIVE Volvo aiming to sell one million electric vehicles by 2025
	Volvo has doubled down on electrification, announcing this week that it hopes to sell up to one million electrified vehicles, in total, by 2025. It will create two plug-in variants of every model and introduce its first fully electric car in 2019.​ Read more

SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR GIZMAG READERS The RIF6 Cube Projector Puts Big-Screen Viewing in Your Pocket — Now 16% off
	This tiny, meticulously engineered cube makes a big impression. With just the Cube and your MHL/HDMI devices (like your smartphone or laptop), you can transform your 5-inch screen into an 120-inch display. It’s extremely lightweight and built for high performance so you can bring your next movie marathon or presentation to any wall or ceiling. Read more