gizmag

BIOLOGY Small-brained elephantnose fish can think big like humans
	A team of zoologists at the University of Bonn has discovered that, despite lacking a complex brain, the African elephantnose fish can swap between its electrical and visual senses in the same way a person can switch between sight and touch.​Read more

MOTORCYCLES Review: Suzuki's SV650 squeezes big fun into a small, compact, naked roadster
	The low seat height and narrow waist of Suzuki's new SV make it super-accessible for newbies and shorter riders, and its punchy power curve and deft handling are brilliant for confidence building. The same things make it a lightweight riot of a thing for more experienced riders.Read more

MATERIALS Nanotech coating puts an end to wasted shampoo
	​A microscopic coating lets shampoo, soap, and other heavy liquids slide right out of the bottle – so you're no longer left battling to get the dregs out at the end. The coating has been successfully applied to both polypropylene and polycarbonate plastics.Read more

DRONES Typhoon H drone taps Intel's 3D-mapping tech for collision-free flight
	Yuneec created a buzz at CES this year by demonstrating an advanced drone with an impressive ability to steer clear of obstacles. Developed by Intel, this sense-and-avoid technology is now coming out to play, with Yuneec making its tree-dodging Typhoon H Pro available for preorder. ​Read more

AUTOMOTIVE Celebrating Speed: Best of the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2016
	The curtain has fallen on another Goodwood Festival of Speed, leaving just a faint whiff of gasoline in the air around Lord March's estate. Everything from Bugatti's Chiron to the Aston Martin Vulcan made a run up the hill this year, with a healthy serving of classic racing goodness in between.Read more

ARCHITECTURE Beijing tower reflects on energy efficiency with trapezoidal glass facade
	SOM's Beijing Greenland Center by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill features an elegant trapezoidal glass facade that's claimed to improve the building's energy performance and reflects sunlight throughout the immediate area.Read more

ENVIRONMENT Ocean Cleanup Project's trash-catching prototype takes to the angry Dutch seas
	Boyan Slat's Ocean Cleanup Project has successfully deployed its debut prototype off the coast of the Netherlands, which will serve as a first test-case ahead of a much larger installation planned to tackle the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 2020. ​​Read more

AIRCRAFT Airvinci ducted fan helicopter prototype set for take off
	With a claimed service height quadruple that of the Martin jetpack, a new autonomous, personal VTOL helicopter concept, the Airvinci, is being developed first as a heavy drone, then as a fully-fledged, human-carrying aerial transport system.Read more

AUTOMOTIVE One-off open-top Vantage GT12 debuts as Aston Martin's most extreme roadster ever
	The all-new Aston Martin Vantage GT12 Roadster is a customer-commissioned one-off that combines the hardcore thrills of the GT12 with a big slice of sky overhead.Read more

SPACE Hubble investigates dark spot on Neptune
	​​If Neptune seems a bit blemished of late, it's because NASA has confirmed that a dark spot has shown up in its bluish atmosphere and has been observed by the Hubble Space TelescopeRead more

GOOD THINKING Fancy footwear lets amputees get their game on
	​​When Gyorgy (George) Levay lost both hands to a meningitis infection, many people might have assumed that his gaming days were over. That's not the case, however. Working with two other grad students, he's developed a system that lets upper-body amputees control games using their feet.Read more

ENERGY Flower power: Transparent rose-petal skin enhances solar cells
	Realizing that plants do a pretty good job at converting the sun's energy to useable fuel, a team of scientists lifted an imprint off rose petals and created a film that significantly boosted the efficiency of solar cells.Read more

MEDICAL Secret behind success of breakaway cancer cells uncovered
	A team of researchers has made a breakthrough in our understanding of how cancer cells are able to spread around the body and form deadly new tumors. The team found that two proteins work together, exhibiting unusual behaviour that helps keep the cells alive.Read more

SCIENCE Volcanoes: The prophetic silence before the violence
	Scientists believe they have cracked the code for determining when and how intensely restless volcanoes will blow.Read more

AUTOMOTIVE Autonomous buses hit the road in Switzerland
	Switzerland has joined a growing number of places around the world exploring the potential of electric autonomous buses, with a pair of driverless shuttles now ferrying passengers around the city of Sion as part of a two-year trial.Read more

MUSIC Fender wraps Blues Junior amp in a whiskey barrel
	​Blues music and whiskey go together like guitars and amps. If your stage presence needs some smoky authenticity to go with your smokin' licks, Fender has announced a limited release of its Blues Junior combo amp that's encased in reclaimed bourbon barrels. Read more

SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR GIZMAG READERS Pump up the Volume This Summer with the G-BOOM Portable Bluetooth Boombox — Now 20% Off
	Portable Bluetooth speakers sometimes succeed more at being portable than being powerful music makers. G-BOOM is the exception. This Bluetooth powerhouse can deliver quality, loud sound for up to 6 hours without an outlet in sight.Read more