New Atlas ( gizmag)

Gizmag is now New Atlas:  Why we changed our name AUTOMOTIVE Self-driving tractors promise to get themselves to work, plow without complaint There’s been a lot of focus on self-driving technology recently, but autonomy promises to shake things up in the agricultural world too. CNH Industrial’s latest concepts aim to demonstrate how self-driving tractors can deliver faster, more precise results than their human controlled counterparts.   Read more ENVIRONMENT Interview: How to build a lionfish-killing robot Lionfish are slow-moving environmental disasters and RISE is working to develop a lionfish-killing robot to help contain or even reverse the problem. New Atlas caught up with RISE's executive director John Rizzi to discuss the piscatorial Terminator.   Read more SMARTWATCHES Hands-on: The large Asus ZenWatch 3 adds fresh style and customization ​New Atlas is live at IFA 2016 and we've been taking a look at Asus' brand new ZenWatch 3, following on from the ZenWatch 2 it launched last year. The upgraded model comes with a refined look, updated style choices, and plenty of customization options so you can make the smartwatch your own.​   Read more SPACE Planet Nine could cause chaos following the death of our Sun ​​According to new research, the hypothetical Planet Nine could one day be responsible for the expulsion of a number of planets from our solar system, including Neptune, Jupiter and the dwarf planet Pluto.   Read more SCIENCE Print your own 3D Lucy parts to work out how the famous hominid died Now you can have your very own 3D printout of some of the bones of Lucy, the Beyoncé of fossils. Open-source scans of the 3.18 million-year-old hominid’s arm, shoulder and knee bones are now available to support a hypothesis that Lucy died falling from a tree.   Read more HOME ENTERTAINMENT B&O muscles into the home with high-end all-around sound Bang & Olufsen has launched two stylish wireless 360° speakers at IFA 2016 in Berlin today. The BeoSound 1 is a portable speaker that's promised good for up to 16 hours of cable-free playback, while the BeoSound 2 audio thrower sacrifices portability for increased output.   Read more COMPUTERS Acer brings eye-tracking tech and world's first curved laptop to IFA Acer has stepped into the spotlight at IFA 2016, showing off the world’s first curved screen gaming laptop. The company also took the opportunity to unveil a trio of new gaming monitors, all of which feature gaming-tailored eye-tracking tech.   Read more SCIENCE Are we living in the Anthropocene epoch? Scientific body says "yes" ​In the short time we’ve been walking the Earth, humans have left an undeniable impact on the planet. Now a scientific body has agreed that our actions have altered the Earth’s natural processes enough to usher in a new geological epoch. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Anthropocene.   Read more SPACE Newly discovered galaxy cluster is by far the most ancient ever detected ​​A team of astronomers has detected the most distant galaxy cluster ever discovered lurking some 11.1 billion light-years away from Earth.   Read more ARCHITECTURE Amsterdam's 3D-printed cabin offers tiny living by the canal A former industrial corner of Amsterdam is now home to a tiny new cabin offering urban dwellers a mini-retreat. Local firm DUS Architects 3D-printed the tiny guesthouse to accommodate short-term visitors, who can also enjoy the cabin's own mini-garden and outdoor bathtub.​  Read more ARCHITECTURE High-end prefab micro-home runs on or off-the-grid Avava Systems recently unveiled its debut micro-home, the Britespace. Available in multiple sizes and configurations, the diminutive dwelling can operate on or off-the-grid. It doesn't come cheap though, with models starting at US$90,000 and rising all the way up to $184,000.   Read more AUTOMOTIVE 2,000-hp Nikola semi changes course to hydrogen power Nikola Trucks optimistic plans to bring a hybrid electric semi to market have taken a twist, with the proposed range-extended electric power now to be replaced by a hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain.   Read more DRONES Parrot's latest minidrones do battle, clean up afterwards Parrot has unveiled two new species of minidrones. Joining its siblings that fly, jump and swim are the Mambo, which can be equipped with a Nerf-like cannon or a grabber claw, and the Swing, a fixed-wing minidrone that can take off vertically.  Read more AUTOMOTIVE GM previews big, bad, clean military truck  GM and the US Army's TARDEC are preparing to show a Chevy Colorado-based fuel cell vehicle built for tough off-road, off-grid military service. Judging by the teaser photo of the truck released Tuesday, it should definitely be a big, bruising battlefield beast.   Read more SCIENCE The Shit Museum offers a sustainable view on the science and art of dung There’s nothing like a good shit show to bring in the tourists. The Shit Museum, or Museo della Merda, is a research and data-collection institute set in a medieval castle in Northern Italy that houses documents and information on excrement in culture, technology, science and history.   Read more SPACE A used SpaceX rocket has been assigned a mission for its second trip  ​SpaceX is set to usher in a new era in space later this year when it launches the first rocket to ever make the trip beyond Earth's gravity well twice.   Read more VR Damaged Core for Oculus Rift: Where story and VR gameplay blend together as one ​If you've played much first-gen VR, then you probably won't drop what you're doing on news that there's a new first-person shooter that uses a teleportation system for movement. Been there, done that. But High Voltage's new game Damaged Core​ puts a clever twist on these tricks.   Read more SPACE Six million years ago, the Milky Way blew its lid  Scientists say that during the Miocene epoch about six million years ago, the galactic core of the Milky Way ​may have been so active that it became a quasar and blasted away most of the galaxy's normal matter.   Read more OUTDOORS Retractable awning-tent adds extra roof and views to your camper van The new SheltaPod is designed to give campers more versatility in staying protected from the elements. Part awning and part dome tent, the multipurpose pod extends protection off the side of the vehicle, working as an enclosed shelter with great views.   Read more VR Oculus Rift vs. Gear VR (2016) Now that Samsung has updated the Gear VR for the Galaxy Note 7, let’s take a look at how the PC-powered Oculus Rift features and specs compare to the smartphone-run Gear VR.   Read more 3D PRINTING One-off bike showcases the wonders of 3D printing Belgium is like many other parts of the world, in that it's full of companies and institutions that utilize 3D printing tech on a regular basis. Recently a consortium of these groups got together to demonstrate just what can be accomplished using the technology. The result is a 3D-printed bike.   Read more DIGITAL CAMERAS Hold on for better video, with articulating grip Olloclip has announced a new video grip which features an articulating hub. The Pivot offers 225 degrees of rotation, making it easier to shoot at otherwise awkward angles.   Read more DRONES Go time: US opens up its skies for commercial drones New drone rules have cleared the way for photographers, surveyors and realtors to take flight, but unfortunately for Amazon and a number of other players, still leave the notion of drone deliveries off somewhere in the distance.   Read more BIOLOGY Drug-dispensing contact lenses could battle a leading cause of blindness Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world. Eye drops can help alleviate symptoms and stall the onset of vision loss, but patients don't always comply. New contact lenses impregnated with medication could solve this problem and improve patient outcomes.   Read more BIOLOGY MRI study shows that dogs understand both vocabulary and intonation Researchers have confirmed what any dog owner would already tell you: that dogs can understand both vocabulary and the intonation of human voices. The researchers used fMRI imaging to look at the brains of the animals during testing, revealing a lot about how their brains react to human voices.   Read more AROUND THE HOME Digital touchpoints help Airbnb guests feel at home All homes have their quirks and idiosyncrasies, so finding your way around a new Airbnb property can be easier said than done. Product designer Kristian Knobloch has aimed to address this with the creation of Ping, a digital and interactive guidebook for Airbnb guests.  Read more ENVIRONMENT Tasmanian devils might be evolving to resist highly lethal, contagious cancer A new genetic study suggests that Tasmanian devils are evolving a resistance to the devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), which has wiped out approximately 80 percent of the species since its discovery.   Read more URBAN TRANSPORT Amtrak's new high-speed trains are faster, fancier and more frugal ​Passengers who travel on Amtrak's high-speed Acela Express service in the US will soon be able to do so more comfortably and more regularly. The rail operator has unveiled designs for "next-generation high-speed trainsets" that will replace its existing rolling stock and offer greater capacity.​   Read more ARCHITECTURE Eight-story LED screens provide epic digital art canvas Fresh from kitting out a building with motion-sensing digital walls, ESI Design has unveiled an eight-story digital installation at the Wells Fargo Building in the US city of Denver. The installation comprises five 86-ft (26-m) tall LED displays that are six times the resolution of normal HD.   Read more SMARTWATCHES Gorilla Glass set to watch over your wearables With its Gorilla Glass already protecting the screens of many major smartphones, Corning has turned its sights to the wearables market with Gorilla Glass SR+.​​   Read more COMPUTERS You can now cast content straight from Google Chrome Google has built the ability to cast content to your TV right into the Chrome web browser. This means anyone who owns a Chromecast can now cast content with a couple of clicks.   Read more SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW ATLAS READERS 7 Security Apps Every Mac Owner Needs, Now 79% Off Your Mac is a sacred place where you keep your most important and personal data. Keep that data safe with this bundle of 8 premium softwares, including antivirus protection, VPN services, password management, and much more - all from top-rated developers.   Read more