New Atlas

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY Android vs. iOS: It’s all about the ecosystem now Since the very first Android phone showed up in 2008, a year after the iPhone made its bow, Google and Apple have been locked in a battle for mobile market share. In 2016 though, the choice is less about Android vs. iOS and more about everything that goes along with it.  Read more COMPUTERS Can A.I. write a Hollywood film? Over recent years, we've seen artificial intelligence systems designed to write software, compose music, paint works of art, and even pen news articles, but how close are we to having machines pen our blockbuster films?   Read more COMPUTERS Review: Boogie Board adds color doodling and translucent screen learning tool The Boogie Board line of e-writers has expanded its stable with two new models, the Jot 4.5 with Clearview and the Scribble n’ Play. Like other Boogie Boards, both use cholesteric liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, which allows users to easily write and erase with the press of a button.   Read more ARCHITECTURE Huge park planned for downtown Toronto Downtown Toronto looks set to be transformed with a huge new public park. The city's mayor has announced the intention to protect 21 acres (8.5 ha) along the rail corridor in the area to create the so-called Rail Deck Park.​   Read more ARCHITECTURE Japanese architects foretell the future of housing Japan punches above its weight in the production of innovative and unusual homes, and the country is well-placed to come up with new housing ideas. This year's House Vision Tokyo exhibition brings together some of its best architects to do just that.   Read more ENVIRONMENT World’s largest floating wind farm proposed for California waters California’s central coast could become the site of the world’s largest working offshore wind farm, a 765-megawatt producer surpassing the 630-megawatt London Array off the coast of Kent. The project would include around 100 wind turbines set on floating platforms 33 miles from shore.   Read more MEDICAL Implantable sand-sized sensors to monitor internal goings on in real time Health and fitness monitors may have come along in leaps and bounds, but there's still a whole lot they don't know about us. Placing miniaturized sensors deep inside our bodies would be one way to change that, and now it seems such a technology mightn't be so far away.  Read more AUTOMOTIVE Niche-busting 3 Series Gran Turismo gets a nip-and-tuck From lumbering off-road ​coupes to miniature people movers, no niche is off limits for the big automotive players these days. One vehicle to successfully adopt such a strategy is the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, a quasi-hatch, quasi-sedan quasimodo. Now, it's time for the hunchback to get a facelift.   Read more MILITARY Second skin blocks biological agents, but still gives soldiers room to breathe Scientists at LLNL have developed a material that begins to bridge the gap between breathable and protective military clothing, using carbon nanotubes to actively block contaminants while still allowing water vapor to escape.   Read more AUTOMOTIVE Nissan says EV charge stations will outnumber gas stations by 2020 ​They're fast, quiet and (depending on the energy source) clean, but electric power still isn't as convenient as internal combustion. EV drivers don't always have the luxury of choice when it comes to charging stations, but that's set to change by 2020. ​   Read more AUTOMOTIVE Roborace reveals what's under the skin of its enigmatic self-driving race car Anyone who thinks racing is all about the drivers is in for a rude shock. Roborace will run alongside Formula E, but details about how the cars would actually work have been hard to come by. Now, we finally have a bit more info about what will make it tick.   Read more SPACE Kepler astronomers identify top 20 habitable exoplanet candidates Kepler has catalogued over 4,000 exoplanet candidates, including 216 in the habitable zone. Now, researchers have analyzed data and narrowed the list down to the 20 best candidates for habitable Earth-like planets that may warrant closer study.   Read more DRONES Government initiative gives Google the go-ahead to test delivery drones in the US There's still some way to go before US laws allow the kind of delivery service Amazon imagines, but a new initiative from the federal government is promising to speed things up and allow Google to test its delivery drones in the US.   Read more ELECTRONICS Is the writing on the wall for the 16 million-color Cronzy pen? Four-color ballpoint pens were once the height of versatility. Then came 10-color pens, which increased the color options but proved more than a handful for most. Now LA-based Cronzy Inc. is looking to broaden the all-in-one pen palette to more than 16 million colors with its Cronzy pen.   Read more OUTDOORS Modular electronic multi-tool preps you for digital age survival An all-new electronic multi-tool for outdoor enthusiasts, the modular Seattle Sports Survivolts uses a 5,000 mAh battery to charge a phone, throw light down-trail, signal for help and even start fires.   Read more SPACE Private company cleared for landing ... on the moon For the first time ever, a private company has been given permission to land on the moon. The authorization from the US Government means next year's planned lunar mission by Moon Express will not only be the first by a private company, but the first time a private company will leave Earth's orbit.   Read more HEALTH & WELLBEING Dual-tier standing desk encourages healthy habits The Gaze Desk features smart functions and a two-tier design that helps to support proper posture, whether sitting or standing.   Read more SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW ATLAS READERS Easily Edit Documents with PDFpenPro 8 for Mac, Now 50% Off PDFpen has everything you need to power your productivity with seamless PDF editing. Fill out forms, electronically sign documents, change text, and more without needing the original document. You won't find a better price on the market for a quality PDF editor--now is the time to add PDFpen to your Mac app toolkit.   Read more