New Atlas

AIRCRAFT NASA backs X-plane development of twin-hull Aurora D8 airliner NASA has awarded a six-month US$2.9 million contract to Manassas, Virginia-based Aurora Flight Sciences to develop a scaled demonstration version of its Aurora D8 airliner. Described as "changing the paradigm," the D8 is designed to significantly improve airliner performance by 2027.  Read more TINY HOUSES Interview: What's it really like to build your own tiny house and live in it? We cover a lot of tiny houses here at New Atlas, but what's it like to build your own and live in it, day to day. Read on as we chat with the creators of the Shedsistence tiny house, Robert and Samantha Garlow, for an insider's take on the pros and cons of embracing the tiny house lifestyle.   Read more MOBILE TECHNOLOGY Honor 8 review: Champagne specs on a beer budget Chinese technology giant Huawei just introduced its Honor 8 smartphone to the US market. This US$400 phone boasts specs that echo the best of this year’s top-of-the-line flagships. Is it worth forsaking more established brands to cop an Honor 8? Let’s take a look.   Read more MOTORCYCLES Limited edition futuristic custom moto has its roots in the past Custom builder Bandit9 has knocked it out of the immediate solar system with its latest design. Originally a 1967 Honda Supersport, the Eve MK II now bears no resemblance whatsoever to its predecessor. And that's a good thing.   Read more SPACE Dueling supermassive black holes could be behind a galaxy's fading light ​​A new study may have discovered the cause of a mysterious variation in light emitted by a supermassive black hole lurking at the heart of the distant galaxy Markarian 1018 (Mrk 1018).   Read more MUSIC IK aims for pro players with iRig HD 2 guitar interface Instrument interface pioneers IK Multimedia have announced a replacement for 2013's iRig HD. The iRig HD 2 digital guitar/bass interface for iPhone, iPad, Mac and PC boasts improved sound quality, more ins and outs, and a wet/dry signal switch.   Read more DIGITAL CAMERAS Canon finally gets serious about mirrorless cameras with the M5 The EOS M5 is the latest mirrorless camera from Canon. With enthusiast-focused styling, and DSLR-rivaling power, the EOS M5 looks like it could be the mirrorless camera some photographers have been waiting for from Canon.   Read more ARCHITECTURE New Yorkers invited to step up for never-ending stairway trail New York's developing Hudson Yards neighborhood, of which High Line at the Rail Yards is already a part, will soon be home to a new public space with a unique artwork. Vessel will comprise a 150-ft tall "geometric lattice of intersecting flights of stairs" designed for climbing and exploring.   Read more AUTOMOTIVE Delta MiTRE boxes up micro-turbine power for EV range extending The MiTRE micro-turbine range-extender from British engineering solutions company Delta Motorsport is the latest product promising a solution to EV range anxiety that's lighter and more versatile than a piston engine hybrid drive.   Read more PETS HorseCom trots out a music headset for stressed horses ​Listening to music can be a great way to relax for humans, but its benefits don't stop there - at least, that's what the team at HorseCom would have you believe. Using a specially designed headset, the company says it can help keep nervous horses calm through the power of music. ​   Read more AUTOMOTIVE Mitsubishi plugs in to the City of Light with new GT-PHEV concept At the 2016 Paris Motor Show, Mitsubishi will premiere the sharply styled GT-PHEV, flashing a glimpse at what its plug-in hybrid technology and SUV design language might evolve into in the years ahead.​   Read more ELECTRONICS Mirror dongle turns a standard screen into a dynamic, personalized display Estimote has unveiled the Mirror, a video-enabled smart beacon. Thanks to an inbuilt Bluetooth LE sensor, the Mirror can sense nearby smartphones or compatible stickers, and flash personalized information up onto the screen when they come close.   Read more SPACE New Horizons' data continues to uncover surprises on Pluto and its moon ​Pluto may have said goodbye to its only Earthly visitor, New Horizons, but data gathered during that brief flyby is still turning up new surprises. NASA scientists have found that Pluto is unexpectedly emitting X-ray signals, and is “spray-painting” its largest moon, Charon, a vibrant red.   Read more AUTOMOTIVE AMG GT and GT C Roadsters crank up the V8 rumble Hot on the heels of the AMG GT-R launched at Goodwood, Mercedes has pulled back the sheet on the GT Roadster. Don't be fooled by its soft top, this is no boulevard cruiser. Instead, AMG promises it will offer a driving experience to match the coupe, albeit with a lot more headroom.   Read more SMARTWATCHES Apple Watch Series 2 vs. Samsung Gear S3 ​The two biggest names in the smartwatch market are sitting at opposite extremes. We have the sleek and small Apple Watch on one side, and the gigantic man-gadget known as the Samsung Gear S3 on the other. Let’s compare their features and specs, to help you make the call.   Read more GOOD THINKING Finally, a device that makes fire good for phones In the developing world, many cell phone users have to walk long distances in order to use paid charging stations. JikoPower, however, aims to bring the power to the people's cooking fires, with its Spark thermoelectric generator.   Read more SPACE New map of Milky Way contains over a billion stars ​​ESA (the European Space Agency) has released a colossal star catalog detailing the precise positions and brightness of over a billion stellar bodies spread across the Milky Way.   Read more WEARABLES Don't sweat it – wearable lets you know when to hydrate ​As we all know, it's important to stay hydrated when we're working out. We can't just use thirst as an indicator, however. So, how do we know when to take a drink? BSX Athletics has developed what it claims is the answer, in the form of the world's first wearable hydration monitor. ​   Read more ENVIRONMENT Sun found to guide squirrels to food stashes Scientists are constantly studying every aspect of animal behavior, and there’s still a huge amount of it we don’t understand. Now, a team from UZH has unravelled the mystery of how ground squirrels remember where they’ve stashed their food, using, as it turns out, the position of the sun.   Read more MEDICAL Insulin found in snail venom is no slouch Scientists have discovered a fast-acting insulin from a notoriously slow-moving source, finding the insulin in a certain type of snail venom can begin working in a third of the time of the fastest insulins currently on the market. ​   Read more SPACE New study favors violent mash-up Moon theory A new study that analyzed isotopic differences in potassium contained in terrestrial and lunar rock samples, is helping to shed light on the formation process that led to the creation of Earth's Moon.   Read more MOTORCYCLES AGV helmet keeps the rider cool with hydration system Italian helmet manufacturer AGV unveiled its new flagship model during the San Marino GP, in a launch event starring nine times world champion Valentino Rossi. The new R version of the Pista GP helmet comes with a world first integrated hydration system built into the carbon fiber shell.   Read more MOBILE TECHNOLOGY Sony keeps MP-CL1A pico projector in focus Sony has unveiled the MP-CL1A, which boasts the same pocket-friendly dimensions as the previous model, but sees the addition of a few new features inside and out, including Bluetooth connectivity and focus-free viewing.   Read more SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW ATLAS READERS Master Excel with This Cross-Platform Training — Now 89% Off Microsoft Excel is the world's leading spreadsheet software, used extensively in just about every industry. If there was ever a single software worth learning, it's Excel. Over 4 broad, CPD-accredited courses, and 49 hours of content, you'll dive into Microsoft Excel 2013 and 2016, for both PC and Mac, taking your skills from beginner to advanced.  Read more