New Atlas

ENERGY Abundant silicon at the heart of cheaper renewable energy storage system A team of researchers from Madrid is developing a thermal energy storage system that uses molten silicon to store up to 10 times more energy than existing thermal storage options and could form the basis for a new generation of low-cost solar thermal stations to store solar energy in urban centers.   Read more COMPUTERS Hollywood and Hacking: The 1990s - Techno, virtual reality and Steven Seagal’s Apple Newton In part two of our series on Hollywood and Hacking we travel through the 1990s, a wondrous era where hackers wore day-glo rave outfits, serial killers slipped into virtual reality worlds and and all computers consisted of colorful CGI mainframes   Read more DIGITAL CAMERAS Modified Nikon D5500 keeps its cool during long exposures PrimaLuceLab has turned its hand to helping the Nikon D5500 cut down noise. The cooling unit attached to the DSLR body may ruin its portability, but the Italian company says it allows astrophotographers to take images of a quality​ to rival cooled CCD cameras without sacrificing ease of use.  Read more AROUND THE HOME Gina smart brewer gives aspiring coffee snobs a high-tech leg-up With an eye on those who may need a technological leg-up to boost their coffee snobbery, Goat Story is launching Gina, allowing users to brew three different types of coffee in one appliance, with guidance from an app and Bluetooth-connected scales.   Read more AIRCRAFT Robotic ALIAS puts Cessna Caravan through basic maneuvers The ALIAS system, developed by DARPA, could cut down on crew requirements in military and civilian small aircraft by taking control with a robotic arm. Although it's still a ways off production, the system has been successfully demonstrated on a Cessna Caravan aircraft.   Read more MARINE Backpackable boat unfolds and inflates into paddling form Usually portable boats rely on either folding or inflatable hardware to compact down to carry case size, but some use a combination of both. The K-Pak has a blend of folding skeleton, inflatable inserts and fabric outer skin to travel to the water on your back, set up in minutes and get paddling.   Read more MEDICAL Sony stitches 4K and 3D video together in new medical monitors 4K TVs aren’t just for home cinema – that level of detail can also help guide surgeons and doctors. Sony has unveiled a new line of medical monitors that are the first to combine 3D and 4K images, and new recorders and management systems that allow the storage and sharing of images and video.​   Read more COLLECTIBLES Comic art values surge as Tintin flies past Superman, Batman and Spiderman ​A surge in prices for TinTin comic art over the last two years has surpassed even the fabled "Action Comics #1​" (the first appearance of Superman in June, 1938) as the most valuable on the planet.   Read more SPACE ExoMars set for Mars rendezvous after communications failure ​The ExoMars 2016 mission is set for its rendezvous with the Red Planet on October 19. The Schiaparelli module successfully separated from the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) on Sunday and Monday morning the orbiter executed a crucial course correction.   Read more BIOLOGY Video reveals young chimps are hands-on learners Researchers have recorded videos of chimp parents actively teaching their young how to use tools, as opposed to the skills being passed down through observation alone.  Read more SPACE Antares booster makes a comeback as OA-5 blasts off for the ISS Almost two years after a disastrous liftoff explosion, Orbital-ATK's Antares booster is back in service. At 7:45 pm EDT, an improved Antares 230 rocket blasted off from the MARS Pad 0A at NASA's Wallops Island facility in Virginia carrying the commercial OA-5 mission.   Read more COLLECTIBLES Market snapshot from Bonham's Autumn Stafford Motorcycle auction Held last Sunday, Bonhams Stafford Sale continues to act as an international barometer for the motorcycle collectors' marketplace and the prices fetched on Sunday indicate a strong marketplace, with a new world record for the rare Coventry based Croft-Cameron marque.   Read more ENVIRONMENT Mussel beds get some weird new residents ​​If you should come across something that looks like a mussel but has a green LED in it, just leave it alone – it's a robomussel. Glued into existing mussel beds in 71 locations worldwide, the sensors are part of an ongoing effort to track the effects of climate change on the marine environment.​   Read more MEDICAL Implantable optical fibers might light up early signs of disease A soft, stretchy optical fiber developed at MIT and Harvard appears to be quite a promising candidate for using light to stimulate cells inside the brain, and could possibly even act as an warning light for diseases in other parts of the body.    Read more MOBILE TECHNOLOGY Hopped-up smartwatches gain new powers We've already seen a number of interesting functions that can be performed by specially-designed prototype smartwatches. Now, however, researchers have developed a system that allows existing watches to recognize gestures, and identify objects held in the user's hand.​   Read more MOBILE TECHNOLOGY Google Pixel XL vs. Nexus 6P Google has finally released "made by Google" smartphones, but they did not spring up from scratch. The Pixel XL's closest relative is the Huawei-manufactured, Google-overseen Nexus 6P. What are the differences between last year's well-reviewed Nexus 6P and the first phablet to bear the Google name?   Read more SPACE Stubborn valves leave Juno hanging Through a meticulously planned orbit, NASA's Juno probe has now circled Jupiter and evaded its harmful radiation for more than four months, but just as the spacecraft was to swing in for a closer look, an unexpected engine complication has resulted in a first, and hopefully minor, setback.​​   Read more AUTOMOTIVE Bojix F-150 headlines a fleet of spiffed-up Fords for SEMA  Ford is going all out for SEMA 2016, showing a fleet of modified cars at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Along with a set of tweaked Mustangs, the Fusion Sport and F-150 have both been comprehensively overhauled to look meaner, go faster and handle more off the beaten track.   Read more TELECOMMUNICATIONS Ultrasound tech gets TVs talking to smartphones A group of Korean entrepreneurs are looking to make interactive TV-viewing even simpler. Their Soundlly system transmits an inaudible ultrasound tone along with TV broadcasts, which allows users' mobile devices to serve as "second screens." ​   Read more VR Samsung Gear VR vs. Google Daydream View ​The Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR finally has a true rival, in the upcoming Google Daydream View. There’s still a lot we don’t know about the latter, but let’s compare the features and specs we’re aware of right now.   Read more ENERGY Tesla and Panasonic partner on PV Tesla and Panasonic have agreed to jointly manufacture solar cells and modules for use with Tesla's Powerwall and Powerpack. The agreement is dependant on Tesla's acquisition of SolarCity being approved by shareholders and, if so, will see SolarCity provide installation, sales and financing support.   Read more SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW ATLAS READERS Manage All Your Remote-Controlled Devices From Your Phone with KlikR, Now 31% Off One of the things we seek most in life is control. And that's what makes KlikR special. This tiny Bluetooth device may be stuck on or next to any infrared remote controlled electronic product, making it almost instantly controllable from your smartphone. Yes, that means even your old remote-controlled ceiling fan can be controlled from your phone. Even better: You can control those remotes with your voice, so you'll just have to ask the TV to turn on, or the stereo to play Purple Rain, and you'll be good to go.   Read more