New Atlas

COMPUTERS Microsoft goes all-in on creativity, with an all-in-one PC that’s also a digital drafting table You have to hand it to Microsoft for picking a theme and sticking with it. The company took a technology-helping-you-create theme today and pummeled it into the ground with a bevy of announcements ranging from a niche new Surface to a big Window updates.  Read more AUTOMOTIVE Review: 2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e is big, efficient, and impressive behind its kidney grille Yes, it's an SUV with a plug. No, it's not a Tesla killer. Yes, it has a goofy shift lever. We spent a week in the BMW X5 sport utility in its plug-in hybrid format, and were suitably impressed by its high-tech nonchalance and drag strip-sized tires.   Read more MOTORCYCLES Meet the FGR Midalu V6: 2.5 liters of Czech-built, luxury, exotic, naked grunt After 10 years of development, Czech company FGR is finally ready to start selling its low-volume, luxury exotic streetbike. The Midalu is built around a 2.5-liter V6 that roars its way to a thoroughly indecent 240 horsepower peak, and the engineering on this naked brute looks exquisite.   Read more BIOLOGY Wiring the brain with artificial senses and limb control Scientists and engineers from the University of Washington are working on a way to provide prosthetic users and those suffering from spinal cord injuries with the ability to both feel and control their limbs or robotic replacements by means of directly stimulating the cortex of the brain.   Read more GAMES Razer and Nacon bring eSport expertise to new PS4 controllers Sony has announced some chunky new third-party PS4 controllers from Razer and Nacon, designed specifically for the eSports crowd with added buttons, triggers, profiles, and a decidedly more Xbox look about them.  Read more AUTOMOTIVE The story behind JayDee's 600 hp Ariel Atom ... and what's coming next The JayDee Atom 600 began life as 245 hp Ariel Atom III but with a custom-built Honda engine how produces 594 hp on E85 pump fuel at the rear wheels and the whole car with a near full tank of gas, weighs 701 kg.  Read more ENERGY Renewables rising: Global clean energy capacity leaves coal in the dust Renewables have now overtaken coal as the world's largest source of installed power capacity, and the agency's projections over the next five or so years paint a pretty promising picture for the industry indeed. ​  Read more HEALTH & WELLBEING "Peanut patch" may save some lives In western cultures, peanut allergies are the leading cause of food-related anaphylaxis death. Needless to say, therefore, people with such allergies need to be protected against exposure to the nuts – and a skin patch may help provide that protection.​  Read more GOOD THINKING Reversible tent offers safe shelter for the homeless Singapore-based non-profit Billion Bricks has designed a reversible tent for homeless people. Billed as being easy and quick to pitch, it's designed to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. You can also order one for yourself, if so inclined.  Read more AIRCRAFT More efficient Rolls-Royce turbine inches closer with successful gearbox test ​Rolls-Royce has inched a step closer to putting its upcoming TurboFan into production, having successfully run the world's most powerful aerospace gearbox for the first time.   Read more DRONES Pilot using drone to replace a light bulb won't take no for an answer ​​These days there are plenty of reasons you might want become proficient at flying a drone. Maybe you want to take breathtaking photos, film extreme sports, protect wildlife, or perhaps, you simply need to change a light bulb? ​   Read more AUTOMOTIVE Mazda MX-5 is put on a stricter diet for SEMA 2016 Weight loss was on the agenda for Mazda at SEMA 2015, with the Speedster and Spyder both shaving kilos from the MX-5 package, but the lightweight fascination didn't end there. SEMA 2016 will play host to a more stripped back, focused version of last year's Speedster alongside a charcoal MX-5 RF.  Read more AIRCRAFT Airline app lets passengers view luggage location on maps Though some luggage now has integrated location tracking, the vast majority, of course, do not. US airline Delta, however, is making it possible for anyone to track their luggage, no matter how low-tech it may be, using its Fly Delta app.   Read more ARCHITECTURE Aston Martin motors into luxury building design Shortly after dipping its toe into powerboat production, Aston Martin has revealed it is collaborating on a new luxury condo in Miami, Florida. The sail-shaped 300 Biscayne Boulevard Way is due to be completed in 2021.   Read more ENVIRONMENT New soap is cleaner and greener The majority of commonly-used soaps contain petroleum. While there are petroleum-free soaps out there, they often don't perform that well. Now, however, scientists have developed one that is claimed to actually work better than mainstream products.   Read more LAPTOPS Light field turns non-touch laptop displays into touchscreens Owners of non-touchscreen laptops now have a way to add that functionality to new and existing Chromebooks and laptops running Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 via a device called the AirBar.   Read more AROUND THE HOME Look ma no hands! Gesture sensor will offer touch-free gadget control No doubt you've needed to control a device while keeping your hands free or while keeping your dirty hands clear of your expensive tech. Where hopelessness and frustration may previously have abounded, a new gesture-control device called the Bixi – now raising funds on Kickstarter – could help.   Read more SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW ATLAS READERS Pay What You Want for this 9-Course Ethical Hacker Training The world of ethical hacking is only growing as the world becomes more and more interconnected and open to security threats. With this deal, you'll pay what you want for 63 hours of training in Kali Linux pentesting, CISSP certification, mobile hacking, and much more to put you on this lucrative career path.   Read more