Monday, December 19, 2016

New Atlas

A market of extremes, the motorhome segment hosted debuts of everything from ultra-premium luxury carriages to toppers sliding a bit of roof over pickup truck beds this year. The following field homes have all parked on a plot in our memories with innovative designs and features.   Read more
The Apple vs Android debate. We're not here to take a side. We're here to let you pick yours. To that end we'll be giving one lucky winner $2k in credit to purchase whatever they want in either Apple or Android products. Best of luck.   Read more
For over 15 years, Hollywood has been trying to generate photo-realistic digital characters, but often the results were weird, discordant or just plain unsettling. Has Hollywood finally come out of the uncanny valley with Star Wars: Rogue One?   Read more
​The 3D-printed Hybrid Slide Guitar from Florida-based MONAD Studio is a twin-horned beauty designed to form part of a sonic wall installation that serves as both a visual backdrop for musicians and an instrument rack.   Read more
The all-new 5 Series has only just launched, but BMW has already decided to expand the lineup with two new models. The company has announced the new 530i ePerformance plug-in hybrid, along with the new M550i xDrive.   Read more
Tokyo-based Vinclu's Gatebox is looking to set itself apart from devices like the Amazon Echo and Google Home with a virtual assistant who isn't just a disembodied voice, but takes the holographic form of a tiny anime girl​ who seems a bit too eager to please.   Read more
In our rush to accept multicopter drones into our world, have we forgotten the advantages of the humble helicopter? One Canadian company says its single top rotor helicopter drones are as stable and easy to fly as a multicopter, but with several key advantages.  Read more
Scientists have picked up a "crazy," complex call from the depths of the Mariana Trench. Although the mysterious sounds haven't been attributed to an exact species just yet, marine researchers believe it's less the call of Cthulu and more a previously-unknown dialect of baleen whale song.   Read more
​The wonder-material graphene may have a new trick to add to its resume: converting carbon dioxide into liquid fuels. A team at Rice University has used nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots to create ethylene and ethanol, with stability and efficiency close to that of electrocatalysts like copper.  Read more
NASA's Dawn deep-space probe has discovered ice inside the eternally shadowed craters of the polar regions of the dwarf planet Ceres, where it survives in the crater interiors thanks to the extreme cold there.  Read more
Researchers have discovered that the world’s largest, most famous diamonds were formed in a different part of the Earth’s mantle and through a different process to the smaller, more common diamonds that make up the vast majority.  Read more
​​Northrop Grumman's newest version of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye has made its maiden flight. The latest iteration of the airborne early warning aircraft now has the ability to refuel in the air from a tanker aircraft, allowing it to remain on station longer.​   Read more
The Mazzanti Evantra Millecavalli was a dramatic leap up from the standard 751-hp Evantra, leaving some serious space between the two. Mazzanti has filled part of that space with the all-new Evantra 771 pack.   Read more
​Eight months after launch, we suspect the most fervent virtual reality enthusiasts have already settled on either the Oculus Rift​ or HTC Vive​. But maybe you're only now considering a high-end headset? We've been using the Rift and Vive since April, and have a few thoughts.   Read more
​​Following the first full-scale testing of its solar-powered Aquila drone back in July, Facebook described the event as a success. Well, turns out that wasn't entirely true, with the aircraft coming a cropper on the landing.  Read more
​We've already heard that things like special enzymes and fresh produce may help ward off Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. According to new research, however, you can now add "taking saunas" to that list – and the more often you take them, the better.   Read more
By causing a defect in pink diamond crystals, Harvard University researcher have created what they're calling the world's smallest radio. It measures only two atoms in size and is robust enough to withstand the tortures of alien planets or the rough-and-tumble environment inside our own bodies.  Read more
RIBA has announced the winner of its 2016 House of the Year award, Murphy House. A relatively small, solar-powered and energy-efficient home in Edinburgh, it was lauded by the judges for its playful character and overcoming the constraints of the site.  Read more
2016 has been another strong year for envelope-pushing musical instrument innovation. Each year it gets harder to choose favorites, but there have been a few products, creations and ideas that simply jumped out from the stack of contenders. Read on for our pick of the year's best music-making gear.   Read more
iOS exclusive Super Mario Run is the first Mario Bros. game to hit mobile. Is it just a Nintendo/Apple attention grab, or does it merit the price tag and do the Mario franchise justice?   Read more
A non-invasive robotic arm developed by University of Minnesota researchers could give the physically impaired a newfound sense of mobility without the risk of going under the knife.    Read more
For their latest bio-inspired project, scientists at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have crafted a drone with a feathered, shape-shifting wingspan that allows it to fly fast, turn sharply and endure strong winds. Kind of like a bird.   Read more
VFL Wolfsburg is to become the first German soccer team to have LED pitch lighting installed at its stadium. Philips, which is providing the lighting, says it will deliver a better quality of light at the Volkswagen Arena, allowing for improved TV coverage of games.   Read more
Chrysler has completed the production of 100 Pacifica Hybrid minivans built specifically for self-driving use by Waymo. The news is the first of note to come out of Waymo since it was spun-out from being Google's autonomous car project, with the vehicles to be used for self-driving testing.​   Read more
The world's smartest flash drive is back and better than ever. With just a swivel, iKlips DUO+ lets you easily share files between iPhone, iPad, Mac, and PC. Plug it in and you can view, backup, and manage your galleries and data at extremely high speeds. Made for Apple devices, but compatible with PC as well, this powerful dual-interface Lightning and USB 3.1 drive will revolutionize the way you manage your data between devices.   Read more
 

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