Friday, July 29, 2016

gizmag

On the way to buildings that act like “large-scale living organisms”, scientists at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) are developing smart bricks which make use of microbes to recycle wastewater, generate electricity and produce oxygen.   Read more
There's a good reason people don't throw themselves out of airplanes without parachutes or wingsuits, and that's because it rarely ends well. Skydiver Luke Aikins will be hoping that tomorrow is one of the rare occasions where that's not the case, as he jumps 'chute- and 'suit-less from 25,000 ft.   Read more
​Last month, an acoustic monitoring buoy was put in place in the New York Bight, listening out for sounds from some of the world’s largest mammals. The buoy has already picked up sounds from a heard of fin whales – the second largest whale species on the planet.  Read more
The image you see here is the first glimpse of BMW's upcoming M4 GT4 racer. It is set to supersede the popular M3 GT4 as BMW's offering for GT4 class race championships. The car will be based on the BMW M4 Coupé, boasting the same drivetrain and electronics.   Read more
Researchers have edged closer toward the reality of artificial photosynthesis, developing what they describe as a game-changing solar cell that produces hydrocarbon fuels in the lab, with potential applications ranging from large-scale uses on Earth to providing power on Mars. ​   Read more
A prestigious badge and limited production run usually means values will shoot through the roof. But by how much? After a bunch of upcoming auctions, we're likely to know which of the P1, LaFerrari and 918 Spyder going under the hammer holds the most value in the eyes of collectors.   Read more
After a software bug forced Damon McMillan to abandon an attempt to send his solar-powered SeaCharger craft on an ocean-crossing solo voyage, he rescheduled for a couple of weeks later. After clocking up over 2,400 miles, the craft arrived safely in Hawaii on July 22.  Read more
In the next few months, Nintendo and Sega are relaunching modern versions of classic home consoles, but for those whose gaming nostalgia brings up memories of noisy arcades and dingy bars, the Retro-Bit Generations takes 100+ classic games from the arcade era and jams them onto one little machine.  Read more
In a first-of-a-kind study, scientists have tracked koala activity in response to newly installed wildlife crossings and found that while dolphins they are not, these fluffy herbivores learnt very quickly to avoid oncoming traffic when presented with a safe alternative path.   Read more
​Over the years, scientists have come up with all manner of new ways to deliver medication, from sophisticated dual-sided pills to drug-packed nanoparticles. Now, researchers are working on something even more sophisticated, developing tiny bead-shaped robots controlled by magnetic fields.   Read more
Working off the coast of California in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, the crew​ of the marine exploration vessel Nautilus were surprised to see a mysterious glowing purple orb on their live feed and used a robotic attachment to sample the mysterious creature for study.   Read more
Loading kegs onto hand trucks and thumping them down flights of stairs can lead to injury and damage. In response, an engineering team from MIT developed Glyde, a hand truck that scales stairs easily thanks to tank-like treads and a self-braking system.   Read more
Even though Tesla's Model S accelerates like a McLaren F1, it's not the fastest street legal EV​ in the world. That honor is reserved for the Genovation GXE, a reimagined Corvette Z06 that has now set a new land speed world record of 205.6 mph (331 km/h).   Read more
Lockheed Martin's Hybrid Airship is one beast of a heavy hauler. Naturally, maintaining a vehicle almost as long as a football field takes a lot of man hours, but the technology company has a new little helper on deck.   Read more
ESA's ExoMars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) spacecraft zeroed in on Mars today as it successfully conducted a 53-minute course correction burn of its main engine. ESA says that the probe used a new ultra-precise navigation technique that fixed its position to within a thousand meters.   Read more
HoloVit, which recently proved a prototype, is seeking funds on Indiegogo for its personal holography system. HoloVit recording sets and screens are designed to capture and display holograms projected from smartphones, tablets, laptops, or TVs.​   Read more
​​A team of researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine has identified key areas of the human brain that, under stimulation, could make a person more susceptible to hypnosis.  Read more
Game controllers like the Wii and Kinect have tried to get gamers up and moving, but SymGym takes things a step further by acting simultaneously as a controller and resistance-based strength training system.   Read more
Forty-seven entries from seven countries are set to take part in a competition aimed at finding new ways to convert carbon dioxide into valuable products. The NRG COSIA Carbon XPrize will award US$20 million to the teams that develop the best breakthrough technologies for "reimagining CO2."  Read more
Readings from NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory are causing astronomers to question our understanding of exactly how the magnetic fields of stars akin to our own Sun are generated.   Read more
BMW claims to be the first automaker to implement a robotic optical measuring cell that can create a digital model of a full-sized vehicle in half the time of previous efforts.   Read more
Storied British car marque Bristol has launched a new model to celebrate its 70th anniversary. The Bullet signals the rebirth of the brand after it was saved from insolvency five years ago and recalls its heritage in aviation and luxury car production.   Read more
Few get the opportunity to live in a Zaha Hadid-designed luxury home. However, a new collection produced by Zaha Hadid Design and Spanish high-end ceramics specialist Porcelanosa offers those with deep pockets an opportunity to kit out their bathroom with the late architect's signature style.   Read more
Say what you will about its ethics, Volkswagen has made big strides in making everything from the Polo to the Amarok feel more upmarket. The latest vehicle to chase a more luxurious feel is the Crafter, a van with designs on offering tradies a more comfortable, car-like feel.  Read more
Gizmag is looking for a US-based journalist specializing in mobile tech to join our global team.​   Read more

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