Wednesday, October 5, 2016

New Atlas


 
The Nobel Prizes are being announced this month, and we now know the winners of the prizes in three fields of science: physics, chemistry and medicine. Here's what you need to know about the advancements in each area that led to the award of some of the world's most prestigious prizes.   Read more
Can something original be created from pieces of other people's work? What if there was no such thing as an original creation? If all creative work is in some way derivative, how do we create a copyright system that doesn't stifle creativity in the 21st century?  Read more
If you have a mathematical inclination, or a bent for probabilities, this book might well catalyze a turning point in your life. This book explains how simple algorithms can be applied to our everyday lives, helping to solve common decision-making problems​.   Read more
The Misfit Shine 2 Swimmer's Edition combines the fitness tracking abilities of Misfit’s aluminum disc with a bit of added swimming credibility from Speedo. We recently took the swimming-focussed fitness tracker for a dip to see what it’s like.  Read more
Aalberg Audio has launched a Kickstarter to fund production of the Moon MO-1 wireless switcher. We've spent the last week or so playing with a pre-production prototype, along with a preview of the upcoming Aalberg Remote app.​   Read more
Austria's Coop Himmelb(l)au recently put the finishing touches to a museum in Shenzhen, China. The Museum of Contemporary Art & Planning Exhibition an outstanding example of breathtaking building design in a city undergoing its fair share of significant development lately.   Read more
Part of what you buy with a Bentley is a sense of exclusivity, but that can quickly evaporate with having to queue for gas like everyone else. The British marque is now trialing a new "concierge fuel service" where drivers can choose exactly where and when their vehicle is refueled.   Read more
Mitsubishi previewed the GT-PHEV concept earlier this month ahead of a Paris Motor Show debut, but it left some key details for the official world premiere. With Paris underway, Mitsubishi has done the full dive, releasing powertrain details and opening the doors.   Read more
Researchers have discovered that bees can learn to pull a string for food. Not only is this the first time insects have been seen to use this strategy, but the trained bees also spread the ability throughout the colony, prompting questions about social learning, culture and intelligence in animals.   Read more
BAE Systems​ has unveiled the possible successor to the US Army's veteran Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The Next Generation Bradley concept vehicle is designed to demonstrate an improvement in the Bradley's capabilities while keeping down costs.   Read more
The first ever dedicated United Nations space mission, set to launch by 2021, will allow all UN member countries to propose, develop and experiments that will orbit Earth for 14 days aboard Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser spaceplane.   Read more
Robots have the potential to instantly share all the skills they've learned with other robots simply by transmitting the information over a network. It is this "cloud robotics" that Google researchers are looking to take advantage of to help robots gain skills more quickly.   Read more
In 1992 the CBR900RR Fireblade changed the superbike game, but a quarter century later Honda’s production racing icon appears to be lagging behind the competition. The 2017 CBR1000RR SP and SP2 aim to turn the tables both on the road and the race track with a host of upgrades on the existing model.   Read more
​Microbots are tricky to steer and control, so researchers led by Clemens Bechinger of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems are taking a page from nature and developing simple microswimmers that can mimic the light-seeking behavior of some bacteria.   Read more
​Watson, IBM’s AI system, is ridiculously prolific. The latest point on the system’s resumé is to help make hospital stays more comfortable for patients and relieve strain on staff through speakers that can answer basic questions and grant patients' control over room temperature, lights or TV.   Read more
Control is the key word in the new Aprilia RSV4s and Tuonos, and the result is near limitless adjustments over nearly every aspect of these bikes, many of them on the fly.​   Read more
Smallhold farmers in developing nations may lose entire crops without ever knowing what was wrong with them. That's why scientists are now creating software that could be incorporated into an app that identifies crop diseases, based on user-supplied smartphone photos. ​   Read more
A new name in rugged, off-road camping trailers, UGOAT – that's Utility Go-anywhere Off-road Adventure Trailer – lets its military roots shine. Made by a trio of marines, UGOAT's versatile, "multi-trailers" put military surplus supplies to work supporting recreational off-road expeditions.  Read more
The Eveready Autoped was the world's first scooter, manufactured in New York from 1915 to 1921. It sold for just US$100, offering 125 mpg (1.9 l/100km) transportation at 25 mph (40 km/h) ... and there's one about to be auctioned.   Read more
Mercedes-Benz has signed an agreement with Formula E that gives it an option to compete in the championship's 2018/19 season. If it chooses to do so, the carmaker will take one of two new spaces in the championship, which will see the number of teams rise from 10 to 12.   Read more
The team behind the original Ballbot, which relies on a single ball to get around, is back with an even less complicated system. The upgraded machine uses an experimental induction motor rather than a mechanical drive system for mobility, resulting in a robot with only a single moving part. ​   Read more
Well, it's certainly been a busy day for Google. As well as launching two new Pixel phones and the Daydream View VR headset, the tech giant also had time today to introduce an updated 4K-capable Chromecast, tell us more about its Amazon Echo competitor, and unveil a new take on the router too.   Read more
We first got wind of Google's ambitious Daydream VR project at its I/O conference in May, and now we're starting to see some actual hardware: meet the Daydream View VR headset, launched at Google's special press event.   Read more
Google's Pixel phones are here, and ready to take on the iPhone. The company showed off the 5-inch Pixel and 5.5-inch Pixel XL in San Francisco today, promising the best of Google's hardware and software in two shiny new handsets.   Read more
​Naturally the logical thing to do when you're thirsty is to have something to drink, but some drinks are more thirst-quenching than others.   Read more
Scientists have developed a fabric that not only blocks chemical warfare agents, but actively breaks them down, something they say is a step up on currently available technologies.   Read more
Lotus has unveiled the third and final of its special editions released to celebrate the 50 years it has spent at its HQ in Hethel, UK. The Lotus Exige 350 Special Edition takes the lightweight Exige Sport 350 and makes it even lighter.   Read more
AER, the latest GoPro accessory, is designed to give GoPro cameras a set of aerodynamic wings and crash-proof bumper for a different type of photo experience.  Read more
​​The star at the heart of the “alien megastructure” controversy that gripped the internet in 2015, has been observed to dim dramatically over a period of just four years according to a new study making use of data collected by NASA's Kepler spacecraft.   Read more
More and more people are investing in dashboard cameras as an insurance precaution in the unfortunate case of an accident. Play it on the safe on-the-road and always have a witness for your adventures. Plus this high-quality camera even takes great footage if you ever want to look back at where you've been. Daily commute or cross-country road trip, DashCam is the safest companion you could ask for.   Read more
 

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