New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News

$14K Nissan tiny camper unleashes mega versatility via garage staple

C.C. Weiss — Tue, 19 May 2026 19:37:00 GMT

Nissan keeps the factory camper vans coming. Its newest is built atop its smallest van, the Clipper kei van, which measures in under 3.4 meters (11.2 feet) long. To make it a micro-camper, Nissan relies on a basic household staple with which everyday DIY handymen have been familiar for ages: pegboard. The van's integrated peg panels serve as a simple, affordable means of holding up the bed and providing highly versatile storage organization for related (and unrelated) outdoor adventures.

Category: Campervans, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: Kei Cars, mini-campervan, Nissan, Campervan, RV, Cargo, Japanese, Camping, Outdoors and Camping

14-story tall cylinder could generate electricity from ocean waves

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Tue, 19 May 2026 16:03:15 GMT

It isn't easy harnessing the power of waves in the sea to generate electricity, but a Spanish engineering firm is giving it the ol' college try with a giant floating buoy.

Category: Energy, Engineering

Tags: Wave, Ocean, Clean Energy, Renewable Energy

Slim home backup keeps fridge, Wi-Fi or CPAP running during an outage

Monica J. White — Tue, 19 May 2026 13:51:53 GMT

Though many of us take grid power for granted, if it goes down for any reason many of us are left in the dark. The Sierro is a new compact home backup system designed to keep your most important devices, like your fridge, router, or CPAP machine, running through an outage.

Category: Around The Home, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Kickstarter, Battery, Backup, Power, Compact

240-Hz gaming AR glasses are coming for your eyeballs

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Tue, 19 May 2026 11:13:31 GMT

You can already work and game on a virtual screen using the current crop of augmented reality glasses – but what if you're a demanding gamer who lives for high-fidelity graphics and buttery smooth animation?

Category: Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Games, Asus, Glasses, 3D Glasses

Why Honda reporting its first annual loss in 70 years is a big deal

Utkarsh Sood — Tue, 19 May 2026 06:03:00 GMT

This one’s a biggie. Honda has just posted its first annual loss since becoming a publicly traded company back in 1957. And it’s not a small number either – Honda reported a staggering net loss of US$2.7 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Honda, Honda Motorcycles, Financial, Tesla Motors, BYD, Electric Vehicles

Dissimilar robots can 'learn' to perform tasks without needing new code

Malcolm Azania — Tue, 19 May 2026 01:03:00 GMT

It’s fairly easy for people to learn from other people – we’ve been doing it for around 300,000 years – because we can observe, copy, and modify what they’re doing. It’s less easy for us to learn from other animals that way, because the less our cognition and bodies are alike, the harder it is to copy and modify what they do. Learning about plants, fungi, protozoa, and bacteria is easy enough, but learning from them? Forget it.

Category: Robotics, Engineering

Tags: EPFL, Learning

Homo erectus may have passed a genetic legacy down to modern humans after all

The Conversation — Tue, 19 May 2026 00:50:24 GMT

Sally Christine Reynolds, Bournemouth University/ The Conversation

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Human, Genetics, Neanderthal, Fossils, denisovan

Brains of hibernating squirrels could reveal new treatments for stroke

Kayleigh Long — Mon, 18 May 2026 22:07:02 GMT

Advances in understanding of neuron activity and adaptation during squirrel hibernation could help inform stroke treatment and recovery.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Stroke, Neurological, Animals, Nerves, Brain

Reusable flosser skips disposable plastic for an EDC-style design

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Mon, 18 May 2026 21:03:00 GMT

Flossing regularly is great for your teeth, but the single-use plastic picks add to the ever-growing problem of household waste. A Swedish design team has a better solution, in the form of a sleek flosser that's made to last a lifetime.

Category: Around The Home, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Product alternatives, sustainable design, Dental, Teeth, Kickstarter

This radical approach to guitar frets could unlock your dream axe

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Mon, 18 May 2026 19:27:00 GMT

Turkey-based upstart Shark Instruments is taking the fight to higher-end guitar makers with advanced manufacturing capabilities. Its latest industry-first feature: adjustable frets.

Category: Music, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Guitar, Modular

DJI's new dual-lens, 3x zoom Osmo Pocket camera is here

Utkarsh Sood — Mon, 18 May 2026 18:03:00 GMT

What better place to pull the covers off of your latest and greatest pocket camera than the Cannes Film Festival? "By unveiling the Osmo Pocket 4P at one of the most prestigious stages in global filmmaking, DJI signals a bold evolution of the Pocket series from a creator tool into a cinematic imaging device capable of professional-grade storytelling," says the company.

Category: Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: DJI Innovations, Camera, Pocket, Actioncam, Gimbals

AI holograms are reinventing how we navigate airports

Omar Kardoudi — Mon, 18 May 2026 15:07:00 GMT

Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport in New York has unveiled Bridget, a life-sized, hyper-realistic AI hologram that can hold a real conversation – answering questions about gates, baggage claims, and VIP lounges. The technology is a signal that the way we navigate airports is changing from static signs and apps to conversational digital guides, and several major hubs are already competing to define it.

Category: Technology

Tags: Airports, Navigation, Interactive, Holographic, Artificial Intelligence

Family friendly tiny house fits two bedrooms in a towable frame

Adam Williams — Mon, 18 May 2026 13:17:06 GMT

Despite measuring just 30 ft (9.1 m) long, the Ruby tiny house is surprisingly capable as a full-time home for a small family. It packs in a large and open living area, plus two bedrooms, each with its own staircase.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, House, Micro-House, Home

Caliper-style adjustable wrench accommodates every nut size on the fly

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Mon, 18 May 2026 09:48:11 GMT

This new tool you'll want on your belt looks like a Vernier caliper, but it's actually designed to beat the traditional monkey wrench at its own game – and then some.

Category: Knives and Multitools, Gear, Outdoors

Tags: Wrench, Kickstarter, EDC, DIY

Genetic discovery could change how rice is grown around the world, but at a cost

Jay Kakade — Mon, 18 May 2026 02:22:53 GMT

Rice is one of the most widely grown staple crops, providing around 20% of the daily calorie intake for more than half of the world’s population.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Crops, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Genetic engineering, Agriculture

Winnebago Ram 4x4 camper truck swings for fences, whiffs big on bath

C.C. Weiss — Mon, 18 May 2026 02:07:00 GMT

Far removed from its days as a synonym for "huge Class A motorhome," Winnebago is now known for a diverse lineup of on- and off-road RVs of all sizes. Building out its "Backcountry Series," the company adds its most ruggedly luxurious offering yet: the Arka truck camper. This off-grid expedition behemoth is prepared to spend up to 2 full weeks at a time in the deep, dusty backcountry. It's sure to have the Earthroamers and Krugs of the world peering back over their shoulders. Just don't expect a spa bathroom.

Category: RVs and Motorhomes, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: Winnebago, Truck, RAM, expedition vehicles, Overland Expo, Off-road, Off-grid, Camping, Outdoors and Camping, RV

Historical accidents show just how long 'forever chemicals' last

The Conversation — Mon, 18 May 2026 01:00:35 GMT

Ian A. Wright, Amy-Marie Gilpin, & Katherine Warwick, Western Sydney University / The Conversation

Category: Environment, Science

Tags: PFAS, Pollution, nature

New “superfuel” promises 32% boost in aircraft and rocket range

David Szondy — Mon, 18 May 2026 00:03:00 GMT

CycloKinetics, a US propellant company, has unveiled a new family of superfuels for aircraft, missiles, and rockets that increase fuel performance by 32%. Aimed at the defense market, the fuels could allow vehicles to fly farther while carrying heavier payloads.

Category: Aircraft, Transport

Tags: Jet fuel, Rocket, Chemistry

Storage-packed tiny house provides spacious family friendly layout

Adam Williams — Sun, 17 May 2026 19:03:00 GMT

The Byron Bay tiny house is a spacious model that's centered around an open kitchen and living area. The towable home also has multiple upgrades available, including an off-grid setup, and would be a good fit for small families.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home

Review: Fraimic canvas sucks AI art out of virtual and into real life

Joe Salas — Sun, 17 May 2026 15:03:00 GMT

Fraimic wants to turn AI art into something you can put on your wall, rather than forgotten images somewhere in your phone's gallery. And honestly? That's a pretty neat idea.

Category: Around The Home, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: E Ink, E-Ink, AI Art and Music, Creative AI, Home decor, Reviews

US Army eyes major leap in battlefield night vision technology

David Szondy — Sun, 17 May 2026 13:03:00 GMT

The US Army has selected three vendors to boost the service's night vision system into the 21st century by replacing the legacy system from over 20 years ago with the next-generation Binocular Night Observation Device (BiNOD).

Category: Military, Engineering

Tags: elbit, Night Vision, US Army

Compact rugged phone aims to capture action adventures in 4K

Paul Ridden — Sun, 17 May 2026 09:03:00 GMT

Rugged phones are not for everyone. They're generally huge and heavy, though most come with a long-life battery and all can withstand a beating. A relatively new name in the space has gone mini for a tough cookie that's also an actioncam.

Category: Mobile Technology, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Rugged, smartphones, Actioncam, Compact

Renault’s retro-inspired EV gets a giant folding fabric roof for summer

Utkarsh Sood — Sun, 17 May 2026 04:03:00 GMT

Just when modern EVs are starting to feel like interchangeable tech pods on wheels, Renault has decided to bring a little romance back into the equation. The newly revealed open-top version of the Renault 4 E-Tech takes the retro-inspired electric hatch and gives it something the EV world desperately lacks these days – personality.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Renault, Convertible, Electric Vehicles, MINI, Fiat, Citroen

Norton's 206-hp V4 superbike finally arrives ... with surprising pricing

Utkarsh Sood — Sun, 17 May 2026 00:03:00 GMT

Norton Motorcycles’ comeback has been a long-documented story. The company has spent the better part of the last decade feeling like one of motorcycling’s great cautionary tales. Once a legendary British marque synonymous with Isle of Man glory and café-racer culture, the company disappeared into administration by 2020.

Category: Motorcycles, Transport

Tags: Norton Motorcycle, Superbike, V4, BMW Motorrad, Ducati, Supersports, TVS Motor

Can Scotch tape record information like audio tape?

Malcolm Azania — Sat, 16 May 2026 15:03:00 GMT

Back in the olden days of the previous millennium, long before the digital revolution compressed entire albums and even movies into ultra-high-fidelity files that users could download in seconds, hundreds of millions of people relied on physical tape to store albums on cassettes (or 8-tracks) and video on low-resolution VHS cassettes.

Category: Computing, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Pennsylvania State University, Memory, Tape, Adhesive

Strap into this real-life mecha suit for just $650,000

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Sat, 16 May 2026 13:03:00 GMT

Unitree has just gone and made many a kid-at-heart's wildest dream come true. The Chinese robotics firm has created the GD01, a functional mecha suit that you can hop into and walk about on two legs or four.

Category: Robotics, Engineering

Tags: Unitree, Future Robot

Review: 2026 Rivian R1S is quirkily balanced

Aaron Turpen — Sat, 16 May 2026 09:03:00 GMT

If you think that the Rivian R1S is just the SUV version of the R1T pickup, you’re right. That doesn’t change how great it is. Mostly.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Rivian, SUV, Reviews, Electric Vehicles

Hate the dentist? At least you're spared the Neanderthal treatment

Bronwyn Thompson — Sat, 16 May 2026 07:29:03 GMT

Few of us enjoy the dentist – but next time you're in the chair, think about how lucky you are not to have been visiting a Neanderthal tooth doctor. New research on a single tooth from a Russian cave has found that its center is marked with the kind of grooves made by stone tools used as rudimentary drills.

Category: Archaeology, Science

Tags: Archeology, Neanderthal, ancient, Russia, Teeth, Tools

This dangerous bird has a secret hiding in plain sight

Chelsea Haney — Sat, 16 May 2026 06:47:13 GMT

One of the world’s most dangerous birds may carry signals invisible to the human eye.

Category: Biology, Science

Tags: Birds, Australia, Animal science, Animals, Ultra-violet, Signal, Wildlife, Evolution, Behavior

Red Bull’s 1,200-hp hypercar to rival Formula 1 is almost here

Utkarsh Sood — Sat, 16 May 2026 04:03:00 GMT

It's been close to two years since Red Bull revealed the RB17, a low-slung aerodynamic hypercar teased as capable of generating nearly twice its own weight in downforce. Now, in 2026, we’re not too far away from the real thing.

Category: Automotive, Transport

Tags: Red Bull, Hypercar, Racing, Hybrid

Slicked Airstream camping trailer goes full-on IKEA to hit lower price

C.C. Weiss — Fri, 15 May 2026 23:04:00 GMT

Airstream trailers boast a lot of positives, but "cheap" and "lightweight" are not typically among them. In fact, we never expected to use those two terms in an Airstream description, but the new World Traveler trailer is in fact designed as a lighter, more affordable Airstream travel trailer option. True, it carries the big asterisk of being light and cheap *for an Airstream, but it does demonstrate clearly that the iconic Silver Bullet badge is continuing to adapt its near-century-old design to the changing trends of modern times.

Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: Airstream, Caravan, trailers, RV, Camping, Outdoors and Camping

Juiced Bikes proves capable electric motorcycles don't have to cost a lot

Utkarsh Sood — Fri, 15 May 2026 20:35:14 GMT

All right, I admit it, I have a thing for affordable off-road electric motorcycles. There’s just something about a battery-powered, inexpensive dual sport that’s quiet, filled with torque, and almost as light as a lawn mower. Heck yeah!

Category: Motorcycles, Transport

Tags: Juiced Bikes, Electric Motorcycles, Off-road, Dirt Bikes, Sur-Ron, Segway, ebikes

Brilliant beacon may awaken your inner Jedi knight

Ben Coxworth — Fri, 15 May 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Bicycle tail lights have a way of playing second fiddle to their brighter, more interesting headlight siblings. We're sure you'll agree, however, that the Hi-Tail is one tall, telescoping safety beacon that definitely won't be "outshined."

Category: Bicycles, Transport

Tags: bike lights, Cycling, Road Safety

Two-bedroom tiny house combines portability with a roomy interior

Adam Williams — Fri, 15 May 2026 14:03:00 GMT

The Cabarita tiny house strikes a nice balance between spaciousness and portability. Designed for small families or full-time downsizers wanting a little extra space, the home features a light-filled and open interior with two bedrooms.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home

Headlight projectors turn your car into a drive-in theater

Monica J. White — Fri, 15 May 2026 12:17:48 GMT

Huawei's latest XPixel smart headlights upgrade automotive lighting from a safety feature into a full-color projection system that can play movies, render games, and guide drivers – all from the front of the car.

Category: Technology

Tags: Huawei, Headlight, Projectors

The 'red flag' you might miss in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease

Kerry Taylor-Smith — Fri, 15 May 2026 06:35:22 GMT

Sleep loss is often one of the most challenging symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, affecting patients long before memory loss and a formal diagnosis is made. Research from the University of Kentucky has likened poor sleep to a canary in a coal mine, an early symptom of neurodegeneration that could serve as a potential new biomarker to identify the disease.

Category: Body and Mind

Tags: Alzheimer's disease, Brain, Dementia, Tau protein, University of Cambridge, University of Kentucky, Sleep, Sleeping, Insomnia

Watch: Huge cargo ship 'drifts' around a remarkably tight turn

Loz Blain — Fri, 15 May 2026 04:49:45 GMT

If you want to pilot a container ship into Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, you'd better be good. Navigating the Long Tau river requires these deep-sea leviathans to turn on a dime, making for some spectacular viewing.

Category: Marine, Transport

Tags: shipping containers, Shipping, Ships, Video

One essential vitamin may have a surprising link to cancer

The Conversation — Fri, 15 May 2026 04:42:00 GMT

Ahmed Elbediwy & Nadine Wehida, Kingston University/ The Conversation

Category: Diet & Nutrition, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Vitamins and minerals, Diet, Cancer Tissue

VW reinvigorates US van life with first new camper van in decades

C.C. Weiss — Thu, 14 May 2026 20:51:05 GMT

Volkswagen withdrew its classic Transporter vans (Eurovan) from the American market after the 2003 model year, thus putting a fast end to a romantic decades-long era of great American road trips. The tiny, breezy VW camper vans that had symbolized the open-ended freedom of the road were no more ... at least so far as brand-new models were concerned. The American camper van industry was never quite the same after that, scrambling its way upmarket to larger, more customized vehicles that now commonly price above luxury SUVs. But that dark near-quarter century of American RV history is coming to an end as Volkswagen announces a new factory camper van.

Category: Campervans, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors

Tags: mini-campervan, Campervan, electric-camper, RV, Volkswagen, Camping, Outdoors and Camping

Honda's thinking of adding a fake clutch and vibration motors to its e-motos

Utkarsh Sood — Thu, 14 May 2026 19:10:38 GMT

Times are weird, and I guess weird times call for weird measures. At least, as per Honda, which thinks it's about time electric motorcycles replicated the old-school feel of gas bikes.

Category: Motorcycles, Transport

Tags: Honda Motorcycles, Patent, Electric Motorcycles, Zero Motorcycles, Kymco

Full-size arcade gaming system folds into a cabinet when not in use

Maryna Holovnova — Thu, 14 May 2026 17:30:00 GMT

Arcade machines are large, heavy, and take up a lot of space. Even though they're fun and have a cool retro look, they can definitely feel out of place in people's homes. And that’s fair – not everyone wants their living room to look like a 1990s pizza restaurant. But what if you could own a machine that was easy to put away when not in use? That’s exactly the idea behind Swap Arcade.

Category: Games, Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: Kickstarter, Video Games, Gaming, Furniture, Transformable

Extra-wide tiny house focuses on storage without sacrificing comfort

Adam Williams — Thu, 14 May 2026 15:57:00 GMT

The Black Butte tiny house uses some clever interior design ideas to create an open and storage-packed layout that still makes room for some nice touches, including a bathroom with a freestanding tub.

Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors

Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home

World’s first native color LiDAR gives machines human-like vision

Omar Kardoudi — Thu, 14 May 2026 14:12:09 GMT

For years, machines have navigated the world color-blind. LiDAR sensors – the laser-based eyes of self-driving cars, industrial robots, and inspection drones – build precise 3D maps of their surroundings, but everything is built of monochrome geometric shapes. Ouster's new Rev8 sensor family aims to change that, not by bolting a camera onto a LiDAR unit, but by fusing color directly into every point of data the sensor captures.

Category: Technology

Tags: LIDAR, Colors, All-in-one, Chips

Kymco's practical yet stylish middleweight touring scooter lands in US

Utkarsh Sood — Thu, 14 May 2026 11:58:00 GMT

There probably isn’t any other bikemaker in the world that’s more synonymous with scooters than Kymco. It ranks right up there among top global scooter brands like Honda, Yamaha, and Piaggio/Vespa. Even in the USA, it’s relatively well-known, despite its small dealer footprint when compared to those other brands.

Category: Motorcycles, Transport

Tags: Scooter, Kymco, Touring, BMW Motorrad, Honda Motorcycles

The extraordinary architecture of San Diego's new Navy SEAL museum

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:06:45 GMT

San Diego has a deep connection to America's military and naval forces, and it'll soon be home to a marvelous institution to showcase the history, legacy, and future of the Navy SEALs.

Category: Architecture, Engineering

Tags: Museum, US Navy, Building and Construction, Building Facades

Mexico City is sinking – and NASA is watching it happen

Chris Young — Thu, 14 May 2026 06:39:06 GMT

Mexico City is trapped in a dangerous feedback loop.

Category: Environment, Science

Tags: Water, Geology, NASA, Satellite

Four weeks of small diet tweaks can shift needle on your biological age

Bronwyn Thompson — Thu, 14 May 2026 02:45:39 GMT

New research shows that small changes in diet practiced for less than a calendar month can potentially improve your biological age – supporting the key functions that together lead to healthier lives later in life.

Category: Aging Well, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: University of Sydney, Aging, Age-Related, Biological age, Blood Pressure, Insulin, Chronic illness, Inflammation, Health

New cage-like crystal found in the waste of the world’s first nuclear explosion

Mike McRae — Thu, 14 May 2026 01:35:12 GMT

More than 80 years after the world-famous Trinity test showed humanity what to expect from an atomic detonation, researchers are still sifting new discoveries out of its twisted remains.

Category: Chemistry, Science

Tags: Nuclear Fission, X-ray crystallography, Chemistry

New document reveals surprising truth of Black Death survivors

The Conversation — Thu, 14 May 2026 00:43:04 GMT

Alex Brown & Grace Owen, Durham University/ The Conversation

Category: Infectious Diseases, Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind

Tags: pandemic, black-death, History

Antarctica's waters are warming – I know, because I jumped in

Cat Williams — Wed, 13 May 2026 23:27:11 GMT

It was cold – but nowhere near what I expected; I’ve been colder in an outdoor swimming pool in Australia. It's part of a global feedback loop, the scale of which I only began to comprehend when I saw this remarkable continent for myself.

Category: Environment, Science

Tags: Antarctic, Climate Crisis, Penguins, Sea-level rise, Ice, Features, xxShowcase

1.5-lb pocket winch manhandles loads over 1,000x its weight

C.C. Weiss — Wed, 13 May 2026 23:04:00 GMT

Built for the type of fast, remote motorized adventure that can go wrong in a hurry, the new Pocket Winch from startup Dragan Systems aims to be the lightest, most portable come-along out there. It fractionalizes weight while still multiplying muscle enough to move up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of stuck vehicle, trail-blocking deadfall or whatever else stands in the way of open-ended adventure. Chuck it in your Africa Twin's pannier and have an instant backup plan if things go sideways.

Category: Gear, Outdoors

Tags: Adventure Bikes, Off-road, Mountain Bikes, Motorcycle Gear

3rd-Gen multitool packs 20 functions into funky key form

Maryna Holovnova — Wed, 13 May 2026 17:30:00 GMT

EDC Monster is a team of everyday carry (EDC) tool enthusiasts that has been creating compact gear since 2022. One of its signature products is a key-shaped multitool introduced three years ago. The idea behind the series is to create a multifunctional tool that is small and lightweight enough to stay on a keychain – essentially a full toolbox in the shape and size of a key.

Category: Knives and Multitools, Gear, Outdoors

Tags: Multitools, Knife, Wrench, Titanium, EDC, Kickstarter, xxKickbooster

Heated PLA robo-octopus gripper goes limp to grapple, hard to lift

Malcolm Azania — Wed, 13 May 2026 16:01:31 GMT

Countless industrial tools and robots need to grip things, and because we humans learn to grip since infancy, we can easily underestimate how complex gripping actually is. If our grip is too rigid, we can snap or shatter our payload; if our grip is too soft, our payload may slip from our fingers or exceed lift capacity. Human hands have advantages: rigid bones covered in pliable skin and muscles. So, what’s a poor mechanism to do when it simply wants to lift?

Category: Robotics, Engineering

Tags: Octopus, Biomimicry, Peking University, National University of Singapore, Zhejiang University

NASA pushes next-gen Mars helicopter rotors through the sound barrier

Omar Kardoudi — Wed, 13 May 2026 15:57:00 GMT

Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, have demonstrated that the blades of their next-generation Mars helicopter rotors can punch past the speed of sound and come out intact. In recent tests, a three-bladed rotor reached Mach 1.08 in simulated Martian conditions, boosting lift capacity by 30% without a single blade fracturing.

Category: Space Systems, Engineering

Tags: NASA, JPL, Mars, Helicopters

Supertall skyscraper comes with a cool terracotta twist

Adam Williams — Wed, 13 May 2026 14:02:00 GMT

In a world dominated by glass rectangular towers, the recently completed Wasl Tower takes a different approach to skyscraper design. The supertall features a twisting form wrapped in thousands of sculpted terracotta fins that help shade and cool the building in Dubai's scorching heat.

Category: Architecture, Engineering

Tags: Building and Construction, Skyscrapers, Dubai, Office

12-in-1 ratchet screwdriver fits in your pocket for anytime DIY fixes

Abhimanyu Ghoshal — Wed, 13 May 2026 11:52:05 GMT

Screwdriver sets with multiple bits are a dime a dozen, but if you're working on smaller projects or struggling with screws in tight corners, a ratchet screwdriver is a better bet. And that's where the A06 looks like the right tool for the job.

Category: Knives and Multitools, Gear, Outdoors

Tags: EDC, Tools, bike tools, Kickstarter, xxKickbooster

reMarkable’s newest e-note doubles down on distraction-free digital writing

Monica J. White — Wed, 13 May 2026 09:48:46 GMT

reMarkable’s new Paper Pure refines the E Ink notebook formula with a more responsive display, longer battery life, and improved integration with digital workflows.

Category: Consumer Tech, Technology

Tags: E-Ink, Tablet, E-reader, Digital Media, Notebook

Is the ‘Andes virus’ the new COVID? An expert explains the difference

The Conversation — Wed, 13 May 2026 07:02:00 GMT

Rhys Parry/ The University of Queensland/ The Conversation

Category: Infectious Diseases, Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind

Tags: Coronavirus (COVID-19), Virus, xxSyndication, hantavirus

Ghost ships can't hide from new space-based tracking system

David Szondy — Wed, 13 May 2026 05:48:15 GMT

Infamous "ghost ships" may not be able to hide on the high seas much longer thanks to new technology being developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The system uses a dynamic satellite camera and advanced data processing to visually track ships in real time.

Category: Marine, Transport

Tags: Satellite, Artificial Intelligence, Shipping

Sound-wave 'sunscreen' shields delicate surfaces from damage

Bronwyn Thompson — Wed, 13 May 2026 04:19:35 GMT

Scientists have developed a way to use sound waves to create microscopic layers of protection, demonstrating the method's delicate handling on the leaves of the common houseplant Epipremnum aureum by blocking damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays without impeding photosynthesis.

Category: Chemistry, Science

Tags: RMIT University, Molecules, RMIT, Chemistry, Ultra-violet, Ultraviolet