Features of the week
AircraftTransport
World's largest all-electric plane completes maiden flight
by David Szondy
Another record falls as the world's largest all-electric airplane makes its maiden flight. On August 12, 2026, Heart Aerospace's 25,000-lb (11,340-kg) X1 demonstrator aircraft took to the skies over Plattsburgh, New York for a 27-minute FAA flight test.
AutomotiveTransport
BMW's weird Minecraft-like car harvests more energy than it uses
by Simon Heptinstall
Almost 2 years ago, BMW challenged students at Clemson University to build a vehicle that produced more energy than it needed. The Deep Orange 17 – or 'luminetta' – is the result of their labors, a boxy prototype EV jam-packed with solar cells.
GearOutdoors
Solar generator tracks the sun for go-anywhere charging
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
Iris' new solar generator has a handy feature you don't often see on units like these: the ability to follow the sun around the sky. The T1 also a built-in battery to top off your personal gadgets while you're off-grid.
WearablesConsumer TechTechnology
Your own personal poison-snooper as a wearable skin patch
by Malcolm Azania
An alcoholic drink will give you a buzz, but if someone laced it with something dangerous, a new poison-snooping patch will buzz your skin to warn you. It can also detect heavy metals in water and toxic aerosols, and can work as an e-skin for robots.
This week’s newsletter sponsor
Four Kingbull E-Bikes That Make Sense for the Back-to-School Commute
Back-to-school season is about smarter commuting. Kingbull's 2026 campaign features four e-bikes designed for different needs, from affordable campus rides to family-friendly errands. Here's how the Ranger, Hunter 2.0S, Discover 2.0, and Voyager 2.0 compare.
Top Stories: Transport
The 2026 Harley Street Glide 3: Meet your personal amusement park ride
by Boris Mihailovic
How’d you like to have a real, honest-to-hellness, smash my inside goop and smear me like red-meat porridge while I scream, amusement park ride in your garage? All you have to do is buy a 2026 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Three.
Nissan hits triple-digit fuel economy during record-smashing run
by Simon Heptinstall
Nissan has set a new economy record, driving a Qashqai e-Power 1,230 miles across Colombia on one tank. Its special hybrid system uses a gasoline engine only to charge the batteries, offering EV-style driving without ever plugging in.
Buick's $25K electric car will remain unavailable to many eager buyers
by Utkarsh Sood
While much of Chevrolet's lineup continues to chase higher price points in North America, GM’s Buick has launched its sleek, tech-laden Electra L7 sedan in China for around US$25,000 – exactly the kind of value-packed EV many US buyers have been begging for.
Portable device allows you to wash your car anywhere
by Maryna Holovnova
Washing a car is an extra chore, and if you live in a condo, you might not even be allowed to do it. Currently on Kickstarter, the Diisea C7 promises quick car washes without getting you into an argument with the condo board.
Special Promotion for New Atlas readers
Ditch your AI tabs for one $100 platform with GPT, Claude, and more
Stop bouncing among separate tools for writing, images, PDFs, audio, and video. The 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan brings them into one workspace, with lifetime access priced at $99.99 instead of the $540 MSRP.
Top stories: Body & Mind
Taylor Swift’s ties to a rise in fatal US car accidents
by Mike McRae
A cross-sectional study based on a registry of fatal US motor vehicle crashes has found that Taylor Swift's albums may have even contributed a statistically significant bump in deadly traffic accidents, presumably by distracting drivers.
'Blockbuster' one-shot low back pain drug in the home stretch of final test
by Bronwyn Thompson
A highly anticipated drug trial is in its final stages as its 350 participants receive their single dose to treat chronic low back pain. If successful, it could be a breakthrough therapeutic for people with the debilitating age-related condition.
Top Stories: Outdoor
Portable wind turbine ready to power your next off-grid adventure
by Simon Heptinstall
Portable solar panels have long been a favorite of the off-grid camping and backpacking community, but they're limited by daytime use. Ventyra is aiming to solve this solar gap with an ultra-portable wind turbine called the R1.
Gallery: This abandoned 1980s theme park in Korea finds a strange new life
by Bronwyn Thompson
Fifteen years after owners switched off the rides for the last time, an eerie and rusted amusement park happily in decay in Seoul's outskirts has become one of the city's coolest attractions – for both human and cats.
Mitsubishi Delica micro-camper van packs a layout like nothing else
by C.C. Weiss
Three seats, one single bed, a large kitchen and a bathroom (or at least a toilet) – that's an odd, mismatched set of specs for any camping vehicle. Nevertheless, it's the exact set that underpins a new Mitsubishi Delica D:2 micro-RV from Wellhouse.
Stilted tiny house takes stripped-back approach to small living
by Adam Williams
This timber retreat is small on home comforts but big on simple rustic charm. Intended as a short-stay vacation home, it features a minimalist but comfortable interior that includes a netted hangout area.
Special Promotion for New Atlas readers
Become An AI Expert In Just 5 Minutes
If you’re a decision maker at your company, you need to be on the bleeding edge of, well, everything. But before you go signing up for seminars, conferences, lunch ‘n learns, and all that jazz, just know there’s a far better (and simpler) way: Subscribing to The Deep View.
This daily newsletter condenses everything you need to know about the latest and greatest AI developments into a 5-minute read. Squeeze it into your morning coffee break and before you know it, you’ll be an expert too.
Subscribe right here. It’s totally free, wildly informative, and trusted by 600,000+ readers at Google, Meta, Microsoft, and beyond.
Top Stories: Technology
Drone review: Vcopter Falcon Mini is unique, but can be frustrating
by Ben Coxworth
I like oddball inventions, so when I first heard about the Falcon Mini bicopter drone, I knew I had to try it out. Well, I can now say that it is indeed a quirky li'l aircraft … but you should probably just go with the HOVERAir line of quadcopters.
Cyclops laser projector goes super bright up to 400 inches
by Paul Ridden
Modern projectors come in all shapes and sizes, but the Fujifilm Z line stands out from the crowd. This isn't due to notably high brightness, though that's certainly the case, but the industry's only folded-type rotatable lens mechanism.
Watch: 3D-printable 'robot' performs guitar masterpieces in your living room
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
The MegCell Pulse is a 3D-printable robotic system that can fit on any acoustic guitar and play music you feed it in a digital tablature format. With this, you can hear compositions rendered right in front of you, no speakers necessary.
Audio Bricks build your own Lego-style modular hi-fi system
by Maryna Holovnova
Italian designer Paolo Caviglia reimagined Lego-style bricks and found a way to give them a purpose beyond decoration. By integrating electronic adapters, he created a modular audio system that can be redesigned and customized in different ways.
The extraordinary engineering that builds nature's only straight tusk
by Bronwyn Thompson
The narwhal's defining feature – its continuously growing tusk – is the only straight structure of its kind seen in the animal kingdom. Now, scientists have cracked the code on how these elusive Arctic whales grow such an important and unique tool.
Gruesome ingredient has kept these 2,000-year-old rock artworks alive
by Mike McRae
Human blood proteins have been found binding pigments in ancient rock art paintings in Southern China, potentially helping them survive the elements for more than 2,000 years.
'Phantom earthquakes' can haunt your brain long after tremors stop
by Bronwyn Thompson
We're closer to understand who is most likely to feel invisible aftershocks following even small earthquakes. While they feel real at the time, the phantom quakes may just be your brain trying to make sense one of the weirdest sensations on Earth.
Let us know what you’d like more or less of in this weekly roundup - just reply to this email and we’ll take it on board!
Get your next issue ad-free – and support our work – join New Atlas Plus!
|
