Features of the week
ArchitectureEngineering
Africa's tallest tower rises with a mask-inspired design
by Stefan Ionescu
La Tour F, a 76‑story skyscraper in Abidjan, will soon be Africa’s tallest tower at 421 m. Designed by Pierre Fakhoury, it combines government offices, public access, and green certification, symbolizing modern efficiency and cultural identity.
Camping TrailersAdventure VehiclesOutdoors
Jeep tiny camper might just be tougher than the Wrangler itself
by C.C. Weiss
Addax unleashed its Jeep-badged micro-camping trailer at SEMA 2022. The rugged tiny trailer has run through a full V3 update to pack in more adventure readiness than ever. It's an electrified steel core ready to explode into a multi-sport base camp.
WearablesConsumer TechTechnology
Sony's wearable 'air conditioner' gets better fit and stronger cooling
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
If you're always too cold at the office or run hot in general, Sony might have something for you. Its Reon Pocket Pro Plus promises to raise or lower your skin temperature by several degrees and make your day a bit more bearable.
Tiny HousesOutdoors
Single-level tiny house makes long-term small living comfortable
by Adam Williams
Clever space-saving layouts are all well and good, but not everyone wants to climb ladders and crawl into loft bedrooms. The Surya tiny house instead opts for a spacious single-floor interior well-suited to comfortable long-term living.
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Top Stories: Transport
JCB's hydrogen car chases 350 mph to nearly double world record
by Omar Kardoudi
JCB's Hydromax – a 1,600 hp, twin-engine hydrogen beast nearly 33 feet long – heads to Bonneville this August targeting a new land speed record, as the British excavator giant bets its industrial future on hydrogen combustion.
China's "budget" supersport bike is putting WorldSSP on notice
by Utkarsh Sood
A previously unknown Chinese supersport manufacturer has already won five WorldSSP races this season on a bike that costs less than some dirt bikes. I guess we know it now.
Mercedes-AMG's electric coupé gets a V8 roar and 1,000+ horses
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
Mercedes-AMG has pulled out all the stops for its latest performance vehicle. The all-electric GT 4-Door sprints from 0-60 mph in just 2 seconds, and it even emulates the sound of a thundering V8 while it's at it.
Autonomous aviation system aims for pilot-free cargo aircraft
by David Szondy
A new frontier for autonomous flight appears to have been breached as Merlin, Inc. introduces its Merlin Pilot for Commercial Cargo AI-powered flight system that aims to eventually bring pilot-free flight to large cargo aircraft.
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Top stories: Body & Mind
I predicted the enhanced games 25 years ago. Here’s what I think now.
by Mike McRae
Never considering myself much of a writer in my youth, I entered the Young Queensland Writers’ Award with a throwaway short story I’d whipped up on a whim. That work of fiction just came true in Las Vegas.
A different kind of soda may actually lower your blood sugar levels
by Sonali Roy
Prebiotic sodas are marketed as gut-friendly alternatives to sugary soft drinks. Now, a small study suggests one may also produce lower short-term glucose spikes than Coca-Cola, but the study comes with some noteworthy limitations.
Your handwriting might reveal more about your brain than you realize
by Bronwyn Thompson
Many of us probably don't get a lot of time to put pen to paper these days, but a new study suggests we should be paying more attention to how we write – because changes in a couple of key areas could be early red flags of cognitive decline.
Earliest signs of dementia may be in our blood long before diagnosis
by The Conversation
New research suggests that blood biomarkers in combination with self-reported memory concerns could offer an early clue to how Alzheimer’s disease develops across the life course, meaning midlife could be a critical window for promoting brain health.
Top Stories: Outdoor
Spacious tiny house skips loft living for single-floor comfort
by Adam Williams
Not everyone is cut out for climbing into cramped tiny house loft bedrooms. The Tallebudgera addresses this with a spacious layout suitable for full-time living that's arranged on a single floor.
Crazy-cheap Toyota micro-camper van escapes Japan to travel west
by C.C. Weiss
Wellhouse Leisure is no stranger to building small, highly efficient camper vans. Now it's dropping downmarket to launch a micro-camper aboard a Toyota/Daihatsu kei van, and its price tag comes in less than half of what many larger camper vans cost.
Mag-locking carabiner keychains boast three levels of security
by Maryna Holovnova
Keychains hold some of our most important everyday items, from house keys to car keys. A new magnetic-locking titanium carabiner keychain from Titaner, with three levels of security, is currently available for backing on Kickstarter.
Sub-zero lighter throws out powerful flame for survival fires
by C.C. Weiss
The average $2 Bic lighter is great for lighting up a cigarette but not as great for lighting campfires or grills. Minnesota startup Radlight has an intriguing alternative for such outdoorsy tasks ... and for fending off hypothermia when things go south.
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Top Stories: Technology
75 years of the Fender Telecaster: The guitar that changed the world
by Barry Divola
This year Fender is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Telecaster, and Nashville was chosen to host the Tele Town birthday party. We caught up with the CEO and Chief Product Manager before rocking the Tele's big night out at the Ryman Auditorium.
Humanoids are heading to school as China readies them for real life
by Bronwyn Thompson
The first humanoid training school for bots of all shapes and sizes opens soon, bringing together more than 100 different models with the one goal – to learn real-world skills, and help future "students" get up to speed even faster. What a timeline.
Gloriously retro wooden box camera contains its own film processing lab
by Shirl Leigh
If you’re a fan of Buster Keaton’s 1928 silent film The Cameraman, and are intrigued by his portrayal of a street photographer who processes his own film, then you might want to check out the Alfie BOXX camera currently on Kickstarter.
LG’s 1000-Hz FHD gaming monitor is overkill – but that’s the point
by Monica J. White
LG's gaming wing, UltraGear, has teased an upcoming 24.5-inch Full HD gaming monitor with a native 1000-Hz refresh rate, designed for competitive e-sports players chasing every millisecond.
Top Stories: Science
Watch: Disabled parrot takes up jousting to stay king of the keas
by Chelsea Haney
A disabled kea has invented a bizarre jousting technique that helped turn him into the undefeated alpha male of his circus. While parrots are known for their smarts, this level of individual benefit shows some real ingenuity and resourcefulness.
Earth’s outer core reversed direction in 2010 and scientists may finally know why
by Mike McRae
A recent analysis reveals that a perplexing reversal in the outer core, more than 1,400 miles beneath the surface, began in 2010, and is now weakening once again. The findings point to events afoot deep within the very heart of our planet.
This plant could be the smartest carnivore on the planet
by Bronwyn Thompson
There are more than 800 species of carnivorous plants, and despite their diverse designs, the one thing they have in common is that they are built to trap and kill all prey. Or so we've believed – until scientists discovered how this meat-eater works.
Cows can tell by your face whether you're friend or foe
by Sonali Roy
Domesticated from a now-extinct ox species around 10,500 years ago, cows have become a major source of protein, dairy, and leather worldwide. A study has now shown that cows can differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar faces.
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