🌎 New Atlas stories of the week

Vertical Aerospace has scored a world-first as its full-scale tilt-rotor eVTOL completed a two-way piloted transition between vertical helicopter mode and horizontal airplane mode during a single continuous flight while under regulatory oversight.

Mercedes has given its poshest electric saloon, the EQS, a mid-term refresh – showing exactly where the auto world’s current battleground is focused. Forget style, power, speed. Selling big EV sedans is now all about range.

The most versatile vehicle on the road is the minivan and, like cargo shorts, it’s often maligned for no good reason. The 2026 Sienna expands that high practicality by adding a hybrid powertrain as the default.

You can now actually buy an Ariel Atom 4RR. The idea that one of these track weapons with 525 hp and a 0-60 mph time of just 2.4 seconds might actually be blasting through city streets has me gobsmacked.

Plenty of camper vans boast multifunctional designs, but the Vanspeed Album takes it to new heights. What looks like an unassuming Sprinter camper is actually a transforming wonder, split into multipurpose zones that fold, drop, swivel and remove.

The Onda is a tiny house that tries something a little different. It turns the usual layout on its head to provide a roomy interior that places three bedrooms downstairs, and the main living area above.

California-based startup Vital Lyfe says its first product, a portable battery-powered filtration system, can provide safe drinking water from any source on demand – including seawater. Expect as much as 12 gallons per hour, with no setup time.

Passengers landing at Hong Kong International Airport this month will be greeted by a surprise friend waiting for them in the arrivals hall – a giant fluffy orange cat sleeping right in the middle of the bustling space.

The 8849 Tank Pad Ultra combines a built-in 1080p projector that puts out 260 lumens for on-the-spot visuals, as well as night vision cameras, and a laser rangefinder in a rugged tablet designed for fieldwork and outdoor use.

A field of robots competing in a half marathon demonstrated how frighteningly fast the technology has developed in 12 months. Even if one bot had a race to forget, smashing into pieces at the starting line, Honor's Lightning instead smashed records.

GoPro just stunned all of us by announcing a brand new line of action cameras. The Mission 1 won't replace the Hero lineup. Instead, it’s a new, parallel lineup that is aimed at pro creators who want to do more than just capture action in a jiffy.

The last massager I bought was circa 2005, so I expected another failure that would simply annoy me and end up at Goodwill. Technology has changed a lot in 20 years, as I've found out with the Eyeris Zen.