Features of the week
ArchitectureEngineering
Record-breaking apartment building gets 3D-printed in just 34 days
by Adam Williams
Europe's largest 3D-printed apartment building has been completed in France. Containing 12 social housing apartments spread across three floors, the project's printing process was carried out in just 34 days.
AI and HumanoidsTechnology
Space-bound humanoid takes a four-armed approach to astronaut assistance
by Omar Kardoudi
A bipedal humanoid might not be the best design for operation in microgravity. A four-armed robot from an offshoot of ETH Zurich brings four arms into the equation – one pair to anchor Helios to surfaces while the other pair gets to work.
EnergyEngineering
World's first undersea data center powered by offshore wind is online
by Bronwyn Thompson
Just over seven months from completing phase one, Chinese engineers have switched on the first commercial underwater data center powered by offshore wind. What's more, it doesn't need freshwater and cuts land use by 90% compared with existing hubs.
Camping TrailersAdventure VehiclesOutdoors
Transformational cubist teardrop camper disappears bed to free space
by C.C. Weiss
The Campinawe is one of the oddest-looking camping trailers out there, but it houses one of the most functional floor plans we've seen in this size. And that's truer than ever as the company adds a variable solo layout with pack-away bed.
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BLUETTI's huge EOFY sale discounts portable power and home backup systems
As Australians head into winter and prepare for the End of Financial Year sales, BLUETTI has launched its 2026 EOFY campaign, offering some of its biggest discounts of the year across portable power stations, solar generators and home backup systems.
Top Stories: Transport
World's largest eVTOL just proved it can play nice with other flyers
by Omar Kardoudi
AutoFlight has flown its 20-meter (65.6-ft) V5000 Matrix in coordinated formation with two smaller eVTOLs – a systems milestone that brings electric aviation's most ambitious aircraft one step closer to commercial service.
Blacksheep One: $40,000 Bespoke e-moto with a patented axial flux motor
by Utkarsh Sood
An equivalent of $40,000 for an electric motorcycle might be stretching it too far for most. But then, we all know there are a select few in the world who would treat it as pocket change. That's perhaps who the Blacksheep One is for.
Wild recumbent e-trike uses a telescoping carbon body
by Ben Coxworth
As it is, a recumbent trike is something that may already get you noticed. Add tilting wheels, and it'll draw even more attention. But with its telescoping carbon-fiber-tube body, the Allroadracer TriX is sure to turn heads wherever it goes.
Hummer X 4x4 concept adapts to owner's whims via flex fabrication
by Simon Heptinstall
General Motors has unveiled a radical electric Hummer concept with interchangeable parts, dash screen stacking system and drone-assisted navigation. It even has a new 3D-printing-style production system.
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Top stories: Body & Mind
Brain-cell breakthrough supercharges GLP-1 weight loss and prevents plateaus
by Bronwyn Thompson
Scientists have identified a new way to supercharge obesity drug semaglutide by targeting key neurons. It could dramatically boost GLP-1 weight-loss power and prevent the dreaded plateaus that not even this "wonder drug" has been able to circumvent.
Signs of post-viral depression found in our immune system for the first time
by Michelle Falci
A recent study by researchers from the US biotech company Tuning Fork suggests that at least some cases of post-viral depression in people recovering from COVID-19 may have measurable biological underpinnings.
FDA approves pill that cuts COVID risk nearly 70%
by Bronwyn Thompson
The US has its first and only oral COVID-19 post-exposure prophylaxis on its way, after a Phase III trial of the drug ensitrelvir met its goals needed for US Drug and Food Administration approval. It dramatically reduces spread from close contacts.
Breakthrough drug nearly doubles survival rate for advanced pancreatic cancer
by The Conversation
For decades, successfully targeting the central mechanism that causes the vast majority of pancreatic cancers was considered impossible. However, that narrative is rapidly changing ...
Top Stories: Outdoor
Apartment-like tiny house delivers single-floor simplicity
by Adam Williams
Many tiny houses try to pack as much as possible into their compact frame, but this extra-wide model instead leans into simplicity and provides a spacious single-floor interior centered around an open living area.
Slick pod camper solves micro-camping's biggest problem
by C.C. Weiss
Small camping trailers are great for a lot of reasons, but they usually fall very short on one highly critical spec: a bathroom. The latest Encore ROG trailer solves the bathroom issue in a rather bold way, and it's a much better small camper for it.
Latest Hypershell exoskeletons put an AI-powered spring in your step
by Monica J. White
When you need help getting up that hill, Hypershell’s new X Series exoskeletons use AI-driven motion control to assist walking and hiking, with three models offering different power, range, and terrain capabilities.
Third time's the charm? Titanium wrenching multitool is back in 3rd-Gen form
by Maryna Holovnova
Over the past few years, the team at tool company IF has successfully launched two wrench-based multitools on Kickstarter. Their latest release, the OmniPro Wrench 3.0, combines elements from both earlier versions and also has a few added features.
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Top Stories: Technology
Small, flat, rooftop satellite antennas could replace big, bulky, costly dishes
by Etiido Uko
"Ground Control to Major Tom," the iconic lyric from 70s hit, Space Oddity. Oddly, the giant parabolic dishes behind those transmissions are still in use 50 years on ... until now. Engineers are proposing sleeker, more efficient ground station tech.
Digital twin system lets you virtually visit your greenhouse
by Omar Kardoudi
Binghamton engineers have built a VR digital twin that lets you walk a greenhouse in real time via IoT sensors – offering new possibilities for elderly farmers, people with limited mobility, and the future of precision agriculture.
Review: Pocket phone thermal camera a big step up from its solid predecessor
by Bronwyn Thompson
The latest compact smartphone camera from Thermal Master may look a fair bit like its earlier pocket-sized model we covered, but looks are deceiving – and the new P4 makes some pretty big advances that you'll see as soon as you plug it in.
75 years of the Fender Telecaster: 12 guitarists who defined the Tele
by Barry Divola
Despite garnering unflattering nicknames when it was introduced to the public in 1951, the Fender Telecaster has proved to be an incredibly versatile instrument that morphs depending on who is playing it. We look at a dozen who have made it their own.
Top Stories: Science
Intelligent 'krakens' really did rule the seas 100 million years ago
by Jay Kakade
Bus-sized cephalopods reminiscent of the legendary kraken may have sat at the top of the food chain, using their smarts to hunt down prey in the oceans of the Late Cretaceous.
Shocking lab experiment confirms that light can move in ‘negative time’
by Mike McRae
A recently published experiment has found that photons traveling through traffic consisting of cold rubidium atoms can leave late and still make it in before the boss decides to dock their pay.
This sticky substance could be a rare example of Neanderthal medicine
by Sanket Mungase
Neanderthals used tar extracted from birch tree bark as a glue to haft their tools, according to previous research. It now appears this dark, sticky substance may have had multiple applications.
Hundreds of conflicting engineering solutions may prevent alien visitors, scientist says
by The Conversation
To assess the plausibility of alien visitors, it’s necessary to understand the obstacles that an extraterrestrial vessel would need to overcome to reach Earth.
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