Headliner

Work finally begins on 2 World Trade Center supertall skyscraper
by Adam Williams
Construction has officially begun on New York City's most high-profile supertall skyscraper. Rising to a height of 1,226 ft, 2 World Trade Center will finally complete the rebuilt World Trade Center skyline.
Today’s newsletter sponsor
From Trails to Campsites: Three Kingbull E-Bikes Built for Summer Adventure
From relaxed campground rides to gear-hauling getaways and off-road exploration, Kingbull’s Ranger, Voyager 2.0, and Hunter 2.0S are built for different outdoor adventures—with limited-time summer savings.
Highlights
4x4 camper van slides an entire room around to elevate off-grid life
by C.C. Weiss
With help from a transforming floor plan, the Bürstner Habiton X delivers longitudinal sleeping accommodations within a rugged, compact footprint. It's the perfect all-wheel drive camper van for off-road adventure.
Review: Toyota bZ makes big leap bumper to bumper, but is it enough?
by Aaron Turpen
Toyota's first real swing at a mainstream battery-electric vehicle, in the awkwardly named bZ4X, felt like it had been designed by committee. Did a name change improve things?
Special promotion for New Atlas readers
A $200 MacBook Air is real, but supplies won’t last
Apple laptops don’t usually dip under $300, refurbished or otherwise, so take a look at this piece of fruit. It’s a 13-inch MacBook Air, grade-A refurbished, running an Intel Core i5 and rated for up to 12 hours on a charge.
More Stories
Sony makes us wait 9 years for new superzoom bridge camera
by Monica J. White
Sony's RX10 V ends a nine-year wait for a new all-in-one superzoom, keeping the 24-600mm Zeiss lens while adding Alpha-grade subject recognition, 30-fps bursts, 4K 120p video, and a much bigger battery.
Affordable tiny house provides simplicity on a single floor
by Adam Williams
Large and luxurious tiny houses are all well and good, but Dragon Tiny Homes' Fairfax 20' draws on the small living movement's modest roots with a compact, no-frills model that's up for sale for just $33,700.
Review: $750 robot mower handles lawns like its pricy peers
by Bronwyn Thompson
Anthbot's M9 is a surprisingly adept mower, mastering lawns of up to a quarter of an acre for a fraction of the price of its famous competitors. And, importantly, it's incredibly easy to use, making it a great option for those new to home-robot life.
Expansive two-story luxury home thrives in unusual rooftop location
by Stefan Ionescu
London-based architecture studio, David Kohn Architects, has transformed the top of a 19th-century Covent Garden warehouse with an unexpected addition: an expansive luxury home with lots of glazing and landscaped terraces for choice views of the city.
Robotic elephant-trunk gripper uses internal camera for a sense of touch
by Maryna Holovnova
Some of the smartest engineering ideas are inspired by nature. A new robotic gripper, EleTac, borrows its design from the tip of an elephant’s trunk and it’s reportedly capable of not only detecting and holding objects, but also “feeling” them.
Magnetic multitool packs secret cache and "everlasting" implement
by Shirl Leigh
Most repair tools for the DIYer are functional, but can be cumbersome to carry around. The T.Fix, however – a triangular pocket-sized tool on Kickstarter – is a balance of function, versatility and modern elegant design.
Off-grid tiny house opens up almost everything to the outdoors
by Adam Williams
One common way of maximizing space in a tiny house is by embracing an indoor/outdoor lifestyle. The Shak leans into this idea by opening up almost its entire interior to the outside – even including the bathroom.
Special promotion for New Atlas readers
AI Is Moving Fast. Here's How to Keep Up.
AI is moving faster than any other technology. New models. New tools. New claims. New noise.
Most people feel like they're behind. But the people that don't, aren't smarter. They're just better informed.
The Future Today is a daily briefing for people who want clarity. In one concise email each day, you'll get the most important AI and tech developments, learn why they matter, and what they signal about what's coming next.
Written for operators, builders, leaders, and anyone who wants to sound sharp when AI comes up in the meeting.
One email. Five Minutes. Stay ahead of 99% of the world.
Refractor: Science & Health
Please note that articles listed in this section will open at our sister site: Refractor
New clues to 2,000-year-old game played by millions before vanishing
The unearthing of 2,000-year-old boards has given historians a new insight into an ancient game akin to chess that was played much earlier, by everyone from royals to commoners in society – before it seemingly vanished from society.
'Friendly' gut bug may trigger type 2 diabetes when it gets hungry
by Paul McClure
Researchers have found that the gut microbiome could help identify people at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes years before the diagnosis.
Melatonin may have a modest effect on chronic joint and muscle pain
by The Conversation
Dipa Kamdar/Kingston University/The Conversation
Elsewhere
Need somewhere to chill as temperatures rise? Step inside a 'human refrigerator' called the Do Hiemon Box for some welcome relief from oppressive heat, which is currently on sale in Japan.
Get your next issue ad-free – and support our work: join New Atlas Plus!














