Earlier this month we had a look at some of the music gear highpoints of 2018. Though this showed that hardware and software innovation continues apace, there's nothing like a taste of oddness to serve as a reminder that gear makers can still think way outside of the box.
.. Continue Reading Music gear oddities that are either mold breakers or utter madness
The iPad Pro range arrived in 2015 for those who might be prepared to pay more for premium hardware. Now in 2018, the third-gen iPad Pros are here – and we've been testing out the new 11-inch iPad Pro to see what's new, whether it's worth your money, and whether it can really replace your laptop.
.. Continue Reading iPad Pro 2018 review: A lot of money for a lot of iPad
Hyundai has committed to becoming the world's first auto manufacturer to ship cars that open and start without any keys or smartphones whatsoever. The 2019 Santa Fe SUV will use fingerprint sensors for its door locks and ignition.
.. Continue Reading Hyundai begins replacing car keys with fingerprint scanners
A key goal when it comes to designing everyday carry items is combining maximum utility with minimum inconvenience, and the form of a credit card is proving an increasingly popular way to get the job done. The Lynx from Jho Knives is a titanium-coated implement shaped to slide in and out of a wallet for slicing and dicing when needed, with a stylish sheath to protect it and its surroundings from damage during transit.
.. Continue Reading Credit card-sized Lynx knife tucks a steel blade neatly into your wallet
With the year winding down in a hurry, we'd usually take a look back at some of its most interesting outdoor and camping product releases from leading global manufacturers on down to inventors with Kickstarter accounts. But this year we got out into the field a little more and put some brand-new and older-but-still-innovative gear to the test to find out what actually works and what doesn't. So we present the best camping gear we put through the wringer in 2018. After all, spending time outdoors is what gear innovation is all about, right?
.. Continue Reading Innovative van life and car camping gear we got our hands on in 2018
High-resolution projectors have been getting smaller, cheaper and more powerful in recent years, but the Piqo, which has raised over 70 times its Indiegogo target, offers 1080p resolution, 240-inch maximum screen size, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity in a 2.25-inch cube that's somehow half the price of a fairly ordinary TV.
.. Continue Reading Tiny Piqo cube projects 1080p video up to 240 inches at an outstanding early bird price
After months of teasing, rumors and accidental (or accidentally on purpose) leaks, the mysterious choose-your-own-adventured-styled Black Mirror episode, Bandersnatch suddenly appeared on Netflix. Over a year in the making, Bandersnatch presented audiences with one of the most sophisticated interactive film experiences to date but is this a glimpse of the future of entertainment, or a dead-end experiment that leeches out everything fundamentally important to storytelling?
.. Continue Reading Black Mirror's Bandersnatch and the unbearable emptiness of interactive storytelling
For the past century or so, we've been able to kill bacteria with relative ease, thanks to antibiotics. But the bugs are adapting to them, leading scientists into an arms race to keep us from being plunged back into the "dark ages of medicine." But it turns out, looking to the past might help our future – a team of researchers from Swansea University Medical School has discovered a new potential superbug killer in Irish soil, which has long been believed to have healing properties.
.. Continue Reading Ancient Irish folk medicine may help fight the world's deadliest bacteria
Sierra Nevada Corporation is picking up the pace in its mission to carry cargo to and from the International Space Station using a next-generation spaceplane, with NASA giving its Dream Chaser vehicle the all clear following a design and performance review. This means the vehicle will now move into full production, with the developers hopeful of using it to ship goods to the orbiting laboratory within two years.
.. Continue Reading NASA clears Dream Chaser spaceplane for full production
For the last decade Netflix has rapidly built an empire that was more than just a new way to watch television and film. Netflix pioneered the on-demand subscription model of streaming mainstream movie and television content over the internet. From releasing entire seasons in one fell swoop, to blurring the line between a TV series and a film, Netflix was not just a disruptor in an industry that had become complacent, it was a nuclear bomb, forever dismantling an entire entertainment business model.
.. Continue Reading Are you ready for the great streaming wars of 2019?
Acura's small RDX crossover was completely revamped for 2019 with a new midpoint sport trim, called A-Spec, added. Improvements are across the board for the RDX, making it a much more compelling SUV than its previous generation was.
.. Continue Reading Review: 2019 Acura RDX A-Spec takes up by surprise
Another year has come to an end, so it's time to look back at the scientific breakthroughs and inventions that excited us this year. From innovative new materials that open the door to more advanced tools and products, to discoveries that continue to push the borders of human knowledge, 2018 didn't fail to deliver. The inspirational scientific stories were offset somewhat by the flood of bad news regarding the climate, but maybe science can be a source of hope there too.
.. Continue Reading Global wake up call headlines the year in science
Access to energy wherever and whenever we need it is fundamental to much of modern society, keeping us warm in the winter, cool in the summer, entertained all year round, and making sure our food is safe to eat. How we store that energy is a constant work in progress, and while plenty of scientists are making important but incremental advances with inventive new materials and electrolytes, others are out to entirely reinvent what we think of as a battery. Here are five examples from 2018 that might open up new doorways in energy storage, and are thought-provoking concepts that came from thinking outside the square.
.. Continue Reading This most innovative battery designs of the year
If your dog has ever taken off on you at an off-leash park, then you'll know the frustration of trying to figure out where they've gone. And while there are already pet-tracking devices that can help, they definitely have some shortcomings. The Findster Duo+ system takes a unique approach to getting around those limitations.
.. Continue Reading Review: Findster Duo Plus offers fee-free GPS pet-tracking
The Shark Ion model S87 (aka RV851WV – we call it "Sharklon" for short) is a two-vacuum system consisting of a higher-clearance, multi-floor robotic vacuum unit and a handheld quick vacuum for dust-busting. Both are wireless, charging on a "hub" stand, and both are powerful suckers.
.. Continue Reading Review: Shark Ion dual vacuum can Sharknado your house
A stereo sound system will give you a good feel for where instruments have been placed in the soundscape created by the production team. And there are headphones that can custom tune the listening experience for more immersion. Now researchers have developed a machine learning system that can work out the direction of sound in a mono recording by examining accompanying video footage.
.. Continue Reading Machine learning makes mono soundtrack more immersive
Despite the ever-increasing battery life of our mobile phones, many of us carry around a portable power bank just in case. In a similar vein, VW is developing a mobile quick charge station for electric vehicles, which can juice up as many as 15 EVs before its cells need charging.
.. Continue Reading VW offers first look at future mobile quick charger for EVs
When it comes to space travel, and space in general, 2018 has been a busy year. It was one marked by remarkable technological firsts, dramatic incidents, and new milestones set. It was a time when commercial spaceflight made great strides, we returned to Mars, headed for Mercury, and probed the farthest reaches of the solar system. Oh, and there was space champagne. So, let's look back on the highlights of the year in space, 2018.
.. Continue Reading Blast offs and bubbly: The year in space, 2018
New York-based architectural firm Yuji Yamazaki Architecture (YYA) is behind the design of the Kudadoo Maldives Private Island that opened recently in Lhaviani Atoll, Maldives. With a strong focus on sustainability, this exclusive holiday destination is distinguished by its impressive photovoltaic roof. In creating the plans for the island resort, YYA wanted to integrate the solar panels into the island's overall design, with the hopes of showcasing what is truly possible for sustainable tourism.
.. Continue Reading Impressive solar-powered island resort opens in the Maldives
From alien architecture to neon water reflections, the last 12 months have delivered a stunning array of photographic treats. To celebrate the new year we have hand-picked a collection of the most mind-bending, sublime, and spectacular photographs we've been treated to in 2018.
.. Continue Reading The most spectacular, surreal and psychedelic photography of 2018
Evolutionarily speaking, anxiety is an important mental state – but not so much when it gets out of hand, preventing you from leaving the house. Current anti-anxiety medication comes with some negative side effects, but researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine have now identified a protein in the brain that may be the key to new, more targeted treatments.
.. Continue Reading Brain protein may be a more direct target for treating anxiety
Italian shipyard Benetti, in partnership Imperial (acting as Build Supervisor and Yacht Manager), has recently launched its largest yacht to date, with an additional two "gigayachts" to be released by the firm over the coming months. Dubbed FB277, the enormous 351-ft (107-m) vessel is designed to travel the world for extended periods and boasts all the comforts one would expect.
.. Continue Reading Italian shipyard upsizes luxury with launch of its first 351-ft gigayacht
We can all agree that science is amazing. However, sometimes scientists do get a little niche in their studies ... and things can get a bit strange. Here is a list of the weirdest science stories we came across this year, from twerking robots to bizarre snail-to-snail memory transference and a Fountain of Youth sarcophagus conspiracy that pretty much sums up 2018 in a nutshell.
.. Continue Reading Octopuses on ecstasy and the mummy juice conspiracy: The weirdest science stories of 2018
Plastic waste is a major problem in the world's oceans, which is why some groups have developed bioplastics that break down in the sea. Even those aren't entirely eco-friendly, though, which is why Israeli scientists are working on one that's derived from marine microorganisms.
.. Continue Reading Seaweed-munching microbes produce sustainable bioplastic
If your city has a program for converting old Christmas trees into mulch or compost, that's good, but … evergreen needles do take a long time to decompose, and they give off greenhouse gases as they do. According to new research, those needles could instead be harvested and used in products such as paints or sweeteners.
.. Continue Reading Paint and sweeteners could be made from old Christmas trees