Lightweight metal foam turns armor-piercing bullets into dust

[MATERIALS] [Lightweight metal foam turns armor-piercing bullets into dust] Last year we saw researchers adapt foam metals to stop various forms of radia​tion in their tracks, and now the same team has ramped things up to offer protection from something with a bit more force: an armour-piercing bullet. [Read more] [ROBOTICS] [Hitachi robot can lend shoppers a helping hand] Designed to identify and assist customers who look like they need help, EMIEW3 can pass sales information on to other robots, and even stand up if it's knocked over in the hustle and bustle of a sales environment. [Read more] [MOTORCYCLES] [MiClimate stops motorcyclists getting hot (or cold) under the collar] There are some heating and cooling options out there, as well as AC units designed specifically for motorbikes, but not everyone is keen to strap one of these to the back of their bike. Enter MiClimate, a belt designed to keep bikers at a comfortable temperature without adding too much bulk. [Read more] [AIRCRAFT] [Franky Zapata's awesome Flyboard Air redefines the concept of a hoverboard] This French inventor's new turbine-powered flying platform goes as high as 10,000 feet and flies for up to 10 minutes at a top speed around 150 km/h. Forget your electromagnetic rubbish, this is what we call a real hoverboard. [Read more] [DRONES] [Imaging drones to spot signs of explosive chemicals leaking from landmines] Locating buried landmines is not only a meticulous and time-intensive task, but an incredibly dangerous one as well. Working to help keep humans out of harm's way, British scientists have started testing drones with advanced imaging technology to more effectively map affected areas. ​​ [Read more] [ROBOTICS] [Robot researcher to delve the depths of Lake Yellowstone] A group of scientists is building a robot to scratch beneath the surface of Lake Yellowstone in an effort to better understand the ecosystem of microbes thriving underwater. [Read more] [SPACE] [Is this what Planet 9 looks like?] If there is a ninth planet in the outer Solar System, what is it like and why hasn't it been spotted yet? A possible answer comes from a pair of astrophysicists at the University of Bern, who used models developed for studying exoplanets to determine the structure of the hypothetical Planet 9. [Read more] [SPACE] [Falcon 9 nails barge landing as Dragon returns to space] ​SpaceX scored a double first today as the Dragon spacecraft returned to service and the Falcon 9 booster nailed the first ever powered landing at sea. [Read more] [MOTORCYCLES] [Shoei X Spirit III helmet gives European riders an edge] Shoei's latest flagship model, the X-Spirit III, continues the company's positive reputation for technologically advanced helmets with improvements in safety, comfort and aerodynamics. [Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Techrules thinks it will get micro-turbines spinning in production cars] China's Techrules is hell-bent on putting turbines into road-going vehicles. Its first concepts use an ultra-potent, turbine-charged series hybrid powertrain, promising supercar levels of performance and Prius-like fuel economy. [Read more] [GOOD THINKING] [Fighting the Zika virus with junked tires] Researchers with the Grand Challenges Canada initiative have created a highly-effective mosquito trap, each one of which is made from a single discarded tire.​ [Read more] [SPACE] [Massive solar storm would pose considerable dangers – are we ready?] ​Across the globe, the scientific community and governmental bodies are preparing for the threat posed by the potential of a massive geomagnetic solar storm striking Earth. [Read more] [MEDICAL] [Dual-sided pill stays put to release medication] A novel pill, developed by researchers at MIT, shows promise in allowing for effective long-term delivery of drugs. The pill makes use of a two face build, with one side designed to hold it in place, while the other repels liquid and food that could otherwise dislodge it. [Read more] [MOBILE TECHNOLOGY] [Comparing the five current iPhones: iPhone 6s Plus vs. 6s, 6 Plus, 6 and SE] The iPhone SE marks the first time Apple has shaken up its one iPhone launch per year pattern. Let's see how the iPhone SE falls in line with the other four iPhones Apple is currently selling. [Read more] [ARCHITECTURE] [High hopes for tiny house made from hemp] The cannabis plant isn't only useful for getting stoned. Green Built has high hopes that it can bring cannabis construction into the US mainstream with its sustainable tiny house built from hemp. [Read more] [MEDICAL] [Sweat sensor uses battery-free, plant-like pump] A sensor under development by researchers at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands takes inspiration from how plants draw water out of the earth. Designed to take medically useful readings from patient sweat, the sensor doesn't require any form of external power. [Read more] [MOBILE TECHNOLOGY] [No alternatives: The trials of a smartphone stylus lover] Gizmag's Michael Franco outlines the trials and frustrations of being attached to a very particular piece of tech. [Read more] [DIGITAL CAMERAS] [Lomography wants to resurrect a lens from 1839 for your DSLR] The Daguerreotype Achromat Art Lens is the latest vintage-inspired lens from Lomography. Currently on Kickstarter, where it’s already secured its funding target several times over, the lens is a modern reworking of the world’s first photographic optic lens from 1839, but now for your DSLR. [Read more] [3D PRINTING] [Cocooning caterpillars inspire new 3D printer design] Rather than gradually forming an object layer by layer like a desktop extruder, the 3D Cocooner from Festo works more like a sophisticated robotic version of a CreoPop 3D printing pen, hardening the printed material with UV light as the structure is formed. [Read more] [AROUND THE HOME] [Smart spray paint copies color photos onto walls] Spray paint is a notoriously tricky medium to control. Fortunately for would-be muralists everywhere, researchers have invented a "smart" spray paint system that can use regular cans of paint to re-create photo images as spray-painted murals on walls or other large surfaces. [Read more] [ARCHITECTURE] [Form follows time in tiny Hong Kong home] Hong Kong-based architects LAAB describes the city as "one of the most expensive places in the world to live." So keen were one couple to live in the city's Central district, though, they bought a 309-sq ft (29-sq m) apartment and had LAAB squeeze in a host of full-size features. [Read more] [MOTORCYCLES] [Custom Indian Springfield takes its cues from the past] It was only a matter of time before some custom shop got hold of the new Indian Springfield and put its stamp on this quick-change artist that can go from bagger to cruiser and back in minutes. The result is the Frontier 111, a modern retro bagger from Azzkikr Custom Baggers in Phoenix, Arizona. [Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Autonomous trucks successfully platoon across Europe] In what has been described as a world first, platoons of trucks have crossed national borders to complete the EU Truck Platooning Challenge. Truck platooning uses autonomous driving technologies for two or more trucks to communicate wirelessly and follow in close succession. [Read more] [MATERIALS] [Turning up the heat on titanium alloy leads to increase in strength] Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed the strongest​ titanium alloy ever made. They believe the new material could be used in the production of lighter and cheaper vehicle components, and lead to the development of other high strength alloys. [Read more] [SPACE] [SpaceX releases chase plane footage of Falcon 9 barge landing] ​SpaceX has released footage shot from a circling chase plane of the first successful barge landing of the Falcon 9 mainstage booster. [Read more] [OUTDOORS] [Adidas' new shoe has the sole of a mountain bike tire] Adidas and Continental apparently believe that what works on a tire should also work on a shoe. To that end, the two companies have collaborated to produce the Terrex X-King – a trail-running shoe with mountain bike tire lugs providing the grip. [Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Hyundai ix35 used for world’s first fuel cell-powered car-sharing service] Hyundai has followed news of its IONIQ line of electrified vehicles and roadmap for connected car development with an announcement that its cars will power the "world's first" fuel cell powered zero-emission car sharing service. BeeZero has launched exclusively using Hyundai ix35 vehicles. [Read more] [SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR GIZMAG READERS] [Master Excel and Get the Certification to Prove It with 99% off This Course Bundle] Excel skills aren't just good to have, they're essential to your career success. Start from the basics and advance your skills through these dual expert-taught courses. You'll be fully prepped to earn yourself a coveted certification, and score the job or promotion you've been waiting for. [Read more] You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at www.gizmag.com. [Update profile] | [Unsubscribe] Copyright Gizmag © 2016