First ride: Bultaco Brinco S electric bike

[MOTORCYCLES] [First ride: Bultaco Brinco S electric bike] Bultaco has dramatically widened the appeal of its electric Brinco with three new models, all of them road legal. We took to London's streets on the Brinco S during the world launch held just a stone's throw from Tower Bridge.[Read more] [PHYSICS] [A long way from everything: The search for a Grand Unified Theory] Albert Einstein is famous for his theories on relativity, but what of his other grand hypothesis, the unified field theory that consumed the last 30 years of his life without resolution? So will a unified theory of everything ever be realized?[Read more] [MEDICAL] [First Zika vaccine to enter human trials] The US Food and Drug Administration has just approved the the first human trials of an experimental Zika virus vaccine, with the first subjects to receive their doses in the coming weeks. [Read more] [HEALTH & WELLBEING] [Google eases the pain of online diagnosis] An online self-diagnosis will usually elicit a rolling of the eyes and a biting of the tongue from the GP when you do eventually make the trip to the doctor's office. Now Google is making efforts to return more relevant and trustworthy search results when you punch in your symptoms.[Read more] [SPACE] [Japan wants to take autonomous construction extraterrestrial] ​​With an eye on its aging population, Japan is already starting to test the waters with automated construction. Now the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is aiming to take this technology to a place where there are even less able-bodied workers, the undeveloped plains of the Moon and Mars. ​[Read more] [ROBOTICS] [Bespoke processor gives robot movement a speed boost] To give robots a speed boost when moving in unstructured environments, engineers at Duke University have developed a new processor that enables them to perform motion planning 10,000 times faster than conventional methods.[Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Brabus turns Mercedes S63 AMG into world's fastest four-seat cabriolet] ​As symbols of motoring excess go, few can come close to the Mercedes S63 AMG Cabriolet. Sometimes, power and high-end engineering isn't enough, though. Brabus​​ is always willing to step into that void, in this case delivering the world's fastest four-seat convertible: the 850 6.0 Biturbo Cabrio.[Read more] [BICYCLES] [Best electric mid-drive adds serious muscle and speed to existing bicycles] With the exception of the rare powerhouse, like the 3,400-watt EGO-kit, aftermarket e-bike kits tend to be modestly powered, designed for speeds between 15 and 20 mph (24 and 32 km/h) or so. The new mid-mounted Bikee Best kit packs more power potential and torque than average.[Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Water hazard – even big cars can be swept away in shallow floodwaters] In an attempt to discover just how easy it is for motorists to be swept away in floodwaters, engineers at the UNSW Water Research Laboratory used actual cars in specially configured test tank – and the results surprised them.[Read more] [HEALTH & WELLBEING] [Hug machine puts the squeeze on autism] A device known as a "hug machine" reportedly calms hypersensitive people by gently exerting even pressure along their bodies. While some individuals have made their own over the years, Denmark's Gloria Mundi Care is now offering a commercial version, called the OrbisBox.​[Read more] [MOBILE TECHNOLOGY] [Moto Z vs. iPhone 6s Plus] The Moto Z​ and latest iPhones tackle the smartphone from opposite directions: bold modularity vs. classic blueprint. Let's compare the features and specs of the Moto Z and iPhone 6s Plus​.[Read more] [SPACE] [DARPA seeks to develop command and control center for outer space] ​​​​DARPA has announced the launch of a new project aimed at revolutionizing the U.S. military's command and control capabilities in space. [Read more] [SPACE] [Monster electric wind on Venus sends oxygen "kicking and screaming into space"] ​Although you could bake a pizza on its surface today, Venus was once cool enough to hold water on its surface. Of course, as the planet heated, that water turned to vapor and should now be trapped in Venus' dense atmosphere. But it's not, and an electric wind is likely to blame.[Read more] [MUSIC] [Hand-made guitar dials in MIDI effects with the wave of a hand] ​Electric guitars that have MIDI control cooked in aren't exactly a new idea. But controlling effects by waving a hand in front of a laser isn't something you see every day. That's precisely what's on offer with one of the three new hand-made Drop guitars from Lithuania's Lava.[Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [GM tech reminds drivers to not leave their babies on board] ​It may not happen often, but it's tragic when it does – parents forget that their baby is in their car, so they leave them in there when they park, and the infant subsequently succumbs to heat stroke. To help minimize the chances of this happening, GM is introducing its Rear Seat Reminder.[Read more] [SCIENCE] [Over 90 percent of mammals were wiped out by dino-killing asteroid] It turns out that dinosaurs might not have been the only casualty of an ancient asteroid strike here on Earth. New analysis of the fossil record indicates that a full 93 percent of mammals living at the time also went extinct, a number significantly higher than previously thought.[Read more] [GOOD THINKING] [Cutting hedge technology will keep Glastonbury Festival goers online] Visitors to the UK's Glastonbury Festival this week will be able to upload festival spam to their heart's content, with tech and comms partner EE offering free Wi-Fi by way of 4G-enabled topiary artworks. The firm says its provision for Glastonbury is the UK's biggest temporary 4G network.[Read more] [TINY HOUSES] [Shipping container transformed into a tiny house] Tiny house firm Walker Wilderness Enterprises recently designed a tiny house based on a shipping container. The aptly-named Container Tiny House can run on or off-the-grid and comprises a total floorspace of 320 sq ft (29 sq m). [Read more] [GOOD THINKING] [Floating dairy farm will ship milk to Rotterdam] A Dutch collaboration is pushing the boat out with an idea of how to feed growing city populations despite decreasing amounts of space in which to produce food. The Floating Farm will produce various kinds of milk and yogurt from its location docked in the port of Rotterdam.[Read more] [AIRCRAFT] [Solar Impulse 2 takes flight for Europe] ​​Solar Impulse 2 has taken off from New York on the next leg of its around the world journey, which will take the record-breaking zero fuel aircraft across the Atlantic to Europe.[Read more] [COMPUTERS] [Huawei's elegant MateBook 2-in-1 goes up for pre-order] Another day, another ho-hum Microsoft Surface clone? Not necessarily. Huawei's take on the detachable 2-in-1​ is an especially sleek and elegant one, combining a unibody design with a build that's lighter and thinner than the Surface Pro 4​. US shoppers can pick one up starting July 11.[Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Redline redefines Mercedes luxury] As minibuses and vans go, you would think Mercedes' offerings would be about as high-end as you could get. Russia-based tuning outfit Redline Engineering, however, has taken a V-Class and a Sprinter and given them the super-luxury mobile office and tour van treatment.[Read more] [ARCHITECTURE] [Will Sunset Strip's next billboard have Zaha Hadid's signature curves?] West Hollywood's Sunset Strip has long been associated with roadside advertisements and an architectural competition aims to capitalize on this with a new high-end billboard for the area. Four firms are involved in the project, including Zaha Hadid.[Read more] [SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR GIZMAG READERS] [Master Photography with the Hollywood Art Institute’s Premium Training, Now $19.99] Skip the technical jargon and get right to taking amazing, professional-quality photos with this complete training. The Hollywood Art Institute Photography Course includes 22 modules filled with tutorials on how to profit off of your photography, or simply capture your memories in the manner they deserve.[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