Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hands-on: No radical step forward, but enough to make us want it

[MOBILE TECHNOLOGY] [Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hands-on: No radical step forward, but enough to make us want it] ​Today Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 7​ at a Manhattan event. Afterwards, we got some hands-on time with the latest "minor but possibly upgrade-worthy" iteration of the stylus-laden phablet. [Read more] [MEDICAL] [Bioreactor brings on-demand portability to biopharmaceutical drug production] A portable device developed at MIT can produce a range of biopharmaceutical drugs on demand. The system would grant remote or on-the-move medical professionals access to vaccines and other therapies that are normally produced in large fermentation plants. [Read more] [SPACE] [This year's Perseid meteor shower is really bringing the rain] ​Every August our planet passes through the edges of debris left behind by the ancient comet Swift-Tuttle, and every year Earthlings are treated to a spectacular meteorite shower. But this year Mother Nature is cranking up the dial on the atmospheric fireworks. [Read more] [DRONES] [Super quick follow-me camera drone uses artificial intelligence to be a better cameraman] ​With 30 minutes' flight time, a top speed around 50 mph and folding arms so you can throw it in a backpack with the propellers still on, the Staaker is a powerful follow-me camera drone. But it's brains, not brawn, that this company hopes will separate it from the pack. [Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Say cheese: Filming passengers for smarter car interiors] Car interiors have remained largely camera-free, in spite of the potential benefits reading passenger body language could provide. Fraunhofer is developing a system to do just that, working out how many people are riding on board and what they’re doing in an attempt to make cabins smarter. [Read more] [COMPUTERS] [Interactive software makes for "hands-on" video] MIT researchers have developed a technique​ that allows dynamic interaction with objects captured in video. By analyzing vibrations in the video, the system can construct an interactive model of a real-world object from as little as five seconds of video.​ [Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Mercedes Metris Worker is tough on the outside, smarter underneath] Vans like the new Mercedes Metris Worker might look like the same slab-sided boxes on wheels as their pared-back predecessors, but under the skin they’re smarter propositions, packing in clever driver assist technology to make life on the road that little bit more comfortable. [Read more] [SPACE] [Virgin Galactic awarded operator license for SpaceShipTwo] ​Virgin Galactic comes a step closer to heading back into space as the FAA awards the company an operating license for SpaceShipTwo. Coming almost two years after a midair accident that took the life of a test pilot, Virgin Galactic says that is will eventually allow commercial operations to begin. [Read more] [HEALTH & WELLBEING] [Temporary tattoo tracks blood alcohol levels] ​New ways of tracking the contents of our sweat has opened up some exciting possibilities in health monitoring, and alcohol sensors are a part of this mix. But a new flexible, tattoo-like sensor developed by US researchers might be the most discreet one we've seen yet. [Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Pirelli and Ferrari put next season's bigger F1 tires to the test] Gone is the era of screaming F1 V8s, and in its place is the Mercedes-dominated era of droning turbo motors. Next year will see sweeping changes to F1’s design regulations, one of which was put to the test by Sebastian Vettel and Esteban Gutierrez earlier this week. [Read more] [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] [NHK-Japan to broadcast Rio Olympics in 8K] The Rio Olympics open this weekend, and Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK, will for the first time broadcast some events in 8K. While the technology to view “Super High Vision” content at home isn’t commercially available just yet, public viewing events will be held around Japan and Brazil. [Read more] [URBAN TRANSPORT] [Full-scale straddling bus hits the road in China] ​A couple of months back, when a full-scale prototype of China's bizarre bestriding bus was promised for July, we didn't actually expect to see one on the road so soon. Well, the wheels are starting to turn on this extraordinary traffic and pollution solution. [Read more] [MILITARY] [F-35A declared combat ready following first air-to-air kill] ​The US Air Force announced today that the F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation fighter aircraft is combat ready. The aircraft met all its key criteria for being declared operational after an F-35A made its first air-to-air kill by engaging and destroying a target drone using a heat-seeking missile. [Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [BAC injects some graphene into track-focused Mono] When you already have one of the lightest, quickest single-seat roadsters available, you have to take some extreme measures to cut weight even more. Thus is the case with BAC and its new graphene-based Mono. [Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [First-drive: 2017 Nissan Armada makes a big impression] Our first drive of the 2017 Armada took place out in the produce belt of California​, where amidst the smoke of wildfires and the scenic beauty of farm fields, we put this three-row SUV through its paces on and off the road.​ [Read more] [AIRCRAFT] [Rings of moist air may keep airliner passengers comfy] Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics is creating what may be a solution to the dry air of airliner cabins, in the form of personal rings of moist air for each passenger.​ [Read more] [GOOD THINKING] [One kick sends this slick e-scooter zooming] Walking is so 20th century. That's certainly the impression you'd get if you begin to round up the e-scooters that have been hitting the market lately. The latest to take a stab at the e-scooter market is the CityGo Urban, a sleek and portable model that's activated with a single kick. [Read more] [ARCHITECTURE] [Hamburg's stunning new concert hall will sound just as good as it looks] It's not long now until the new Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany, will be completed. When it opens, visitors will have the run of three auditoriums, a hotel, 45 private apartments and a public plaza, but the building's spectacular architecture is already very much open to the public. [Read more] [VR] [Samsung has a brand new (but largely the same) Gear VR to go with the Note 7] ​We've been largely impressed by the Gear VR​, Samsung's cut-down, portable, mobile-powered VR headset, and the company has just unveiled a minor upgrade to the headset alongside its new Note 7 phablet device. [Read more] [MOBILE TECHNOLOGY] [Samsung Galaxy Note 7: A smarter stylus, iris scanning, and more of the same] The new Galaxy Note 7 is official at last. This year's Samsung phablet brings with it a modest speed bump and a slight Edge-inspired redesign over last year's model, though the device dimensions and key features remain largely unchanged. Read on for all the details that matter. [Read more] [WEARABLES] [Iofit shoes take a swing at improving your golf game] Anyone who's tried to play the perfect 18 holes will know it's easy to go from a slice to a hook with just one small tweak, so data about what you're doing can be invaluable in improving. Iofit is hoping its shoes are the answer, analyzing your balance to work on your swing "from the ground up." [Read more] [ENVIRONMENT] [Future farming pavilion reboots the veggie patch] ​Having imagined a future of drinks mixing with its Makr Shakr robotic bartenders, design studio Carlo Ratti Associati has now developed a future food experience too. Visitors to Area del Futuro will be able to plant seeds for hydroponic cultivation and track their growth remotely via an app.​ [Read more] [ARCHITECTURE] [Take a ride to the top of the world's skinniest tower] Rising 162 m (531 ft) over Brighton, the UK's British Airways i360 is recognized as the world's skinniest tower by Guinness World Records. From August 4, members of the public will be able to ride to the top in a futuristic glass pod, grab a beer, and enjoy one of the best views in the country. [Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Black Mamba: An EV with serious venom] ​Silex Power has announced the Valene Black Mamba, a three-wheel electric vehicle aiming to combine the thrill of high-performance motorbikes with some of the perks of automobile-driving. Be in no doubt though, this is a machine designed to put serious venom at the fore.​ [Read more] [MARINE] [Slick electric hydrofoil looks to rise above range anxiety] The hydrofoil tech on the all-new Edorado 7S twin-drive electric boat promises a comfortable mix of speed and range while not digging that deep into your wallet - or at least not so deep as other speedy, high-tech electric boats.​​​​ [Read more] [ROBOTICS] [Rolling robot climbs like a tank] ​The Ouroboros is an ancient Egyptian symbol of a serpent curled around in a circle, consuming its own tail. It also lends its name to Ourobot, a circular shape-shifting all-terrain robot developed by four students at Germany's Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences.​ [Read more] [MOBILE TECHNOLOGY] [New Atlas is hiring: Mobile Technology Writer] New Atlas is looking for a US-based journalist specializing in mobile tech to join our global team.​ [Read more] [WEARABLES] [Bikers: if this vibrating wristband saves you from one speeding ticket, it's paid for itself] The Woolf wristband fits under your riding leathers, and hooks up to a global speed camera database to warn you when there's a speed trap ahead. If it saves you one ticket, it's paid for itself. [Read more] [SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW ATLAS READERS] [Run Windows Apps Natively in Mac and Linux with CrossOver 15, Starting At $19.95] With CrossOver, you can quickly and easily launch Windows apps right from your Mac dock without buying a Windows license, rebooting, or using a virtual machine. Whether you're looking to use Windows games, productivity software or utility programs, CrossOver allows you to run them natively on your Mac like normal. There's no simpler way to bring your operating systems together to work in harmony! [Read more] You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at www.newatlas.com. [Update profile] | [Unsubscribe] Copyright New Atlas © 2016