German govt awards contract to develop Linear AeroSpike rocket engine

[New Atlas logo]( Space [German govt awards contract to develop Linear AeroSpike rocket engine]( [Artist's concept of a Polaris spaceplane]( Aerospace startup Polaris Raumflugzeuge has been awarded a contract by the German government to develop and fly a revolutionary Linear AeroSpike (LAS) engine that replaces the conventional rocket nozzle with curving wall-shaped plug. [Read more]( Special Promotion for New Atlas Readers [Give Dad a gift that will help him make and share memories]( These are not your typical binoculars. Waterproof, anti-fog, anti-dust, anti-shock, and able to withstand harsh weather conditions, they come equipped with a high-def digital camera, allowing Dad to snap photos and record videos in stunning detail. [Read more]( Virtual Reality [Apple enters the AR arena with Apple Vision Pro system]( [Apple Vision Pro will sell for US$3,499 – but not until next year]( After months of speculation, Apple has finally announced its house-brand augmented reality system. Known as Apple Vision Pro, the setup is described as being the company's first "spatial computer." [Read more]( Architecture [Floating Bamboo House promises flexibility in face of climate change]( [The Floating Bamboo House is designed for people whose lives are river-based and at threat due to climate change]( Vietnam's H&P Architects has produced a prototype floating dwelling that's made from bamboo. It's envisioned for river-based populations under threat from climate change, especially those living on and around the country's Mekong Delta. [Read more]( Aircraft [MC One personal eVTOL rocks a Monaco-grade price tag]( [Manned flight testing in 2022. We're not sure what that mini roll bar behind the pilot's head would achieve in a crash]( Monégasque aerial photography and drone show company McClic has successfully test-flown its MC One personal eVTOL, a simple but nice-looking coaxial octacopter with a pilot's seat on top. Anyone can fly it, given about 10 minutes' training. [Read more]( Urban Transport [Kawasaki leans into electric mobility with Noslisu e-trikes]( [The Noslisu electric trikes feature Kawasaki's own synchronized steering system and tilting mechanism]( Kawasaki has rode into the electric mobility space with three new models – sadly not the Ninja BEV previewed at last year's EICMA expo, but with the launch of the Noslisu series electric tilting three-wheelers on its home turf. [Read more]( Computers [Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air is billed as being the thinnest of its kind]( [The 15-inch MacBook Air is just 11.5 mm thick, and offers up to 18 hours of battery life]( Although the MacBook Air has long played second fiddle to the better-spec'd Pro model, it's certainly no slouch. That's particularly true of the new 15-inch MacBook Air, which Apple has just announced at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. [Read more]( Outdoors [Bruder EXP-7 is a Goldilocks camper for Aussie off-road dominance]( [Bruder launches another ultra-rugged off-road trailer, this one slotting between its EXP-6 series and EXP-8 flagship]( Bruder makes some of the most rugged-but-luxurious camper trailers in the world. It's now added the EXP-7 between the flagship EXP-8 and original EXP-6, combining the best features of both. It may be Bruder's most attractive off-road trailer yet. [Read more]( Medical [Ring-busting tinnitus treatment combines sound and touch stimulation]( [A: The treatment device, with earphones and electrodes. B: A patient's treatment audio signal, set to replicate their tinnitus signal at 40 dB above the subject's hearing threshold. C: A sample treatment waveform, beginning with a somatosensory pulse, followed by an audio signal]( A "bi-sensory" treatment combining precisely timed sound and touch has shown impressive results in reducing people's experience of tinnitus, a common and debilitating form of hearing damage that presents as an incessant ringing sound in the ears. [Read more]( Materials [Light-activated concrete scrubs air pollution out of traffic tunnels]( [The new air-scrubbing concrete was tested in Banpo Underground Road Tunnel in Seoul, South Korea]( Traffic is among the biggest sources of air pollution, but what if the very roads they drive on could help clear the air? Engineers in Korea have now demonstrated that photocatalytic concrete can help reduce pollution in tunnels. [Read more]( Biology [Insects pollinated the first flower 140M years ago, and it wasn't a bee]( [Scientists believe it was a crafty insect, and not a bee, that helped the first flowering plant reproduce some 140 million years ago]( If evolutionary biologists are the detectives of the natural world’s past mysteries, then the phylogenic tree is their cork board of linked crime-scene suspects. With this, they offer some big news about the origins of flowering plant life on Earth. [Read more]( Space [Dying star's 'cocoon' a potential new source of gravitational waves]( [An artist's impression of the gravitational wave produced by a dying star's debris 'cocoon']( Until now, our only source of gravitational waves has been binary star systems. Researchers from Northwestern University have potentially discovered a new non-binary source of gravitational waves: the debris ‘cocoon’ that forms around a dying massive star. [Read more]( Technology [This AI chef has learned to make you a salad, but do you want it to?]( [AI might be coming for your job, but but might be some time before you get a personal robot chef]( A robot cook has been trained to recreate dishes after watching videos of a human assembling meals from several ingredients, and even created one AI original. Some good news for chefs: it looks like you've got some time before AI takes your jobs too. [Read more]( Science [Molecular manipulation stimulates hair growth in mice]( [Researchers have used microRNA to stimulate hair growth in mice]( Researchers have successfully stimulated hair growth in mice using microRNA to genetically manipulate the hair follicle’s stem cells, meaning that balding pate may one day be sporting a mane of luscious locks. [Read more]( Science [Mysterious hominin made world's oldest burial site, study claims]( [A reconstruction of Homo naledi’s head by paleoartist John Gurche]( Scientists have discovered evidence of what may be the world’s oldest known human burial. The 300,000 year-old Homo naledi remains show signs of having been intentionally buried in a chamber marked with symbols. But other scientists aren’t so sure. [Read more]( Computers [Apple announces better, stronger, faster Mac Pro and Mac Studio]( [The new Mac Studio is available in two configurations, featuring either an M2 Max or an M2 Ultra chip]( Today at its Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has announced what it says are the most powerful Macs ever made. One is the revamped Mac Pro, while the other is the latest and greatest take on the Mac Studio. [Read more]( Medical [Most severe heart attacks are more likely on Monday, research shows]( [Research has found that the most serious kind of heart attack is most likely to occur on a Monday]( For many, Monday means the weekend's over and it's back to work. Now, there's something else to worry about. Research has found that the most life-threatening type of heart attack is more likely to occur on a Monday than any other day of the week. [Read more]( Outdoors [Nomad Cape combines four trekking functions in a single system]( [The Nomad Cape serves as a wind/rain shelter, hammock, ground sheet and rain poncho]( It's certainly not uncommon for backpackers to carry a rain poncho, hammock, shelter and groundsheet. The Nomad Cape is aimed at lightening their load, by combining all four pieces of gear in one unit. [Read more]( Home Entertainment [Tri-color laser engine launches in N1 series smart projectors]( [The N1 series projectors feature an in-house tri-color laser engine that's reported to significantly reduce laser speckling and improve brightness uniformity]( Back in March, Shenzhen's JMGO launched a successful crowdfunding effort for a 4K smart projector that was mounted on an adjustable "gimbal-like" stand. Now the N1 Ultra is being joined by two other models to make up the new N1 series. [Read more]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at [newatlas.com]( (or [gizmag.com]( before August 2016). [Update profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( Copyright New Atlas © 2022