Radiation bombardment from ancient supernovae may have triggered climate change

[SPACE] [Radiation bombardment from ancient supernovae may have triggered climate change] ​Scientists at the University of Kansas say that a pair of supernovae that exploded 300 light years away could have released radiation that seriously affected life on prehistoric Earth and may even have triggered an ice age.[Read more] [AIRCRAFT] [Bombardier delivers first wide-seated, big-windowed CS100 to SWISS] Bombardier has handed the first of its new CS100 aircraft over to Swiss International Airlines. The narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range jet airliner is designed to hold between 100 and 150 passengers and is due to enter service later this week.[Read more] [WEARABLES] [Review: Can Samsung’s Gear Fit 2 keep up with rival fitness trackers?] We recently spent some time putting Samsung’s latest activity tracking smart(ish) watch through its paces. So read on to find out whether the heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking and music playback of the Gear Fit 2 are enough to help it compete against rivals from Fitbit and Garmin.[Read more] [ELECTRONICS] [Electronic "tattoo" muscles in on emotion mapping] A ​team at Tel Aviv University's (TAU's) Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology​ have developed an alternative​ to the invasive needle electrodes used in electromyotherapy, in the form of an electronic "tattoo" that unobtrusively monitors muscle activity.​[Read more] [MOTORCYCLES] [Bottpower's XR1R flat tracker puts the Buell XB12 on a little-needed diet] Bottpower's XR1R is an American-style flat tracker from Spain built from an American legend (Erik Buell's XB12) that was built from another American Legend (Harley-Davidson's Sportster 1200). With more than 150 hp and less than 150 kg to shift, it should be a mad little racetrack carver.[Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Review: Does the Peugeot 208 GTi live up to expectations?] We’re in a golden age for hot hatches at the moment, with a surplus of front-drivers able to shred the Nurburgring at the weekend and pick the kids up on Monday. It’s a class full of talented cars like Ford’s Fiesta ST, and standing out is difficult. So, how does the Peugeot 208 GTi stack up? [Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Land Rover testing autonomous tech with a taste for off-road adventure] ​As a company founded on go-anywhere capability, Land Rover needs to think about autonomy slightly differently to most brands. The way a Discovery or Range Rover tackles a trail is intrinsic to its appeal, an appeal engineers are trying to autonomously recreate in their new research project. [Read more] [ENVIRONMENT] [Cloud records reveal evidence of climate change] Global cloud patterns have changed since the 1980s, and scientists have found these shifts are consistent with predictions from climate model simulations that take into account human influences. The cloud changes are likely to have a further warming effect on the planet.[Read more] [SCIENCE] [Giant ferocious dinosaurs may have cooed, not roared] Some dinosaurs may not have roared as they do in the movies, according to a new study. Instead, they may have even cooed like birds. [Read more] [BIOLOGY] [For skull-embedded brain window, the benefits are becoming clear] ​​Earlier this year, scientists made news by embedding a transparent window into the head of a fruit fly​ to watch its thoughts. But researchers elsewhere have been working on developing a transparent window to the human brain since 2013. Now two new studies have bolstered the concept's feasibility.[Read more] [BICYCLES] [Bike kit lets you go Dutch in 60 seconds] Dutch-style cargo bikes are becoming increasingly popular outside of The Netherlands. That said, they can be pricey, plus they're a lot of bike to be riding around when they're empty. Well, that's where The Lift comes in. It lets you temporarily convert your regular bike into a cargo bike.​[Read more] [SPACE] [Could water ice deposits be lurking in Ceres' polar craters?] ​​Using data collected by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, an international team of astronomers has created a Map of the dwarf planet Ceres' northern hemisphere detailing regions that exist in permanent shadow.[Read more] [TINY HOUSES] [Pair of engineers design pet-friendly off-grid tiny house] Engineers Tina and Luke Orlando decided to design their own tiny house. Their unconventional approach resulted in a tiny house on wheels that's jam-packed with storage space, pet-friendly features, and sustainable technology to allow it to operate off the grid.[Read more] [ROBOTICS] [Delivering the future: Autonomous courier bots take to the streets] From this month, pedestrians in the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland will begin sharing their sidewalks with robot couriers. The self-driving delivery droids are being rolled out as part of a pilot by Starship Technologies, working with a number of major industry partners.[Read more] [SCIENCE] ["Super sniffer" mice have a nose for explosives or disease] Scientists have created “super-sniffer” mice that are able to detect specific odors with increased precision, opening the door for new sensors for explosives and diseases – as well as a better understanding of our own olfactory system.[Read more] [MUSIC] [BeatBringer boombox backpack cranks the Bluetooth speaker up to 11] ​It’s been a while since anyone’s wandered the streets blasting tunes from a boombox on their shoulder, but the basic idea might be about to make a comeback. Meet the BeatBringer, a backpack boombox that cranks the portable Bluetooth speaker up to 11.[Read more] [MUSIC] [Pro tennis balls repurposed as wireless speakers] ​It’s estimated that some 230,000 tennis balls get tossed each year after the four Grand Slam tournaments. Now London-based design company Rogue Projects hopes to turn those used balls into functioning and highly portable wireless speakers.[Read more] [AUTOMOTIVE] [Ford F-150 EcoBoost proves less really can be more] By now, we're familiar with the benefits of Ford's EcoBoost downsizing – more power, more torque and less weight. The latest EcoBoost V6 to make its way into the F-150 is more efficient and torquier than V8s almost twice the size.[Read more] [GOOD THINKING] [Tiny device says Nope to webcam hackers] Although a webcam may appear to be inactive, it's possible for someone to hack into your computer and use it to watch you without your knowledge. The only way to be sure that this isn't the case is to cover the lens, which is just what the Nope 2.0 magnetic privacy shield is designed to do.[Read more] [ARCHITECTURE] [Up periscope: Finland's grounded observation tower] As its name suggests, OOPEAA's Periscope Tower serves as an oversized periscope thanks to a pair of carefully-placed mirrors integrated into its core. No mere gimmick, the prefabricated observation tower ensures visitors can take in a raised view from ground level.[Read more] [SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR GIZMAG READERS] [Become a Front-End Developer with This 12-Course JavaScript Training, Now Just $59] While you may not notice it, when you're on the internet, you're interacting with a mountain of code, much of it based in JavaScript. There's good reason it's the internet's most commonly used language, and there's even better reason for you to get up to speed with this popular language.[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