Weekend Edition: A micro apartment, a mega skyscraper and extendable cruise ships

[New Atlas logo]( Welcome to our weekly wrap of the best stories to grace the pages of New Atlas over the last seven days. Sit back, relax and enjoy the Weekend Edition. Tiny Houses [Incredibly small apartment showcases ideas for extreme downsizing]( [The Cabanon is a micro-apartment that's situated in a former attic and has a floorspace of just 6.89 sq m (74 sq ft) ]( Described as probably the smallest apartment in the world, the Cabanon measures a mere 74 sq ft. However, thanks to its clever layout and folding furniture, it's more fully featured than you might expect and even squeezes in a bath and spa area. [Read more]( Architecture [Enormous skyscraper confirmed as world's next second-tallest building]( [Soaring to an impressive height of 725 m (2,378 ft), the Burj Azizi will be the second-tallest skyscraper in the world]( Back in January, plans were revealed for a skyscraper in Dubai that could potentially become the world's new second-tallest building. Now it's definitely going forward, and the massive tower will soar to an impressive height of 2,378 ft. [Read more]( Marine [Amazing engineering: How to stretch a cruise ship]( [It's massively profitable for cruise operators to hack their ships in half and stick an extra section in to lengthen them]( Slicing huge cruise ships in half, then welding in an extra segment to lengthen them, is more or less a license to print money for cruise operators – so this 'jumboization' surgery is becoming very common. Let's take a look at how it's done. [Read more]( Tiny Houses [Not-so-tiny house sleeps six people in spacious apartment-like layout]( [The Ventura Park Model Tiny Home is currently up for sale and starts at around US$134,000]( Though the flexibility of a tiny house appeals to a lot of people, not everyone is cut out for downsizing. The Ventura Park Model Tiny Home offers life on wheels with a spacious apartment-like layout that sleeps up to six people. [Read more]( Technology ['Massless' battery promises a 70% increase in EV range]( [Carbon fiber structural battery developed at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden]( Researchers say they've built and tested a 'structural battery' that packs a device or EV's chassis with energy, saving a ton of weight. It could unlock smartphones as thin as credit cards, laptops at half the weight and a 70% boost to EV range. [Read more]( Military [Watch: Modular tilt-rotor aircraft makes maiden flight]( [ARES hoverig with cargo module]( Piasecki Aircraft's Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES) tilt-duct VTOL aircraft has completed its maiden flight. On September 6 at Piasecki's West Helipad in Essington, Pennsylvania the autonomous rotorcraft made two tethered hover flights. [Read more]( Aircraft [World's first aerospike aircraft to fly this month after crash setback]( [Polaris Spaceplanes MIRA II and III, looking pretty slick and awaiting install of their four turbine engines as well as the AS-1 LOX/kerosene aerospike engine]( The world's first flight test for an aerospike rocket engine ended in disaster, but Polaris Aerospace is back on track, preparing to fly second- and third-generation prototypes for its MIRA supersonic/hypersonic aircraft platform within weeks. [Read more]( Automotive [Ariel leaves Polaris choking on its dust with bio-fiber e-buggy]( [Ariel reveals a bio-composite electric Nomad]( The new Ariel E-Nomad concept may not look quite as downright menacing and imposing as a Polaris RZR Pro R (or, for that matter, Ariel's own ICE Nomad), but it definitely throws down the gauntlet. [Read more]( Automotive [New Ford micro-camper exceeds the Nugget in tiny camping efficiency]( [With its long hood, the Transit Courier looks more like a crossover than a van, and Ford's "Cross" package accentuates that with a sporty paint job and all-terrain tires]( The tiniest motorized camper we saw at this year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon is a slick, stealthy micro-camper built on Ford's smallest van. No, not the Transit Connect, but the Transit Courier, an even smaller van that looks like a small crossover. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Surprising group of healthy foods found to raise diabetes risk]( [While there's plenty of good nutrition seen here, oats, bananas, and yogurt have been linked to an elevated risk of type 1 diabetes in children in a new study]( While they might sound like healthy choices, a large study in Finland has revealed the detrimental impact of eating most fruits and several grains on diabetes risk. The study also revealed a helpful food ally in fighting off the disease. [Read more]( Aircraft [Quirky ground-effect 'seaglider' approved for full-scale flight tests]( [Regent's quarter-scale Seaglider prototype lifts its hydrofoils out of the water and flies]( A remarkably innovative clean passenger aircraft is set to begin full-scale testing this year. Regent's 12-seat Viceroy seaglider hydrofoils through the water, then takes off and rides the wing-in-ground effect for a huge efficiency boost. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Pain relief from mindfulness meditation not a placebo effect]( [Pain reduction from mindfulness and placebo engage different brain mechanisms]( New research has found that mindfulness meditation reduces pain by engaging a distinct brain pathway from the pathway activated by a placebo. The standalone analgesic effect that mindfulness produces could be leveraged to help people living with painful conditions. [Read more]( Automotive [Concept camper bus dares you to gaze (and smell) into RVing's future]( [The Mobilvetta Fluideen makes its debut at the 2024 Düsseldorf Caravan Salon]( Mobilvetta is exploring the future of RVing with a concept it calls Fluideen. The design study looks to seamlessly blend the natural with the technological, bringing features like scented wallpaper and retractable furnishings. [Read more]( Technology [Review: Seemor 200 combines infrared with full-color night vision]( [The Seemor 200]( Akaso's Seemor 200 night-vision scope uses AI to blur the dividing line between color day imaging and infrared black-and-white night imaging. We waited for sundown and put one through its paces. Here's what we found. [Read more]( Automotive [This VW camper van has the wildest pop-up roof in the small RV world]( [The SpaceCamper Classic+ with prototype SpaceRoof makes a serious first impression]( SpaceCamper is push the boundaries of what a camper can be once again. Its Volkswagen Multivan pop-up concept is unlike anything we've ever seen, blurring the lines between a rooftop tent, high fixed sleeper roof and standard pop-top. [Read more]( Home Entertainment [4K UST laser projector snuggles close to the wall for 150-inch movies]( [The XGIMI Aura 2 features a dual light source for "remarkable detail and vivid colors"]( XGIMI has announced the launch of the next generation of its Aura ultra-short-throw 4K laser projector. The Aura 2 boasts a new light engine, can throw 100-inch visuals from just 7 inches away, and sports a nifty dust cover to protect the optics. [Read more]( Energy [Motionless turbines deliver super-efficient wind energy to BMW's factory]( [The UK's first motionless wind energy turbine atop a MINI factory roof]( Aeromine has installed a silent and motionless wind energy harnessing system on the roof of BMW's MINI manufacturing plant in Oxford, UK. They're meant to complement the factory's solar panels to produce clean energy, while taking up a lot less space. [Read more]( Motorcycles [Honda patents a ride-on range extender for EVs]( [The 80s-era Honda City and Motocompo on display at Honda Collection Hall, Motegi]( In the 1980s, Honda turned heads with the iconic Motocompo – a fold-out scooter designed to fit snugly in the trunk of the City car. Four decades later, it could make a comeback as an EV range extender you can ride. [Read more]( Medical [Millions of US adults may be getting wrong blood pressure reads at home]( [Experts warn that millions of Americans may be getting inaccurate blood pressure readings at home]( In an effort to do the right thing for their health, more than 17 million Americans could actually be getting poor blood pressure readings from at-home kits with ill-fitting cuffs. This can have serious implications for nearly 7% of US adults. [Read more]( Outdoors [TSA-friendly Toolkey II puts a luxury screwdriver on your keyring]( [The Toolkey II improves on its predecessor]( With its unibody key form factor, Screwpop's Toolkey II is as minimalist as they come. Yet it features 17 tools, making it a perfect 'just in case' multitool: pop it on your keyring and forget about it until you're in a fix. [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