New Atlas

Robotics Audio available

Autonomous bot is good to go, for clearing snow

Ben Coxworth February 21, 2019

If there's one thing that many North American cities need this winter, it's help in snow removal. That's likely why Colorado-based Left Hand Robotics is currently sold out of its SnowBot Pro, which autonomously brushes snow off of sidewalks while avoiding pedestrians.

The SnowBot Pro is powered by a gas engine, and automatically avoids obstacles

Automotive

How do everyday drives handle the snow and ice in Colorado’s high country?

Aaron Turpen February 17, 2019

We once again found ourselves at the annual Colorado Winter Driving Encounter put on by our friends at Rocky Mountain Redline. The event pit eight vehicles from various manufacturers against the snow and elements of Colorado’s high country in the winter. The results were both fun and informative.

With great everyday vehicles from several automotive brands on hand we found that today’s modern safety ...

Outdoors

Retractable-spike winter boots give ice a kick in the rear

Ben Coxworth September 25, 2018

Steel-spiked winter boots may be great on the ice, but on bare concrete or flooring – not so much. It was with this in mind that Canadian entrepreneur Darrell Bachmann created KickSpike boots, which feature spikes that pop in or out of the sole at the kick of a button.

Along with their retractable spikes, KickSpike boots also feature lugged rubber soles and waterproof leather uppers

Automotive

Q-Plug is made to minimize block heater hassles

Ben Coxworth July 3, 2018

If you live someplace that gets cold winters, then you'll be familiar with the practise of plugging in your car's engine block heater on frigid nights. Doing so can be difficult, however, plus you may forget to unplug it when driving away. That's where the Q-Plug comes in.

The Q-Plug is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign

Outdoors

Ravean's heated gloves and mittens smash early Kickstarter goals

Rich Haridy February 18, 2018

Ravean has been producing different self-heating outdoor accessories for several years now, from vests and hoodies to sleeping bag liners. Now the company is developing a battery-powered heated glove with a recent Kickstarter launch exceeding its goals just days after it went live.

The Ravean heated glove comes with all the standard heated glove technology at a cheaper price ...

Outdoors

Hybrid shovel doubles as an emergency backcountry shelter

C.C. Weiss February 13, 2018

One of the innovative young brands that really impressed during the recent ISPO Munich show, Advenate has several multipurpose tools for backcountry snow sports. The headliner is an avalanche shovel that includes a probe in its handle and a light, compact emergency shelter in its blade.

Advenate shows its ISPO Award-winning products at ISPO Munich

Computers

"Olympic Destroyer" malware attack on Winter Olympics opening ceremony confirmed

Rich Haridy February 12, 2018

Security researchers from Cisco’s Talos intelligence team have analyzed samples of the malware directed at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony and verified that a cyber-attack did occur and was aimed at disrupting the event.

Security analysts from Cisco have verified that a cyber attack was directed at the Winter Olympics ...

Outdoors

In Photos: Sports, tech and ingenuity intermingle at ISPO Munich 2018

C.C. Weiss February 8, 2018

We traveled to ISPO Munich to see the latest in European outdoor, action sports and fitness gear and innovation. As usual, the "world's largest sports trade fair" didn't disappoint. Beyond the Swedish electric dirt bikes and Land Rover smartphones, the show had dozens of interesting innovations.

Health & Wellbeing

Does sunlight help us shed winter weight?

Rich Haridy January 10, 2018

A team of researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada has uncovered an extraordinary new, previously undiscovered, fat-burning mechanism. The new study reveals fat cells just under the skin are sensitive to a specific spectrum of sunlight and shrink when exposed.

Fat tissue under the skin has just been found to respond to sunlight, possibly explaining why ...

Outdoors

PolarSeal top keeps the cold at bay with two heated zones

Scott Collie August 8, 2017

It can be hard to leave the comfort of a heated home when winter arrives, but humans can't hibernate forever. Fillony wants to make it easier to brave the elements. We've seen heated clothes before, but Fillony thinks it has taken the breed to new places with multi-zone heating.