Ben Coxworth

Edmonton

Writer and Managing Editor at New Atlas

Writer and Managing Editor, North America, for New Atlas (formerly Gizmag).

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Articles

Envo's utility personal transporter set to revolutionize electric vehicles

5 days ago | newatlas.com | Ben Coxworth

The Utility Personal Transporter may do for EVs what smartphones did for gadgets – combining multiple types in one device. What's more, recent announcements suggest that people may soon start seeing the thing in actual use, in three different countries. Editor's note: Readers often ask us for follow-ups on memorable stories. What has happened to this story over the years? This article was originally published in 2023 but has been re-edited and updated with new information current as of May 14, 2025.
Modular kit combines multiple blades with a multi-use handle

6 days ago | newatlas.com | Ben Coxworth

Knives and saws are plenty useful when camping, but they're still just two separate tools. Ti-Ally offers an alternative, in the form of a system wherein six different blades can be swapped in and out of a single multi-functional steel handle. Manufactured by an outdoor gear company of the same name, Ti-Ally is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. At the heart of the setup is the handle, which is available in a choice of titanium or stainless steel.
Modular kit combines multiple blades with one multi-use handle

6 days ago | flipboard.com | Ben Coxworth

Knives and saws are plenty useful when camping, but they're still just two separate tools. Ti-Ally offers an alternative, in the form of a system …
Low-cost device could allow homeowners to test their own tap water for lead

6 days ago | newatlas.com | Ben Coxworth

If your home has old lead water pipes, there's a chance that harmful concentrations of lead may be present in your water. An experimental new device could soon allow homeowners to check for themselves, instead of waiting for the city to do so. Typically, when checking for lead in a home's tap water, municipalities (or contractors) will obtain water samples from the dwelling, then analyze those samples in a lab.
Flying robot morphs in mid-air to land and roll on wheels

1 week ago | newatlas.com | Ben Coxworth

Imagine a robot that can transform between "flying drone" and "wheeled rover" configurations. It could potentially be quite useful, but only if it works in real-world conditions. The ATMO bot was designed to do just that, by performing its transformation in mid-air. Its name an acronym for Aerially Transforming Morphobot, ATMO was created by a team of engineers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Flying robot morphs in mid-air to land and roll on wheels

1 week ago | flipboard.com | Ben Coxworth

5 hours agoApple makes the best-selling phone, smartwatch, and wireless headphones, and is fantastically profitable, but if it can’t develop The Next Big Thing, it could easily be out of business in ten years. But there’s no cause for concern — Apple is already working on the product that’ll replace the …
Robot is 3D-printed upside-down in one piece, then walks out of the printer

1 week ago | newatlas.com | Ben Coxworth

While there are many potential uses for soft-bodied robots, the things are still typically only built in small experimental batches. Scottish scientists are out to change that, with a mass-production-capable soft bot that is 3D-printed in a single piece which then walks off of the print bed. Before we go any further, this isn't the first time we've heard about a soft robot that was printed in one piece.
Eight-function titanium tool is more than just a mini wrench

1 week ago | newatlas.com | Ben Coxworth

A miniature wrench can certainly be handy, but do you really want to carry it everywhere if it only serves one purpose? That's where the Titanium Mini Portable Wrench comes in, as it packs a total of eight functions. Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the Mini Wrench (for short) is made by Hong Kong gear manufacturer Comandi. The company previously brought us the even-better-endowed Ti EDC Wrench 2.0, although that device is bigger, heavier and pricier than this latest offering.
Microplastics could actually help us, by detecting sewage in waterways

1 week ago | newatlas.com | Ben Coxworth

One of the worries about microplastic particle pollution is the possibility that the particles may accumulate harmful bacteria in the environment, then pass those microbes on to us. Well, that germ-grabbing capability could soon put the particles to work as sewage monitors in rivers. Currently, when authorities are monitoring the effluent from wastewater treatment plants, they periodically take water samples from the river downstream of those plants' outfall pipes.
Modular system packs five electric watercraft into a single kit

1 week ago | newatlas.com | Ben Coxworth

There are now enough different types of powered personal watercraft, you might not want to commit to buying just one. Well, that's where the Propel kit comes in, as it combines five different aquatic electric rigs in one modular package. Manufactured by US startup Propel Foil, the kit is currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign. At the heart of the setup is the aluminum/EPP-foam-bodied Modular Universal Chassis.