From space suits to sci-fi suburbia: the future, in photos – The Verge

A closer look at Google’s gorgeous smartwatches

2014-03-18T14:45:35-04:00

Google is finally ready to say what a smartwatch should look like. Earlier today, it gave a first peek at Android Wear, a version of its mobile operating system designed specifically for wearable devices. So far, Google has shown quite a bit of what shape the OS will take when it comes to watches in particular: it imagines Android Wear running on both square and circular displays, and it relies heavily on Google Now to augment the simple swipes that control it.

In Google's vision, a smartwatch is focused on a single task at once, but is often displaying two different things. Critical information is placed on the bottom of the screen, while …

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Finding the perfect mirrorless camera in the Fujifilm X-T1

2014-03-11T13:15:02-04:00

The Fujifilm X-T1 is a mirrorless camera built with the serious photographer in mind. It has a compact body with lots of physical controls and the best electronic viewfinder ever built. It also takes some killer photos.

With a $1,299.99 starting price, the X-T1 isn't the camera for the casual photographer. But for the discerning and demanding type, it's hard to beat. Be sure to check out our full review for more, and scroll down to see the X-T1 up close and personal and some of our favorite shots taken with it.

Product photography by Michael Shane. All other images by Dan Seifert.

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Moon shots: the far-out space suits of past, present, and future

2014-03-07T14:00:04-05:00

Space suits have come a long way since they were first used to protect pilots venturing just outside the earth, but they still have quite a ways to go. For decades now, the American and Russian space programs have been improving astronauts' suits little by little, making them safer, more maneuverable, and better equipped for emergencies.

But they're still far from perfect: no suit is truly easy to put on or move around in, and that's something that space agencies and private institutions will have to contend with if they really want to give astronauts the chance to explore the moon or Mars. From some of the first suits to an almost science- …

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‘Tron’ designer creates a real-world superbike

2014-02-21T03:28:40-05:00

Lotus has a new superbike called the C-01. Designed by Daniel Simon, whose work you'll know from Tron: Legacy, Oblivion, and Captain America, the bike balances the Lotus form of old with a decidedly modern finish.

Although Simon is better known for his concept work, and the C-01 certainly looks like a designer's wild fantasy, the bike will actually go on sale: the British company plans to produce 100 in partnership with German manufacturer Kodewa. Previously, the two companies worked together on a number of auto-racing projects.

"The design process of the C-01 was a labour of love," says Simon, "we have worked hard to create a motorcycle w …

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BlueShark: where the US Navy dreams up the battleship interfaces of tomorrow

2014-01-26T09:00:04-05:00

Yes, the US Navy has an Oculus Rift. More than one, in fact. In Washington, DC, and Marina Del Rey, CA, two parallel laboratories are using virtual reality headsets to help the Navy dream up the next generation of interfaces. With them, future war-fighters could drive a ship with full three-dimensional awareness of their surroundings, or repair high-tech ship parts while collaborating with their designer in real-time, thousands of miles away.

But BlueShark, a joint initiative between the Swampworks division of the Office of Naval Research and the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, isn't actually about virtual reality per se. According …

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The Mac turns 30: a visual history

2014-01-24T10:00:14-05:00

In addition to everything else, the first Macintosh was funny. On January 24th, 1984, 30 years ago today, Steve Jobs first revealed the computer he'd been talking about so much onstage at the Flint Center at DeAnza College in Cupertino, and he let it speak for itself.

27-year-old Jobs was all but unrecognizable from the turtleneck-wearing, polished presenter he would become. With long black hair, a gray suit that appears too large, and a green bow tie, he looks like a hippie dressed up for a relative's wedding. As he unzips an odd, cooler-sized bag and pulls out a Macintosh with one hand, he appears less confident than relieved. Even moment …

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How to build the world’s most amazing space telescope

2014-01-14T11:00:02-05:00

The Hubble Telescope has given us astonishing images of distant stars, but despite its accomplishments, it has a limited view of the heavens. Scientists and engineers are hard at work on a larger, more powerful successor - the James Webb Space Telescope. Hubble has had an impressive run - it's been used to detect clouds on distant planets, find evidence of planets with glass rain, and image a star near the end of its life - but the Webb will be able to do more. The researchers behind Webb hope to probe the early universe by gathering some of the earliest, most distant light. And engineers building the telescope have recently completed a majo …

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Tomorrow’s robots drive, climb, and drill through walls at DARPA trials

2013-12-22T14:30:01-05:00

This weekend 17 teams headed down to Homestead, Florida to compete in the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials, a gauntlet of eight tasks designed to test robots that could aid after natural disasters.

The tasks included driving a vehicle, traversing uneven terrain, climbing a ladder, clearing debris, opening a series of doors, drilling through a wall, opening a valve, and reeling a hose. Teams either built their own robots or wrote software to run on a Boston Dynamics Atlas robot.

It sounds simple for some of the most advanced robots in the world, but only a few teams were able to score full points on any of the tasks, and three teams scored z …

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Shenzhen’s new airport terminal puts the wonder back into flight

2013-11-28T06:21:15-05:00

Located just to the north of Hong Kong, Shenzhen enjoys the rare status of being a Special Economic Zone in the People's Republic of China. Holding that designation for over three decades now, the area has become a breeding ground for small electronics businesses and a big attraction for foreign investment. With its rapid growth comes the need for improved infrastructure, which is why China is today inaugurating a third terminal to the local Bao'an International Airport.

Designed by the Italian Studio Fuksas, Terminal 3 has been shaped to look like a manta ray, "a fish that breathes and changes its own shape, undergoes variations, [and] tur …

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The far-out concepts of Tokyo Motor Show

2013-11-21T04:32:03-05:00

Every two years, the automotive world descends on Tokyo to present its vision for the vehicles we'll be driving in years to come. 2013 is the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show, and a host of carmakers from around the world such as BMW, Tesla, and Mercedes-Benz joined the likes of Honda, Toyota, and Nissan on their home turf.

Perhaps not surprisingly, there has been a heavy focus on electric vehicles at this year's show, with most manufacturers having some form of hybrid or electric model on hand. And, with eyes firmly looking forward, some companies have used the opportunity to show off some of the most unusual designs we've ever seen on ostensibly roa …

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