Inhabitat’s Week in Green: world’s largest skyscraper looks down at solar-powered ice-cream truck
August 7, 2011 No Comment
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green. It was a monumental week for the field of architecture as Inhabitat brought you a first look at the coming world’s largest skyscraper designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, and we saw a sparkling wave of 65,000 discarded compact discs sweep through the streets of Paris. We also learned that plans for Jean Nouvel’s massive MoMA ‘Death Spire’ has been revitalized, and we took a look inside an incredible Mumbai office that looks like something straight out of Star Wars. We also brought you an exclusive video interview with Juergen Mayer H. — the architect behind the world’s largest wooden structure in Seville, Spain. Green transportation tech heated up this week as well as researchers developed a breakthrough wireless EV charger that is 90 percent efficient and Nissan unveiled a system that lets your electric vehicle power your house. We also learned that it’s a bad idea to park your car in a bike lane in Lithuania — it might get run over by a tank ! On the lighter side of things, we showcased a solar-powered ice cream truck that is giving out free organic popsicles, a cool electric touring bus that comes complete with detachable bicycles, and we saw an intrepid inventor transform an old sofa into a water-worthy jet ski . The world’s energy landscape shift towards cleaner sources of power this week as Germany announced it will construct 2,800 miles of transmission lines for renewable energy and Japan rolled out a plant to transform unused rice paddies into solar farms . We also saw Yosemite flip the switch on the largest solar array in a National Park, and we shared six green camping gadgets that are perfect for hitting the trails. Finally, we showcased a crazy-looking brain cap that can control a computer and we spotted several great green gadgets for tech-savvy kids as Amazon announced plans to launch the first tablet computer for babies and Delaney rolled out a solar-powered transformer robot that could give Optimus Prime a run for his money. Inhabitat’s Week in Green: world’s largest skyscraper looks down at solar-powered ice-cream truck originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 20:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Plan A, we suspect, is not losing your phone. Plan C is biting the bullet and buying a new one. Plan B, on the other hand, is an Android app that helps you locate a missing handset even if you don’t have it installed when you misplace the device. Sounds too good to be true, right? Turns out the thing actually works, something an Ars Technica writer discovered the hard way, after his phone slipped out his pocket during a cab ride from the airport. What follows is a wild mobile goose chase — one, thankfully, with a happy ending. Get the full story in the source link below. Android’s Plan B app: an editorial love story originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
The picture almost says it all: the Galaxy S II is coming to T-Mobile. Except it’s slightly more complicated than that. According to TmoNews , you’re actually looking the back of the new Samsung Hercules — a handset rumored to possess godly specs , which we already knew was heading to both T-Mo and Telus , and which is now confirmed as an honest-to-goodness Galaxy S II variant. It’s similar to the original superphone in many respects, but it has a slightly larger 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen like the Infuse 4G , a 1.2GHz dual-core processor that’s possibly a Qualcomm instead of Sammy’s own Exynos, and a 42Mbps HSPA+ radio. The rounded corners of the back cover also look distinctly similar to the Within — the GSII variant coming to Sprint. You’ll find full-frontals after the break, which also recall the design of the Nexus S. The only thing missing is any mention of NFC, which featured in the initial rumors, but this is still a hotch-potch of the best Samsung phones around and we can’t wait for it to arrive. Continue reading Samsung Hercules confirmed as a T-Mobile Galaxy S II variant Samsung Hercules confirmed as a T-Mobile Galaxy S II variant originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
When it rains, it pours, and the latest in the torrential downpour of Droid Bionic news comes straight from the FCC itself: we’ve got a manual. The user’s guide starts by confirming the usual suspects: a 1GHz dual-core processor, 4G LTE, a 4.3″ screen and a rear-facing camera capable of capturing 1080p video. Developing… Droid Bionic hits FCC, brings manual originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Archos Arnova 8 G2 tablet makes FCC appearance, gets friendly with metal yardsticks
August 7, 2011 No Comment
What’s the summer without a sequel or two? Archos’s latest entry in the eight-inch Android tablet game hit the FCC this week, sporting Gingerbread, 4GB of storage, an SD slot, and a 1GHz processor. The slate should be available later this month, carrying a price tag of between $180 and $200 — that’s a price bump over its insanely affordable predecessor, but hey, sequels always cost more, right? Gallery: Archos Arnova 8 G2 on the FCC Archos Arnova 8 G2 tablet makes FCC appearance, gets friendly with metal yardsticks originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 14:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
Day job just too darn terrestrial? Maybe you should score a gig at Boeing, which’ll apparently sling two of its very own into space come 2015. What’ll be their chariot? The company’s CST-100 — you know that spiffy capsule that can hurtle a lucky seven humans 100km into the dark abyss. Strapped to ULA’s Atlas V , the crew will follow two unmanned missions, eventually reaching the International Space Station. If that all goes to plan, commercial service will start in 2016. Now about those extra five seats… Continue reading Boeing’s CST-100 to shoot non-NASA astronauts into space by 2015 Boeing’s CST-100 to shoot non-NASA astronauts into space by 2015 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 12:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Caption Contest: Bakebot learns to actually bake things, feed the looming robot army
August 7, 2011 No Comment
Aww, look! Bakebot’s soooo cute ! He’s actually cooking things these days, thanks to MIT grad student Mario Bollini, who recently upped the creature’s skill level in an effort to grab more calories with less effort. Little did he know, however, that teaching a self-contained machine how to feed the future uprising wasn’t exactly the best long-term move. No, that creeping feeling of fear isn’t unwarranted. Darren : “01001111 01001101 01000111 00100000 01000011 01001111 01001111 01001011 01001001 01000101 01010011!” Terrence : “Bakebot’s lessons with the master chef were going so well, until his Bork to binary translator failed” Brian: “Bakebot love kitten. Bakebot eat kitten.” Brad: “Stephanie! Johnny no add vanilla!” Sean: “It’s so unfair! I have eight other senses, but I’d trade them all — even smision — to be able to taste.” Christopher: “Rachel Ray hit a wall with 15 minute meals, so we found a faster, more charismatic replacement. Meet Rachel Number 5.” Michael: “Here I thought the robot apocalypse would be powered by nuclear fusion and laser beams, turns out it’ll be running on profiteroles and delicious cakes.” Jon: “I’m toasting bread in my head right now…seriously” Zach: “You want me to wear a what ? Why don’t you trying sticking a fan in your scalp. Then you can tell me to wear a hairnet.” Joseph: “How do ya like my ganache now , Martha???” Daniel : “A robot may not injure a cupcake or, through inaction, allow a cupcake to come to harm.” Richard Lai : “How do you like them cookies, Firefox?” Jose : “How am I supposed to add a teaspoon of sugar with this underperforming Kinect camera?” Kevin : ” Enough with the cakes, what was Leia saying about our only hope?” Dana: “I. Love. A. Little. Bourbon. In. My. Cookies. Don’t. You.” Richard Lawler : “Death to all humans. Sweet, delicious, chocolatey… death.” Don: “Just don’t call him Iron Chef. He hates that.” Billy: ” Ace of Cakes was canceled because I annihilated the host.. now I must weaponize that Millennium Falcon cake.” Zachary: “Jobless MIT grad narrowly avoids soup kitchen, emerges from basement with replacement mother.” Caption Contest: Bakebot learns to actually bake things, feed the looming robot army originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Caption Contest: Bakebot learns to actually bake things, feed the looming robot army
August 7, 2011 No CommentAww, look! Bakebot’s soooo cute ! He’s actually cooking things these days, thanks to MIT grad student Mario Bollini, who recently upped the creature’s skill level in an effort to grab more calories with less effort. Little did he know, however, that teaching a self-contained machine how to feed the future uprising wasn’t exactly the best long-term move. No, that creeping feeling of fear isn’t unwarranted. Darren : “01001111 01001101 01000111 00100000 01000011 01001111 01001111 01001011 01001001 01000101 01010011!” Terrence : “Bakebot’s lessons with the master chef were going so well, until his Bork to binary translator failed” Brian: “Bakebot love kitten. Bakebot eat kitten.” Brad: “Stephanie! Johnny no add vanilla!” Sean: “It’s so unfair! I have eight other senses, but I’d trade them all — even smision — to be able to taste.” Christopher: “Rachel Ray hit a wall with 15 minute meals, so we found a faster, more charismatic replacement. Meet Rachel Number 5.” Michael: “Here I thought the robot apocalypse would be powered by nuclear fusion and laser beams, turns out it’ll be running on profiteroles and delicious cakes.” Jon: “I’m toasting bread in my head right now…seriously” Zach: “You want me to wear a what ? Why don’t you trying sticking a fan in your scalp. Then you can tell me to wear a hairnet.” Joseph: “How do ya like my ganache now , Martha???” Daniel : “A robot may not injure a cupcake or, through inaction, allow a cupcake to come to harm.” Richard Lai : “How do you like them cookies, Firefox?” Jose : “How am I supposed to add a teaspoon of sugar with this underperforming Kinect camera?” Kevin : ” Enough with the cakes, what was Leia saying about our only hope?” Dana: “I. Love. A. Little. Bourbon. In. My. Cookies. Don’t. You.” Richard Lawler : “Death to all humans. Sweet, delicious, chocolatey… death.” Don: “Just don’t call him Iron Chef. He hates that.” Billy: ” Ace of Cakes was canceled because I annihilated the host.. now I must weaponize that Millennium Falcon cake.” Zachary: “Jobless MIT grad narrowly avoids soup kitchen, emerges from basement with replacement mother.” Caption Contest: Bakebot learns to actually bake things, feed the looming robot army originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 11:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …
The release date and pricing info we’re waiting on from the Galaxy Tab 8.9 continues to elude us, but Samsung’s slightly smaller slate did find time to make a live US appearance at BlogHer 2011 this week. Handled by our friends at Tecca , the new TouchWiz UX looked every bit as slick and speedy here as it did on the regulation size 10.1-inch Tab, but on a screen that might be easier to handle. There’s no real surprises — you knew the speakers had migrated around to the sides of the Tab’s proprietary connector, right? — but now that Samsung’s showing it off to the public a wide release is hopefully just around the corner. Samsung brings WNBA-sized Galaxy Tab 8.9 to BlogHer 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Gigantic LED wall provides gaming at Sziget Fest, destroys your cred from miles away
August 7, 2011 No Comment
We can’t think of a better way to promote your company than with a 30 meter high (10 stories) tower filled with all sorts of tech goodness. Vodafone plans on doing just that, with what will be the tallest building in Hungarian festival history at next week’s Sziget Festival. This monstrosity will not only be a lookout platform, but it will employ 250 square meters (about 820 square feet) of LED walls . For what, you might ask? Why, gaming of course — festival goers can play Rocket Bullet Storm , if they’re man or woman enough to risk their gamer cred in front of thousands. If using 1.5 million LED units wasn’t enough to entice attendees, the structure will also offer free internet access, charging stations and host DJ sets that last through the night. We can only hope that this will catch on elsewhere, so that our Michael Jackson: The Experience skills can be broadcast for miles. Gigantic LED wall provides gaming at Sziget Fest, destroys your cred from miles away originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Aug 2011 06:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …