madrid
Latest
Madrid gets in on the pollution-cutting asphalt action
It looks like the Dutch aren't the only ones looking to snag some car pollution before it gets too far from the source, with Madrid now also paving at least one of streets with a special asphalt of its own that promises to capture up to 90 percent of the pollutants on a sunny day. Unlike the special mix of concrete used in the Dutch town of Hengelo, however, this method apparently uses a layer of a product called "noxer" that's affixed to regular asphalt which, again, produces a reaction that turns the captured nitrogen oxide into a more harmless material that can be washed away whenever it rains. What's more, Madrid is also rolling out another type of pavement that contains recycled tires in other parts of the city, which it hopes will cut down on the city's noise pollution. No word on any plans to combine the two just yet though.[Via Autoblog Green]
2nd Qualifying round of the official 3v3 Arena Tournament ends
In the midst of the hubbub over the Worldwide Invitational 3v3 Arena tournament and the MLG PC Circuit tournaments in San Diego and Orlando, the official 3v3 Arena Tournament seems to have fallen by the wayside -- At the least, people don't seem to remember it much. It looks like it's looking to burst back onto the scene in a big way, though, as Blizzard announced the end of the 2nd qualifying round of the tournament today. The next round will see the winning teams from the 1st and 2nd qualifying rounds facing off in live matches in Boston, Madrid, Seoul, and Taipei in the coming months. The list of first round winners has some familiar faces in it already. MLG San Diego winners Frag Dominant will be competing in the Boston event, WWI winner Council of Mages will be competing in Seoul, and WWI runner up Improved Clicks will be headed to Madrid. There's no word yet on which teams won the 2nd round, or when the next round's matches will take place, or whether we'll get live streaming from the events. We'll be sure to let you know all the details right here as soon as they're available though.
Movies theaters to become arcades of the future?
Spain's Yelmo Cineplex company recently splurged on a "Cinegames" setup, converting one of its small theaters into a sizable LAN arena. Inside, some 50 17-inch LCD screens have been bolted to armrests, a gamepad dangling below each one. Once the fog and low smoke start to roll in, the black light and flashing green lasers get going, and the seats start vibrating, one gets a sense of why this innovative concept could reinvigorate the movie theatre business -- and resurrect the arcade. Developed by Enrique Martinez (pictured), Cinegames is slowly drawing crowds to an otherwise unprofitable small-screen theater at the Yelmo multiplex in Madrid. Aside from tourneys featuring chart-toppers like Pro Evolution Soccer (published by Konami -- not EA!), Martinez hopes Cinegames will appeal to educational institutions that could use the space for learning and testing; he's even marketing to corporate and senior citizen groups. If the concept takes off, Martinez plans to expand Cinegames throughout Europe, eventually hopping the Atlantic to target North American audiences. So how 'bout it? Would you desert your cushy spot on the couch and lose the Xbox Live headset to brush shoulders with your competitive peers? Tickets are only $4.[Via The Last Boss]
