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Some Assembly Required: TUG interview reveals the true nature of Soylent Green
Much ado has certainly been made lately about doing something "new and different" in games. Just take a look at all the options coming through Kickstarter lately; even more contenders have thrown their hats into the ring since our roundup last February. But in a large number of these cases, the new ideas are coming from developers within the gaming industry. So what would happen if a game were developed from outside the industry? Enter TUG. Formally known as The Untitled Game, the game is the brainchild of Nerd Kingdom, a group hailing from the world of academia that happens to have intersected with gaming. Self-described as "a collaboration of video game developers, academic scientists, modders, and gamers," this group wants to move beyond just improving the way games are made "to show[ing] that such games can make us better as individuals and as a society." I was able to catch up with one of the founders of Nerd Kingdom, Scientist and Researcher of Stuffs Peter Salinas, to talk about the game. We touched on everything from player design input to features (like player books and companions) to making an engine available for others to use. Oh, and of course, Soylent Green.
Human-derived gelatin spares the livestock, confuses vegans
Vegans are going to be super-conflicted by this one. Researchers at Beijing University's College of Life Science and Technology are pioneering a four-legged creature friendly method for cranking out the 300,000 tons of gelatin produced each year. Their solution: people. Well, not in the Soylent Green sense. No, the process in question here takes "human gelatin genes [and inserts them] into a strain of yeast [producing] gelatin with controllable features." Sound appetizing? It might, if you want to avoid chowing down on "Mad Cow" tainted gummy worms at the cinema. Alright, so maybe these Chinese scientists are signaling the sensationalist red alert a bit prematurely -- it's just too bad Charlton Heston isn't around to witness this bit of life science imitating his art. [Image credit via Film Critic]
Supermarket generates piezoelectric power in parking lot
Remember that piezoelectric road prototype we saw late last year? Looks like someone (besides us) thought it was a good idea. According to The Daily Mail, a Sainsbury's supermarket in Gloucester, UK (you've never been there), has installed kinetic plates in the parking lot that use the weight of shopper's cars to pump a series of hydraulic pipes, which in turn drive a generator. The system is said to generate up to 30kw of energy an hour -- or enough to power the store's checkouts. And if that weren't enough, the store is also harvesting rainwater and heating it (during the summer, at least) with solar panels. The next in this store's "eco-friendly evolution?" Might we suggest Soylent in the deli? We hear the "green" stuff is particularly good.[Via Green Launches, Thanks Deepa]
Soylent iPod is People
If anthropomorphic iPod accessories are your thing, look no further. Today we have found the ultimate iPerson dock--well, almost the ultimate dock. Unfortunately this iKub kubrick dock is only designed for those old-style iPod shuffles. If you've got the right kind of shuffle, you're in business. Shove your iPod down this little guy's neck, connect him to your fave computer and your iKub will sync and charge your iPod and look really cute while doing so. From London-based Maharishi dpihmi.com, this toy will set you back £32.[Via Mobile Digest UK]
