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EverQuest video features new zone from Veil of Alaris expansion
EverQuest's latest content bomb was announced earlier this summer, and Sony Online Entertainment is slowly trickling out the details for the new Veil of Alaris patch. The game's 18th expansion will take players to a land long hidden by magic, and a new video gives us our first glimpse of the environment itself along with some of its ornerier inhabitants. Players will initially encounter the zone while traveling on a giant airship, and among the challenges are mobs made of molten steel as well as deadly free-floating swords. SOE's video clip features game designer David Stewart and environment artist Shannon Parnell discussing their work on the new zone, as well as various fly-through angles of the finished product. Check out all the details after the break.
Muse announces Guns of Icarus, unveils CG trailer
Browser MMOs are a dime a dozen these days, and sometimes it seems like there's a new one popping up on an hourly basis. Consequently, first impressions are everything in such a crowded marketplace, and if its CG trailer is anything to go by, Guns of Icarus may raise a few eyebrows when it launches in 2012. The game is built around the popular Unity engine and features a post-apocalyptic world that mixes steampunk, classic aviation, and an adventure-serial feel that evokes the seminal Xbox shooter Crimson Skies (and perhaps a gritty, aerial homage to Indiana Jones). Gameplay centers around your airship, and dev studio Muse Games says that "moving from town to town, trading and collecting resources, outfitting your ship, and battling deadly pirates" are just a few of the things you'll do. Your airship can also feature additional player crewmembers (or NPCs if you're a loner), and the game's skill and leveling system looks to make each crewman both unique and versatile. "Expect to find your pilot putting out a fire or your mechanic manning the guns at any moment," says Muse's press release. You can check out the new CG trailer as well as a brief gameplay video after the break.
Lockheed Martin's HALE-D airship learns to fly, makes a crash landing
Because dirigibles were such a great idea the first, completely non-disastrous time around, Lockheed Martin and the US Army have teamed up to bring the quaint technology back into our hyper-modern era. The lighter-than-air vehicle got a new lease on unmanned flight life when it launched yesterday from its base in Akron, Ohio. The High Altitude Long Endurance-Demonstrator (HALE-D for short) reached 32,000 ft during its maiden voyage before technical difficulties cut the test short, forcing an emergency landing in the deep woods of southwestern Pennsylvania. Despite the flight-aborting hiccup, the global security company is all smiles, citing the successful demonstration of "communications links, [the] unique propulsion system, solar array electricity generation [and] remote piloting communications." Future real-world versions of HALE-D could serve as a military "telecommunications relay system" over foreign terrain -- like Afghanistan -- where radio signals can't penetrate. The Defense Department contractor is currently retrieving the airship from its foresty crash pad, but you can bet some locals already called this close encounter in to the local papers. Skip past the break for Archer's take on our government's latest airborne effort.
ArcheAge video shows six minutes of scenery
ArcheAge fans have been aching for news updates since the close of the title's latest Korean beta last May. XL Games is presumably hard at work processing feedback and adding functionality, as we haven't heard a peep from Jake Song's dev team in quite some time. Fortunately, our friends at AAPortal are parceling out various bits of video footage captured during CBT3. Last week we got a look at an ArcheAge cityscape by way of a parkour clip, and today we're treated to a six-minute montage of the game's stunning scenery. The footage takes us on a journey across tranquil meadows, arid deserts, and rocky shorelines, and even along for the ride as a player chases an airship (and later boards it, leading to some spectacular high-altitude nighttime vistas). Head past the cut to check it out, and mosey on over to AAportal for the source post.
'Miraculous' Aeros airship set to fly by 2013, thanks to DOD funding
Are you nostalgic for a time when the word "zeppelin" stood for leisurely intercontinental travel for the rich and famous, rather than bass-heavy portable sound and MotoBlur phones? Take heart, as Ukrainian entrepreneur Igor Pasternak claims to have solved the "buoyancy problem" that has long limited the usefulness of airships. The problem is that burning fuel or dropping cargo lightens the ship, which then needs to vent costly helium to return to earth; without a way to control buoyancy, take-offs and landings become complicated to the point of uselessness. Pasternak claims to have solved this sticking point by compressing the pricey gas, thereby conserving it for later use. The Defense Department (which loves its warblimps) has contracted his company, Aeros, to provide a working demonstration by 2012-13. Dubbed Pelican, it will only fly without a payload at first -- but if the technology proves feasible, we might just see a new Era of Airships.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: self-sustaining airships, turbine base jumpers, and the Sahara's solar oasis
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. This week opened with the exciting news that Norway and Jordan signed an agreement create a flourishing solar oasis in the scorching Sahara Desert. India also made waves as they announced the first tidal plant in Asia, and we took a look at a novel wind power tech that eschews noisy turbines for piezoelectric pads. We also rounded up our favorite wind-powered gadgets that don't blow, and you won't believe the latest extreme sport: wind turbine base jumping! In other news, green transportation took to the skies as we showcased a futuristic airship that generates its own fuel and a hydrogen-powered UAV that can stay aloft for up to a week. Meanwhile, back on earth we heard several major auto manufactures make exciting announcements as Chevrolet unveiled tech that could double the Volt's battery life and Toyota pulled back the curtain on an upgraded electric motor that requires less rare earth metals. This week we also shined a light on the world of energy-efficient illumination with our Green Lighting 101 guide, and we were blinded by the brilliance of Mischer Traxler's repurposed Relumine desk lamps. Finally, from the realm of wearable tech we brought you the solar-powered Androcell backpack that backs up your data, and we tested a handy alphabet flash card app for tech-savvy tots.
DDO offers a head start on update 5 with the Lamannia guild competition
Are you anxious to get your virtual hands on some of the new content coming in Dungeons and Dragons Online update 5? You and your guild may be able to get a jump on things before the update arrives, thanks to the new guild competition on Lamannia. Players can copy their guilds to Lamannia and join in a race to gain the most guild renown for a prize of 200 Astral Diamonds -- enough to purchase the Stormglory Bolt, the first ship in the luxury Stormglory line. This competition is more of a sprint than a marathon, so you'll want to hurry. Entries will be accepted through Monday night and winning guilds are announced on the 24th. Smaller guilds are at no disadvantage here, as the contest is divided into five tiers according to guild size. There will be one prize given within each tier. Ready to participate? Check out the contest information and rules, rally your guild, and good luck!
New DDO screenshots highlight airships
Airships are a big part of what's coming for Dungeons and Dragons Online update 5: Rise of the Guilds. We've gone from knowing nothing beyond "Ooh, pretty flying boats" to knowing quite a few details on acquisition, amenities, appearance, and so on. Today's latest round of screenshots highlights what we know a bit more. We've got a shot of an airship captain with a few interesting accessories lurking in the background, a group of ships traveling over the ocean, and a guild group digging into a chest full of goodies on their ship. We also got a peek at the absolutely gorgeous airship showroom -- seriously, take some time to look around on your first visit. The designers had a lot of fun with this one. Check out the gallery for the four newest images. %Gallery-94875%
Dungeons and Dragons Online getting guild airships in next update
We're not sure who clued Turbine into this particular fact, but our two favorite things on this earth are, in order: boats which use primitive yet impossible technology to travel through the skies, and owning property. The fifth major update to Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited will manage to incorporate both of these elements into the free-to-play MMO when it launches June 28. Not only will the update give your guild access to soaring, winged home bases, it will also add the "Carnival of Shadow" scenario to the game, which sounds like the worst carnival ever. Check out the game's blog for more information on this new adventure, or check out the gallery below to catch a few glimpses of DDO's pretty new airships. %Gallery-94199%
Inhabitat's Week in Green: lights, water, action
The Week in Green is a new item from our friends at Inhabitat, recapping the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us. All eyes in the design world have been focused this week on the Milan Design Fair 2010 - the biggest and most important design event in the world. Inhabitat scouts have been combing the fair, looking for the latest and greatest innovations in future-forward design. We've spotted a number of ingenious lighting innovations, such as this OLED chandelier from iconic British design Tom Dixon, and a beautiful recyclable pendant lamp inspired by origami. We basked in the gazpacho glare of an incredible table lamp powered completely by tomatoes, and we flipped out over an interactive wooden light wall inspired by the Japanese art of origami. We were also wowed by Yves Béhar's latest foray into fancy chandelier design, with a collection of shimmering paper chandeliers that adorned the Swarovski Crystal Palace. The past week was also awash in H2O tech as researchers unveiled fresh new ways to keep us hydrated and produce clean power. One team of MIT researchers successfully harnessed viruses to split molecules of water to create hydrogen fuel, while another team unveiled a stamp-sized water purifying chip that can be lined up in arrays to generate 15 liters of water per hour. Meanwhile, Mexican artist Gilberto Esparza took a different tact to water purification altogether: he's created a group of robotic "nomad plants" that harvest sludge from polluted rivers and use it as an energy source. We also saw several advances in wearable technology that could improve your game and keep you wired throughout the day. Three engineering students from Northeastern University have developed a "data-logging" compression shirt that helps baseball pitchers avoid torn ligaments, and designer Jennifer Darmour has created a "social-networking garment" that allows you to connect with your virtual audience with every move you make! We also covered several remarkable transportation developments, starting with DARPA's plans to build a futuristic flying transformer car. Speaking of high-flying transportation, we caught wind of a prototype high speed solar airship that could one day offer an emission-free method of hauling cargo across the US. Finally, South Africa is getting set to jump on the high speed rail "train" as it announced it is working on a new rail network that will cut transit times in twain, improve economic development, and modernize the country.
Yep, there's a world map in Final Fantasy Versus XIII
With Final Fantasy XIII finally done and in stores, Square Enix fans are now scouring the internet for the next big project in the Final Fantasy series: The still-PS3-exclusive Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Character designer and director Tetsuya Nomura was interviewed on Twitter, an appropriate venue that forces brevity and a general lack of detail. According to Nomura (as translated by Andriasang), "not everything is connected together" in Versus, "so the various areas have different levels of progress." He did manage to reveal at least two facts about the upcoming game: "You can fly across the world map in an air ship." Adding both world maps and controllable air ships should help appease Final Fantasy fans disappointed by their absence in XIII. While Versus represents a spin-off for the franchise, it sounds like it may be closer to a traditional FF experience than its counterpart. For hardcore Square Enix fans, that news alone should be enough to restart the long wait to the next Final Fantasy game.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: photovoltaics, footballs, and Greener Gadgets
The Week in Green is a new item from our friends at Inhabitat, recapping the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us. This week at Inhabitat we saw several hot advances in solar technology that stand to shape how our buildings are built and how we power the electronics in our lives. CASE in point: this beautiful glass photovoltaic system can be affixed to windows and actually magnifies the available sunlight inside into tiny solar chips to create electricity. In other photovoltaic news, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania just unveiled the world's first solar-powered circuits. These tiny chips may one day be integrated directly within computer touch screens, essentially transforming them into multitasking solar panels. We're also excited to see that the finalists of the 2010 Greener Gadgets Design Competition have been announced. Two of our favorites right off the bat are these wind turbine streetlights that harvest energy from passing cars and Rocco, the kinetic energy-generating rocking horse. Check out all the entries and vote for your favorite! This week was a big week for efficient aviation as we learned of Portugal's plans to replace PVC airplane parts with lightweight cork and watched as Seymourpowell floated a fantastic plan for a fuel-cell powered luxury airship. Finally, the states may be getting charged for Super Bowl Sunday, but youth in Africa are kicking around a different kind of football -- one capable of generating energy in off-grid locations. We also saw a similar concept called the swirl ball that makes doing laundry a blast - fill it full of clothes and water and then kick it around until they're clean.
US looking to deploy long-endurance hybrid airship over Afghanistan
We may see more airship proposals than actual airships 'round these parts, but it looks like this massive dirigible from Lockheed Martin will indeed be taking flight sooner rather than later, and could see action in Afghanistan by mid-2011. Dubbed the LEMV (or Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle), the airship is apparently "optionally manned," and can stay aloft at 20,000 feet for up to 21 days at a time, while also carrying a payload of up to 2,500 pounds. That relatively fast deployment is aided in part by the fact that the airship is basically a larger version of Lockheed's P-791 (twice as big, in fact), which has already flown six times and, as you can see in the video after the break, is pretty massive in its own right.[Via The Register]
Blizzard gives preview of the Isle of Conquest battleground
Blizzard community manager Nethaera has announced some more details of the new battleground coming to World of Warcraft with Patch 3.2, Call of the Crusade.The "Isle of Conquest" will be a new place for Horde and Alliance to face off in forty-vs.-forty PvP across different locations offering their own unique challenges and rewards. Blizzard has put together a preview site for the Isle of Conquest explaining about the battleground and its objectives and resources that the Horde and Alliance will struggle over. Each location will have a certain advantage, ranging from Glaive Throwers and Catapults to an airship that allows players to parachute into the enemy keep. Have a look at the Isle of Conquest preview site for more on what to expect from Call of the Crusade's battleground. One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!
Camera drones without mirrors or lenses to monitor future battlefields, you
As the military industrial complex surges forward, so do advances in technology for the public sector. At least that's how the cold-war wisdom goes. Case in point: QinetiQ is developing a lens-less, mirror-less, battlefield imaging system with some help from your DARPA's deep pockets. The LACOSTE project (Large Area Coverage Optical Search while Track and Engage) aims to set aloft high-altitude (about 20km) drones and air-ships fitted with a special, thousand-strong microscopic sensor array (a "first of their kind," according to QinetiQ), a "mask," and image processor to decode the scene and extract an image of the quickly changing conditions on the battlefield or, you guessed it, city streets. The resulting lightweight and highly-durable system should feature a "super resolution" mode with the ability to "detect and simultaneously track large numbers of moving vehicles in dense urban areas with a high degree of accuracy, 24-hours a day." And here you thought CCTV was intrusive. [Via BBC]
Boeing's Skyhook JHL-40 blimp gives us hope for yesterday's future
We love dirigibles and we're not about to apologize for it, so that's why Boeing's new Skyhook JHL-40 airship has us ooh'ing and aah'ing in wonder. The eight-engine blimp is being developed for 40-ton 200-mile hauls in adverse environments such as wildernesses and what Boeing calls places "no other kind of transport can go." It is also slated to have a minimal impact on the environment with a carbon-minimal footprint as it won't require new roadways in remote areas. Of the eight engines, four provide lift while the other four control direction. Two production prototypes are under development at its Rotorcraft Systems facility in Ridley Park, PA. Can we sign up for a test flight? Maybe? Just a little?[Via Coolest Gadgets]
Swiss researchers developing muscular swimming blimp
It's not everyday we see innovations in blimp technology, but a team of researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research are keeping the helium-filled dream alive, developing a blimp that effectively swims through the air like a fish. According to New Scientist, that's done with the aid of some artificial "muscles" that expand and contract when given a jolt of electricity, allowing the vehicle to wiggle its way through the air, cutting down on the noise in the process. While it can currently only stay aloft for 20 minutes at a time, the team thinks the technology could eventually see a wide range of uses, including sending airships far up into the stratosphere, possibly as platforms for wireless communication. From the looks of it, however, it seems like we could be seeing the blimp in toy form well before that happens -- at least we hope so.
Air Genie LED-video airship patented
You wanna talk about LEDs? Let's talk about LEDs: how about 60 million of them covering the entirety of a massive spherical airship, capable of floating overhead and distracting onlookers with a new kind of multimedia advertising, á la Blade Runner (or, if you prefer, Futurama). Apparently the Air Genie would call for a solid $36 million in LEDs alone, which would burn a kilowatt of power as the globe floats through the air containing nearly 800,000 cubic feet of helium inside its 41,000 square foot facade. What a bold new world; bigger, better rendering after the break.[Via Wired]
Geostationary banana blimp to hover over Texas?
We've always heard that everything's larger in Texas, and since it's home to one of the largest PC / accessory vendors on the planet, will soon have the world's largest domed stadium, and calls the "Godzillatron" its own, we're starting to believe it. Cesar Saez feels the larger than life love too, as the artist is crafting a "helium-inflated 300-meter banana" to hover above the Lonestar state for a month, and while we'd just love (ahem) for it to pack a bevy of voyeuristic camera gear, this fruit is strictly for gazing at. The Geostationary Banana Over Texas project seeks to lift the dirigible above Texas for no other reason than to express his apparent appreciation for the uniquities in life, as Mr. Saez himself simply stated that "Texas is as symbolic as the banana," leaving us all to wonder what exactly that means. Nevertheless, the project is slated to cost around $1 million when it's all said and done, and while we're not precisely sure when the giant yellow balloon will lift off, we doubt it'll be hard to miss.[Via TechDigest]
Lockheed Martin to build High Altitude Airship for homeland security
Although it's not exactly shocking to hear of yet another homeland security application that seems to border on Big Brother, Lockheed Martin's High Altitude Airship could keep an elevated eye on 600 miles of US countryside at any given time, and if all goes as planned, we'll have 11 of these things floating over our everyday activities by the end of the decade. The HAA prototype is a ginormous airship that measures 17-times larger than the Goodyear rendition we're all used to seeing above sporting events, and is designed to hover 12 miles above the earth in order to keep tabs on what's happening below. The airship is slated to be solar-powered and should stay in a geocentric orbit for "up to a year," and if equipped with high-resolution cameras, a single one could cover everything "between Toledo, Ohio and New York City." While Lockheed Martin is thrilled with the $40 million project they've been awarded, it's certainly understandable to get a little worried about how these blimps will actually be used, but a company spokesperson suggested then an entire fleet could actually be used for "border surveillance" -- and hey, we need a little help down there anyway, right?[Via Fark]
