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Facebook allowed to triple size of its HQ, pays $10 million for the privilege
Swollen with cash following its IPO, Facebook is looking to expand its headquarters in Menlo Park. Its plan to triple its workforce there from 2,200 to 6,600 people was approved by local officials last night, removing the previous cap that allowed a maximum of 3,600 messy, resource-consuming humans. In lieu of the added burden on the city, Facebook will have to contribute $850,000 per year for ten years, plus a one-time payment of $1,000,000. The start of a surge towards greater products and profits, or the beginning of a complacent corporate decline? We'll let the stock market decide.
Douglas Coupland's V-Pole unifies wireless connectivity and EV charging in an LED streetlight
It's still very much a concept, and not something being described as a business venture, but author / designer Douglas Coupland is hoping that his new "V-Pole" design will serve as something of a model for cities looking to build out their technology infrastructure. As you can see, it's a rather nondescript (albeit brightly-colored) pole on the outside, but Coupland sees the inside being packed with an array of the latest technology, including Alcatel-Lucent lightRadios for wireless connectivity (both WiFi and cellular), an LED street light on top, and connections to nearby wireless charging stations for electric vehicles. As for the "V" in the name, that stands for Coupland's home city of Vancouver, which he sees as a natural fit for the pole -- something the city's mayor apparently agrees with.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Five things to love about Lion's Arch
Lion's Arch, the quintessential Tyrian player hub, has undergone quite the extensive renovation for Guild Wars 2. As a special treat for the last beta weekend, the city was made explorable to players for the first time -- and what a treat it was! After the Rise of Orr and the accompanying land shift, Lion's Arch as we knew and loved it in the original Guild Wars was flooded. It has been raised anew, very near the first city, and stands as a monument to piracy, desperation, and inter-species cooperation (not, perhaps, in that order). So what makes Lion's Arch awesome? It's one of six huge cities that are the thriving populatiion centers of Tyria as we find it in Guild Wars 2, and since it doesn't have one single race to lend it culture and purpose, you can bet it had better be pretty special.
Apple makes a tax deal for Prineville, Oregon data center land
We've heard before that Apple plans to build a data center on land it previously purchased in Oregon, but now the Associated Press reports on part of the cost. The company has reportedly agreed to pay US$150,000 per year to local governments, and has signed off on at least 35 jobs. Those jobs will be paid at a rate that's at least 150% of the average wage in the Oregon county. Finally, according to the AP, Apple will have to invest at least $250 million into the data center building itself. In return for all of that, Apple will be exempt on property tax payments for the next 15 years. Whether that will be worth it or not depends on exactly how much they build there, but odds are Apple's accountants aren't that worried. The company already paid $5.6 million for the land earlier this year, and it's setting up plans to both build up the infrastructure of the local power company to keep the data center running, as well as a green energy site there on the spot. Oregon is apparently a popular place for data centers like this. Google, Amazon, and Facebook all have similar sites in the surrounding area. [via MacRumors]
GDC 2012: The Repopulation demonstrates world-building elements
GDC literally has a little of everything, from indie developers to major studios, from free-to-play games to shooters to arena battles to retro to family... there really is something for everyone. As a massive fan of sandboxes myself, I was pleased to get to spend so much time with Above and Beyond Technologies' lead dev and co-owner Josh Halls and artist Kevin Grove as they demonstrated some of the features in their upcoming title, The Repopulation. (And I would have even spent longer if I could have!) While I had a monopoly on the team's attention, I had the chance to see some of the customization available to characters, both in appearance and gear, as well as get the lowdown on the world building element. We actually walked through the building of a nation, a feature that will make many a sandbox fan giddy! Although Josh was quick to point out that only a few items were available at this point in development, there was certainly enough to get a feel for the system. And I am looking forward to it!
Apple Store may be coming to Masonville Mall in London, Ontario
Attention, Masonville Mall in London, Ontario: You may be getting an Apple Store next year. A local radio station reports that the Eddie Bauer store in that location is closing soon due to bankruptcy, and city records say that the relevant authorities are checking out a $3 million project for that location that includes (what else?) an Apple logo. The space does sound about right: Busy, relatively upscale mall, lots of floor space, and a big storefront right next to a Gap store. Of course, none of this is confirmed just yet, but remember that Apple moves fast: Even if the plans get approved in the next month or so, the store could be open as soon as next fall. Apple's been making a big push to open up some stores overseas and in big places like New York's Grand Central Terminal, but it sounds like the company is still working to open new stores in smaller towns as well.
Daily iPad App: Grand Theft Auto 3
I'm not quite willing to call Grand Theft Auto 3 old school -- I spent so much time on the original top-down versions of the series that those are still more retro to me than the fully 3D graphics and living, open-world city that GTA3 made famous on the consoles (a tradition that continues right up into Saints Row: The Third, which I recently played on my Xbox, and next year's Grand Theft Auto 5). But it's been ten years since we first saw the streets of Liberty City from the ground up, and Rockstar Games has now brought this classic to iOS as a universal version. And especially on my iPad 2, I'm willing to call it the best console port I've ever seen. The graphics look and run terrific, and the virtual controls, while still a little creaky, actually work really great despite all of the various things you can do. Newcomers to this one used to modern console games will probably notice all of the polygons, but as a reproduction of the original game, it really does look and play very well. And though it's only been ten years, it's really awesome to drive around the streets of Liberty City once again, and listen in to Lazlo's Chatterbox and all of the other great radio stations, checking out all of the open world city conventions (from grabbing any car to escaping the cops) that originated right here. If you've never played this game, you might find it a little aged. The missions are a little unclear compared to today's more simplistic fare, and there's no line to follow on your minimap: All you get is a little dot to go after. But for those of us who really enjoyed the heck out of this one all those years ago, this is great to see, and it's clear that Rockstar has brought it over to this platform with great care. This is an excellent version of this great game, and playing it on my iPad 2 took my right back to those days in my parent's basement when my friends and I would just drive around trying to get four stars and try to escape the cops. One note of warning: The game says it's built for all current iOS devices, including the iPad 1, but a lot of the iTunes reviews say it doesn't run great on those older machines. If you have an iPad 2 or an iPhone 4S, however, it should run quite well. I had one audio glitch while playing, but it definitely wasn't gamebreaking. Grand Theft Auto 3's anniversary iOS edition is available for $4.99 right now.
LOCO: Evolution goes live, brings new city and features
Last month, we learned that Alaplaya's free-to-play MOBA, Land of Chaos Online would be rebranding itself with its upcoming LOCO: Evolution content update. The wait is now over, however, as LOCO: Evolution is live, and so are the multitude of features that come with it. Players can now explore the new city hub of Arhonnas, accept and complete quests, track achievements, and much more. For the full details, head on over to the game's official site.
Toyota to unveil Prius C, hydrogen and electric hybrid concepts at 2012 Tokyo Motor Show
If there's one absolute truth to cars, it's this: next year's models will generally make you regret the one you just bought. Over at the Tokyo Motor Show, this standard will probably hold true, with Toyota set to launch a smaller-than-current-Prius in the form of the Prius C, or "Aqua". The C, which takes some interesting technological steps forward, packs a hybrid drivetrain, coupling an as-yet undisclosed "high-output" electric motor with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine. According to Toyota, this combination will yield over 50 miles per gallon in the city, the highest city fuel economy for any non-plug-in vehicle. Getting into more experimental territory, Toyota is also expected to unveil the FCV-R concept, this model previewing a hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle with room for four passengers and luggage space currently being targeted for a 2015 market launch. This, along with the FT-EV III (which will preview an upcoming electric version of the company's iQ model with a short-range battery-powered drivetrain) round out Toyota's morsels for the new model year. Stay tuned for additional pricing and release dates as they become available, and head down past the break to see what to expect from the new Prius. %Gallery-139441%
Pix or it didn't happen: Calling for your SWG house screenies!
In exactly one month, the Star Wars Galaxies servers will be shut down forever, but that doesn't mean your creations have to be sunsetted along with them. MJ Guthrie, the co-author of our biweekly sandbox column, Some Assembly Required, is hoping to immortalize the niftiest player-decorated SWG houses, but she needs your help to do it. If you'd like to pitch in and make sure that SWG's amazing housing mechanics aren't lost to time, just email screenshots of your favorite homes and player-run cities to MJ (mj@massively.com). If you haven't got screenies, a waypoint or coordinates (and the planet and server name) will work just as well, assuming you've unlocked the building(s) for visitors. She's also open to taking a personal tour! The December 9th edition of the column will feature the highlights along with a gallery of all the submissions. As MJ herself posted: "Don't miss out on being a part of this housing extravaganza! Something so great deserves to be savored for a long, long time to come."
One Millionth Tower documentary elevates the art of HTML5
Impressive demos of HTML5-based wizardry may be more common than ever now, but that doesn't mean there isn't still room to be impressed. One of latest to raise the bar is the One Millionth Tower documentary from the National Film Board of Canada's Highrise project. The main feature itself runs just over six minutes if you choose to simply sit back and watch, but things get quite a bit more interesting if you dive in and explore the highrise neighborhood that's the focus of the documentary, which is realized in WebGL-based 3D environment. Naturally, there's also a behind-the-scenes look at how the documentary was made, and the NFB has even made the source code available for those that want to dig deeper. Head on past the break for the trailer, and hit the source link below to check out the full thing for yourself -- we'd recommend switching your browser to full screen mode for the best experience. [Thanks, Kat]
The Daily Grind: What's the most iconic MMO city?
If you've ever tried to draw a map of the Earth from memory, you know that it's a difficult task, and yet I suspect that most of us could easily sketch out a map of the landmasses and cities of our favorite MMOs. While most MMOs scale significantly smaller than our real-world capitals, they're no less memorable. In fact, some cities practically serve as symbols of the game, from City of Heroes' Paragon City to Guild Wars' Lion's Arch to World of Warcraft's Stormwind. Be they hubs of commerce, zones for party-forming, or home to all your phat loots, we could probably navigate them blindfolded. Today we ask: What's the most iconic MMO city (and could you map it from memory)? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Choose My Adventure: On to Eorzea
And it's a landslide victory for Final Fantasy XIV! After about a day of neck-and-neck competition with Earthrise, FFXIV pulled ahead for a devastating victory, surely due in no small part to the efforts of the Final Fantasy XIV community, which rallied on the forums to see the game to victory. So well done, FFXIV fans. Hopefully I'll be able to do your game justice. I would like to take a moment to highlight the disconcerting number of people in the comments who voted for Final Fantasy XIV in hopes of causing me some kind of lasting mental harm (I'm looking at you, Bree). Well, you played right into my hand! After hearing Eliot's emphatic reassurances that the game has improved by leaps and bounds, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the game again. But now, I get to do it for money! Eat that, suckers! Ahem. Now that that's out of the way, head on past the cut for the moment you've all been waiting for: the opportunity to choose what character I play!
Ten things to do in Star Wars Galaxies before it's gone
When SOE announced that Star Wars Galaxies would be sunsetted by the end of the year, many players despaired. They gave up. They saw their long years (eight years!) of play turn to dust. But others looked on the impending closure as incentive to do all those things they'd been putting off, all the activities they just hadn't gotten around to. There hadn't been time. The game is too big for anyone to do it all. And that's precisely why Star Wars Galaxies is a legend among sandbox fans despite the NGE disaster. It's a living museum of great MMO ideas from the past, of player-driven economies, of open-world housing, of high-end, game-supported roleplay, of roaming in a game that lets you dictate the terms of your play. It's a rare relic you should see in the flesh, today, right now, before it's gone. You can pick up a weapon and fight in any MMO (excepting A Tale in the Desert, that is), but there are so many things you can do in Star Wars Galaxies that you can't do anywhere else with the same level of immersion. And I'm going to tell you which 10 you should do first... before it's too late.
Chevy Volts invade NYC police fleet, give cops all new ways to taze bros
New York's boys in blue will soon be able to creep up on evildoers with even more subtlety, thanks to some new electrified vehicles the city unveiled yesterday. As part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's environmentally-friendly PlaNYC initiative, 70 new EVs have been added to the city's fleet of public cars, in the hopes of lowering emissions and creating a "greener, greater New York City." Joining the force are ten Ford Transit Connect cargo vans, ten Navi-star E-star trucks and a full 50 Chevy Volts -- some of which will be used as NYPD squad cars. These newcomers will be shared among nine different departments, joining 360 other city plug-ins already purring their way across the five boroughs. Bloomberg is also working toward adding EVs to New York's army of 13,000 taxis -- which we're totally cool with, as long as they're not minivans. Zip past the break for a rather Homeric press release.
New York City marks April 16th as Foursquare Day, Mayor feeling good about his chances
16 is the product of squaring four, so naturally the date of April 16th is the most logical one to be called Foursquare Day. Just why such a celebration should exist is less obvious. As it turns out, a grassroots movement of Foursquare users built up steam around the idea of dedicating a day to the online check-in service, that concept then filtered through to Foursquare's founders who decided to go "100% in on this," and now, somewhat surprisingly, so has New York City Mayor (the elected one) Mike Bloomberg. As Mike sees it, Foursquare represents a fine example of NYC's startup-friendly environment, which is why he's giving it and its heretofore informal Foursquare Day celebration the official NYC seal of approval. He even went so far as to deliver a Mayoral Proclamation to the Foursquare offices, which you can see for yourself after the break.
Think City's EVs get priced... sort of
Apparently a $34,000 price tag isn't exclusive enough for you to nab one of the first 100 Think City electric vehicles -- fancy that! The aforementioned sticker is meant only for normal retail versions of the green-machine, a version that just so happens to not truly exist in any meaningful form. To be one of those lucky 100 bringing home the first available Think City vehicles, you'll have to cough up a decidedly heftier chunk of change -- $41,695 to be exact. In addition to these inaugural models, Think City is adding another set of prices for lucky folks living in Indiana (the first state to acquire these cars), where the normal production electric eco-transports are apparently selling for just $30,050. 'Course, all this scrutiny over MSRPs is apt to be for naught when gas creeps up to six bucks a gallon, but hey, that would never happen in our lifetime. Right?
Microsoft unites with former exec in building a 'smart city' in Portugal
If you want better cities, goes the theory herein, you'll have to start at their very foundations. Steve Lewis, ex-Microsoftie and current CEO of Living PlanIT, has a vision for how to make our cities smarter and more sustainable, and it starts literally at ground level, with the installation of smart sensors into buildings as they're being built. The appeal of his company's ideas has already attracted some tech luminaries as partners, Cisco being among them, and now Microsoft has also been signed up -- to provide the cloud framework required to keep all those sensors talking with its Azure platform. Paredes, a Portuguese municipality, will play host to one of the first such projects, eventually providing homes for nearly a quarter of a million people and costing a staggering €10 billion ($14.1b) to complete. To understand the synergistic benefits of having your life monitored by an omniscient Urban Operating System sentinel, skip past the break for a press release and explanatory video.
Researchers claim discovery of lost city of Atlantis, conveniently located in southern Spain
We had to do a double take when we read this headline from Reuters, but sure enough, it's not April1st yet and its writers don't seem to be joking: the location of the lost city of Atlantis has finally been discovered. Such is the bold claim from an international team of researchers, dreamers and intrepid adventurers. With the use of ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography, they've unearthed evidence to suggest that a spot on the southern coast of Spain, just north of Cadiz, played host to what may have been human society's first metropolis. One of the reasons why it's taken archaeologists so long to pinpoint its whereabouts may be the fact that it lies 60 miles inland, where you wouldn't really expect it to be susceptible to the effects of tidal waves (which is what Plato's account of the ancient city identified as its demise). A National Geographic documentary on the subject will be broadcast this evening where we may learn more about what was discovered, the methods for doing so, and the gorgeous tans those scientists built up in sunny Spain.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar pyramids in UAE, Tequila turns to biofuel, and green lamps galore
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. Alternative energy projects powered up around the globe this week as Inhabitat showcased a series of solar pyramids designed to energize Abu Dhabi and the Netherlands rolled out plans for a bike path paved with photovoltaics. Meanwhile India announced that it will launch a series of solar-powered cellphone towers this year, and a 19-year-old American teenager created a parabolic solar death ray -- and promptly proceeded to burn down his garden shed. In other news, Tesla jolted the auto world with plans to launch its upcoming Model X in 2013, and a team of researchers from the University of Illinois discovered that the same plant that produces Tequila actually yields a pretty potent biofuel as well. We also learned that Toyota plans to power its upcoming hybrids with lighter, more powerful Lithium-Ion batteries, and we were impressed by the streamlined classic stylings of Mitsuoka's electric Himiko car. Finally, this week we washed away the winter blues by shedding light on 15 green lamps that bathe your interiors in energy-efficient illumination. We also shared 6 green lighting tips that will help you cut your energy bills and 5 tips for home renovations that will keep your house cozy in the worst winter weather.
