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MIT harvests fog to make water in one of the driest places on Earth
The climate is so arid in some corners of the globe that virtually any source of water is crucial to survival; even the fog rolling over the hills could make a big difference. MIT is well aware of this, and has been testing an advanced form of fog harvesting in Chile's Atacama Desert (one of the driest places on the planet) to see how the technology can help communities in very harsh regions. By taking inspiration from fog-collecting organisms like beetles and grass, researchers built large meshes that are 500 percent more efficient at turning fog into drinkable water than previous systems. In the Atacama experiment, they're good enough to produce half a gallon of water a day for every 10 square feet of mesh. That's not a lot, but it's sufficient for watering gardens of edible plants like aloe vera.
Call of Duty: Ghosts Onslaught DLC allegedly dated for January 28
Call of Duty: Ghosts first dose of DLC, Onslaught, will be available to Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners on January 28, according to a photo Twitter user SeriousSix2010 claims to have taken at their local GameStop. The display notes that Onslaught will reach Xbox users first, which would align with Activision's E3 announcement regarding timed-exclusive DLC for the platforms. The poster suggests that Onslaught will consist of new maps known as "Fog," "Bayview," "Containment" and "Ignition," as well as a "Maverick AR & Sniper Rifle" and the first episode of a four-part, episodic offering in the game's Extinciton mode. The poster does not display a price, but considering Ghosts' season pass is $49.99 and the prices of packs for recent Call of Duty games, $15 wouldn't be surprising. We reached out to local GameStops and were told there is currently nothing in the system concerning Onslaught's release date.
Permanent anti-fog coating could mean end to steamy specs
Unless you're blind, or just plain out of the loop, you've probably noticed a proliferation of folks rocking spectacles as accessories of late, but for those of us who wear the things out of necessity, there's no taking 'em off when our lenses fog up. Lucky for us, a team of Canadian researchers have patented a new permanent anti-fog coating that they claim is the first of its kind. To make sure the stuff wouldn't wash away, the crew applied four successive layers of molecules to a transparent material (either glass or plastic) before overlaying it with polyvinyl alcohol, allowing water to spread uniformly and avoiding the steamy-windows effect. The result? A super durable, multilayer coating that won't rub off, regardless of the freakish conditions you and your face encounter. Its creators see endless applications for their invention, including windshields, visors, camera lenses, and, of course, eyewear. Now that that's out of the way, we suggest they concentrate their efforts on sweat-less nose pads.
Age of Conan's DX10 put to the test
It's been a long time coming, but Age of Conan's Testlive server is now running a version of the game that can output DirectX 10 graphics, a feature that many people missed at launch. The current implementation probably isn't indicative of what will end up on the Live servers, but if you just can't wait and want to see the work-in-progress, Age of Conan Vault has a number of DX9 to DX10 comparison screenshots on show right now. The test client as-is doesn't have some of the cooler features like volumetric fog or windy trees just yet, but these would be better seen in video form anyway.The most stand-out difference between the screenshot pairings that we can pick is the upped brightness and visibility in dark areas on the DX10 side. In some (but not all) of the shots, the textures look noticeably better too. The AoC Vault reviewer experienced a significant FPS drop, from roughly 50FPS down to 20FPS, when switching from DX9 to DX10, but this is apparently not that common among other testers -- most do get their share of graphical glitches and crashing though. Hopefully it's all ironed out when Funcom decides to push DX10 to the live servers at a later date.
FogSHIELD blasts burglars, amps up nightclubs
Alright, so ShatterGARD Inc. definitely doesn't intend for its FogSHIELD PB 240 (pictured after the break) to actually be used in nightclubs, but ejecting "enough fog to cover 2,000 square feet in less than 15 seconds" could definitely get the mood set real quick like. Marketed at homes and businesses who feel that they should add yet another layer of security to their pre-existing systems, the device is wired up to trip sensors that are already installed, and when triggered, can emit a non-toxic fog that purportedly "gives the intruder no option but to scurry for the door." Humorously, the company even points out that the smoke carries a "pleasant mint smell and dissipates completely within 45 minutes," which should ensure that any future crooks not only get a breath of fresh air when invading your premises, but that they return in just under an hour to give it another go. No details on pricing were readily available, but it was noted that the initial installation comes with enough fog to erupt on 15 occasions, but if you seriously end up needing to stop over a dozen invaders from breaching your property, we'd suggest a change in scenery.
