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Inhabitat's Week in Green: flexible OLEDs, wind-energy skyscrapers and 3D-printing spider robots
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. Exciting energy projects lit up the newswires this week as Inhabitat reported that Desertec will begin building the world's largest solar project in the Sahara Desert next year. We also saw a West Virginia wind farm use batteries to improve its performance, and we showcased the brand new Eco Whisper wind turbine, which is quieter and more efficient than three-bladed models. Meanwhile, Apple announced plans to build a major solar-powered iCloud data center in North Carolina, architects unveiled plans for a towering wind-energy generating skyscraper in Taiwan, and we shared ten tips for cutting down your electricity bill this winter. In other news, green transportation took off for the skies as the world's first manned electric multicopter launched its first flight. We also brought you six sexy electric cars that will be hitting the streets in 2012, plus one awesome compact camper that is a miniature house on wheels. Across the pond, Foster + Partners unveiled a massive Thames Hub plan to update Britain's energy and transportation infrastructure, and IKEA just announced plans to build a massive 26-acre suburb in East London. Researchers also brought to light several stunning new forms of energy-efficient illumination as they unveiled the world's most efficient flexible OLED, Samsung announced plans to launch a bendable OLED cell phone in 2012, and we showcased a luminous netted vest for nighttime cyclists. We also spotted several fresh life-saving gadgets -- a spindly 3D printed spider robot that can analyze hazardous sites, and a series of designer gas masks that question our psychological reliance on luxury labels. Finally, you won't want to miss the awesome tot-sized Dalek costume that is currently tearing up our Green Halloween Costume Contest for kids, and this rock-solid carbonite Han Solo costume from our Halloween contest for adults.
No comment: Steve Jobs in Carbonite
Did you ever wonder what happens when the reality distortion field meets Star Wars? You get these cool/cheesy/ready-for-cease-and-desist Steve Jobs in Carbonite iPhone skins and cases from Society6. Until the Apple lawyers get ahold of this and breathily note "I am altering our agreement. Pray I don't alter it further," you can order an iPhone skin for just US$15, a stretched canvas art print (which is apparently free if you believe the pricing on the site), or a full iPhone case for $35. Act now and get one of these collectibles before the lawyers strike back! And remember, when you tell Steve that you love him, he's only going to reply "I know."
The Perfect Ten: Predictions for The Old Republic
I'm going to share with you a deep secret about the Massively staff: Pretty much all of us hate Larry. Oh, as a person he's likable enough, and he showers regularly, so no complaints there. He even saved the President's dog once and earned the Merit of Patriotic Pooches. Women swoon at his feet, and men occasionally throw their billfolds at him just so that he can afford to live the luxurious lifestyle that he obviously deserves. No, we hate him for a different reason entirely. You see, Larry gets the privilege and honor of being the Star Wars: The Old Republic reporter in these here parts, which has earned him no end of envy from the rest of us. Whenever we're all talking about TOR, Shawn will come in the room and tell all of us to cut it out -- except Larry. "Larry, it's your job to talk about The Old Republic. Keep on truckin', pal! You're the best!" And then Larry sticks his tongue out at us and makes pretend lightsaber noises for an hour or so while we grit our teeth. But then I remembered: I have a top ten column! In which I can talk about anything! And if that subject so happened to be TOR, then for one glorious week I could actually talk about BioWare's upcoming MMO without fear of reprisal from upper management! So today is all about my predictions for The Old Republic. Nine of them will come true; one will not. Have fun guessing which one!
GDC 2011: BioWare's Damion Schubert on designing for loners
Nothing stirs up a good MMO debate like the age-old question of whether or not the genre should cater to solo players. BioWare's Damion Schubert, lead systems designer on the upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic, recently added a bit of fuel to that particular fire during a presentation at last week's GDC in San Francisco. Schubert's talk focused on loners in the massively multiplayer space, and while it's no surprise to anyone that TOR is being built with the solo player in mind, it may come as a bit of a revelation that BioWare isn't aiming to "dumb down" the MMORPG as some fans have suggested. On the contrary, Schubert states that MMOs feature "hardcore stuff. This is hardcore gameplay, and we have to figure out how to get the solo player in a position where they want to take part in this, where they feel comfortable with the social circles, where they feel like they can be contributors."
Earthrise teases new beta screenshot, reminds players of SWG
"Well, short help's better than no help at all Chewie," said everyone's favorite sci-fi smuggler as an Ewok hugged his leg prior to the climactic ground battle in 1983's Return of the Jedi. Similarly, scattered tidbits of Earthrise information are better than no Earthrise information, and so we present to you the latest beta screenshot from Masthead Studio's forthcoming sandbox MMORPG. While we'd prefer beta invites for everyone and a release date, this random screenshot will simply have to do for now. As you can see, it features a player character checking out some sort of power gizmo thing-a-ma-doodle. Upon closer inspection, you'll also note that although they blacked out the player names in the chat box, they didn't black out the discussion which reads, in part, "this reminds me so much of SWG." Check out the shot above or in our Earthrise gallery below. %Gallery-48760%
SWTOR announces Han Solo's future home as a playable planet
Corellia, the primary planet of the Five Brothers in the Corellian system, has just been announced as the next planet for you to explore in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Who doesn't know Han Solo? This famous smuggler will be born on this pivotal planet in some 3,500 years after the in events in SWTOR, but that does not stop this luscious world from being an important spot in The Old Republic. Corellia is an apex of trade, so its political influence is vast and powerful. Although the citizens adore their independence, the planetary loyalty has never been in question. So, when Corellia's communications were suddenly cut off from the rest of the Republic, the whole galaxy was in shock. The few holo-vids which have been extracted from the planet show extensive terrorist acts and destruction across the planet. We can only assume this is an attack from the Sith Empire. Wasn't the Treaty supposed to protect this planet from such issues? Stay tuned here at Massively for more updates on this senseless violence.%Gallery-101920%
Hyperspace Beacon: Blaster at my side
Hey, kids, the name's Han Solo. I've been asked to step in here because I know a thing or two about smuggling. I know many of you are lookin' to jump into this line of work, and I'm going to tell you right now: it ain't gonna be easy. You gotta live by your guts, kids. You hav'ta be smooth, and you can't let crazy green Rodians get under your skin. In fact, if a Rodian does come lookin' for you, I suggest you shoot him first. It'll save you some trouble in the long run, but don't forget to pay for the mess. Maybe I should start with some of the greatest smugglers out there. That should help detour you from the insanity of this profession. Although none of 'em is as good as I am, Lando Calrissian, Dash Rendar, and even an old smuggler named Hylo Visz made their marks on history. Their lives were wrought with risky maneuvers, near-misses, and some damned good luck. So I guess if you think you've got what it takes, keep reading -- I'll meet you after the break. [Thank you to Lois van Baarle for letting us use her artwork for the main banner. You can see more of her work at Loish.net.]
The Game Archaeologist and the Star of the Galaxies: My expedition
After cracking open the history textbooks on one of the most famous (and infamous) MMOs of the past decade and talking to two groups of crack veterans, it was finally time for the Game Archaeologist to strap on his lightwhip, kick over the nearest Astromech droid, and dive headfirst into Star Wars Galaxies. Although I've been interested in Star Wars Galaxies since 2003, its apparent complexity scared me off back in the beginning (when I made the choice to scoot over to the equally complex Anarchy Online during that time). Later on, I felt as if it was too late to jump on the SWG bandwagon, feeling as if the entire Galaxies playerbase was finishing up their Master's degrees and I'd be entering the equivalent of preschool. Fortunately, this article series gave me an excellent excuse to stop coming up with excuses and simply go for it -- and with the counsel of several friends and Massively writers who know the SWG ropes, I found my footing just fine. Click on the first picture of the gallery to join me on my journey to the stars -- and don't forget to read my impressions under each screenshot! %Gallery-95887%
E3 2010: Hands on with The Old Republic's smuggler class
What's the oldest profession? If you answered smuggling, then you're wrong, but you're totally on track for what we're going to cover in today's hands-on! At this year's E3, I had the pleasure of smuggling for fun and profit as I found my ship stolen out from underneath me in Star Wars: The Old Republic. I spent a decent amount of time learning about the game's world, the game's combat and quest system, and how cover works for the smuggler. I also got to witness a bit of multiplayer combat, to get a feel for how the game works in a party. Was it revolutionary? Was it solid? Was it a piece of junk that could do the Kessel Run in an odd measure of distance instead of time? Follow after the break for all of this and more!
The Game Archaeologist and the Star of the Galaxies: The players (part 1)
I think we can put to bed the rumor that Star Wars Galaxies is dead on its feet, considering the avalanche of emails sent my way asking to be interviewed. Last week's history retrospective sparked a desire in many players to share their experiences and personal epics, and it was not uncommon to read emails longer than this column from players excited to reminisce. There's a lot of love for SWG, both out among MMO players and here in the Massively office (we have at least three confirmed SWG addicts on the team). When I began this series, I thought that it would be dominated by NGE and nothing else, yet the responses I've read tend to focus on the positives of the title instead of that one ugly month. It might not have been the Star Wars experience everyone wanted, but if one looks hard enough, apparently there's something for everyone in SWG. Sam Schneider encapsulated many opinions perfectly with this: "Despite its problems, and what I believe people mostly remember it for (and I certainly do), the game did allow you do truly create your own Star Wars experience. You weren't Han Solo, you weren't Luke Skywalker, you weren't Leia -- you were YOU." Unfortunately, I could only interview a small fraction of the people who wrote in, so I randomly chose a handful of players to represent the (mostly) pre-NGE crowd for this week, and a handful of (mostly) post-NGE gamers for next week's column. This week we're talking with Adam "Vayde" Mostel, Jaume "Tsotha Lanti" Sabater, Kate "Syena Runningrider" and Paris "Iweos" Wright.
Steve Jobs introduces the Death Star
This is an idea so beautiful in its execution that you wonder why it hasn't been done before -- take Steve Jobs' rapturous introduction of the iPad, and put it over the footage from Star Wars of the Death Star briefing. It's a perfect geeky mashup -- I especially love Han Solo's indifference ("It's just a big iPod touch, Chewie"), and the random jeers from the audience. Also, Google Maps on the Death Star looks a little different than on my phone, but I guess that Pac Man stuff is cool. Brilliant little short. It's funny how Apple product announcements have become almost as culturally significant as the products themselves. Of course, that's exactly the way Apple wants it, but it doesn't stop us from skewering the presentations with mashups like this. [via Cult of Mac]
The Digital Continuum: SWTOR's 'inquistoring' Consular conundrum
The revealing of Star Wars: The Old Republic's final two classes has incited much discussion amongst the community and inside my own brain. On one hand, lots of people are happy to have more Sith and Jedi classes to choose from. However, on the other hand, some people are disappointed in the lack of creative and unexpected class options. In all reality, BioWare probably made the right choice, but let's look at the view of both sides for the sake of argument and to have a little fun.
E3 2009: Star Wars: The Old Republic demonstration
The trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic blew nerds around the world away, and has managed to build some of the greatest hype possible for an MMO in just a few short days. The question has been asked whether or not a trailer which contains absolutely no gameplay footage should be producing that sort of hype, but that trailer wasn't all that we saw of the upcoming MMORPG at E3. A panel dedicated to The Old Republic had much more to say.The panel opened up with the stage being set: The Old Republic begins 3,000 years before the rise of Darth Vader, 300 years after the events of Knights of the Old Republic, which would give BioWare an excellent opportunity to define and expand upon key events of Star Wars "pre-history."The entire presentation laid a significant emphasis on story and story elements. Right from the beginning, the developers lay out it: RPGs have four primary elements. Exploration, combat, progression, and story. The story element is the one most overlooked in MMOs, and The Old Republic intends to address that head on. They intend to embrace story right alongside the other RPG elements. It will be a major player, and not something just used to justify the other elements. %Gallery-35033%
Han Solo smuggles his way into Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
Dear Mr. Lucas,Despite certain ... differences we may have had in the past, we still remain amongst your loyal throng of followers. As such, we were hoping you could impart some of your potent wisdom unto us regarding the upcoming fedora-fitted Wii/DS/PS2/PSP title, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings. See, a recent video from StarWars.com shows us a fairly sizable, though incomprehensible Easter egg -- intergalactic smuggler extraordinaire Han Solo will be playable in the game.Yes, Mr. Lucas, it is neat -- but we need to know how it's possible. Don't feign ignorance. We know you don't let non-canonical events relating to your timeless empires slip into your licensed products. Seriously, give us something. The Millennium Falcon slipped into a time vortex? Mr. Solo is, in fact, an immortal Time-God? Harrison Ford is the Highlander? We know you know. Spill the beans, George. You owe us that much.Regards,Joystiq[Via VideoGamer]
Behind the scenes video peeks at Lego Universe
Here's something interesting. It's a LEGO Universe behind the scenes look video (mouthful!) in which we get to see some sneak peek stuff concerning the upcoming title that lets players build their own world, which is likely full of genitals. Oh, we also get to gawk at a really cool building full of more LEGO than half of America sees in a few years. We really aren't sure how anyone at NetDevil or LEGO gets anything done with all those blocks just begging to be put together. We'd be halfway done creating our LEGO-dition of Han Solo frozen in Carbonite after our first day or two.It didn't help our jaw-to-floor ratio when the video also informed that within LEGO Universe, we can expect to experience pirates, ninjas and robots in LEGO form. It's a nerd trifecta +1! We're not sure whether we want this MMO to succeed or fail. Success means the loss of our entire lives for an undisclosed amount of time and failure -- something we never really wish upon a developer -- means keeping our families, friends and jobs. You can check out the video for yourself below below the cut.
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron offers 16-player Infrastructure
There's a Star Wars Battlefront game coming out, and it's exclusive for PSP. Titled Renegade Squadron, this new action game will feature an a "never before told" story that takes players through new missions and new battles that spans the classic trilogy (Episodes IV to VI). Han Solo has been recruiting "battle-hardened rogues and scoundrels" to fight the tired-and-true evil Empire. This ragtag team will travel throughout the Star Wars universe. Some of the levels include: Ord Mantell, Boz Pity, Korriban, Sullust and Saleucami. There will also be new space battles at Kessel, Hoth, Bespin, and the remnants of Alderaan. Star Wars mainstays, like Endor and Hoth, will also be returning.Renegade Squadron promises to provide a greater customizable experience than its predecessors. Players will be able to choose their own weapons, equipments and abilities. A variety of vehicles will be available, including the Millennium Falcon, Darth Vader's TIE Advanced, Slave I, and the Jedi Starfighter. Capitol ships can be controlled as well.To top it all off, Renegade Squadron will also feature 16 player Infrastructure multiplayer, with leaderboards, stats tracking, and profile pages. With such robust online features, Renegade Squadron looks to easily outdo the PSP version of Battlefront II. The game is planned to release this fall. For more details and screenshots, visit the official Battlefront web site.
LEGO Star Wars II sells more than 1 million units in a week
Okay, the above headline may be a bit misleading. Yes, LEGO Star Wars II did sell more than one million units worldwide in its first week of release, but those numbers include the eight current-gen consoles the game was published for. Still, that's no number to ignore.The game, which was released Sept. 12, is now the best-selling family game of the year."There's definitely something for everyone in LEGO Star Wars II, and the sales and reviews so far are proving it," said Jim Ward, president of LucasArts. "This is the type of fun, accessible game everyone in the family can enjoy. It appeals to so much more than just the traditional gaming audience."Thankfully, LEGO Star Wars II, isn't a crappy licensed game that has sold on its name alone, like a few recent games I will not name. The game has averaged about an 84-percent rating on Gamerankings, which I'm happy to say is much higher than the DS' 60-percent rating.[Via FCS Publishing]
