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A neural network can map large icebergs 10,000 times faster than humans
Researchers have developed a neural network that can accurately map large icebergs 10,000 times faster than humans. This could help scientists track how much meltwater is going into oceans and impacting the marine ecosystems.
An enormous iceberg is breaking away from the Antarctic
A vast slice of the Antarctic's Larsen C ice shelf is poised to break off in the next few months and form one of 10 biggest icebergs we've ever seen. If the iceberg does cleave, and it looks like it will, it'll be the result of a rift on the ice shelf that's been growing steadily over the past few decades. The rift suddenly grew by about 11 miles in December and is now 50 miles long with only 12.5 miles to go before it completely breaks away. The warmer water below and warmer air above the ice shelf could have contributed to the rift's sudden growth, but scientists have no direct proof at this point in time.
Earthrise goes on sale, looks ahead to expansion [Updated]
Big things are afoot in Earthrise, which is now going worldwide as publisher Iceberg Interactive has launched the English language version in all territories. To tempt players into giving it a try, Iceberg's digital launch will be offered at a hefty 40% discount, bringing the title to $29.99. Even bigger than that is the news of Earthrise's first free expansion: Territorial Warfare. This content update promises to double the size of the current game world and will let players take over territory, build bases, and fight against opposing forces. These bases can even provide players with resources to further expand their power. The price drop and expansion will apply to European boxed copies as well. The boxed versions also include a map and poster. Masthead Studios has been pursuing aggressive updates and fixes to the game as of late, and with the expansion there should be plenty of additional content for players to enjoy. [Updated: Changed the price to reflect US sales price.]
Earthrise going with single server worldwide
The team at Masthead Studios has provided a bit more information about Earthrise's recently announced February release date. While Monday's press release revealed that the sci-fi sandbox is coming to European retail in a few short weeks, it conspicuously left out any mention of an American launch or an American server. As it turns out, this is because Earthrise will feature a single shard for gamers all over the world according to a forum post sighted yesterday on the official boards. "There will be one global server for Earthrise when the game goes live in February. There is one server for all players, no matter where in the world they are located," says Kuliani, Masthead's community manager.
Earthrise announces European publishing deal, February release date
Bulgaria-based Masthead Studios has just announced a partnership with Iceberg Interactive to publish the sci-fi sandbox MMORPG Earthrise. The agreement covers the whole of Europe, and a press release on Iceberg's official website says that the game will be coming to European retail in February 2011. The release also hints at "exclusive extra content for boxed version buyers" as well as plans for localized versions to be announced at a later date. Earthrise is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi game set in the 21st century that features open PvP, a complex crafting system, skill-based advancement, and a player-driven economy.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: of mirror cubes and urban icebergs
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. With summer in full swing, this week Inhabitat watched the mercury rise as the world's largest thermostat burst forth with an array of 72,000 building-mounted LEDs. We also kept things cool with a remarkable plan to transform frozen construction sites into event-hosting urban icebergs. And if you haven't made plans for a summer vacation yet, might we recommend this stunning Swedish "Treehotel" housed within a silvery mirror cube in the sky? Heartening news rang forth from the renewable energy sector this week as a UN-backed study reported that the building of new renewable energy plants has officially overtaken fossil fuel plants in Europe and the US. We also took a look at two brand new types of power plants -- the world's first hydrogen-driven power plant in Italy and the first hybrid coal-solar power plant in Colorado. The past week also saw several remarkable advances in clean tech, starting with MIT's latest innovation, a new type of high-tech fiber that can transmit sound, light, and generate electricity. We also paid homage to one of our all-time favorite sources of (surprisingly green) home entertainment - the Roku Box.
ScrollMotion's Iceberg in-app bookstore announced for iPhone, ready to take on the Kindle?
Over at WWDC (you may have heard about that event, right?), Apple's just announced ScrollMotion's Iceberg in-app bookstore for the iPhone. It's going to host more than 500 bestsellers, 50 major magazines and about 170 daily papers, with a total of over a million books at launch. Sounds like Apple's ready to take on the big boys at Amazon (who, at this writing, has about 250,000 books in its Kindle store)! More details as we get them.
Wii Fit gameplay makes us sweat just watching it
Josh from WiiFolder.com took the time show us his large HDTV some Wii Fit games in action, and we have to say, the game looks promising.A few of the games definitely won't help you drop those love handles (at least we don't think so, but since we got A's in gym class so you can pretty much count that as an expert opinion). Nonetheless, they still look fun, and we're glad we won't have to go to the zoo anymore to get our "kicking Panda heads" fix.
