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Brits launch paper plane into space, show depth of their national debt
It used to be that British engineering enthusiasts would send entire cars up into space, but not in today's age of austerity. No sir, all you're getting this time is a paper plane. A trio of amateur space junkies has successfully lifted and released a paper glider from a height of 90,000 feet, earning itself the glory of being the first to ever conceive of and execute the feat. It took them a year to perfect the vessel, named the Vulture 1, and they used a helium balloon to get it to the requisite height before achieving a relatively bump-free landing 23 miles from the launch site. The whole thing has produced some pretty nice imagery, which you may check out at the source link below, and some inevitable gloating from the Reg crew, who were behind the whole thing and can also be found in the More Coverage section.
VC Friday: Majora's Mask, DSiWare available in Europe right now
This is probably the best day for downloads on Nintendo consoles in years. If you got a DSi today, you've probably already begun perusing the new DSi Shop and downloading some DSiWare, including the two Art Style games available! But even if you didn't get a DSi, you'll probably be happy with the downloadable selection this week. Well, that is, if you didn't get a DSi and you have a Wii. If you've got neither, this might just irritate you.The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask has arrived! And we don't even have to make any disclaimers about making sure you have space to download it.The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask -- N64-- 1,000 PointsArt Style: AQUITE -- DSiWare -- 500 PointsArt Style: CODE -- DSiWare -- 500 PointsBirds & Beans -- DSiWare -- 200 PointsDSi Browser -- DSiWare -- free!Paper Plane -- DSiWare -- 200 PointsWarioWare Snapped! -- DSiWare -- 500 Points
Nintendo reveals early DSi Shop titles
With the release of the Nintendo DSi mere days away, we imagine many folks have chewed their fingernails right to the bone. Here at the office, we're mostly concerned with the DSi Shop and how we're going to spend those free 1,000 Points. Thanks to Eurogamer, we know of at least three new games that will be available in Europe and (hopefully) North America, adding to the games we already know about.The first title is from the Art Style series of games, called Art Style: Code. The game released in Japan under Art Style: DECODE and is a puzzle game that tasks players with correctly organizing a series of numbers. Next is Pyoro (Bird and Bean), a game where you catch fruit falling from a tree with Pyoro's long tongue. The other new game is Paper Plane, where players must successfully guide a paper airplane through a series of mazes. Sadly, a price or US release date has not been mentioned for any of these titles, but the fact that they're leaving Japan is a very good sign for the future of DSiWare in the US.%Gallery-39571%
Australia's DSiWare launch lineup
The Nintendo DSi has officially launched in Australia, and with it, the DSiWare service! Six downloads are already available, including, of course, the free web browser. This may be a hint as to upcoming content in other regions' DSi Shops, but it's definitely a hint that awesome times have started for Australian DSi owners. We wish we could be playing WarioWare:Snapped! right now! We've linked to Nintendo of Japan's site for each game so you can see screens and video. DSi Browser (free) Pyoro (200 Nintendo Points) Paper Plane (200 Nintendo Points) WarioWare: Snapped! (500 Nintendo Points) Art Style: Aquite (500 Nintendo Points) Art Style: D-Code (500 Nintendo Points) Not invited to GDC 2009? Don't worry -- we've got you covered on your DSi needs. Check out our unboxing of a Japanese system for a hands-on rundown of features, and have a look at the awesome DSiWare downloads that have come to Japan. Then torture yourself with the limited-edition FFCC: Echoes of Time DSi that probably won't make it here!
Cutest cases EVAR
Australia-based Paper Plane Products is selling the cutest DS Lite pouches we've ever seen, their flaps fashioned after fattened cats and bunnies. Just look at those button eyes! And that pink nose! In addition to the cute mug, each case has a convenient handle, three cart pockets, and a button snap to keep everything secure. You can check out more photos past the break.You'll pay a premium for this handmade look -- $49.99 per case. Shipping from Australia will also eat into your wallet, but the online shop has a lot of other adorable accessories that you can load your order with, like Lamb Lamb skins and card holders. You can buy kitten stickers to match your pouch cat!
"Researchers" hope to launch paper airplanes from space
There's certainly plenty more than just hard science going on in space, and it now looks like a group of researchers from the University of Tokyo are aiming to get in on that action as well. To that end, they've teamed up with the brains behind the Japan Origami Airplane Association to develop an origami aircraft that'll supposedly be capable of surviving the flight from the International Space Station to the Earth's surface. They even seem to have made some progress already, with them set to test an eight centimeter long prototype in the wind tunnel at the University of Tokyo later this week, where it'll face wind speeds up to 5,300 miles per hour. Of course, it'll face a few more obstacles than that in space, although the researchers assure us the plane has been "treated to withstand intense heat."[Via Tech Digest]
