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Inhabitat's Week in Green: rocket fuel, recycled jeans, and the electric eel powered Christmas tree
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. Eco transportation took off this week as researchers in Sweden discovered a new molecule that could make rocket fuel 30 percent more efficient. We also caught up with Russia's plans to construct a new high-speed rail system for the 2018 World Cup, and we saw several major auto manufacturers give their vehicles green upgrades - Ford announced it will insulate its 2010 Focus with recycled jeans, and Chevrolet launched plans to transform 100,000 pounds of used oil booms into parts for the Volt. The past week also saw bright horizons dawn for renewable energy as the world's largest parabolic trough solar plant received a $1.5 billion DOE loan. The world of consumer tech was energized by the sun's rays as Toshiba unveiled a new solar-powered e-book reader and one designer developed a solar-powered desalination system that could keep shipwrecked survivors alive at sea. We also brought you artist Michael McKean's plan to shoot rainbows across the sky at will with his solar-powered rainbow generator. Speaking of spreading renewable cheer, this month Japan's Enoshima Aquarium unveiled the world's first Christmas tree powered by an electric eel. The FAA also got into the holiday spirit as they approved a next-gen Santa sleigh that delivers gifts 53% faster, and if you unwrapped a new video game system this year, you may be interested to know that the Nintendo Wii was recently crowned the most energy-efficient next-gen gaming console. Finally, if the wintry weather has you feeling down, just take a peek inside this supermassive airship hangar, transformed into a year-round tropical island getaway.
Sony uses colorful bus to lure kids into playing PSP
Were it not for the plethora of PSP games hidden inside, we'd be wary of letting our children into a bus as colorful and suspicious as this one. SCEE has kicked off its "Summer of PSP" campaign by touring the UK with this gaudy, NAMBLA-approved vehicle. Here's the schedule: 11th and 12 July – Chessington World of Adventures, Chessington, Surrey 24th to 26th July – Camp Bestival, Lulworth Castle, Dorset 2nd August – Underage Festival, Victoria Park, London 3rd to 9th August – Chessington World of Adventures, Chessington, Surrey 10th to 16th August - Thorpe Park, Chertsey, Surrey With a venue like "Underage Festival," we're even more suspicious of this bus. Surely, this is some kind of Dateline NBC trap?
Diablo II's producer weighs in on sequel's art style
Former VP of the now-defunct Blizzard North and producer of Diablo II, Bill Roper, agrees with fans who feel Diablo III ... well, doesn't quite look "Diablo" enough. Roper discussed the game's brighter, more cartoon-like art style with VideoGamer.com as part of a broader interview."I can't say that I dislike it. I didn't look at it and go, oh my God that's horrible," Roper said of his initial reaction to Diablo III. "But I looked at it and went, it's not really... to me as a player it just didn't really ring with Diablo."With Blizzard "really pleased" with the look and feel of the game as-is, the only option for those seeking a darker Diablo III experience will be labeled "reduce gamma" under "visual settings."[Via Shacknews]
Here we go again: New Bungie.net countdown expires 7:07 a.m. PT tomorrow
Bungie's website has a new teaser front page and a countdown on it -- and wouldn't you know, it's the exact same teaser from the now-infamous E3 debacle. The countdown expires at 7:07 a.m. PT tomorrow (that's 10:07 a.m. Joystiq Time), which is unsurprising given the developer's fondness for the number 7. Also of note: the page is called "defaultsi", the "si" possibly being a reference to The Superintendent (and again, the same URL from before).As for what the reveal could be, we've got a handful of ideas. Two teaser transmissions on the other main Bungie page, including one from The Superintendent that talked about Tokyo (it should be noted the Tokyo Game Show is next month) and another from a soldier under fire. We know Bungie is working on at least "three distinct projects," although one of those could've been the recently-released Halo 3 Title Update 2. One of those is a new Halo game unrelated to the Peter Jackson project (could it be Halo Recon Advanced Warfighter?). Other potential candidates include HaloCon, a Superintendent Xbox Live Arcade title and/or the Mythic map pack dates. Or could it be something completely different. Or it could be nothing at all. Again. Let's hope it's anything but the latter. Update: Commenter Edward Dean below shows us what is purported to be a picture from inside Halo 3 that teases a teaser for a new game tomorrow. We're trying to confirm its validity at the moment. Picture after the break.
Apple's next-gen iPods just around the corner, full of rainbows?
Sure, you could dismiss this round of iPod rumors -- so carefully culled by the fine folks at 9 to 5 Mac and AppleInsider -- as baseless speculation, but we'll have none of your dowdy skepticism. We're talking about rainbows here, people. AppleInsider claims that retailers are seeing current iPod models being switched to "discontinued" in inventory systems, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster says to expect iPod refreshes across the board, including a slightly redesigned $200 iPod touch, and meanwhile 9 to 5 Mac has it from an unnamed source that the new iPod nanos will have enhanced features, double the storage and rainbow color schemes. It's almost like somebody in Cupertino is reading our mind! We'll know for sure when new iPods arrive mid-September filled to the brim with "Run's House" episodes and bedecked in rainbow-hued gummy bears. It's going to rock.[Thanks, Kiwi616]Read - AppleInsiderRead - 9 to 5 Mac
