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Some Assembly Required: Yet another FFA PvP sandbox
I dabbled in yet another alpha-state indie sandbox game this week. As you'd expect, the title is rough around the edges. Also as you'd expect, it boasts FFA PvP and the correspondingly godawful community for whom the game's "do whatever you want" mechanics immediately translate to "kill everything that moves first and ask questions later, if at all." Since it's still alpha, there's plenty of time for the devs to correct this unfortunate bit of business and separate this particular game from the legions of crappy FFA-PvP-with-zero-consequences titles clumping together in the vast litterbox of bad MMO ideas. Will they do that? Probably not, but at least I'll get a good rant out of it.
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Seven zombie-infested MMOs for the survivalist in you
Let's talk zombies and post-apocalyptic futures. Sure, the undead have become an overused and watered-down genre, but it's easy to see just why it's so successful -- it practically has something for everyone. The horror fans love it for obvious reasons; there's nothing scarier than the reanimated dead. Sandbox fans and survivalist maniacs love that it represents what happens to society when everything -- and I mean everything -- breaks down. MMO fans adore it because it's all about teamwork and developing a society from the ground up alongside other people. So even though the genre is getting spread a bit thin, it's still as promising as any other. I thought it'd be a good idea to round up many of the current zombie MMOs and pseudo-MMOs so that over the holidays you can celebrate by ignoring your family to bash in a few previously deceased skulls. You can thank me later when all of the training you receive while playing these games helps you survive the coming zombie apocalypse.
Garry's Mod creator launches Rust in free alpha; think DayZ, STALKER [Update]
Garry Newman's new game is a departure from his breakout creation, Garry's Mod, but it's still slightly familiar. Rust is a survival game that started off as a DayZ clone and transitioned into a STALKER-inspired world where players build their own buildings and defenses – and they can play however they want. "So what's to stop you from going around killing anyone you want and taking their shit and becoming more powerful?" Newman asks. "Nothing. What's stopping it from becoming a PVP killfest? You. Our job should be to give the players the tools they need. If you're sick of getting killed – start a town. Build town walls. Give all the town members red clothes. Put warning signs up outside the town. Set up trip wires and alarms. Watch each other's back." Rust is in alpha now, accessible here – just type in any series of numbers until the "Next" button appears in the right-hand corner of the registration box. Newman and his studio, Facepunch, are working on implementing their own assets in the game and fixing bugs, so it's still early in development. Update: The alpha is closed, for now, so put down your keyboards and take a deep breath. Keep an eye out for updates on the Rust forums.
Mozilla and Samsung collaborating on new Servo web browser engine for Android and ARM
It's a fairly bold claim, but Mozilla and Samsung have announced today that they're now attempting to "rebuild the web browser from the ground up on modern hardware." That initiative takes the form of Servo, a new web browser engine designed for Android and ARM and based on Mozilla's Rust programming language, which itself sees a new release today. Expectedly, details on the browser engine remain light, with Mozilla and Samsung offering no indication of a release schedule or a final product. In the blog post announcing the engine, Mozilla says only that it'll be "putting more resources into Servo" in the coming year as it also aims to complete the first major revision of Rust, and that it and Samsung will be "increasingly looking at opportunities on mobile platforms." You can find the full announcement, and the source for both Rust and Servo if you're so inclined, at the source link below.
Anodizing aluminum and titanium explained and demonstrated in less than five minutes (video)
Many of us use gadgets that sport gleamingly refined, anodized aluminum or titanium cases -- but have you ever wondered exactly how the process works? Bill Hammack, at it again after explaining to us how the CCD, LCDs, and hard drives work, breaks it down (pun intended) for us -- in less than five minutes. He talks about, and even shows us how the surface of titanium is meticulously rusted using electro-chemicals to grow an oxide layer, changing the color based on its thickness. He follows that up with some commentary on how a similar reaction gobbles up and transforms aluminum, creating a much thicker, porous oxide layer that can be filled with any color dye. So, just to be clear: controlled corrosion is good for your Mac, border control -- maybe not so much. You can watch the video right after the break.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: crazy concept cars, the Milan Furniture Fair, and new solar technology
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. The world of renewable energy received a jolt of innovation this week as Inhabitat reported on a groundbreaking new solar technology that could render photovoltaics obsolete -- see Engadget's take right here -- and a plan to use common oven rust to generate immense amounts of cheap energy. We also saw green power projects pick up steam around the world as Pakistan announced it will build its first on-grid solar system, Chevron kicked off plans to invest in wind power for Kazakhstan, and Eriksson Architects unveiled an energy-efficient geodesic gemstone city for China. Green transportation tech blasted off as we took a look at the insane 23-passenger electric superbus that can hit 155MPH and the Phoenix roadster - the world's first biodegradable car. Volkswagen also turned heads as it unveiled an all-electric concept version of the classic VW Bus, and we saw sustainable transportation set sail as Zyvex unveiled the nanotech Piranha boat, which is 75% lighter, 40% stronger, and 400% more fuel-efficient than aluminum vessels. Finally, we showcased several hot new green vehicles as the Shanghai auto show began to rev up -- Luxgen's all-electric Neora concept car and Peugeot's Hybrid SXC. In other news, this week we brought you the best and brightest green products from the 2011 Milan Furniture Fair - from an energy-absorbing lamp that never needs to be plugged in to the world's first color-changing OLED panels to a stunning pendant light made entirely from recycled drink cartons. We also showcased several designs for greener electronics - a revolutionary paper alloy that could enclose the gadgets of tomorrow and a gorgeous bamboo MacBook case - and we shared 7 ways to get your kid excited about photography.
