Maybe our robo-challenges speak something to our respective histories: Americans have spent the last few years driving intelligent vehicles through vast expanses of desert, but over in Europe, scientists and technologists are preparing for this fall's Microtransat, wherein machines must sail across the Atlantic propelled only by wind and artificial intelligence. The race, intended as a public proof of concept for long-range autonomous sea-faring scientific vessels, should take the, um, roboats three months to complete.

[Via Piquepaille]

Although we've already been up close and personal with a number of Ambient's unique devices, a recent conference at the Ambient Information Systems Workshop brought a bevy of new (and old) conceptual devices back to the limelight. Aside from the Google Clock and Ambient Orb, David Rose spoke about the opportunity to present a multitude of interfaces with varying resolutions in a number of environments so that individuals could get updates on what's important to them with "just a glance." Among the ideas was a Weather Watcher display that could be tailored for sailors by divulging forecasts and current wind information, a Sailing Zone display that could easily pinpoint the "ideal situation for boating," and a thin wallet-infused display that could crank out pertinent information to the owner. Additionally, a energy tracking Home Joule is currently being trailed in New York that uses color to quickly convey data about how much juice is being consumed in a home. So if you're intrigued in the slightest, and can't wait to see how ubiquitous displays and the human race will inevitably work and play together in perfect harmony, be sure to hit the read link and cringe as you read over things you thought of years ago but kept to yourself.