AT-AT
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AT-AT PC Case Mod: and you thought it was just geeky on the outside
This isn't the first Star Wars-themed peripheral we've featured. Not by a long shot. Not even today. It's not even the first AT-AT case mod we've had, but we can safely say it poses the most danger to the alliance. With a mini-ITX mainboard, Intel Core i7-2600K CPU and 8GB of RAM, this walker might actually have enough brains to avoid a harpoon and tow cable, and with elaborate watercooling the Hasbro plastic shouldn't get scorched either. The icing on the imperial cake is weapons and interior that light up with the touch of a remote. Want to see how modder Asphiax made it happen? Then pewpew the source link.
Foxconn builds a fanless nano PC, forgets to put someone else's name on it
Two nano PCs, actually, and both expected to be announced officially this week according to FanlessTech. The first is the Foxconn AT-5300, running off a 2.13GHz dual-core Cedar Trail D2700, while the second -- the AT-5600 -- is powered by AMD's popular (but last-gen) 1.65GHz E450 APU. Each one consumes around 15W idle and 24W under load, which is the equivalent of somewhere between an Ultrabook and a regular laptop and low enough to be passively cooled. What's distinctly unlaptop-like, though, is the 190 x 135 x 38mm form factor, which should sit discreetly on your desk, below your TV or on a VESA mount, and also the price, which is expected to be under $200 with worldwide availability. As with similar mini-ATX budget barebones, you'll need to add your own HDD (or maybe a hybrid) to that, but you do get a pair of USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit LAN, a multilingual card reader and built-in 802.11n WiFi. The only thing missing? You guessed it.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Civic hybrid gets driven, AT-AT dog costume gets worn
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. Incredible feats of green architecture reached for the sky this week as Inhabitat reported that the world's first vertical forest skyscraper is rising in Milan and an outdoor cinema made entirely from refrigerators popped up in London. We also took a look inside a crazy mountain lodge that resembles a hill-like hobbit high-rise and we spotted a Finnish hotel that rents out glass-domed geodesic igloos for viewing the northern lights. We also launched a brand new video that takes an inside look at this year's winning Solar Decathlon homes, we kicked off a contest where you can win one of 25 $600 home energy audits, and we learned that China's coal-powered energy grid negates the green benefits of electric vehicles. Speaking of green transportation, this week we caught a glimpse of several next-generation electric vehicle technologies as Nissan unveiled a ten minute electric vehicle charger and Chevrolet announced plans to produce a Spark mini EV. We also took Honda's new Civic hybrid for a spin, and we learned that Tesla's new Model S sedan will be powered by highly efficient Panasonic batteries. Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic announced plans to cut its carbon footprint in half by fueling airplanes with waste gas and Germany announced that 100 percent of its trains will run on renewable energy by 2050. In other news, techy fashion got a jolt of affordability as we spotted an economical LED jacket for night cyclists and runners, and we took a look at the story behind Steve Jobs' iconic black turtlenecks. We also got into the Halloween spirit by bringing you an adorable Star Wars AT-AT costume for dogs, and we showcased a creepy set of "stained glass" windows made from x-rays. Finally, we shined the spotlight on India's solar-powered water ATMs, and we brought you a can't-miss set of tips for recycling e-waste.
Boston Dynamics Alpha Dog makes Alyx Vance's pet look like a toy (video)
Boston Dynamics' BigDog is one of our favorite insane-level DARPA projects; a robotic pack-mule that can carry 400 pounds of kit for troops. At some point, the Massachusetts mechanics decided the bot would be far better if it was the size of a bull, or, you know, an SUV. The Alpha Dog loses the un-stealthy buzzing noise of its predecessor, has a range of 20 miles and can take much more punishment. If you check out the video after the break, you'll see two people unsuccessfully attempt a takedown on the monster -- Half-Life 2 diehards might experience a combat flashback at the mere sight of it. AT-AT Jr is expected to see field testing sometime next year when it won't have a test bed of rocks to contend with, but the US Marines. Mark our words: we expect 'em to appear in every nightmarish dystopia of the 2020s, and take a starring role in the forthcoming Robopocalypse.
Star Wars Galaxies: Dr. Fool strikes back
Toys turning tables on Imperials and Rebels alike? It may sound like a bad joke, but Star Wars Galaxies has never seen such dire straits. The elusive and diabolical Dr. Fool (who has a Ph.D. in Evil Medicine) has returned once more to unleash his fiendish toys on the residents of Tatooine, Naboo, Lok, Corellia, and Endor. These high-level toys -- some resembling miniature AT-ATs -- should be treated as hostile on sight and taken down without prejudice. Of course, for this April Fool's event, players are to be rewarded for their diligence. SOE is tempting all SWG fighters and lovers to disable the toys with a special title: "Toy Recaller." This title can only be achieved on April 1st by taking down the malfunctioning toys before the stroke of midnight PDT. Wookiepedia has more information on this toy rampage, which coincidentally also happened a year ago to the day. You can also read the aftermath of the 2009 event on SWG's forums.
AT-AT Gamecube mod now for sale, fanboys swarm
There are mods, and then there are works of art. Without question, the item you see above falls squarely into the latter category, and it's likely to give any devout Star Wars fan a chance at fainting upon first glance. The AT-AT Gamecube mod (also referred to as the AT-GC in some circles) was built a few years back, but now the proud creator has decided to cash out and let the highest bidder take ownership. This beast maintains the original heatsink and cooling fans, and comes with the AT-AT pilot, four Wavebird controllers and a pair of memory cards. Check out a few more detailed shots and a video in the read link below, and go ahead and throw your bid in while you're at it -- resistance is futile, you know?
Steady, Dak, it's just a GameCube
This custom AT-AT GameCube lumbered around the Internet a few years ago, but we never dreamed that we'd be able to get our own tow cables around it. Nothing, however, convinces someone to get rid of an item like its total obsolescence.Conversely, nothing convinces us to buy an obsolete item like having it crammed inside a Star Wars model! Really, it works out for everyone. At a current bid of $51, this is a deal just for the four Wavebird controllers included (whose receivers, along with two memory cards, are embedded in the unit). We'd love to see our friends' faces when we brought this in for some party gaming, but we don't have parties or friends. We are Star Wars fans after all.Also found at GameSniped: this ridiculous NES controller stand.%Gallery-22424%[Via GameSniped]
