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Microdrones' flying robot films African wildlife, finds peace with nature
Sit back, relax and grab a cold one, because you're about to take an aerial tour of the Serengeti, courtesy of that flying drone you're staring at. Developed by Microdrones, this MD4-100 quadrotor was recently sent off to Kenya, where it gathered footage for a TV nature documentary produced by TBS Japan. By hovering over the terrain, the craft was able to get relatively up close and personal with zebras, elephants and other wildlife, without creating the same kind of disturbance that heavy duty, camera-laden trucks can wreak. Presumably, that's because the animals have no idea what to make of a flying robot, though part of us wants to believe there's some sort of full-circle, techno-evolutionary dynamic at work here, momentously bringing bot and beast together in some sort of pre-apocalyptic symbiosis. But that's just us. Hover past the break to see the video for yourself.
Electric Land Rover makes it way easier to sneak up on cowardly lions
It's likely impossible to go on safari in Africa without having any environmental impact at all -- particularly on the ones where shooting things is involved -- but this is certainly a step in the right direction. Battery manufacturer Axeon has teamed up with Jaguar Land Rover South Africa to offer animal watchers / hunters a greener way to get around, outfitting the Defender 110 High Capacity Pick Up with a battery pack where the diesel engine usually goes. The new power source cuts out the car's emissions and silences the engine, making it easier to sneak up on wildlife. This concept vehicle (not Rover's first attempt to green things up) is debuting at the INDABA trade show this week in South Africa, so now would be the time to alert any antelope in your life.
Just say no: Apple and Intel stop using conflict minerals
While the US government hasn't issued an outright ban against the use of 'conflict minerals' coming from the Congo, it has passed a law that will require companies who use them to tell all of us when our gadgets have been paid for (in part) with blood. Looks like Apple and Intel weren't too keen on the bad PR that would come from such disclosures, and joined the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition and its Conflict-Free Smelter program. The program requires mineral processing plants either prove that they don't fund the ongoing hostilities in central Africa or peddle their war-supporting wares elsewhere. For now, that means that the folks in Cupertino and Santa Clara will have to find other sources for the three Ts (tungsten, tin, and tantalum) needed to sate our technological appetites.
Apple-backed rules prohibit electronics makers from buying minerals used to fund wars
Bloomberg reports that new rules have gone into effect which prohibit electronics makers from buying minerals that help fund wars in Central Africa. The Conflict-Free Smelter program specifically bars electronics makers like Apple and Intel from buying tungsten, tin ore, gold and coltan from Congo and neighboring countries unless mineral processors can prove purchases don't contribute to conflict in eastern Congo. The Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition in Washington, D.C. and the Brussels-based Global E-Sustainability Initiative developed the regulations in conjunction with Apple, Intel and others in hopes to bring more ethical responsibility to the mining of materials used in everyday products like the iPhone and motherboards. However, while the new regulations take effect in America and Europe many Congo mines will seek out new buyers in Asia. "We're committed to continue with all these programs," John Kanyoni, president of a mineral exporters association in the Democratic Republic of Congo told Bloomberg, "But at the same time we're traveling soon to Asia to find alternatives."
Sunday Morning Funnies: Middle-up
It's the last Sunday before Christmas, but whether you celebrate it or not, we'll have a treat for you next week on the 26th! Several comic artists are collaborating on a Secret Santa (or Greatfather Winter?) swap. They each have the name of another comic but do not necessarily know who all is participating and don't know who will be drawing their comic. This should be a blast! Incidentally, if you emailed me and entered as a participant but did not receive my reply email, email me again or check your spam folders. Enough business; here is the list! It even features several new comics: Jinylee. *New! WoW, eh?: A Hot Side of Beef Away From Reality: There's No Aggro Like Snow Aggro Penny-Arcade: A Priori. Also: Wolf of the Year Dork Tower. Also check out the one previous. *Never previously featured! Out of World: Beneath the Shadow part 4 and part 5 Disciplinary Action: Episode 17 Chainsawsuit: Wow What a Difference. Also: Wow This Is Great! *Not previously featured! Beyond the Tree: Quest Complete and Dear Edwin Teh Gladiators: Gun vs. Cannon: Round 1 Complex Actions: A Moment with Silk's New Rogue and Or Your Azerothian Destination of Choice Tales from the Crossroads: Into the Fire Safe Passage Coffin Comics: Just a Bad Dream Coffin Minis: Buddum Chh What's Shakin': Page 15 Torment of the Week: Long Story Short GU Comics: Whassat? and Shave and a Haircut and Intervention Dark Legacy Comics: Battle Fourth Wall: Simple Like That Lorgrokni's Travels: Goblin Loan 1 and Goblin Loan 2 and Lovable Oaf Blood and Thunder: On Procrastination The Daily Blink: Yes, I'm Aware, I'll Get Letters and Poster #3: Mekkatorque and A Flyer in the Auction House Arena-Inside: Indeed He Does! and Indeed He's Not... and THIS ... IS ... CHRISTMAS! Travels with Tenthunders: Neither an Alliance, nor a Horde. Discuss LFG #417 and #418 The Warcraft Hero in: How to Fight Your Dragon NPC: The Future of Shopping Is Now and The Couple That Wows Together... Guilded Age %Gallery-98595%
Sunday Morning Funnies: Change is good
It's super secret Santa time! The suggestion was put forth by Azarizotza last week in the comments section, and there seems to be some support for the plan. So, if you run a comic that gets featured here from time to time and you would like to participate, shoot me an email by 8:00 p.m. EST December 18. I'll shuffle the names and email them back out. Edit: If you don't have my email from our gallery correspondence, you can always use the WoW Insider tipline. Now, for the list: From the Thunder and the Storm's crossword is now playable online. Slash AFK: Not Prepared. Tales from the Crossroads: Out of the Frying Pan... Blood and Thunder: On New Class/Race Combinations. Safe Passage. Torment of the Week: Pray for Peace. Travels with Tenthunders: Stuff Green People Like. Teh Gladiators: That Tank Looks Familiar. Arena-Inside: Cry 'Havoc' and Let Slip the Dogs of War... craft. Also, ... undersized furbolgs? Lorgrokni's Travels: Girl Gamers and Little Flashing Buttons and On a Budget. Out of World: Beneath the Shadow part 3. DLC: Ashes to Ashes. The Daily Blink: Your Epic Fan Poster. Also: Take Two Potions Daily and The Maelstrom. NPC: Perfect. Also: Computed and A Whole Old World. Complex Actions: Offer May No Longer Be Valid. Also: The Morning After. Beyond the Tree: Excuse Me Mr. Equine Transport Officer, Would You Mind Stopping Pronto. Fourth Wall: Bad Idea and King of the Hill. Away From Reality: Midnight. The Warcraft Hero in: Super Guest Comic. Guilded Age. LFG #415 and #416. What's Shakin': Page 14. Coffin Minis: Fly Troll Air. Coffin Comics: Re-Zoned. Disciplinary Action: Episode 16. GU Comics has a slew of WoW-related comics this week: Real Quick. Release Day. Crevasse Hole. Rotating the Buffet. He's Back. This one may only make sense if you follow the comic, but reading the short blurb at the bottom should help.
Lifeline Energy distributes solar powered radio / media players to the villages of Africa
Everybody know that the big money's in pain rays and various other wargadgets, so we really like it when someone at least tries to do a little good in the world. Lifeline Energy is a UK-based NGO that works to bring folks in emerging markets (mostly sub-Saharan Africa) items like solar-powered radios and lights, and it has just announced the launch of the Lifeplayer self-powered MP3 player and AM/FM/SW radio. This device features 64GB storage, microSD card slot, 3G connectivity, audio recording capabilities, and the ability to act as a sort of PA system -- according to the organization, groups of sixty can hear the thing clearly. It's powered either by a hand-crank or through its solar panel, and contains a USB port for charging devices such as cell phones. At present, Lifeline Energy is distributing over a thousand of these bad boys in Haiti and it's accepting donations to distribute them in Pakistan as well. Hit the source link to see how you can help. PR after the break. Update: Turns out that blue radio we originally pictured isn't actually the Lifeplayer -- that was the Lifeline radio, which predated it by roughly seven years. The green device above is the real deal, and you'll find a high-res product image of it right after the break.
New fiber optic cables promise to bring better, cheaper internet access to West Africa
Last summer, the lone undersea cable linking West Africa to the rest of the world was damaged, forcing Nigeria to fall back on slower and expensive satellite connections, and knocking several other countries completely offline until the cable was repaired. While that has been a relatively common occurrence to date, the chances of it happening again in the future are now considerably less likely. That's because a second undersea cable project was just completed this summer, which is the first of two more cables planned, and just the beginning of a new round of investment in the region that the U.N.'s International Telecommunications Union says will vastly increase the bandwidth available by mid-2012. As the AP reports, that additional investment in the region promises to not only increase reliability, but significantly reduce the cost of internet access as well, which currently costs nearly 500 times as much as it does in the U.S. on a wholesale level. Exactly how much cheaper it'll get remains to be seen, however, and there's also still the issue of expanding internet access further inland, where infrastructure remains spread thin and in the hands of only a few companies that tightly control access.
Kinect launching on November 10 in Europe, Africa, Middle East
Kinect will be ready to interface with European, African and Middle East body controllers on November 10. Microsoft announced the release date this morning in preparation for GamesCom, which kicks off tomorrow in Cologne, Germany. The Xbox 360 device will debut with "more than 15 exclusive Kinect titles," with Kinect Adventures bundled with the sensor for 150 Euros. The launch games appear to be the same ones already announced for North America, where Kinect will launch on November 4.
Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360 launching on November 10 in Europe
While Microsoft's new controller-free Kinect for Xbox 360 will be hitting US shores on November 4th, we've just learned that it'll officially land in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa on November 10th. Sure, that's a bit of a wait, but take heart in knowing that Microsoft's targeting an October launch of its Xbox Live lovin' Windows Phone 7 handsets in Europe compared to a November release in the US. Otherwise, we're looking at the same 15 exclusive Kinect game titles already announced at E3.
New law requires gadget companies to disclose 'conflict mineral' use
When President Obama put his pen to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act last week, it wasn't just financial reform he signed into law, but also a stipulation that may affect your gadget purchases down the road. You see, at present your technology includes some amount of tantalum, tungsten and tin, three rare earths that happen to be mined heavily in the Congo... and thus indirectly linked to poverty, rape and death. The new US law won't stop that, and doesn't restrict any sort of trade -- it merely requires companies to disclose the use of such materials in independent audits filed with their annual financial reports. It does, however, allow companies that don't use bloody rocks to label their products "conflict-free," so we're sure astute marketing gurus are developing plenty of new all-plastic gizmos even as we speak. For the children, of course.
BeetleCam wildlife photography secures stellar snaps in the wilds of Tanzania
We won't even front -- we've got a thing for visiting National Parks, and in a way, we're dangerously envious of these fellows who crafted this here BeetleCam. In short, the device is a wildlife photography robot: a four-wheeled, remote control buggy that holds a DSLR, a couple of flashes and enough torque and battery life to power through African wilds for hours on end. After months of testing, building, rebuilding and rebuilding again, the BeetleCam was packaged up and carried over to Tanzania's Ruaha and Katavi National Parks. During the fortnight-long excursion, the buggy managed to survive being mauled by a lion (sadly the same can't be said for the Canon EOS 400D) and get staggeringly close to elephants, African Buffaloes and other untamed fauna. Frankly, this is one of the more amazing homegrown gadgets we've seen in quite some time, and we couldn't encourage you more to hit up that source link for the full spill.
CherryPal debuts $99 netbook, names it Africa
If you're looking at a netbook whose motto is "small, slow, sufficient," you pretty much know what to expect. CherryPal's latest, named Africa (in honor of the nation of Ghana or something), has everything you'd want in a $99 computer: a 7-inch display, 400MHz processor, 256MB memory, 2GB flash storage, and either Linux or Windows CE under the hood. According to the company, you can expect about four hours use on the included Lithium battery. If that weren't enough, the company has introduced its online store -- no longer do you have to pick up your CherryPal PCs on the streets, like we did when we were your age. Hit the source link to get started -- but not before you check out the PR after the break. It's a real page-turner.
Mabinogi adds first flying mounts with latest patch
If flying mounts are the new cool thing to put in your MMO, then Mabinogi is riding the cool train with the rest of the MMO developers. The new mounts, the eagle and the pelican, are two of the new additions in the game's latest patch.With the addition of the eagle and the pelican also comes the new African themed zone called Courcle. This new area is filled with wildlife, like elephants and hyenas, and even comes equipped with two new boss monsters for players to face. An enormous alligator protects the swamps while the king of the jungle, the regal lion, protects the savannas of the brand new zone.With all of these dangers in Courcle, players will be glad to hear that the mounts also serve as ground combat support in addition to being your flying friends. Did you ever see a mount fight? No? Well then, you might want to continue reading this article, as we have the preview trailer for the eagle and pelican after the break.
Far Cry 2 bugs squashed on 360, 'Hardcore Mode' added
It's been quite a while since Far Cry 2 was released on Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC -- 203 days, to be precise, but who's counting? -- and just yesterday Ubisoft released a patch aimed at a game-breaking save problem. And we'd know all about it, as after 25 hours spent terrorizing the African wilderness, we were halted in our tracks by the save file corrupting-bug patched just yesterday. Our bitterness is somewhat assuaged by the arrival of the promised "Hardcore" multiplayer mode, advertised on the developer's forums back in February. The team has also added the ability to play Rank matches, employing some of the more ... well-developed user maps created over the past half year. Unfortunately, while the (likely malaria infested) save bug has been squashed, the fix isn't retroactive and thus, those who encountered it are out of luck. As for you folks playing FC2 on a PC or PlayStation 3, the patch should be headed your way soon. Not 203 days ago-soon, but soon none the less. %Gallery-6687%
PiSAT Solar's K-Light boasts a one-to-one charging ratio
It's pretty rare that a portable solar-based device offers much more utility than impressing your friends, but PiSAT Solar's K-Light won't only make you the coolest kid on your block: it might actually prove useful the next time you take a hike or find yourself hanging out in a developing country. In 10 hours of daylight charging the unit gathers up to 20 hours worth of battery power for use in the low-power 8 LED mode, or 10 hours of life if used in 16 LED mode. It's also switchable between flashlight and lantern modes. That should be great for campers, but where the K-Light really "shines" (so to speak) is in places like Africa, where villagers without electricity often use makeshift kerosene lanterns for light at night. K-Light is designed for up to 10 years of full daily use in such a scenario, and PiSAT is working on an adapter to let the lantern's battery also charge a cellphone. At $50 a pop, the barrier to entry isn't incredibly high, and PiSAT is working with the Koinonia Foundation to provide start-up grants of K-Lights to groups of African women to create local businesses selling the lights. One-off purchases are also available now online for us non-entrepreneurial types.
Ex-Motorola exec becomes Microsoft EMEA marketing VP
Following a week of rumors and feverish speculation, Microsoft recently confirmed that former Motorola marketing chief Jeremy Dale has been appointed the vice president of retail sales and marketing for its Entertainment and Devices division in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In layman's terms, he'll be overseeing the marketing of Xbox and Windows products in the EMEA region. In extreme layman's terms, he'll make people want to buy Microsoft's stuff.Dale's ability to push product has been witnessed in the gaming arena before -- he once served as the commercial and marketing director for Nintendo UK, during which time he oversaw the European Pokémon invasion. Sure, those adorable buggers practically sell themselves -- but still, it sounds like Dale will be a valuable asset for Microsoft's overseas operations.
Nokia bringing Mobile-XL's SMS-based XLBrowser to African mobiles
In an effort to bring the wonders of the world wide web to more remote locations, Nokia is teaming with Mobile-XL in order to pre-load handsets with the latter company's XLBrowser. Unlike traditional mobile browsers, this one relies on SMS technology in order to deliver "useful information, such as news, currency conversion, finance information and games." The software was designed to bring snippets of the web to handsets where internet, WAP and GPRS services are "slow, limited, and unreliable." We're told that a "select series" of Nokia handsets shipping to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will be equipped with said browser starting as early as next month, though there's no indication of exactly which phones will have it and which will not. Oh, and you should definitely opt for an unlimited messaging plan should you choose to take advantage here. Just sayin'.[Via mocoNews]
Toshiba packs NB100, A350 with 3G and ships them off to EMEA
Toshiba has announced that its Satellite A350 and NB100 would soon be finding their way into Europe, Middle East, and African (EMEA) markets with an added bonus: HSPA technology. We've got precisely nada on the price tag for these iterations, however, which normally retail for around $800 and $500 without 3G. If you're on the lookout for a laptop with some extra portability, both models are expected to hit retail channels first quarter of this year.[Via Notebook Italia]
South Africans to see 2010 World Cup in HD after all?
We were completely and utterly dismayed after hearing that South Africa -- the host nation of the 2010 World Cup -- would not be able to catch the action in high-def in its own backyard. Thankfully, it seems that someone with some clout was able to change all that, or at least that's what we've gleaned from a recent writeup praising the country's sole HD channel (DSTv). Put simply, the writer states that "all [2010] World Cup games will be televised in high-definition," and he also states that locals can catch said HD action "on big screens at one of the many fan parks that will be dotted about the country." We're sincerely hoping these fan parks come to fruition -- can you imagine the excitement of a people experiencing HD for the first time as they watch the beautiful game?
