Nectar
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Nectar mobile fuel-cell power system now available for pre-order
On paper, the Nectar Power system is both awesome and ludicrous. This is essentially a keychain-dongle USB power solution for super-sized keychains. You carry it around and charge your iPhone or other USB devices as needed. Let's start with the ludicrous, which is the price. The unit is now available for pre-order from Brookstone and will retail for (wait for it...) US$300. Individual "power pods," used to generate the power, will cost $10 each. An extended warranty adds another $40 for two years, or $50 for three years. Gift wrap alone adds another $7. So why are we so ridiculously excited about this? It's simple. First, there's the technology. The Nectar is a butane-powered Solid Oxide Fuel Cell solution. It's like we really are living in the future. Each pod can supply power for about a dozen full charges, or as the product site says, about two weeks of power without outlets. Second, there's the size factor, which is impressively small. The gadget is a slick-looking chrome and black, with a satisfyingly Brookstone design aesthetic. But most important, the one thing that really makes this the device for any would-be James Bond type, is that it allows you to go completely off grid for extended periods of time without having to attach a solar grid to your backpack. Gilligan and the professor wouldn't have to make power supplies out of coconuts. The Nectar Power system looks like a sleek, slick solution for people who have the money and aren't afraid to use it as both a beautiful and practical toy. We can't wait to try it out. The Nectar ships Sept. 11, 2013.
CES 2013: Nectar's fuel cell pack claims to store up to two weeks of extra power
The Nectar mobile power system had its debut earlier this week at CES' Unveiled pre-show, and if nothing else, it's an impressive boast: The system claims to provide up to two weeks of power for your devices (including the iPhone) from a pack that fits very easily in a pocket. It's a pretty wild idea -- obviously, we haven't gotten a chance yet to really run the device through its paces just yet, but if the Nectar can do what the company says it can, it could be a very handy addition to your travel kit. The way it works is that you buy the core base unit for US$299, and then you can pick up extra fuel cell units for just $10 each. Use up the included fuel cell, and you'll have to replace it, but that much power should definitely be handy if you need it all while out and about. Other fuel cell tech like this can be heavy and bulky, but Nectar is designed to be both very portable and very powerful. The units will be available for sale at Brookstone later on this year, and we'll try to grab one then to see just how these claims stack up under trial. In the meantime, Engadget has a nice gallery of the unit showing just what it looks like in person.
Happy Harvest Festival!
Can you believe how fast this year is flying by? Yes, it's Harvest Festival time once again in Azeroth, which means it's time to celebrate the coming end of the summer (from now until Saturday) with some tasty eats and sweet drinky treats, and honor the Fallen Heroes of the Horde and Alliance. Outside Orgrimmar and Ironforge, you'll find Harvest tables loaded with food (that give you back 2% of your health or mana per second for 30 seconds each), and there's also quests in each place that will send you off to honor a hero of your faction (Uther or Grom Hellscream).You won't get anything from the quests right away (except a book, which doesn't appear to be on the list of "Well Read" achievements, probably because it's faction-specific), but in a few days, you should get a nice, foodie surprise in the mail that I still use on my Warrior. It's Harvest Festival time again! For the Fallen!And of course, you know what this means. Brewfest is just around the corner!
Yascombe: Haze's script is over 1,000 pages long
We've all heard quite a bit about Haze, the next big (and easily-swappable) FPS coming exclusively to the PS3 sometime in May, but during a recent tour through Free Radical Studios led by lead writer Rob Yascombe (who is, in fact, a bona fide, bug-eyed madman), it was announced that the script for the nectar-enriched shooter is over 1,000 pages long. As a point of reference, the script for "Gone With The Wind" clocks in at a crisp 650 pages. Probably.Before you linguaphiles begin frothing at the mouth in anticipation of a Bioware-caliber dialogue extravaganza, Yascombe explains that a lot of the script is composed of mid-battle NPC retorts -- some of which, he adds, will be delivered by none other than the Royal Shakespeare Company. We wonder if those dandy artistes will be able to deliver their bullet-riddled screams of agony in iambic pentameter.
Haze promo: making the Mantel difference
Here's an interesting promotional vid for the upcoming PS3 shooter, Haze. Mantel, the corporation behind Nectar, is seen advocating the "Mantel difference." It doesn't take a genius to realize that these guys are creeps and totally "evil." This video doesn't reveal much about the upcoming game's story, but it sets the tone for an impending release, doesn't it?
Pre-order Haze, get a nectar-filled syringe pen
We've seen some pretty wacky pre-order bonuses in the past, but this offer from Ubisoft might top them all. If you pre-order Haze from Ubisoft's store, you'll receive a free nectar-filled syringe pen. Of course, there's not real nectar, a "nutritional supplement" in Haze, actually in the pen, which could be a deal breaker for a few of you out there.However, this deal might be only good for Europeans since Ubisoft's asking price is about £50, which makes it one of the most expensive PS3 games you could buy. Add to that a £17 shipping fee and £10 in taxes, and you'll be spending nearly $150 for this bad boy. Yeah, best we let the Europeans keep this deal for themselves.[Via Kotaku]
Haze injects nectar into controller, adds rumble
A cute new video for Haze highlights the PS3's newfound ability to rumble. How did they do it? Is it magic? No! It's nectar, the steroid-esque substance from the upcoming PS3 FPS. While some find it lame, we think it's a cute way of explaining the origins of DualShock 3.
