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World of motecrafting post 2.1
A couple of interesting Mote related changes have popped up in the patch. I was well aware of the Mote of Shadow change-- those babies are now dropping not off of demons, but only off of void creatures (you can find tons of them in the southern part of Hellfire Peninsula, and in small pockets in many instances). Which makes sense, but makes you wonder why they dropped off of demons in the first place-- or why it matters which one they drop off of at all.The other change was a little more hidden in the patch notes, and most players didn't realize it would be happening until they saw the drops: Essences are now dropping in Outland in the same place that Motes are dropping. You remember Essences-- they're the elemental components of many recipes found on the Azeroth side of the Dark Portal. A few players were unhappy that Essences were dropping instead of Motes, until Drysc confirmed that Essences are actually dropping in addition to Motes-- it's not a matter of either/or at all. Essences are completely extra.And of course that'll have an effect on the economy. Right now, Essences are selling for up to 1g a pop on most AHs (Update: and even higher on other servers, sometimes up to 15g apiece), but they still only vendor for 4s, which is pennies compared to even most gray drops in Outland. And that price will probably drop anyway, considering the market is about to be flooded with them. One solution is to raise the vendor price. And another solution, say a few enterprising players, would be to give Alchemists a Transmute Essence to Mote spell, either at a 2-to-1 exchange rate, or a long-ish cooldown, that would set the economy on these little things right. Clearly there's a need for having Essences around (how else could you enchant firey weapon, right?), but it looks like Blizzard could have put a little more thought into their effect on the economy.
Twinbird's SD ZABADY DAP sheds water
Twinbird's no stranger to the land of waterproof gizmos, and the company's latest device to shed water with grace is the SD ZABADY. This digital audio player comes in black or silver color schemes, houses 128MB of internal storage capacity, handles SD cards up to 2GB in size, and plays nice with both MP3 and WMA formats. Additionally, it sports an external LCD, built-in speakers, USB 2.0 connectivity, and a reported playback time of around 18-hours. The best part, however, is its ability to hold out water from seeping in whilst submerged in up to one meter of liquid for a half hour, meaning that it's the perfect shower singing companion if you're not up to purchasing in-tub speakers for your bathroom. Look for the SD ZABADY to hit Japanese streets later this week for ¥15,000 ($123), and click on through for a few more snaps.[Via AkihabaraNews]
DepthX robotic submarine maps world's deepest sinkhole
After the recent streak of robotic failures that we've seen, it's refreshing to see yet another success story come our way. Just as it did in February, the two-meter wide DepthX (Deep Phreatic Thermal Explorer) robotic submarine successfully mapped out a massive sinkhole in Mexico, but this time was quite a bit more rewarding. The cavern that it ventured into was the El Zacatón Cenote, which is better known as the world's deepest water-filled sinkhole, and the machine was able to delve some 270-meters down to "create the first map of the giant cavity." The hole itself is large enough to "swallow New York's Chrysler Building," and while the endeavor was indeed a success, researchers are hoping to get it back down there in the near future to better analyze a mysterious slope that it wasn't quite able to probe. Godspeed, DepthX.[Via Slashdot]
Cellphone float keeps your mobile's head above water
Inflatable gizmos meant to save your dog's life and wake you from your bubble bath slumber have been around for some time, but this creation has probably been avoided due to the intrinsic probability of failure. Granted, the inflatable cellphone float would make for a great gift, but in reality, even the most diminutive of cannonballs will have this thing inverted in no time. Of course, for those just looking to float down the lazy river (yet still be attached to world), we could see it coming in handy, but there's no bundled guarantee that it's flip-proof. Still, this thing might not be a bad pickup for just R6.08 ($0.86), but we'll be sticking with the waterproof handset when it counts.[Via Textually]
A crummy idea
Magimagic posted a forum topic that concerns all mages. He suggests, that since we summon food, water and gems and have access to the "summon water elemental" spell, that we should likewise have a "summon bread elemental." Now, certain posters mentioned some of the challenges that might come along with a bread elemental. Your elemental might aggro mobs around as soon as it is summoned. We all know ogres have huge appetites. Another brought up the valid point that bread is not, in fact, an element at all. And what reagents would be required for said summoning? A simple flour, no doubt, but I'm not sure how I would be able to find yeast in the game. A similar concept has been brought up in a previous post regarding the summoning of water. I know I keep a bag empty to summon water and food for groups and raids, and I love the idea of not having to feed and water entire armies. I'm not exactly sure the bread elemental is something that the devs will pick up on, but it certainly is a fun idea. I mean, everyone loves the Pillsbury Dough Boy, right? [via Tom Waddwell, image via Arturis]
Hydrophobia unveiled, wows with water effects
Blade Interactive has finally unveiled Hydrophobia, a survival action game whose creators are hoping will show gamers something different. In the game, you play Kate, an engineer with no combat experience and a fear of water on a sinking ship the size of a city (loosely based on the Freedom Ship) who must use the incoming waves to help her on her path to rescue survivors and take on terrorists.What Blade is hoping will set Hydrophobia apart from the others, visually, is HydroEngine, which purportedly simulates water like never before. It "reacts dynamically to its environment. It flows from source, it bubbles, it gets surfaces wet, it has a current, it's persistent," according to Xbox World 360, who saw the game in action and walked away impressed. We're hoping to get some video uploaded soon because these images, though visually beautiful, do nothing to show off the HydroEngine in action.The physical properties of water will also be used as a key gameplay component, and the Xbox World 360 preview covers a few of the more intriguing examples. The game is a big departure for Blade, whose catalog includes a series of billiards titles and Pocket Racers for the PSP, but the developer reportedly hired a wide range of talent for this project, including industry veterans who worked on Splinter Cell and Fable 2 ... and an astrophysicist!No release date has been announced; Hydrophobia is being developed for release on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.%Gallery-3017%
Will it freeze? i-mate JAQ takes a chilly beating
We won't say it's for certain just yet, but we've got a sneaking suspicion that the now-infamous Will It Blend series of destruction videos has created a monster. In a zany spinoff of the violent series, an i-mate JAQ is dealt a chilly beating as a presumably deranged individual ponders if it will "pass the freeze test." The snazzy smartphone was placed in frigid waters and then frozen block solid, only to be bashed repeatedly once it returned from the freezer. As with most of these cases, the JAQ didn't exactly perform admirably, and in fact, it failed to ever turn on again. So if you don't mind seeing perfectly good electronics go to waste, or you'd just like another bright idea to try yourself, be sure to hit the read link for the ominous video.
Dancing On The Water clock levitates time
True clock aficionados fully understand that their timepieces do more than tell them just how many grueling hours are left in the work day, and YUnoBI's Dancing On The Water design invites time tellers to gaze at its mirror-image rather than just glancing and looking away. The lacquered enclosure comes in black, red, and gray finishes, and shoots the current time up against a reflective back that purportedly gives off a "floating illusion." Furthermore, the red digits are displayed care of built-in LEDs, and while you may be eager to snap this presumed dust-magnet up as a crafty conversation piece, the ¥68,250 ($573) asking price just might stop you in your tracks.[Via TechDigest]
Mario Bros. in ur Shopping Channel, stealing ur coinz
We've been privy to undocumented Wii features like the 192-Piece Picture Puzzle and the elusive Help Cat for a while now, but did you know that there's a secret Shopping Channel animation of Mario and Luigi swimming together while you're at the download screen?During a recent roundtable, the developers behind the Wii Shopping Channel talked about how they overcame obstacles with the project, which elements they're proud of, and what they hope to see implemented in the future. One little touch that the developers were pleased to include was this Minus World-esque scene of the Super Mario Bros. paddling through and collecting coins while you download games. It doesn't show up very often, so don't be too upset if you've never come across anything besides the Fire Mario animation before. We didn't even believe it at first, but Nintendo included a video with the interview transcript to prove its existence. It's a good thing they did too, or we would've gone through our life savings downloading Virtual Console titles, trying to get this alternate animation!
Ecos LifeLink provides water, internet on tap
It may not extract water from thin air, but Ecosphere's recently unveiled Ecos Lifelink does promise to provide some much needed water filtration in a relatively easy to transport unit -- not to mention its own power source, with enough juice left over to turn the whole rig into a makeshift Internet hotspot. Of course, as you can see above, it's not quite ready to be deployed, but the company says that once it's up and running it'll be capable of pumping out 30 gallons of water per minute and provide wireless connectivity over a 30 mile range. If that's not sufficient, multiple units could be used in conjunction to provide electricity for a small village. Exactly when we might see a full-scale unit, however, remains unclear, with the company apparently still hoping to attract some interest from investors, recenlty showing off a scale model at the Cleantech Venture Forum in San Francisco.[Via Inhabitat]
Energy-efficient Deepglider scours the ocean for scientific data
The University of Washington's Deepglider won't go down as the first manmade projectile to scour the ocean for random (albeit useful) tidbits of information, but it does sport an ultra-modern frame and energy source that certainly sets it apart. Similar to the nuke detector, Edinburgh Duck, and the bevy of other submarines used for the benefit of mankind, this concoction is used to capture underwater data to aid researchers in discovering more about global warming and seafloor conditions, but its autonomous nature and carbon fiber enclosure gives it the ability to remain underwater "for up to a year" and sink to depths of nearly 9,000 feet. The 71-inch long, 138-pound device carries sensors to measure "oceanic conditions including salinity and temperature," and when not patrolling the seas based on satellite-driven controls, it can transmit the data remotely using the same signal path in reverse. Notably, the torpedo-like device boasts an energy-efficient, battery-powered design that allows it to stay submerged for ridiculous amounts of time without needing a recharge, and while we're not too sure if its researchers are too caught up in its unmatched diving abilities to notice how swank the power system is, they've apparently got a good thing going.
FishCam gives anglers an edge, purists irate
No, underwater cameras used to see precisely what that about-to-be-caught bass are doing underwater aren't new, but we'd guess the argument suggesting that it ruins all fun in the sport has been going on ever since someone originally conjured the idea. Nevertheless, the FishCam does what several other devices on the market already do, and aside from giving you a proverbial cheat code to nab unlimited sea creatures, it also allows anglers to "store the images on a DVD," which should prove useful in adding a dash of truthfulness (or eliminate the fibs) to those "ones that got away" tales. As expected, traditionalists don't seem to appreciate the device all that much, and while novices could very well get a bit more line action using this device, it'll cost you a stiff £185 ($365) in order to do so.[Via Spluch, photo courtesy of Sun]
It lives! The post-rinse cycle iPod
What happens when an iPod Nano meets a washing machine? Nothing good. Late last month, a writer over at the Seattlest left her iPod in her bike shorts. Which her husband kindly washed for her. Oops. Since bike clothes aren't thrown in the drier, the Nano was at least spared a tumble-dry on high heat, a small mercy. The battery, however, was drained. After connecting the Nano to a USB power source, she was able to recharge the battery and (yay!) found all her music and playlists still onboard. The buttons were initially a little sluggish, according to her follow-up report, but other than the Menu button they've recovered nicely for her training rides. The moral of this story? Check your pockets after you train and don't wash your iPod. The ending might not be as happy as this one.
Car modder installs water-cooled LED-backlit LCD
If you think hooking your ride up with an in-car PC is 1337, or if you were impressed with Samsung's lineup of LED-backlit LCDs earlier today, you'll probably admire this one as well. For reasons unknown to mere men, a crafty car modder set out to not only install a water-cooled LED-backlit LCD into his ride, but to actually construct it. Taking a 12.1-inch widescreen display, he replaced the CCFL lamp with no fewer than 32 one-watt Luxeon LEDs, resulting in brightness akin to staring at the world's largest star. Additionally, he utilized a liquid-cooling setup which he later stated wasn't entirely necessary, but it does give you one more reason to boast. While we highly doubt the novice DIY crowd should try to replicate this without tons of dough and time to waste, be sure to click on through for a few more works-in-progress shots, or hit the read link for the full skinny.[Via Hack-A-Day]
Japan rescuers to get water jet cutters for debris slicing
While Japan is fairly well equipped to notify citizens of impending doom, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency is taking another step to preparing its rescue forces for anything in times of emergency, and the forthcoming water jet cutter should help slice through debris without the risk of starting a fire in the process. Due to a railway disaster in April of 2005 which forced rescuers to find an alternate way of cutting metal with gasoline sloshed about, the water jet cutters were moved up in priority, and now the powerful streams can output a high-pressure blast of water / sand in order to make a "1.5-centimeter cut through a 2-centimeter-thick steel plate in just a single minute." Of course, the biggest boon here is the device's inability to spark a fire, but the pressure cutter can also be used in instances where flammability isn't an issue, and it has already been demonstrated to local reporters last week. Although we're not sure just how soon these slicers, along with high-powered "blowers" to whisk away harmful fumes, will be put into action, they'll be hitting the fire departments of Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo first.[Via Fark]
DJs knew that she could die, said as much
According to the latest news in the horrible tragedy that saw one woman trying to win a Wii die from chugging H20, after several from the station were fired, word comes in that, during the contest, the on-air personalities stated they knew that it was dangerous. After a listener called in to warn them, one of the DJs commented "Yeah, we're aware of that," being backed up by his on-air co-pilot who said "they signed releases, so we're not responsible. We're OK." What's even worse is that during the show, the DJs even commented on a similar case that ended in death for a college student.As of now, the family of Jennifer Lea Strange are planning on filing a wrongful death suit against radio station 107.9 KDND-FM.
Radio station fires 10 over deadly Wii contest
We're sure something dumber than this whole "drink until you die of water intoxication to win a Wii" thing was perpetrated back in the Tickle Me Elmo hysterical days of yore, but we can't really imagine what. The owners of KDND FM didn't seem to have a hard time figuring out what to do about this situation: they've fired 10 employees of the station, including the three hosts of "Morning Rave," which were directly involved in the contest that ended in Jennifer Lea Strange's death. Now word on a lawsuit from the family, but the county sheriff's office has stated that it's not investigating the matter, so this could be it for news on the tragic ordeal until somebody tries to one-up the stupidity on display here.
Sanyo AQUA washing machine recycles water, dry cleans clothes
We've seen washing machines that tell you whose turn it is, offer remote monitoring, sterilize garb, require no water, and tackle more stains than we knew were possible to pick up, but Sanyo's forthcoming machine lives life on the greener side, and cuts down your trips to the dry cleaners to boot. The aptly-named AQUA was spotted as CES, and aside from the thoughtfully designed entry door that's high enough for folks to reach while standing up, this gizmo rocks a unique "Aqualoop" feature that allows it to recycle water for use in future washes. Moreover, the Air Wash function enables owners to clean clothes at home that are typically reserved for the dry cleaners, as it "infuses" your swag with odor / bacteria-killing chemicals without the use of water, leaving your wearables fresh and your body at home. Although there's no word on price or future availability just yet, we've still got more than a few reservations when it comes to reusing soiled liquid to, um, clean dirty clothing.[Via The Raw Feed]
Inventor patents automatic, no-look cooking
In a patent filing that appears to belong to Philips, an inventor is attempting to lock down the secret to no-look cooking, giving hope to clueless culinarians everywhere. The patent focuses on a method for determining the very moment during the cooking process in which the food "has reached a ready state," and seeks to use precise scales in an oven to determine exactly how much water has left the foodstuff and converted into steam in order to determine just how dry, crisp, and / or ready to devour it is. Of course, this fellow isn't the first bloke to iron out the details of automatic cooking, and interestingly enough, it seems this idea itself may have already been in the works, so we'd highly recommend consulting the folks behind Daewoo's autonomous microwave (and the subsequent technology) before boasting too proudly.[Via NewScientistTech]
Britain's Isis ROV set to trawl the depths of Antarctica
We've seen mechanical devices creep through the inside of intestines, huge mounds of dirt, and even through the San Francisco Bay, but now a British deep-diving remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is getting set to probe the depths of Antarctica. In hopes of uncovering more about the effects of glaciers on the ocean floor, as well as details about the living creatures that inhabit said areas, UK scientists are carting the machine aboard the RSS James Clark Ross as they head for the Marguerite Bay area on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The robot, dubbed Isis, will spend time on its inaugural January mission combing the seabed and channeling live video and pictures back to its captains via the built-in cameras, lights, sonars for acoustic navigation / imaging, and two remotely-controlled manipulator arms. Once the bot gets dried off (and thawed out) from its arctic expedition, the next tour of duty is already lined up, as Isis will head off to the Portuguese coast to do a bit more sightseeing. Of course, if you're interested in taking the £4.5 million ($8.81 million) creature out for a mission you deem worthwhile, it should be available for deep-pocketed renters soon after.
