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Temps: Weather station and world clock for both Mac and iOS
Weather apps are plentiful in the iOS world; readers wouldn't believe the number of pitches for new weather apps that we get each and every week at TUAW. But when it comes to OS X weather apps, we just don't see that many. That's why Temps (US1.99 for OS X and $0.99 for the iOS companion app Temps mobile) is quite unique. Temps for OS X First, let's look at the OS X app. Once downloaded from the Mac App Store and launched, Temps resides in a nice, out of the way location -- your menu bar. You can set Temps up to display a number of items in the menu bar. I chose, for example, to have Temps show me a small icon that shows the type of weather (sunny, partly cloudy, rainy, etc...), the location, and temperature. Those who own a Netatmo personal weather station can see the outside and inside temperatures at a glance, and that's what got me interested in Temps in the first place. If you're interested in seeing the weather in your favorite places around the world, Temps can rotate those readings into view every minute. There's a place to set up your favorite locations -- just type a few letters of the name into the search field, and then pick the correct one from the list of results. Clicking on the menu bar displays all of your favorites in a list; selecting just one of those items shows a detailed four-day forecast of temperatures and precipitation probability. There's a selection of "modern" or "monochrome" (see below) interfaces for the results. I found that I preferred the modern interface a lot more. However, it would be nice to have a choice of other themes to select from depending on your current mood. The "world clock" aspect of Temps is quite subtle -- you pretty much have to bring up the full four-day view of each city to be able to look at the local time. It would be nice to have the choice to put the local time in place of the temperature if that's more important to you. Temps Mobile for iOS Now about Temps mobile. As you'd expect, it's the iOS companion app to Temps. The desktop and mobile apps actually sync through iCloud, so any locations that you set up in preferences are immediately transferred to all devices that are running the app. However, if you have set up a Netatmo weather station to appear on your Mac, it inexplicably disappears on the mobile version. There is a Location Services button that adds your current location to the list in the iOS app; that's just not the same as getting weather info from your own station. On an iPad, the app appears in landscape orientation, while it's in portrait mode on the iPhone. Orientation can't be switched on the iOS devices. There's also an unintentionally humorous internationalization error that shows up on the iOS version -- the app asks if you'd like to use iCloud for syncing, giving the choices of "Yes" and "Nein". Wrapping it all up in a nice little package, I'd say that I feel quite happy with Temps on OS X, as it's unobtrusive, provides a great way to get weather information at a glance, and can be configured to display your Netatmo weather readings. However, Temps mobile on iOS just doesn't do anything for me, probably because there are so many competing apps that do a much better job of displaying weather on iPhone and iPad. For both apps, I'd like to see a variety of themes instead of the "basic black" background that's available today. Temps requires OS X 10.8 or later and a 64-bit processor; Temps mobile is universal, requiring iOS 6.0 or later (optimized for iPhone 5).
iWeather has some clever features in a crowded field
iWeather (free, ad-supported with in-app options) is a graphically interesting and reasonably complete weather app. The problem for most new weather apps like iWeather is being creative enough to get people to stop using some of the leading weather apps like Yahoo Weather, Apple's built-in app, and other popular apps like WeatherBug. iWeather has a very clean look, and is gesture-driven. Pull down to add cities, tap for details, pinch for multi-city display. The app includes a 5-day forecast, and automatically figures out your current location using GPS. Each city displays temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind chill, and visibility. Background colors change based on time of day and the weather conditions. You can also share weather information via Facebook, Twitter and email. It's a worldwide app, rather than being focused only on US cities. I like having four cities tiled to see them all at once, something I haven't seen on too many other weather apps. The paid version lets you display more cities and eliminates the ads, which are really the big problem with iWeather -- they are placed at the top of the screen where they are sure to distract you. Worse, the ads are animated, so your eye is drawn toward them. The US$0.99 in-app purchase fixes that, but iWeather has to compete with Yahoo and Apple's free apps that provide even more information. WeatherBug has a free version with ads, but they are at the bottom of the display and, to my eyes, less distracting. iWeather has some really good visual ideas, but it is hampered by the way ads are implemented. There isn't enough here to pull me away from using Yahoo Weather or WeatherBug, but the in-app purchase is not expensive if you like the layout of this app and the nice features. Another nice free app is Minimalist Weather. It has no ads or in-app purchases, but includes a nice GUI and complete current weather information that includes your time zone, latitude and longitude. It foregoes the forecast to concentrate on instrument-derived data. iWeather requires iOS 7 or later. It's universal, so it will run on any iDevice, and it is optimized for the iPhone 5.
Move aside Yahoo, iOS 8 weather data to be supplied by The Weather Channel
Weather heads take note: Weather data in iOS 8 will no longer be powered by Yahoo but by The Weather Channel. This can't be an encouraging sign for Yahoo, which remains intent on deepening its partnership with Apple. You might recall some unsubstantiated rumblings that Yahoo was hoping to convince Apple to make its own search engine the default on iOS. Now to be clear, Yahoo actually relies upon The Weather Channel for its weather data, but as MacRumors points out, what each entity does with said data can differ completely. While the source of the data Apple uses is ultimately the same, there are differences in the underlying technology supporting the weather data between the two services. Because of that, the data presented to the end user may be slightly different even though Yahoo also obtained its data from TWC. Also worth noting is that the revamped weather app in iOS 8 now provides a weather forecast for nine days as opposed to five. * photo above via iDownloadblog
One Shots: Weather forecast
We've got a lot of great player-submitted screenshots revolving around weather and the environment in-game, starting off with this fantastic picture by Star Trek Online player Chris. "Here is Captain Hannah Welch and the senior staff of the USS Aurora on the surface of an alien world at dusk," Chris writes. "This is one of my favorite screenshots -- it captures what Star Trek has meant to me since I was a kid. A tight group of friends in a universe filled with wonders we've yet to see. One of my favorite quotes from the series (from the pen of Maurice Hurley) comes from Q at the end of the episode that introduces the Borg; 'It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's NOT for the timid.'" If you're adventurous and without timidity, continue reading to see what our community conjured up for this week's weather forecast One Shots!
Klyme: A colorful way to look at your local weather
Klyme (Free) is a new weather application for iPhone that arrived on the App Store today. The app is the latest in a parade of recent applications that promise to offer a new way to view your local weather and share conditions with others. How does it measure up to that promise? Let's take a look. Klyme has a gorgeous user interface, providing a colorful background with local weather conditions. That background varies from cool (bluish) tones when it's cold out to warm (orange and red) tones when the temperature is hotter. But what's new and different is the swipeable panel at the bottom of the screen. Weather details shows at a glance how severe weather conditions will be in terms of wind, humidity, precipitation probability, and visibility. Swipe to the left, and you get an idea of the type of clothing you should consider wearing. For example, with our most recent snow here in the Denver area (yes, on May 11th), the app showed a jacket, pants (duh!), a hat, and gloves -- not a bad guess for the chilly conditions. Another swipe and you're taking a look at the overall weather sentiment. I'm not sure how accurate this is, as it appears to be based on the "votes" of anyone who happens to be in your area and who also uses the app to post their sentiment about the weather. Finally, one more swipe takes you to an idea of some activities that you might want to take part in. For the snow, Klyme told me to have some tea to warm me up. Not a bad idea! While the app shows current conditions by default, moving the moon or sun through the sky with a circular swipe displays the expected conditions. For "scattered flurries", the app showed gently falling snowflakes in the background, a nice touch. Other conditions show similar animations. Sharing any of the information about the weather is done with a tap on a "plus" button, which lets you write a short note, add a photo, insert a quick one-word description of your activity, and then an icon showing your general mood about the weather. Sharing can be done to Facebook and Twitter. If you decide that you'd like to snap a photo of the current weather, Klyme even includes a selection of photo filters to make your image more dramatic. Finally, if you'd like to see a long-term forecast, all Klyme asks is that you turn your iPhone sideways. The expected low and high temperatures for the day are displayed along with three circles graphically showing the precipitation probability, expected cloud cover, and possibility of wind. Now, about the app. Temperatures can be displayed as "real feel", which indicates to the user how cold or hot it really feels thanks to wind, humidity and other factors. This can be somewhat confusing, as I initially thought the app was just way off (by nine to twelve degrees F) before realizing that it was giving me the "real feel" numbers. Turning off "real feel", the temperatures were within two to three degrees F of the temp provided by the professional weather station I have installed. In addition, the pre-release version of Klyme also had some issues with inconsistent units. While there is a settings switch for changing temperature between degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit, the weather details "bubbles" on the app home screen consistently showed metric units for wind velocity and visibility. Items like these can be fixed rather easily, so the big question for readers considering Klyme is "Do I need another weather app?" I love the app's use of color and animation, and being able to "drag the sun" across your iPhone screen to see an hourly forecast is pretty unique. I'm not exactly sure how developers AppaDeus plan to make money off of Klyme; perhaps they'll add features in the future as in-app purchases. Regardless of the business plan of the developers, Klyme is definitely worth considering as a primary weather app on your iPhone. Klyme requires iOS 7.0 or later and is optimized for the iPhone 5.
Wthr is a well thought out and innovative weather app for iOS
Whtr is a free universal app (with in-app purchase options) with a fresh take on how weather information should be presented and organized. The screens are very clean and simple. The app UI is gesture-based, so swiping up brings up the next screen. There is a clever option to drag the current temperature around an arc that represents a clock to show you future temperature predictions. You can also use the same gestures for predictions of air quality. The free version is quite complete, providing wind speeds, conditions in my favorite cities, sunset and sunrise times, dew point and more. The app covers about a million locations around the world, and using my iPhone's GPS capabilities it had no trouble pinpointing my home location. There are 2 in-app purchases. The $1.99 purchase adds more features, including adding more than two cities as favorites and providing visibility readouts. An HD Radar upgrade ($2.99) provides a NOAA-sourced radar plot. I like Whtr. The free version is ad-free, which is very commendable. The extra features are worthwhile, but I'd rather see the radar and other features bundled into a $1.99 upgrade. One bug I noticed was that if I scrolled the interface down to radar, which I hadn't purchased, the app seemed to get stuck and I could not go back to the weather conditions. I had to shut the app down to start again. Also, to get to the city list, you pinch the main screen -- which isn't very intuitive. An icon for that function might save users some frustration. There's a lot of fresh thinking in Wthr, but don't forget Yahoo Weather (free) or WeatherBug (free and optional in-app purchases to remove ads) which in my view are the two top general weather apps around. Wthr runs on any iOS hardware that supports iOS 7 or later. It is optimized for the iPhone 5.
World of Tanks launches update 1.2 for the Xbox 360
If you like to get your World of Tanks fix on your console, we've got good news. The latest patch for the game's Xbox 360 edition has launched, and it brings with it new premium Soviet tanks along with all-new weather effects. Now you can experience the joy of firing your tank's main gun in the middle of a rainstorm as well as on a nice sunny day. Seven maps are in the rotation for weather variants at launch, with more planned for the future. Not enough for you? Well, the update also adds two new maps, Fisherman's Bay and Abbey, which should give you all sorts of new terrain to deal with. The American tank tree has also been expanded with seven new vehicles, one each for tiers IV through X. You can start enjoying the update today, and you can check out the patch release trailer just past the break. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
Simple Weather is an elegant 'just the facts' app
With so many weather apps, making the best choices for your iPhone can be a conundrum. Simple Weather (free , supported by in-app advertising) is just that, a bare-bones but attractive app that takes its background colors from the current conditions, and features a screen of basic information that can be added to with taps and swipes. Tapping the temperature gives you a 'feels like' estimate. Swipe down to add a new location. Swipe up for the latest radar. Swipe left for an extended forecast. Simple, yet effective and attractive. There are a few things I'd like to see added. Multiple cities (coming according to the developer) and location awareness (also on the way). But I do like the look of the app (with reservations noted below) and the good ideas that go into it. My go-to app for weather remains Yahoo Weather (free), which I find superior to Apple's built-in app. I also really like Dark Skies (US$3.99) for simplicity and its notification system. Simple Weather is appealing, and it is, as its name implies, simple. The app will grow and be enhanced after this first version, and I think it will find a home on many iPhones. One negative, and it's not insignificant: As nice as the design is, the app is ad-supported, and some of the ads that are popping up on the main and the radar page are downright ugly and spoil all the good work done in the well thought-out graphics. Developers who allow ads should consider how their good work is minimized by this form of visual pollution. I understand the need for free apps wanting support, but sometimes a pretty high price is paid in the name of earning a few bucks. Simple Weather is not a universal app.It requires iOS 7 and it is optimized for the iPhone 5. If you have your own favorites feel free to share in comments.
Netatmo expands iOS-friendly Weather Station with Rain Gauge
Netatmo introduced its Weather Station (US$179) to the world in 2012, providing an easy way for iPhone owners to track indoor and outdoor temperatures and air quality at their homes or offices. Since that time, a vast number of users have enjoyed the ease of use of the free iOS app and the ability to see what's going on weather-wise not only in and around their own homes, but across the world through shared data. While I've used the Netatmo Weather Station for almost two years and have been impressed with how it just chugs along sending out data, I've regretted not having the ability to know how much precipitation has fallen at my home. The company has just released a new accessory for the Weather Station -- a $79 Rain Gauge that works with the base station to add precipitation measurement to the mix. Specifications Dimensions: Funnel diameter: 5.0 in (12.7 cm), base diameter 3.5 in (8.89 cm), height 4.5 in (11.43 cm) Weight: 7.3 oz (206.95 gms) Type of rain gauge: tipping bucket Measuring range: .2 mm/hr to 900 mm/hr (.0078 inches/hr to 35.43 inches/hr) Accuracy: 1 mm/hr (.0394 inches/hr) Max. distance between base station and rain gauge: 100 m (328 feet) Power: Two AAA batteries (included) Design Highlights Netatmo's Weather Station is very stylish, with the interior base station being a sleek aluminum cylinder that does all of its work without being obtrusive. Likewise, the Rain Gauge is very attractive and would not be out of place on a patio or veranda. On the bottom of the Rain Gauge is a common tripod screw mount, which means that it can be placed atop a number of widely available mounting options. For my tests, I just put the device on the ground -- not the best location, but it was for a temporary test. The actual rain gauge is located within the body of the device under the funnel area. It uses a very common type of gauge called a "tipping bucket" -- there is a seesaw-like mechanism with two tiny buckets, one on each side of a counter. When a bucket fills with rain, it tips and empties itself while the other fills up. The back and forth motion of the mechanism is counted, which provides a highly accurate measure of just how much rain has fallen. Functionality Highlights The Rain Gauge was quite easy to add to the Netatmo Weather Station network, even without instructions (this was a pre-release unit). The process simply required pressing the top of the base station until the seldom-seen LED on the front of the unit glowed blue, at which point it restarted and added the gauge. Once the Rain Gauge was added to the system, it was just a matter of waiting for rain. Here in dry Colorado, I was concerned that I might have to wait weeks until I'd be able to send the unit back to Netatmo, but fortunately we received a nice downpour last night that started at about 6 PM and dumped rain on and off for about four hours. I own and operate a "professional" weather station, so I was able to make a comparison of the readings I got from both stations. Sure enough, both stations showed the rain starting and ending at about the same time. Looking at the hourly precipitation totals in the Netatmo app showed .06 inches in the first hour, .12 inches in the second hour, .09 inches in the third hour, and .13 inches in the fourth hour for a total of .40 inches. My other station showed .09 inches in the first hour, .15 inches in the second hour, .12 inches in the third hour, and .13 inches in the fourth hour for a total of .49 inches. Upon retrieving the Netatmo Rain Gauge this morning I found out why it didn't measure as much precipitation as the other station -- it was located near some trees that are currently budding out and the funnel had a lot of "tree debris" that was blocking it. For the most part, though, I felt that the Netatmo gauge worked well and accurately measured as much of the rain as it could. Conclusion The Rain Gauge is a welcome addition to the Netatmo Weather Station ecosystem and adds another data point to any personal weather records you may wish to keep. Especially in drier climates, knowing exactly how much precipitation you received at your location can help save water used in keeping lawns and gardens thriving, and you'll always have that information on your iPhone with the Netatmo app. While the Rain Gauge is more pricy than a standard manual rain gauge, just think of it this way -- you don't have to empty the Netatmo Rain Gauge once a day. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible
A fierce weather front is blowing into Age of Wushu
Age of Wushu is introducing dynamic weather effects that will do more than look moody; they will actually herald several events. Each weather effect will have a different event that it will trigger. The great fog will start a school assassination PvP contest, the sandstorm will begin a treasure hunt in the desert, the eclipse will launch an invasion by the Prince of a Thousand Sentiments, and the thunderstorm will give you the opportunity to find the fight of the century. This weather system will be coming with the Age of Wushu: Tempest of Strife update. You can check out the weather effects preview video after the break!
Weather forecasts and user photos could be headed to Chromecast's home screen
Google could be looking to the put the main screen of its Chromecast to work, just before it beams videos to your TV. Reddit user asjmcguire recently uncovered HTML code for the dongle's home screen that references current weather and the day's forecast (based on location), complete with the requisite icons needed to illustrate the conditions. What's more, it seems that the folks in Mountain View aren't stopping with weather: personal photos and locations are also mentioned in the code. As you may recall, third-party devs have been making their own useful add-ons for the device thanks to the open SDK, and Google has already released an interactive PhotoWall and cozy fireplace for setting the proper mood.
The Weather Channel comes back to DirecTV, but now with less reality TV
After dragging on for months, a standoff between DirecTV and The Weather Channel has ended and the winner is pretty clear. In mid-January TWC went dark on the satellite service and DirecTV started pushing the three people left who don't get their weather info from the internet to another channel, WeatherNation. There hadn't been any movement since, but after news a few days ago that DirecTV signed a multiyear deal with WeatherNation, it appears The Weather Channel finally blinked. A statement announcing the deal includes an apology to DirecTV and its customers from Weather Company CEO David Kenny, plus a promise to cut TWC's reality TV programming by half on weekdays (Deadliest Space Weather is a real show). Other throw ins include the return of instant local weather and letting DirecTV subscribers stream The Weather Channel's video feed to other devices over the internet no matter where they are. Now that this long national nightmare is over (DirecTV is still duking it out with the Dodgers, PAC-12 and CSN Houston networks), we're hoping they go back and add a line ending TWC's silly new practice of naming winter storms -- that's not a thing, stop it.
Yahoo updates and improves its popular iOS Weather app
Yahoo Weather (free) has been my favorite quick-look weather app since it came out a year ago. I believe it looks better than Apple's weather app and provides more information. Yahoo has posted an updated version, with some worthwhile features. You now get chances of precipitation in the 5- and 10-day forecasts. Wind chill information appears when it is relevant, and there are new animations for moon phases. Another new feature lets you swipe down on the photo to replace it with a new one. It's a small touch, but a nice one. As before, you can load multiple cities (up to 20) and there is a nice radar map that will pinpoint inclement weather. There are many weather apps available for iOS, but I think Yahoo Weather provides the most relevant information in a beautiful package. Some apps are specialized with more data and maps, but for the weather highlights, Yahoo Weather is a great choice. The app is multi-lingual, and supports 35 languages. Yahoo Weather is a universal app that requires iOS 6.0 or later. It is optimized for the iPhone 5.
Darkfall discounts six-month sub, updates weather effects
Aventurine has announced its March Darkfall update, and with it a new promotion tied to the PvP MMORPG's six-month subscription plan. The update features more realistic weather effects. Snowfall and rain will now affect Agon's landscapes as well as buildings, mobs, and player characters. The devs have also added a new clan market system which facilitates goods exchanges within clans and enables the creation of city-based trading hubs. The six-month sub promotion costs $49.95, which amounts to 45 percent off the usual monthly fee. Finally, Aventurine wants you to know about Darkfall's other recent updates which include a new chat system, duels, and the Sinspire Cathedral epic dungeon. To get a better look at the new weather effects, click past the cut and watch the video. [Source: Aventurine press release]
In-game weather is really important to the EQN Landmark community
EQN Landmark's latest roundtable video, hosted by SOE senior brand manager Omeed Dariani and senior producer Terry Michaels, is all about in-game weather. With the new technology behind the game, Michaels explains, SOE can make weather a major gameplay factor. Dariani says that the Landmark community responded with a resounding desire for immersion and for weather to be "a real part of the world." That said, Michaels explains that weather is not on the immediate roadmap for the next few months. It's a core system, he explains, "but it's not something that needs to come in before groups or guilds." Michaels also suggests that Jeremy Soule's music score will change based on seasonal or weather variations. Click past the cut to see the full discussion via SOE's latest roundtable video.
Darkfall to add clan markets and realistic weather effects
If you haven't had enough snow this winter, you'll be able to get some more in Darkfall Unholy Wars! The PvP sandbox's upcoming patch is introducing realistic rain and snow weather effects. Snow will soon be dusting buildings, trees, ships, and the ground, significantly altering the visual landscape. Suddenly, those stark white mounts will no longer be such a liability! The update also includes a new way for clans and alliances to do business amongst themselves in the form of clan markets. The clan markets have individual permission settings, so business can be restricted to individuals (when clan-only), allies, non-enemies, or everyone. As an added benefit, clan markets won't have any courier fees or taxes, at least for the time being. These structures can be built within any clan holding, be it a a city or a hamlet, and trade can commence between all locations. Markets can be damaged to the point of deactivation or lost if holdings change owners. The patch is due out next week. Check out more details about these features and other fixes in the patch notes, and watch as snow covers the landscape and ships alike in the weather video below. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
WeatherFlow Wind Meter turns your iPhone into an accurate anemometer
You know that the world of smartphone accessories is huge when there are multiple entries in a product category that probably isn't that big. That's the case with wind meters for the iPhone; just last August we looked at the Vavuud wind meter, and now there's another iPhone-centric anemometer on the market. The WeatherFlow Wind Meter (US$34.95) is a snazzy-looking and highly-accurate wind meter that links with an iPhone app, allowing you to capture and share wind speed and other data. Who would use a device like this? Well, just about anyone who spends a lot of time engaging in outdoor activities would find it useful to know exactly how fast the wind is blowing. Whether you're a sailing enthusiast, a kite flyer, a skydiver, a pilot, a hiker, a fireman, or just someone who wants to know how fast the wind's blowing, the WeatherFlow Wind Meter can do the job for you. Using the wind meter is quite simple. You just download and install the free companion WeatherFlow Wind Meter app, plug the wind meter into your iPhone's headphone port, and then get ready to take some readings. The app requires access to your iPhone's microphone and uses location services to determine your present location. Once you've made a few settings, including the primary activity you're involved with, speed units, direction display, magnetic declination, and the maximum sample period, you're ready to roll. You just point into the wind holding your iPhone in front of you, tap the start button, and you're greeted with the wind velocity, direction, and the number of seconds left in the reading. Should you decide to share the information, it can be sent to Twitter or Facebook as well as through email or SMS. Between the Vavuud and the WeatherFlow, I'm more impressed with the latter. The quality of construction seems better, the "propeller" that is used to measure wind velocity is encased and is less easily damaged, and even the application is more usable. The WeatherFlow Wind Meter can register wind from 2 miles per hour up to 125 miles per hour. The design was calibrated at the University of Florida's Aerospace Engineering Department, and is accurate to the larger of +/-0.5% of the reading or 0.2 mph at up to 15° off-axis. That means that you don't need to hold it directly into the wind to get an accurate reading. The WeatherFlow Wind Meter will soon be compatible with the iWindsurf, Fishweather, Sailflow, WindAlert, and iKiteSurf applications, so you won't have to give up using your favorite app in order to use the device.
Age of Wushu's Tempest of Strife expansion announced for Spring
While many people are looking forward to better weather and sunshine come spring, Age of Wushu players will have thunderstorms, blizzards, and even sandstorms thanks to one of the new features in the upcoming Tempest of Strife expansion. In addition to immersive weather that can trigger mysterious events, this fourth expansion also includes six new sects to join. Players ready to cast off the shackles of their old masters can betray their school and sign up with one of the three sects open to all (Villa of Beasts, Xu Family Manor, and Golden Needle Sect) or one of the three that require a large reserve of talent first (Palace of Shifting Flowers, Peach Blossom Island, Rootless Clan). Want to forgo masters altogether? Become a vagrant! Additional expansion features include the ability to change your looks through a face-lift and the opportunity to personalize your equipment by inscribing unique names on each piece. Tempest of Strife is due out later this spring. [Source: Snail Games press release]
Here's pretty much everything known about Black Desert
2P has put together a summary post of everything currently known about Black Desert. The open-world fantasy sandbox from Pearl Abyss has secured publishers for Korea, Japan, and Russia, and is reportedly working on an internal English-language client despite the lack of a Western publisher. The summary post features brief descriptions of Black Desert's systems as well as several embedded trailers and gameplay videos including footage of castle sieges, a pigeon-shooting minigame, dynamic weather, and an in-game wiki. You can watch the Black Desert teaser trailer after the break. [Thanks WNxArcticwolf!]
Inhabitat's Week in Green: smog safety bubbles, the Tesla Gigafactory and transforming furniture
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. Extreme weather is dominating the headlines yet again this winter. California is in the midst of a historic drought, which has many observers wondering if desalination is the answer to the state's water problems. This week, workers broke ground on what will soon be the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere near San Diego. Man-made fixes like desalination plants aren't likely to solve the problems brought on by climate change, but they could help mitigate the effects. For example, a team of researchers found that offshore wind farms could reduce wind speeds, wave heights and storm surges resulting from hurricanes. A string of harsh winter storms has battered most of North America all winter, but here's one vehicle that can cut right through the snow: A Quebec man created a crazy battery-powered sled that can navigate the most treacherous terrain. And architects from the London-based firm Orproject have drafted plans for large inflatable bubbles that would give residents of Beijing a place to escape from the city's suffocating smog.
