Algae-power, PS3 price cuts and how Gears of War improves your eyesight

by Dean Evans at Monday 30th March, 2009 at 3:44 pm [0 comments]

Can algae solve the world’s energy problems? US biofuel company Sapphire Energy is experimenting with genetically modified pond scum to produce a newer, greener form of oil.

If the algae can be grown on a commercial scale, the hope is that it can be processed into petrol and diesel using existing facilities. Algae also absorbs carbon dioxide, so it could be a win-win situation. [CNN] 

Eco buildings

Rana Creek takes eco-friendly or ‘green’ buildings to a whole new level. “Pending a city permit, ground will be broken on the first commercial structure in the U.S. with ‘living walls.’ The 10-story building, 110 Embarcadero, will have plants growing out of the spaces between floors on the building’s glass exterior. Vines will snake around vertical and horizontal trellises on three sides of the building.” [CNN] 

From one futuristic green house to another… Ever wished that you could just slide your living room out into the garden on a sunny day? The occupants of the Suffolk house in the video below can do exactly that…

Banning high definition TVs

The California Energy Commission is looking to ban the sale of power-hungry HDTVs by putting a cap on active power usage. The proposal seeks to reduce the wattage per square inch of new televisions to 0.12W per square inch by 2013, reducing energy consumption by a massive 49%. [Wired] 

PlayStation price cut?

Is Sony about to cut the price of the PlayStation 3? It seems that Sony is poised to make a global announcement on March 31st, but nobody knows what they’re going to say. A PS3 price cut is one rumour; others suggest a far less exciting slashing of the cost of a PS2.

Wii Fit or Wii Fat?

The University of Mississippi is giving eight families a Nintendo Wii and a Wii Fit Balance Board to track whether the new trend for exercise video games has a real and lasting benefit. “For people who have been inactive, there’s a good chance they can see improvements,” said Scott Owens, an associate professor of health and exercise science. [USA Today] 

But there are also dangers. A 25 year-old man recently dropped dead after using Wii Fit. “Tim Eves was ‘jogging’ on the spot using the games console at home when he slumped to the floor.” [Daily Telegraph] 

And… Why Gears of War is good for you

According to a new study by Nature Neuroscience, playing video games can improve your eyesight. The research suggests that video gaming can maintain an adult’s ‘contrast sensitivity’, I.e. their ongoing ability to distinguish between different shades of grey and to see clearly in low lighting conditions. [Digital Trends]

Sod carrots. Time to fire up my copy of Gears of War 2…

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