Hornblower Hybrid ferry relies on eco-friendly trifecta: hydrogen, solar and wind power

Plan on visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island via ferry next year? If so, pay close attention to the vessel you board, as it just might be the world's first to rely on hydrogen, solar and wind power for motorization. Currently, the New York Hornblower Hybrid (not to be confused with the San Francisco Hornblower Hybrid) is under construction in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and if all goes well, it'll reach completion in April. The 600-passenger boat be equipped with Tier 2 diesel engines, hydrogen fuel cells, solar panels and wind turbines, with power coming from a proton exchange membrane fuel cell that turns hydrogen into electricity. We're told that the diesel rigs will only kick in to cover "additional energy needs," but it's hard to say how often they'll actually be used. The eventual goal, however, is to do away with emissions altogether in the ferry process, and it seems that the technology is already capable of being scaled for use in other hybrid ferries, hybrid yachts and even hybrid tugs.

Continue reading Hornblower Hybrid ferry relies on eco-friendly trifecta: hydrogen, solar and wind power

Hornblower Hybrid ferry relies on eco-friendly trifecta: hydrogen, solar and wind power originally appeared onEngadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:12:00 EDT.

GameString demos its streaming, custom World of Warcraft UI by raiding on an HTC Desire (video)

We're still not ready to apply the label "Gaming 3.0" here (or to anything, for that matter), but despite its boasts, GameString's making a compelling case for cloud-based play time. We've already seen the company bringWorld of Warcraft to Google TV, but now the company's showcasing its take on a challenge we've seen a few times before -- streaming a playable version of WoW to a mobile phone. (Gotta get 'em out of the house somehow.) The trick here is a streamlined UI overlay that makes for a every touch-friendly experience; there's translucent "thumbstick" spots and larger buttons for spells. The setup in question here is its Adrenalin Host Server from approximately 80 kilometers away (geographically) and an HTC Desire running over a home network that's 2Mbps down / 2Mbps up. And while there's some notable lag and parts of the interface that's still too tiny to really use, it's still an Alpha build that seems functional for all but the most intense of moments. See it for yourself after the break.

Continue reading GameString demos its streaming, custom World of Warcraft UI by raiding on an HTC Desire (video)

GameString demos its streaming, custom World of Warcraft UI by raiding on an HTC Desire (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:31:00 EST.

PeeWee PC netbook moves to 2.0, rated to take the worst your tot can deliver

Little fingers can dish out big pain for gadgets, and unless your little one is beefy enough to lug around aToughbook you'll be wanting something small and durable for them. Enter the $449 PeeWee Power 2.0, the latest revision to the company's series of kid-friendly computers. This netbook is said to survive drops with aplomb, but only has a "water resistant" keyboard, so don't toss those sippy cups just yet. It also comes loaded with security software to hopefully keep your kids from finding the worst the 'net has to offer, but with only a 1.6GHz N270 Atom processor on tap, 1GB of RAM, and a mere 30GB of HDD storage, we're guessing it could also be a good tool to teach them all about patience.

Gallery: PeeWee Power 2.0

Continue reading PeeWee PC netbook moves to 2.0, rated to take the worst your tot can deliver

PeeWee PC netbook moves to 2.0, rated to take the worst your tot can deliver originally appeared onEngadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:46:00 EDT.

BMW Designworks USA flexes its eco muscle with Siemens Inspiro subway concept

BMW Group's Designworks USA -- where have we heard about those folks before? Ah, yes, that's the crew that's responsible for Thermaltake's Level 10 PC case, and we're desperately hoping that this concept has an equal (or greater) level of success in the open market. The subway car you see above is purportedly 97.5 percent recyclable, with an aluminum chassis, vivacious hues and a ridiculously spacious interior. It's being labeled the Siemens Inspiro, and it's on track to show up in Warsaw's Metro Warszawskie just over a year from now. No word on where to sign up for conductor dutie, though.

BMW Designworks USA flexes its eco muscle with Siemens Inspiro subway concept originally appeared onEngadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:23:00 EDT.

MeeGo-based Intel Atom phone and tablet spotted from Russia with love

First the 2018 World Cup and now this. An Intel press event in Moscow was reportedly the site of some newMeeGo device reveals. Mail.ru's Anton Spiridonov was on hand and managed to spot Intel Atom-based phone the Hi/Lo Vibrant (we haven't heard of the company, either) and a tablet of some sort, both equipped with the Linux-based OS. Not much else is known save for what appears to be a 5 megapixel camera labeled as such on the back. More pics below.
[Thanks, Chris]

Gallery: MeeGo-based Intel Atom phone and tablet spotted from Russia with love

MeeGo-based Intel Atom phone and tablet spotted from Russia with love originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:49:00 EDT.

Polaroid's CES 2011 teaser hints at instant photography's rebirth

Technically speaking, Polaroid returned to instant photography earlier this year with the introduction of the 300, but we all know that thing was forgotten as soon as it was revealed. The famed camera outfit -- despite being a shell of its former self -- just dropped a luscious teaser into our inbox to let us know about an exclusive event it'll be hosting at CES 2011 next month. The image you see above is severely distorted, but we did so to give you a better idea of what's truly to come -- unless that's an outrageously shaped projector, we're guessing it's some sort of next generation instant camera. The slot on the bottom definitely helped push us over the edge, but if you'd rather cover the whole thing in mystique and guess for yourself, the un-doctored (er, unmutilated) teaser is just after the break. Oh, and we'll be bringing you the blow-by-blow on what this thing really is on January 6th, hopefully with Outkast blaring in the background.

Continue reading Polaroid's CES 2011 teaser hints at instant photography's rebirth

Polaroid's CES 2011 teaser hints at instant photography's rebirth originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:08:00 EDT.

Apple's numpad-less compact wired keyboard gets discontinued, few tears are shed

The ultraslim, metallic, chiclet-styled obsession all began back in mid-2007, but a revised iMac in March of 2009 delivered something else: a chopped-down version of the Apple Keyboard. If you'll recall, that one dropped the numeric keypad and gained two peripheral USB sockets, making it one of the more compact desktop keyboards on the market. Just shy of its second birthday, it seems as if the supply chain overlords in Cupertino have seen fit to discontinue it, though a number of e-tailers still seem to have stock for the moment. If you're dead-set on snagging one (we know, stocking's aren't that long), Amazon can make your day for $46.99, but we'd probably pony up the extra $3 necessary to bring one home with a number pad on the right.

Apple's numpad-less compact wired keyboard gets discontinued, few tears are shed originally appeared onEngadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:23:00 EDT.

8-inch robot wreaks havoc on Denver commuters, Cylon war narrowly averted

The Capricans in Denver, Colorado should can consider themselves blessed by the Gods. An 8-inch tall Centurion was spotted near Coors Field park, prompting one citizen to notify the police. You probably know what happened next: adjacent 20th street was closed causing rush hour traffic to pile up, and two hours later, after being unable to determine at the time if it was safe, the bomb squad remotely detonated the little Centurion. Move along, nothing to see here. It's not like they walk among us in human form or anything. Yet.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

8-inch robot wreaks havoc on Denver commuters, Cylon war narrowly averted originally appeared on Engadgeton Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:32:00 EDT.