The Living Museum

 

From a bird’s-eye view, the domes of the California Academy of Sciences, set to open in the fall, bulge out of the ground like giant scoops of green ice cream. These undulating hills built into the museum’s 2.5-acre, flora-covered roof integrate the building into the green space of surrounding Golden Gate Park. They also conserve energy, since the roof insulates and ventilates the 400,000-square-foot museum below.

Designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, whose works include the landmark modern-art museum Centre Pompidou in Paris, the $484-million structure will most likely be the largest public building ever to qualify for the U.S. Green Building Council’s “platinum” LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating. The designation, so far held by just 70 buildings worldwide, is the highest honor in green construction.

Beneath the roof, museumgoers will find a natural-history museum, a planetarium, a rainforest with free-flying birds, a coral reef inhabited by 4,000 fish, and an aquarium filled with saltwater pumped in from the Pacific Ocean. The most influential display, though, may well be the marriage of the museum’s physical design with its educational mission. “It’s not about dusty stuffed animals,” says executive director Greg Farrington. “It’s about human survival and living in harmony on planet Earth.”

Pablo & Melman this one is for you… Good Luck!

Apple Takes Aim At Blackberry

Apple announced that its iPhone is soon going to be able to support company e-mail, which should give it a chance to challenge the all-powerful Blackberry as the device of choice for business folk. This is just one part of a larger plan to open the iPhone up to outside developers.

Saturn’s Moon Rhea May Have Rings, Too

 

The Cassini spacecraft has uncovered evidence of a ring of space dust orbiting the second largest of Saturn’s moons, Rhea. No other moons have ever been found to have rings, so this could be a first, but it may also provide some interesting clues to Rhea’s past. When it captured the data in November 2005, Cassini was actually looking for evidence of an atmosphere around the moon.

London Pads Lamp Posts To Help Prevent ‘Texting While Walking’ Related Injuries

I’m not a big fan of text-messaging while walking, but that’s because I have the coordination of a newborn. Apparently a lot of people do it. And apparently a lot of people get hurt doing it (allegedly 1 in 10 London texters) . So now the city is starting to pad its lamp posts to prevent people from running into them while they’re busy texting. I personally think this is a horrible idea. It makes the lampposts look stupid and prevents injuries to people who probably deserve it (and should learn a valuable lesson). You have to look where you’re walking! Next they’re going to start padding cars for people who walk and text-message. I say screw the padding, add sharp spikes to the poles. If you can’t manage to look where you’re walking then you deserve to lose all that blood.

Plug It makes USB Adapter Cables Even More Convenient

A cable has to have a certain something to cause optical interrupt to these trade-show weary eyes. Then this comes along, the Plug It USB adapter. I doubt it’s the “world’s smallest” USB charging and data cable as they claim. Nevertheless, it’s definitely convenient and small enough to be slung from your keys or even that eyelet found on many mobile devices including most cellphones. At the moment, it’s available in a handful of proprietary models for connecting to a wide range of Samsung and Nokia devices. A mini USB version allows it to connect to just about everything else including Blackberrys, cameras, PMPs, MP3 players, etc etc. Well, except that iPod in your pocket.

Brickarms: Real-World Weapons For LEGO Minifigs

 

Brickarms is an online boutique specializing in custom weaponry for LEGO minifigs. They offer both historical weapons as well as fantasic ones, like this M41A Pulse Rifle used by the Colonial Space Marines.

Company Page:Brickarms.com

Wired.com Logo Contest Inspired By D&D

 

My favourite magazine: Wired.com, is taking submissions for a redesign of their logo in the style of Dungeons & Dragons maps (or riffs thereon). The winner will replace the Wired.com logo for a day on the main site. An awesome gesture!

Redesign the Wired.com Logo, Dungeons & Dragons-Style [Underwire]

Keyboard And Desktop Organizer For The Untidy

Your desk is not small but still by the looks of it, you could do with some extra space? Well the problem may not be too much of papers or peripherals but simply the lack of organizational skills. Maybe you need Monica Gellar or the Keyboard and Desktop Organizer to tidy up the desk. Since Monica is long gone, the Organizer should do the trick. It’s about the same size as a standard keyboard and opens up like a pencil-box. With various compartments and division you can fit in everyday desktop items such as pens, CD’s, markers, paper clips, stamps and more. This is the worlds first and only patented fully functional computer keyboard that makes use of all the empty space. The Keyboard features 18 multi-media hotkeys, PS/2 connection and is fully compatible with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP.

Macca Signs $400 Million Deal, Beatles Catalog Makes It To iTunes

 

Sir Paul McCartney may be embroiled in a bitter divorce right now but he has taken out minutes to sign a $400 million deal with iTunes that will give them access to the Beatles catalog. The band’s musical hits from albums such as “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” will now be available for downloads via iTunes. When the albums will actually hit iTunes is not yet confirmed. Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr will receive a portion of the profits, as will the families of late Beatles stars George Harrison and John Lennon. Although a major chunk of the money will go to Paul, portions of the pay-out will also be given to Michael Jackson, EMI and Sony recording groups, who each own certain Beatles recording or publishing rights.

Via:Gizmodo

Night Vision Glasses By Tag Heuer

Tag Heuer, the name listed in many celebrity brand want list. Their yet another collection after the mesmerizing watches are the night vision glasses that clear your vision at night. These glasses work upon the contrast set in your eyes in times of darkness and improves the light compatibility to allow a better exposure of the object. These glasses are ideally developed for for the 24-hour LeMans auto race in a titanium frame with an anti-reflective lense which shall fit perfectly under that crash helmet you wear for those nights racing sessions.