Green Ark Island

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green-ark-island-nicaragua-3Recently I noted that Nicaragua is affordable alternative for individuals wanting a Caribbean like island, without paying the seven figure price tag which is typical of the region. Another fine example of affordable Nicaraguan islands is Green Ark Island a lush 21 acre island located on Lake Nicaragua.

Green Ark is is the largest, privately owned, developed island in northern Lake Nicaragua, which is the tenth largest fresh water lake in the world. The development is inspired by those seeking to live with as small a carbon footprint as possible.

There are currently three houses on the island, all of which are powered by alternative energy consisting of solar panels and a wind turbine. There are three piers, a swimming pool, wells, numerous viewpoints and a walkway completely around the island, as well as intersecting it.

The island is surrounded by an abundant fishery which, along with the organic gardens, make the island almost self sufficient. So, with free energy and food and water in a beautiful tropical setting including spectacular views of volcanoes, what’s keeping you from this opportunity of a lifetime? For more information on this property including listing price visit Private Islands Onlne.

A Mockup of the Firefox 4 User Interface: Hello, Gorgeous! [Firefox]

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A Firefox developer has posted a handful of mockups of Firefox 4's user interface redesign along with some explanations of this shiny new App Button we're getting. Everything just looks oh-so-gorgeous and simplified right next to that old 3.5 design.

The main focus of this new design is the App Button, a space-saving touch which will feel familiar to Windows 7 users. In essence, it "provides a unified location for menu items" and cuts down on all the toolbar clutter.

You can check out Horlander's site for plenty of details about the design and explanations behind some of the new elements, but before you go, tell me: Do you prefer this App Button sort of element? Or do you prefer the plain ol' menus we're used to? [Stephen Horlander via Neowin]



Have You Joined Gizmodo’s Mile High Club Yet? [Inflight Wifi]

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Just a reminder that we've started a not-so-secret society here at Gizmodo: The Mile High Club. It's full of people testing out in-flight Wi-Fi speeds while taking silly pictures of themselves and you're invited to join. Here's how.

A goofy picture isn't mandatory to gain membership to Gizmodo's Mile High Club, but you do need to run a Speed Test while using in-flight Wi-Fi and send us the results. So either take a screenshot or copy the data and email it to me (along with any in-flight webcam pictures) under the subject line "Mile High Club." Please make sure that you also include the name of the airline you're flying (and, if possible, the cities you're flying to and from). Oh, and don't forget to grab coupon code for free inflight Wi-Fi before you go.

In exchange for your email, you'll get no membership cards, no tshirts, no cookies, and no invitations to member-only events, but you will receive a "thank you" from me and be able to count yourself as part of our little club. And yes, Brian Lam is our founding member.



Next-Gen Nvidia Ion Is Pine-Trail-Compatible, Promises Better Performance [Processors]

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Intel's Pine Trail Atom chips are pretty disappointing in the power department, so it's good to see Nvidia step up with a new, Pine-Trail-compatible line of Ion chips. If you want to watch HD YouTube on a netbook, read on.

We don't know much about the chipsets yet, but here's what we do know. Nvidia has promised better battery life (which was needed), they'll be officially announced at CES, and should ship in early 2010. There's apparently also a bit of smack-talk about Intel's underpowered new Atoms, with Nvidia noting that people want way better graphics performance than Intel seems to think. We'll keep you updated with more detail (including what kind of netbooks will be packing these guys) at CES. [Engadget]



Man Jailed After Accidentally Killing His Wife With a Remote Control [Freak Accidents]

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While arguing, a man threw a remote control at his wife. It struck her head, causing a fatal hemorrhage due to a medical condition no one knew she had. He is now serving a three year jail sentence for manslaughter.

Apparently Gloria Laguna had a "unique medical condition which was unknown to anybody, least of all herself, and the slightest trauma in that area of the vertebral artery could [...] lead to death." Her husband, Paul Harvey, is known for his two violence-related criminal convictions and a temper problem.

On the night of Laguna's death, all of those factors combined with both individuals having alcohol and cocaine in their systems. They argued, Harvey threw the remote, and Laguna fell to the ground. Harvey made a frantic and tear-filled call to 999 (the UK equivalent of 911), but despite all efforts to save her, his wife died in a hospital later that day.

While throwing an object at someone is a violent and abusive act, the intent here wasn't to kill or to even truly injure. I almost wonder if a three year jail sentence for manslaughter is deserved, because, assuming that all the details are true, this appears to have been a genuine freak accident. [This London]

Photo by stuartpilbrow



Fleximus Camera Concept Values Simplicity and Bendability [Concept]

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Art Lebedev is known for designing products that serve as elegant solutions for complex problems. If your problem is, "I can't figure out how to use this damn camera," his Fleximus concept is the solution for you.

The Fleximus, designed to take photos and video, features a bendable body that can be used with a built-in viewfinder or with an attachable 3" display. The camera's simplified controls and flexible body let you shoot at "angles never imaginable before": snaked under a door, curved around a corner, or, as the man below is attempting, sighted directly up your anus.

Sadly, like many of Lebedev's designs, the Fleximus will likely be a bit too cool for any company to put into production. [artlebedev.com]



Street Lights

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Does anyone know what is the standard or rule of thumb when it comes to street lights? How far should street lights (Under ground or Over Head) from the curb?

10-ft, 15-ft, 25-ft ect...? I looked every and cannot find a definite answer, does it exist?

Thanks.

The More Pollution In The Air, The More This Dress Glows [Apparel]

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Being one of only two laydees on Gizmodo, I feel justified in saying this dress is hot. Though not as hot as we'll be if global warming gets its way, unless more people pay attention to eco-friendly inventions like this.

Dozens of LEDs sprinkled across this dress concept light up, and actually blink faster when the microprocessor and carbon dioxide detection unit (hidden in the dress bustle, I presume) recognizes pollution in the air. No, they don't make underwear versions, though I'm sure some of the men reading this could do with their "air pollution" being monitored. [Diffus via The Coolist]



Alaskan Coastal Erosion Speeding Up

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ANCHORAGE, – A portion of Alaska’s North Slope coastline is eroding at a rate of up to 45 feet a year, posing a threat to oil operations and wildlife in the area, according to a new report issued by scientists at the University of Colorado.

Warmer ocean water has thawed the base of frozen bluffs and destroyed natural ice barriers protecting the coast, causing large earth chunks to fall each summer, the scientists said.

“What we are seeing now is a triple whammy effect,” study co-author Robert Anderson, an associate professor at the University of Colorado’s Department of Geological Sciences, said. “Since the summer Arctic sea ice cover continues to decline and Arctic air and sea temperatures continue to rise, we really don’t see any prospect for this process ending.”

The scientists studied coastline midway between Point Barrow, the nation’s northernmost spot, and Prudhoe Bay, site of the nation’s biggest oil fields. The erosion, if it continues, could ultimately be a problem for energy companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp and BP Plc.

“The northern coastline of Alaska midway between Point Barrow and Prudhoe Bay is eroding by up to one-third the length of a football field annually because of a “triple whammy” of declining sea ice, warming seawater and increased wave activity, according to new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder.”

See more on the story here from the University of Colorado.

Findings were presented last week at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. They backed up other studies of erosion along Alaska’s Beaufort Sea coastline.

A study by U.S. Geological Survey scientists published in February found that erosion along a stretch of Alaska coastline during 2002 to 2007 was twice as fast as in the period from 1955 to 1979. That USGS study also found erosion occurring at a rate of 13.6 meters (44.6 feet) annually from 2002 to 2007.

The three-year University of Colorado study aimed to examine how erosion is occurring, said co-author Irina Overeem, a scientist at the University’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research.

The scientists employed time-lapse photography, global positioning systems, meteorological monitoring, and analysis of sediment and sea-ice distribution.

Photographic images snapped every six hours during the around-the-clock sunlight of summer were particularly dramatic, Overeem told Reuters.

“There’s a notching effect that just notches, notches, notches and then topples over,” she said. “The cliffs are more than half ice — they’re basically dirty icebergs — so warm water, stronger waves and higher wave action quickly carves them away,” she said.

Read more here.

 

(Editing by Bill Rigby, Gary Hill)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

States Can Be Energy Self-Sufficient

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Many people are disappointed that we did not get a firm climate treaty from Copenhagen. However, we have to think about climate change responsibility differently. Countries should not wait for a treaty to come out of the UN. If something needs to be done, people should pressure their governments to do it with or without a global agreement. In addition, the Kyoto Protocol is in effect until 2012, so countries should still be operating under that, at least. The U.S. can operate under that at any time it chooses, but it has not chosen to do so. A new binding treaty might be treated the same way. Also, many countries, including the United States, break treaties and act in their own interests instead, with no punishment from anyone. So a “binding” treaty is not necessarily binding, or needed. If mitigating climate change and cutting emissions is the right thing to do, there is no need to wait until a binding agreement is signed through the UN. Countries need to get active cutting emissions right away and we have to pressure our governments to do that.

Why wait for federal governments to do the right thing?  States can get started now.

A report from the New Rules Project says that 31 states have the renewable resources to be “energy self-reliant”

A new report from the New Rules Project finds that over 60% of all U.S. states have the renewable energy resources to be “energy self-reliant.” (“Energy self-reliance,” as defined in the report, is a measure of how self-sufficient in energy generation a state could be if it relied entirely on its own renewable resources). The New Rules Project, a program of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, released its findings last week.

The report, “Energy Self-Reliant States: Second and Expanded Edition” describes how 31 states have the capacity to independently meet their states’ electricity demands by using wholly renewable energy sources, already at their disposal. Several states, the report notes, could use their renewable energy resources to produce electricity that meets over ten times their statewide demands. An additional ten states could generate enough electricity to meet well over half of their annual demands—again, solely from renewable sources.

Read more at Climate Progress