Inhabitat’s Week in Green: space pod hotel, Lego LED lamps and the world’s largest solar-powered boat
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.
Incredible green architecture projects lifted off to the stars and charted the seas this week as Inhabitat showcased a solar-powered space pod hotel that could launch in 2016 and PayPal founder Peter Thiel invested $1.25 million to create a chain of floating micro-countries. Meanwhile, Apple unveiled new images of its spaceship-shaped headquarters and its Grand Central Terminal store, and OPEN Architecture floated plans to transform a Zeppelin hangar into a green-roofed extreme sports center. Living green building projects also got a boost as Mexico unveiled plans to develop the world’s largest urban park and an incredible crop of grass-covered cubicles sprung up in downtown Denver.
It was also an epic week for electric vehicles as Germany’s “Schluckspecht” car set a world record for driving over 1,000 miles on a single charge, Lightning Motorcycles broke the 200 MPH electric bike speed record, and Stanford unveiled what could very well be the fastest solar car ever built. We also watched the world’s largest solar-powered boat arrive in Hong Kong as it continues its trip around the world, while Google Street View began mapping the Amazon using cameras set on canoes and trikes. Solar Roadways also received a $750,000 grant to develop a large-scale installation and Zero2Infinity proposed a cheaper way to travel to space via an immense helium-filled balloon.
In other news, the past week was charged with renewable energy developments as a 13-year-old kid harnessed the Fibonacci sequence to make a solar power breakthrough and researchers developed an energy-harvesting LCD screen that could one day power our gadgets. We also learned that deep-sea mussels can convert hydrogen into energy, we were shocked to see another shiny slick of oil turn up near a BP well in the Gulf of Mexico, and we saw Australia outfit its soldiers with photovoltaic systems. Finally, on the home front we brought you a set of fun LEGO LED lamps perfect for illuminating any room, and we shared five tips for greening your finances.
Inhabitat’s Week in Green: space pod hotel, Lego LED lamps and the world’s largest solar-powered boat originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HTC releases source code for Legend Froyo update
HTC has released the source code for the Legend’s Android 2.2 Froyo update. No, that doesn’t mean you have to download something all over again. It means that modders now have access to the official kernel, which is nerdspeak for the official code that makes Android 2.2 work on the HTC Legend. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. But for you modding types, get to downloading! [HTC Developer Center]
HTC releases source code for Legend Froyo update posted originally by Android Central
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Froyo hitting HTC Legends on Vodafone
While most people are anxious and can’t wait for Gingerbread, some people are just getting Froyo now. HTC’s Facebook Fan Page is all a buzz — folks in the Europe are confirming that the HTC Legend on Vodafone is finally getting Froyo. If you’re overseas, and haven’t receieved a notification yet — be patient, you’ll get it soon. [Facebook via Pocket-lint] Thanks, Sven S!
Froyo hitting HTC Legends on Vodafone posted originally by Android Central
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HTC Legend prepping for dessert — gets ready for Froyo
Us Android users will never turn down a free dessert. We’ve had cupcakes, donuts, eclairs, and now, as most of us are waiting for some warm Gingerbread, HTC Legend users can add a nice helping of Froyo to their menu.
HTC announced via its Facebook page that users with an unbranded HTC Legend can expect the update in the coming weeks. However, due to the prolonged software approval process each carrier must administer, folks with a carrier branded phone will have to wait just a bit longer (per usual).
Nothing leaves us geeks more restless than the announcement of an imminent software update. Evidenced by user Arnoldthepotter’s thread in our forums almost two months ago, where he began the countdown to the HTC Legend Froyo update. Well, Arnoldthepotter, if you’re reading, your countdown just got a lot shorter. [HTC Facebook]
Posted originally at Android Central
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HTC Legend hits end of life on Bell
What the what? The HTC Legend came to Bell Mobility on June 16, and now, just over two months later, the device has reached its end of life. Even relative to its unveiling date at Mobile World Congress on Feb. 16, that was quick. We’re used to fast product refresh cycles on smartphones in general and Android phones in particular. New iterations of smartphone hardware and the Android OS are still coming almost too fast for manufacturers to keep up, but this still pushes the limit.
HTC has cited "supply constraints" as the reason for the premature EOL rather than "quality of the product or poor sales performance." These supply constraints may be another instance of AMOLED shortages, which have been an issue in the production of other HTC phones like the Desire and, of course, the Incredible.
This isn’t the end of the Legend in North America; it’s still available on Virgin Mobile Canada. Let’s hope that Bell still feels an obligation to support this far-from-obsolete device for a long time to come.
Posted originally at Android Central
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Could this be the Froyo (Android 2.2) version of HTC Sense?
With 160,000 activations a day, there’s a huge number of people waiting for the HTC Sense UI version of Froyo to show up. I know all of us here sure are. Usually, we have to pass on the random screenshot tip that rolls in, but in this case they are worth talking about. To be sure — we can in no way verify that these are real, as anyone with a rudimentary set of Android ROM cooking skills and a copy of Photoshop could pull them off. On the other hand, a Froyo version of Sense UI should be in testing somewhere, and it would look pretty much like this (watermarks and all) if it were to show itself.
With all that out of the way, if anyone out there in the ‘tubes needs a hand testing, or removing watermarks from a legit Sense 2.2 leak, just sing out. I’m sure we can find you some help 
Hit the break to see one more screenshot of the camera application showing off 720p resolution. Thanks Dan!
Posted originally at Android Central
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CyanogenMod 6 (Froyo) status update
If you use a custom ROM on your Android phone, you should know about CyanogenMod. If you don’t, go hit Google now, then come right back. (pretty freakin’ sweet, huh?) With the drop of the Froyo (Android 2.2) source code everyone is patiently waiting for the code wizards behind the CyaongenMod project to give us the kind of custom goodness we’ve become used to. To quell the mountain of inquiries, Cyanogen himself has updated the CyanogenMod homepage with a progress report.
The condensed version? Things are going well. The Nexus One and Droid ports "just work," the Dream/Sapphire port has everything but one minor issue working, Wes Garner has the Slide (MyTouch 3G slide) port well underway, and ports for the Desire, Incredible, and Evo have no status report as of yet. Also, we’re told to expect some experimental releases (for the Nexus One and Droid most likely) by the weekend. (YAY!) Hit the source link to read the post and take a minute to thank Steve and the whole crew for their hard work! [CyanogenMod]
Posted originally at Android Central
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HTC Says Q3 is the quarter for Froyo for the Desire, Legend and Wildfire
With the official Froyo update now available to Nexus One users, it begs us to ask the question, “when will Froyo be available for my _______?” Well, HTC has answered so be jealous no longer of the sons of privilege (Nexus One users). HTC has told Recombu that the Desire, Wildfire and Legend — non-U.S. phones, all — will receive Froyo in Q3 (July, August and September) of this year. [Recombu via Engadget]
Posted originally at Android Central
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HTC Legend launches on Bell as Canada scores again
I’m officially jealous. First Virgin Mobile Canada gets the HTC Legend, now parent company Bell flaunts this gorgous phone in my general direction. It’s the same Legend we’ve been talking about since we first saw it at Mobile World Congress — 3.2 inch AMOLED screen, all aluminum unibody design, 600 MHz Qualcomm processor, 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, and enough good looks and style to shake a stick at. Price looks nice as
well, $79.95 CDN with a three year contract, $399.95 CDN to buy it outright. While I sit and cry because I can’t have it, I expect all my friends in the Great White North to tell me how awesome it is and show me lots of pictures of this hot little phone. [Bell via BGR]
Posted originally at Android Central
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Missing Sync gets update for HTC phones
Those of you joining Android from other platforms — and we know who you are — may well be familiar with The Missing Sync, a longtime leader in personal information management. And if you’re looking at Android but don’t necessarily want to go all-in on gmail, this is an app you’re going to want to check out. Anyhoo, The Missing Sync has updated for phones running on Android 2.1 with HTC Sense. That’d be the Sprint Hero (finally!), Droid Incredible, Evo 4G — you know, every new HTC phone at this point.
Warning: If you have doubleTwist installed, you’re going to want to uninstall first, as the two don’t really play well together at this point. Otherwise, have at it! [Mark/Space]
Posted originally at Android Central
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