Top 9 unique structures soon to be built

Obviously, construction technologies are advancing extremely quickly. couple that with multi-billionaires / deep-pocketed companies trying to outdo each other in the quest for the next standout design and you have a near-future filled with mile-high skyscrapers and buildings that no longer look like buildings.

below are 9 strange and unique structures which have either been approved or are in the final stages of approval. some have already been partially constructed.

welcome to the future landscape.

1. aqua, usa (website )

from a distance this skyscraper, to be completed in 2009 in Chicago, will seem quite traditional. it'll only be when you get close and look up that you can appreciate the ripple/jelly effect created by variously sized balconies from top to bottom.

2. chicago spire, usa (website )

the phenomenal Chicago spire, when completed in 2010, will be the world's tallest residential building and the tallest building of any kind in the western world. seemingly modeled on the image of a giant drill poking through the ground, the 609m structure will dominate the Chicago skyline.

3. cctv headquarters, china (website )

at a modest 234m the cctv building isn't going to stand out from a distance. however the design and shape is a crowd stopper to say the least and will be another incredible addition to Beijing's skyline in time for the 2008 Olympics. the shape, described as a 'z criss-cross' results in a very high, seemingly unsupported corner at the front. let's hope there's a glass floor up there.

4. regatta hotel, jakarta (website )

taking on a nautical theme, the developers say the 10 smaller towers represent sailing boats whilst the larger building is 'the lighthouse'. it's the lighthouse that steals the show for me, possibly the most incredible looking structure I've seen for a long time. if it ends up looking anything close to these pictures I'll be impressed.

5. residence antilia, india (architects' website )

construction has begun on residence antilia despite opposition from those who see it as an 'excessive' design in a city where more than 65% of the population live in slums. politics aside and after you recover from the initial shock of seeing a skyscraper that resembles an ikea cd rack, the building actually looks like it may succeed as a stunning, unique, green piece of architecture.

6. russia tower, russia (architects' website )

topped with an observation deck over the city of moscow, russia tower will become the tallest building in europe when completed in 2012 and twice the height of the eiffel tower. construction has already started on this angular beast which was designed by foster & partners, also responsible for the gherkin and spaceport america, currently in development.

7. penang global city centre, malaysia (website )

following months of speculation and sturdy opposition, this humungous project is in the final stages of approval and apparently construction will start very soon. even so, due to the size of the plan it will take at least 15 years to complete. resembling a sci-fi city, the area will be crowned by 2 x 200m towers and completely transform the small island of penang.

8. gazprom headquarters, russia (architects' website )

this gigantic, 300m tall glass flame of a building will house the gazprom headquarters in st. petersburg, dwarfing all structures in its vicinity. it will apparently change colour up to 10 times per day depending on the position of the sun. the building has already been nicknamed 'corn on the cob' by unhappy locals.

9. burj dubai, dubai (website)

this is the big one. when completed next year it will be the tallest man-made structure in the world and the tallest building by a long shot with a predicted height of 818m. note: currently the tallest building on earth, excluding an antenna, is taipei 101 in taiwan which stands at 509m. the photo below is the building's current state: the skyscrapers below the burj dubai used to look tall.

sources: 1, 2, 3

NVIDIA releases GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB

 

Gamerson the PC platform have something to look forward to this Christmas, especially when NVIDIA has just released the GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB video card. It is meant to offer a sweet spot and balance between price and performance, catering to those who have a budget that falls between the $299 and $349 price range without sacrificing on performance. Those who are looking forward to graphics intensive titles such as Crysis, Hellgate: London, Gears of War, Unreal Tournament 3, and Call of Duty 4 can heave a collective sigh of relief knowing that the GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB video card has more than enough firepower in its transistors to handle the mentioned games with panache, in addition to providing full support for current DirectX 9 games.

Here’smore skinny on the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB video card:

NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 512 MB offers 25% more graphics processing power than NVIDIA products previously offered at the same price point

TheGeForce 8800 GTS 512 MB also offers new features such as support for PCI Express 2.0, dual-link HDCP, and the second-generation PureVideo HD engine from NVIDIA

TheNVIDIA PureVideo HD engine delivers astounding Blu-ray and HD DVD movie picture quality on a PC with 100% offload of H.264 video decoding, freeing the CPU to perform other tasks and significantly reducing power consumption, heat, and noise

AllGeForce 8800 GPUs support NVIDIA SLI(R) technology which allows you to use two graphics processors in unison, sharing the graphics workload

GeForce8800 GTS 512 MB graphics cards are available now from leading add-in card manufacturers, retailers, and system builders

According to Ujesh Desai, general manager of GeForce desktop GPUs at NVIDIA, “If you want the best experience on the PC games coming out right now, then buying a new GPU should be top on your list of upgrades. GeForce 8800 GTS 512 is a fantastic option that we are providing gamers in time for the holiday season. With games such as Crysis and Hellgate: London pushing PC gaming graphics, gamers need a powerful GPU to get the best experience. GeForce 8800 GTS 512 supports DirectX 10, offers killer performance, and does it all for around $299-349.”

Soundslike the perfect gift to have under the tree this Christmas. Image courtesy of expreview.com.

Press Release
Pressy idea: Educational Toys

Mobile NoteTaker for the Paper Lover

 

Back when I was in college, we didn’t have laptops. I didn’t even have a mini cassette recorder to tape the lectures. No sir, I had to take notes with a pen and paper! (And I had to walk to class uphill, both ways in 10 feet of snow in my bare feet!) Nowadays, most people use laptops or smaller digital audio recorders to take notes at lectures and speeches. But what about us relics who still prefer using pen and paper? (you can’t doodle in the margins on a laptop!) We laboriously take great notes, that later we have to transcribe into our computer for future use. Is there an easier way?

ThinkGeekhas the Mobile NoteTaker. This ingenious little device will transcribe your every pen movement into a digital format that can be easily transferred to your computer with the included software (Windows only). Simply take any pad of paper (no special paper required), clip the Mobile NoteTaker to the top and start writing. Instantly your text and illustrations are displayed on the LCD screen and stored in the internal memory. Also, the included software allows to you save all your illustrations and convert your written notes to editable text using OCR (Optical Character Recognition). From the website:

MobileNoteTaker operates in two modes, Mobile or Connected. In Mobile Mode the device enables the user to capture and store the notes / sketches digitally at meetings, lectures or conferences. Connected Mode synchronizes the Mobile NoteTaker and a PC / Notebook via USB cable. The user can upload, organize, move, edit or add to handwritten notes ideas, sketches, phone numbers or reminders. The included software also enables memos, notes, and sketches to be sent via e-mail or over the LAN network. It is also possible to write directly into Microsoft Word or Outlook, and add a personal touch to ICQ instant messages.

Betteryet, you can use any type of paper (up to A4 size): envelope, receipt - heck I bet you could even use a napkin. Everyone knows the best ideas are sketched out on a napkin. Pick one up for $169.99 and keep using that notepad!

Pressy idea: Educational Toys

Titanic-DNA Watch

 

Generally,I don’t repot on watches, as they are so…untimely. Yeah, that was pretty stupid, I know. This one caught my eye because it is so untimely.

Thisis a watch made of parts from the Titanic. That’s right, the Titanic, the ship that sank on its maiden voyage, taking 1,500 lives. I said untimely because this watch would have been cool ten years ago, when Titanic was released into the theatres as one of the biggest movie hits ever.

So,anti-kudos to the Titanic-DNA watch for coming up with something that’s a little too late in the latest fad department. Also, thank you for taking a piece of a history and making a watch on it.

That’sright, the Titanic DN A watch is mad from materials found from the original romantic ship itself. That’s right, those really thick-hulled submarines descended in order to bring up pieces of scrap from history, just to make you a watch. Too bad they couldn’t find the blue Heart of the Ocean jewel.

I have no idea how you can prove that the rusted steel on it is from the Titanic and not just rusted steel lying around. Also, the black dial is made from coal recovered from the ship. Can you get coal from that deep. You’d think it would be crushed into diamonds by the ocean pressures.

Can’thelp but feel a Celine Dion song come on: “My watch will tick on and on”.

ViaUncrate via