Hasta La Gadget!

For some of you, it wouldn’t be Gran Turismo 5 unless there’s a force-feedback steering wheel at the helm, but which one to choose? If history’s any judge, that depends on how just how badly you want to feel like you’re driving a Porsche. $250 buys you the Fanatec Porsche 911 GT2, another officially-licensed Xbox 360 wireless wheel, which features fourteen hidden buttons, a 900° steering angle, and the exact same soft Alacantra leather you’ll find on the real deal. (R.I.P, Khan.) Like its oh-so-similar predecessors, the controller also plays nice with PS3 and PC via USB cable, and an extra $250 for the Clubsport Edition gets you a stick shift, carbon fiber paddle shifters, and some seriously high-end adjustable aluminum pedals. Read up on all the details at our source link. You’ll want to be prepared for that heart-to-heart with your wallet.

Fanatec Porsche 911 GT2 racing wheel steers its way into online availability originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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People complain about wind turbines all the time. They’re too noisy. They’re an eyesore. But we put up with them because they do something great: provide a sustainable source of energy. And now it looks like they’re also good for crops, as well.

According to a report from PhysOrg.com, the giant rotating blades of a wind turbine can help keep nearby crops cool and dry, which helps fight of harmful fungus. The researchers tested both corn and soybean plants.

“We’re confident that wind turbines do produce measureable effects on the microclimate near crops,” Ames Laboratory associate and agricultural meteorology expert Gene Takle said. “In this case, we anticipate turbines’ effects are good in the spring and fall because they would keep the crop a little warmer and help prevent a frost. Wind turbines could possibly ward off early fall frosts and extend the growing season.”

Along with Rage HD, Infinity Blade has been one of the titles to really solidify iOS’ position as the leader in mobile gaming right now, but that’s not to say Android isn’t in hot pursuit: besides this Zeus we have on the horizon, Gingerbread improves gaming support on the API level — and now we’re seeing our first Unreal Engine 3-based title make the leap. Dungeon Defenders: First Wave, which just launched on iOS, is coming to Android 2.1 and above on December 23rd bringing with it an online, multiplayer tower defense gaming experience. Of course, one problem these guys have now is that Android hardware is all over the map, so they actually need to publish a long list of minimum requirements — just like PC titles — and in this case you need 512MB of RAM, an 800MHz or better SOC with support for OpenGL ES 2.0, and at least 400MB of free storage. Apart from the myTouch 4G (which has some occasional “stability issues”), most recent mid- to high-end handsets seem to be ready to roll, including “all Tegra 2 based devices” like the Optimus 2X that was just announced. Follow the break for some video action and the full press release.

Continue reading Dungeon Defenders: First Wave brings Unreal Engine to Android this month

Dungeon Defenders: First Wave brings Unreal Engine to Android this month originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fast. Cool. Sleek. Advertisers spend a lot of time and money trying to plant buzz words into your head when selling you a product like an expensive car. “Rape,” for obvious reasons, has never been at the top of the list. Thanks to a little linguistic misunderstanding, however, the word has come to be associated with the Bugatti Veyron.

On Bugatti’s site, the company offers a number of customizable features for the top of the line roadster, including color choice. Until this week, one of the choices was the decidedly un-Crayola-friendly “Rape Yellow.”

The name was the result of an unfortunate mistranslation of a color derived from the rapeseed plant. The issue was brought to the attention of the French car manufacturer, which quickly–and embarrassedly–apologized.

“Although based upon the French name for the rapeseed plant, the translation is one that should have been given more thought from our side,” wrote John Hill, the carmaker’s U.S. director marketing. “We are thankful that it was brought to our attention and you will find that the name for this color has already been revised on our site.”

“Rape Yellow” has since been changed to “Traffic Yellow.”

Want to get your more Luddite loved ones a gift with tech kick? Here are some simple tech gifts designed with analog personalities in mind.