HP is doing its part to help you feel good -- or bad -- about your carbon footprint with its new Eco Highlights label. The sticker will list a product's enviro-friendly "ingredients", much like those FDA labels you see at the grocery store that tell you how much fat and sugar you're consuming. The program's launch products will include printers such as the Deskjet D2545 ink-jet printer, LaserJet P4015x, LaserJet P4515x and LaserJet P4515xm which are made mostly of recycled parts. Other Eco Highlights label attributes will include recycled cartridges, recyclable packaging, and auto-on/auto-off with deep-sleep modes. Finally, a new HP Carbon Footprint Calculator for Printing and HP LaserJet Power Calculator will most likely make you feel really bad about the printer you're currently using, send you into a shame spiral, and ultimately force you to buy an HP Eco Highlight printer.

[Via News.com]

Brain-computer interfaces have been kicking around for a few years now, but they're relatively slow and unwieldy, which kind of puts a damper on world-domination plans -- the guy with the keyboard would probably be well into the missile-launch sequence by the time you've strapped on your dork-helmet. That might be slowly changing, though, as Caltech researchers are working on a robotic brain-computer interface, which can currently be implanted directly into non-human primate brains and move itself around to optimize readings. Although the MEMS-based motor system that actually moves the electrodes is still being developed, the software to do the job is ready to go, and the whole system being presented this week at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Pasadena. Robot-android chimps? Sure, that's just what we need.

Cheng Luo, an engineer from the Univeristy of Texas at Arlington, has created a self-propelled microboat based on the toy boats he played with as a child. When an object -- say, a toy boat -- floating on water has a drop of oil on it, the change in surface tension propels that object in the opposite direction. With this principle in mind, Luo has created a microboat that measures just millimeters, contains its own reservoir of isopropyl alcohol as a propellant, and cruises at around 30 cm per second. "But, why?" you ask. Luo explains that these tiny boats could be used to deliver drugs in blood vessels or even to diagnose and treat ailments. Sounds good to us -- wash one of these down with some self-healing goo and you could be all set. But before we go, try saying "toy boat" three times really fast.

If you're having trouble keeping track of what pill to take and when, you might want to turn your attention to the Dispense-A-Pill. Now look, we know that name isn't exactly pure gold, but when you've got a system that lets you store up to 90 days worth of medication and then automatically doles it out on a pre-programmed schedule -- naming conventions can probably take a backseat. The machine -- designed by Dr. Gazi Abdulhay -- can hold eight different types of medication, and the manufacturers plan to rent the units for less than the cost of an emergency call button. Now, if they can just create a system like this for making us lunch, we'll be all set. Check the video after the break to see the device in action.

[Thanks, Yossi]

We've seen a number of locales pipe in quite a bit of energy from eco-friendly sources, but the community of Rock Port, Missouri is claiming to be 100-percent wind-powered. The gloating is due to four wind turbines erected on agricultural lands within the Rock Port city limits, and while the town is expected to consume around 13 million kilowatt hours of electricity this year, the aforesaid turbines will produce 16 million kilowatt hours. Excess energy generated will be pridefully sent out for purchase by the Missouri Joint Municipal Utilities, where it will eventually be consumed in less thoughtful areas. Of course, the town has been operating in such a manner for a small tick now, but it just recently found the energy to throw a party for itself to commemorate the accomplishment. Can we get an invite next year or something?

[Thanks, Yossi]

Read - Rock Port release
Read - Rock Port video

Like a vivid fever-dream Michael Bay might have after a night of pounding Sparks, this video of our nation's darkest hour and greatest triumph will have you screaming for a sequel. Confirming our belief that the out-of-control spy satellite which the Navy shot out of the sky in February really did contain a planet-destroying plague of zombie juice and / or Aliens, this roller coaster ride of a film retells the whole drama -- replete with swelling strings and in-your-face rage rock. Enjoy the epic video after the break, as well as a recap of our extensive coverage of the event, and rest easy knowing that once again great disaster has been averted... or has it?

[Via Wired]

There are laptop cooling pads and there are laptop cooling pads, and we've got to hand it to Enermax for building the biggest and silliest one we've ever seen. The Aeolus cooling pad features just a single fan, but it's an 8.66-inch diameter monster, capable of reducing temps by 22 degrees Celsius (39.6 degrees Fahrenheit) while only putting out 20dB of noise. On top that, it's got integrated blue LEDs for additional nerd cred -- although we're wondering how you're supposed to actually see them while your furnace of a laptop is parked on top. Should be around now for about $70, we hear.

The scientific and engineering possibilities of carbon nanotubes are hard to overestimate, but a study out of the UK might put a damper on the small-scale party for a while: mice injected with certain lengths of nanotubes developed lung problems similar to those caused by asbestos. Apparently the long, straight shape of the nanotubes causes problems for the lining of the lungs designed to deal with particulate matter, which can cause scarring, inflammation, and "probably cancer in the long term." That's a big "probably," however -- researchers say they're a long way from actually proving the link between long nanotubes and cancer, but no one's denying that it's troublesome, including the Nanotechnology Industries Association, which told the BBC that "there could be reason for concern... but it needs to be validated." It also seems like the focus is on handling the tech correctly, which is promising -- we'll keep an eye on how this plays out.

[Thanks, TC]

We're not sure if these plans will ever make it to reality, but the Telegraph is reporting that Britain's Home Office is working on database designed to store the details of every phone call, email, and web page accessed by British citizens in the previous year. The idea is to have various telecom providers hand over their records, which will all go into the database and then be accessible by police upon receipt of a court order. Of course, there's no reason why police couldn't simply ask the ISPs for the appropriate data when they get that court order, since records are already required to be kept for a year, but sometimes it's important for a government to build a massive scary database of personal information with endless potential for abuse by embittered low-level bureaucrats, you know? The plan is still in draft stages, so hopefully it dies on the table -- and if not, well, the NSA welcomes you with open arms, British expats.

[Via National Terror Alert]

[Via Slashdot]

We've seen plenty of attempts to use game console hardware as MIDI controllers, but they've usually involved complicated hacks and strange software kludges, so we're pretty curious to see if Curious Inventor's Midiator actually works as promised. The nondescript black box is supposed to map virtually any PS2 controller -- including wireless models and partial support for Guitar Hero axes -- to various standard MIDI controls, including use of the analog sticks as pitch bends and modulators. Not only that, but if you don't feel like buying the assembled kit for $79, you can get the schematics for free, and if you're handy with a soldering iron, you can even earn some cash by adding requested features like pressure-sensitivity and direct USB support to the unit. Check it all out at the read link, and make sure to cruise past the break for the sweet demo video.

[Via MAKE]

It looks like wind power in the United States is getting a boost from a somewhat unexpected source, with billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens recently announcing that he's spending $2 billion to build a 667 wind turbine-strong wind farm in Texas. That would translate to roughly 1,000 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power about 300,000 homes, but Pickens says that is only the start of what he has in mind. As he tells CNN, Pickens says he plans to expand the wind farm to a full 4,000 megawatts by 2015, which would likely make it the biggest wind farm in the world. What's more, in addition to pumping out electricity, the wind turbines would give a boost to the pocketbooks of anyone willing to put 'em on their property, with Pickens estimating that each turbine will generate about $20,000 a year in royalty income, although they apparently won't get electricity straight from the turbine in their backyard.

Read - CNN, "Billionaire oilman backs wind power"
Read - Reuters, "T. Boone Pickens orders 667 GE wind turbines"

If you're somehow able to gaze upon the Digital Photo Urn without emotion, you'll find a fairly useful product. Still, we can't help but be a little creeped out by the notion. Nevertheless, those with differing views can certainly procure one of their own, which was meant specifically to hold the remains (or at least some of them) of your lost pet and continually show pictures of its life on the built-in 7-inch display. In case you're still not freaked out, the unit even supports audio, so you can "hear the precious barks, whines and purrs anytime." At this point, we highly doubt you care about the 256MB of integrated storage space, USB connectivity or Oak / Walnut motifs, but those not shaken can secure one now for around $250.

[Via picturesnob, thanks Jay]

Not quite sure what's up with the recent influx of bicycle-related DIY jobs, but nevertheless, we've another one on our hands here with Mike's Flying Bike. Essentially, Mike utilized a SunSPOT as well as a plethora of other sensors in order to modify his mountain bike for use as a Google Earth controller. In ET-like fashion, he's now able to pedal around various locations in the world, simultaneously burning through excess calories, opening his mind to new locales and monumentally inflating his ego. If you've got seven minutes to spare, you can check this thing out in action just beyond the break.

[Via Google Earth Blog, thanks Roger]

Whatever the DS can do, Wii can do better, right? Apparently Dave agrees with said mantra, as he has converted a Wii Guitar Hero axe into a full-fledged MIDI controller. As in, there's a 5-pin jack down there and everything. In its current state, you can play two octaves of an eight note scale at time, alter the keys / octaves, change tonal modes, use the whammy bar to bend the pitch and blow the minds of electrical engineering buds you still see on a regular basis. Granted, this mod isn't exactly for the faint of heart, but feel free to hit the read link if you're hacker enough to handle it.

[Via MAKE]