The 2012 MacBook Air retains much the same skinny dimensions as its predecessor, but it gets bumped to Intel Ivy Bridge processors, up to a 2GHz dual-core Core i7. That’s not as fast as the quad-core chips going into the Pro, but you are getting a significantly lighter and thinner package. The Ivy Bridge processor is accompanied by up to 8GB of 1600MHz RAM and “60% faster graphics.” You don’t get discrete graphics though, as the Intel HD Graphics 4000 is still integrated.

Speed is one thing, but you still want storage. The updated MacBook Air has the option of having up to 512GB of flash memory. You’ll also find two USB 3.0 ports, along with the Thunderbolt port. Rounding out the specs are WiFi-n and Bluetooth 4.0, along with the same 5-7 hour battery life. Of course, like the new MacBook Pro, the new MacBook Air also gets MagSafe 2.

There’s no Retina Display on board, unsurprisingly, so the 11-inch model gets a 1366×768 resolution whereas the 13-inch gets a 1440×900 pixel resolution. Prices start at $999 and $1199, respectively.

[Source]

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Inspired by nature, Turkish designer Ezgi Aksan and Italian designer Ambra Ceronetti designed the Allochroous yacht, which has been announced as the winner of the 2012 Millennium Yacht Design Award (MYDA) in the Dream Boat category. The Allochroous, which will be ideal for conducting a summer concert at sea, features transformable body and color via innovative technologies. So the name Allochroous, which means “changing color”, is perfect for the new concept.

As you can see in the above photo, the new yacht concept has been designed specifically to host concerts, private parties and other events. The use of glass tiles which change color depending on the outside temperature results in the Allochroous transforming its color by day or by night. And not only that, it can even change its shape.

The 40 meter-long yacht’s design resembles a fish out-of-water and it features twin floating arms and a motorized torpedo.  Allochroous’ hull will descend to sea level when it’s not moving and rise when in motion.

There is a lounge area with tables and chairs, a concert floor and a cocktail bar. Private bathrooms, cooking facilities and other services are in the lower deck, and the yacht’s base structure, which is constructed using recycled aluminum, is similar to a honeycomb structure. And they are going the eco-friendly path for energy needs; the solar panels on the roof will be providing the required energy. It also features “Corian” flooring.

What you see above is the Cronos by young designers Simone Madella and Lorenzo Berselli. The design was awarded special mention by the jury. Cronos features a design with a strong focus on wood elements.

Check out the gallery below for knowing more about the two designs.

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Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), a private company who plans to make Space exploration commercial, recently successfully launched the Falcon 9 rocket. Their most recent plan is to build the Falcon Heavy; the world’s largest rocket ever made capable of carrying a payload of 117,000 pounds.

What does SpaceX plan to load on the rocket and blast on up to space that weighs so much? Details are slim and vague at this point, they do mention “satellites” and also that “if allowed to compete, SpaceX can help the Department of Defense save at least one billion dollars annually in space launch services, while providing a truly independent family of vehicles to help assure access to space.”

The Falcon Heavy would chime in at $80 to $125 Million per launch and could roll out in late 2012 with a first launch coming as early as 2013.

[Read via SpaceX]

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The list of banned items includes not only firearms, ammunition, explosives and illegal drugs, but also liquids in containers of greater than 100ml in size, umbrellas, horns, whistles, drums, rattles, or any other devices that in the opinion of Locog may disturb a session. This includes mobile phones.

The more bizarre items on the list include umbrellas and large quantities of coins.

I get the ban on firearms, ammunition and explosives. But cellphones? For me, getting separated at a game in a giant stadium would be frightening. I don’t know how people went out before cellphones. My cellphone feels like an extension to my hand, and it brings a sense of comfort and security. I’m always connected and always in touch.

And umbrellas? I understand if your umbrella is one of those with the sharp point at the end of it – a jab in the butt would be pretty painful. Or you could lose an eye. But would someone really get kicked out for bringing a good old-fashioned umbrella with a rounded tip? Is it considered a potential weapon, with the ability to bludgeon everything in its path? Maybe I’m overreacting – it’s not like it ever rains in London. And the large quantities of coins? Could be I’m just naive. It’s true the bag of coins would hurt if someone swung them at you. Though it sounds more like a weapon used in a a mobster movie than a tennis match.  Perhaps there are coin shooting umbrellas we’re not aware of.

Food and drink are also banned, just like at the movie theatre where you’re not suppossed to bring your own Twizzlers because the theatre wants you to buy from them for three times the price. The difference is that at the movie theatre, there are no armed security guards making your stuff go through an airport-style X-ray.

LOCOG insisted that free water would be available to everyone, and that there are no plans to capitalize on thirsty Olympic spectators.

The 2008 Olympic Games were held by a communist country with a pretty similar list of banned items. Understandably, Beijing banned guns, grenades, gun powder and explosives. They also banned glass bottles, hot water thermoses, coolers, whistles, horns, radios, walkie-talkies, speakers, drums and sticks.

But Beijing didn’t ban cellphones. They did have a rule for transport of cellphones throughout the city for repair – the cellphone and battery had to arrive in separate packages.

No final decision has been made on the list of banned items for the 2012 games. There is a good chance a mobile phone ban would only be enforced in areas where silence is required during the event, like in gymnastics and archery. That’s understandable – a Lady Gaga ringtone would disturb anyone from concentration.

if the ban does carry out, umbrella-carrying Brits attached to their cellphones might want to skip the games, before they get shaken down for the sunscreen they snagged for their kids.

[Telegraph]

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I was pretty stoked when I first saw the R35 Nissan GT-R. The Skyline moniker carries with it a lot of tradition and it looks like the newest Godzilla just got itself a sizable upgrade. The 2012 Nissan GT-R may not look all the different from the one introduced a few years ago, but this is even more of a beast than before.

Granted, I have never driven any Skyline, but I know about its reputation and I respect that. For 2012, Nissan is tossing in an even more powerful engine at still the relatively cheap supercar-killing price range. You get a 3.8L twin-turbo V6 good for 45 more horsepower than its predecessor. I hear that it’s able to run the quarter mile in 11.1 seconds bone stock. Run some more boost, add some bolt-ons, and you’re easily in the 10s, if not the 9s.

Motor Trend’s brief video review also highlights the return of launch control. Want to hit the drag strip? R-Mode Start Function is what you want. Do that and you’ve got a 2.9 second 0-60mph time. That beats the outgoing version by half a second. Is it refined? Maybe, maybe not. Is it one hot car that’ll wipe the pants off cars twice its price? Absolutely.

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