Brick Machine Rolls Out Roads Like Carpet Tiger-Stone

Brick roads are beautiful and durable, but we don’t see them too often due to the effort it takes to produce them. What once was a labor-intensive, back-breaking job has now become a snap with this automatic Dutch paver laying machine, called the Tiger-Stone. The device rolls out a beautiful and sustainable hardscape, creating an instant road anywhere it travels. While the process may look magical, the secret lies in a smartly designed gravity-based system.

The machine consists of an angled plain that workers feed with paving stones or bricks. As the electric crawler inches forward along a sand base layer, the bricks are automatically packed together by gravity. A small telescoping forklift feeds the hopper, allowing the Tiger-Stone to lay out an impressive 400 square meters of road day, and the span can be adjusted up to six meters wide. Here’s a stereophonic video of the machine in action.

Brick roads have been around for centuries and they have been revisited lately by the green building community for a number of reasons. Bricks are easy to procure and reuse, cement pavers last a very long time, and they are easy to repair and replace. They tolerate water and freezing without forming cracks, and some newer systems actually absorb rainwater between the pavers and infuse it back into the ground again, reducing storm water runoff and helping improve the effectiveness of aquifers. Not to mention, the roads look pretty great too.

EN-V - Electric Battery Power Concept Motor Car Engine 2011

An electric car is a plug-in battery powered automobile which is propelled by electric motor Car designers have come up with the perfect solution for all those motorists tired of traffic jams and lack of parking spaces.

The two-seat EN-V (Electric-Networked Vehicle) is designed to alleviate those common driver concerns - as well as address environmental issues, energy consumption and affordability.

And amazingly you don't even need to be in the driving seat to achieve all this.

The EN-V from General Motors can rotate 360 degrees and be driven in manual mode with a driver - or without.

The General Motors concept runs on battery power for about 25 miles on a charge, with top speeds of 25 miles-per-hour.

The only downside to this pint-sized vehicle is its' inability to withstand a collusion with a full-sized vehicle.

Cities could, however, create EN-V-only lanes, or alternatively, create enclosed areas solely used by the vehicle.

There is no timeframe yet for when the EN-V will be on the market.

Flying Fish | Fact | Pictures | Videos

Exocoetidae, is a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes of class Actinopterygii. Fishes of this family are known as flying fish. There are about 64 species grouped in seven to nine genera.

Flying fish live in all of the oceans, particularly in warm tropical and subtropical waters. Their most striking feature is their pectoral fins, which are unusually large, and enable the fish to hide and escape from predators by leaping out of the water, taking short gliding flights through air just above the water's surface. Their glides are typically around 50 metres (160 ft).

In order to glide upward out of the water, a flying fish moves its tail up to 70 times per second. It then spreads its pectoral fins and tilts them slightly upward to provide lift. At the end of a glide, it folds its pectoral fins to reenter the sea or drops its tail into the water to push against the water to lift itself for another glide, possibly changing direction. The curved profile of the "wing" has an aerodynamic shape that is comparable to that of a bird wing. The fish is able to increase its time in the air by flying straight into or at an angle to the direction of updrafts created by a combination of air and ocean currents.

Genus Exocoetus has one pair of fins and a streamlined body to optimize for speed, while Cypselurus has a flattened body and two pairs of fins which maximizes its time in the air. From 1900 to the 1930s, flying fish were studied as possible models used to develop airplanes.

Exocoetidae feed mainly on plankton. Predators include dolphins, tuna, marlin, birds, squids and porpoises.

The Oldest Cat Living In The World | On Record Ever

Is Lucy, 39, the oldest cat in the world? - She may be deaf and a bit stiff in the morning but when you consider Lucy the moggy has just turned 39, it’s understandable.

Lucy of Llanelli, South Wales, with no medical problems except for hearing loss, is 39-years-old, The Daily Mail reported yesterday, which makes her the oldest known cat in the world.

The average feline life span is about 15 years, which puts Lucy at double her life expectancy. Cat experts estimate her age to be the equivalent of 172 human years. The only other cat who comes close to her age was Creme Puff, a Texas cat who died at 38 years and three days.

Lucy's owner, Bill Thomas, a Llanelli town counselor, inherited her when his wife's godmother, Maria Lewis, died in 1999. He didn't realize how old Lucy was until his wife's aunt came to visit. "She could remember Lucy scampering around Maria's fish and chip shop when she was a kitten back in 1972," Thomas said. "We knew she was old - but not that old."

The aunt remembered Lucy from working at the shop in 1973, when Lucy was three years old. Others have confirmed seeing her in the shop in the early seventies as well. That puts Lucy's estimated year of birth in 1971/1972.

And Lucy doesn't look like she's close to quitting. Other than her hearing loss, she's in good health and is extremely independent, which Thomas attributes to her age. "She is great with the grandchildren and still likes to patrol the garden every day looking for mice," he said. "Most of the time she lies in her basket and has a sleep. The kids do wake her up and play with her, but she normally wakes up when she wants to...she's a bit stiff but she gets up for her food."

Avatar Movie Theme Wedding | Dress Up

Avatar weddings in Pandora 'really pathetic' - Newlyweds have been screaming blue murder over their 'Pandora weddings' set among the stunning mountain range used in blockbuster movie Avatar.

Enterprising events organisers in natural beauty spot Wu Lingyuan, southern China, are cashing in on the fact that James Cameron used their stunning mountain range as the inspiration for his fantasy planet's floating peaks.

But the not-so-special effects provided by local tourist bosses to give couples an out of this world wedding day have infuriated newlyweds who paid up for the stunt.

Bride Xiao Tsao, one of five couples recently married in a joint service, said: 'The Navi were a couple of forestry workers dressed up in long underwear dyed blue wearing some very unconvincing masks. It was really pathetic.'

But a forestry authority spokesman explained: 'We are not professional special effects experts but we do our best. What we are really highlighting is the beauty of our landscape.'

Free Best Shopping For Dress Carts Shop | Full Discount 2011

Free Best Shopping For Dress Carts Shop | Full Discount 2011

Spanish and Portuguese shoppers arrive at Desigual outlets in their underwear... to be clothed for free It’s not the sort of winter sale you would expect to happen in England No Need Discount Coupon.

But for theses Spanish and Portuguese shoppers the chilly weather was not so much of a factor.

They braved the mild New Year temperatures to cash in as clothing company Desigual promised: ‘Come in undressed and go out dressed.'

he wacky idea from the company, who was started by a Swiss in 1984 but has its headquarters in Barcelona, seems to have been a hit for those in the mood for a cheeky deal.

But there was a hitch: only the first 100 punters who arrived at selected branches were given the free stash.

At the Madrid store alone some 200 people queued outside ready to strip down to their underwear to take advantage of the shop's winter sale offer.

With the Spanish capital starting the winter sales five days before the traditional January 7 date, shoppers had to show their flesh in exchange for two free items of clothing - a top and bottom piece.

Pedro Soares and Ivan Silva claimed that they were the first to arrive at the Lisbon store at 1am in the early hours of Sunday morning, waiting eight hours until the doors opened and they were entitled to take home an outfit of their choice, gratis.

‘I have a woolly jumper and a pair of trousers, which would have cost €250 (£210),’ 20-year-old Mr Soares told Lusa News Agency.

‘I really like this brand and like this I can take the clothes without paying for them.’

Mr Silva said: ‘It was fun. We were the first to arrive and more people came during the night. When they opened the doors there was such a rush with people falling over each other to get the best clothes.’

Friends Jenny and Lisa from New Zealand had been waiting since before midnight outside the Madrid store and said it was a great opportunity to meet new amigos.

‘We have been here since 11pm with my friends,’ Jenny said. ‘New friends that we made here!’

Erica, from Brazil, earned her number one spot by waiting from 3pm the previous day and was happy with her choice, although she intended to buy more, in addition to the two free items.

‘I am number one and I have gotten a coat and trousers, but I am still picking things, there is a lot left to get though,’ she said.

Desigual were delighted with the interest the stunt gained for the brand – and rather than leaving those who did not make the top 100 shivering in next to nothing, they provided them with half-price discounts.

Public Relations officer Beatriz Almeida said that the initiative was aimed at marking the official start of the sales.

‘It went well,’ she said. ‘The brand aims to be original so we wanted this action to be different.’

Though the company has a store on Regent Street, according to the website there are no plans to offer a similar deal for London-based shoppers.

Thailand Elephant play soccer in Kathmandu, Nepal

An elephant strikes the ball during the final day of 7th International Elephant Race and Festival in Sauraha of Chitwan district, south of Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, Dec. 28, 2010. The three-day International Elephant Race and Festival concluded here on Tuesday.