Tubular Time Word Clock is Half Past Cool

Here's an unusual angle on timekeeping that tickles our techno-lust for clocks, and this one's a twisty, affectionately known as the Tubular Time Word Clock. Its two cylindrical segments revolve around, giving you approximate times of day rather than sticking to that pesky precision to which we've grown so accustomed.
This is a truly odd design which looks like a pipe coming up out of your desk, but gives you a quick answer when someone asks what time it is: "Well, it's about three," you'll say. We're thinking it's about time somebody came up with a unique clock design like this one. Too bad that uniqueness comes with a $160 price tag.

source

gizmodo.com

Spanish Tower Draws Solar Energy

It looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Six hundred mirrors reflecting sunlight onto a massive 40-story tall tower out in the Andalusian countryside. Yet as eerie as it looks, this is Europe's first commercial solar power plant being operated by a company called Solucar. The structure generates 11 Megawatts of electricity—enough power for 6,000 homes. Here's how it works.

The 600 mirrors beam sunlight at the tower, which converts the solar energy into steam. The steam is stored in tanks and used to drive turbines, and before you know it you're powering 6,000 homes. Overall, this is super cool and one lucky BBC reporter even got a tour of the tower.