The small Dutch town of Hengelo is about to test out a new kind of concrete paving slab that actually grabs onto the car-exhaust pollutant nitrogen oxide (a key smog and acid rain ingredient) sucking it out of the air and rendering it harmless. The special bricks contain a component based on titanium dioxide that acts to "fix" the pollutant with the aid of sunlight. The best bit is that the resulting nitrates just wash away with the next rain. Clever stuff: and if the trial results next summer show improved air quality, I'm sure we'll see environmentalists dancing along singing "Follow the green concrete road!" Or something. [Physorg]

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Here's a great idea that DeWalt should get their asses on: A handheld 18-volt air gun that can be used to dust, airbrush, or fill up basketballs or bike tires. I'd get one if it meant less time on the bike pump, and it could start a new genre of krylon-free, duel-wielding graf artists. Found this cool gem of a fantasy gadget over at the newly designed and even sexier Core77 website. [Core77]

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Apple just ripped US$500 off the price tag of their Solid State Drive-based MacBook Airs, which are now US$2598, down from US$3098. AppleInsider says the cuts came from two components, the 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo, which got a US$100 cut, and the 64GB SSD, which got a US$400 cut. The sub-US$3000 bill should be slightly more appetising to fans of light laptops. And fans of money.

AU: The local version has had a price cut to, down to $3,538. Still don't think its worth the $1,000 premium though.

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According to Kilmatec, their Base 1 AirWater Machine can extract up to 20 litres of water from the air in a 24 hour period. Unlike a common dehumidifier, it also makes that water suitable for drinking by running it through a carbon filter and ultraviolet light chamber to eliminate any pollutants or bacteria. It can even dispense the water hot or cold. So, in essence, the Base 1 is like a water cooler that never needs refills.

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Remember the MacBook Air case that was announced even before we knew for sure that the Air was real? Well, the Aria from Orbino is now a real product (meaning the 50% of you who voted it to be rumourware were wrong!) and it's pretty darn luxurious. Aircraft-grade aluminium, hand-folded calfskin leather... and that's just the start.

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The Kinzo Air from Kinzo Architecture might make working in a proper office bearable. Although with its Stealth-fighter design cues, a guy wearing a HUD helmet with oxygen might be more at home behind it than an accountant. It looks like its perched on the ground momentarily, ready to speed off— in fact I'm sure it's radar-invisible, although it would be the worst desk to carelessly bump into ever. It does have integrated drawer, cable-concealer, bin and similarly-sleek filing cabinet, and it's modular with single and double versions. [Yanko design]

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A close-fitting leather suit, complete with cutouts for your precious Air... that's roughly what the Vaja Ivolution Leather Suit case is. Sure it adds to the bulk of the skinny Air, but it snuggles it in protective leather when open or closed and gives you access to power socket and connector drawer. I vaguely worry about air circulation inside it, since even sitting naked on the table my Air is cranking out a blaze of heat... but I guess that's why there's that mesh fabric segment where the vents are. It's a hand-crafted affair so there's over 1,000 colour combos to choose, and that means the price starts at US$280. [Vaja via LikeCool]

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While stuffing the svelte MacBook Air into a case may seem to defeat the point of buying an Air in the first place, some of you will do it anyway. And this Agent 18 MacBook Air Shield looks like a decent compromise. Constructed of durable, lightweight polycarbonate, the Shield leaves your USB port and ventilation unobstructed for happy computing while reinforcing the edges and bottom for the occasional latte collision. US$50 and available now.

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Currently showing at the 2nd Skin Exhibition at San Francisco's Exploratorium is this piece of smart clothing by designer Stephanie Sandstrom. Inside it hide a bunch of sensors that measure the nearby air quality, along with drivers that can adjust the fabric. The idea is that on bad air days the dress detects the problem, and adjusts itself to look all rumpled and messy, and raising environmental awareness. Does that wrinkling mean it raises the hemline? I'm not sure... but if it did, that might work to take your mind off the damage being done to your health by all those airborne pollutants. [Inhabitat]

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Most parody videos are lame in the sense that they take one joke and stretch it to 60 seconds, but Lenovo's one joke actually works when properly executed. Not to spoil anything, but it's a send-up of the MacBook Air in favour of Lenovo's own X300. According to Fake Steve, it's been sent around to component suppliers and contract manufacturers in China, no doubt eliciting much har hars as they forward it on to their friends. [Fake Steve - Thanks Dave!]

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