The Skyrim Creation Kit will let users create new characters and locations as well as tweak and mess around with the existing game in many ways. The developer says that the kit is the same program that their team used to make the world of Skyrim. If that’s true, this is a very generous gesture from Bethesda. They’re giving the public a chance to see what the pros work with.

Modders will be able to upload their creation to Steam Workshop for the world to see, play, adore and berate. Console (and OS X) users, in case you still didn’t get it by now – the kit and the mods are for PC users only. Watch the video for more on the kit:

Bethesda also put up a wiki page for the Creation Kit as well as a series of online video tutorials for using the kit. The first episode is already up, and thanks to the magic of embeddage, is already here! There. Below.

Steam users, the Skyrim Creation Kit should be available under the ‘Tools’ drop-down menu in your Steam library. If you don’t know what a Steam library is, go here and sign up. But that’s not all! Bethesda has also released the High Resolution Texture Pack free DLC for the game. So many bits!

Before you download the DLC or the kit, make sure your hardware meets the Skyrim‘s recommended requirements: Windows Vista or 7, a quad-core CPU, at least 4GB RAM and a DirectX 9.0c compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with at least 1 GB of RAM and the latest drivers. We await your mods! And don’t even think about making a peen-dragon – Bethesda has explicitly stated that they will ban any “offensive, copyrighted or trademarked material.”

[via The Escapist]

As its name might tell you, the Steam Trike doesn’t run on electricity or gas. Nope, it runs on good, old-fashioned steam. It’s got a pair of large boilers, and rides along on a metal frame and large off-road wheels, and a spring suspension system. This 19 pound bad boy was made by a guy going by the name prallplatte (which translates to “full plate”), in his “Secret Ural Russian Laboratorys(sic),” whatever that means, especially since his name is German. Check it out in action in the video below:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I just love the sound of the motor and watching all those pistons and mechanical components in action. I also love how the driver is a teddy bear – with goggles on. But don’t you go thinking he’s all cute and cuddly. He might just burn you with a scalding hot blast of steam.

And in case you’re wondering why it’s pink, the color scheme of prallplatte’s vehicles are inspired by the SAS Pink Panther, including this hammer-wielding beast:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Once again, this building and hacking stuff is beyond my understanding, but even so I love how it looks. A little polish, grit and flourish and this thing could be made to look like a 19th century toy.

The steam tank doesn’t have weapons, but it is literally on fire. So maybe it could just stand beside its enemy until the latter melts. Or gets bummed out.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Want more steamy steampunk? Check our Crab Fu’s website for more steam-powered creations and steampunk sketches.

[via gizmo watch]

The Nano-Care Ion Steamer can generate up to 12mL of steam per minute. Curiously, the device can also generate the exact opposite, a “cooling mist”. If neither of them are bad… plain old room temperature water must be harmful to our skin then! To think that I’ve been taking a bath using that stuff!

You can order a Nano-Care Ion Steamer at GeekStuff4U for $416 (USD). Or you can just boil water in a pot. Just kidding.

Oh, not so exciting? Alright, try this: in some scenarios, AI team members lollygagged around instead of firing at Jockeys and Chargers. Definitely annoying. Ellis needs to wade in there with his shotgun and save my butt if I have a Jockey on my face. So that’s fixed. Jolly good.

And yeah, right, there was one other little detail, too… let me see, here’s the official release:

• Fixed bug where a burning witch could get into a state where she’s invincible.

What? Dudes, really: announce that one first. Seriously, everyone wants to burn the witch. We’re geeks, most of us; we love Monty Python and witch-burning hilarity is a sacred thing. If a burning, angry witch–already a formidable adversary–is unkillable, not only do I want that business fixed yesterday, but scream it from the roofops. HEY GUYS! You can totally kill those witches now. Sorry. Our bad.

Glad that’s settled.

Taito is making these USB-powered desktop R2-D2 humidifiers for the Japanese market, but the fine folks over at NCSX have been kind enough to import these and make them available for the rest of us for just $20.90 (USD). Each R2 unit holds about 8 ounces of water, and sprays a fine mist into the air to keep things nice and humid. They’re not shipping until November, but for now you can drop off your pre-order and make sure you have yours in time for the cold weather when it really blows in.

Each handmade dragon starts out as a piece of tin plate, which is cut into pieces and then fashioned to become the dragon’s parts. Once the parts are done, they are soldered by hand and fitted with a “nickel-plated brass boiler double-acting Wilesco steam engine”. After being painted and embellished by hand, Tucher + Walther’s deliverymen ride on horseback, and sometimes even walk to customers’ houses to deliver the dragon. Kidding.

The steam powered dragon is actually a collectible – only 100 units were made. I’m sure you know the formula by now: Handmade + limited edition =  freaking expensive. The tin dragon sells for $1,500 USD. That’s right, a steam-powered piece of tin that costs more than the Wii + Xbox 360 + the PS3 + DSi +PSP combined. I’m sure your kid will like this dragon even less when you tell him that.

But if you’re little one is interested in mechanical stuff or if you’re into this sort of thing then go ahead, go to pucciManuli and let the dragon puff your money away.

[via Nerd Approved]

Strenco’s ST-2 Steambot lumbers along thanks to a tiny copper Wilesco steam engine that’s been implanted in his chest cavity.

Now don’t expect to just flip a switch to get this retro robot going. You’ll need pop his head off, fill him up with water, and light a tiny (stinky) Esbit fire in his belly before his mechanical innards get started.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

And despite the wild gyrations of his internal steam engine, the robot moves at a snail’s pace once up to full speed.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Only 300 of these $600 (USD) limited-edition Steambots were created, so good luck finding one. A couple of places to start on your robot quest include MiniSteam, ManuFactum and General Robots.

The R2-S2 robot uses compressed steam to drive the bot around, spewing jets of water vapor into the air as it goes for a ride.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The master craftsmen over at CrabFu Steamworks took an old Cheddar steam boiler and made it into the heart and soul of the little guy. Once the steam pressure builds up to around 20psi, R2 can chug along at a snail’s pace for a short distance.

[via Make]