The world’s first ever wave farm went live at the end of September in Agucadoura, off the coast of northern Portugal. Three wave energy converters resembling Soviet submarines generate electricity with hydraulic rams driven by waves. The farm was designed by Pelamis Wave Power, which hopes to increase the farms productivity by adding an additional 25 wave energy converters that could potentially power 15,000 homes.

Waves powering homes? Remarkable, but how does it work?
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Lisbon is an old city where medieval castles, fortresses, and ancient Roman aqueducts can be found right in the heart of downtown. Incredible grafitti is also prominent in Lisbon, especially alongside the city’s many rail lines. After the jump, check out some of the best street art that I saw during my time in the Portugese capital.

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Farol Design Hotel is a chic resort in the tiny beach town of Cascais on Portugal’s beautiful Estoril Coast. Farol is perched on a cliff right by the water’s edge making for spectacular views from every part of the hotel. Inside, the hotel is equally stunning. All of the rooms in the hotel are decorated by famous Portugese fashion designers. This year, the Farol got completely redone with a classy black-and-white makeover that accentuates it’s hip appeal.

Unlike so many other design hotels, the Farol isn’t just about trendy modern style. Half of the hotel located in a 118-year-old mansion that was once owned by the Count of Cabral, but the other part of the building is a sleek annex that was added on six years ago. This blend of contemporary cool and old-school elegance makes the Farol truly unique. Read more to see pictures of this extraordinary hotel.

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There sure is a lot of car-related news today. Anyways, despite the automotive glut this story was too cool to pass up. Nissan’s futuristic Pivo 2, a “robot assisted” car that lets you drive backwards and even sideways will hit the road in Portugal in 2011. Sideways driving ability and robotic car controls aren’t the only futuristic feature on the Pivo 2, the cars are also equipped with “green” electric engines. Portugese Prime Minister Jose Socrates announced on Wednesday that his country will begin building a national network of electric car charging centers so that Nissan and Renault can start selling the Pivo 2 there in two and-a-half years. It becomes available worldwide in 2012.

The Pivo 2 has four engines, pivoting wheels, and a rotating cabin so you can face front while driving in multiple directions. This unique design helps people to avoid tight parallel parking jobs forever.

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