The USAF has a new weapon that could take care of those who speak ill of the United States. In partnership with Boeing, they have developed the world’s first unmanned military spaceplane which will launch before the end of this year.
The spaceplane is designed to be reusable, being capable of numerous takeoffs and runway landings. The objective for its first mission reads like cryptic military parlance; risk reduction and experimentation.
The launch is scheduled for November on the back of an Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle, stealing the reserved launch slot of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter which got bumped to early 2009.
Is it really a stretch to see this spaceplane rigged with Boeing’s death-ray lasers and covertly targeting weapons factories, airborne missiles, political targets or even dissidents on the surface? Scary!
According to a multiple-source leak over at iLounge, the next generation iPod Nano will be taller to accommodate a larger screen, looking more like Microsoft’s Zune. The screen will have a 1.5:1 widescreen aspect ratio to match the iPod touch and iPhone. The new Nano will also be skinnier and should have a larger capacity due to recent drops in the prices of flash memory.
Apparently, Apple will be focusing on usability for the player instead of trying to further shrink the size. It is not clear whether it will feature Apple’s Accelerometer, but you would turn the device on its side to watch movies.
Previous speculation reckoned that the new Nano would feature a touchscreen like its bigger brothers the iPhone and iPod Touch. These new leaks report that the much-loved click-wheel will remain due to its ease of use without having to look at the screen.
None of this has been confirmed but is a perfectly logical direction for the company to move in. We’ll have to wait until Apple’s next music special event to find out, which should be around late August / early September.
Murata Boy, the talented robotic offspring of Murata Manufacturing has been captured on video doing his thing. He likes to go for rides on his bicycle and I must say, does so better than us mere mortals can manage. He can keep his balance at really low speeds and can even avoid obstacles in his path.
The boy robot has been fitted with a gyro sensor that can detect inclination and angular velocity. This information is fed to a computer that signals counter actions to restore balance. A sensor in his chest measures distance.
It is hoped that this technology could someday be used in disaster zones or on construction sites and have the ability to lift heavy loads.
I wonder how long it will be before he’s fitted with a Sat Nav unit and sent out to deliver your paper or pizza?
Freecom has announced their new Mobile Drive XXS which takes the title of both the world’s smallest and lightest 2.5-inch external USB 2.0 hard disk drive. It weighs just 155g and is 27% smaller than its nearest competitor.
The sleek casing is covered in a form-fitting rubber sleeve to help prevent the drive slipping from your fingers and features a native, bus-powered USB connection to reduce its size and cable clutter (no power adapters required).
With storage of up to 320GB, it is a long way from Seagate’s recent 1.5TB drive, but will be more than enough storage for most of us and at a very reasonable price.
The drive is available now and will set you back $93/£47/€60/ for the 160GB, $120/£60/€75/ for the 250GB and $143/£72/€90 for the top 320GB model.
Ichikoh Industries has unveiled a new swivel LED adaptive front lighting system (AFS) that can control the left and right headlamps independently. The system can light your path ahead of a curve, light both sides of the road in city driving and illuminate guardrails for safer driving when visibility is poor.
The new headlamp design is comprised of two fixed units and one swivel unit, all of which have white LEDs installed. The swivel unit is controlled by a small motor and responds to a variety of conditions including weather, highway driving and curve driving.
The swivel even helps with straight lane driving, adjusting itself slightly upwards to increase the range of visibility.
The headlamp is efficient too, using just 35W to 40W, which is similar to low-power High Intensity Discharge (HID) systems, offering a similar 12,000 lumens.
This is a great advancement in headlamp technology that is bound to improve visibility in all driving conditions. Just don’t blind people on the sidewalk, k?
Dr Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut and record holder for the longest ever moon walk has claimed that aliens made numerous visits to Earth during his career with NASA, but that each one was carefully covered up.
Mitchell (pictured below) described the creatures as ‘little people who look strange to us’ and that they look similar to the traditional image of aliens like E.T. with large eyes and a small frame.
Such a highly accomplished man who is privy to sensitive information may give credence to the alien coverup conspiracy. He claims that information about the coverup has slowly leaked out and that he has been privileged to be briefed on some of it.
Mitchell, who is now 77, has said that our technology is “not nearly as sophisticated” as theirs and that “had they been hostile”, we wouldn’t be around anymore.
Dr Mitchell broke his silence on Kerrang! radio and said “This is really starting to open up. I think we’re headed for real disclosure and some serious organisations are moving in that direction.”
A NASA spokesman played down the comments in a statement which said, “NASA does not track UFOs. NASA is not involved in any sort of cover up about alien life on this planet or anywhere in the universe. They added, “Dr Mitchell is a great American, but we do not share his opinions on this issue.”
Is this man for real? Or was he on the moon too long? Have your say in the comments.
The U.S. Army has contracted the most unlikely of companies to make its latest weaponry, a U.S. toy manufacturer. The L.L.C. called Lund and Company makes patented hydrogen-powered toy rockets which have inspired the idea for a Variable Velocity Weapon System (VWS). The system is reminiscent of a Star Trek phaser with its stun/kill settings.
The aim is to produce a weapon that can be used in all kinds of conflicts from battlefield to crowd control. It could be armed with rubber bullets to deliver bruises or lethal rounds to deliver death.
The system functions by mixing air with a gaseous or liquid fuel in a combustion chamber positioned behind the bullet. The mixture determines the velocity of the bullet which can range from a weak, non-lethal shot from just 10 meters away to a powerful, deadly shot at over 100 meters.
This new method of propelling a bullet may someday become standard in many guns. It produces less light and heat and can be made lighter than traditional guns. The system can also be scaled to suit a gun of any size.
According to Lund and Company, a demonstration version could be ready in as little as six months and could go into production within 18 months of gaining approval.
A new waterproofing solution has emerged from a company called Golden Shellback which promises to protect your shiny new iPhone 3G or other gadgets from all sorts of liquids and contaminates. It manages this while remaining completely invisible and without impacting usability.
Ideal for those who appreciate the iPhone 3Gs easy access to adult services or those terrified of getting their little gem anywhere near water, this coating covers all the inner and outer components and does such a good job that your gadget can even be used underwater (see video below).
The coating is applied in a vacuum and can be applied to virtually anything. It will also protect against oils, synthetic fluids, dust and dirt.
Pricing is expected to be between US$50-US$75 depending on the size of your gadget. No word on release date or distribution but we will probably have to mail our gizmos in for the company to apply the coating.
Designer Daniel Bailey has taken the folding car concept to a new level with his BRB Evolution, which looks like a Lamborghini when in driving mode, but is as compact as an upright Dyson when parked.
The foldable design manages to cut the original size of the car in half to squeeze into the tiniest of parking spaces. Apparently the car rolls itself up once you’ve exited and uses two rollers to slide the car in sideways.
As you can see in the pictures below the styling is sleek and sexy, inspired by the Lamborghini Murcielago and the Peugeot 908. The car would use a hydrogen fuel cell for power and feature a 180 degree moon roof.
It’s a fascinating concept that essentially jacks the car up onto its nose to minimize its use of parking space. The transformation would have to be fast, I’d imagine, not just for convenience but in order to get the car out of the lane so that traffic doesn’t start backing up behind you.
CS design has thought up a concept for a tent that cleverly incorporates solar panels as well as a built-in flexible LCD display, keeping you connected while you’re ‘trying to get away from it all’.
The design was intended for scientists working in the field to provide a convenient means of communication and collaboration with their team back home.
Apparently, the tent can be erected automatically by activating the solar cells. They apply a charge to the ‘memory metal’ structure which expands the tent and holds its shape. When you’re done with it, you simply deactivate the cells and it collapses down to a size suitable for a backpack.
A full-sized sleeping version aimed at ordinary campers would surely be popular if the price is right. The convenience of such a unit would be great for people who like to go camping on the weekend but don’t like to feel disconnected.
There is one downside to this, though. You might find yourself having to fend off your drunken camp-buddies who want to pile into your tent to watch the game.
Mark's Technology News:
Reports on the latest and greatest achievements in the world of technology. Featuring everything from gadgets and electronics to communications and internet developments, scientific and environmental breakthroughs to advancements in design, lifestyle, transportation and renewable energies.
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