If simply flying your RC plane isn’t quite giving you the thrill it used to, it might be time to upgrade your firepower. The plug and play Quanum bomb system might just be the bad idea you were looking for. More »
A new report commissioned by the Office of Naval Research makes a grim statement about the increasing danger of combat-trained robots in the 21st century: “We are going to need a warrior code.”
Are those few grams of paper aeroplane too much to bear? Has throwing an aeroplane become a chore in and of itself? Then launch that sucker with this gizmo from your desk, Captain Lazy Pants.
You may recall that earlier robots developed by Foster-Miller had some minor safety issues in Iraq last year that reportedly shook up confidence in the entire kill-bot program. That story turned out to be a bit of an exaggeration, but it was clear that a newer, safer design would have to be implemented to get things back on track. To that end, Foster-Miller has delivered the 160kg MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System), which they emphasise as being “human operated.”
Remember those gun-toting robots that were being pulled out of Iraq because they were moving when they weren’t commanded? Well, according to their manufacturer it’s all “an urban legend” — the SWORD robot is not going to spin around and point its gun at friendlies… it’s fine’n'dandy and still deployed in the field. Phew. Looks like our soldiers are safe from a robot uprising for now. But where did the original story come from?
Jerry Yang has pulled a mix between Neo and Rod Tidwell in the latest round of corporate warfare between Yahoo! and Microsoft, showing them the finger and asking Steve Ballmer to show them more money. His complete jibba jabba after the jump.
Bang, bang, my baby shot me down. With a foam dart. And this Nerf Maverick, which loads six into its barrel and fires them in rapid succession at 15 feet away. And yes, ironically, this thing lets you play Doom, as shown in the video after the jump. More »
XM is doing something really unique next week and I can’t wait to listen. Beginning Wednesday, June 6, XM is going to air the original radio news bulletins from NBC Radio for the D-Day invasion, in real time almost exactly how the reports were heard 63 years ago. It will begin at 12:41 am Eastern time on Channel 4, The 40s, to correspond when the actual first reports were going live.
In addition to the actual reports and updates from the war, there will be era music and commentary about the day from members of NBC’s news staff. I am particularly interested because I really want to hear the reports and get a feeling for how media treated war 60 years ago, compared with what it has turned into today. It is also a great way to reflect on the servicemen that lost their lives on that day. –Travis Hudson
XM recreates D-Day radio coverage in real-time [Orbitcast] More »
