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SolarWarrior

Technology

The Top-Secret Warplanes of Area 51

By Posted on 1.22.2008 23 Comments
For a closer look at the exotic aircraft the Air Force might be cooking up at Area 51, launch the photo gallery.

7.23.2008 at 08:47am - Comment by SolarWarrior

the aurora idea has been around for a long time and they still haven't unveiled it. I distinctly remember looking at a photo of a triangular plane refuling in mid air flanked by two f-111s. Another coincidence that i have seen relatign to aurora, is that i was on vacation in san diago when one of those sonic booms occured. I looked into the sky and nothing was there.The sky was CLOUDLESS. I firmly believe in the aurora and its mach 6 capabilities and i think that is the government wants to keep it a secret even though most of America knows, fine with me because if we don't know, our enemies don't either. c-ya l8r
Technology

How It Works: The Flying Laser Cannon

By Posted on 3.18.2008 31 Comments
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gadgets/How_It_Works_The_Airborne_Laser_Cannon'; Creating a laser that can melt a soda can in a lab is a finicky enough task. Later this year, scientists will put a 40,000-pound chemical laser in the belly of a gunship flying at 300 mph and take aim at targets as far away as five miles. And were not talking aluminum cans. Boeings new Advanced Tactical Laser will cook trucks, tanks, radio stations—the kinds of things hit with missiles and rockets today. Whereas conventional projectiles can lose sight of their target and be shot down or deflected, the ATL moves at the speed of light and can strike several targets in rapid succession.

7.23.2008 at 08:34am - Comment by SolarWarrior

scotteye-that is the best idea I have heard so far. If the US is going to mount a laser on any aircraft, armed or not, there is a chance of it falling into enemy hands. If they don't want that risk, they should,like, use your crate idea. The part about using the empty boxes to scare away planes was helarious. c-ya l8r
Science

Video: The XOS Exoskeleton in Action

By Posted on 4.15.2008 20 Comments
Iron Man's fictional tech may soon become real. Inside a mountain lab, researchers have already built motorized suits that give ordinary people superhuman strength. // By use of this code snippet, I agree to the Brightcove Publisher T and C // found at http://corp.brightcove.com/legal/terms_publisher.cfm. var config = new Array(); /* * feel free to edit these configurations * to modify the player experience */ config["videoId"] = null; //the default video loaded into the player config["videoRef"] = null; //the default video loaded into the player by ref id specified in console config["lineupId"] = null; //the default lineup loaded into the player config["playerTag"] = null; //player tag used for identifying this page in brightcove reporting config["autoStart"] = false; //tells the player to start playing video on load config["preloadBackColor"] = "#FFFFFF"; //background color while loading the player /* * set the player's size using the parameters below * to make this player dynamically resizable, set the width and height as a percentage */ config["width"] = 486; config["height"] = 412; /* do not edit these config items */ config["playerId"] = 1494874797; createExperience(config, 8); We've told you all about the Raytheon Sarcos XOS exoskeleton, the smart suit of armor that endows its wearer with super-human strength. Now see it in action, and meet the minds behind both Iron Men—real, and imaginary.

7.22.2008 at 09:04pm - Comment by SolarWarrior

I saw the "Iron Man" movie and it was awesome. Stark found out in the movie that his weapons capacity was limited my the energy source. That is the SAME problem we have today. If we develop ,like, a clean nuclear battery pack the size of a double A then we could have laser pointers that burn through solid steel. Just like Stark with his glowy thingy in his chest, we need an energy source. I think that all projects that are limited due to lack of energy and funding should be shut down until the energy crisis is averted. PS: thanks 4 lettin me vent C-ya l8r
Science

Building the Real Iron Man

By Posted on 5.7.2008 47 Comments
Afghanistan. A hidden bunker. Four men with rifles guard a thick, rusted steel door. Bam! A huge fist pounds against it—from inside. Bam! More blows dent the steel. The hinges strain. The guards cower, inching backward. Whatever's trying to break out is big. And angry.

7.22.2008 at 08:45pm - Comment by SolarWarrior

well, ischlesi...you seem to have covered exactly what i was going to say...(thanks-you saved me from needing to type that long of a paper). That was a GREAT idea about making the suit crawl away from the battle to seek medical attention for the soldier inside. Normally i'd put in some counter point or whatever..but ,like i said before, you got it all for me. thanks. c-ya l8er
Technology

Wing Men

By Posted on 4.21.2008 12 Comments
If a sodden rice paddy feels soft and forgiving underfoot, it is not a merciful place to set down an airplane at 200 mph. And thats only one of Mike Selbys reasons to look nervous as he watches his A-10 Warthog—a 10-foot-wide, 65-pound, hand-built model—begin its maiden takeoff roll down a rough asphalt runway near Bangkok, Thailand. Selby, who spent over $12,000 and the better part of a year fabricating and building this radio-controlled jet, stands runwayside with his thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his jeans, trying to look relaxed as he draws on a Cuban cigar.

7.22.2008 at 08:02pm - Comment by SolarWarrior

dang..i am gonna have to google top gun. that thing is awesome, c-ya
The Environment

Sunny News for Solar Power

By Posted on 7.15.2008 10 Comments
When I was eight years old, my uncle told me that I’d get a solar-powered car for my sixteenth birthday – and that it would be affordable. When I turned 16 in 2002, though, solar power was still inefficient and expensive, and I landed a bike instead. It's taken impossibly high fuel costs, global warming, and some serious engineering developments, but six years later, solar power is finally becoming a viable alternative to oil.

7.22.2008 at 06:42pm - Comment by SolarWarrior

Solar Power is Practical !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just think...if everyone covered there roof w/ solar panels...just think. I read somewhere that if we ,haveing our solar panels today, covered all of the earth w/ solar paneles for a few minutes, we would have enough energy to last the WORLD a year!!! now think of that on a smaller scale-only being about 10-20% of the world covered (tops of buildings). A few days of direct sunshine could power the WORLD for like....2 years!!! just think... Now..i assume all of you have questions...i will try to "nip them in the bud" right now. (1) You: Solar Panels are expensive! Me: Ya? So is the house you are living in and the computer you are using right now to read this...so a roof of solar panels costs about the same as....a brand new big Windows vista computer-about $2000(i'm guessing here so if i'm wrong don't get extremely mad). So just dont upgrade to the latest model of computer... wait a year-they will have something else out then and use the money u saved to buy some solar panels (2) You: Well...i'm not going to go cover my house w/ solar panels because you say so.... Me: I think that if nations want to stop completely destroying the only world they have..they should say "Screw the cost! i want my world clean!" They should pay for at least half the panels on any house-unless the owner is completely able to pay for it themselves.That would also solve the first problem. The goverment of said nation should do anything-and i mean ANYTHING- to improve the world any way they can! I hope this rant made sense to you and if not.....sorry. I'm just trying to say that if the world works together...THEY CAN DO ANYTHING!!! Think about it...(and if you have some contact in politics-please ask them to bring it up at the next meeting or whatever they do-eternal thanks-) PS: thanks for letting me vent =) C-YA and happy letting the energy crisis ruin your important lives!
Gadgets

A Skinny PC, Fat with Features

By Posted on 6.13.2008 9 Comments
While the MacBook Air showed how slim a laptop could be, the Voodoo Envy ($2,100; voodoopc.com) demonstrates how much can fit in that space. Using the same compact CPU as the Air, the carbon-fiber-clad Envy measures just 0.7 inch thick—a tad thinner than the Mac at its thickest point. And it packs in more features, including a slot for high-speed cellular data cards, two USB ports, and an HDMI port for attaching to a high-def TV.

7.22.2008 at 06:08pm - Comment by SolarWarrior

well...JL seems to have the whole Mac/MS thing covered. I just want to point out a few other points. (1) I agree w/ Trogdor-they need CD/DVD drives!! Most of the fun I have on my Windows Vista is because of the games I can play and the movies I can watch!(Vista has awesome color for movies). (2) I also agree w/ JL on the fact that most Windows programs are pointless. (3) Mac should stick to iPods and iPhones cuz those bring in tons of cash. Just face it-there are way more Windows users than Mac-Windows is just more apealing to the public for some reason(don't ask me why-i didn't interview the whole 6billion people in the world). PS: JL-ur funny-i like the ongoing Hippie Chick joke =)
Gadgets

The Computer that Reads Hand Signals

By Posted on 6.17.2008 7 Comments
You don’t have to fumble with a remote control to pause a video on Toshiba’s Qosmio G55-Q802. Simply hold your palm up in the universal “stop” sign. The laptop reads this and other hand signals instantly using the Cell, the supercomputer chip best known for powering the PlayStation 3. An Intel CPU performs most of the tasks on the G55, but a special version of the Cell tackles complex video-manipulation jobs by breaking them into bite-size chunks and parceling them out to four processors on the chip.

7.22.2008 at 05:54pm - Comment by SolarWarrior

hehe-this is awesome! I can imagine myself now...*starts daydreaming*...Me:(laying in recliner watching movie) Where's that remote? I saw this part already...O wait! thats right! I have the G55! *uses hand signals to avoid ruining comfortable position in recliner*. hehe..*daydream over*
Gadgets

Ready, Aim, Splat!

By Posted on 7.1.2008 4 Comments
Paintball has become the perfect way for gadget geeks to unleash their inner Rambo. The latest carbon-dioxide- or compressed-air-powered guns, known as “markers,” have computerized controls and electronic firing mechanisms that can blast out 1,200 balls a minute at speeds of up to 300 feet per second. Add in a quick reloader and a sneaky scope, and your buddies won’t stand a chance.

7.22.2008 at 05:49pm - Comment by SolarWarrior

I've been playing paintball for a while and I can't tell you how many times I've peeked around a corner only to get a maskful of paint. I think the mirror is a great idea! time to get my friends together and test out the mirror!