The Geek Church

Recently, a defense contractor named Northrop Grumman was given a project to develop combat airships for the U. S. Armed Forces. These aerial vessels will be used specifically for deployment in Afghanistan to keep a constant watch on the country.

Furthermore, these combat airships will be housed and launched from an massive air base designed to float continuously over Afghanistan. This air base is called the Long-Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), which seems to be resemble an aircraft carrier. The air base is intended to float over certain global locations of interest like Afghanistan at a height of 20,000 feet and monitor the landscape with a series of sensors. The LEMV’s sensory view is designated as the campaign view. Meanwhile, combat airships are also designed for surveying combat areas and their view is known as the Real-Time Strategy (RTS) view. Lastly, foot troops with helmet cams and embedded sensors will be responsible for the First Person Shooter (FPS) view.

Of course, the idea here is to gather more information for making better decisions during military operations on every level of personnel to achieve greater mission success and lower casualties in active duty. Personally, I have to wonder how realistic it is to be developing combat airships to be deployed from a huge, flying fortress. I’d hate to think how much Americans will have to pay in taxes to cover the cost for all that high-tech equipment.

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Currently, the BP oil spill remains at large as a serious threat to the natural environment surrounding it in the Gulf Coast. Right now, more than one hundred and fifty gallons of oil is still flowing out of control. Although beaches are likely to be affected first, the wetlands of Louisiana are also in considerable danger. In comparison to sand, swamp areas and weeds would be greatly contaminated by the oil spill with little hope of ever being cleaned up. However, designers at a firm in Florida called Greenboat Scientific have devised a solution to oil pollution in swamps.

They’ve developed a watercraft called the Weedoo workboat. Initially, this vessel was created as a eco-friendly alternative to the gas-powered airboats commonly used in the South. The watercraft has been redesigned to carry several times its own weight in oil-soaked weeds, surface oil and other forms of swamp contaminants.

The Weedoo is made of ten foot lightweight fiberglass and foam and runs on a propulsion system powered by a rechargeable battery. Furthermore, this watercraft is operated with fingertip joystick controls, allowing it to maneuver through the shallow areas of the wetlands with great ease. The vessel actually works like a farm tractor. It has a quick-change system that’s able to connect to a variety of additional equipment as attachments, which include the extractor conveyor system, a forklift and a swing-arm cutter.

Greenboat is preparing to mass produce Weedoo waterboats by the hundreds and they expect to make one per day at this time. In addition to stopping oil pollution in the swamps, mass production of the watercraft would also provide employment for Florida residents afflicted by the oil spill. Thus, the creation of the Weedoo seems to be a big step in the right direction for solving the oil spill crisis.

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Even though it’s the location for the World Cup this year, South Africa is facing an energy crisis. Unfortunately, electricity is not an abundant power source for running machines and buildings within the country. So, a non-profit group called Solafrica has stepped up to help South Africa by developing a series of portable solar stations as an alternative power source.

These portable, power stations are made of a compact system with solar panels and accumulators without complex wiring to draw energy from the Sun and use it as a power source. Currently, Solafrica plans to use these power stations to entertain residents of the country who can’t afford to attend the World Cup and lack an electric-powered TV set for watching the games. Then they intend to set up the power stations at various schools in South Africa after the World Cup to satisfy existing energy needs.

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LG just unveiled a special hybrid air conditioner to help the people of Korea. This device is an environmentally-safe hybrid air conditioner called the F-Q232LASS, which uses solar energy as an alternative to electricity in powering the machine.

The F-Q232LASS works by collecting solar power through a solar cell module located on the top of the device, which is kept outside. LG claims that the special air conditioner will help people save money on their energy bill and of course, the machine is designed to be eco-friendly.

According to LG, the F-Q232LASS is also able to help reduce at least 212kg of carbon dioxide within ten years. However, the company has not given information explaining how this device works in reducing carbon dioxide pollution.

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Flying cars, drill machines that take people underground, rocket boats and cars that turn into submarines. These types of vehicles have long been products of a writer’s imagination shown in literature, television, action flicks and movies of science fiction. In the real world, we just don’t have the technology to create such things in this present age. But the constant advance of research and experimentation seem to point us to a future with many possibilities. For example, what if you could have a yacht that was also a submarine for traveling underwater?

Recently, some designers conceived such a concept. They call it the U-010. According to its design, this vessel would be 66.5 meters long, made in the style of a regular yacht and it would be powered by diesel and electric propulsion.

Of course, it’s just an idea on the design table. However, the technology might become available to actually build the U-010 someday. As human beings, we do tend to consider the future and wonder about the things that are to come. Nevertheless, I think concepts like this yacht submarine are better off being considered things of literature, television and film. After all, just because designers conceive a new idea doesn’t mean it’s eventually going to become a reality?

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As the E3 2010 conference in Los Angeles gets underway this week, Microsoft is already grabbing people’s attention with the recent demonstration of their new motion control system, Kinect (previously named project Natal). There were several games for children, groups and adults shown at the event and you can expect game developers such as Konami, Lucas Arts and Turn 10 Studios to be involved with the launch of Kinect as well. Popular titles like Star Wars and Metal Gear Solid are scheduled to arrive on the new controller system in the near future.

The Kinect device itself consists of a RGB camera, 3D depth sensors, and a multi-array mic and it also has a motorized tilt function. Microsoft intended for it to be a new kind of dashboard interface controller for the X-Box 360. In order to use it, you first log-in by waving your hand. Then your hand movements will control a cursor on the screen, allowing you to make selections on the displayed menu and browse through featured content. This new motion control system is designed to respond to your voice as well. According to Crunch Gear, Kinect might be the closest thing resembling the technology seen in the film, Minority Report so far.

With Kinect, Microsoft is taking a more direct approach to the concept of motion control than Nintendo or Sony. On the Wii and the PS3, motion control relies on the use of an actual hand-held controller. While the absence of a more conventional controller could lead to some problems in gameplay, there is definite potential with the user interface for Kinect. Thus, Microsoft’s new game control system may spark the beginning of a new age where hand-held controllers for PC and console gaming would be obsolete.

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“It’s an elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” That’s what Obi-wan Kenobi said to Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope when he described the legendary laser sword used by Jedi Knights. If you’re a fan of the Star Wars movie series, then you’ve probably imagined what it would be like to wield your own lightsaber. Well, this weapon of the Jedi is no longer a thing of science fiction, thanks to the creative minds at Wicked Lasers. They actually created a real-life lightsaber as the most powerful portable laser in existence.

They call it the Spyder III Pro Arctic. It was made with the blue-laser diode of a dismantled Casio projector. It’s capable of blinding you permanently, burning through your skin and any other material as well. The diodes that came from Casio’s new mercury-free Green Slim projectors actually make it possible to create a very powerful, portable laser. Furthermore, Wicked Lasers used these diodes for the Spyder III, comparing it to their greatest creation in portable laser technology, the Sonar, which costs $2000. According to the company, the Spyder III is 2000 times brighter to the human eye and it’s available for $200. That price is one-tenth the cost of the Sonar.

The Spyder III Pro Arctic also comes with a pair of safety glasses. Apparently, this portable super laser is intended mostly for welding. With that said, let it be clear that this device is not a toy but a very powerful tool and potential weapon. Like a lightsaber, “it’s not clumsy or random like a blaster pistol” or gun as Obi-wan would have said. It’s an elegant device that must be handled with care.

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Hey thrill seekers, adventurers and adrenaline junkies, you like vehicles that go fast, right? Of course, I’m talking about things like sports cars, fighter planes, water jet skis and motorcycles. You know what I mean, dudes! These vehicles represent speed, tricky maneuvers, intensity, fearlessness and that certain element of danger. You already know this firsthand if you’ve ever been out riding in one of them. So, how would you feel about riding a motorcycle that runs only on electricity? It actually does exist.

This electric, motorized “chopper” is called the MotoCzysz E1pc. The bike is capable of speeds up to one hundred and forty miles per hour. Furthermore, its motor can generate about five hundred volts of electrical power. The motorcycle is a fully-functional, electrical marvel that moves just like a regular, gas-powered one.

This week, the MotoCzysz E1pc is scheduled for an extensive test run of twists and turns on a 37.7 mile trip. The setting for this test run will be the Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. If this electric “chopper” becomes a successful product and hits the mainstream market, you could possibly find yourself on an electric-powered Harley in the near future.

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Personal safety is very important when it comes to bicycling. It is wise for a cyclist to use protective gear such as wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads and a helmet. That being said, the helmet is obviously the most important piece of protective equipment you can use. Of course, making sure your helmet is good condition for use is just as important as having it in the first place. But how you do know when your helmet needs to be replaced after long-time use? Apparently, some German scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg decided to deal with this issue by designing a bicycle helmet that actually stinks when it’s been damaged.

They placed microcapsules of stinky oil inside of a helmet as a mechanism to signal when the piece of head gear is damaged and should be replaced. These tiny capsules are 1 to 50 micrometers in size. In the event of a cyclist having a serious fall off of a bike, stress is put on the helmet. Then cracks can develop in the helmet, lessening its effectiveness as protective head gear, which puts you at risk of a future head injury if you keep using that helmet. However, the stinky smell released by the microcapsules in the helmet are intended to provoke the user to get rid of that head gear and replace it. The amount of stinky smell released in the helmet depends on the size of the cracks when the head gear is damaged. Larger cracks will give off more of a stench.

According to Dr. Christof Koplin from the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM, bike riders tend to waste their helmets by replacing them too soon after having a fall. Furthermore, cyclists also face the uncertainty of not really knowing when their protective head gear is truly damaged and must be replaced. Thus, the capsules of stinky oil are a suitable answer to resolve this issue. Personally, I’d take my chances with a regular helmet and waste money on a replacement instead of dealing with head gear that punishes me with a foul stench if I break it.

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Attention coffee drinkers, this article is for you! Is the day off to a rough start when you don’t have time to make your essential cup of steaming java goodness before rushing to work? Is your personal coffee machine proving unreliable in preparing the stuff just the way you like it? Does your workplace fail to provide a decent machine to brew coffee during the day when you need it? If you said yes to any of these questions, then Saeco might have the solution you’re looking for.

They call it the Xelsis Digital ID coffee machine. It is designed to remember your favorite style and preferences for the right cup of java by scanning your fingerprints. This brew machine features timer programming, automatic descaling and machine self-cleaning. Sounds like the ideal appliance for lovers of coffee, right?

This coffee machine actually seems like a unique and fascinating way to use your fingerprints. Unfortunately, it will be a demanding investment for the general consumer. The Xelsis Digital ID coffee machine is available for a price of $2,500. That’s equipment your employer probably isn’t willing to pay for to bring into the workplace so you might want to save up to get your own later.

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