The US Marines and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) have been quietly developing the innocuous sounding LS3 a truly scary robotic dog that can follow you around and carry all your kit.
Is this the future of war fighting?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hNUeSUXOc-w
The owner should remember what William Blake wrote in Songs..
A robin red breast in a cage puts all Heaven in a rage:
The owner of a monkey confiscated by the authorities after it escaped and ran around the car park of a Canadian Ikea wants her pet back.
How is it we still allow this “punishment of a cruel and unusual kind”?
Owner wants 'Ikea monkey' back
Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:56:47 GMT
Good lord they all turn into BMWs!
It’s called “The Host” and it’s all depressing sci-fi future, with the usual aliens taking over the whole world and occupying human bodies. You know who’s been snatched by their glowing eyes.
More importantly, it is the movie of the book after Stephenie Meyer’s hugely popular “Twilight” series about vampire love.
This one’s also got an alien-human love story going, but it looks less earnestly earnest.
Enjoy:
Viral Video: The Creepy Alien Movie From the "Twilight" Lady
Kara Swisher
Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:16:13 GMT
Well I suppose it was only a matter of time before our abhorrent, antiquated and class-based honours system raised its ugly head. It is vital that the government makes clear and does it soon its criteria for any Olympian honours. And the criteria must be objective. If it is left to a committee of the “Great and the Good” to decide none of us , including the Olympians themselves, will believe that it was fair and didn’t involve the usual criterion of what you get depends on who you are not on what you’ve done.
We all remember the shameful and racist bestowing of honours on those who conquered Everest: the New Zealander Edmund Hilary was knighted and his sherpa Norgay Tenzing who did exactly the same thing but happened not be white was given the soon to become defunct British Empire Medal, an honour especially designed for those in the Commonwealth who weren’t proper chaps.
Now its a long time since that happened but the granting of honours still remains an arcane and opaque process. And as for still having gongs called Order of the British Empire well I ask you.
So in order to contribute to the debate in a positive way I suggest the following:
Downing Street denies the existence of a quota system that would limiting the number of Team GB athletes who can receive awards in the New Year Honours list.
PM denies 'gongs for golds' quota
Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:37:56 GMT
This is really quite neat...from Endgadget
The elves from Munich just can’t seem to help themselves. Aimed at overweight middle-aged inadequates?
For Brazil being a BRIC doesn't seem to mean that you will have your own flag carrier airline. First Varig went leaving TAM which has now been taken over by Chile’s LAN Airlines to form Latam, now apparently the Wold’s second largest carrier.
Imagine if that happened in the UK it might be BAD
Brazil and Chile airlines merge
Fri, 22 Jun 2012 20:25:57 GMT
Australia beat Wales 20-19 in the Third Test held in Sydney to complete a three match whitewash on the current tour sending them homeward to think again.
This morning we had a wonderful and unexpected congregation of, for us, uncommon birds. First I saw a Bullfinch on the arbour but almost immediately it was off just like the last bullfinches I saw in the garden
And then a squadron of Martins powered into the garden looking for insects. The House Martin is one of my favourite birds. So fast and manoeuvrable it is certainly the F-16 Viper of the avian world. They are difficult to watch for they move so fast and seem to be able to dart in every direction without effort.
All in all it made my morning!
Now that’s something; stylish and quick. What could be better?
Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, Performance, Hatchback, Ferrari, Design/Style, Fiat
We're pretty sweet on the resurrected Fiat 500. The quirky little hatch is an engaging driver with adorable looks. It is not what we'd call fast, however - even the Fiat 500 Abarth just barely lands itself in "quick" territory.
Fortunately, there are hard-working souls out there willing to remedy the machine's acceleration deficit. Lazzarini Design has done some measuring and discovered that, with a little body work, the 500 can play host to much more formidable powerplant. How formidable? The crew wants to yank the beating heart from the Ferrari 458 Italia and plop the 4.5-liter V8 behind the seats of cinquecento. You know, where the car gods intended the engine in the 500 to be.
These are clearly our kind of people.
But they aren't entirely off their medication. The engine has been detuned from 570 horsepower to a more reasonable 550 hp. Lazzarini says the project actually stretches the 500 wheelbase by almost a foot in order to fit the engine and transmission safely aboard. The whole machine weighs in at 2,200 pounds, even with ballast on both front corners to keep the car planted. If you like what you see, the studio says it is currently looking for an investor to help build the machine. Lazzarini Design estimates the project will cost around $550,000. Check it out over at the Lazzarini site.A 458 Italia-powered Fiat 500 is not a good idea, it's the best idea originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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A 458 Italia-powered Fiat 500 is not a good idea, it's the best idea
Zach Bowman
Fri, 22 Jun 2012 18:28:00 GMT
Who said BMWs are all the same. Here’s a dozen different models all distinctive and totally unalike:
Here is another new Beamer. It’s like so different from anything that they’ve ever done before.
Other than this sentence the narrative is from the ever readable Autoblog.
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, BMW, First Drives, Luxury
More Pace And Better Style With Less Menace
With the dust just settling on recent tests of the $113,995 BMW M6 convertible and the start of U.S. deliveries in late May, we now get to attack some traffic-free Spanish two-lanes and the 3.4-mile track at the Ascari Race Resort in the third-generation, or F12, BMW M6 coupe, which sells for the "discount" price of just $106,995.
Let's cut to the chase a bit: The M6 coupe is far more convincing as a big M car with this bi-turbo V8 powertrain than either the M6 convertible or M5 four-door.
Of these three 560-horsepower platform-sharing M cars, it's definitely this sleek coupe that takes home the prize on dynamics. It's some 65 pounds lighter than the M5 and almost 290 pounds lighter than the convertible M6, so just on those numbers, one would certainly hope for a crisper, more responsive road and track manner.
Almost as a way of driving home this chief difference between the intentions of the coupe and convertible, BMW dressed all of the M6 coupes we were testing in both the optional five-spoke 20-inch forged M wheels and big lightweight optional carbon ceramic brake discs. The convertibles on hand at this European drive event all had standard 19-inchers and compound discs. And thus the drop tops were not allowed on the track at all, and that felt right.Continue reading 2013 BMW M6 Coupe [w/video]
2013 BMW M6 Coupe [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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First Drive: 2013 BMW M6 Coupe [w/video]
Matt Davis
Fri, 22 Jun 2012 16:57:00 GMT
These changes are fundamental, extensive and exciting. Maybe we will once more able to say “racing improves the breed”
Filed under: Motorsports, Racing
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest, organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has announced a number of rule changes for the 2014 race that open up the options for LMP1 racers and guide their technology closer to that of road cars, and that should also give fans even better racing than we're used to seeing. Probably biggest of all is loosening the restraints on engine design. Currently, gas engines are limited in size to 3.4 liters, while diesel displacement can be no more than 3.7 liters, with further turbocharger, supercharger and air restrictor regulation on top of that. Those are all gone - "The limitations of cylinders, restrictors and turbo pressures are removed."
Before you get ideas of this turning into a Group B for Le Mans, the cars will be limited to an "energy allotment" per lap. A fuel meter will allow a diesel-powered car 3.99 liters per lap, a gas-powered car would get 4.95 liters per lap, from tanks that are about 12 percent smaller.
All LMP1 cars will be required to have closed cockpits, within which the driver will sit a little further forward and slightly higher to provide more visibility and, it is hoped, cut down on accidents when lapping slower traffic. Weights have been reduced, from the current minimum weight of 900 kilograms to 830 kg for non-hybrids and 850 kg for hybrids, and according to the Speed TV report, "all factory entries will be required to compete with hybrid systems." The cars will also be thinnner. Another factory handicap (depending on how see it) is that "super-exotic materials" will be banned in order to force carmakers to use materials that apply to their mainstream vehicles and not just their supercars.
The ACO believes these new rules will "encourage the development of powerful and spectacular cars and also the development of technologies that have real meaning for the everyday motorist." Sounds good to us.Le Mans rule changes for 2014 announced, engine restrictions eased originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Jun 2012 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Motorsports: Le Mans rule changes for 2014 announced, engine restrictions eased
Jonathon Ramsey
Mon, 18 Jun 2012 00:03:00 GMT
I have previously blogged that all BMWs now seem to look the same. Well it would appear that the contagion has spread and infected Aston Martin. Can’t we have something new please. They’re now looking awfully boring
Filed under: Concept Cars, Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Aston Martin, Design/Style, Luxury
Aston Martin recently took a right-hand drive version of the company's AM 310 Concept for a spin in Italy. The coupe was on hand for a brief photo shoot, and sported a few different details from the model we saw debut at Villa d'Este. Marked by a more sane set of wheels and a more demure grille, this machine looks almost ready for production. Aston Martin has already made it clear the concept could give us an idea of the successor to the DB9 and DBS, and some voices are indicating this could be the next-generation Vanquish.
Despite its ultra luxury products, Aston Martin may not have the resources on hand to dabble in fully-functional concepts like other automakers. As such, it would make sense for the AM 310 to serve double duty as both a concept and a prototype.
The supercar rides on the same VH chassis as nearly every other Aston Martin product, though the AM 310 borrows the 6.0-liter V12 found in the DB9.Aston Martin AM 310 Concept shows up in Italy... could it be the Vanquish? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Spy Shots: Aston Martin AM 310 Concept shows up in Italy... could it be the Vanquish?
Zach Bowman
Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:01:00 GMT
This will be good news to many. The perpetrators of Flame, the covert reconnaissance trojan outed last week after 5 years of unknown activity,have sent it packing to everyone’s relief.
But we shouldn’t be too relieved because it shows that such cyber weapons can come…and go….without us knowing.
The folks behind that nasty Flame trojan that burned its way through the Middle East aren't the kind to brag -- the malware's manufacturers apparently started dousing their own fire last week. According to Symantec reports, several compromised machines retrieved a file named browse32.ocx from Flame controlled servers, which promptly removed all traces of the malware from the infected systems. Although the attackers seem spooked, Microsoft isn't taking any chances, and has issued a fix to its Windows Server Update Services to block future attacks. The update hopes to protect networked machines from a similar attack by requiring HTTPS inspection servers to funnel Windows update traffic through an exception rule, bypassing its inspection. The attackers? "They're trying to cover their tracks in any way they can," Victor Thakur, principal security response manager at Symantec told the LA Times, "They know they're being watched." Check out the source link below for the Symantec's run down of the trojan's retreat.
Flame malware extinguishes itself, Microsoft protects against future burns originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkLA Times, Electronista, Ars Technica |
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Flame malware extinguishes itself, Microsoft protects against future burns
Sean Buckley
Mon, 11 Jun 2012 04:54:00 GMT
Having staged a drag race between a Veyron and a Typhoon which the Veyron lost comprehensibly they have staged another between an Aventador and and a Viper (F-16). One less engine than a Typhoon so it should be pretty close. Maybe the car might win….
Porker One-six you are clear for take off.
Nah no way! Why do they keep doing this. Do they really think a car is going to be faster? Poor demented fools!
Toyota is amongst a rush of punters to be tackling Pikes Peak, the world’s toughest hill climb…being on the outer edge of insanity. Also going electric will be Monster Tajima, the reigning champion (see the link below) will be there with a stonking Monster Sport Esport Runner.
It seems like electric cars are now big deal. Don’t be surprised to see LMP and maybe even F1 to go all sparky.
Filed under: Motorsports, Toyota, Electric, Racing
The number of electric race cars entered into this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb continues to grow with Toyota Motorsports GmbH announcing today that its TMG EV P002 race car will compete at the 90th annual climb to the clouds.
While this will be Toyota's first trip to the Peak with the TMG EV P002, this won't be the car's first motorsports outing. Last year it set the lap record for an electric car at the Nürburgring, a time that still stands today. Since then, Toyota has updated the electric powertrain, which now puts out 469 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque running through a single-speed gearbox.
Toyota will have its hands full with competition, though, as the reigning unlimited class champion Monster Tajima will also be bringing his Monster Sport Sport E_RUNNER to race in the electric division at Pikes Peak. Perhaps less potent although no less interesting will be Mitsubishi's i-MiEV Evolution and an electric 1995 BMW M3 built by EV West.
Scroll down for a video that accompanies Toyota's official announcementContinue reading Toyota converts all-electric 'Ring racer to Pikes Peak hill climber [w/video]
Toyota converts all-electric 'Ring racer to Pikes Peak hill climber [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Motorsports: Toyota converts all-electric 'Ring racer to Pikes Peak hill climber [w/video]
Drew Phillips
Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:15:00 GMT
I have blogged before about Stuxnet and argued that we need to put more resources into cyber warfare. Now, at last it would appear that after much speculation the US and Israel are the originators of Stuxnet which trashed the Siemens control software of the Iranian centrifuges causing a significant delay in the Iranian nuclear programme. So well done US and Israel.
But it would seem that such “cyber bombs” are not without their dangers for the rest of us. Particularly the new cyber spy “Flame”. Let’s hope they develop better control methods to prevent the viruses breaking out into the rest of cyberspace.
Ever since Stuxnet was discovered, most of the accusing fingers have been pointed at the US, Israel or both, whether or not there was any evidence; it was hard to ignore malware that seemed tailor-made for wrecking Iranian centrifuges and slowing down the country's nuclear development. As it turns out, Occam's Razor is in full effect. An exposé from the New York Times matter-of-factly claims that the US and Israel coded Stuxnet as part of a cyberwar op, Olympic Games, and snuck it on to a USB thumb drive that infected computers at the Natanz nuclear facility. The reason we know about the infection at all, insiders say, is that it got out of control: someone modified the code or otherwise got it to spread through an infected PC carried outside, pushing Obama to either double down (which he did) or back off. Despite all its connections, the newspaper couldn't confirm whether or not the new Flame malware attack is another US creation. Tipsters did, however, deny that Flame is part of the Olympic Games push -- raising the possibility that there are other agencies at work.
[Image credit: David Holt, Flickr]
Stuxnet pinned on US and Israel as an out-of-control creation originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Stuxnet pinned on US and Israel as an out-of-control creation
Jon Fingas
Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:48:00 GMT
Congratulations for winning the Monaco Grand Prix with a flawless drive. Often underrated Mark is now equal second on the Formula Drivers Championship. Could it be his year? He is entering the latter part of his career and there have been rumours of him moving to Ferrari next year. I think from memory that would make him the first Australian to drive for Ferrari in Formula 1. Now wouldn’t that be something
From Formula 1: Mark Webber's Monaco victory was Red Bull's third successive triumph in the Principality. It also made them the first team to win two races in 2012, as they extended their lead in the constructors' standings. Christian Horner has said that consistency will likely win this year's championships, and after a tough start to the season, consistency is now exactly what Webber, Sebastian Vettel and the RB8 are delivering
Monaco analysis - Red Bull charge gathering momentum
Mon, 28 May 2012 09:38:00 GMT
Baroness Warsi thinks she needs to be thick skinned. Most of us think she needs to be honest.
From the BBC The co-chair of the Conservative Party, Baroness Warsi, says she has to accept a "few bruises along the way" if "you are going to be outspoken" in politics.
Warsi: I need to be thick-skinned
Mon, 28 May 2012 09:49:44 GMT
This project, supported by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust aims to restore the Short Haired Bumblebee to residency in the UK. The short-haired bumblebee, which vanished from the UK in 1988, is being reintroduced to the Kent countryside. Previous attempts to re-establish the Short Haired Bumblebee have failed but this one looks good so far. If it can be permanently re-established then it will be a major conservation coup.
'Extinct' bumblebee returns to UK
Mon, 28 May 2012 04:53:15 GMT
Bumblebees are so important to man, not only because they are the sound of Summer but because of their major role in pollenating food crops. You can find out more about bumblebees here
From the BBC
Lawyers for radical Jordanian cleric Abu Qatada will return to court later to argue he should be released from prison on bail.
Abu Qatada bids for bail release
Mon, 28 May 2012 01:54:35 GMT
Why on Earth don’t we simply put Abu Qatada in the back of a Hercules, fly him to Amman, lower the ramp and throw him out? What damage would that do to the National Interest? Very little I hazard, it might even raise our prestige and deter similar crazies. Perhaps we are too obsessed with the so-called rights of the guilty rather than natural justice.
At last the elves from Bavaria have managed to produce something that is different from the rest and actually looks good! Albeit with just a little help from Zagato.
The style is completely up to date and reflects the European take on the 2010s.
I’ve been a trenchant critic of BMW styling for a long time,noting its boring sameness, so its with some humility I say well down BMW.
Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, BMW, Misc. Auto Shows
It could be said that no auto show is as glamorous as the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Held on the picturesque shores of Lake Como in northern Italy, the annual concours is sponsored by BMW. So it only stands to reason that the Bavarian automaker wouldn't let the show come and go without making a splash on its own.
Previous years saw BMW roll into Cernobbio with such show-stopping concepts as the M1 Hommage and the 328 Hommage, but this year it's not looking back on its history to draw its inspiration. Instead it's teamed up with celebrated Italian coachbuilder Zagato to dream up the concept you see here.
A rare instance of Munich reaching beyond its own design department, the BMW Zagato Coupé is a one-off concept, but is far from a fragile show car. The shape is aerodynamically optimized and the car is fully road registered in Germany, and has already undergone high-speed testing at BMW's own test facility. The Bavarian automaker remains tight-lipped on its underpinnings and running gear, but the obvious conclusion - whether ultimately correct or not - is that it's based on the Z4 roadster.
Whatever lies beneath the hand-crafted aluminum shape, however, is of less consequence than its design. Reinvigorating a tradition of collaboration that goes back to the 1959 BMW 3200 Michelotti Vignale through to the Giugiaro-designed M1 of 1978, the Zagato Coupé concept aptly embodies design cues attributable to both BMW and Zagato - from the twin-kidney grille (whose mesh is made up of little Zs), over the double-bubble roof (a hallmark of Zagato styling originally intended to accommodate a racing helmet in early designs) to the Kamm tail that BMW and Zagato both claim as common heritage.
The greenhouse is set way back and the hood is longer than it took us to put together the immense gallery of high-resolution images BMW has released of the show-stopping concept, which you'll want to check out in detail along with the full press release below.Continue reading BMW reveals stunning Zagato Coupe at Villa d'Este
BMW reveals stunning Zagato Coupe at Villa d'Este originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 May 2012 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Official: BMW reveals stunning Zagato Coupe at Villa d'Este
Noah Joseph
Fri, 25 May 2012 19:57:00 GMT
It’s been a long time coming but at last we know what the incomparable Caribou replacement will be.
And I heartily approve, believing from the word go that the Spartan would be the right choice.
But it still can’t do what the ‘bou ‘bou would do as the first aircrew to try and land it on an unprepared rising strip in the3 New Guinea Highlands will discover!
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) chose the Alenia C-27J Spartan to replace a fleet of 14 DHC-4 Caribou STOL airlifters that have already been retired. The 10-aircraft deal will be conducted via the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system, with L-3 acting as the prime contractor. Alenia and L-3 formed a partnership to sell the C-27J to the U.S. armed forces. The RAAF also evaluated the EADS CN-295 for the Air 8000 requirement.
The contract is worth about $1 billion, including support equipment and several years of training and logistics support. According to the Pentagon’s notice of potential sale, the aircraft will be equipped with a full U.S.-made electronic warfare suite. The notice added that the C-27Js will also help replace 12 C-130H airlifters that the RAAF plans to retire. The first C-27J will be delivered in 2015, with initial operating capability to follow by the end of 2016.
Alenia said that the aircraft will be new-build, thereby safeguarding the workforce in Italy. There had been speculation that the RAAF would be offered C-27Js being built for, or already flying with, the U.S. Air Force. That service decided last January to withdraw its fleet of C-27Js as a budget-cutting measure, having already received 13 of a planned total of 38. The decision has been challenged in Congress, and might be overturned.
May 11, 2012, 2:03 PM
Alenia C-27J Wins Australian Airlift Contest
Chris Pocock
Fri, 11 May 2012 15:10:00 GMT
Ken Block gets more amazing all the time. This is his most recent offing: Gymkhana Four. How does he do it? Watch it yourself and be amazed!
Now look here…this is your rifle, this is your gun. One is for fighting, this one’s for……..
Members of the Royal Navy, the Scots Guards, the Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Royal Air Force were joined by veterans from the Royal British Legion Scotland in Edinburgh for a parade to mark Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Year. The parade started at Edinburgh Castle and continued down the Royal Mile to Abbey Strand where His Royal Highness The Duke of Rothesay (Prince Charles) took the salute. Pictured here, His Royal Highness inspects members of the Armed Forces, including the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, in the forecourt of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. [Picture: Mark Owens, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]
Image of the Day: 11 May 2012
News Team
Fri, 11 May 2012 10:15:29 GMT
It looks like the MoD has done it again. Why should we endure austerity when the MoD is effectively flushing our money down the toilet in huge amounts.
Defence Secretary to re-examine air tankers contract over £100m overspend claims Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said he would personally re-examine a contract for RAF air-to-air refuelling planes amid claims that the taxpayer is paying three times over the odds.
Telegraph Staff
Fri, 11 May 2012 07:04:05 GMT
